YAY, March is over!! Opps so is April!

May 8, 2015

After reading my previous post Hubby said “are you sure these are our kids? They sound so sweet!” He was referring to the fact that often within minutes of their cute and kind actions they are taking something from the other or upset. I don’t mena to make it sound like they are all sweetness and light, but I did say the purpose of this blog was to remember the cute and funny things they do. J I didn’t say anything about remembering the times I want to pull my hair out or run screaming from the house or fantasize about taking off as soon as Hubby gets home from work and just driving around or going somewhere to wander and be alone!

This year has been very rough on me emotionally. I don’t know if it’s the preggo hormones or extra stress or what, but I have struggled with my temper more than I have in over 14 years! I know there have been times when I was unfair to Princess and harder on her than I should have been. I am trying to work on this, especially as she has started yelling at her brother. I often feel like I am completely failing and how can I be a good mom to 3 kids when I haven’t been handling 2 very well! I better figure it out because it is about to become a reality! Seriously though, I know that I am not the only one who feels frustrated and guilty about my parenting mistakes. I know I am not perfect and much of the pressure on myself is self-inflicted. I know I need to rely more on Christ and less on myself. HE is the only one who can give me the grace and strength I need to accomplish the task HE has given me in raising these children to love and honor HIM—of course Hubby has a part too, but I am dealing with me here! There are changes I need to make I am just not sure how to make them or stick to them.

Anyway, the main reason I haven’t posted lately is I didn’t want to be too negative. March was really rough with stresses and disasters every 3-5 days! Some of them included Princess having strep, overflowing the laundry room sink (I did this) which had water flowing down into the unfinished part of the basement, finding out a week later that the water also flowed under the baseboards into our family room, Hubby going on a week-long trip—really tough on the kids especially Princess as she is now old enough to realize how long he was gone! Also, many other things caused me to think and say often “will it ever end????”

However, there were a few cute things that happened in March.

          From Hubby’s FB page:

            March 2, 2015

Yesterday, I showed Princess a video of children seeing their parents that were in the military after the parent had gotten back from deployment. I explained that their daddy's had been gone and were just coming back. Since then, Princess insists on playing a game where she has me stand on one side of the room so that she can run into my arms for a big hug. The funniest part is that when I get home from work she feels the need to choreograph her greeting. She has me stand in different places so that she can run into me arms and welcome me home multiple times J.

Buddy started copying his sister and trying to pray at meals. Usually we couldn’t understand any of the words except for “daddy” but he was really earnest and very sweet.

Hubby’s parents came the weekend after the basement flood and helped us with the last few things needed to get it all back in order. They were a great help.

          Hubby’s FB Post:

          March 15, 2015

Today Buddy received his first answer to prayer. We went out to eat at a restaurant (not fast food) with my parents. While waiting for our food, the waitress would come-by to see if we needed anything. After we told her, we were fine and she would leave, Buddy would call after trying to get her attention and clearly trying to communicate something to her. We jokingly said that he was trying to get her to bring him food. Well after a couple of times, Buddy bowed his head, folded his hands, and said something. Almost immediately, the food came and Buddy was delighted.

One thing Hubby didn’t put in his post was that after the second time she left he growled at her! We all were trying very hard not to laugh so that we wouldn’t encourage him, but it was very hard!

            From my FB page:

            March 26, 2015

Today Princess asked if she could lay on the couch for rest time instead of going to her room. I told her we could try it, but that she needed to stay on there for an hour. She said "okay, Mom, set the timer." After about 13 minutes she was calling for me, wanting a book. I told her that she could get a book but that she wasn't to ask me for anything else or get off the couch until the timer went off. 
About 30 minutes later, I peeked around the corner and found her ASLEEP!!!!!! Score!!! (She only naps about twice a week now). She is in a super uncomfortable looking position though, don't know how she does it.

She often asks if she can sleep on the couch now. I let her a couple times a week and she actually sleeps about half the time.

April flew by very fast. Not much happened that month. The kids are doing well and Buddy is trying to talk more and more. He tries so hard to communicate we just can’t understand most of what he is saying. The words we can understand often have to do with food! He says things like: Hungy {hungry}, candy, eat, more, I like that, yummy, need, want, etc. Some people might think that we never feed the child the way he reacts to food! Guess he is just a growing boy. J He still has the tendency to shove as much as he can into his mouth, though he is starting to eat smaller bites.

One day after lunch he went over to the pantry where we keep the snacks and treats. He pointed up at it and said: “need candy”. I replied that he didn’t need it he wanted it. His response was: “want candy please!” He definitely has his daddy’s sweet tooth!

