The crazy life of a mom, scientist, and knitter

Quick Update

2010-08-09T13:36:00.001-07:00

Here's an abbreviated update for you:

Isaac is potty-trained, except for when he's sleeping - YAY!!!
He is also speaking so much more! He's improved in his speech 200% this summer, it is amazing.

Luke turned 7 months old yesterday. He is nearly 15 lbs (maybe more by now). He's been trying solid foods for the last month or so, and nothing strikes his interest, except for hummus. But that shouldn't be a surprise considering his brother would eat nothing by fried tofu and miso soup for months. We're taking a break from food for a while. He's happy with his milk.

Here are many many many pictures from June through July,

including the new professional pictures we had done at the beach, courtesy of Megan Thurman Photography - Check it out - our pics are even on her home page! We're famous! Also, finally you can see pictures from our trip to the Northwest in June!

Enjoy! Bohannon Album

Beach Photo Shoot

2010-07-26T13:28:00.001-07:00

We had a photo shoot at the beach last night. I was such a blast. Definitely the funnest photo shoot I've ever been too.

Check out Megan's blog with a few sneak peeks from our session! The rest should be ready by the end of the week.

Megan Thurman Photography

Lucas laughing 6mos

2010-07-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

Homemade Cleaning and Beauty Recipes

2010-07-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

After an overwhelming number of requests, here are some long awaited for recipes for cleaning and beauty products that I use. Let me know if you have any questions about where to find some of the ingredients. Enjoy!

The best all-purpose spray cleaner ever!

This stuff kicks 409’s butt!! It cuts grease, works on glass, surfaces, floors, carpet, furniture, you name it.

1 cup hot water
1 tsp Borax
¼ tsp Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
½ tsp Dr. Bronner’s Castille Liquid Soap (any scent)
4 drops sweet orange oil (disinfecting, cleaning power, and fragrance)
2 drops lavender oil (disinfecting and fragrance)
2 drops eucalyptus oil (deodorizing)
2 drops Tea Tree Oil (powerful disinfectant and cleanser)

You can choose whichever essential oil combo you prefer, but do NOT omit the Tea Tree Oil, it is essential for thoroughly disinfecting.

Dissolve the borax and washing soda in the hot water. Add the soap and essential oils and shake to mix. Pour into a spray bottle. I like to make a double or triple batch and use a large spray bottle.

Best Laundry Detergent at an even better price!!

Works just as good as Tide, is better for your clothes, your washing machine, the environment, and most-importantly, your pocket!

1 Bar Dr. Bronner’s Castille bar soap (any scent) or Fels-Naptha laundry soap bar
1 cup Borax
1 cup Arm & Hammer Washing Soda
½ cup Oxiclean Free (optional, but I think it adds some extra umph)

Grate the soap bar with either the grater attachment on your food processor (takes less than 30 seconds) or by hand with a cheese grater (will buff your triceps). Then process with food processor blade or in a blender into a fine powder. Add in borax, washing soda, and Oxiclean, and pulse a few times to blend together thoroughly. Use only 1-2 tablespoons per load of laundry. Great on colors, whites, cold or hot water. You may need to spot treat stains first, as with any detergent. You can add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil or other essential oil to wash water if you like to add fragrance or enhance disinfecting power in particularly dirty loads (such as cloth diapers). This detergent will remove old detergent build-up and oils from your clothes, your washing machine, and your water pipes. I also add a ¼ - ½ cup of white distilled vinegar to the rinse cycle (just as you would with liquid fabric softener) as a softener. Trust me, your clothes will not smell like vinegar, but they’ll be super soft, and your towels will still be absorbant (unlike when you use Downy on them).

Foaming Hand Soap

Foaming soap bottle (recycled from store-bought foaming soap, or you can purchase them online)
1 cup distilled water
3 tbl Dr. Bronner’s Castille Liquid Soap
1 tsp vegetable glycerine (often found in the organic beauty products section of grocery stores, or online)
1 tsp sweet almond oil (also in organic beauty section, or online)
5 drops Tea Tree Oil (for disinfecting)
10 drops Lavender Oil

Mix all ingredients together, and place in foaming pump bottle.

Foaming Facial Cleanser

This is gentle, and great for all skin types – dry, normal, or oily

Foaming soap bottle
1 cup distilled water
3 tbl Dr. Bronner’s Castille Liquid Soap (Baby Mild)
1 tsp vegetable glycerine
1 tsp sweet almond oil
5 drops Tea Tree Oil
10 drops Lavender Oil

Mix all ingredients together, and place in foaming pump bottle. Follow with Aloe Glycerine Moisturizer.

Aloe Glycerine Facial Moisturizer

Great for oily skin, but not overdrying. Cooling, and perfect for sun burnt skin. Light and great for a summertime moisturizer that won’t feel heavy and greasy.

2 tbl aloe vera gel (pure, food grade – found with herbal supplements in grocery store)
½ tsp vegetable glycerine
3 drops jojoba oil
6 drops Lavender oil

Mix together in a small bottle. Apply dime size amount to face after cleansing.

4 Months Old!

2010-05-19T09:17:00.001-07:00

Luke had his 4 month check-up last week. I still can't believe he is that old, yet at the same time, I can't imagine what life was like before he was born. He's doing so well. And he is still the best baby in the world! He's rarely fussy, he's always smiling and giggling, and he loves everyone. He weighed in at 11 lbs and 12oz and 22" long. He's a bit smaller than Isaac was at this age (13 lbs), but I think I was probably force-feeding Isaac, because I was always worried about his weight, being a preemie. But, this time around, I have certainly chilled out quite a bit. I think my more relaxed nature and my confidence this time around has a lot to do with Luke's easy-going demeanor. He doesn't get overy gassy, refluxy, or irritable because he's getting just what he needs and isn't being forced to take in more than he can tolerate. He may be on the small side, but the doctor is pleased with his growth. He's in the 25%-ile for his adjusted age (and 5%-ile for his actual age which is great!). He looks perfectly healthy and is on par developmentally, even more so than Isaac was at this age. He is cooing and lauging and 'talking' all the time. Isaac was much less verbal at this age, which may coincide with his slow verbal development he currently exhibits. Luke has grown right out of his 3 month clothes and is now wearing 6 months clothes, and is growing out of some of his small diapers. And I'm proud to say, he has been in cloth diapers 100% of the time for the last 2 months. I'm especially thankful for that with the new, controversial Pampers Dry Max diapers that have replaced ALL of the Pampers disposables, which were the only disposables I have ever been happy with. The new Dry Max version are advertized as being ultra absorbant and ultra thin, compared to the older styles, but thousands of mothers have reported serious chemical burns and rashes associated with the new version. I am frustrated that, due to this, when we travel to Oregon next month, I'm going to have to find a disposable diaper I am comfortable with or pack a suitcase with my cloth diapers and wash them all at the Schweighardt house, which I'm sure they wouldn't mind. We shall see. I am actually concerned that Isaac's little butt won't be able to hold up his pants without a cloth diaper.

Which brings me to another discussion - potty training. Things have digressed in this area, I'm sad to say. Isaac is still no closer to wearing underwear. He hates them. He refuses to let me near him with them. They even have one of his favorite cartoon characters - Super Why - on them. I think he's also getting sick of hearing us ask him over and over, "Do you have to go peepee in the potty??", so now he automatically says "Noooooooo" everytime we ask him, rather than actually thinking about it. So, we've been having a few more accidents as a result. And the only time he will even consider using the potty is when he's completely naked. So, that also complicates things. But, I'm not going to push the matter just yet. I'll let him continue getting used to the idea.

I also have not updated on my Dad and Rebecca's visit. We had a blast while they were here. Rebecca, who should be a photographer, tookd some amazing pictures. I've uploaded her album for you to see if you missed them when she and I posted them all over facebook. We had a blast at the beach, strawberry picking, and of course, Dad couldn't leave without taking Isaac skating again! They had such a blast. Isaac is best buds with his Pappy, and I can tell that Luke will be as well. Next up - our trip to Portland and Kennewick, WA for a science conference and to visit Joe's sister Gillian and her family, including little Misses Audrey and Bailey, who are nearly the same age as Isaac and Luke. It's going to be a blast!

April Flowers

2010-04-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I felt it was time to redesign this blog. I'm still working out some tweaks in the layout. I know I haven't posted in a while. As it turns out, trying to finish my expriments for my dissertation, being a wife and mom to two through and through Mama's boys doesn't leave much time to blog, or even eat some days. Life has been crazy busy the last month. Luke got baptized the end of last month. That was a very special day. He wore the same knitted blue sweater that I made for Isaac when he was baptized. Then there was Easter, when Luke got to dress up like an Easter bunny and we went to a plethera of both Catholic and Protestant church services to celebrate the rising of our Lord. Then, Uncle Joe came down for a visit while working at the Toyota plant in San Antonio for the month. Last weekend, we took a trip down to San Antonio to see him and enjoy some time in the city. Along the way, we took a side trip through some small towns with some beautiful wild flowers. We were able to get a few shots of a field along the side of the highway full of blue bonnets, buttercups, Indian paintbrush, among many other unknown types of flowers, but we just couldn't get close enough for my satisfaction. Then, while driving through the small town of Sanguin, TX, we spotted a small cemetery off the main highway that was full of gorgeous flowers. It turned out to be the perfect setting for a photo shoot. It was so peaceful and fragrant there. We could have stayed all day and enjoyed ourselves. Then we headed into the city and dined at our favorite Italian restaurant on the River Walk, where we passed by a couple exchanging wedding vows. Spring was definitely in the air. It was Luke's first trip away from home, and he did fantastic.

I have seriously been blessed with the best baby any mother could ask for, especially a working mom with a toddler in the terrible 2's and more on my plate than I can sometimes handle. He is the easiest baby I could have ever imagined existed. He rarely cries, unless he's not being held. He is never fussy or colicky like Isaac was at this age. He eats well, though he has been resisting the bottle lately and just waiting on Mama to get home, but who can blame him? He has been sleeping through the night for well over a month now. We co-sleep, so that I can get as much sleep as absolutely possible, so if he does wake up, I don't have to even get out of bed to feed him. Although, even if he does wake during the night, it's never for longer than 5 or 10 minutes. When we go out, he either sleeps the entire time, or hangs out all cozy in the sling taking in all he can. He just has such an easy going personality. He takes after his Daddy. This is a very good thing, because this family only has room for two high strung crazy lunatics, and that's me and Isaac! He just fits in perfectly and keeps the balance. I can't imagine what we did without him.

This week will be another crazy week. I'm in the middle of teaching a portion of a course at Texas A&M University in Galveston this week. I get to teach a section on Immunology and toxins that affect the immune system. My first lecture was on Thursday, and I really enjoyed it. It's really great class this year, and I think they were able to keep up with my fast talking fairly well. The course director tells met that I have a natural gift for teaching, but I still need to work on slowing down quite a bit. What makes it more difficult for me is the fact that I am a fast speaker by nature, not just when speaking in front of a group. I've been working on it for years, and I'm not sure I'm improving much, unfortunately. On Tuesday of this week, I will celebrate my very last birthday of my 20s. How did I get this old??? I can't believe I've been an adult for over a decade now. It seems like it took an eternity to reach adulthood, and now it's breezing by so quickly. And they say it goes faster the older you get. That's a scary thought. Then, on Friday, Steven and I will celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary. Wow, I can't believe it's been 5 years. It's been an amazing 5 years. Then, the week after that, Pappy and Nanny (aka, Dad and Rebecca) are coming to visit!!! I am so excited!! They don't make too many trips down this way, so when they do come (usually just for the birth of a baby), it's a big deal! Anything that gets Rebecca on a plane has to be a big deal. I guess if we stay in Texas much longer, I'm just going to have to keep having babies to get her down here as often as I can!

