2009 in Review

January
Happy New Year 2009 wasn't the best start for us. Benjamin and I lost our baby in December, and in Jan I was still having a hard time accepting things. It was also my 35th birthday which put be officially AMA (Advanced Maternal Age) - another issue I had problems dealing with. It was a rough month.
February
A much, much better month for us! We found out we were expecting again! It was so exciting and so scary at the same time. We also had William's 2nd birthday party at the end of Feb (even though his actual birthday is March 5th). He had a "Hi-5" themed birthday and it was then we decided to tell the family that we were expecting again.
March
William's officially 2, and unfortunately March found him sick. He got an ear infection and was fighting it almost the entire month. I was fighting morning sickness myself. It was a nice month for us.
April
April started off fine for us with a nice Easter, but it also brought us a scare. My NT scan showed us that the baby had a 1:42 possibility of having Down Syndrome. It was a scary development for us. We decided to have an amniocentesis at the end of the month to check for sure to see if the baby did in fact have Downs. We did find out that the baby was a boy! 2 boys for us!!
May
God can sure test us sometimes. We found out this month that our amnio we did in April did not work. So, we decided to repeat the amnio. This time it worked, and we found out that the baby was fine - and for sure a boy! Wow! What a month of "low"s and "high"s! William also got his big boy bed. Benjamin had a birthday. He turned 29. He gives me trouble all the time about being older than he, but just wait until next year buddy! I'm gonna give you so much trouble on your big 3-0!!!
June
Made it through the end of the school year, but immediately started teaching summer school. However, after the 1st week of summer school, I started having preterm labor. So, I ended up having to stop working and be on bedrest. That meant no more lifting William. Thank goodness I have such a great little boy, because he was a real trooper even though he didn't quite understand why Mommy couldn't pick him up anymore. This month also brought us a milestone for Benjamin. He received his degree from Colorado Tech. He had his graduation ceremonies in Colo. Springs and I couldn't have been prouder! We also celebrated my parent's 40th anniversary. We had a great party at our house and got to see family members that surprised us with a visit for the party. It was a busy, but really great month for us!!
July
July started off with a bang (hehehe) Happy Independence Day! Not too much happened in July. I was starting to understand why women say it is not the best being pregnant in the summer.
August
One word = MOLD! Darn! While Benjamin was redoing his office in the basement, we found mold behind the paneling. Luckily, we got that all cleaned up and everything was ok. I started back to work at the end of the month - with a student teacher! I was a little concerned going back with being on bedrest for the summer. However, things ended up being ok. It was hard working full time and being 8+ month pregnant. When I was that far along with William, I was on bedrest and not working.
September
September started off on a rocky note as I got a very bad virus! I missed a week and a half off work and ended up in the hospital for contractions being caused by coughing so much. Luckily, I did start to get over the illness. My last OB appointment the doctor told us that he was going to schedule my induction for the evening of Sept.29. This was the month we would meet our new son. My induction went well, and at 9:28am Sept 30, our little Michael was born! A month I will never forget!!!
October
Officially our first month as a family of 4. I have to admit, that October was a really rough month. Not only did we have to get used to sleepless nights of newbornhood, but also dealing with a toddler that was understanding that he was not the center of attention anymore. I have to say, that William really did a good job as a new big brother. He had his days of jealousy, but overall did a great job. However, it was also this month when H1N1 made its way to our household. My poor William got it. It was a rough week of fever, but as bad as they say it was on T.V., William came through it fine. I was very scared that the baby would get it, but luckily both the baby and I dodged the H1N1 bullet. Unfortunately, Benjamin didn't fair as lucky! He did make it through too. It was a long month, but we made it through!
November
A busy month of taking care of kids. We started getting used to the baby and our new life. We had a great Thanksgiving. So much to be grateful for this year!! My time off on maternity leave was drawing to a close. It was a great time off, but all good things must come to an end. William ended up with a couple ear infections, so we went back to the ENT and another set of ear tubes may be in future. Hopefully not! Mikey started to smile. He just gets cuter everyday!!
December
Bringing 2009 to a close was another great month for us. I did end up going back to work. My first week back I did cry every morning. Michael did great at daycare and I know I could count on William to look after him. William had a great Christmas. Santa, Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa and everyone else treated the boys very well this Christmas. William really got into the unwrapping and like to help his little brother open presents. Our house is officially undecorated, and William just doesn't quite understand why Christmas can't last longer! What a little sweetie!

As I look back over the past year, I can't imagine a better year. I know not everyone had a great year like we did, and my heart goes out to them. I have a feeling that 2010 will be another wonderful year!!

How did a month get by without me Blogging?

Wow! I can't believe it has been over a month since I have Blogged. I guess things just got kinda crazy. Let me see if I can catch you up. I went back to work on Dec 7th. It was extremely hard for me to go back earlier than I had planned, but again it made sense since we really needed the money. The two weeks back really weren't bad. The kids did pretty good considering they are hyper anyway right before Christmas, but also because they had a student teacher and a sub since Sept. It was kinda nice to get back to work, but I did cry everyday I left for work that first week. I was sooo behind, but after some organization and some rearranging, I think my classroom is going to be great for the rest of the year.

William is doing great. He did end up with a couple ear infections since my last post, so we visited the ENT to see about William getting another set of ear tubes. The Doc said that we could get another set or "wait and see". We decided to "wait and see" because his last infection the pediatrician gave him a different antibiotic. His last dose was Christmas morning, and he seems to be doing fine. However, if he gets another infection in the next couple months, then we will get the tubes. I really hope it doesn't come to that, but if it will help him then it will be worth it.

Baby Michael is doing great as well! I can't get over how fast he is growing. A couple weeks ago I packed away the newborn clothes and got out the 0-3month size, and even some of those are getting tight. He is smiling a lot now, but still needs to work on his neck muscles. He is a really good baby, other than his 6pm fit. I don't know what it is, but at about 6pm every night he has a crying fit. I don't know if I would consider it "colic" or not, but whatever it is, it is no fun. But really, he is a good baby otherwise! He is in awe of his big brother and a complete sweetheart! I think I hit the parent jackpot with my 2 wonderful boys!!

Benjamin is doing fine. He worked hard on the basement to put back the wall he knocked down so his bowling machine would fit. I don't think I have mentioned it on this Blog, but we are selling our house. Our old house was put on the market, so we decided to put in an offer. Our offer was accepted, so now all we need to do is sell our house. It has been on the market for about 6 weeks, and no offers yet, but we hope we will get one soon. It isn't the best time to sell with the housing market where it is, but we will do the best we can!

Here are a few pics from Christmas, and I'll try to Blog more and not let a month go between posts!

