An Update...Long Overdue

So...I believe it's time to return from my blogging hiatus! It has been a busy few weeks for us again and then we spent all of last week out of town. We have only one, wait...two more vacations planned for the rest of summer and they are both short and not set in stone! So...where to begin.

First - Mr. B. I have had so many people requests updates and I'm so sorry for not posting sooner. Here's the going ons for the last week:

July 27
B was going to have surgery today on his liver - the tests that were done yesterday revealed that the fluid pooling in his stomach is bile that's backing up from the liver. They were going to do surgery today, but he had a fever spike last night and has an infection they have to address first. He's on new meds and has a pain pump that D can administer as needed. Hopefully the infection will be gone by Tuesday and he'll be able to have the surgery then - he has to have it or the bile will poison him. As soon as the surgery happens, they're going to work on giving him clear liquids and feeding through the tube. They won't put the PIC line back in b/c of the infection, and since the tube is so close to the heart they don't want to take the chance of infecting the heart. So for now they're just giving him the IV drip. As soon as they get his nutrition sorted out and he's eating again, they will start to address the problems with the heart.

He did have a few more episodes last night with the aggression and reactions to the meds, but is resting now. It's looking like they will be there about 3 more weeks, and D is not going to the new house until B can come with her. She had to go home without him when he was born, and won't do it again. She is periodically going to the 4th floor to the Ronald McDonald house and taking naps. She understands that she needs to take better care of herself so she can stay strong for B.

July 29 - 8:15 a.m.
From D....
Hello everyone, I am just taking a few moments to update you on B's condition. We are waiting for Tuesday to get here so he can have his procedure (possibly Monday). So right now the doctors are just trying to keep him as comfortable as possible. The morphine pump does help some but he still has discomfort and pain. Since Yesterday his belly has been getting larger so hopefully it will slow down so B can continue getting his strong antibiotics to get rid of as much bacteria as possible before he goes back in. I do know that the procedure will take about 2 hours and I should know today if it will be done Monday or Tuesday.

On a good note he ate about 1/4 of a Popsicle yesterday and had some Apple Juice. This was awesome!! especially considering that it has been 13 days since hes had a meal. We have been moved to the PCU but I did not realize until yesterday that it is still apart of the ICU so there are still restrictions but B is watched very closely.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

July 29 - 12:30
I just spoke with D - B smiled at her today for the first time in a while. They're hoping to do the surgery tomorrow to get the bile out - his stomach is getting bigger, about an inch a day, so they need to get in there, find the hole and fix it, and drain the bile out. His liver and spleen are becoming more enlarged and they're not sure why but can't really do anything about it until the get the infection cleared up. He's just resting, and she's trying to take it easy and conserve her energy so she can take care of him. She sounded much better than the last few times I talked to her - seeing him smile really lifted her spirits. They want to do some research and tests on him since it's such a rare things that he has. The dr's have never seen this in children, and are trying to learn as much as they can from B. As soon as they get him relatively stable and he's eating again they can start figuring out what makes his condition different. So little B will go down in Tx Children's History!

She's been reading to him and counting and doing things to try to keep his brain stimulated. The dr's told her that his speech and memory would regress so she's trying to make sure that it's as little regression as possible. He still reaches for his blanket and puppy so that's a good sign. I'll talk to her again tomorrow when they find out if he can have the surgery or not. In the meantime, just keep praying. She's so grateful for every one's prayers and thoughts. Oh, C's family will be coming next week and her mom is trying to get here as well.

July 30 - 2:11 p.m.
D just called and said B has been in surgery for about 30 minutes now. He's been fever free for over 24 hours so they went ahead and did it today. C is there, too. She said B cried most of the night and was in a bit of pain, but was asleep when they started sedating him today. So just keep praying for skilled hands of surgeons and a speedy recovery. I can tell she is very nervous and rightfully so. I'll post again when she calls back after he is out.

July 30 - 7:27 p.m.
B is out of surgery. It was supposed to take 30 min to 2 hours, but took 4 hours. They put in one stint but couldn't not reach where they needed to put in the other one. It had something to do with the fact that there was some narrowing from the gallstones and the area was too narrow to get the instruments and the other stint in. He will come back in 4-6 weeks to have the stint removed. The stint is there to get the bile to drain to the right organ area. She said only 4 hospitals in the country have done this type of surgery--so glad they live here in Houston where TCH is willing to do it.

De said he isn't doing very well. He is on oxygen and his blood pressure is higher than it's ever been and his breathing rate is high-he's taking very shallow quick breaths. The surgeons will wait till tomorrow to see how this is healing and then decide what to do about the other small leak they can't reach. He will have no liquid or anything for at least 24 hours and so maybe tomorrow eve they'll try some water or pedialyte sips. C was there all day Friday and today and the weekend, so that's been good. But he has to go in to work tomorrow. His boss is being really great though about letting him off so far. I can tell D is super worried. She's just wondering if they are ever gonna leave TCH. I know they will soon.

July 31 - 7:50 p.m.
Today was a good day. B is being weaned off the pain meds and was on Tylenol when I left. D was able to laugh today which was good. I will post later tonight all the details from today but mostly was a good day, except he's not talking. But he starts clear liquids tonight so say a little prayer. Check back later tonight for a full update.

July 31 - 9:36 p.m.
Okay, here is the rest--One leak is fixed and has the stint to drain it properly. B/c of the gallstones B had, there is a narrowing in an area and that is where they could not get the other stint. They are hoping that hole will seal itself. We'll see. If it does not, then there will be another surgery-possibly open instead of using a scope. He is scheduled to have a procedure tomorrow to put the pic line back in--he'll be put under for it, so there is some concern. They will start OT/PT therapy for him. He threw a ball to me today, pointed to the one that was his favorite and clicked color buttons to change colors on the bubble machine. All very good signs, but no talking.

Steph, he seemed to love the bear-we played it many times. And Ames, D loved the guardian angel.

Priority one-get leak fixed
Priority two-get nourishment in B
Priority three-get him moving-arms, legs, sitting up, walking, etc.

After all this, they will look at the spleen, heart, and other organ problems.

August 1
Talked to D at 9 pm. Doctors were in and out all day--which is good-everybody is coordinating finally. Genetics came in and are doing some tests and that's great cause initially they couldn't get an appt until November. His belly is still soft which is a good sign and maybe the other leak is sealing itself. I think he'll have a GI scan tomorrow to look at his digestive track and see how things are flowing.

B whispered ice cream today, so they tried giving it to him and he gagged. He won't take any juice by mouth or anything else, but he's getting 1/4 ounce of pedialyte in his G tube every hour. Sometimes it makes him gag, so they are just being cautious.

And now the good news--D left C at the hospital this evening and went to her new house --granted she was only there to look for some of B's records--but she left the hospital for the first time in over 2 weeks. YIPPEE! She said the new house was bigger than she remembered. I think I convinced her to take a short nap before driving back to the hospital tonight. Her MIL comes in Aug 8--I think she said her sister will be coming, then her MIL, then her mother. So maybe Family Feast will be good to get a few meals over there for them.

Today was a good day -progress, no setbacks. yippee!!

August 3
From D...
I am so sorry I have taken so long to respond but as you know our days and sometimes minutes change from one day to the next. I don’t even know where to start with the update so I will start with the good news first.

Yesterday- B whispered “CHOCOLETO” which means chocolate milk. You can only imagine my excitement! I was even more excited when he pointed out that he wanted mash potatoes. He took 2 small sips of the chocolate milk and 3 small bites of mash potatoes. He gagged with both but it was still progress b/c he asked for it. He also cried when I tried to leave the room to get coffee. This is also improvement b/c it shows he is more alert. Before this point I could leave the room or sit on the sofa and he would not respond at all. Now he wants me in his sight at all times!