So, it looks like I will have a lot to blog about in the coming weeks. I'll try to keep up. Here's some pictures of the last several weeks for you to enjoy - April 2010
I have also added the Easter pictures to the March 2010 album, along with the baptism pictures.

2010-04-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

I think I sent this email to everyone who has supported me in the MOD March for Babies, but in case I missed anyone, I want to post it here as well, as a follow-up to my previous entry asking for support. I just want all the info out there.

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It has been brought to my attention that the March of Dimes may be involved in supporting Planned Parenthood, the use of abortion to decrease the incidence of children born with birth defects, and research involving the use of fetal tissues to expand the understanding of birth defects and pregnancy issues relating to preterm birth - http://www.lifeissues.org/marchofdimes/index.html (there are other resources that support this as well). You all know that I, personally, am 100% against supporting these actions. I was completely unaware of these claims until yesterday. I have since done much research myself, and feel the claims do have some validity. I did research the foundation prior to committing to my fundraising for the March for Babies walk, and I never came across this information. I do know that the March of Dimes is directly involved in supporting the research that led to the specific treatments that I received during both of my pregnancies that prevented me from delivering earlier than I did. Additionally, MOD also funded the research that led to the treatments that both of my boys received while in the NICU after birth. Much research still needs to be done to identify the causes of preterm labor and ways to prevent preterm births. Obviously, I am very passionate about helping to fund ethical research in any way I can, especially since I hope to have more children in the future, and I hope that by then, there are further treatments available to me to help prolong my pregnancies. These are the reasons for which I chose to support this foundation, as MOD is the primary funder of such research endeavors. However, I never would have asked my friends and family to donate to this cause had I known that the funds could somehow be used to support the taking of a life in any manner, for ANY reason. I feel terrible that many of you have sent money in support of me that could be used for this unknowingly. I want to thank you so very much for your support. MOD has done so much good for so many babies, including mine, and that was where my heart was/is in this. In the future I do plan to look into other organizations that support this type of research in a more ethical manner.

I just wanted all of you who donated or plan to donate to be fully aware of these allegations, and I encourage you to research for youself, if you like. I do not know if donations may be withdrawn, but if you so choose, based on this new information, you can try to contact MOD to persue a refund. If you have given me a check or cash, I will gladly withold it if you so choose. Because I have committed to this walk, and am supportive of much of the research done by this organization, I do still plan on participating. But I will be walking to support my babies, and the research that helped bring them into my arms healthy, as well as my future babies.

Thank you all, again, and please forgive me for not researching this further before I asked for your support.

Julie

2010-03-05T14:05:00.000-08:00

I decided to take part in March of Dime's March for Babies this year on April 25, after having two babies born too early myself, to give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money I raise will support programs in my community that will help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. I know the worry and fear that comes with pregnancy complications and having a preterm baby. I want other moms of preemies out there to know that they are not alone and that people are working to provide better care for preterm infants and to help prevent preterm birth. Please help me reach my goal of $500 by donating to this cause. Even just $1 can help! Just go to my March for Babies personal site by clicking the link above or on the right side of my blog and choose one of the amounts listed or enter in your own amount as little or as much as you like. It's a safe and secure online payment. Alternatively, you can give me cash or personally write me a check and I will donate the funds for you myself.

Thank you so much!

All About Potty!

2010-03-01T07:50:00.000-08:00

That's what this post is about. We've got potty news all around. First of all, Luke is finally getting big enough to fit into his cloth diapers. Good thing too, we're about out of the giant box of disposables we got as a gift, and Daddy refuses to allow any more quarters to be thrown in the trash (diapers are about a quarter a piece these days). While they do still look a little large on his tiny butt, they do the trick, which is what really counts. For Luke, we chose to go the cheaper route, considering how quickly he grows and how many diapers he goes through a day. So, he wears diapers that require an outside cover to keep his clothes dry, such as the wool cover that I knitted pictured here. Isaac's diapers already have a built on cover, making them much easier, but it'll be another month of two before Luke can fit into those properly. I came across a baby scale at a children's consignment store this weekend, so of course I yanked Luke out of the sling where he was sleeping soundly and put him on the scale, jumping at a chance to see how much he weighs. He hadn't been weighed since he last doctor's appointment when he was 5lbs 1oz. Well, he is up to 7.5 lbs (after subtracting a few ounces for a full diaper and clothes)!!! He is officially the size of a real baby now! Even bigger than I was at birth.

In other potty news, and somehow even more exciting - Isaac is using the potty much more frequently!! He has yet to figure out how to tell me when he has to go yet, and if he has on any clothes, he thinks that's a green light for peeing in your pants. So, he has to be completely naked, and has to be reminded frequently to peepee in the potty if he has to go. Therefore, he runs around nake every morning and evening so he can use the potty when he needs to. He'll use both his Elmo potty chair or his Whinnie the Pooh seat on the big potty. And he's even gone a couple of times on his own without having to be reminded. But, of course accidents still happen. But he is quick to catch himself. If he forgets to go and starts to peepee on the floor, he lets out a huge gasp and "uh-oh!" then stops and runs to the potty. Yesterday, he only wore 3 diapers the entire day! Now, he still hasn't pooped in the potty, just pee, but we're working on it. I don't expect him to be fully potty-trained anytime soon, we're just going to take it at his pace. But he's already making better progress than I ever expected at this age, especially with a new baby in the house. I couldn't ask for more. At least, this way, he's going through fewer diapers each day, which is a wonderful thing when you have two in diapers. I'll take what I can get!

Be sure to check out new pictures in the February Album

It's D-Day!

2010-02-17T09:06:00.000-08:00

Today is Lucas' due date. Wow, to think that I could still be pregnant. I know lots of women who have gone past their due date. I couldn't even imagine carrying a baby that big and for so long. I guess there are some advantages to having your babies early. With both Lucas and Isaac, we got to spend an extra 6 weeks getting to know them and fall in love with them that most people don't get. (Not to mention, it's alot easier to lose the baby weight when you miss out on the last 6 weeks of the greatest weight gain during pregnancy.) Here are just some of the things that I have learned about this second little boy in the 6 weeks we have had him, and how he has changed during that time:

- He loves to be held. Thanks to being the only baby in the NICU for the 10 days he was there, he got the full attention of whichever nurse was on duty each day and night. Once he was able to come out of the incubator, he was almost always snuggled in someone's arms. So now, he will wake from the deepest sleep within minutes of being layed down. But as soon as he rests against a warm body, he's out like a light again. So he gets to spend lots of time in the sling, or in Grandma's arms, so that Mommy can try to get things done. And of course, co-sleeping is a must for him right now. But Isaac was the same way and had no problem transitioning to his own bed and room when the time came.

- He is not a fussy baby at all, relative to his brother that is. He will fuss a bit when he's not being held, of course, and briefly when he gets gassy or has reflux just until it passes. But other than that, he is a quiet, content little boy. Isaac was so colicky at this age and would often cry unconsolably for hours.

- He is becoming so much more alert lately. He'll stay awake for up to 2 hours at a time, two or three times a day. During that time, he just looks all around, taking everything in. He's beginning to make eye contact as well, and I can't help but wonder what is going through his thoughts as he stares into my eyes with those deep dark blue eyes of his.

- He's quite the snacker, just like his brother. Rather than taking in a full meal at feeding time, he likes to nurse a few minutes here, and a few minutes there. He's still pretty good about going 2-3 hour stretches during the day, but in the evenings, he likes to tank up before bed. He'll snack for a few minutes every half hour or so, starting around 5 or 6pm until bed time. But then he gives me 3, sometimes 4 hours of sleep at a time during the night. He's also very good about going right back to sleep after eating during the night. And with co-sleeping, I barely even have to wake up. Just like his brother and his Daddy, he likes his sleep.

- He has 2 birth marks, or hemangiomas (bright red, raised growths). One is about the size of a nickel (large on his tiny body) on his right side, the other is smaller and on his forehead. I've already had several people ask me how he scratched his head, probably thinking big brother tried to take him out with a lego or something, but I assure you, he was not harmed, nor was he bitten by a mosquito. Isaac has two of these marks as well, both of which have faded quite a bit over time. Sometimes they will completely disappear. We like to call them angel kisses.

- Finally, he is growing! He has officially outgrown his preemie clothes and preemie diapers!! Although most of his newborn size clothes are still a bit loose, he is filling them out more and more. I am thinking he is probably close to 7lbs by now - almost the size of a real baby!

So, now you know Lucas a little bit better. I think Isaac is finally starting to figure out that this little wiggly, squeaky creature that took over his home and his parents' attention is here to stay. He's been acting out quite a bit lately. Last week, he disappeared briefly - Steven thought I had him, I thought Steven had him (easy to do with two!). We found him locked in the pantry eating a bag of Ghiradelli white chocolate squares. Considering how difficult it is to get him to eat anything, I actually wasn't too upset about this. At least he got some fat and calories in him for once. Although, the resulting sugar high was a problem. Then, a couple of days ago, he was in our bed room being very quiet for several minutes - always a scary thing. Steven went to check on him, and caught him in the act of pouring out the last drops of a FULL bottle of massage oil all over our bed, and my best 1000 thread count sheets! Our room will forever smell like sandlewood rose. The sheets didn't appear to stain, now that they've been washed well, but they still smell quite strong, as does my washer and dryer. One bit of advice for those with toddlers, or babies of any age and size - waterproof mattress pads are your friend!!! I invested in a good one back when Isaac was Luke's age and I realized that my bed was always going to be covered with baby pee, breastmilk, spit up, cheerios, and, now sandlewood rose aromatherapy oil. But the mattress was saved!

Less amusing is Isaac's new way of showing his animosity toward his new baby brother. He'd been doing so well with Luke, that I was hoping we would skip this, but the jealousy appears to be rearing it's ugly head. He's been attempting to hit, kick, elbo, knee Luke when I am holding him or when he's lying next to me. We've been handling it as gently as possible, not wanting to associate Luke with too much negativity, and he has been responding well. We have been explaining to him that Luke is a baby and he has to be very gentle. He's not too sure yet, but we have been able to get him to stop the behavior right away with gentle, yet firm words. There are plenty of times though when he does love on his baby brother and pet him on the head or give him a little kiss. Those are my favorite moments.