Only 2 more weeks of maternity leave

I don't know what to think. Yep, only 2 more weeks. It is like I am ready to go back to work, but I am not ready to leave Michael. Too bad I can't take him to work with me! I was originally going to be off work until January. However, financially I think it would be better for me to go back to work. I have 12 weeks I can take off, but none of those are paid. Well, they are paid if you have saved enough days, but I used all I had when I was on maternity leave with William and didn't have any saved from last year. All the days I am taking off are costing us over $200 a day! We have come up with some unexpected expenses and have some medical bills, and I think it is best to go back to work rather than charge those expenses to a credit card. We just paid off our credit cards and paid off the loans we had for our fertility treatments. Basically, we are debt free if you don't count cars, house, or student loans. So, long story short, too late! :-), I am going back to work Dec 7th. It will be a little strange to go back, but I am looking forward to getting back some of my own identity. My student teacher will be done with her student teaching by then, so it will just be my kids and me! I also think it will be nice to kinda ease into it. Meaning, I will only be working 2 weeks and then will be on Christmas vacation. That way I can kinda get back into things, get my Michael time during Christmas, and then go back in January. It is really going to be hard to leave Michael though. He is still so little, but I know he will be in good hands. So for now, I am going to enjoy the 14 days I have left with my 2 little ones.

The "banana song"

Today on our way to daycare, William and I were singing the "banana song" - which is that name song - William, William, bo-billiam, banana fana fo filliam, me my mo milliam, William. He was singing the whole way making sure we did every name of every family member. It was so much fun. I love him at this age!

Oh, and here is the first smile I got on camera from Michael. Too bad his arm kinda got in the way.

Michael at 6 weeks old

1 Month Old Comparison!

Today Michael is one month old. I thought it would be fun to dress him in the same outfit I dressed William in for his 1 month picture. I think they look quite a bit a like. What do you think?

MICHAEL

WILLIAM

Michael meeting Great-Grandparents

Need hugs for William!

Oh boy! I sure could use some hugs for my William. Things are just not going his way lately. First, we had the baby and totally change his life around. He's done pretty well with his little brother, but still has some issues here and there. Well, then the poor kid gets H1N1! We rag on him to stay away from the baby and wash, wash, wash his hands, etc., make him take nasty medicine he hates, and plus he wasn't feeling good. Then he finally starts getting over that, but now has a nasty case of pink eye! So, Benjamin and I basically have to hold him down to give him his drops. Yesterday at daycare, one of the kids hit him, and the weather was cold, so they didn't get to play outside. And then today, he fell down the stairs (luckily he is ok, it was only 4 steps and he kinda rolled). But, then I also find out that my Dad's work schedule has changed, and he will be working straight days all week and won't be able to watch William anymore! He has been watching William 2-3 times a week since the kid was about 6 months old. PaPa days are his favorite, and now that is being taken away from him too. Can you believe all this stuff is happening all at once to a 2 year old? I wish there was a way I could make things easier on him right now, but I don't know how. I think the kid needs some hugs!

John 16:21

“When a woman gives birth, she has distress because her time has come, but when her child is born, she no longer remembers the suffering because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.”

3 weeks old today!

My little Michael is 3 weeks old today. What a little cutie he is! Now, if only I could get him to actually sleep at night and to sleep longer periods, then I might be more human instead of a walking zombie!

On the mend!

Thank goodness, William is getting better! Whew! He hasn't had a fever in a couple days and has even started to eat and drink more. He is definitely getting back to his normal self. So far, the rest of us are feeling good (knock on wood). We have about a week of incubation for the H1N1 that we read on the government web site. So, I am hoping the rest of us stay healthy until Friday, and then maybe we will be out of the woods.

Things are going fine on the new baby front. Michael is a really good baby. The nights are kinda tough as he barely is going 3 hours between feedings at night, and sometimes after a feeding it takes a good 1/2 hour to get him back to sleep. He is starting to eat a little more and fill out a little. I have to say he still has little skinny chicken legs though! At his 2 week appointment, he weighed 6lbs 12oz, so he has gained back all that he lost (was 6lbs 0oz when we went to the pediatrician when he was 3 days old). He does some smiles in his sleep. It makes me sooo ready for that first smile he will do in response to me. William is showing a few jealousy issues, but then again he wasn't feeling all that well from the flu, so I think that added to it. He wasn't too happy to see his PaPa holding the baby the other day, but he likes to watch me change Mikey's diaper. He always lets me know when the baby is crying. It is nice to see them together, and I just think of the future when they can play together and get to be best friends.

My recovery is going well. I'm feeling pretty good only being 2 1/2 weeks after giving birth! I have been having some emotional highs and lows, and I feel sorry for Benjamin and the rest of my family to have to deal with me, but that is what happens when hormones try to regulate. I am hoping to level off soon, and have noticed things are a little better now that I am not as worried about William and H1N1. (That really had me worried for my boys!!) I have to admit that I am LOVING not being pregnant anymore. Don't get me wrong. Being pregnant was amazing and an experience I will treasure for all my life. However, there are still things in pregnancy that are no fun at all. I am loving that I can bend over, I can sleep on my tummy, I no longer have horrific heartburn, and am not so tired all the time. I'm tired from lack of sleep, but it isn't the same kind of tired I felt when I was pregnant. I am feeling almost back to my normal self which is great! Remember, I was pregnant back on October of last year, and then lost the baby in December, and I was pregnant again in January. It was like I was pregnant for an entire year, not just 9 months. It has been a long year, and it is nice to be feeling like me again!

H1N1 had infiltrated our home!

My poor Sweet William has been sick since Monday. On Wednesday, we needed to take little Michael into the pediatrician for his 2 week check up, and so we took William too so the doctor could take a look at him. He did a Strep test that was negative, and then a flu test which was positive. He said that William tested positive to Flu A which they are considering all + Flu A results to be H1N1!!!! NOOOOO! That is not what this household needs with a 2 week old. William is now on Tamiflu (which is a pain in the butt to even get him to take) which should hopefully shorten the length of his illness. We are trying to keep the boys away from each other, but that is almost laughable. We have been washing our hands like crazy, have a bottle of hand sanitizer on the coffee table, and I have clorox wiped every toy and surface of the house. I guess that is all we can do. The doctor said that we have all been exposed, so really there is nothing much we can do. I guess we all just sit here and wait until we all get it. I am supposed to watch Michael for a high fever and extreme fussiness, and if we see that we take him to the ER immediately. I am praying that all the clorox wiping and hand washing will do some good so the rest of us don't get it. I guess it is going to be a long month for our household!

This Blog needs a new name

Looking at the name of my Blog "Sweet William", I am thinking that it is time to change the name because this Blog isn't just about William anymore. With our new addition, I need to change it. Any ideas?

Our baby boy is here!

Hi everyone! I have some exciting news! Our little baby Michael is here. Here is our birth story...

At my last OB appointment, it was decided that it would be best to induce me. When I had William, he had some trouble coming out and the doctor needed the forceps to deliver him. He thought it would be best to have a little smaller of a baby, and hopefully he wouldn't need the forceps. So, on Tuesday, Sept 29, we went to the hospital at 8pm to start the induction. When we got there, admission desk was closed, so we had to go to the emergency room. Once we walked in, there were about 40 people in the waiting room, all with surgical masks!!! YIKES! H1N1 at it's finest! It freaked me out! I didn't want to catch it while waiting for a wheel chair to take me up to Labor and Delivery! Luckily, the lady checking us in must have sensed my apprehension, and let us wait in the hallway for the wheelchair! Thanks! So, they wheel us up, and I get all dressed in the lovely hospital gown. Of course, I had Benjamin take one last "bump" picture...