Yesterday (Thursday 08/02/07) he also had the central line put back in so he can continue getting nutrition via his veins. This time it lasted longer than the 20 mins it took the first time. This is another sedated procedure so B has been sedated 5 times within this 2 ½ week hospital stay. Anyway about 1 hour into the procedure Dr. Stein left the procedure long enough to give me a quick update. He informed me that there was difficulty getting the central line in his Superior Vena Cava (vein in the heart that carries non-oxygenated blood from the body to the atrium). The Superior Vena Cava is supposed to be on the right side so when placing the catheter in his left arm the catheter should have followed the vein to the right side to the SVC. When the drs. tried this the catheter would stop and remain on the left side. When an ultrasound was done, it was discovered that B has a Superior Vena Cava on the left side, wouldn’t know, another discover while performing anther procedure! I told them I don’t understand how this was not detected since B has had heart ultrasounds at least twice a year since birth! Apparently since this is another rare condition, it’s not something that is commonly looked for. In B’s case it was discovered by accident. I tried to find some information about this but on the internet it just said that only 0.3% of the population has this. I am waiting on a visit from his cardiologist to explain this further so I can have a more accurate understanding.

As most of you know B underwent a 4 hour procedure on Monday to try and close his bile leak into his abdomen. This procedure should have lasted between 30 minutes to 2 hours but it lasted 4 hours. At the 3 hours mark one of the doctors came out to say B was stable and that they located the leaks and the procedure should be completed in about 30 minutes. 1 hour later the procedure is finished but they could not fully accomplish their goals of stopping the leaks. This was important because B can’t live with a continued bile leak in his abdomen. They were able to place a stint in one of the holes so that the leak would drain into his intestines where it should go. However, there is a narrowing in a section of B’s liver, which is believed to come from the gallstone he had. The doctors believe that the stone got stuck while trying to pass which cause the narrowing. Because of this, the smallest instrument available would not fit through the tight spot, making it impossible to place the stint and therefore a small leak remains. In adults, there is a high probability that this type of leak will stop on its own. However, this is not a common condition in children. This makes it hard to estimate the likelihood of B’s leak stopping on its own.

Today B will have an ultrasound to see if there is a leak and if so how much. If there is a leak, the interventional radiologist will remove the fluid and we will then have to discuss alternative ways to stop the leak. My prayer is that the leak has stopped. This way we can move on to the next step in B’s care and that is to determine the best way for B to get the nutrition he needs. My wish is that when he returns home he will not be fed through his veins but through his Gastric button that was placed in his belly on July 17th.

Now for the last part of my update, in wishing to understand B’s condition Geneticists have now become part of B medical team. We are hoping to discover a diagnosis so that B can have a better quality of life and understanding of why his body is unique. Also this information will help when he is an adult. He needs to know if there is a risk of him passing some of these conditions on to his children so that he is able to make well informed decisions in the future. I know this is many years ahead but I really want to spare him the heart ace that I and others who love B have gone through.

August 6 - 10:22
D just called - she said it was the worst weekend they've had so far. B's temp spiked up to 102.4 while he was on Tylenol, and he was very cranky and sore and wouldn't let anyone touch him. They put him back on the morphine for the pain. He still isn't eating through the tube.

The stint they put in Monday to stop the bile from leaking has dislodged and is stuck in his intestines. He's in surgery right now to drain the fluid to see if it's infected, and since the stints aren't working out they will just make another incision in his tummy and put a drain in.

August 6 - 4:16
D called about 3:30-they put in the drain and drained about 2 liters of blood and other fluids from B's abdomen. The drain will stay in for a bit. He is still pretty groggy from the procedure. He was about to go in for a ct scan of the belly and then they are going to do open surgery on him to close up the holes/leaks, etc. He currently has 3 nurses assigned to him now and they are checking him very often--they are trying to make sure that he isn't losing too much blood, and if so will do a transfusion. Right now, he's not needing it though. She'll call back later with an update or I'll call her.

August 7
From D...
Last night was a bit busy and rough for us especially B. B's temp went up to 103.3 twice, once around 10pm and again around 3:30 this morning. Of course with the high temps comes the shaking and high heart rates. Its 5:30 am and he has just calmed down.

I hate to leave the new on B at this, but this is all I know as of right now. I am waiting to hear back from a friend that was suppose to visit him today. If I hear of anything else, I will post this evening!

As a lot of you already know, we spent all of last week in Mississippi. This is my favorite place on earth and it was spent with some of my most favorite people on earth!

JD spent the entire week riding the tractor (riding lawn mower), playing in the sprinkler, and running around the yard in the nude!! He also helped Nana cook, which he LOVED!

When I wasn't watching JD have the time of his life I was either eating or shopping. We did a lot of both!

JD's favorite thing about going to my Nana's house is the food we consume. I've come to learn that a southern meal is not so much about the meat you server, but the sides you have with it! I'm not sure what my favorite meal was - it's a toss up between the honey-baked ham, corn bread, cream corn, green beans, purple hull peas, garlic potatos, strawberry shortcake, key-lime or banana-cream pie and the chicken-fried-chicken, mashed potatos, gravy, cream corn, buttered squash, blackberry cobbler, and homemade banana pudding! Oh my...we did some eating!

I could go on and on about what fun we had...but pictures are better, right?

JD in the wagon hooked up to the tractor


JD helping Nana bake a cake


JD with his cake


JD enjoying his cake with Nana


JD with his water gun


...watering Nana's flowers


...being a boy


...in the firetruck with Uncle Bubba's helmit!


...enough pictures already!


JD with his PawPaw


With my Nana and sweet sister!


...playing with Nana


...in Nana's big bathtub!



Another update is JD's sleeping situation. We have officially moved to a big boy bed! This is after hours of screaming when it came time to nap or go to bed for the night! I say hours and I mean it. He's done so much screaming and carrying on the last few days, he lost his voice. Completely lost his voice. Which was a good thing when he threw fits, but not so good when I couldn't understand a word he said!! So far the switch is going fairly well. The first night was great, last night was so-so. He's now waking up at 6:30 a.m. which is AWESOME, because you know, I love to wake up early!!

I guess that's about it right now.

Oh yeah...and as far as this baby...she's in there and kicking like crazy! I'm 27 weeks now, so we are almost to our 3rd trimester! Woo-hoo!! Oh, and since I've failed to update my blog, I also no longer have placenta previa. So this means no c-section and hopefully fewer worries! Whoo-Hoo!!!!

I hope to speak to you all again soon...Hope all is well!

Update on B...

Hey guys...we have been and still are out of town, so I have been kinda slow to update. Here's the latest on sweet B...

July 26
It was a very good and bad day. When I got there, B smiled great big and we threw a little nerf ball back and forth. Then he pointed for me to put chapstick on him and said please. It was wonderful to see him like this.

However, 10 minutes later, they took him to do a procedure removing fluid from his abdomen to test it. Well, the fluid shouldn't be there to start, but if it is there, should be clear. Well, his is very dark yellow tinged pink. The dr think it may indicate a liver problem--something dealing with when they removed the gallbladder and reconnected to the intestines, but not sure. At any rate, they had a hard time sedating him for the procedure.Well, when he came to, he was not the same little guy. He was crying non stop from 3 until 6:30, and got extremely combative. He scratched, clawed, crawled up his bed and became very very strong. They think he had a reaction to one of the sedatives and instead of sedating, it kinda wired him--he was like a little wild man. He pulled his IV's and the PIC line (the feeding IV) out and had to get another IV and will have to go under again to get the PIC line redone. Most likely, if the liver issue is there, he'll have another surgery to repair/etc. They also think he was in a great deal of pain and that, with the reaction just made him irritable.

At one point, he grabbed D's orange juice and sprite drink and started gulping it down--now this is the same kid that didn't even want an ice chip. Then he was crying and reaching for every drink in the room. It was extremely emotional and believe it or not, all happened so fast and for so long, we just didn't have time to call anyone--I didn't even call Charlie till after 6.

When I left around 7, he was given morphine and fetanyl and was resting. D had climbed up in the bed with him and was throoughly exhausted and was trying to rest. C was on his way stuck in traffic. They have a room at the ROnald McDonald House for tonight--C was going to check in and then D's plans were to go take a LONG hot shower and take a nap there while C stayed at the hospital, and then maybe they'd swap off in the middle of the night. She is at the point where she knows she needs to sleep and that she will have to leave B for a little one.

Guys, it was so scary today--But I am glad that I saw him before all this. I think the reaction and sedation was a setback, but I think he'll continue moving forward since he was in good spirits earlier in the day. I'm glad he's in PICU b/c they are monitoring him like crazy and really seem on top of things.