Life with two is quite crazy around here. But I think we are starting to get the hang of it. All the extra hands I have helping out make the world of difference, though. Well, Lucas is letting me know that it is lunchtime. Here are a few new pictures in our February Album

My Boys

2010-02-02T12:59:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to share some videos and pictures of my boys. Life sure has gotten crazy around here, but a good kind of crazy. Isaac is adapting well as a big brother, although he's finding out he can get away with a lot more now that everyone's attention isn't focused solely on him. Lucas is becoming more alert everyday. His preemie clothes are fitting him more properly now, and it won't be long before he's outgrown them and into newborn clothes. I'll be glad when his tiny little butt is big enough to fit into all those cloth diapers I have ready for him, because going through a pack of 30 preemie Pampers for $9 a pack every 2 DAYS is getting expensive!! Although, that only fortells all the laundry I'm going to be doing added on top of Isaac's diapers, but at least they should hold a lot more, and of course will be much cuter.

Check out this new photo album

5 lbs!!!

2010-01-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

I can't help but laugh now as I read my last post on this blog, written the day before Lucas was born. I was so sure that day that I would still be pregnant right now. But it wasn't meant to be. At least I was able to keep him in long enough to give him the best chance, and he has done great!! A friend said to me that even though I can't seem to bake my babies long enough, I sure do bake them good. I have to agree with her. I manage to hold on to them just long enough until they can handle the rest on their own, and with God's help.

Well, today, Lucas had a follow-up weight check after not gaining anything at last week's check following his release from the NICU. He weighed in at 5lbs 1.5oz!! Of course, immediately after he came off the scale he nearly blew out his diaper. I whispered a thank you to him for holding it in until after the weight check, haha. The doctor was very pleased with his progress and the fact that he is breastfeeding like a champ now and no longer in need of bottle to supplement, making our lives much easier. He's staying awake longer and so much more alert. We're on a great night schedule that I really hope sticks, and I am much more rested and less zombie-like this week.

Isaac is really enjoying his baby brother, but still not too sue what to make of him yet. He loves to listen to Luke's gurgly grunty noises, and watch him wiggle and squirm. So far, jealousy has not been much of an issue. But Isaac sure is getting away with a lot more. It's harder than I thought it would be to keep my eye on both of them at once all the time. But I wouldn’t change a thing.

34 weeks and 1 day!! We did it!!!

2010-01-07T12:11:00.000-08:00

This was Isaac at 34 weeks and 1 day:

This is Lucas today at 34 weeks and 1 day:

And there are no indicators that he will be making an appearance today. I have done it! This was our first major goal from the day I got pregnant this time: to make it past the point at which Isaac was born. I have to say, we have been a bit nervous the last couple days, wondering if every round of frequent contractions I have will be the ones to start it, but so far, they always stop after an hour or so as usual, and still no pain. I started seeing a chiropractor this week and have had 3 adjustments and some incredible masages on my mis-aligned hip that have made a huge difference. They are working to get my hip back in alignment and loosen up my round ligaments of my uterus to open my pelvis more and possibly give him more room to turn around out of breech position he's been in for over a month. I feel so amazing!! I have to recommend chirpractic care for any pregnant woman. I feel like a different person after just one week, and am in significantly less pain. I will go 3 times a week until he is born, and my insurance actually covers it, which surprised me. I've also been hitting the pool at the gym every day or so for the last week to help lift the extra weight off my hips and pelvis, and also to give him some extra bouancy to encourage him to flip around. It has made me feel so amazing.

At yesterday's OB appt, she told me to go ahead and wean myself off my meds for contractions, because at 34 weeks they wouldn't stop me if I went into labor anyway. Which, of course I know from last time. She doesn't want to see me back for 2 whole weeks!! Right when most people are starting their weekly appointments, I get changed from weekly to 2 weeks, haha. She said since she wouldn't do anything different anyway at this point, there no sense in coming in. At 36 weeks we will see if he's still breech and discuss possibly turning him around. And if I go into labor between now and then, I have to get to the hospital ASAP because I could dilate very very fast, and if he's still breech, it would have to be a c-section, so the sooner I get there the better. I dilated from 2cm to 10cm in barely 3 hours with Isaac. Of course, there are no guarantees that he will flip out of this breech position, despite everything I'm doing to help him. Considering he has not changed position at all in over a month, despite his vigourous activity, there could be something preventing him from turning such as the umbilical cord or some other obstacle that is unclear. If that is the case, then he will have to come by c-section. Though that is far from my idea of the perfect birth experience, we'll do whatever it takes to get him here safe.

I really didn't think I would make it to this point this pregnancy. I couldn't be happier today. We are now entering uncharted territory!! I've never been this pregnant before and I have no idea what to expect with carrying a baby heavier than 4lbs 15oz!!

Thank you for all your prayers and encouragement. I will update again in 2 weeks, assuming I am still pregnant, which I very much intend to be!!

Update

2009-12-16T12:28:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are a week away from Christmas - how did that happen?? Time is flying. And I'm still pregnant!! We're into the 30s now - 31 weeks! Just 3 more weeks until I am as far along as I was with Isaac, and just 5 more weeks until we are in the clear and I can go off meds and bed rest. I can't imagine making it that far, but it is possible! I know I haven't updated in a while, but there hasn't been much new to report lately, until now. I'm still holding pretty steady, though a few new difficulties have cropped up, but nothing major. Last Friday, I called in about some increased pelvic pressure and pain when Luke was moving around which was new for me. So, they sent me to the hospital again to be monitored. When I got there, I was having frequent regular contractions every 6 minutes or so (which is really nothing new for me and I don't even worry about it anymore), but of course that concerned the hospital staff and they immediately put me on IV fluids and upped my medication dosage to get them to stop. If I went in everytime I had contractions that frequent, I would be at the hospital every other day, but they just like to play it safe. The doctor came in and did an ultrasound to see what was causing my discomfort, and we found the cause. The little stinker had turned around in a breech position with his feet kicking me right in the pelvic and cervix area, which was very painful. We also discovered that I have dilated to 1cm, but the cervix is still thick, which is very good, so that isn't causing too much concern yet. Luckily, they discharged me as soon as the contractions slowed down, which only took a couple of hours.

On Monday, I had another more detailed ultrasound done to measure Luke's growth and the amount of amniotic fluid around him. My belly is measuring about a month behind where it should be, and I haven't been gaining any weight, so there was some concern. It appears that my fluid levels are indeed lower than they should be at this point, which we knew would be a possible side effect of the medication I am taking for contractions. Luke, however, is growing perfectly. His weight is estimated to be about 3.5 lbs at this point, and during the ultrasound we were able to see him practicing his breathing very well. Today, I went in for yet another ultrasound, and fluid is still pretty low. Really, all I can do is increase my water intake to help with that. But we will continue to monitor it weekly with ultrasounds and fetal non-stress tests which monitor Luke's heartrate and movements over a period of time to make sure he is not in distress. We also saw today that he is still in a breech position, although his feet have moved to the side, with his butt down, so he isn't torturing me quite as much as he was last week. The low fluid levels will make it a little more difficult for him to turn around, but as active as he is, I'm hoping he'll still find a way. If he does not turn before I go into labor, I will have to have a c-section, which I desperately do not want to do unless absolutely necessary. So we will just have to wait and see what happens.

I was hoping to get Christmas cards out this year, but it just doesn't seem to be happening. We usually do photo pictures, and we just haven't had the opportunity to get a good photo taken of all of us this year. It may still happen, but if you don't get a card from us this year, I'm sorry! This Christmas season has been much more difficult than usual, and it's so hard not being able to get out and do my shopping and wrap presents and all that fun stuff. So, if I don't get cards out, I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

In a hurry for Christmas!

2009-11-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

Well, what is it about the holidays? I found myself in the hospital for contractions the day before Halloween, and now again right before Thanksgiving. This child is determined to be here for Christmas I think, but hopefully I am more stubborn than he is. I went to the hospital yesterday to be evaluated for frequent contractions again that my medication wasn't taking care of the way it usually does. When IV fluids, medication, and rest failed to stop them, they decided to keep me overnight. Contractions slowed down to about every 15 minutes overnight (from 3-5 minutes during the entire day), but then picked back up again after I woke up this morning, so they kept me longer. By 2pm, they had finally slowed down enough to make the doctor and staff comfortable with letting me go home. My cervix has not changed at all from last time, so that is very good news, but we all know that can change very very quickly. My previous "modified" bed rest has been upgraded to stict bed rest with bathroom priviledges only. I receieved the first of two steroid injections this morning to mature Luke's lungs in case he comes early. I'll get the second tomorrow. Isaac benefitted from these, I'm sure, so I'm thankful to get them for Luke. Through all of this, I wasn't able to see Isaac at all. Due to the H1N1 epidemic, children under the age of 12 who are not patients are not allowed in the hospital. This was the first night I've ever been away from him since he was born. That was the hardest part for me.

So, we are back to taking this one day at a time. I am 28 weeks today, and our goal is 34 weeks minimum (the point at which Isaac was born), but ideally 36 weeks or beyond.

So many times over the last 24 hours, I have thought about how difficult and frustrating this all is, especially around the holidays and with a 2 year old who wants his Mommy to play with him. Several people have commented to me lately that, after all of this, surely this is my last pregnancy. And honestly, I have voiced that very thing many times lately. At this point, there is very little I enjoy about pregnancy. I have just not had a very good experience with pregnacy this time or last. But then, I look at Isaac, and I think about little Lucas as he's wiggling around, already showing lots of personality. And I know that all of this is completely worth it in the end. A relatively short period of inconvenience and discomfort for me, but the result is wort it all and more. I know there are certainly risks involved, but I think the potential benefits ultimately outweigh the risks. And I am blessed to have wonderful doctors (I now have 4 great doctors from my clinic that I have made the rounds with and are familiar with me and looking after me), not to mention all the wonderful support and prayers from family and friends. I know we'll get through this pregnancy just as we did the last. And I am no where near ready to say that I know for certain that this will be my last. We'll just cross that bridge if or when it comes. Right now, my focus is on little Lucas only, and giving him the best chance possible of having a warm welcome to this world.

Thanks again for the thoughts and prayers that we continue to ask for.

26 Weeks!

2009-11-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the week I started having problems in my pregnancy with Isaac and was put on bed rest. I can't believe it started so much earlier this time. I just hope that doesn't mean Luke will come earlier than Isaac did. Hopefully, my doctors and I am more aware of what's going on this time around and we can delay as long as possible. I think the boys must think this is some sort of race. Luke is already feeling the competition and wants to beat his older brother at something. I just hope he realizes that the goal is to bake longer than his brother did, not the other way around.

My doctor's appointment this week was pretty uneventful! I got there to find out that my regular doctor was sick, so they scheduled me with another. At first, I was disappointed, because I had really wanted to talk to my doctor about some things. But, then it turned out that they had scheduled me with the same doctor who had seen me at the hospital a couple weeks ago. This doctor was actually trained by my doctor who had delivered Isaac (she has since moved to South America), whom I adored. So, I feel incredibly priviledged to now have 2 wonderful doctors that know my case well and are keeping an eye on me. This is really important to me, because I was originally very distraut over having to find a new doctor when my old one moved away. So, anyway, she checked the status of my cervix once again, and there has been no change since my hospital visit. That is great news. She reminded me that I am not yet considered to be in pre-term labor, these are just pre-term contractions and they can be controlled. At the same time, she also pointed out that since my cervix is very weak at this point, I do need to be very aware and take it very easy. Since I doubled my medication, it has been working very well to hold off contractions. The side effects have lessened some, although I still experience severe dizziness and lightheadedness for an hour or two after taking it. But those side effects only continue to remind me that I need to be taking it easy. I also finally got vaccinated for H1N1 flu! I don't think I've ever been more excited about a shot in my life.