They hooked me all up, asked me a ton of questions because we didn't make it to our pre-admission appointment because it was schedule for the 30th! Oops. They inserted a little pill into the cervix to try to ripen things and get them going. I got 2 doses (1 every 4 hours). They started bringing on some contractions, but nothing too bad. The hardest part was the nurse trying to get me to sleep. They offered some medication to help me sleep, but I am not the type of person who likes to take a lot of drugs. With all my allergies, I get nervous about taking something I've never had before, and I tend to get a lot of side effects even if I am not allergic. So, Benjamin, my Mom, and I all try to sleep through the night. I think we all got about a hour total, so it was really hard. They checked me after the 2 doses, and I was only 3cm. After 8 hours and not sleeping, I was a little discouraged that I wasn't farther along, but the nurse kept telling me that the pill they gave is just to start things going, and once they started the pitocin, then I would really be going. (Almost like those 8 hours shouldn't count as "labor".) Once they started the pitocin (6am on Wed) everything really started to move. For this labor, I was really hoping to go natural, no epidural. My epidural when I had William was not the best experience, and I really was afraid to get one this time around. Last time, the doc had a TERRIBLE time getting it into my back - taking almost an hour - and then got it in the wrong spot, which in turn had me go numb way too far up, to the point I was having trouble swallowing. Also, I had a drop in blood pressure, which was scary to me. So, I was going to try to go all natural. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA YA RIGHT!!!! I was so kidding myself! Once the pitocin started, holy cow were those contractions painful! Kudos to women who do it naturally. I kept trying different positions to labor, but I had to keep a monitor on to keep the baby's heartbeat registering and lots of positions we lost the signal. So, the best position for me was in a rocking chair...

Once I moved to the rocking chair, my water broke. This was it!! That happened when the nurse shift change started, so my new nurse, Mindy - who was just AMAZING!!! -, was a good luck charm. I stayed in the rocking chair for a little while, but my OB showed up and wanted to check me. So, I got back in bed, he checked me, and I was 4cm. WHAT??? That's it. Oh man, and by this time I was barely getting through the contractions at all, so that is when I caved and asked for the epidural. I was very scared to get it, but the pain won out over the scared. They called the anesthesiologist in, and he was sooooo nice. I told him my concerns and how scared I was, and he was very comforting and explained everything. The nurse whispered in my ear that he was "The Best" and was even the chair on a special "Pain Management" team or something. Last time, it took almost an hour to get the epidural, this time 6 minutes! I kid you not! And let me tell you, I was ready to KISS that doctor. Not only did I not go numb too high up, but my bp was great. He is now my favorite doc! hehehe Once I got the epi, I was feeling so much better. Mom and Benjamin came back in and I was like, "Hi guys! I'm feeling soooo much better." The nurse checked me again, and I had gone from 4cm to 7cm. Cool!! Progress! The bad part was is I started to shake, which is something that happened last time, and it a side effect. (See, I get all the side effects of drugs) However, I would take the shaking, which was pretty awful, over that pain. I told the nurse I was feeling some pressure, so she checked me and I was at 9cm! I'd say I went from 7 to 9 in like seconds! She called for the doc, because he had just left. After the OB checked me, I had asked for the epidural, and since that went so fast, I think he had just checked me at a 4 like 30 minutes prior. FAST! She called him back, and once he got there I was ready to push. I asked the nurse how I would be able to push when I was shaking so badly. She said that somehow you just stop, and she was right. When I started pushing, I really couldn't feel too much, so she totally stopped the epidural. I didn't even get a chance to push the little medicine button. I pushed and pushed, and felt like I wasn't doing much. The OB said that Michael was coming out crooked, which is what happened with William and why I needed the forceps. He asked for the vacuum (it goes on the baby's head and the doc can kinda maneuver the baby out. We tried that with William before the forceps, but the vacuum didn't work.) This time, it worked. I pushed with like 5 contractions, and Michael was born. What was kinda cool, is I could feel it more this time. With William, I was over medicated with the epidural and then numbed even more when I needed the forceps, that I didn't feel a thing. This time, boy could I feel that pressure. It really helped with the pushing, and once he came out I could feel relief immediately. Amazing! So, if you don't count the 8 + hours I was there in the evening, and just count "labor" once the pitocin was started, it took from 6am to 9:38am. FAST! Here are a few pictures!

Look at his big mouth! Hehe! He has a great set of lungs too! ;-)

Our new family!

Brothers!

Coming home!

Wow, full term!!

I can't believe it. I am now 37 weeks and officially considered full term. Even though my due date is still 3 weeks away, once you hit 37 weeks, you are considered full term. If the baby comes the lungs should be fully developed and should be just fine. I am so excited since we had so many issues with the preterm labor. I am getting kinda antsy for the baby to get here though. I bet all pregnant women feel like this when they get so close to the end. I just can't wait to see him, meet him, hold him, kiss him, and everything a new mommy wants to do! I am still working. I have a doctor's appointment on Wednesday, and I am going to ask him if Friday the 25th can be my last day. (The 25th is also our 5th Anniversary!) I can make it through the day at school fine, but when I get home I am pretty much no use to anyone - my husband, my son, even my dog! I sit on the couch and watch the clock waiting for it to be time to go to bed. I just get tired very easily. I'm doing ok other wise. I'm getting kinda uncomfortable, but really not too bad. I've been having some contractions here and there, but nothing that is really timeable or strong. It will be interesting to see if I have made any progress when I go in on Wednesday. We will also be having an ultrasound that day. We are planning on taking William. It will be the first time he has been to an OB appointment or an ultrasound. I wonder what he will think! He knows there is a baby in my tummy, but I wonder what he really knows. So, I guess it is now just a waiting game. I do have a bag packed just in case.

A good appointment today

It went pretty well. I was actually looking forward to it, but then right before I left I get a little nervous. Don't know why?? I only gained a pound - WooHoo! (24 total - so not too bad), my BP was 120/80 so pretty good, and nothing bad in my urine. I do have some swelling in my feet and legs, but he said it wasn't too bad and was to be expected for as far along as I am. He also said that I still have some growing to do, and the med student he has (he always has med students) checked me and said I was 1cm dilated. I asked the doc about me being off work, and he said medically there was nothing stopping me from working. Ok. I knew it was a little early, but I was hoping I could stay home. I will try my best to keep my feet up, but that is kinda hard when teaching 3rd graders. I have an ultrasound in 2 weeks (along with my next appointment) to check fetal weight. They induced me a week early because they thought William was going to be big, and at 39 weeks he was 7lb15oz. The doc said he would like to see me going into labor in 2 weeks and have a little bit smaller baby so I won't need the forceps this time. Sounds great to me!! Yea for good appointments!