The K4T club Princess was part of finished up at the end of April. We dropped the ball on working with her on to memorize scripture this semester. However she managed to memorize a good bit just by working with the leaders on Wed nights. About a week before the final program she started asking me the questions that go with the doctrines they were studying and then giving me the answers! She has continued to do so the last couple weeks since it ended. The week before the final program they had a practice, Hubby said that Princess was terrified and he wondered if we should even go. We decided that we should. I’m so glad we did! She did a terrific job! She sang part or most of every song, did many of the actions, and answered the question with her friends that her level was supposed to answer! What a huge change since the Christmas program. J

This Year is Already Going by Fast!!

February 24, 2015

Well let’s see what has been going on here? The second week of January I had an Ultrasound. Hubby wasn’t able to come with me this time as we didn’t have a babysitter at the last minute due to health issues. My sister was going to come up, but a few days before that she got chicken pox. L She had a tough time with them as they were even in her throat. Anyway, I called a friend about watching them. She agreed, but the night before the ultrasound she called to say that her kids had been exposed to the flu and one of them was acting like he didn’t feel well. We agreed that it was best for her to stay home. Therefore, Hubby had to stay home (many of our friends from Church also had sick kids that week) and not be there for the gender reveal. Later when I got home he was excited to find out that he had been right this time (in the past he always thought the opposite of what we were having). We are having another BOY!! So Buddy will have some help around here. J Princess wasn’t too disappointed about not getting a sister. Later that day Hubby told her that she has two brothers…one named Buddy, and the other Baby-we-don’t know. Off and on for the next few days she would repeat a version of this.

Buddy has been climbing/crawling up the stairs for a couple months, really since before he could walk. But he couldn’t come down them by himself. He tried going down on his bottom but his legs were so short that he couldn’t reach the next step so he’d try standing, but again his short legs hindered him. He loves to go up to the top and then put out his arms to be carried to the bottom. J In the last few weeks he has been able to come down them on his own. Though I haven’t seen him do more than a few, I have heard him upstairs with his sister (she is always letting him through the gates so he can play on the steps with her), then a few minutes later they are both back down and playing with other things.

One of Princess’s favorite things to do is teach Buddy Bible School. She directs him to the steps and has him sit there while she tells him about things she has learned in Sunday School.

They both love getting books out (especially some of mine with NO PICTURES) and sitting next to each other turning pages. I’ve tried to get them to read their own and am sometimes successful, but they always return to mine. Another thing they like to look at is magazines, any magazines. They do especially enjoy their own though. For Christmas my Grandma got them each a subscription to Highlights for their different age groups. They like their sibs magazine as much as their own! J

Buddy isn’t talking much but has a way of making himself understood. J Usually through pointing and grunting! He has been doing better in the sleep department (his doctor thinks his skin issues are a major factor in how he sleeps) but rarely sleeps through the night for more than 3-5 days. Then he’ll do 3-5 days of waking up, wanting to drink some milk, before going back to sleep. Then he’ll repeat the process. He has always been fairly easy to get to sleep he just doesn’t stay asleep most nights until recently. (Princess was hard to get to sleep when she was little but usually stayed asleep—except between 12-15 months.) But I guess I shouldn’t complain since I do get to sleep some nights without getting up. That is IF Princess doesn’t have a bad dream or lose her paci. Yes, she still has it at night. I want so much to get rid of it the rest of the way (we never intended it to still be here) but we are in the process of potty training and that is hard enough without adding this. (She seems to be clinging to it more lately.) We’ve been really trying this time for about 6-7 weeks now. There are days when it seems like progress is being made and then the next day she acts like she has never heard on a toilet. Her doctor told us that the biggest obstacle for Princess and us would be Princess’s will and that seems to be true. Princess CAN do it (often completely by herself), she just often says she doesn’t WANT to!!! ARGG!!! I know this will pass but some days it is really hard. I know that there are people who potty train in a few days and there are also those who take forever, but eventually they all get there…or this is what I tell myself.

A couple weeks ago, Princess and Daddy went on a date for donuts and to pick out a bday present for me. When she walked in the door she announced “Mommy, I got you a necklace, want to see?” She then pulled it out and gave it to me. So I got a present about a week early. J She loved that I put it on and wore it the rest of the day. It’s not really something I would have picked out but I will wear it sometimes because she got it for me. Hubby said he had to steer her away from some more outrageous choices! On my birthday, Hubby came home early to pick Princess up to help him pick things out for a party. It was very important to her that I have a cake, so Hubby was trying to figure out how to work that since Buddy can’t have store-bought cakes. He looked into ice cream cakes but wasn’t sure Buddy would be able to eat them either as they probably have soy in them too. Anyway, I don’t really care for cake, but it was important to Princess and I knew Buddy would like it so, we decided I’d make a cake from scratch while they were at the store and Hubby and Princess would decorate it later. While they were out they bought heavy cream, to make whip cream frosting, and plates and napkins, as well as balloons. Princess was so excited to show them to me. J They also picked up a pizza. Buddy couldn’t have the pizza, but I made him something else and he was fine with that that night. (He has started noticing and protesting if he is eating something different than we are.) When he saw the cake he said “Yummm”. We’ve only had one two times in the last few months but he remembered!!