July 27
B was going to have surgery today on his liver - the tests that were done yesterday revealed that the fluid pooling in his stomach is bile that's backing up from the liver. They were going to do surgery today, but he had a fever spike last night and has an infection they have to address first. He's on new meds and has a pain pump that D can administer as needed. Hopefully the infection will be gone by Tuesday and he'll be able to have the surgery then - he has to have it or the bile will poison him. As soon as the surgery happens, they're going to work on giving him clear liquids and feeding through the tube. They won't put the PIC line back in b/c of the infection, and since the tube is so close to the heart they don't want to take the chance of infecting the heart. So for now they're just giving him the IV drip. As soon as they get his nutrition sorted out and he's eating again, they will start to address the problems with the heart.

He did have a few more episodes last night with the aggression and reactions to the meds, but is resting now.

It's looking like they will be there about 3 more weeks, and D is not going to the new house until B can come with her. She had to go home without him when he was born, and won't do it again. She is periodically going to the 4th floor to the Ronald McDonald house and taking naps. She understands that she needs to take better care of herself so she can stay strong for B.

July 29
From D....
Hello everyone, I am just taking a few moments to update you on B's condition. We are waiting for Tuesday to get here so he can have his procedure (possibly Monday). So right now the doctors are just trying to keep him as comfortable as possible. The morphine pump does help some but he still has discomfort and pain. Since Yesterday his belly has been getting larger so hopefully it will slow down so Byson can continue getting his strong antibiotics to get rid of as much bacteria as possible before he goes back in. I do know that the procedure will take about 2 hours and I should know today if it will be done Monday or Tuesday.

On a good note he ate about 1/4 of a popsickle yesterday and had some Apple Juice. This was awesome!! especially considering that it has been 13 days since hes had a meal. We have been moved to the PCU but I did not realize until yesterday that it is still apart of the ICU so there are still restrictions but B is watched very closely.

Keep those prayers coming. We really need the infection to be gone so that he can have surgery tomorrow or Tuesday!

***I also hope to post something late today or tomorrow. We are in Mississippi visiting my Nana and PawPaw. This is one of my most favortie places on earth and we are enjoying every minute of it. Oh, and eating of course. You don't come to Nana and PawPaw's house and not eat. I can smell the ham and purple-hull peas cooking right now! YUM!

Yes...It's Late....VERY Late

I sit here at my computer at 3:40 a.m. with a heavy heart. I can not sleep (obviously) and therefore I blog asking for more prayers.

Here are the updated posts on sweet B, most of these are from the members in our group who've been able to go see them. They are all so heartbroken when they leave:

7/24/07
Went to the hospital for about 5-6 hours today. The good news is that they did a GI scan with dye and found that he has a VERY slow digestive track, so the gtube feedings were filling him up and they weren't being absorbed in the 2 hours and then the next feeding would come and basically he was backing up and that's why he's vomitting and gagging and part of the reflux. .

So today they did NO feedings in the Gtube and just all of them through the IV lines and he was better--wasn't in as much pain. D said he was up ALL night crying and siting and in so much pain because they were still trying to feed him then. He is still so listless-no smile, no laugh, no talking. Occasionally he'll take an ice chip for me, but that's it by mouth. He sleeps most of the time, which is good cause he's needs his strength. We stood him up in the bed today and he supported himself with his legs while leaning on me and I had my hands under his arms. That was progress.

7/25/07 - am
Devona called this morning. They ran some more tests and did more xrays on B this morning--last night was a very bad night again. He is already in an ICU of sorts from the surgery, but will now move I think to the cardiac ICU. His heart rate has been dropping into the 70's and low 80's and it's usually 120-130. She said they will have a full team of doctors to evaluate him now--I really think the drs are just as frustrated cause he has so many different things going on at once and they have to be careful treating one issue so it doesn't aggravate another.

7/25/07 - pm
B has been moved to PICU, (pediatric intensive care) which is good because they are monitoring his every breath, but there is no couch, no bathroom, no comforts, just 2 chairs for D and a visitor. Today, they did more tests. The barium from yesterday is still in his intestines, so that means nothing is hardly moving at all. They also diagnosed him to have an enlarged heart, an enlarged right and left ventricle and an enlarged spleen. The heart issues are new but could be related to the high blood pressure. His heart rate is slower than before.

The GI surgeon feels there is a leak either in the gallbladder or the fundo....thing (the stomach attached to the espophagus part). He said a leak is normal, but they normaly go in and do exploratory surgery to find it and seal it, however, B is not strong enough to go through that right now. So he is still being fed through IV's and the PIC line (the IV near his heart). Nothing by mouth except an ice chip or two when he'll take it. He had another swallow study and he swallows okay, but as something travels down to the stomach, things are not aligned so something isn't right. It's now been 9 days since he took anything by mouth.

B is nonresponsive--not really moving and not speaking at all. D said he won't even talk to her. She said he has lost the fighting look in his eyes and just kinda stares and looks scared. Ony 2 visitors are allowed in the room at a time, no one under age 14 and no one that is ill. There is a Ronald McDonalad family room on the 16th floor where D can go to take a shower but she has to leave B to do this now. They are trying to get them into the Ronald McDonald house so they have a room there of their own (her and C) but again, that means they have to leave B and D just can't bring herself to do that right now.

As you can see, the news is just heartbreaking. I can't even begin to imagine. I've also talked to another friend who said the same thing; B looks like he's giving up. She said that when she saw him today he looked like a different person. He just stares. I look at my little man and I can't even begin to imagine what I'd feel going through this. It's one thing when they are sick, but to see the light and joy gone from there eyes...it just brings tears. So PLEASE keep my sweet friends in your prayers. They need every bit of it.

So, I fell in love all over again today. No, I did not receive a surprise Range Rover from my husband. But close. I got to watch him take JD golfing for the first time today. Ok, so it wasn't actual golfing, but they did hit balls at the driving range and Jimmy showed him how to putt.

This is something very special for Jimmy. His own dad taught him how to golf at a young age and I know it's something Jimmy has looked forward to since finding out we were having a boy 3 years ago. I know he only wishes his dad were here to see it.

While I did not participate in today's golf lesson (I should have), I did photograph it!

Here are a few great pictures from today:


Jimmy helping JD






JD said, "Take a picture of my club!"


I can do it just like daddy!


Daddy is trying ot get the stance just right!




Now we are putting...





It's amazing because JD loved it. We weren't sure how he'd do, but he enjoyed every minute of it. He would have stayed out there all night! I sure hope he enjoys it as much as his daddy does. Jimmy can't wait to go golfing for real with his boy!

My Childhood Home

My Childhood home...

This post comes at a odd time all around. Just yesterday I went to a bridal lunch for my best friend from childhood. Kelly, Jennifer (my other childhood best bud) and I sat around with our mom's reminiscing the good ole' days. We talked about the clubs we created, the slumber-party's we attended, and the great outfits we'd dress up in to play teacher.

This post also comes just days before my dad puts my childhood home on the market. This is bittersweet for me. I haven't been in that house in years! I guess the last time I was there would have been shortly before my wedding before my parents divorced. So...3 years ago.

It wasn't anything special. It was brown, dark brown with tan bricks. It was a small one-story on a street full of one-stories. Now that I think of it, I'm not even sure if there was a two-story on our street. It was diagonally across the street from one of the greatest friends I have ever had...still have actually.

We had a cute front yard. Nothing extraordinary, but cute all the same. We had an awesome garage. It wasn't your typical concrete garage, but a slick painted/stained one that made for the best-homemade-skating rink EVER! Kelly, Jennifer, and Ashley (my bestest from across the street) and I would skate for hours in my garage. I can still remember coming home from school after "rodeo week" and trying to line dance to Achy Breaky Heart on roller skates. How we never broken any bones, I'll never know.

The inside of our house was as simple as the outside, and matched as well. We had the ugliest brown carpet imaginable. I wouldn't be surprised if it's still in there. Actually, I'd be more surprised if my dad had replaced it. I can remember him always saying, "We are not replacing this carpet until these kids learn to stop spilling stuff!" This was obviously before Playtex made their fine spill-proof sippy cups!!