I received permission from my doctor to give my final presentation for a teaching class I have been taking this semester. I was given specific instructions to only go if I was having a good day with contractions, if I took my medicine right before leaving, if I had someone drive me, and if I promised to do nothing else prior or after. I was having a good day that day, so I got to complete the final assignment for the course. It went very well. But I do think it might have been a bit much for me, as contractions started up pretty heavy that evening and the next morning. This only served as a reminder of the importance of bed rest. However, after spending a couple hours at the spa yesterday, thanks to a good friend, getting a relaxing facial and pedicure, they seem to be under control once again.

Through all of this, I don't think Luke has a clue that anything in his world is out of order. He has been quite the active little boy this week. He has enjoyed spending the days, and nights, butting his head into my hip and kicking me in the stomach and ribs. He's also had the hiccups quite frequently. I have definitely noticed that he has grown quite a bit. His space is getting more and more cramped. So, he seems to be doing quite well.

Again, thank you for your continued prayers. We're getting closer and closer. Which reminds me, Christmas will be here before we know it! I better get on my online shopping!

25 Weeks!!

2009-11-05T20:43:00.000-08:00

Yay, we made it to 25 weeks, and still holding steady, sort of. My new meds got doubled already yesterday because I was having very frequent contractions breaking through. The Nifedipine seems better than the Terbutaline so far, though it's not without it's side effects too, just not as severe. It is regularly prescribed as a treatment for angina. It causes a decrease in blood pressure, and I am feeling that. I get dizzy very easily when standing too quickly or doing much of anything. I get headaches and nausea occasionally. My gums bleed profusely when I brush my teeth - seriously, the sink looks like a blood bath when I'm through, it's quite disturbing. But I think my body will eventually adapt. The terbutaline was worse. But, as the doctors tell me, there is no perfect medicine. My doctor did recommend I get regular prenatal massages to help me relax - that sounds about as perfect a medicine as there is, so I think I'll take her up on that prescription. Today has been a somewhat decent day as far as contractions go. Still had plenty, but nothing like the last two days, since I increased my dosage. Though they do start acting up about an hour or so before my next 6-hour dose is due. I just wish my uterus could chill out already.

Our tv decided to go out today - blew a bulb or something like that. Of course, as soon as I end up on bed rest and can't leave the house, our only tv goes out. And Geek Squad can't get around to coming out here to look at it for a week, then have to order the part and wait on that (Amanda, think you can look into that for me? haha). So, that just gave Steve an excuse to go buy a brand new 23" computer monitor. Since the tv is normally hooked up to his computer anyway, and we watch tv through the media center on that, we just replaced the tv with the new monitor for the time being. He wanted a new monitor for hooking the laptop up to anyway, so now he just had an excuse to buy it sooner than later. It's remarkably smaller than our 50" screen, but it'll do. But it was a nice day with no tv today. I spent a good part of the day sitting outside in the beautiful sunshine watching Isaac play in the backyard - things like this I miss being at work everyday. I've spent much of the week working on a paper for work that will be submitted for publication tomorrow, so that has kept me quite busy. Darlene has been the best mother-in-law anyone could ask for. She has cooked, cleaned, done 10 loads of laundry in two days, done the dishes, changed diapers, fed Isaac, put him down for his nap, played with him, gotten him out of trouble numerous times, and kept me company. I don't know what I'd do without her. I can't figure out how I survived bed rest when I was pregnant with Isaac without her.

Thank you all for you prayers. I'm so thankful for another week!!

Some good news

2009-11-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

Just got back from seeing my doctor for my follow-up from Friday. I had seen a different doctor while at the hospital, so it was nice to get to talk to my regular doctor. She checked my cervix and says it doesn't seem quite as bad to her as the other doctor and nurse who checked on Friday thought, though it is thinning out some. So, that's good. She said my bed rest doesn't have to be that strict. We'll call it a "modified" bed rest. I can't go to work, have to work from home (but I have plenty of writing to do), but I don't have to be strictly confined to bed. I just need to not do too much, and of course, if I'm contracting, I need to be doing whatever it takes to make that stop. I got permission to go to my once a week teaching class which only has 3 weeks to go, assuming I am not contracting and have not done too much already on those days. But she prefers me to stay home and take it easy as much as possible for now during the rest of the week. Also, the best part, she switched my prescription from Terbutaline to Nifedipine, which has fewer side effects. So, we'll see if that works for me. This morning I had yet another bad bout of frequent contractions because I forgot to take my medicine last night. I was able to get it to stop with 2 doses eventually, and have done fine since. So, it's good that I am responding to the medicine, and evident that I definitely do need it. Hopefully the new one will work just as well, without the negative side effects.

Halloween

2009-11-01T15:13:00.000-08:00

This was Isaac's 3rd Halloween. I think he's grown quite a bit from that little 5-lb baby that fit inside the Jack-o-lantern back in 2007. This was his first year to go Trick-Or-Treating. Sadly, I didn't get to go around the block with him liked I'd hoped. I was planted in a chair in the driveway handing out candy, but Daddy took him. He wasn't sure what to think in the beginning. Being the shy little boy everyone knows he is, he was terrified of the idea of walking up to complete strangers in strange homes. The first house they hit was our neighbor across the street, and Isaac tried to run away screaming while Steve drug him up to the guy to get his little box of Nerds. After a couple of houses, he finally started realizing that these people weren't out to snatch him but were actually giving him candy!!! He finally got to the point of pushing the door bells himself and even taking candy from the giver's hand, though very cautiously. Then, at home, once he realized we were actually going to allow him to eat candy (a very rare and special treat around here), he wanted it all for himself. Anytime I tried handing out candy to any other kids, he'd come running up to me, grab my arm and scream, "No No No! Stop!"

Now, there's a story behind his Sherif's costume as well. Unfortunately, I waited until the last minute to think about his costume, but by Halloween day, all the toddler costumes were gone. And with me being in the hospital all day Friday, and on bed rest all day Saturdday, I couldn't get anything put together for him. We'd finally, by 6pm, decided he could just go in regular clothes, as we had nothing. BUT THEN, as I was searching his closet for something orange, I saw it!! Last month, on our visit to Kentucky, Isaac recieved lots of clothes as birthday gifts. Among them was this adorable Sheriff cowboy pajama set from PawPaw (Nanny Rebecca's daddy)! It is size 24 months, and that is usually way too big on him, but I knew I had to try. It was a little big, but worked perfectly! Along with a matching red bandana from Grandma, it was a complete costume (with the exception of cowboy boots). It was perfect for him, because he hates anything on his head or anything out of the ordinary pants and shirt. It did take a while for him to tolerate the bandana even. So, thank you PawPaw for saving us very last minute! It was the perfect costume. He was the most adorable Sheriff in town, in my opinion.

I also want to point out the incredible job Steve did on this year's pumpkin. He came across this design, and knew it was perfect. It looks just like Astro, doesn't it? Even Isaac recognized him instantly.

Lastly, and update on me and Luke: still having contractions off and on, but nothing concerning, as long as I'm taking my medicine. However, the medicine is making me crazy - racing heart, dizziness, breathlessness, etc. It's a miracle I'm able to put together a coherent sentence right now, but that's only because it's starting to wear off and time for another dose. I can't think straight, focus, or walk half the time, but I know eventually my body will get used to it like last time. I'm also hoping when I see my doctor tomorrow, we can talk about something different with less side effects, but there are very few options for this situation, unfortunately. But we'll survive. It's worth it to keep him baking a while longer.

Here's the link to our Halloween Album

24 Weeks 3 Days

2009-10-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

Well, since it looks like it has begun, I’m going to use this blog to keep you guys updated on everything going on with me and the little guy. Now that I’m on bed rest, I should have plenty of time to post, so check here weekly or every few days for an update. So, here’s the scoop on what’s been going on over the last couple of weeks.

Last week, as many of you know, we had to make the decision to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Astro. He was 15 years old, and had been in Steve’s life since he was a teenager. He was old, sick, and suffering, and we know we made the right decision. But it was very hard on us as a family, and the first time we’ve lost a part of our family together. I had been having mild contractions off and on for several weeks, which was expected with my history, but I wasn’t too concerned yet. After we lost Astro, the stress and emotional toil of it all got to me, and I started having much more frequent and painful contractions. I saw my doctor, she checked my cervix, and all looked good. So she told me to just continue taking it easy and minimize stress as much as possible. I had another rough day last week of frequent contractions, but I managed to get them to stop, and didn’t go in.

This week had been a really good week. Which probably made me feel more comfortable trying to get more things done, and I probably overdid it. Thursday night I had a rough bout of contractions every 3 minutes for a couple of hours, but no pain with them, and I got them to stop. Yesterday morning/afternoon, I had stayed home from work, and was just sitting around doing nothing when they started up again. This time, I thought I better call the doctor to be safe. My doctor was not in, so they sent me over to Christus St. John’s hospital to be evaluated and have my contractions monitored. The on-call doctor from my clinic was also on duty there at the time. I got there, fully thinking it was a complete waste of time because I wasn’t in pain, but contractions never did stop. After being monitored for an hour or so, they decided that contractions were coming to close for comfort, so they started me on IV fluids, which can sometimes help, and a dose of narcotics to help me relax, in hopes that would stop them. When that did nothing, they gave me a dose of terbutaline, the drug I took during my pregnancy with Isaac that helps relax smooth muscles and stop contractions. It has some unpleasant side effects though for me, including racing heart and trembling. My cervix was checked by several people (not a fun experience), and was found to be thinning, and very slightly dilated (less than 1 cm). This suggests that the contractions I am having are doing something, which is concerning. I received a second dose of terb when the first didn’t stop them completely. We got a sneak peak at the little guy when they did an ultrasound to check on how he was doing. He looks absolutely perfect, and is definitely all boy. He’s measuring about a week ahead, and seems perfectly happy in there. Finally, they brought me some food at this point. It had been 7 and half hours since I’d eaten anything but ice chips – there has to be a law about starving a pregnant woman.

After the second dose of terb, contractions had stopped, so they sent me home around 9pm last night with strict orders of bed rest and a prescription of terbutaline pills to take around the clock. If they start back up, it’s back to the hospital. Otherwise, I’ll see my doctor on Monday to check on things once again. I had a tough time sleeping last night, and did have some contractions this morning that were worrisome, but I think the terb has kicked in now.

At 24 weeks, the survival rate is 50%. But that jumps up to 70% next week , and 80% the week after. However, the risk of long term complications this early are high, and remain high for several more weeks, although decreasing with each week he stays in. Every day counts. So, your thoughts and prayers are very important at this time. You can watch our progress on the ticker at the top of this blog page. We are so appreciative to have such an incredible support system. Thank you all for your prayers and support, it means the world to us.

Lastly, we wanted to share the name we have chosen for this little guy with everyone, so you have a name to use in your prayers. His name is Lucas Vincent Bohannon. There’s still some talk as to whether or not we’ll call him Luke or Lucas (my vote is Luke, Steve’s is Lucas), so that’s still up in the air.

Thanks again. And feel free to post comments so I know you're reading!