A few days before my birthday, my sister came up to watch the kids and we were able to go out. For the first time when she watched them, Buddy didn’t throw a big fit when we left. (He hadn’t done it a couple weeks before when my parents watched them either!)  He often displays separation anxiety when we leave, hopefully he is starting to understand that we’ll be back.

Of course he also loves his food. He tries to put everything we put on his tray in his mouth all at once as if he thinks we are going to take it from him. If we put too much on his tray he gets overwhelmed and starts scrapping it unto the floor until the is a reasonable amount in front of him. He is getting better about this, so maybe he won’t do this long. He does really well with most things and LOVES his vegetables, especially peas, corn and carrots. Lately, he hasn’t been eating many green beans, I’m not sure why. If we have a meal without veggies, he is okay, but if the next one doesn’t have them he is unhappy. (This sometimes happens on the weekend.) He’ll just eat a few bites and then makes sad noises. If we have them available I’ll zap them in the microwave and he’ll eat A LOT of them. Sometimes as much as a cup!! Glad they are good for him. J

From Hubby’s FB

January 19, 2015

This morning I was holding Buddy, and I was trying to get him to go to mommy. First, I say "Mommy will give you hugs and kisses" (I pause, no response, still clings to me), "and some breakfast." Buddy utters a grunting affirmation and lunges towards mommy. I guess we know what he really loves.

Lately Princess has been making up words and wanting me to repeat them. Most of the time, I can’t understand what she is talking about when she does this. She has always been very clear when she speaks so this can be a bit frustrating. One Sunday, while getting lunch ready, she started up again. I said something like “speak normally; I have no idea what you are talking about.”

Hubby said “should we get someone to teach you Chinese, Princess, so that even if we don’t know what you are saying at least it would be real words?”

Princess looked over at her daddy and said “Are you insane?”

It was so hard not to laugh when she said that. We couldn’t figure out where she would have heard something like that. Somehow, kids pick up on things that we wish they wouldn’t. It’s such a responsibility and we need to remember to be careful.

A couple weeks ago Princess was supposed to be picking up some of her toys, when she realized that a few of the pieces of play food she was picking up were under the loveseat. She became focused on those pieces. She wanted me to get them out so she could put them in the bucket. I explained that I couldn’t right now and that she needed to pick the others up and not worry about the ones under the loveseat. After talking about them for several minutes and continuing to order me to get them, she just walked away and didn’t pick up anything else. After putting the kids to bed Hubby and I were talking about it when I realized that part of her problem with this (and some other things we’ve been dealing with) is that she gets tunnel vision and so focused on something to the exclusion of all else. Later that evening Hubby told me that he’d been thinking about what I said and that he thought I was right. Not only that but he thinks she gets it from him (true!). Then he said “why do our children have to inherit those things we wish they wouldn’t?” It’s all Adam’s fault!!

2014 Christmas Letter and Update

Well, it's been awhile. This summer was crazy in a good way. My computer got hijacked by hubby for awhile as his quit and then I was out of the blogging mode and felt so far behind that it was hard to convince myself to start back up. 

So, I will be posting our Christmas letter (after I edit names--or as my SIL says "dragnet it"!) Also I’ll add a few things that didn’t make it into the letter and then we’ll close the books on 2014 and start over with 2015!

Dear Family and Friends,

We hope you have had a wonderful 2014. We had a good year. We didn’t do many “exciting” things, but our year was filled with many moments. We had everything from scary moments to happy joy-filled moments.

Buddy struggled all year with eczema, we discovered some of the triggers but there were times when we had no idea why he was having a problem. The last couple months have been better so maybe some of it was seasonal. We hope that next year will not be as rough on him.

April brought many moments. Hubby took a short business trip and we all missed him a lot. Then a couple weeks later Buddy’s doctor sent us to Iowa City as she was concerned about the shape of his head. She thought that the plates in his head were fusing. That was a very scary couple weeks with all the possible scenarios running through our minds and thinking he might need surgery with months of recovery. We are very thankful to God that it turned out to be a false alarm. Turns out his odd head shape was caused by my thyroid problem and he is fine. His head is looking more normal all the time and he should have no problems in this regard. J Even during all this there were happy moments as Princess and Buddy played together and learned new things.