We NEVER used the front door. It was always locked and it wasn't until I was in high school that we ever opened it for anything other than solicitors. My parents finally put a storm door on it and we actually went in and out of it occasionally. My room was on the back half of the house and my sister's was down the hall on the front end. I don't know who had the bigger room. Maybe they were the same. All I know is my sister's room always looked like mine. This was not due to my parents either. This is because my sister copied every little thing I did. I'm almost 7 years older than her, and she was my shadow for many, many years. If I got flowers from a friend or boyfriend, I always hung them to dry on my walls. Shannon would then pick her some wildflowers and do the exact same. Then I hated it, now it's a wonderful memory.

My room changed only a few times growing up. When I was little in was hearts. Everything was primary colored hearts. As I got older it turned from hearts to flowers. Mauve and sage flowers. I always had a day-bed. This was great because when anyone spent the night, or every weekend when my sister slept in my room, we'd pull up the trundle and she had her own space. I'm not sure how much time I actually spent in my room as a young kid. I think we were usually outside.

Our backyard backed up to an open field. It was the source of entertainment for my friends and I. We'd pick blackberries and dig up strange palm-tree like plants to give to our mom's for mother's day. We'd come home in bug bites and sweat, but never complained.

We also had an awesome playset my dad made. We never even called it a playset, it was always "The Fort". We played in that thing for hours. Well, that is after it was fully built. My dad started it one summer, but then didn't finish it for well over a year. In all honesty, it could have been 6 months for all I know, but it felt like several years. It didn't really matter either way. As an un-finished fort, we'd walk along the beams high in the air. This was a very tall fort (our HOA was never very pleased) and the unfinished beams were well-over 10 feet high. Once again, how we never broke any bones I'll never know.

We also had the notorious swimming pool. No, we were not fortunate enough to have a nice in-ground swimming pool. But we didn't care. We had the small baby pools with the whales and turtles decorating the plastic lining. We'd swim for HOURS! I'm not sure we ever left the swimming pool in the summer. Well, maybe at night to play flashlight tag. Another great about my house. It was the perfect house to play flashlight tag! I can still remember getting my mom and dad out there and playing for hours.

As I got older, my house became a pain. Most of my friends moved away by mid-high school and I was all by myself there. It wouldn't have been so bad, but our neighborhood was 20 minutes from our high school. And I didn't turn 16 until my junior year and didn't get a car until that Christmas. This meant I was a pain to pickup or take home. Either my mom chauffeured me around or friends had to make the 20-minute hike! When I finally got a car, I did A LOT of driving!!!

Looking back, I had so many wonderful memories in that house. Most are from when I was much younger. The older I got, the more I saw the ugly things in my parents marriage. Easter my junior year we moved out. My mom left my dad and we moved into an apartment around the corner from the school. This was much more convenient, especially since I had just totaled the car I'd gotten a few months before.

We stayed in the apartment until I graduated. At that point my parents had gotten back together and I moved back into the brown house for a few short months. Once I moved out into an apartment of my own, I never moved home again.

Even after all the hard times, it was still such a good home. I met 3 of my closest childhood friends living in that house. Two, which are both getting married in the next month and the other who's more like a sister to me than anything.

Now that you know where I grew up, it's your turn...head over to Mary at Owlhaven's for more information!

Our Sweet B is going back in

Here are the updates on B. Please keep this sweet boy in your prayers, he's already endured so much. For those who don't know what he's already gone through, read these first:

B #1

B #2

B #3

B #4

Here's the latest since B's last surgery:

7/17
B has been out of surgery for a while, and just woke up about 30 minutes ago. The surgery was about an hour longer than expected b/c they had some trouble with his anesthesia, but the overall result was very good.

He's still on oxygen and wheezing so they're going to be giving him a breathing treatment soon. She said that he did ask for his puppy, but his voice is just a whisper b/c of the tubes they had down him. Tomorrow they're going to try to start a liquid diet and over the next few days try to get him to start eating.

Because of his reaction to the reflux meds he was on, they can't give him a whole lot for pain. He's on Tylenol w/codeine and morphine when he's awake. He has 5 incisions in his tummy and is pretty sore.

7/18
I talked to D this afternoon...B hasn't made any progress today. They were hoping he would be on liquids today, but everytime they take him off the oxygen his heart rate goes up really high. As soon as he can get his oxygen levels regulated on his own, he can start on liquids then proceed to solids. She said that he hasn't had anything to eat in about 48 hours, so they have to limit his pain meds since his stomach is empty. He's in a lot of pain, but thankfully he sleeps a lot so he doesn't have to feel it all day. The dr wants him to walk 3 times a day, and they tried to take a walk today, but he was in too much pain. They'll try again tomorrow. She's thankful that the surgery went well and he hasn't had any major complications though. Stable with no progress is better than a setback. She said to tell everyone hello and thanks for all the prayers.

7/18
From D....
B's heart rate won't come down and stay down. Its been around 200 since yesterday which is about double what it should be. He has also been running a temperture around 102. He's also in a lot a pain and refuses to take anything by mouth (its been 2 1/2 days since hes had solid food, which is milk for him) so we can't move forward until he does. We can't give him more pain meds other than the morphine and we can't test out his new feeding tube. Right now they are about to change his IV since the one he has now is not working properly and his hand and arm is swollen. Today I am praying for a much better day . I am so sorry to be such a downer but I am so tired, frustrated, and I hurt for my baby, he is in so much pain. I just really needed to let this out. Thanks so much for listening and for being here for us. Hopeully B will feel much better today. Again I thank you for ALL of your prayers and support!

7/19
D just called and said that B will have another procedure at 1pm. Since he hasn't eaten for over 3 days, and isn't looking well, they're going to feed him through his veins. They run a line through the vein right on top of his heart and it will stay there until he can start eating on his own. She's very worried since it's so close to his heart, his heart rate has been very high for a while now, and he already has heart complications. PLEASE say a prayer for him around 1pm.

I'm asking all you prayer warriors out there...please say a prayer. B is such a delight and our playgroup misses him and his mommy sooo much. We are so ready to have our happy little B hack!

A Photo Session

So...I've been putting off getting JD's pictures done for a while now. He's a boy and he's busy - he has NO time for picture taking. Until yesterday. I tortured him and made him sit through a photo session. Oh...and worth it? It was. It's not everyday you get good pictures of your little one, I mean, not good fully-dressed and cleaned up pictures of your little one!

Here are the pictures I walked away with after our little session:


What a grin...


Casual...


A Sweet Little Pose


As the photographer said, "I think he knows he's pretty cool..."


A total "JD" face


playing around


Mommy and Me


I'm so excited...I get to play after this!


Just the two of us for a bit longer...

One more...on B

B is going in for another surgery...please keep the prayers coming

B will have his surgery at Texas Children's Hospital on Tuesday July 17th. He will remain in the hospital for about 4 days. The doctor told me today that the surgery will take about 2 hours. I almost fell to the floor when he told me this. This is B's 3rd surgery since Oct. of last year and none of them came close to taking this long. I mean what am I going to do for 2 hours besides cry my eyeballs out. I am so sorry to be venting like this but I have so many emotions going on right now.

Any way the surgery is 2 hrs b/c the surgeon said its best to do all three procedures so that B won't have to go back for surgery. He will have the G button (tube placed in his stomach), his gall stone removed and the fundoplacation (wrapping the top part of his stomach around his esophagus) since he is having allergic reactions to the medication and to stop his coughing and vomiting long enough for his esophagus to heal so that he will feel more comfortable eating. I am praying so hard that this will give B the break he needs. By the time he gets out of the hospital we will be moving into our new house. I wish the timing was better but this is how my life has played out. It feels like its going to be forever b/4 I can see you all again.

Quick Update

I sooooo should be working, but an update is needed. Life has been busier than usual and I've had to take some time off. I have a feeling this time-off will continue until I get more done around here.

This post will mostly be dedicated to JD. We have almost hit the 2-1/2 mark, and right now we are at a very good place. Both JD and I. This goes out to all of my friends with two year olds, especially 2 year old boys. There are hard days ahead. Notice I said "hard" not bad. The 25 to 29 month stretch with JD has been the hardest so far. I have no doubt it will get harder in a few more months. That being said, we've hit a smooth patch. And it's nice - no, it's more than that, it's LOVELY!

