Trick or Treat!

We went trick or treating with Jeremy's sister and her kids, as usual. He only go to a handful of houses, all family. Look out for the monsters and the tricksters, like Pawpaw and Uncle Josh!

I'm An Auntie!

Ok, so technically, I already was, but it's exciting every time, right?

My brother and his wife (mostly his wife!) had their first baby yesterday! Can you tell I am excited? I love all babies in general, but nephews and nieces are the best, after your own kids! ;) So thankful that all is well and Christie had a pretty easy labor and delivery. Can't wait to spoil him!

Carson Ray, 8 lb 2 oz, 20.5"

What a Weekend!

If you have missed me the past few days (you have, right?), we were in Thach with my family for our annual 4th of July festivities. We stayed busy busy, but we had a lot of fun. :) And here are pictures to prove it. ;)

Stylin' in Moma's shades

Tyler lazing in the pool.

Jeremy and Troy

Jeremy tossing Ty

Audrey multitasking - swimming and eating her toes.

Audrey at Moma Kat and Grandeddy's

Ty at Moma Kat and Grandeddy's on the 4th.

Tenleigh loving on Troy.

Audrey and Papa

Troy and Charity needed a drink.

The boys and Addison watching the fireworks.

Hanging with the Matlocks.

Audrey was trying to get the fireworks. :)

Debatable best seat in the house...Daddy's shoulders

Other best seat in the house...top of the van.

Now This is how you watch fireworks.

 

Buddies. :)

Random Fun

We have had a lot going on the past few weeks. We got a new (to us) above ground swimming pool. We now have 2 horses. And that's not even counting all the other stuff that keeps us busy. Here is some of the fun we have been having!

Playing in the mud on the swimming pool pad.



Ty didn't much like getting his hands dirty!


Audrey and Daddy on Cash



The boys watching Daddy drive the skid steer working on the pool pad.


Audrey loves being outside!


And playing in any little puddle of water she can find!
(excuse the mud on the shower floor...my boys get nasty! lol)

Troy is 4!

Wow. I can't believe at this time 4 years ago I was holding my 4 hour old baby. Time flies.



Along with the love, I was feeling relief. Troy was born 4 weeks early. After having such a hard time with Ty when they induced me 2 weeks early, I was worried that things weren't going to be okay. Just goes to show you God knows better than the doctors. At 2 weeks early, I had a hard labor, with complications, with Ty, almost resulting in a c-section. He hit all of his milestones late. Several factors lead me to believe he just wasn't ready. But Troy, at 4 weeks early, came all on his own, had no complications, pushing was easy-peasy, and he has thrived ever since.



Troy is my dramatic child. Quick-tempered, but quick to forgive. He is my snuggler. A little bit shy. And funny. You never know what he is going to say. Example: This morning, he told Jeremy, "My moma is a big moma. She didn't cry when she had her baby, like that lady on Justice League did. Booster Gold couldn't help her and she cried. But my moma didn't cry." Or when I was pregnant, "Moma, you need to quit eating. Baby sissy is getting too big." He is also my singer. Ty likes to sing, but Troy always has a song ready to fall from his lips.



So, Happy Birthday to my little boy who's not so little anymore. I love you, sweet T-roy!

Thankful Thursday 3

So I haven't been too good about this, but here we go...

I am thankful for:

1. Audrey getting a good report at her check up today.
2. Unexpected large quantities of yogurt thanks to a truck-driving friend. :)
3. Our new phones that have
4. Kindle! and
5. Pandora!
6. My brother and his wife expecting a healthy baby BOY (ok, so I was wanting a girl, but we will still love him ;) )
7. My chronological Bible, even if I am a night and a half behind in my reading.
8. Quiet time at night after the kids go to bed.
9. The not-so-quiet time just before the kids go to bed.
10. Volleyball with friends and "family" on Sunday evening.

Link up here with your own Thankfuls!

More Graduation Reflections

Ok, this time I am thinking in the opposite direction.

At one point during the graduation ceremony Friday night, I leaned over to Jeremy and said."Just think...in 13 short years, it will be our oldest baby walking across that stage." He looked at me and told me he was thinking the exact same thing.

Ironically, it has been 13 years since Jeremy graduated high school. The class that walked this year is the one that replaced Jeremy's class of '98. Ty's class will be the one to replace this year's class. It is one endless generational circle.