Also, in April Hubby received official word that he had been granted Tenure. He worked long and hard for this.

In June we participated in a parade to promote the Vacation Bible School program at our Church. Hubby was the VBS director this year. This was Princess’s first parade and she got to be in it! She enjoyed riding in a wagon with a little friend of hers and throwing candy to people. Buddy wasn’t very impressed though he did like his stroller ride. The VBS was held in July and was a very busy yet fun week for us.

The week after VBS my sister and her daughters visited from FL. We went to the zoo with them and enjoyed spending time with them; though we missed the last half of their visit as we headed off to Montana to see Hubby’s brother and his family. It was a long trip for the kids but overall they did very well. While there we enjoyed hanging out with them, watching our niece participate in a race, watching a parade (Princess thought receiving candy was pretty neat), going to Yellowstone and seeing Old Faithful erupt twice, swimming at the lake, and watching all the cousins have fun together.

In August Hubby, my two brothers, and my dad built a playset, that Hubby designed with help from my brothers, for Princess & Buddy’s birthdays. Princess really liked “supervising” and watching her ship being built. Both Princess & Buddy enjoyed the swings and slides a lot. Though we took the swings down for winter they were using the slides this past weekend! Yes, it was 50+ degrees out, but even with snow on the ground Princess wants to play!

In September Princess turned 3 and we had a big party with many friends. She enjoyed playing on her playset with everyone. Buddy liked the swing and one little girl who wasn’t quite 3 liked to give him underdog pushes. It was very cute.

October brought Buddy’s 1^st birthday! He loved his homemade chocolate cake, pizza, and ice cream! The gifts were pretty great too. J

Shortly after Buddy’s birthday we found out that we are expecting! We will be welcoming another blessing into our home in June of 2015. J At first Princess didn’t have much of a reaction, but lately she has been telling us which kind of sibling she wants. We won’t find out what we are having until January (if the baby cooperates!)

October also saw another visit from Granny & Grandpa B. While they were in the area we went up to MN to see Hubby’s grandfather who turned 102 in November! This was the first time Great-Grandpa had seen Buddy. Princess & Buddy enjoyed exploring his apartment and entertaining everyone.

We are looking forward to spending time with many family members over Christmas and New Year’s.

We wish all of you a Happy New Year and a very Merry Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. Who went from the manger to the cross. Died, was buried and rose again on the third day paying the penalty for our sin.

Merry Christmas! 

In Sunday School this summer Princess learned about creation. She loved taking the little picture cards out and saying “God made the birds, and the fish, and the dolphins…and it was ALL GOOD!!” She had another card with land animals on it including a zebra. Somehow this summer she got mixed up in how to say zebra, she now calls it a breezza. A couple weeks ago she found one of the cards and started saying all this again. She always says it the same way every time no matter how much time has passed! J

Our Church has a kids program called Kids 4 Truth (K4T) that teaches them doctrines and some of the verses that teach each doctrine. It is for children 4 yo thru 6^th grade. This fall they decided to tryout a level for 2-3 yo, whose parents work in the K4T program and are ready to learn verses. Hubby is the game leader this year and I have been helping out in the nursery. We decided to put Princess in the class. She loves it!! She has learned several verses and asks a couple times a week if she can go to K4T. The last few weeks have been a break and she hasn’t liked that she can’t go to K4T. Though we knew that she knew the verses we didn’t know if she would actually say them to her teaches. One Wednesday night toward the beginning of November we were surprised when her teacher told us that Princess got right up in front of the other kids and helped the teacher lead them in the verse. She said that Princess knew the whole verse and did very well. J

The second Sunday of December was the SS Christmas Program at Church. Princess had been excitedly singing the songs at home and asking when she got to do the program. (Later I was told that she always sang really loud in practice downstairs every Sunday.) The day before the program Hubby took her to the dress rehearsal. He said that she was terrified when she got on the stage. The night of the program she marched in with her class and got up on stage with all the other kids. Her class had three songs. She didn’t sing the first one though she did do a few of the actions. We could tell that she was very intimidated by all the people. The second song they rang little hand bells. She was very enthusiastic with her bell ringing, but didn’t sing at all. I couldn’t see her well during the third song but I don’t think she sand it either. Overall she did very well. The next day she was singing the songs at the top of her lungs and talking about being in the program. J Last year she stuck her fingers in her mouth and watched the other kids, so she improved a lot! Wonder what next year will be like. I bet she is still scared as that is her personality in large groups. That’s okay I am the same way.