I think the change is partly due to his ability to communicate and understand. It's funny, now that he can express himself a little better and also understand me - things are a lot easier!!

Some of my favorite things at the moment:

- The random "I love yous". He'll be walking through the house and just out of no where, "I wuv you mommy!" Yes...my heart melts.

- He's so sweet in the morning. I love going into his room and seeing that big smile. The first thing he says is, "Mommy, daddy at work?" We then talk a second before I take him out of bed. About halfway through his diaper change he says, "Good morning mommy!" I LOVE it!!!

- He strokes my hair and says, "I wike your hair"3

- He has an obsession with the phrase, "Touch it!" Now anytime he sees anything he likes (spiders, dirt, worms, babies) he tells me to "touch it" which is kinda awkward when he's referring to a lady holding a baby!

- He's very into wiping off your kisses so we've made a joke about this. Now when he kisses us we make a big spectacle about wiping them off. He laughs hysterically. It's not as funny when he kisses someone else and they don't react the same way because he then says, "Spit!" Meaning - spit out the kiss.

- He always asks, "Mommy, you cold?" If I say yes he gets me a blanket, if I say no he says, "I not cold either". It's so funny.

- He talks. He talks all the time. Sometimes he talks too much.

- He loves Fruit Loops - pronounced Fwoot Woops

- He loves his baby sister so much already! Some of the cute things he does are:
* randomly kisses my belly
* out of no where asks, "Where's Kenzie (short for MacKenzie)?"
* the other day he brought me a balloon and colored a face on it, he smiled and said, "It's Kenzie" and then hugged and kissed it.
* I put his hand on my belly while she was kicking and he said, "Poke it mommy"


Well, that's about it for now. I REALLY need to get some work done so I can go to bed at a decent hour. I'm taking JD in for pictures tomorrow. Promise to post those soon...

Mama Said There Would Be Days Like This...

What a 48 hours! If any of you have read this blog for more than a day, you know I have a very adventurous 2 year old on my hands. There are days that this is a wonderful thing and days it's a very exhausting ordeal. It's amazing at times, because he is soooo curious. He loves to see how things work and has no problem entertaining himself.

A lot of days, this leaves a lot of cleaning up to be done. Today was one of those days.

Before I continue, in my defense, I do watch my child. Jimmy and I both do for that matter. The below messes all happened within the last 48 hours and in a matter of SECONDS!!!

Mess #1 - Last night while I was trying to get some work, JD stripped off his pajama bottoms and diaper and ran around naked. This in itself is nothing unusual, unfortunately what followed left mama in tears. JD peed ALL OVER my brand new (purchased on Sunday) red comforter! there was so much pee it puddled. I was in tears and did not take a picture! JD also went straight to be so that I didn't loose it too much with him!

Mess #2 - This morning while I was trying to finalize some weekend camping info with my mom, JD attempted to make breakfast. On the living room end table. I had already gotten out the eggs and left them on the counter. JD took them from there and started cooking in the living room.



The dogs enjoyed as well.



I caught him with the windex trying to "clean up"

Mess #3 - Once again I have no picture because you can't quite capture CK Euphoria on camera. He emptied half of my perfume bottle on himself. Oh, and he definitely goes over the 3-squirt limit!

Mess #4 - JD decided he needed to spice up his look and attempted to put mascara on himself. He only managed to get one eye done before being caught!





Mess #5 - He had so much fun attempting scrambled eggs at breakfast that he decided to play some more. He has learned to open the fridge - and oh what fun it is!!!




As you can imagine...8:30 couldn't come soon enough! I am off to enjoy some tv with hubs, messy-child-free!

oh...and to follow up on the new profile...

It seems that foreign language on the side of my page yesterday was "latin dummy text" according to Amanda over at Baby Bangs. Hmmm....not sure if I'm feeling any better about that. Seeing how, I couldn't figure out the dummy text was just that - dummy text! Surely if it was in English I would have gotten it. Surely....right....

From the Mouth of Babes...

You know it's been a long day when you tell the dogs, "If you don't stop barking, you're going to time out!" Aww....yes, it's been a long one. We've had a good day for sure, but I'm tired and Jimmy's gone to play darts, so it's just me and the kid.

I have more to go with the dogs in time out, but first I have to explain my dogs barks to y'all. They are awful. The sound drives me up the wall! Not only are their barks loud and annoying, but They. Bark. At. Everything. It's the most aggravating thing!! I'm on the verge of a shock-collar. A loud car drives by - they bark. A squirrel runs by - they bark. A leaf falls from the tree - they bark. I want to scream!!!

So, after the time out threat, Max barks again. He's worse than a kid! So now that I'm at my wit's end I scream, "SHUT UP!" Well, JD who's sitting in the living room (I'm in the office) says (in the most precious voice), "Mommy, don't say that!" Just to make sure I heard him right, I go ask him what? He says, "Mommy, that's a bad word. Don't say that. Say 'awww man.'" I about died, he was right and it was precious!

How does JD know this is a bad word. Well...some kids first words are Dada, some are Mama, some are even No. JD's first real word was "Shut Up!" And on Easter Sunday nonetheless. We were at my mom's and the dogs next door were barking. He leaned over, pointed his finger, and said "Shut Up!" Funny? Yes. Appropriate? No.

And because I'm unveiling all my secrets...why aww man? Well, Daddy's favorite word when something went wrong use to be the s- word. This is until JD said, "Oh S---!" loud and clear. And since sh** is so close to shoot, we taught him aww man!

So the lesson learned here is...when telling your dogs to shut up, make sure little ears are out of hearing distance!

Keem em coming....

Here's the lastest on B-

Yes, there is news. The good news is B’s iron level is better. It’s still low but better than last month. Since there is an increase I expect for his numbers to continue to increase. His protein level is a different story, it actually decreased. Hopefully there will be improvement next month.

As far as B’s surgery is concerned he does need another surgery in addition to the gastrostomy button (feeding tube in the belly). His biopsy reveled that he has reflux which causes him pain & nausea. The surgery for this sounds painful & I am not sure if B can handle both surgeries at one time. The 2nd surgery called fundoplication requires the top portion of B’s stomach to be wrapped around his esophagus and then stitched together to prevent the stomach acid from backing up to his throat causing him pain.

This is what I found on the internet: What happens during fundoplication?

During the fundoplication procedure, the part of the stomach that is closest to the entry of the esophagus (the fundus of the stomach) is gathered, wrapped, and sutured (sewn) around the lower end of the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter. (The gathering and suturing of one tissue to another is called plication.) This procedure increases the pressure at the lower end of the esophagus and thereby reduces acid reflux.Just the sound of this freaks me out!!!!

Our other option is to give him medication (2 diff ones) morning and night everyday and do the reflux surgery later. We are leaning toward this one until we get more info. I don’t see how Byson can be comfortable having the tube in his stomach next to his belly button and his stomach wrapped around his esophagus at the same time. This is way too much!! Please please give me your advice!!! I am so stressed about this.

and I too will be posting an update on the Van Fam later today. We are all doing very well. JD is driving me crazy one minute and making me laugh so hard the next!!! This baby is a movin'! She's a lot less crazy than JD right now, which is great, but she's already practicing her flip-flops I can tell!! Jimmy and I are trying to get things done around here now that we are offically staying in this house! Anyways...more to come later...we have a playdate I need to get ready for!

before you say anything...

I know there is some foreign language on my sidebar. I just can't seem to get rid of it. I can do myspace, I can do Facebook, I can do ezboards....but blogger is beyond me! Any suggestions are welcomed! I will be ficing shortly (I hope)!

A Balloon Affair

I've posted about this before. The complete strangeness of my child and his desire to play with anything not found in his toy box or in his toy tubs drives me crazy. He has a room full of toys ranging from little play people to blocks and cars. Yet...he'd rather play with your odd ins and outs.

Today his biggest thrill was a balloon. Not even a helium balloon y'all, a regular makes-your-head-spin blowing it up balloon. We actually went through 3 balloons today. The first one was yellow and he played with for so long that it popped. I tied a ribbon to the end of the balloon at the belly button and he'd sit on it and I'd rip it out from under him. He'd then laugh uncontrollably; therefore, making daddy and I laugh so hard we had to rewind So You Think You Can Dance? to see the judges reactions!!!