Julie

18 Month Appointment

2009-04-24T10:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, Isaac will be 19 months old in a few days, but he just had his 18 month check up this week, and I thought I'd update all, because I know you are waiting on the edge of your seats wondering just how Perfect this kid is. And yes, confirming what we all know, he is perfect. Not to mention, unlike the 15 month appointment, he was a perfect angel this time, smiling and flirting with the nurses, med student, and doctor through the entire thing (with the exception of the final nurse carrying the poking instruments). He was first evaluated by a cute blonde 3rd year medical student, who I swear had to be like 22 years old. She looked so young. He sure did have eyes for her, but then again, she did look like a younger me (yes, I'm another year older since my last post, now putting me officially in my "late" 20s - I can hear 30 knockin'). She had him giggling and laughing in no time, but he still wouldn't give her a view of his teeth. Anytime she came near those lips, the clamped tight behind a sneaky little grin. His first dentist visit should be lots of fun.

Although he is technically perfect, there were a couple areas of concern yet again, things we just need to "keep an eye on". His lack of weight gain is rearing it's ugly head again. At 21.3 lbs he's only a few ounces heavier than his last visit 3 months ago. He's now officially fallen off the charts in weight. As far as height (22%tile) and head circumference (25%tile), he's fine. At least he doesn't have an above average head on a below average body and look like one of those bobble heads. But we need to get him to eat more. He's not a fan of food for some crazy reason. I cook for him daily, and I'm no frozen dinner, microwave, type mom/cook either, I cook the good stuff! Everyone loves my meals and typically walks away with an extra pound or two after a few of my meals, but not this kid. He will turn his nose up to anything - be it made from scratch sweet potato pancakes, homemade chicken soup, chicken marsala, balsalmic pork loin with real garlic mashed potatoes, he won't touch it unless he wants to, which isn't too often. If it's remotely close to the color green it's totally off limits - don't even get it near his tray or he'll have a meltdown and shove everything onto the floor and refuse to eat a bite of anything for days. Even sneaking the green in - hidden under his favorite pasta - his tongue will find it and push it out and won't sample another bite. He does love his milk though - be it from a cow or Mama, so the doc has suggested adding Carnation Instant Breakfast to his cup of milk he gets while I'm at work. However, this stuff is pure sugar! 20g of sugar in one packet and she wants him to have a whole packet everyday! Can you imagine what this kind of sugar high could do to an already hyper toddler? Of course, he loves the stuff, who wouldn't, it's like liquid candy. But, I've been doing some research, and I've decided I can make him high calorie smoothies that are much healthier using some healthy fatty foods such as peanut butter and avocados. So, on to experimenting with the smoothie maker - this should be a fun and tasty adventure, and will probably result in gaining a few extra pounds myself.

Additionally, the little guys lack of word power was a 'slight' concern, but nothing to panic about yet. He has about a 4 word vocabulary at this point - Mama, Dada, Joe, and dog (said with a significant hick twang to it - like 'dawwwg'). And he refuses to mimic sounds for some reason. This kid just has a mind of his own and wants to do things in his own time. If he doesn't want to say something, he isn't going to say it. But he sure can understand words. His favorite phrase is "Mama Milk" which is also his favorite treat, and you can say this to him in the middle of a huge hysterical meltdown and it brings instant smiles - but most be followed through on or then we're in for big trouble. He also knows the word "No" quite well, although often shows signs of selective hearing with this particular word. And he knows "outside" and "Bye-bye" pretty well too. So, it's not an issue of not hearing well or comprehending, it's an issue of stubborness I think. I'm sure in a month's time, I'll be begging him to shut up. We were concerned with the walking, but that sure has resolved itself - he's running everywhere now, and I know the same will hold true for the talking.

So, his next check-up shouldn't be until 2 years old, but they want to see him again in 2 months to check on his weight gain and vocab development, which I'm sure will be perfect by that time.
So, wish me luck in our eating and speaking adventures! I've just ordered the books "Deceptively Delicious," which has recipes for sneaking veggies into yummy meals to trick kids into eating them, and "Toddler Cafe" which promises to get even the pickiest toddler to eat healthy - I'll believe that when I see it.

Photo Tag

2009-03-03T05:30:00.000-08:00

Ok, so Rebecca has tagged me, whatever that means. I'm not up on my blogging lingo, since I'm not quite the blogging queen that she is. But I'll try this out. I think, if I understand correctly, that I am supposed to post the 6th picture in the 6th photo folder on my computer and talk about it. Is that right? Since I have no pictures on my new lap top at home, I have to do this from my work computer which has a few pictures on it.

So, I'm not sure if this qualifies, because the 6th folder is actually a folder of pictures that Rebecca took and I stole them from her. Also, if you follow Rebecca's blog, you will see this very picture just a few posts down. This is my daddy with his 3 girls. It was taken when I was visiting over last summer.

If I were to skip this folder, since it technically isn't "my" picture folder, that leaves me with this pic. This is me and Isaac sitting in my very first car for the very last time :( It was a bittersweet day. I got this car when I was 17, right around the same time that I met Steve. We made a lot of memories in that car - high school, college, marriage, bringing Isaac home from the hospital. It moved with us from Arkansas, to Missouri, to Kentucky, and finally to Texas. It sufferred many scrapes and dents at my hands. But it did it's job faithfully. A car that had primarily been used for rushing to class, weekend trips home, cruising the strip, and the fun midnight runs to Waffle House during the college years had run it's course and had to be replaced with a family car - yes, a minivan. Such is the course of life. I'll never forget the times we had in this car, but now we will make new memories as a family in the new one as well. I'm going to have to go home and scan in a pic of me at 17 with this car in my Senior pictures when it was brand new to see it side by side with this one of me as a mother. Times change.

Now, I think I'm supposed to tag 6 other bloggers. But honestly, I don't think I know 6 other bloggers. I know, I'm lame. But I'll give it a try.

1. Kristen (she needs to update her blog anyway)
2. Rachel (need some pics of Thomas!)
3. Gillian (pics of Audrey always make me smile)
4. Erika (hoping for some pics of Asher, Elly, or Christiana!)
5. Rebecca (can I re-tag you? hehe)
6. Uhhh, I can't think of anyone else. I have no friends :(

My poor son

2009-02-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

Can you believe his own father subjected him to such torture on a recent trip to Wal-Mart? This is what shopping boredome can bring him to.

15 month appointment

2009-01-22T05:07:00.001-08:00

It went okay. I can't believe he's 15 months. Problem was, it was right in the middle of naptime, so he was not happy. They couldn't even get a weight on him without me holding him, so they had to weigh us together, then subtract my weight. He screamed for 25 minutes straight while we waited for the doctor and they hadn't even touched him yet. This boy is definitely dramatic. I'm sure everyone who walked by the room thought he was getting poked with needles or something. I ended up having to just let him lie on the floor and scream because he wouldn't let me hold him. That, in itself was exhausting. He has some will-power, definitely his mother's son. He was fine once the doctor came in and played with him.

He weighs 20lbs 4oz, 30.4" long. Still just barely on the curve, but she's happy with the growth he's made, so not worrying about it. His development seems to be a bit behind as far as verbal, and his uninterest in walking, though he does seem to understand words and is capable of walking, so she's not really worried about it yet. He's doing great as far as motor skills.
They had to draw blood to test his iron again. Ugh. That was horrible. I knew it would be. He has rolling veins and always has to get stuck at least twice. After 2 vein sticks they usually have to go for the finger. They poked around in his little arm for so long. I had to hold him and he just screamed and kept shaking his head NO. That's one form of communication he's knows at least. They then tried his hand and actually got a vein. His arm is so badly bruised today. I feel so bad for him. He got two shots as well. He was pretty miserable the rest of the night.

Some things I was surprised she asked that he either is not able to do or doesn't do very well:

Understand and follow simple commands, like "pick up your cup" or "give me that toy"

Learning to eat with utensils - He is doing better at this one, but only recently

Know where his eyes, nose, and mouth are - okay, I didn't even realize we were supposed to be teaching this yet. Although we have worked on nose a bit, and he knows that one well

Stack objects - He knows how to knock over stacked objects, does that count?

Does he mimmick sounds you make or animals make? He does not do this at all

I don't know, just the whole appointment made me feel like my kid is dumb. She said she wasn't worried about him, but I couldn't help it when the answer to nearly every question was "No" or "Not really." Just have to keep reminding myself that every child is different and learns at a different pace. I'm just happy he's a healthy boy, he's just patient and taking his time with some things.

First steps to end 2008!

2009-01-06T10:31:00.000-08:00

Well, my big boy is truly growing up. He decided he just couldn't let 2008 end without taking those long awaited first steps. Just hours before 2009 started, my 15 month old little boy finally took his very first steps, surrounded by friends and family. It was a perfect moment. Unfortunately, the first time he did it, in my excitement, I grabbed him as he fell into my arms and screamed, which scared the poor little guy into tears. He got over it quickly though and was ready to try again. So far, he's taken only about 6 or 7 steps at a time, but I have a feeling that very soon I'll be chasing after him as he's running from me to get into everything he can reach now at his new level. Next thing I know, he'll be driving.

National Breastfeeding Week

2008-08-08T06:19:00.001-07:00

Sorry, no pics of Isaac this blog, although I do wish I had a breastfeeding pic to put up in honor of National Breastfeeding Week which is just winding down. I am so upset with my home state right now, which makes me sad, because you all know I am a true Kentuckian at heart. I just read an article this morning about a woman in Berea, Ky (10 miles from where Steve and I lived in Richmond during college) who was kicked out of a McDonalds for breastfeeding her 4 month old son. This is only about 30 miles from the Lexington Applebees that asked a woman to stop breastfeeding her son a couple of years ago. There is a Kentucky law that protects breastfeeding women against this kind of harassment. How can someone ask a mother to stop feeding her child, or to go to a disgusting public restroom (would you eat your lunch in one?), or her hot car to feed her child???? This baffles me. I can understand people being uncomfortable if a woman is purposefully not being discreet, however most nursing women are quite modest, and very careful to not expose themselves. People get so hung up on breasts being sexual objects rather than a source of nourishment for a child. Kentucky ranks 50th out of the 50 states in breastfeeding initiation. How sad is that? This state is not providing mothers with the education and resources they need to provide their child with the best nourishment there is. Instead, welfare is handing out free formula. Hello, breastfeeding is free too, and scientifically proven over and over again to be healthier! When I think about it, I don't remember ever seeing a woman nursing in public during the majority of my life spent in Kentucky. I don't even think I can think of a single family member or friend who has breastfed. Yet, it always seemed so natural to me, and never occurred to me to do anything else. I am certainly not saying that there is anything wrong at all with feeding your child formula, Isaac had formula his first few days of life, I'm just disappointed that women feel they don't have an option because they are not properly educated and are made to feel scandalous by choosing to breastfeed, like it's something they have to hide. Formula certainly has it's place for women who are not physically able to breastfeed (inadequate supply, incompatible medications, etc) or who work long hours without adequate opportunities to express milk for their child. I hope that I have set a positive example to some woman out there who is contemplating breastfeeding her child by not being ashamed of providing my child with what I feel is best for him, no matter where I am. I wonder if I'll get kicked out of some Kentucky restaurant when I'm home for a visit and my almost 2 year old wants to nurse, haha. I dare someone to try. They will receive quite an education from me.

http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/482335.html

9 Months!

2008-07-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

Just 3 months away from his first birthday *tear*, where does the time go???? I know I haven't blogged in ages, but honestly, not a lot of excitement going on around here. Although, just in the last couple of weeks, Isaac has reached some blog worthy milestones.