This Christmas Hubby’s brother and family came to visit. It was neat to see the kids playing together and how much they had all grown from August. Buddy was a little intimidated by all the kids running around but he enjoyed chasing after them. Originally Hubby’s parents were going to join us the 26^th but they got sick so were unable to come. We are looking forward to seeing them in February if all goes as planned.

A few funny things we had posted to fb and I am reposting here:

October 4, 2014

Shortly before my parents and sisters left this evening:
Hubby: Buddy, can you tell everyone thank you for the presents you got?
Princess: Thanks everybody for the presents we got!!

December 10, 2014 (from Hubby’s FB)

Background: Princess went shopping with mommy a couple of days ago to buy a Christmas present for daddy. 
On the way to church tonight
Princess: "I went shopping with mommy and I got you a present. It's a water bottle & caramel corn." 
Me: "Is it a surprise?"
Princess: "Yeah, it's a surprise."
Oh well, at least she kept the secret for 2 days.

     (Also, that same night):

Emily on the way home from church tonight thought that all of the cars heading the opposite direction from us were going the wrong way and needed to turn around. 

“I want…”—Things to laugh about

Princess: Saying and doings

April—

The Saturday before Buddy’s 6 month check-up, Princess went to the store with Daddy. On the way back to the car she said something about an orange car. Hubby looked around and saw an orange Mustang, so he told her she was right and what kind of car it was. She replied, “I want a yellow Mustang, Daddy!!” He told her she was too little for a car. Of course, when they got home he told me he needed to buy a Mustang and drive it for Princess. (He has been talking about getting a Mustang off and on since we got married. A few days later Hubby’s parents were visiting so he was telling them about it and saying that he thought he could talk Princess into a red one instead. She piped up, “No, red mustang, Daddy.” Hubby: How about a blue one? Princess: NO!! Hubby: A black one? Princess: NO!! Daddy, I want a yellow Mustang!!!! Randomly, she talks about getting a yellow Mustang when she is a “bigger, bigger girl”.

My cousin came to visit and brought lunch from Taco Johns. She called to ask what I wanted. After I hung up, Princess says, “Mountain Dew, Mountain Dew, I want Mountain Dew!!” Me: No, you are too little for Mountain Dew. Princess: “When I get to be a bigger, bigger, girl I can have Mountain Dew. That sound like a good idea, huh??” (In a super high excited voice running her words together.) Umm. Definitely needs to be a lot older.

“When I am a bigger, bigger, girl…” is one of her favorite sayings! J

From my FB post on April 30:

SO a few minutes ago [Princess] & I had this conversation:
[Princess]: Can you sit with me?
Me: Just a minute.
[Princess]:  Sit right here.
Me: In a minute.
[Princess]:  Hey! Don't touch that!! (referring to my laptop).
Me: I'm the Mommy, I can touch what I want here. (I know, real mature of me.)
[Princess]:  Oh, you poor, poor dear. (Covering her eyes and shaking her head.)

May:

From Hubby’s FB posts:

(May 6)

Me to [Princess]: Am i beautiful?
[Princess]: (Giggling) No your daddy!
Me: Is mommy beautiful?
[Princess]:  (Still Giggling) No, mommy's a girl.

(May 8)

[Princess] at dinner table: I am a happy girl, I am a happy girl, I am a good girl. I want a bike!!!!

(She hasn’t gotten one and won’t for at least another year.)

On Mother’s Day Princess started a new thing when asked about what she learned in SS (she continued in this each week until the end of June, except she stopped telling Daddy too.)

Hubby: Princess, what did you learn in SS?

Princess: Daddy, you know!!

Hubby: Yes, you told me on the way to nursery, but Mommy doesn’t know.

Princess: Yes, Mommy knows.

Me: No, I don’t know. What did you learn about?

Princess: You being silly Mommy, you know!! (Giggling)

    We later realized she was saying we knew, because it was a Bible story we had told her previously. Therefore, we knew what they talked about!

Some Sundays she would vary her answer or tell us right away that she was being silly.

These were some of the most memorable things she has said over the last few months. I know there were many more but I wasn’t able to write them down so now I don’t remember them. Sigh. 

Buddy--Answers to Prayer

April 18, 2014

Yesterday we took Buddy to the specialist. After looking at the x-ray we brought with us the PA said that the bones weren’t fused. She agreed that the shape of his head was odd and suggested that it was due to him sleeping on his back and shifting the bones requiring his brain to grow out the other way—I thought this was a dumb explanation as I know how he sleeps and he does not sleep with his head at the angle required for such a possibility. To be on the safe side in case there was a different reason she said she wanted him to have a CT Scan. A while later a nurse returned to the exam room where we were waiting to say that there weren’t any open slots in CT but that they would work us in. The PA had earlier indicated that it would be best if Buddy slept for it as he was super active. If he wouldn’t sleep or hold still we would have to return another day to have him sedated.