Balloon two was orange. We lost this balloon at Home Depot (coincidence? yes!). He just had to take it out of the car and the wind caught it in the parking lot. Jimmy chased it a few rows over but the wind was picking up and well...he wasn't running!

Balloon Three is still going strong, and red for those who are keeping track. I'd like to say it's happily resting on the couch, but NO. It went to sleep with JD tonight. AND YES!! I know it's a choking hazard and that I'm crazy, but not to worry, I can still hear him in there playing with it, so as soon as he quiets down I'll sneak in there and take it away.

Prayers Please

I've spoken of my good friend D before and her precious son. They have been doing good for quite some time now, but once again B is going back in for more procedure.

The last month B has had a feeding tube in place (through) his nose to help nourish him back to a healthy two-year old. The problem is, the tube keeps coming out. So tomorrow B goes back in for more procedures, more one that...

As you all know B needs another surgery. After his appointment today his Dr. decided that she wants to do more test before his surgery to place the feeding tube in his stomach via his belly instead of his nose. She wants to make sure he does not need another surgical procedure before having surgery so he want have to go back a second time.

B has to be at Texas Children's Hospital @ 8am. He is having three procedures done and will receive anesthesia. The actual test start at 9:30 but we have to be there early so he gets the antibiotics for his heart and for the anesthesia. He will have a biopsy of his esophagus, stomach, & intestines. He will also have a scope test done. Once this is completed he will have a tube inserted through his nose to his stomach (kind of like his feeding tube) for 24 hours to test the amount of acid he has in his stomach. We will return to the hospital on Friday to have the tube removed.

Based on the results his doctor gets on Friday and Monday we will know if B needs one or two surgical procedures. The plan is for B to have surgery next week to place the feeding tube in his stomach through his belly next to his belly button. The good thing is his face will be free and I want have to worry about his tube being pulled out while he is playing or simply moving around.

I am hoping that between his biopsies and surgery he will recover quickly and life will start to be easier for him. I am so nervous about this but I know this is the best thing for B, its just that he had surgery in April and B tends to take longer to recover than the doctors expect. Please keep us in your prayers and we will see you as soon as he is recovered.

Please help me in lifting this precious family up in prayer. They are such incredible people and it breaks my heart every time I hear bad news about B. If you could just see what a normal 2-year old he wants to be!

an exhausted return

No...I did not fall off the face of blogger. I don't really have a word that can quite capture what my last week and a half has been because busy doesn't even come close.

Friday was our VanMor Open House. This is the company I work for and we recently moved offices, so Friday we invited all of our board members and vendors to a very well thrown open house. Jimmy and I went with our monkey and he actually did fairly well.

Once I left the open house I went straight home and changed into something comfy and met with Nicole to decorate for Kate's Baby Shower. The Baby Shower is what pretty much consumed every minute and ounce of energy I had for the last two weeks. We decorated the BEAUTIFUL club house in Nicole's neighborhood until midnight and then I took my tired and very drained booty home!

Saturday I went NON-STOP, but it all paid off. Kate's shower was just beautiful. Kate is a dear friend of mine that I've known since junior high. She's expecting her first little one - a boy - in August. She's that girl you just can't quite picture doing the mom-things but know she'll be great at it! The shower was a huge success and she got some really great gifts!

Here are a few pictures of our mommy-to-be!

This is Me, Nicole, Kate, and Judy (the 3 of us threw Kate's shower)


Kate and I comparing our belly's - she does have a few months on me!!


Sunday was Father's Day. I tired to postpone it because I was exhausted and it rained all day making it the PERFECT lay-on-the-couch and watch The Astros kind of day. But...no luck. We cleaned all morning b/c my husband loves to invite people over without checking with me first. I typically have NO problem with this, but my house had been neglected 7-days straight while I scurried around town for the shower! Thanks love...

We had a wonderful evening after the cleaning was done. We had all the family over and we cooked out and the guys swam with the kiddos once the rain stop. I think Jimmy had a pretty good Father's Day. As much as that man can drive me CrAzY - he does deserve a wonderful Father's Day! He's an incredible husband and a wonderful father! I am sooo incredibly lucky!!

Which reminds me, I am just overjoyed with how excited he is about this sweet girl in my belly. Originally Jimmy didn't really care what we were having. He always thought it would be neat to have all boys, but he also wanted me to "get my girl" as he put it. So, I didn't expect him to be as excited as I was in finding out she's a she. Boy was I wrong! He is SOOO excited. It's the sweetest and sexiest thing ever! He was very excited about JD, I took pregnancy test after pregnancy test because he wanted to be sure and wanted to see the '+' sign appear again. This time...he is but maybe even more, or maybe it's just a different excitement . There's such a sweetness to it. It's indescribable! He is all about going to look at nursery stuff and just LOVES everything I pick out. First of all, that never happens. Second of all, I'm picking out some GIRLY stuff. We're talking pink everything, lace all over the place, toile accents everywhere and he LOVES it!! He's ready to decorate today! I'm having to make him wait so that I don't go crazy having a nursery with no baby for 4 more months!!! Haha...but I am blessed. It's so wonderful to be excited with someone who's just as excited as you! Thank you Lord. I'm not only getting my girl, I'm getting to watch a macho-man fall head over heels in love with his daughter!!!

And we are having a....

I'm sure all of you are just on the edge of your seats, dying to know what this baby is. Of course, that is if you didn't receive one of the thousand text messages Jimmy sent out Friday or if you didn't receive the mass email I sent out!! Don't be sad if you didn't get one my bloggy friends - this post is just for you!

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!

I'm going to have a sweet little baby girl. I can hardly believe it. I think it's finally hitting us all, 2 days later!!! Today I bagged up all of JD's newborn clothes and placed them in neat piles for all my preggo friends having boys!! I was so excited to get rid of them, knowing I'd get to shop for pink stuff this go around! I of course saved my FAVS from JD's baby days!!!

So, my doctor appointment went well Friday. We obviously found out the sex (a girl if you didn't catch the pink type above), and we now know that my official due date (after all the measuring) is November 7th. We got some really cute pictures that I'd love to share as well!!!

Here are *her* adorable feet


and her precious (or skelator-like) face


and a sweet profile shot


And here's one proud momma showing off her bump!!



We also found out some less than thrilling news on Friday. I've been diagnosed with partial placenta previa. Which, in short means my placenta is partially covering my cervix. At the present time, it doesn't seem to be causing any major problems, but the third trimester will be the riskiest. It's pretty common to start bleeding at the start of your third trimester, and as long as they can stop the bleeding I'll be fine. If the bleeding can't be stopped, then the baby will be delivered, regardless of gestational age. We are obviously praying this doesn't happen, at least not until the 35th or 36th week!!! At 37 weeks, if I haven't had the baby, I will be scheduled for a c-section. Fun stuff, I know! Needless to say, we are in high spirits. I fully trust that God would not have brought us this far and gone through what we've already gone through - unless we were gonna have a healthy baby girl!! That being said, please keep me and this precious baby girl in your prayers!!!

So...that's about it for now!! I'm gonna enjoy the next few months with my sweet little man. I'm unsure as to whether I'll be put on bedrest at 28 weeks, so until then JD and I are gonna take it easy while still having fun!!!

Fun on the Ranch

Today JD and I visited quite possibly one of the neatest (and cheapest) kid-approved places in Houston (maybe even Texas)! Along with our playgroups (we are in 2); JD, Matt, Logan (Matt's BFFE) and I went to the Oil Ranch in the good town of Hockley, Texas.

I vaguely remember visiting this ranch years ago, but don't remember it being near this fun. Part of the fun was watching my sweet one love every minute of it. I had great company (I l-o-v-e the women in my playgroup) and JD was in his element!!! The child had a BLAST!!

For $12.00 for the both us ($8.00/person if not with a group of 10+), we played for 5 hours straight!!! After a good shower and a coat of Aloe Vera (I'm VERY burned), I will sleep like a baby tonight!!!

Today JD did it all...