Nope, no crawling yet, thank the Lord, I am so not ready for a mobile baby. It won't be long though. He can go from sitting to his tummy, up on his knees, but he usually rolls onto his back and cries before he realizes he could go forward. He is attempting to pull himself to his feet with furniture, but isn't quite brave enough to follow through yet. You'll know when he does because all of his pictures will show his black eyes, bumps, and bruises he's sure to get. Probably my favorite new behavior is his newfound adoration for his Mama. Although not entirely a new revelation, he's found new ways for expressing himself. When we've been apart for any length of time, he greets me with the biggest smiles, squeels of glee, and outreached arms, reserved only for Mama. It absolutely melts my heart. Then, when he's in my arms he continues smiling at all around him, as if to say, "See, this is my Mama, and all is right in the world now." He's also learned to hug, which sometimes ends in tears if he is overly zealous and bangs his head on my collar bone in the process. One of the downsides to this adoration however, is when Mama has to leave him, either with Daddy or with daycare, both of which are equally bad in his eyes (sorry Dada). At daycare, when it's time for me to leave, and he knows very well how the routine works, he will keep a hand on my leg or try to crawl into my lap to keep me from moving. And as I go to stand up, the tears start flowing and the arms reaching. It is so hard to walk away from him while he screaming for me to pick him up, it breaks my heart everytime. But I know it is only shortlived. As soon as he sets his eyes on a toy or teether, Mama is momentarily forgotten (that is until he gets hungry and they try to shove this silly bottle into his mouth, what is that about?).

Now, for the biggy - Isaac has said his first word - 2 days ago. Can you guess? Yes, it was "Mama". I've been working with him relentlessly for weeks, and he finally said it. I was handing him over to Daddy, and of course he didn't want to go and started whining. Then, suddenly, as clear as day, he screams, "Mama!" We both heard it, there was no denying it. Now, you may think this was a fluke, that in his panic he was just babbling, and the sound that came out sounded like Mama. I disagree for two reasons. 1) The past couple of days prior to this, he had been showing signs of understanding the meaning behind the word. If Daddy was holding him and said "Mama" to him, he would look around the room until he found me. If I were holding him and said "Mama," he would smile at me and hug me. 2) He has since repeated the word 4 times, each time when he wanted me to pick him up or rescue him from Daddy. Yay! When I first heard it, my thought was - This has got to be the greatest thing that has ever happened in the history of the world. I still believe it is.

Finally, I thought I'd leave you with a couple of pictures commemorating Isaac's 9th month, and how those pictures came to be taken. Isaac decided to play hooky yesterday. He woke me up at 1am with a raging fever. Now, he's is required to be fever-free for 24 hours before he can go to daycare, so this meant, no daycare for the day, and hence, no work for Mommy. I gave him some Tylenol and we went back to sleep. By 7am when I woke up, his fever was gone and he was perfectly fine. All day long, he seemed just fine, no fever, no fussiness, just his usual happy smiling self. So we got to have a day off, with a happy baby, instead of a sickly fussy one. We went by Babies R Us to pick up a few things, and while there, the photographer for their little photo studio was walking by and noticed Isaac's gorgeous blue eyes. She started talking to him, and he just loved her and was smiling, cooing, giggling, and trying to climb out of his stroller to get to her. This is pretty unusual for him. Lately he has been very weary of strangers. She couldn't get over his cuteness, and who could? So, she offered to take a couple of pictures of him and give us a free 5x7. How could I pass that up? Although, in the back of my mind I knew this would sucker me in to buying more prints from them, since I could never pass up cute Isaac pictures for anything. I tell you, this lady has got to be one of the best baby photographers there is. He just LOVED her. He couldn't stop smiling at her. It took us a whole 5 minutes to get these perfect smiling shots, whereas at home we can rarely capture those smiles. He wasn't wearing my favorite outfit, so we decided to strip him down to his cute diaper (I was glad he had a cute diaper on at least). I got my free 5x7 and of course bought a 5x7 of the other one and, yes, I did make sure to get some wallets of each for all you grandparents. Sorry these are fuzzy, they are scanned images.

Happy 9 Months Isaac.

Beach Baby

2008-05-27T16:18:00.000-07:00

Isaac loves the beach, no doubt about it. On Memorial Day, while Uncle Joe was visitng, we made a very daring trip to the beach on the first summer holiday weekend. It was insane. Besides the drunken guy that got beat down by the cops for engaging in a brawl only feet from us, it was a wonderful day. Isaac loved dipping his toes in the warm water, and squeeled with glee as the waves washed around his feet. He also very much enjoyed the taste of a fistful of salty sand, mmmm. Is that not the cutest plumber's crack you've ever laid eyes on?

He was ready, but I wasn't

2008-04-09T16:35:00.000-07:00

I have been putting off giving Isaac solids for a while now because I wanted him to have only breastmilk and delay solids as long as possible since he is growing so well on it alone. The pediatrician had also said to definitely wait 6 months, but I wanted to go longer. I had done the research, and many people feel it is best to exclusively breastfeed with nothing else as long as possible during the first year, because solid foods aren't really needed until 1 year old. I planned to watch his cues and wait until he was interested or needed the extra nutrition. He hasn't been the least bit interested in solid foods up to this point. But then tonight at dinner, he was watching us eat longingly and started making chewing motions, which he's never done before. I have been contemplating giving him a bite of something soon just to see how he'd respond, since the doc suggested at his 6 month checkup yesterday to think about starting something soon. So, this morning, I made a big batch of steel-cut oats (which are so good) in the crockpot for our breakfasts this week. I took a bit of that, put it in the blender, mixed in some breastmilk and heated it. Now, we fully expected him to thrust that spoon right out of his mouth, make an awful face, and spit the food out.

He sure surprised us! He knew just exactly what to do with that spoon. By the third bite he was opening his mouth in anticipation and trying to pull the spoon to his mouth. He loved it. I only gave him 7 or 8 bites and he would have taken more. I haven't even researched how to make my own baby food yet, which is what I want to do. I don't even know how much or how often to feed him. I thought I had much more time, but he is obviously ready. I am so proud of him, but a little sad too. My baby is growing up.

So, over the next few weeks, I will be starting him off by giving him little tastes of whatever veggie we happen to be eating that day, mashed up and unseasoned of course (the doc suggested squash, peas, and green beans). We're going to take it slow for sure, but he sure seems excited about it, even if I'm not so much.

Half a Year!!!

2008-04-03T08:26:00.000-07:00

6 Months ago today, Isaac unexpectadely entered my world. I remember that day so well, and I've been reflecting all morning. After getting permission to toss the terbutaline pills and pump the day before and being told the 15 painless contractions I was having every hour didn't appear to be doing anything to my cervix, after 2 long months of strict bed rest, I was sure I was in the clear for at least another 3 weeks, idiot that I was. So, what did I do? I slipped up. I started walking around, went to Wal-Mart, met Steve for lunch, ended up in L&D that night, only to be sent home that morning. Within hours, we are back in the hospital and I end up going into active labor, dialating from a 2-10cm, and delivering tiny little 4lb 15oz Isaac Lee all within 3 hours with no meds whatsoever!! Not the way I expected that day to end. It was the scariest day of my life. It was 4 excruciating hours after his birth before we saw him or knew anything at all about how he was doing. But God was watching over him and protecting him all the time.

Now, just 6 months later, he is a whopping 17+ pounds - all breastmilk except for the high-cal formula he got those first few days in the hospital. Breastfeeding was such an incredible struggle in the beginning, and I faced just about every hurdle imaginable. Now we are going strong on 6 months and loving every moment of it, and I am so thankful that God gave me the strength I needed to push through the rough spots. He is able to sit on his own just about, loves to stand, smiles and giggles, and is the sweetest most precious thing in my entire life. He is in my thoughts every minute while I am at work. The last 6 months have gone by like a whirlwind, and he looks so different and has learned so much. But he is still my sweet baby boy.

1 day old

One of the perks of working on an island

2008-03-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

After work yesterday, I picked up Isaac and Steve, and we were about to drive home, when we decided to stop by the beach. It was a gorgeous warm sunny day. So, we swung by the beach to let Isaac dip his toes into the water and bury them in the sand for the very first time. He seemed to really like it. He loves being outside and he loves water, so this was right up his alley. Then, afterwards, we stopped by a restaurant and had fresh fish and calamari on a patio over looking the ocean. It seriously felt like we had stepped out of our real lives and were on vacation for a moment.

By the way, his shirt says "Lock up your Daughters"

The last pic is of me nursing him on the seawall - I seriously have no qualms about breastfeeding him anywhere at anytime, modesty has gone out the window for me (I do wear discreet nursing tops or use a cover most times of course).

I'm published!!!

2008-03-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

My first published article - http://www.jimmunol.org/cgi/content/full/180/5/3038, not that anyone will find this remotely interesting unless you are researching immune responses following burn injury...

Ok, the honest truth, Tracy, my mentor wrote most of this and did most of the research behind it, but having a student (me) be first author would be beneficial to her credentials, so we both got to benefit from stamping my name on this one. We are submitting another one next month that I am currently writing on as you read this that better warrants my name first.

It's funny, I was just doing some background research online for this current paper and came across an article whose title peaked my interest, as it sounded very similar to what I am writing. I click on the link, and lo and behold, there is my name!! It was my paper! I had completely forgotten that it came out last month.

Now I'm a real scientist!! Woohoo!!

* I am aware that you have to subscribe in order to read the paper, but I absolutely do not expect anyone to read it anyway, as it puts even me to sleep and you'd have to be in the field to be at all interested.