We got upstairs and checked him in about a quarter to 1. Though he was very tired by this time we weren’t sure he would allow himself to sleep. He looked around a lot for a while before finally laying his head on my shoulder and falling asleep. Hubby checked with the desk to see if they had any idea how long it would be as he had fallen asleep. They weren’t sure but said that we should just let him sleep.  About 2 minutes later they called his name. We walked out the waiting room door and around a long half-circle hallway to the room for the scan. He stayed asleep. They had me lay him down on the machine and then they wrapped his arms and weighted them down. He stayed asleep. His head was turned to the side so they carefully adjusted it using the sheet and some small pieces of foam. He stayed asleep. Hubby and I left the room. About 2 minutes later they called us back in to get Buddy as they were done with the scan—imagine if they had had to sedate him for that??. I picked him up and followed the tech out the door and down the hall. A minute later we passed an open door where a baby was crying. Buddy woke up!! He looked around like he was asking why he wasn’t still asleep. We returned downstairs to the neurosurgery clinic waiting area for a while before being called back to another exam room and waiting there for almost an hour. Buddy didn’t sleep again until after we left the hospital. My Hubby later told me that he had been praying Buddy would sleep so that the scan could be done. He had slept just long enough for them to get the scans that they needed!! J

While we were waiting we fed Buddy and tried to keep him entertained. There were several times throughout the day that we had him giggling and laughing so hard! It was so wonderful to hear him laugh! At one point Hubby took out his ipod touch and took a video of Buddy. Then he showed Buddy the video. Buddy thought it was really neat. When he started the video Hubby told Buddy to smile for Daddy, so every time the video was played Buddy would turn and smile at Daddy at that part! J

Eventually the PA came back and reviewed the CT scan with us. The CT confirmed that the bones weren’t fused; she said that that “is not the concern” and went on to show us that Buddy’s brain and all the fluid is good. So, that means that he doesn’t have a tumor or anything like that—the only other thing we knew of that would cause his head to be malformed. I hadn’t really thought too much about this possibility, but Hubby had been praying and trying not to worry about this. She said that she wanted one of the surgeons to review her findings and she would be back.

She returned with the Head of the Pediatric Surgery Department—Dr. M. He introduced himself and then asked a few questions about my pregnancy with Buddy. We told him that Buddy had been transverse for a while. He then asked me some questions about my medical history and asked to see a picture of Princess. Then he went over the CT with us and told us what had probably concerned the radiologist here about Buddy’s initial x-rays. In addition to the shape of Buddy’s head being slightly off, his eye sockets aren’t completely round. They are slightly up tilted at the outside corners. Also, the bridge of his nose is flat. Dr. M called this a saddle bridge. He said that the flattened bridge pushed his forehead into more prominence and changed the shape of his head. He believed that it was caused by Buddy being transverse, most likely with his face tilted up and pressed into my side (we don’t know his exact position as my Dr. didn’t do an ultrasound during that time.), combined with the fact that I have hypothyroidism. He said that this can also cause a saddle bridge. Apparently, being on too much, or not enough, or not any, medication when you need it, can cause this condition. There isn’t anything I could have done or not done to cause this it just happens and they don’t know why. (Princess doesn’t have it.)

Dr. M said that he diagnosed the cause by looking at me. He said that he always likes to meet the patient and parents because just looking at films doesn’t tell him the whole story. We wonder a bit what we would have been told if he hadn’t come to talk to us, but aren’t dwelling on it. He told us that the tipoff for him was my face. I have a bit of facial hair that I try to keep removed but sometimes forget. That morning as we pulled out of the drive I remembered that I hadn’t taken care of it. Hubby told me not to worry about it that it wasn’t that noticeable. IF I had taken care of it, Dr. M might have still noticed but who knows?? Anyway, it helped to figure things out. J

We are looking into a couple things related to my hypothyroidism just to be on the safe side, but it sounds like if Dr. M is correct, then we don’t need to do anything and Buddy will be just fine!! J This is such a huge relief and answer to prayer. We prayed for correct and clear information—we believe we have it. We prayed for peace and joy—we have it.