35 and 35

What the heck does 35 and 35 mean? Well, it means that today I am 35 weeks along and only have 35 days until my due date! Isn't that just amazing??? How did I get here so fast? It has been an interesting week. After our fiasco last weekend, I started to get sick Sunday. Just felt yucky, like I was getting a cold. And of course, I did. I took a couple days off of work (Mon and Tues) but try to stick things out on Wednesday, because I had an all-day training and open house that evening. I made it through all of that, and then on Thursday I had taken a personal day off of work. We took William to his first State Fair. It was fun, but I was kinda a party pooper because it was so hot, I still wasn't feeling well, and walking around for hours is kinda hard when you are almost 9 months pg! We did have fun, and it looked like William had a blast!! All was well, except that this little cold was still hanging around and by now I have a terrible cough. So, I get up Friday morning to get ready to go to work and notice I am having contractions every time I cough. Not good. So I call off of work again (now, this makes me gone the entire week - cuz even though I went on Wednesday I was still out of the building at a training). I felt really bad that I have missed an entire week of school and thinking about my poor students that have had 4 different subs in 5 days! I call the nures hoping they would just have me come in to be checked, but I found out the doctor was at the hospital in surgery. So, the nurse sent me back to the hospital. They were BUSY yesterday! There were no rooms on L&D, so I ended up being on the OB floor having to share a room. Bummer! They hooked me up to the monitors and sure enough every time I coughed I got a contraction. However, once I was laying down, the contractions lessened even though I was still coughing. The laying down really helped. However, they wouldn't let me go until they got a nice read on the baby's heart beat. And with all my coughing, everything I coughed the monitor would lose signal. It was so annoying! I tried my best not to cough, but ya, like you can do that when you are coughing up a lung! I asked the nurse if she could raise my bed a little so I wasn't laying down so much, and that did help. Finally, they got a good enough reading that they let me go (4 hours later!!). Even though my doc was in surgery, his associate came to check me out, and wrote me a note to be out of work until Thursday of next week. This way I can full recover from this terrible Upper respritory thing I've got going on. I have an appointment with my OB on Wendesday and I will be talking to him about taking me out of work until the baby comes. I'm tired of spending days in the hospital that I think I wouldn't need to go if I was resting at home. I guess we will see what he says then. So, even with all this craziness of hospital visits and sickness, the baby is hanging in there and things are ok at our house. Thanks for all those keeping up with this craziness on Facebook.

Spent Saturday at L&D

We thought we might be meeting our little one this week, but it was a false alarm. Yesterday morning, I though my water had a little leak. Not a full gush, but a little dribble. I wasn't sure, so I called the doctor and he said I should go in to get checked. 3 hours and some tests later, we found out my water didn't break, and that I could go home. They did say I have an "irritable uterus" which means I wasn't really having timeable contractions, but it was kinda cramping. I guess I need to take it a little easier, so that might mean working half days or not at all. I'm planning on going next week (I'll be gone a couple days for a training), but after next week, we will see how I am doing. The nurse also said I am swelling pretty badly, so once I get home I have orders to keep my feet up and lay on the couch. That is kinda hard with a very active 2 year old, but I will surely try. Oh, and I need to drink water, water, and more water. Anyway, we are very thankful everything is ok, since it still is pretty early to have a baby. I am only 34 weeks and full term is 37-40 weeks. The longer he stays with me the better. So, we did get hit with some reality - we are having another baby soon. Sometimes you just get caught up in the pregnancy that real life with an infant is not thought of much. I have a dr's appointment next week, so I guess we will see how things go from there.



I did make it through my first week of school. It was a good week, but boy was it exhausting. I have a nice group of kids this year. My student teacher has been a good help, and I am really going to start getting her into teaching since I don't know how much longer I will last. I feel like I might be catching a cold, so hopefully it will past quickly or maybe it is just allergies. I have parent night this week, so if I make it to the weekend I will consider myself doing well!



So, that is what is going on with our little family. We will keep you posted if this baby does decide to make an early entrance!!

Back to work

Yep, I am officially back at work. This week was a teacher week because the kids don't start until Monday. The week consisted of putting up bulletin boards, putting away all the books and other teacher stuff I have (since I moved classrooms this year), going through print shop orders, moving desks, checking if computers work, going over first day plans with my student teacher (who I think will be great), making schedules, putting text books out, getting names on desks, organizing materials, ordering more materials (since we are adding a 3rd classroom), meetings, meetings, and more meetings. It was a full week, and boy am I tired. I have been lounging around the house all summer and getting back into being on my feet all day (especially at 8 months pregnant) has been exhausting - but good too. The kids start on Monday, and I think we are ready. I am looking forward to being a classroom teacher from being a specialist last year. The doctor has given me 3 weeks to work, and then will see how I am doing with my preterm labor and all. If I keep where I am, he will let me keep working, but if he notices any changes in my cervix then it might be back to bedrest or maybe half days or something. I called my sub just to touch base, and let her know that even though my due date is October 10th, that we may be needing her sooner than that. I am a little nervous about having to be out of work too early. When I went out early with William, I was put on medical leave, and then once he was born I was put on FMLA leave. This time, however, I don't think that would be the case. I have a feeling they would start me on FMLA right away. I only get 12 weeks of FMLA leave, so if I am out 6 weeks before the baby is born then I only get 6 weeks after the baby is born. I don't think I would be ready by then. Of course, some companies only give 6 weeks of leave, so I am lucky that I get 12 weeks, but I really want to have all 12 after the baby is born. So, hopefully, the doctor will at least let me work half days or something. As for my pregnancy, everything is going fine. I am feeling very full of baby. He is very high up and loves to kick the ribs. I am feeling his hiccups - which is really neat but kinda annoying too. It feels kinda like a little twitch. At one of my meetings, I kinda jumped with a really strong kick and the teacher next to me said, "Holy cow!! I saw that!! Your whole belly moved!!" Yep, he is a strong kicker. I am so excited to meet him. I am getting more nervous about the whole labor/delivery coming up. You think that since I did it once already and kinda know what to expect, that I wouldn't be as nervous. But, that is not the case. Oh well, as long as the baby gets here nice and healthy, that is all that matters!



Things around our house have been good. Nothing too exciting lately. William has had some issues getting back into daycare this week, but by the 3rd day he was doing better and not crying and clinging to me when I left for work. I am hoping next week will continue to be ok.



Here is a 32 week belly picture...

Feeling better!