...he played on the slide with Logan


...he milked a cow


...he fed a cow


...he petted a donkey


...he rode a horse


...he even took a picture with mommy


...he rode again (five times to be exact)


...he relaxed in his wagon


...he ate some "strawberry ice"


...he spent some time with friends (today's group)


...he hung with his buds (Carder, Camryn, JD, and Chase)


...he rode in Chase's wagon


...he rode a train with Alex, Chase, and Cam


...he walked the tracks


...he swam

And as you can tell...had loads of fun!!!

Home At Last!

So we are home at last. It's funny how exhausting a weekend of relaxing can make you!! I need a vacation after my vacation!!

Vegas was a lot of fun. It was so wonderful just spending time with my man. We did a lot of stuff together, but I had plenty of free time as well! The pool at the Golden Nugget was beautiful and I laid out a bit on Thursday and Friday.

We also did some major shopping, and let me just tell you...my man can shop! I've never been able to say this before. We don't usually shop together unless we are just in need of a good quarrel. He can never find what he likes and I can never find what I can afford. Friday was different though! We went to the Premium Outlet in Vegas and tore it up! Both of us walked away with some great finds, the best being my new COACH purses. Yes...I did say purses, as in - more than one! The best part of it all? Jimmy HELPED me pick out these purses. He showed me the cute ones he saw, watched me try them on, gave me his opinion, and even encouraged (yes - like supported) me purchasing more than one!!! I know...I can barely believe it now as I write it!!! I think I fell in love with that man all over again!

We also did A LOT of eating! That's pretty much what I remember most about the trip besides the shopping - the eating!!!

Poor Jimmy had a rough time though. Friday night (remember - the WSOP was on Saturday) he came down with the stomach flu again and spent the entire night puking and...well you know. He then woke up on Saturday (still sick) and dropped a (one) contact down the sink while trying to put them in. He already broke his glasses the first day we were there, so he spent the entire rest of the trip pirate-eyeing everyone behind his sunglasses! This means I also got to walk through the hotel and airport with that guy wearing the sunglasses!!!

I do have to tell you all...I am so glad to be home. And more importantly, I was SO glad to see my JD. I missed that little man. It's so odd going places without him. The first couple of hours Jimmy and I both kept looking to our side to "check on JD"! It was funny because we kept catching each other doing it! I will say it seems we missed JD more than he missed us. He was excited when he first saw us, but he wasn't really ready to leave KK's house. In the car I asked him if I could hold him when we got home, and he said, "No...KK hold you" Which means in JD talk - I want KK to hold me. I love you too JD!

So here we go...back to the daily grind! I'm hoping this week will go by quickly because Friday is the big day! We'll finally know what this precious baby I've grown so attached to is!! I'm still *hoping* it's a girl, but have made peace with the possibility of it being a boy, which means I probably won't cry, just tear up a little!!!

A Wondeful Week/end!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. The crappy weather aside, we had a nice relaxing one! We had no set plans, and boy was it nice!!!

Saturday I slept in and then we got up and went to breakfast at Harris County Barbecue. It was so yummy I am still thinking about it. Saturday night was "The Fight". I am referring to the UFC 71, but by "The Fight" I do mean the one that took place in Las Vegas and the one that took place in the V household! Jimmy wanted to go watch it a friends house and leave me home alone. This was not happening. HELLO! I'm home everyday with JD, what makes you'd think I'd enjoy spending Saturday evening at home with JD?? Of course, I didn't tell him this. I pouted when he asked if I would mind if he went. He even offered to take JD with him. Normally I'd said yes and been eternally grateful; however, I knew this was just his way of getting on my good side so that he didn't feel guilty. He forgets I'm a genius and figured this out on my own. He also forgot that he can be a complete 'tard! "Yes honey, I think it would be a fine idea to take our 2-year old son to a friend's child-less house. A house with some serious home entertainment equipment that JD will love to climb on. A house where there's no such thing as outlet covers, cabinet locks, or TOYS of all things. A house that will be filled with stupid boys who say bad words and will probably have JD farting and belching the alphabet before he leaves! Oh, and of course it doesn't matter that he's in the middle of a nap - wake him! Oh, and don't worry about him being up until 10:30, that's only 2 hours past his bedtime, who needs a schedule anyways?? Have fun!" Uhh....I think not! So, Jimmy left b/c I refuse to be that wife who tells her husband he can't go somewhere. Instead, I wait until he walks out the door, start crying, pour myself some water (because I AM pregnant) right about the time he's looking into the kitchen before pulling away in hopes he sees me and feels AWFUL. This doesn't work, so I call him with a stupid question, but he can tell I'm crying. He comes home aggravated and we talk. How bad am I? This is what pregnancy can do to a girl! Make her insane!!!!

Oh, and for some more fight commentary, check out Big Mama's UFC 71 recap!

Sunday, we ran some more errands and then had a nice evening at home with my in-laws. I made lasagna for my family and my dear friend, D's family.

A little update on B: He's doing better. He's home and putting on weight, which is GREAT news. The hard part is they still aren't sure why B won't eat. This is the battle they are currently fighting. He has nurses that come throughout the day and therapists that come for every imaginable thing! Bless his heart, he is getting better! The feeding tube can remain in place up to 6 months now. This solely depends on how he's doing and if he'll eat on his own! Keep the prayers coming!!

Monday, we celebrated the day of memorial in the rain. Hubs made some delicious ribs and we ate ALL DAY!!! It was much fun!!!

I'm not sure I'll get to post tomorrow before Jimmy and I head of town. This depends on how much I get done today, and seeing that I'm blogging instead of cleaning/washing/packing - so far, not so good. Anyways...Jimmy and I leave town tomorrow for Las Vegas!! I can hardly wait!

I'm not a gambler. I can't justify losing money to a dealer when I could purchase some things I really NEED - new shoes, a new COACH purse, some new sunglasses, etc. Jimmy on the other hand, does enjoy it and will be playing in the WSOP (that's the World Series of Poker) tournament. We are leaving tomorrow evening, so we'll have all day Thursday and Friday to hang together before the tournament starts. I hope to not see him Saturday AT ALL and then hope we have to change our flight to Monday morning - this will mean he's doing good and hopefully our house worries will be gone. Ok...a girl can dream! I look forward to doing NOTHING!!!! I will have no child to look after...I'm not really sure what that feels like but I imagine it's refreshing!!! I will miss Mr. JD with my whole heart, but momma can't wait for some R&R. I plan on getting some major pampering done. I also plan on eating everything in sight and laying by the pool. I have bought two new books, an iPod (I'm like a real person now), and a cute new pair of shoes for any walking I might do!! I truly can not wait to do nothing!!!

Hope to post tomorrow, but if not...enjoy your week!! I'll sure enjoy mine!!

Oh, and mom, Papa Tim & Shan - thank you so much for watching JD for us! He is SOOO excited to go to his KK's house for 4 nights! This means so much to Jimmy and I. I am well aware that this will probably be the last trip the 2 of us take together for a long while!! I am MORE than blessed to be able to leave my precious child with someone and know he's in the most wonderful hands. I know I'll have a lot of un-spoiling to do when we get back, but I couldn't ask for anything more. This child sure thinks y'all are the greatest!!!!

Rough Night

This evening we got some more bad news when it comes to this dang house. Expect this blog in the next day or two, I have to let it fester a bit!

Anyways...I read Big Mama's blog about her sweet Caroline and it was a gentle reminder that life isn't really as bad as it seems. It was one of those reminders where you almost feel silly for being so upset over something trvial (only for a second - after a few minutes I needed another gentle reminder) and are a bit more thankful for the BIG things in life.

I shed a few (okay, a lot) of tears, closed down my pc (after crying to both of my playgroups on the mssg boards) and went to lay in my bed to watch the end of AI. JD was laying in my bed as well and he immediatly grinned when I walked in. "Lay down" he said. Ok (like he had to twist my arm or something), I curled up next to him and cried a little more. A few minutes later he pointed to my eyes and said, "What's that?" "Uhhh....my eye." Then in the most gentle, most precious voice he said, "No mommies, their butterflies," as in butterfly kisses. He then gave me the sweetest butterfly kiss, eyes fluttering and all.

And once again I say...it's okay, because I have the most important thing of all - an amazing husband (who's let me cry over this and even rubbed my shoulders) and a beautiful baby boy who thinks eyes were specially made for butterfly kisses. Big Mama said it best, at the end of the day...this is what matters.

and the time has come...