When we got home my mother-in-law shared that she had been praying some verses for us that had been special to her back when my Hubby was a baby and had almost died. She said that all her prayers for Buddy and us had been answered. Here are the verses:

Psalm 34

King James Version (KJV)

⁴ I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. ¹⁹ Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all. ²² The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

March 31, 2014-April 8, 2014: Buddy-Eczema, X-Rays, & Uncertainty

     Eczema

So, Buddy has always had dry skin (he gets it from me) and this winter was particularly brutal to those who suffer with this. Around his 4 month checkup he started having more red patches but didn’t seem to be scratching much. His doctor told me to moisturize him using Aquaphor or Vaseline, but I admit I thought that was a pain and I wasn’t very faithful about it. It seemed like such a pain and since he didn’t seem bothered by his skin I didn’t make it a priority. In mid-February Princess got an ear infection and Buddy got a cold. Prior to this Buddy was sleeping most of the night through, but since then he hasn’t. His skin also didn’t clear up. He had a spot on his cheek that got red and then weepy. I put some of my moisturizer on him. That seemed to help but I worried that maybe it wasn’t okay to use it on a baby so I stopped. The spot came back and his neck area got really red. About the last week of March his neck started weeping too. I thought I’d try to wait until his 6 month checkup which was scheduled for April 7^th, however the last weekend of March things exploded. He started getting what looked like whiteheads all over his body. If they broke open sometimes there was a clear fluid and other times there was blood mixed with it. He also started scratching and crying in his sleep. He’d cry every 45 minutes to 1 ½ hours all night long, waking around 3 to eat a little. So last Monday March 31, I called his doctor and brought him in about an hour later. When we got there the nurse said she’d never seen anything like that and he was running a slight fever (now he had been all closed in to his car seat for over half an hour so that could be why). The doctor came in and didn’t even get over to the table where he was laying before diagnosing him as having Severe Eczema. She looked him over and prescribed an antibiotic and steroid cream as well as an “Eczema Plan” for future breakouts. Hopefully we can control them before they get that bad again.

From the very first night he has slept better. Except for last night he has slept 10+ hours without waking. We have started swaddling him again and he LOVES it. This was suggested by a friend a couple weeks ago. Though he really liked it, when he started to break out more, I worried that the swaddling was the cause but it wasn’t. Also, in less than 2 days there was vast improvement in his skin. Those at Church who were worried last week couldn’t believe how much he had improved by this past Sunday. J

At first I felt guilty for waiting so long to take him in, but after thinking about the way it looked and its course, I’m not sure he would have gotten the help he needed if we had taken him in earlier. I think he may have had to get this bad before it was taken seriously, or at least until the weather warmed up and it was evident that the cause wasn’t the cold.

He is also SO much more active this week than he has been. I’m not sure if it was just time or if his skin was holding him back. He’s been able to roll over for a while, but now he has discovered that he can use rolling as a form of transportation!! We put him on the floor and he immediately rolls over and is across the room in seconds. J He is enjoying playing with his toys even more than he was before. He also loves it when daddy holds him so that he can stand and pretends to make him walk. I think he should sit before he crawls and walks but that’s just me. J Hubby says sitting isn’t fun, moving around is so why would Buddy want to sit.  

      X-Ray's & Uncertainty

Yesterday I took Buddy in for his 6 month checkup. At his previous checks his doctor has examined his head closely and commented that she was keeping an eye on it. I had noticed before his 2 week check that his head was slightly misshapen, but tried not to dwell on it to the point that I’d forget for weeks at a time. I was hoping that it would correct itself and usually didn’t think much of it as it is not obvious that anything is abnormal.

Therefore, I was a bit shocked and taken a back when she said she would like to send him for x-rays that morning and she wanted to send him to a specialist. After talking a few minutes she sent us to radiology, when we returned to the exam room he was given his shots and I waited to hear about the scan results. Basically she was looking for evidence that two of the bones in his may have fused prematurely. After seeing the x-ray she said that she would definitely feel more comfortable if he saw a specialist as the scan was inconclusive. She mentioned setting us up for an appointment in the capital city rather than the big medical center here in the state. She said she’d have someone call after the appointment was set up.

I called my Hubby at work to let him know what was going on. He was completely shocked as he hadn’t realized there was anything wrong. I thought I’d mentioned it before but maybe not. Anyway, it was a bit of a rough day as we both tried not to dwell on it too much. It was hard to know what to think and how to feel. That night after filling in the rest of the details for Hubby, he said that he’d prefer to see someone at the medical center as he actually knows some of them through his work and he knows that they are very familiar with the condition there. I told him that maybe we should pray that our doctor changes her mind as to where to send us. I also pointed out that we can always get a second opinion. He agreed that all that was true.

We had done some research and it looks like surgery will be required if the bones have fused. There seem to be two main options depending on how they are fused and a few other factors. One surgery requires the baby wearing a helmet 23 hours a day for 3-12 months, while the other surgery has more blood loss but after it is done there shouldn’t be anything more treatment needed other than a few checkups.