I have some good news to share! We are getting our mold problem taken care of tomorrow! I ended up calling a mold professional just to see how bad the problem was and to get a quote on the clean up. The good news was that the mold guy said that it wasn't too bad and that the clean-up wasn't too expensive either! Yea!! Benjamin did have to empty out the rooms effected (which he is doing as I type) and they will be here at 9:30am tomorrow to get cleaning! I am so relieved. As for other happenings in the family, nothing much to report. William is doing great. His favorite words are "why" and "do it myself". He is getting very good at putting on his own socks and shoes (even though some times the shoes end up on the wrong foot). He is getting so grown up that sometimes I just can't believe it. Benjamin is going good too. He is taking good care of William and me. As for me, just enjoying my last week off. I go back to work next week. Thank goodness for the help of family because everyone is going to move me into my new classroom on Friday. Thanks guys for the help! I will be at the same school; just moving classrooms. Some great news to share is my cousin gave birth to her new daughter yesterday! Congrats Julia! Alivia is such a cutie! It makes me really excited to meet my little guy. I'm feeling ok (same complaints as my previous post) but I think once I get back to school, I'll have something else to focus my attention. I have a dr's appointment on the 17th, and I think I then start going to appointments every 2 weeks! The end is in sight, and I am a tad but nervous.

I'm so upset!!

Oh man, I am so sad! We found more mold in our house! THIS SUCKS!!!! When we first moved in, we had the air ducts cleaned, and they found mold! That pissed me off because I thought the home inspector should have found it in the air ducts - you know what I mean! So anyway, we got that treated and thought we were done. Well, then we put a dog door in and found mold under our paneling. Great! Benjamin tore out the drywall, replaced it, and cloroxed the wall. We thought we were in the clear - again. Now, today Benjamin was in the basement trying to get a home office set up since his job site is moving that every employee MUST work from home one day a week, and guess what he found! MORE MOLD!!! I am sooooo ready to rid my hands of this damn house! We haven't even lived here a year. If we were to sell, we would lose soooo much money. We just got a second mortgage to help pay for my maternity leave, so we have 0 equity. Of course, we got the 2nd before we know about all this mold! Plus, I DO NOT want to have a house on the market with a newborn and a 2 year old. (Not to mention the housing market right now) Life will be hard enough without adding trying to keep a house clean enough for showings! We have no money to hire a professional to take care of the mold (and who knows how much it would cost anyway!) because we are saving every penny for my maternity leave. It is going to be all up to Benjamin to fix because I am no help being 8 months pregnant! I don't want my family to get sick because we have a house full of mold! I don't want to bring my newborn home to mold!! And who knows where else it is hiding!!! I just want to cry with frustration.

Ugh! Feeling like I am done with being pregnant!!

First, I'd like to start with a disclaimer, that I am grumpy and hormonal, and I am like this everyday now. So, first and foremost, I am sorry for being such a whiny baby...

I am SOOOO done with being pregnant! I don't know how I am going to make it another 10 weeks. I didn't get to feeling this yucky until I was like 37-38 weeks with William. I have terrible heartburn! I mean, I wake up with it in the morning. Water gives it to me! All I have been eating is tums and Zantac! My back is hurting like crazy, and no matter where or how I sit, I am uncomfortable. I can't bend over. It is hard for me to change William's diaper because sitting on the floor and bending around is getting so hard. I can't get up or sit down without making some sort of noise. I am HOT all the time. Those who say it is hard being pregnant during the summer are SOOOO right. I am tired all the time, and can't sleep worth a crap. My hips hurt, and my face is broken out! Waaaaaaaa! I go back to work in 3 weeks, so maybe once I get back at work and not home all day, I will get my mind off how I am feeling on get distracted from it. But for now, I am ready for October 10th!!!

P.S.
Here is a picture of me at 27 weeks.



Here is a picture of me at 20 weeks so you can compare.
Can you see how much I've grown?

A day at the Children's Museum

A sad day...

Kisses and hugs to my unborn baby I lost to my miscarriage in December. Yesterday was your due date, and I would have had you in my arms. Thank you for the time you were with me. I love you and miss you!
~Mommy

Yes, I'm slacking on my posting

I admit that I should be posting more. So, let's see if I can get you caught up. Two weeks ago I started having a reaction to the Procardia that the dr gave me to stop my preterm labor. I got a nasty rash on my hands, arms, chest, and kinda all over. I stopped taking the Procardia and started taking Benadryl. I was nervous to stop the Procardia, but so far no contractions, so that is great! Of course, this reaction happened 2 days before Mom and Dad's 40th Anniversary party. Of course!! (By the way, the party went really well, and it was nice to see all our friends and family. Thanks for everyone that helped me out!!) Anyway, the reaction started to go away, and it completely gone now. I had a doctor's appointment last week as a check up, and the good news is that I haven't had any change. So, that along with the good cervix measurement a couple weeks ago, the doctor was feeling pretty good about things. He even lifted some restrictions, but I am still supposed to take it easy. The longer I take it easy during the summer, the more I should be able to work once school starts in August. I'm glad that I even get to work a little! So, things are going well. The baby is moving a lot and likes to kick me about 9pm and 3am if I have to get up to use the bathroom. William is his cute little self. We have noticed that he is talking a lot more the past couple weeks. He still has some things we can't understand, but he is really developing those communication skills. Benjamin is doing well too. He put in a dog door, but unfortunately we found mold under the paneling in the family room!! Ugh! So, his little project had turn into a total home improvement project. I am lucky I am married to a very handy man! So, as you can see, we are doing pretty well here. I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. We did - even though it rained. Here are a few pics from Mom and Dad's 40th....

I'm a proud wife!

See why...

Preterm labor for baby #2

Well, I guess this pregnancy is just going to test us until this baby joins us in October. I was feeling some cramping yesterday, the OB sent me to the hospital, and we found out I am in preterm labor. Things aren't too bad yet, I am just softening a little and haven't dilated and the contractions have been stopped. The bad thing about this is I am just so early for this to happen. (23.5 weeks) When I had preterm labor with William, I was 32 weeks. I need to get to 30 weeks to really be ok if the baby comes early. That is 6.5 weeks. I will stop teaching summer school and am on a modified bedrest. Oh, and I am taking the medicine called Procardia to stop the contractions and keep them away. It is going to be a lot harder this time around dealing with bedrest and a 2 year old. Benjamin is going to have to be a single Dad for a while since I am not allowed to lift William at all! I have an ultrasound next week that will measure my cervix, and that will tell us a lot more. So, for now I am taking it easy on the couch and just letting this baby cook.

Please little boy, stay in your Mama's tummy for another 7 weeks.

We picked bedding for the baby

As many of you know, I love Mickey Mouse, so it probably won't surprise you this is the bedding we have decided on...

Week 1 of Summer School = DONE!

Yea! I have made it through the first week of summer school. But, to tell you the truth, it really hasn't been bad at all. I have 4 great kids in my group and between a short recess, computer time and some science time, the 3 hours I am there with the kids really fly by. I have to say that for the 8 years I have taught summer school, this has been the nicest. It will be nice to sleep in and be lazy once summer school is over, but I think I can make it another 2 weeks - no problem. Other things in the life of our family are fine. William is a great little guy! He LOVES to help with anything you ask him to, whether it be to put the laundry into the washer, fill the dish washer, pull weeds (my fav!!) or whatever. He is such a little helper and seems so happy when he does help. I hope this helpfulness continues as he grows up!! The little boy in my tummy is doing well too! He is kicking a lot more now and my belly is starting to grow. I have my next dr's appointment next week, so I'll keep you all informed how things go at that appointment. Benjamin is doing great too. His graduation party is coming up next weekend, and I am sooo proud of him. Not only did he graduate, but he did it with "Highest Honors". What a man! So, as you can see, things are going well. I'll try to add more pictures soon!