It all boils down to....they grow up too fast. ;(

This was also hit home to me that same night when I went to check on the boys before I went to bed. I always go in there to make sure they are covered up and not half hanging off the bed or something. When I got in there, Ty had his frog (his lovey) in the headboard of his bead instead of being snuggled up with it. I almost cried. I know, he is 5. But he loves his frog, and not only sleeps with it every night, but carries it all over the house when he is awake (which results in endless hunting for it on my part.) And yes, he did snuggle up with it the next night. But the growing up has started. And while I don't want to stop it - I do want to see him grow and learn and eventually become the wonderful young man I know he will be - I would like for it to slow down. Just a little. Please?

Ty, 2 months old, with his frog

Zoo Atlanta!

I know....It's been forever since I posted. Things stay crazy around here. I always wonder how so many of you post several times a day. I can't even find the time to write and set them to post later! There are a thousand other things I need to be doing right now as it is (don't tell Jeremy!)

Saturday before last, we went with our good friends the Matlocks to zoo in Atlanta. Another friend of ours works there, so we got to see a little bit of "behind the scenes" stuff, at least in the reptile section. :)

So, my computer isn't wanting to cooperate with pictures right now, but when it decides to get its act together, I will post zoo pictures.

The kids had fun, but I think we adults had more fun! Except Audrey puked all over me and herself right at the end. And Jeremy squatted down to dig through the diaper bag for a burp cloth to clean up with and sat on a stob and made a nice big bruise on his booty. :/ Oh well. It was still fun.

After the zoo, we went to eat and then back to David's to hang out for a little while to give the sun time to go down, so we wouldn't be driving in it all the way home. All in all, it was a doggone good day.

Thankful Thursday....Week 2

So, since we were in the hospital last week, I missed Thankful Thursday. Hence, this labeled week 2. Also, you may see a theme to this week's list...Anyway. If you want to join in the fun and read some more Thankful Thursdays, check out Curious Georgi!


1. Our wonderful doctor who honestly cares for our kids.
2. The nurses and other staff who cared for my sweet baby in the hospital.
3. The medicine and medical technology that helped diagnose and get her better.
4. My sweet husband, who stayed home with our boys while I stayed with Audrey.
5. My mother and mother-in-law for helping while Jeremy was working.
6. Our wonderful church family who has been bringing us supper this week so I have one less thing to worry about while taking care of my still recovering baby.
7. All of our friends who pray. James 5:13-18
8. Sometimes bed-sharing.
9. The conviction to try to stand for what is right.
10. The people who will back me up when I take that stance.

My Three New Least Favorite Letters...

RSV.

So, if you thought I had just forgotten about my blog, you were wrong (this time). I just didn't have access to a computer in the hospital.

Yep. Hospital.

What started out as a little runny nose last Thursday ended up as a four night stay in Decatur General for Miss Audrey. Evidently RSV is running rampant right now. Several of my friends' babies have had it, although Audrey and a set of 2 month old twins are the only ones that ended up with a hospital visit.

Audrey just had a little runny nose at her well visit last Thursday, which we just attributed to allergies. But that run ny nose soon had a cough to keep it company. And they kept getting worse. We had plans to go to Athens to see my family Friday night, and waffled after we found out the Matlock babies had RSV. It wouldn't have been so bad, but my cousin has a 7 week old baby that we definitely didn't want to share anything contagious with. I had already called the doctor's office once about seeing if I could give Aydrey something for her cough and had been told there would be someone in the office all weekend. So I called the on-call pediatrician's number and got the nurse and she said to give Audrey some Dimetapp cold and cough an call back if she got worse. She said if they did an RSV test too soon, you could get a false negative. So I called to say weweren't going to Athens. My aunt said for us to come on and they would just leave with the baby right before we got there. So we loaded up and went on.

We spent the night with my brother and then went to my parents' Saturday. Audrey was getting progressively worse. We went back and forth over whether or not to call the doctor back. We decided to give it one more night and see what happened. So home we went Saturday evening.