My Newest Obsession

2008-03-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

I have just been introduced to the wonderful world of Cloth Diapers (aka, CDs). Now, I know what most of you are thinking, probably the same thing I would have thought a couple weeks ago when hearing reference to cloth diapers. You're picturing those rectangular thin pieces of cloth that your grandmother still uses as dish cloths that you have to pin to your baby using sharp pointy pins that become dangerous instruments when mixed with a squiggly little baby with paper thin skin; also the thought of endless laundry of stinky poopy diapers and leaky thin cloth leading to wet clothes and unhappy baby. Well, cloth diapers have come a looooooong way since then, and are actually as convenient as disposables (aka, sposies) these days. Just check out this site - Cotton Babies. What first led me on my newest quest for cloth? Well, as many of you know, I am a member of an online community of women, all of whom had babies due the same month Isaac was due. We have been friends for about a year now and have shared many great tips, advice, and experiences with each other from pregnancy, to breastfeeding, to raising our little ones. Well, one of my friends on this board recently noticed when she changed her baby's disposable diaper, there were chunks of gel all over her his skin, so she asked if any of the rest of us girls had seen this and knew what it was. Well, many other girls had noticed this too. After some research, we discovered that this gel is actually a high absorbency gel that all sposies have in them that can hold 100 times it's weight in liquid. This is what makes sposies so incredibly absorbent. However, this gel is made from a combination of toxins, one of which, dioxin, is one of the most cancer causing toxins there is. This toxin is actually banned in many countries, but not the US. Here is one of many links listing some of it's dangers - http://www.howstuffworks.com/framed.htm?parent=question207.htm&url=http://www.thediaperhyena.com/diaper_drama_scene3_health.htm. I don't want this on my baby, he's already exposed to plenty of things everyday that are harmful (a recent study was published showing that many of the baby bath and lotion products such as Johnson and Johnson contain extremely high levels of carcinogenic toxins, but that's a whole other story), and I know I can't protect him from everything, but this is something he is constantly in contact with. Then, there is the fact that sposies cost us $22 for a 2 week supply, which is outrageous, and that cost will go up a few $'s with each size up he goes until he is potty trained. So, I began my research on CDs, with the help of several friends who only use cloth. I was amazed at what I found. CDs are so much more convenient than they used to be, and almost just as important, they are very fashionable, and are just as cute as can be!! They are many different kinds, and so, of course, I wanted to start out by trying out several different kinds. There are All in Ones (AIOs), which are just like a disposable, they have a thick absorbent layer built right into a cute waterproof cover. There are pockets, which have an absorbent insert (think giant maxi pad) that stuffs into a pocket built into a cute waterproof cover. Many pocket diapers also come in One Size with adjustable snaps so that you won't have to buy different sizes as your baby grows, saving you tons of money. There are fitteds, which are basically a clothe diaper in the shape of a disposable, with snaps or velcro, that you cover with your choice of many adorable waterproof covers. And finally, the cheapest option are prefolds, which are similar to the old fashioned rectangular cloths that have a thick middle layer, and you fold them and hold them together with a snappi (which is a plastic little clip that replaces the old fashioned sharp pins), and then you fashion it with an adorable cover. And you can also use woolies as covers, which are, you guessed it, knitted wool covers! Another whole new window of knitting opportunities!!! Now, many of these diapers are extremely pricey, we're talking as cheap as $1 a piece for prefolds and $12 for their covers up to $35 for a single custom made diaper that can have your babies name embroidered on it along with your favorite team's logo. People have gotten incredibly creative with these things. Many work-at-home moms make and sell customizable diapers from their homes. While the initial investment may be high, these diapers never have to be replaced, can be used over and over, sometimes will fit your baby from infant through potty training (if they are one sized), can be used on future children, and then there are thousands of diaper swapper communities online where you can sell your clean, gently used diapers and cover. I have begun my journey by trying out some of these gently used diapers as well as some brand spankin’ new ones. As for the extra laundry, I find I spend maybe 15 minutes extra a week on diaper laundry - you just have to toss them in, turn on the washer, add in a tiny bit of dish soap, and dry them. You never even have to touch them if you put them in a washable laundry bag - just dump them and bag all into wash. And with breastfed poop (sorry if this sounds gross), it is completely water soluble and the washing machine will just wash it away (once he starts eating solids, it may be more beneficial to dump in the toilet first, but we aren't there yet). Also, many of the new CDs out there have fleece linings which wicks away the moisture from babies skin and significantly reduces the incidence of diaper rashes when compared to sposies. But to top it all off, oh my goodness, these things are so much fun to buy!! There are soooo many cute ones out there (just google bum genius, fuzzy bunz, kissaluvs, to see a few). I have begun dipping into my yarn budget for these, they are seriously as much fun as yarn!

Here are some pics of Mr. Isaac's fluffy butt sporting his new CDs (some of the covers are a bit big and bulky, but are still perfectly functional and he will grow into them, and they should fit him up to potty training). I've found the pocket diapers to be the most convenient, once you stuff the insert in the pocket (takes a couple seconds), it goes on just like a disposable in one step. We have some of the bum genius one size pocket diapers, pictured above, coming in today or tomorrow - I'm soooo excited!! I never in a million years thought I'd be a clothe diapering mommy.

Here he is wearing a fitted with clouds before the cover was put on

Here he is wearing a prefold held with a snappi before the cover was put on

Here is is wearing a cute cover with jungle animals over a fitted or prefold

Here is wearing my fave, a cover with froggies over prefold

Here he's wearing a Swaddlebees pocket diaper, looking very pleased

Here, he's wearing another Swaddlebees pocket

Woh, we're twins!

2008-02-12T15:43:00.000-08:00

Check this out. This is me the day I was born versus Isaac last Saturday at 4 months old. I was as big, if not bigger, the day I was born as my 4 month old son!

This is it, after 167 days; and a home for my milk :)

2008-01-14T13:30:00.000-08:00

Today is my official last day of maternity leave. I've been out of work since August 1, when I went on bedrest. I start back tomorrow part-time, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-1:30 until Isaac gets a spot in the daycare at my school. So, at least I get to ease back into it. But I am terrified about leaving my little boy with strangers. The part-time daycare we've choses seems great, the people already love him. He will be the youngest baby they have. He'll be loved and held and spoiled, but he won't be with me :( I know it will get easier, but my heart is just breaking. I am so conflicted. I no I don't want to be a stay-at-home-mom, all I do is sit in front of the tv all day long, and I do miss my work. But I hate missing out on anything in his life, and I hate that someone else will be there for him besides his mommy. I guess one of my biggest fears is that he's going to love it and end up liking his caregiver more than his mommy. I know that won't happen, and by choosing to breastfeed and continuing to after I go back to work, I know that I have taken a wonderful step in establishing a powerful bond between us that cannot be easily broken. Only Mommy can provide that kind of love and nourishment. We will always have special moments each day where we can completely focus on each other, even after spending hours apart. But man, I'm going to miss my little man so much.

Another bit of news that I'm really excited about: I'm going to become a milk donor! I have 90+ bags of breastmilk in my freezer with anywhere from 3-8oz in each. Whew, that's a lot of milk! The reason I have so much is because Isaac was a premmie, I was told to pump after I nursed him each and every time for the first month to help establish and maintain my milk production, since he was too small to eat enough to keep it up. Well, turns out I am a great lactater and began overproducing big time. It's under control now, but as a result I have a surplus of milk that I could never use up before it goes bad. There is a mother's milk bank that accepts donated milk to give to babies, many premature like Isaac, whose mother's are not able to breastfeed, either because of hospitalization or lack of sufficient milk production. As an immunologist, I am well aware that breastmilk is BY FAR the best nourishment an infant can receive, when possible (decreases risk of illness/infection, greatly enhances brain development, easier to digest than formula), and I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to help out other little ones in need of this liquid gold. See, God had a plan!! I have been blessed with the ability to provide for not only my own child, but for others as well. I worked so hard pumping that milk day and night and suffered many uncomfortbale symptoms that an oversupply can cause, and it will not have to go down the drain. Just look how healthy Isaac looks - those chubby little cheeks, gaining a pound a week - now another baby will have the same opportunity. I may even continue to become an ongoing donor throught the next year or more until Isaac is weaned. Check out all this milk! (I finally figured out how to freeze the bags flat to save space.

A Christmas miracle

2007-12-27T05:44:00.000-08:00

Isaac gave me the most special Christmas gift I could have ever received this year.

A perfect smile!

I've been trying for weeks to capture his beautiful smile with the camera, and he would never let me. I literally have spent hours holding a camera in front of his face while cooing and laughing and talking to him hoping to get something, even a hint of a smile, but he was totally camera shy. Then, on Christmas morning, after opening all of our gifts, Steve set the camera timer and we all layed down in the wrapping paper for a family picture. I leaned down to place a kiss on Isaac's forehead, and Steven was just lying there looking at him. Isaac looked up at the flashing light on the camera and broke out it the biggest baby smile you've ever seen. Steve and I both just held our breaths, afraid to say anything, silently praying that he would hold it long enough for the flash. Then the flash took, and immediately he lost the smile and started looking around. I started screaming for Steve to look at the camera to see if we got it, but I knew we did. Then I saw it. There's nothing more beautiful that seeing one of your baby's first smiles. Though I've seen him smile a few times on other occasions, it is such a rare thing, and I wanted a picture so I could see it whenever I wanted. And now I have it!! I truly believe angels whispered in his ear and the perfect moment and told him to smile for Mommy. I cried for about 15 minutes afterward, because it was just so incredibly special.

Thank you baby for giving me that beautiful genuine smile to see whenever I want, and thank you God for telling him what I wanted for Christmas and helping him give it to me. This was by far, the best Christmas of my life. I never knew life could be so perfect - I am so incredibly blessed.

Isaac is 2 Months Old!!

2007-12-05T07:09:00.000-08:00

Recognize this sweater?

I know it's been forever since I have updated this blog, but man, being a mom is major hard work. I barely have time to get pics posted online for people and catch up on email. But I'm going to try to make more of an effort to keep everyone updated on how we're doing on this blog. I know I have several faithful readers, including my friend McKenna, who are just fed up with checking in to see that Sept 11 is still my last post. So, McKenna and everyone else, I hope you haven't given up on me.

Isaac had his 2 month check up on Monday. I can't believe he's 2 months old already. Time has flown. Before I know it, I will be back at work after 5 months of being home. In some ways I'm looking forward to getting out of the house and back into the land of the living, but at the same time it wrenches my heart to think of handing my little boy off to some stranger to take care of everyday. I am so worried about missing out on his growth and development. What if I miss the first time he rolls over, or his first laugh? It breaks my heart. He's also been breastfeeding so well and hasn't had a bottle in weeks, and it breaks my heart to think that someone else will be feeding him. That's my special time with him and I'm sad about having to share it with someone else. Not to mention the fact that he doesn't take a bottle very well anymore. I guess we're going to just have to start giving him one a day or something so he can get used to it, but oh, it makes me sad. But, luckily, the daycare he will be going to is only 2 blocks from my building, so I will be able to go feed him at least once a day, and hopefully he'll only have to have 1 or 2 bottles a day that way.

As for his doctor's appointment, it went really well. He weighs 10lbs 3oz (4lbs 15oz at birth), so he's more than double his birth weight now. He is 22" long (17" at birth). He's perfectly healthy. He had to get his vaccinations. One was oral, and he loved it - it had a sweet taste, and he was sucking on his lips afterwards wanting more. Then came the needles - 3 in all, right into his little chubby thighs. My poor baby, I've never seen him make such a face in his life. With the first needle, he belted out a cry, then by the second one, he had his poor little face frozen in a silent scream and stopped breathing and turned bright red. He held this for about 30 seconds, until the 3rd shot was over, then he just screamed and cried with tears streaming down his face for a couple of minutes, then he fell asleep. I cried longer than he did. It was so hard to watch my poor baby in pain. But, at least that's over with, for another 2 months anyway.

Check out his umbilical hernia. It's massive, isn't it? I took him to the doctor about it last week because it looked like it was going to pop or something, and I was so worried about it. But turns out it is very common and nothing to worry about. But even the doctor said it was pretty impressive. It should go away on it's own, and they won't do anything surgically unless it's still there when he's 4 years old. I'm hoping it will be gone in a few months, but by the size of the thing, it might be around a while. Steve's worried this will give him an outie belly button.

I'll leave you with a few more pics of my cutie.