Yea, School is out!!

School is officially out for the summer! YEA!!! I got to sleep in today, went to the park with William and Grandma and Grandpa, and am relaxing watching a movie. It has been a wonderful first day off. Unfortunately, this time off is going to be short lived since I start summer school Monday. Oh well, I'm sure enjoying it today!!

Someone has a "Big Boy" bed!!!

Baby is OK!!!

Thank you LORD!!! Everything came back clear! I was surprised we got the fast results, but we did and we are so relieved!! We will get the full panel results in a couple weeks, but the main concern we had was for Downs, and that was tested with the fast results. Thank the Lord, for with him all things are possible!!!!

Repeated the amnio today

Well, today I had a repeat amnio done. We met with a genetic counselor first to go over what happened with our first amnio and go over again what our risks are for having a baby with Down Syndrome. The counselor was very nice, and showed us some blood levels that were off to give us the higher odds for Downs. We asked about the "markers" that show up on an ultrasound, and if no markers were to show up if that would make a difference. She said that even if there were no markers, there would still be a 50% chance of a DS baby. So, even though our ultrasound showed no problems, we decided to go ahead and do another amnio. This time they had got more fluid and it wasn't as painful. So another 2 weeks of waiting. The dr did said that they have NEVER had a repeat amnio come back bad, so I am hoping to get some results this time. Continued prayers would be appreciated. Thanks all!!

Amnio results in - Well, sort of....

I got a call today from my OB with my amnio results, and the results were that there are no results. Apparently my sample did not grow any cells, which is very rare. So all my worrying was for nothing. We are right where we were before the stupid amnio!! (I'm a little upset - can you tell?) So, we now have an appointment with a genetic counselor on Friday up at Memorial. I'm not exactly sure what our next step will be. I think they will give us another detailed ultrasound and offer another amnio, but to tell you the truth, I'm not sure I want to have another one. There is still a miscarriage risk when getting an amnio, and I'm not sure I want to tempt fate again. So, who knows were we go from here. I guess I am pretty upset with my OB. First, he didn't get enough fluid for the faster test (which, I should mention does not require cells to grow, so we might have gotten a result) and now to not have good results. I'm not sure how my confidence is with this dr now. I have an appointment on Wednesday, and I hope I get some answers then. If not, then maybe on Friday. I'm just so disappointed. The odds of having a sample not grow were given to me as 1:100. Couldn't I just win the lottery instead??

Still waiting for results

Ugh! God is giving me a good lesson in patience. I still have not gotten the results from our amnio. They didn't get enough fluid for the faster FISH test, so I knew I'd be waiting for results. I just didn't think I would be waiting this long. I called the nurse to see what was up, and she said that they hadn't heard from the lab. She gave them a call, and they told her they wouldn't get the test done until Monday. Great! I get to wait the entire weekend. So, more waiting!

Nothin else much going on. School is going fine. Only 3 weeks left! Woohoo! Benjamin is doing great and so is William. Our little one is doing great too. I am feeling him move around, but no big kicks yet. I am feeling much better and even getting a little energy back. So, I wish I had more exciting to share, but I guess I don't.

Here is little boy #2!!!

It's a.....

BOY!!!

I realize that it has been a while since I have written in my Blog, and the reason for my absence is because we got some scary news when I got my full NT results that included the blood work. The nurse told us that we are at a high risk for a baby with Down Syndrome. So, even though the ultrasound measurement was good, my blood levels were off and that along with my age (I'm now considered AMA - Advanced Maternal Age) it brought my odds of having a Downs baby to 1:43. It scared us to death, so we decided we would go ahead and get an amniocentesis. We had to wait until I was 16 weeks to do the amnio. That is where they take some of the amniotic fluid from the baby and check for chromosome issues. I had my amnio yesterday. They use the ultrasound machine to find a good place to take the fluid, take a HUGE needle and poke it through the belly all the way through the uterus to where the baby is and take out the fluid. I admit that it was kinda painful, that is all thanks to the baby. They found a nice place to get the fluid, but by the time they clean off my belly and got everything ready, the baby moved right to where they were going to go in, so the dr moved the needle around while it was poked in my skin. Not fun! While they were getting out the fluid, the baby tried to grab the needle!! How in the heck could he see the needle? It is dark in there and I don't think at this age they even open their eyes in there! Well, I'm not sure how he was doing it, but he was trying to grab the needle. The dr decided he got enough, and pulled the needle out. We have 2 weeks of waiting for the results. After the amnio, the ultrasound tech did a detailed ultrasound to check the baby called a "Level II" ultrasound. If the baby has Downs, there are a few things to look for called soft markers - meaning that most babies with Downs have these abnormalities, but sometimes babies that are perfectly fine also have them. They checked for things like a nasal bone, heart problems, short limbs, a crooked pinkie, and a space between the toes. The good news is that our baby didn't have any soft markers! NONE!! He was perfect. YEA!! It was a nice long ultrasound - probably about 45 minutes, and he was moving around all kinds!! During the ultrasound is how we found out he's a boy! So, even though he still might have a problem, things are looking like they will be ok. Benjamin will scan the ultrasound pics, and we'll post them soon. I'm home from work again today because of some cramping where the needle went in. The nurse told me to go home, lay down, and drink lots of water. So, I'm home, watching a movie, and typing my blog. Hey, dr's orders! I guess now, it is just the wait. It will take about 2 weeks for the results, so I'm thinking in those next 2 weeks we can use some prayers that the baby is healthy! I guess we start thinking of boy names! That should be fun! We didn't decide on William's name until the night before I was induced. Maybe this time we will decide sooner. Thanks for reading!!

Everything is just PEACHY!

Ok, I know I am a nerd! I am now 13 weeks pregnant and the baby is the size of a peach. I went last week for an ultrasound called an NT scan. They measure the baby's neck and if it is thicker than normal, it could be a marker for Down Syndrome. It is coupled with a blood test, and I'm not sure what they check for in the blood. I haven't gotten the blood test results, but the measurement of the neck was great! The baby wasn't exactly cooperating and was facing my back, so we got some pictures of its back. There was no way to get a look to see if he/she is a he or a she! Hopefully, he/she will cooperate at my next ultrasound. I'm not sure when that will be, but I have a regular check-up next week, and I'll probably find out then. In other pregnancy news, I have been feeling better. My morning sickness is much more manageable. There are days where I don't have any at all, and let me tell you, it is GREAT!! I have FINALLY gotten over my cold that lasted the entire month, so that is good too. So, I guess other than the fatigue (which is still going strong) I'm feeling more like myself, and that is just wonderful!