Sunday morning, I got up and got my shower and got ready to call the doctor. We live a little over an hour's drive from our pediatrician, so I wanted to be ready when I called in case they wanted us to come on in. And they did. But they wanted us there in 45 minutes. They were wrapping things up already and getting ready to head out (this was like 10 a.m.) When I told them there was no way I could be there in less than about an hour 20, they told me in that case I could either wait till Monday and see her regular doctor or take her to Huntsville Women's and Children's ER. Kinda aggravated at this point. They didn't even advise me to go to their own hospital's ER. I really wanted her regular ped to care for her, so we decided to wait it out if at all possible. We could always run to the local ER if necessary. At this point, Audrey feels terrible, just wants her mommy, is wheezing, has a tight barking cough, and is so hoarse she can barely cry.



Monday morning I was on the road with my sick darling before the doctor's office opened. I wanted to be there as soon as they could get her in. I called them on the road and set an appointment for 9:40, but we got there about an hour before that. I tried to nurse her, and just went on in, and they went ahead and called her back, thankfully. They confirmed that it was RSV and checked her pulse oxygen level.It wasn't grat. The nurse finally got a 96, but she had to try about 5 times. They gave her a breathing treatment in the office and listened to her again. Dr. P. decided since we lived so far off, he wanted her close by where he could keep an eye on her. (One of the many reasons I love Dr. P!) He was also concerned about dehydration. She felt so bad that she wasn't nursing well. I am so glad he made this decision, as when they checked her pulse oxygen at the hospital, it didn't read as high as they'd like so she was put on O2. Had to get an IV, do bloodwork, and a chest xray. My poor sick baby. :(




To shorten this long story, we ended up being in the hospital till Friday. He wouldn't let her go until her pulse oxygen stayed above 90 and she didn't need oxygen at night. We managed to make it all night Thursday night, though it was border line part of the time. She was so happy to get unhooked from all of her tubed and wires, and we were both ecstatic to be getting to come home to all our boys!



The nurses and staff at Decatur General took such good care of us while we were there, and I am so thankful for that. They never left the room without checking to see if I needed anything and did everything they could to make us as comfortable as possible. We are so grateful for them andDr. Parmer. And for the family and friends that have been helping us out, and checking up on us, and sending up prayers for us. We are so blessed.

Doctors, Doctors Everywhere

What a week this has been!

Of course, Wednesday Ty had to go to the cardiologist. Thank goodness everything was alright there. Then Thursday, he and Audrey both had their well visits with Dr. Parmer. I am so glad that it was a rainy day so that Jeremy was able to go with me.

Both kids did well at the doctor's. They are both growing so much! (and of course, Troy is, too!) Ty was 41 lbs (which puts him in the 75th percentile) and only lacked 3.5 inches being 4 feet tall (90th %)! Audrey was 18 lb 8 oz (95th %) and 27.25 inches tall (95th %).

Audrey had to get 2 shots. She got so mad about having to be held down. She turned beet red and screamed her little loud lungs out. After we let her up she was fine. Just like flipping a switch.

They think Ty may have to have glasses. We are supposed to have an appointment being set up with the eye doctor sometime soon. This should be fun.

He also said he thinks Ty has something called PFAPA syndrome, and that this is what is causing him to keep getting fevers. He gave us a prescription for a mega dose of steroids to try if it happens again.

Yesterday, Audrey got to coughing pretty bad. She had had a runny nose the day before, but nothing major. And we also found out our friends' kids have RSV....so hoping that's not the case with Audrey, although we are treating it like it is for now. We are going back and forth about whether to take her back to the doctor tomorrow. We have been giving her medicine, per the on-call nurse's orders last night. But I still don't know if she needs to be checked out or left alone, if it doesn't get any worse. One of the tough parts of being a parent. *sigh* She has coughed till she is hoarse. And Troy is coughing and snotting, too.....

Wonder what tomorrow will bring???

Thankful .Thursday....Week 1

So, here is a new thing....Every week I am going to think of 10 things I am thankful for and share them with you. I got the idea from Curious Georgi. :) Here goes!

1. Cloth Diapers. 'Nuff said. :)
2. The ability to function on just a couple hours sleep for several days in a row.
3. The wind up swing. Really. It's a mommy's best friend when you are trying to cook or grab a few minutes to your self.
4. That all 3 kids took a nap at the same time once this week! Hallelujah!
5. Jeremy's job. Both, because he has one, and because he can pretty much take off whenever he needs to.
6. Sweet boys who love being big brothers.
7. Good reports from the doctors.
8. Visits from friends. :) Sometimes you just need it.
9. Visits to family.
10. Chocolate milk. It's providing a large percentage of my calories right now.