9 Years Ago Today....

2007-09-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

That's when it all began. We don't really celebrate the anniversary of when are two lives came together since 9/11/01, but we will never forget. I was 17, Steven was 3 days shy of his 17th birthday; we were just beginning our senior year of high school. He lived in Houston, TX, I lived in Mountain Home, AR - seemed like a world apart. The night of 9/10/98 I came home from a horrible day, feeling so alone. I got online to quickly check my email before bed. Then, suddenly, just as I was about to sign off, this guy named Steve that Joe had given my ICQ (istant messenger back in the day) number to, sent me a message asking how my day was. I began talking with him and telling him all the struggles I'd had that day. We began chatting about anything and everything, getting to know one another. We'd never met in person or spoken on the phone at this point, but we talked as if we'd known each other for years. Before I knew it, the sun was coming up. We signed off at 7:30am the morning of 9/11/98. When I crawled into bed that morning, I knew in my heart that this boy had just changed my life forever. I don't know how I know, but it was as if God placed this peace on my heart and I knew my life would never be the same, that something very special had just happened. 2 days later on Steve's 17th birthday we spoke on the phone for the first time. 2 months later, he had managed to convince his dad to allow him to move back to Mountain Home with his mom in the middle of his senior year to see if we could make our relationship work. God certainly had a plan - how many parents would let their child make that kind of a move for a teen romance? We finished our senior year together, went to prom together, and he proposed to me the night of our high school graduation. My family, of course insisted we wait until after college to get married - we were too young to be so serious. So 7 and a half years after that night, we were finally married. Now, we have created a life together. It seems like the last 9 years have led up until this moment in our lives. I am so proud to say that Steve is my first and only love, and always will be. And we will be able to provide our son with parents that have a strong and loving marriage, something neither of us ever had. God has truly blessed us in so many ways.

Senior Prom 1999

Summer 1999

April 23, 2005

June 9, 2007

Little Isaac Lee

Crib and Blanket

2007-09-09T07:59:00.001-07:00

We finally got our crib put together (I say we, but I really mean they - Steve and his dad). It's beautiful - Thanks Dad and Rebecca!!! It matches the stain on our chair rails perfectly. Steve did a fabulous job choosing the stain. And as for the blanket, I do take all the credit for that. I started it about a year ago, knowing it would one day be a baby blanket for our child, I just didn't realize how soon that would be! It's made with Cotton Fleece, which I adore, although it does split easily, using large needles to give the lacy effect. I'm so glad to be done with it, I was seriously getting sick of it. I did run out of yarn while working the last row of crocheted trim, but it ran out just as I was about to start the very last edge of the blanket, so you can't even tell - even if you look very closely, it looks like it was done on purpose.

Pattern: Lace Blocks from Big-Needle Knit Afghans by House of White Birches

Yarn/Needles: Brown Sheep Co. Cotton Fleece; US10.5

Introducing my new friend.... the terb pump

2007-09-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

So for the last 4 weeks I've been taking terbutaline pills to help stop my contractions. Terbutaline is an asthma medicine that relaxes smooth muscles (including the uterus) the doctor's often prescribe for preterm labor. It was working pretty well, up until labor day (see labor day post below). Since then, I was having contractions breaking through the pills. So they decided to put me on a terbutaline pump that delivers the medicine constantly into my body. I have to stick my leg with this little needle that inserts a small catheter just under the skin, then the needle comes out. The tube connected to the pump hooks up to the catheter and the pump delivers a very small steady dose of terbutaline (0.06mg/hour). Every 4 hours it delivers a large dose of 0.24mg, and if any time my contractions are getting bad, I can have it deliver the larger dose, as long as it's been at least an hour since my last large dose. The pump has a case that clips to my pants and a bag I put it in when I take a shower. I only have to change the catheter every 5 days, so at least I don't have to stick myself every day. I have to change out the medicine cartridge daily though, but they send me all the stuff by fedex weekly.

It seems to be working really well so far. My contractions are coming about 2-3 an hour, they speed up a bit the hour before my large dose is due usually, but as soon as I get that they taper off. The first night, it turned out I didn't have the tubing connected completely and all the medicine leaked out. Then when I woke up I was contracting like crazy. I realized it was leaking so I changed the injection site and reconnected everything. I strapped on my monitor, and holy cow, I was having 10 contractions an hour . The nurse about freaked out and made me give myself a large dose and drink a quart of water (yes, a quart) and remonitor. Luckily they slowed down to 3 an hour once the medicine was being delivered correctly.

So it seems like I really did need this thing after all. I had no idea without the meds how bad my contractions could get. Some of them were even painful, which has never happened before. It was scary. So, even though it sucks being hooked up to this thing all the time, I guess it is necessary at this point, and it seems to be working well.

When I changed the injection site yesterday I let Steve stick me, and he enjoyed way too much. When I did it it didn't hurt at all, when he did it it felt like someone jabbing a knife in my leg and he thought it was hillarious. He's seriously diabolical.

Labor Day

2007-09-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

Well, Labor Day this year almost became LABOR day for me. I think my body got confused and thought labor day meant it was time to go into labor or something. I was literally one contraction away from making a trip to the labor & delivery ER yesterday. I have this contraction home monitoring system where I have to monitor my contractions for one hour twice daily and send the data over a fax line to a nurse station so they can keep an eye on me. If I have 4 or more contrax in one hour, I have to hydrate myself and remonitor for another hour. If I have 4 or more the second hour, they call my doctor and decide what I need to do. So, I often have to remonitor, however by the second session my contrax have always tapered down to 2 or 3. Yesterday, after several days of feeling really good and having very few contrax, I decided to clean up my messy kitchen just a bit, as my in-laws were coming over for a BBQ and I couldn't stand the mess. Steve was asleep during all of this, so he can't be blamed for my moment of weakness. The big mistake - monitoring right after this little escapade. As soon as I strapped on the monitor I knew I was in trouble. I counted 3 contrax in the first 10 minutes! Now, these contractions I have are not painful, they are just a tightening of my abdomen that lasts 40 seconds or longer. So, I often don't notice them. After my hour was up I sent in my data, thinking I'd had 5 or 6 contractions and knowing I'd have to remonitor. The nurse called me back sounding very concerned - the verdict = 9 contractions in one hour. That's a record for me. I didn't even feel all of them. So, I was told to take a second dose of my meds, and drink loads of water (dehydration triggers contractions, as does a full bladder, so basically I should just camp out in the bathroom with a bucket of water). My second monitoring session was not much better - 8 contractions. So, being labor day, my doctor's office is closed, so they had to call my doc at home and get her opinion. During this time, I'm sitting at home waiting for Steve and his dad to finish grilling food so I can eat, and I have an apple pie waiting for me that I've been craving for weeks. So, needless to say, I do NOT want to go to the hospital, where I'm gonna have to wait for 2 hours probably for them to strap monitors on me, only for my contractions to stop (just my luck) and then I get sent home hungry and tired. I WANT that apple pie! So, finally after what seems like an eternity, the nurse calls me back and says my doctor wants me to drink more water (I already feel like I'm floating by this point) and remonitor a 3rd time. If I have 4 or more contrax the 3rd time, it's off to L&D, otherwise I can stay home and enjoy my apple pie. So, by this time I'm so paranoid, everytime Isaac moves I think it's a contraction. During my 3rd session I was pretty sure I'd felt 5, maybe 6 contractions, so we made plans to go to the hospital. But when the nurse called me back, turns out there were only 3!! Yay! No labor this labor day!! They really tapered down after all that, thank goodness, and I got to enjoy my apple pie and postpone my tour of L&D for a while longer!

So far this morning, my uterus is being pretty irritable, so hopefully we don't have a repeat of yesterday. I did learn my lesson - no more cleaning, even a little bit. I'm going to stay on my butt from now on, as long as I have too. This little guy has a lot more baking to do. Luckily I have my weekly doctor's appt today, so we'll make sure all those contractions yesterday didn't cause any more damage to my cervix. After a week of very few contractions and overall feeling great, I was really hoping this appt would give rise to a lessening of my restrictions, but after yesterday, I doubt it now. On the upside, I do have permission to attend childbirth classes one night a week for the next 5 weeks - tomorrow is the first night. I'll get to leave the house once a week in addition to my doc appointments - yay!!

Sooooo, on to the knitting of the holiday weekend. I finally got out the beautiful angora/lambswool blend that Joe gave me for Christmas last year. I've been saving it for the perfect project and the perfect moment. I've had the project picked out for some time, but was waiting for the perfect moment when I felt the strong desire to work with something as delicate and soft as this luxurious yarn. It was so amazing! I've never worked with something so soft, I couldn't help but rub it against my face the whole time I was working with it. So here it is. Isaac will be so spoiled after wearing this, he'll turn his nose up to anything made of acrylic or itchy sheep's wool.

Pattern: Baby Hat from One Skein by Leigh Radford,
Jimmy's Baby Booties

Yarn/Needles: Lorna's Laces Angel; hat: US8, booties: US6

And lastly, here's just a pic Steve thought was funny: pregnant lady digging into ice cream

Bed Rest Projects

2007-08-28T16:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I no longer have an excuse for not getting this blog up and running now that I'm at home all day everyday. Since I've been stuck in bed for 3 weeks already with no end in site, I've suddenly found myself with all the time in the world to knit for baby Isaac!! I never thought I'd have time to get this much stuff done for him, so in a way, I'm grateful for this opportunity. I think he must have had this all planned because he wanted to be sure he had a complete handknitted wardrobe by the time he was born. Although, being stuck home alone all day every day really really gets old quick, even with my pugs and yarn stash as my company. Below you will see all of Isaac's projects with the exception of a couple that are in progress. The blocks blanket has been put on hold while I work on two other blankets which are both almost finished and will be posted later this week hopefully.

Pattern: Baby Hat from One Skein by Leigh Radford.

Yarn/Needles: Rowan Wool Cotton; US7

Pattern: Ribbon-tied wool vest from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight

Yarn/Needles: Universal Yarn, Inc. Pace; US2, US3

Pattern: Petal Bib from One Skein by Leigh Radford

Yarn: (Can't remember brand - ask Rebecca) Cotton; US6

Pattern: Sailboat Roll-Brimmed Hat, Free Circular Seamless Baby Booties by Megan Mills

Yarn/Needles: Baby Bee Sweet Delight; Hat: US6, Booties US2

Pattern: Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch N'Bitch by Debbie Stoller

Yarn/Needles: Nature's Wool; US6

Pattern: Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch 'N Bitch by Debbie Stoller

Yarn/Needles: Caron Simply Soft; US6

Pattern: Building Blocks from 100 Afghan Squares to Knit by Debbie Abrahams

Yarn/Needles: Caron Simply Soft; US5

Pattern: Baby Booties from Simple Knits for Cherished Babies by Erika Knight; Vine Lace Baby Hat by Sandi Wiseheart

Yarn/Needles: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino; Booties: US2, Hat: US3

Pattern: Baby Yoda Sweater

Yarn/Needles: Bernat Cotton Tots; US6

Pattern: Head Hugger Hat from Two Be Weavers, Salem, IN

Yarn/Needles: Rowan Wool Cotton; US6

(I have a matching boat-neck sweater finished, but needs to be sewn together)