William is so much fun lately. Last night we colored Easter Eggs, and he LOVED it! Grandma and Grandpa came over to help and boy was it fun. Even though there were come cracked eggs and blue, red, and green tinged fingers, the eggs are beautiful! I am a little worried about the hunt tomorrow since it is supposed to snow! We might have to have an indoor hunt! William is growing like a weed. Most of his pants are high-waters, so maybe Mommy and Daddy need to get him some new ones. We have also gotten him a potty chair. He's not a pro yet, but he did use it once - which I think we just caught him at the right time. I hope we can get him trained by the time the baby comes in October. That way we will only have to have 1 kid in diapers. His "Big Boy Bed' is at Uncle Eric's house, and we will pick it up when we go up to Denver in a couple weeks for the Pinball Show we go to every year. A big boy bed and a potty chair! This little boy isn't as little as he used to be!

Our plans for Easter are a breakfast a church, then church, and dinner over my Grandparents. It should be a very nice day. I hope everyone has a great Easter, and enjoys time with family.

Happy to see Grandpa

I think William loves his Grandpa. What do you think?

My little piano player

I think we might have another piano player in the family. William loves to play the piano and sing along too!

Thank Yous will be coming

Yes, I am a bad woman. I have not sent out Thank Yous for William's birthday. I would have had them out sooner, but I am going to include a picture of William, and we don't get the pictures until the 8th of April. So, Thank Yous will be coming in a few weeks. Thanks for now!!

Meet our little one...

The baby is doing great!! I was so scared that we would get bad news today, but I was sooo wrong. I was very excited to see the baby looking like a baby with a beating heart! The baby resembles a little gummy bear. I go back in 2 weeks for an NT scan. That is a special ultrasound where the technician takes a very close look at the baby, taking lots and lots of measurements, to make sure everything is ok. It will be too soon to find out the sex. We will find out if it is a girl or a boy when we are closer to 18 weeks. YEA!!! Maybe I can breathe a little easier now that I know the baby is alive and well!!

10 weeks!

WooHoo! I am now 10 weeks pregnant. I've still been feeling terrible, but I was about 10-11 weeks when I started to feel a tad better when I was pg with William, so here is hoping. I do have to say that yesterday was one of the best days I've felt in the past month, so even though I wasn't 100%, I did feel better. So far this morning, things aren't too bad either. William is doing well. I feel kinda bad. He has a stuffed animal, Teddy, that is a raggedy looking little bear, but he is William's best friend. Well, IO figured it was time that Teddy had a wash, so I put him in the washer. When it was time for him to go into the dryer, William was watching as I put the clothes into the dryer. When I grabbed Teddy, I said, "Oh look William. Teddy is going to go for a ride in the dryer." Um, that was the wrong thing to do and say. William was so upset that Teddy was in the dryer he had a total crying fit. I felt so bad. I shouldn't have said anything. I guess I learned the hard way, that when it is time for Teddy to get a wash, I do it on the sneak!! On other good news, it is the beginning of SPRING BREAK!!! WOOHOOOOOOOOOO!!! I am so excited! A whole week off. YEA! We don't have big plans yet. Monday, we are taking William for some 2 year pictures, and then depending on how he is doing, we will take him to either the zoo or the children's museum (it is supposed to be cold, so depending on the weather, that is how we will decide where we take him). Then, Tuesday, we have a dr's appointment and will get another ultrasound! YEA!! I've been waiting for this appointment for over a month!! I tried to move up the appointment by a week, but the schedule was full. Darn it, I had to be patient! I think one day Mom and I are going shopping, but the rest of the week will just be for relaxing and spending time with William. Some good Mommy and Baby time. Oh, I guess he isn't my baby anymore really. He is such a big boy. Well, that is what had been going on here. We'll let you know how everything goes on Tuesday. Hopefully, we will see a nice, strong little baby in my tummy!

Morning sickness is not my friend

Ugh! TGIF! I don't know if I have needed a weekend more than I needed this one. I have still been struggling with morning sickness. Thank goodness I haven't been puking, but the all day nauseousness is just really bringing me down. Sorry, I am kinda whiny today. Not only have I been dealing with the morning (or should I say "every waking moment") sickness, but I still have my cold. Oh, and of course this week at school was CSAP! (The state testing). Well, I guess the good thing about the m/s is that having m/s is a good sign that the baby is ok. I just keep telling myself that it is worth it!!

However, on a good note, William's appointment went very well. He is in the 25% for height and weight. The dr said he was very healthy, but he is a little behind in his speech. So, we have a number of a speech therapist, and I'll give him a call next week. Other than that, everything went great!!

Oh, and here is the size of the baby at 9 weeks (which I will be tomorrow). A green olive!

William loves to share!!

Yep, he sure does. He loves to share his germs! Thanks to my little boy, I am now sick too. I think he has also shared his germs with Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, and Uncle John. What a sharing little boy! He is feeling better though, so that it good. He has an appointment with the pediatrician tomorrow for a check up, and for his 2 year well baby visit. However, now I am sick. It all started for me Wednesday, but I thought it was just my allergies. Well, now I think it was partially my allergies and partially William's germs! I tell you, being pregnant and sick at the same time is tough. I lucked out when I was pg with William, because I didn't get sick once. Dealing with regular pregnancy stuff (morning sickness, fatigue, heartburn, etc) is hard enough, but when you add coughing, draining, clogged nose, runny nose, and headache, it makes life pretty miserable. I sure hope I feel better tomorrow. I'll keep you posted on how William's appointment goes tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Sweet William

I can't believe that my little boy is 2 years old. What an amazing year of change for my little guy. Not only did he learn to walk, but also talk. He is such a wonderful little boy, I am blessed by being his mother. I love you Sweet William!!

My little guy is sick again!

My poor little guy. It seems like he has been sick a lot lately. William has been sick since Friday with a runny nose, cough, and low grade fever. I figured it was just a cold, but it has been 5 days now, so I stayed home from work and took him to the doctor. The doctor said he has ear infections in both ears and RSV. RSV is an upper respiratory thing. I got a call from William's daycare provider before we left for the dr, and she said that one of the other kids was in the hospital for RSV. RSV can be very dangerous for kids under 1, but for kids William's age it isn't as dangerous. It is more like a very bad cold that lasts for about 2 weeks. I'm kinda worried about the ear infections. Since he has ear infections in both ears, that means his ear tubes have fallen out. There has been some confusion if they had fallen out or not. Well, I guess this is the proof that they are out. I asked the dr about getting tubes again, but since this is just his first infection and the season for infections is just about over, we will just wait and see how he does. If he gets more infections, then we will talk to the ENT about getting another set. William is now on antibiotics for the next 10 days and nothing extra for the RSV unless his breathing gets bad. I feel bad that not only was William feeling under the weather for his party, but will also still be feeling bad for his official birthday on Thursday. Oh, hugs to my poor boy.