After filling in a few family members, word started to spread on FB and we posted a prayer request on our Church’s FB page. I mentioned to a couple people this morning about Hubby’s preference as to where we are referred. This afternoon I got a call from the doctor’s office saying that after discussing the situation with doctors in the capital city, she felt that we should go to the medical center. Hubby says hearing that answer to prayer is both encouraging and disconcerting as it makes one wonder if the situation is more serious than the one set of doctors can handle. I think we shouldn’t “read” too much into it. Either way, we are thankful for this answer to prayer. Yesterday, we really weren’t sure when the appointment would be. It was possible that it would be next week but might not be for a month. Today we know that it is scheduled for next week. We are thankful we don’t have to wait a long time and yet uncertain about how fast things are moving. I assume it is quick due to the risks involved if in fact fusion has occurred. Currently his development is normal and he is not experiencing any ill effects from this condition. The faster it is resolved the less likely it is that any will occur.

So we really don’t know anything for sure, there are just all these possibilities. Yet, we know that our Lord does know. HE knows and is in control of all of this. Here is part of the request I posted to our Church family: “Please pray that we would get correct and clear information and that we would have peace and joy in this. It is hard to know what to think and how to feel when you get this kind of news, but we KNOW that we have a powerful and wonderful Heavenly Father and [Buddy] is in HIS hands.”

There has been joy already. Yesterday after I got off the phone with Hubby, Buddy was laying on a blanket rolling around and playing. Princess was supposed to be in time out in the corner of that room (yeah, I wasn’t thinking), when I hear them both giggling. Princess was sitting in her time out chair talking to him and encouraging him to move and he was lapping up the attention from his big sister. Later she started bringing him various things to play with—some of which weren’t toys—and she was so giddy about it that he was laughing too. It did my mama’s heart wonders to hear their joy.

There is peace. At least at this point I believe that both Hubby & I have peace. We know that all of this can and will work for God’s glory. Many people have been praying for us, some are friends of friends so we don’t even know them! When I logged onto FB yesterday there was a post by a lady in our Church who is battling cancer and had received discouraging news. She posted some verses she had been encouraged by from Philippians 4 that were a great encouragement and reminder to me. Pastor came over tonight to share scripture and prayer with us. That was very encouraging. We are thankful for all the care and concern from others and for the prayers that God has already answered as well as the ones He will answer, whether they would be what we would prefer or not.

Isaiah 55:8-11

King James Version (KJV)

⁸ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

⁹ For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰ For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:

¹¹ So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Just a few happenings from March

March 30, 2014

This Month

Some of Princess’s favorite sayings right now are: “What’s wrong, Mama?”; “You’re not going to get away with this!”; “Hey! What’s going on here?”; “I don’t feel very well.”; and “Helloooo There!!” Also, “That was a close one.”; “I’m sorry I take so long.”

Princess is having more fun with Buddy, though sometimes she is still struggling with sharing Mama & Daddy. For the last couple months she has been having a real problem with me feeding or changing Buddy. She’ll say “no! don’t feed/change him!” I often tell her that I have to because Buddy is hungry/wet, etc. The other day she was playing with her back to me and Buddy was lying on a blanket playing next to her. He started fussing wanting a bottle. After making it, I picked him up and carried him to my recliner. Princess turned around and told me to put him back. I simply said “No, Princess”, to which she replied in a resigned voice “you have to feed him.” Then she returned to her toy. Progress??? We can hope!! J

A couple weeks ago I made hard-boiled eggs for lunch. After slicing and giving one to Princess I started feeding Buddy some rice cereal. Then I heard, “Mama, it’s a snake.” I looked over to see Princess holding the white part of an egg slice that she had broken so that it hung in a strip from her fingers. Due to the position the yoke had been in and the way the white had broken, one end was thicker than the other, and it did indeed resemble a cobra or similar snake. I can’t remember my reply, but Princess proudly announced that she was eating the snake several times. Yesterday we had hard-boiled eggs again and the first thing she did was break one of the egg slices and announce that she was going to eat the snake. J What an imagination she has…she didn’t get it from me either! J

Buddy is getting more mobile. He’s been rolling onto his tummy from his back for about a month. This week I saw him do a complete roll over, though we’ve suspected he has been able to do it for a while we hadn’t seen it. A couple weeks ago he was on his play mat and moved himself most of the way off of it. I walked over to him and asked how he got off. He proudly started kicking his feet and moved another few inches off! He has also been doing the beached whale impression quite a bit. The last couple days I have seen him with his legs under his body and trying to get his arms into the crawling position. J