The time has come and ugh! I say. JD has expressed his readiness in beginning the long, treacherous journey of potty training. I was in complete denial for a while. This is something that I was not looking forward too and almost certain would not need to worry about for another year! WRONG! I tried ignoring the signs...the eagerness to sit on the potty...the constantly taking off of the diaper...the way he always told me when he pooped. I figured this was the norm and that potty training was a good 6-12 months away. I even went as far as laughing at those friends of mine who were ready to work on it. One of those, "yeah right...let me know how that goes" kinda laughs!

This was until Saturday afternoon. JD walked into the study where Jimmy was on the computer and said, "Daddy, I needa go potty." Jimmy just kinda looked at him like, okay...go. The JD started removing his diaper. Jimmy, of course, called out to me for some guidance. "Uhh...take him to the bathroom at least!" So this was JD's first, real pee-pee after telling us he had to go. This happened a few more times at my mom's. Then Sunday JD did the same thing four times! WHAT?! So, Monday I woke up and went to Target. We bought pull-ups and big boy undies. Both in classic Lightning McQueen print!! This was a HUGE thrill for JD. He loves his White-ning!

So Monday began the training. From noon-on JD only went in his pull-ups during nap time!! Of course by this time I thought I had a child prodigy and we had potty training beat. Ha ha! Hahaha! Yesterday, well...let's just say we had more accidents then successes. Today, we've broke even.

If I've said, "JD, do you need to potty?" once, I've said it a million times already. Either that or, don't potty on Lightning; he'll be sad if you potty on him. This is of course followed with Mater will be sad, Sally will be sad, Doc will be sad, and the rest of the Cars cast!

So here are a few new pictures of JD in his new big-boy undies!! These seem to work better during the day!!


Is he cute or what???




...and here we have JD's infamous, eye's closed smile!!


And here are two videos of JD. I'm in love with this new talking ability. The first is of him singing his favorite song. The other he's talking to his Nana and PawPaw!

Update on B

Hey guys...thanks for all the prayer support.

Just a quick update. B is home from the hospital, which is HUGE. Please keep praying for his strength and his health. He's on the feeding tube (which I can't even imagine) for another 5 weeks, but hopefully this will mean he'll steady gain his weight back!!!

Please keep these two special people in your prayers!

I'm In For It!

I'm pretty sure I had a glimpse into the future today. Or maybe it was a flashback of me as a teenager. It was a wee bit scary.

I was busy in the kitchen slaving over the stove to prepare a hot meal for my son. JD's top choices right now are chicken and noodles, so today it was Tereyaki Noodles courtesy of Lipton Sides.

I was almost done preparing lunch when I told him (stupid me), "After lunch and your nap, we'll go outside for a while!" Well, I said the "o" word, and this is up there with the four-letter words in our household. A no-no. That's all he needed to hear. "Outside? Outside? Where keys mommy, outside?" Ugh!!!

Of course once I told him we were NOT going outside right now, we had a melt down. Stopping feet, crying, turning in circles - full fledged tantrum. I calmly told him to eat and then we'll go outside. It was then that he screamed, "NO, RIGHT NOW!!!" and then turned around, ran into the hallway, and slammed the door!!

The Stomach Flu Strikes Again!

Do yourself a favor...get on over to Big Mama's and read up on her adventure in the land of El Stomach Flu! After a long Monday you'll enjoy it!

Prayer Request

So...I'm needing some major prayers from you dedicated prayer warriors out there. I'm not sure why it didn't occur to me to post this earlier, I guess that's just how my mommy-brain works these days!!

A good friend of mine in JD's playgroup has been going through A LOT with her adorable son. He was born prematurely and from then has had endless problems. They have spent the last couple of months literally in and out of the hospital. Because I can not even begin to describe all of B's problems, I'm gonna insert a few of D's recent posts regarding B's condition! I can tell you that he's had heart problems from birth, but recently it seems the problems have tripled!

May 11
I know you all are tired of hearing this, but B was admitted to the hospital AGAIN!! Yes, again for the 3rd time in 3 weeks. Can you believe our luck? I feel like we are being punished for something. B went through so much today. Of course he has another IV. He also had a catheter, blood work, EEG and CAT scan. Tomorrow (Friday) he will have a MRI and other testing done.

The Doctors did find a couple of things wrong with B but they still believe there is more because his fever spiked to 103.6 while at the hospital today and he want stop sleeping. He is basically motionless, no walking, talking, moving, eating, nothing. Plus the short time he is awake and walking he wobbles. They told us tonight around 1am that his liver test came back abnormal and that he has a sinus infection. Of course they are more concerned about his abnormal liver test and will do further testing to find out what is wrong in the morning.

May 12
We got some of the results back from B's test yesterday. I did not update the board yesterday b/c the news was hard to absorb. It showed that he is severely anemic. It turns out that he does not have iron deficiency anemia but a rare genetic blood disorder that is common in Native Americans. My father was part Indian and there is also Indian blood on my mothers side of the family. I can't believe this news! The doctor told me that this disease is not common in African Americans and asked my about my family history and if anyone in my family was Native American. I never knew that being part Indian would come back and bite me in the butt. I am so nervous about what the doctor will tell us today.

Monday B will have more test done so I know for sure he will be here even longer. We are waiting on his iron levels test and to find out if damage was done to B's liver since his liver test came back abnormal. I am so sick at the stomach right now. The only good news is my mother will be back today even though she just left here last Sunday.

I will keep you posted but I already know Monday will be an emotional day so I can't say when I will update. Thanks for your prayers and please keep praying!!

May 15
B is getting a feeding tube tonight at 8pm. The only other thing we know is that his spleen is swollen, he has a gall stone, infection in his liver, very low iron (almost none in the body), and still will not eat or drink. He will have a swallow study done and is getting occupational therapy and physical therapy. B can not walk without almost falling, if his hand is not held he will stumble and/or fall. The doctors did say he will have the feeding tube for about 6 weeks. Please, please keep praying!!!

May 17
Today was the best day so far. His liver still needs to improve and he will go home with a feeding tube but he is much better!! Thanks again for all the prayer!!!!! He has about 2 more test before he can go home. We found out that most of his problems are because he has lacked so much nutrition that he hit all of the marks for this due to him not eating. He will go home with a feeding tube for 6 weeks and will receive therapy to improve his walking and eating. Once we are home he will be able to attend some playdates with the feeding tube just as long as no one is sick.

May 19
It was decided that B was well enough to go home so the date was scheduled for Monday to go home. Since we were going home they needed to change B's feeding tube to a weighted feeding tube to lessen the chance of him vomiting, sneezing or coughing it out. We were told that it was practically impossible for the tube to come out. The Dr. comes in and places the tube in which takes about 10 minutes between B crying from being in so much pain & trying to make sure it's in the right place . After the tube is in a X-ray is taken to make sure the tube is in the right place, it was not so B was given medicine so that the tube would fall into the right place. We finally get B comfortable and he starts coughing. The he starts to vomit non-stop and the tube comes out through his mouth!!! He starts choking b/c the tube bended when it came out through his mouth. The Dr. pulled the tube out of his mouth so that it was straight and then pulled the tube out from his nose. This was the scariest experience I have ever had!!! B was crying so hard he was dripping with sweat. Because of this he did not get his feeding last night.

Today the doctor started all over again to get the tube in and again it came out but this time through B's nose. We waited about 4 hours and gave B medicine to help relax him, but as soon as he saw the Dr and nurse he covered his mouth and nose b/c he already knew what was going to happen. I thank GOD that the tube stayed down this time!! This is way to much to bare but I have no choice but to bare it.

As you can see...this is never ending. This is after a month of already being in and out of the hospital due to swollen adenoids and B not being able to breathe.

This is the most courageous woman I have ever met and B is the most adorable little boy. He's a little older than JD and sooo precious. When D & B joined our playgroup in February, this was the FIRST time in B's life he'd ever been exposed to other children outside of his family. It was so amazing to watch him play. As a mother, I can not even begin to know how D feels. My heart breaks every time I hear more sad news. I know they are so excited to go home, but so nervous of going back.

Please, please, please keep this family in your prayers. They are so unbelievably strong, but need all the prayers they can get!