How are other things going on? Well, Benjamin is doing pretty well. He is on his last set of classes for his degree, so in about 3 - 4 weeks he will be done with school. He has worked so hard for this, and I am really proud of him. I'm doing ok. I am struggling with working along with morning sickness. When I was pregnant with William, I was home on summer vacation when I had morning sickness. This time around I am working full-time and have the added bonus of a very active toddler (that is sick on top of it). As you can guess, I am struggling to survive to spring break. I've been eating a lot of crackers, plain toast, and any other crazy thing I've heard on the internet to get some relief. I guess it could be worst and I could be vomiting everyday. I've just been nauseous all day. I guess the best thing I have found so far that helps is a Jolly Rancher. My next appointment isn't until March 24th, but we should be getting an ultrasound at that appointment. Part of me is excited to let the cat out of the bag about this pregnancy. I'm terrible at keeping secrets; especially really good secrets. However, part of me kinda wishes I would have waited until the end of the first trimester in case we have another miscarriage. Oh well. We will enjoy this child for as long as we can. Well, I'm off to give my little boy his medicine and see if I can find a Jolly Rancher!!

William and Lucy

From this video, you'll see how much they love each other. Sorry the video is a little dark...

What you missed today at William's Birthday Party

Does he take after his Dad or what????

Not much going on here

We were busy with our poor sick child (who is feeling better even though he has a runny nose today). Then, it was my birthday. And now? Just living life. Benjamin has been working hard this week. They are putting in a new phone system, so he has worked a 50 hour week as well as going to school on-line for 2 classes, plus he has to work this weekend. I feel bad for him to work so hard, but hopefully he can get some extra days off next week. As for me, nothing too exciting. My principal talked to me, and it looks like I'll be teaching back in the regular classroom instead of being a resource teacher next year. I am very much looking forward to getting back in the classroom. Right now it looks like I'll be teaching 3rd. I might teach 4th, but either one will be fine. I also will probably have a student teacher next fall, which is exciting. It will be my 10th year teaching next fall, so I think I am ready to "pay it forward". Other than that, nothing too exciting. Just remember that William's 2nd birthday is coming up soon. March 5th!!! We will probably have is party on Feb 28th since that is the Saturday my Dad has off. So, mark your calendars for a little boy's party.

I think we are on the mend!

William's fever is gone and he is feeling better. I don't think it was the Roseola since he never did get the rash once his fever broke. I guess it was just a random virus. Thank goodness he is feeling better. He even has gotten his appetite back. However, since the illness we have taken a step backwards with the binky. He really was only using it for napping and sleeping at night, but when he was sick, we gave it to him for some comfort. Um, I guess that was a bad choice. He now wants his binky all the time and cries when Ben or I won't give it to him. I was thinking he was getting ready to wean from it, but now I don't think so. I know we will get in trouble at his 2 year appointment from the pedi, but oh well. Bad Mommy and Daddy. Maybe we can try to do some pacifier weaning this summer when I am not working.

In other news, tomorrow is my birthday. I usually like my birthday and look forward to it, however, this year I'm not exactly happy. I will be 35 and officially "advanced maternal age". Ugh! I guess I am feeling old. Now I'll round up to 40! (Ok, maybe that is the math teacher talking hehehe)

My poor baby!

I admit. My Blogging is not what it should be. I follow a lot of Blogs where something gets written almost everyday and here I am barely making it once a week. However, I do have a good excuse. My poor baby has been sick. He started with a fever Monday night. Nothing too high, so we figured another tooth would be poppin through. However, Tuesday he still had his temp and it was rising. Benjamin stayed home from work with him and his temp continued to climb. He called the pedi and they said to give him a lukewarm bath and if it continued to call back Friday! I think from Tues-Fri is too long, but I I'm not a nurse or a doctor. Anyway, by Tuesday night, it had climbed to 103, so I called the emergency line. The nurse said I wasn't giving him enough Motrin, to give him some more, and if his temp got higher than 104 to go to the ER. Well, about an hour later, it was 103.9 - close enough for me - so we decided to take him to Urgent Care. We figured it would be quicker than the ER and if he needed to go to the ER they would tell us anyway. We get there, get right back with the Dr, and the Dr sucked! Looked in his ears, said he wasn't sure, and proscribed antibiotics. Um, ok, that was worth the trip. We go back home, put William to bed, and hope for the best. Wednesday morning he was back to normal, but I decided to stay home with him just in case. I was glad, because his temp came back. Back to 103. It was up and down all day. It started to go down, so I went ahead and took him with me to my hair appointment. He even got his hair cut while we were there. He did really well, and hardly cried. Anyway, while we were there, his temp went back up to 103 (glad my hair dresser is also an LPN). She looked over him and told us to have him seen Thursday. He had a rough night waking up at 2am with a temp of 102. We put him to bed with us, and this morning was back to normal temp. However, after what happened yesterday I decided to stay home again (good-bye days off - I took my last one for the year today, Oh well, my baby is more important than work). His temp had been normal, but he hasn't eaten a think in 3 days. He is napping now, and I'll check his temp again once he gets up. He has an appointment at 2pm, so hopefully this dr (our reg dr isn't in the office today, so we will see the other dr in the office) will do a better job looking him over. I am so tired. I haven't slept in a week. I myself was under the weather last weekend and haven't slept much. Since William is napping, I might try to get in a nap myself. I hope we can get some answers today. I feel sorry for my little guy. He's been so lethargic and not himself it is sad. I'll try to post after we see the Dr this afternoon. Hopefully, his temp will stay down after his nap.

Look at Lucy cuddling with our sick child. Awwwww. What a sweet puppy!

P.S. William wanted to be on the floor instead of the couch. Whatever made him happy!

UPDATE:

We went to the Dr and she said she thinks it is Roseola. He has been acting pretty well this evening; playing and acting more like himself. If he gets a rash tomorrow or the next day, then it is for sure Roseola. The rash comes after the fever breaks. It could also just be a random virus. At least I think he is feeling better. He even ate a few crackers!

"An Ugly Pair of Shoes"

I am wearing a pair of shoes.

They are ugly shoes.

Uncomfortable Shoes.

I hate my shoes.

Each day I wear them, and each day I wish I had another pair.

Some days my shoes hurt so bad that I do not think I can take another step.

Yet, I continue to wear them.

I get funny looks wearing these shoes.

They are looks of sympathy.

I can tell in others eyes that they are glad they are my shoes and not theirs.

They never talk about my shoes.

To learn how awful my shoes are might make them uncomfortable.

To truly understand these shoes you must walk in them.

But, once you put them on, you can never take them off.

I now realize that I am not the only one who wears these shoes.

There are many pairs in the world.

Some women are like me and ache daily as they try and walk in them.

Some have learned how to walk in them so they don't hurt quite as much.

Some have worn the shoes so long that days will go by before they think of how much they hurt.

No woman deserves to wear these shoes.

Yet, because of the shoes I am a stronger women.

These shoes have given me the strength to face anything.

They have made me who I am.

I will forever walk in the shoes of a woman who has lost a child.

Author Unknown