An Update

So I sadly crossed my own blogs path several days ago and realized, for how much I love reading others blogs I can't seem to find the "time" to update mine. I have so much to update others on regarding the kids and our family I don't quite know where to begin. I will start with the good. Hannah and Ethan are growing up so fast before my eyes. I am happy to say that they get along great and often I find them playing together in the little playroom kitchen and sharing books. They both love books. Hannah is so smart for her age and she surprises me daily with the new things she is saying and doing. I told her the other day "I am the boss" and she said back to me "Mommy, why don't we both be bosses"? She knows the Lords Prayer and she says it to me every night before bed. She also has memorized the words to almost all of the stories we read to her. Ethan is also growing in leaps and bounds. For a child that we were told "may never walk", he is running!!!! We feel so blessed everyday for his progress with his motor development. He loves to build and to organize things and he likes to learn how things "work". He does many little fine motor skills that Hannah could not do at his age. He is almost always good tempered and mild mannered - except when he doesn't get his way or you want to change his diaper!
We have had several issues with his health in the past few months. We have noticed that he always seems a bit sick with a small cold that he never seems to get rid of and that usually turns into an upper respiratory infection sometimes resulting in a visit to the emergency room. They have given us a daily inhaler and a nebulizer for at home treatments, thank goodness!! This helps with the asthma and junk in his throat. He had gotten a chicken pox vaccine in January of this year and following that had six weeks of diarrhea!! It literally would not stop. They did food allergy testing, stool samples, and a blood test. Everything came out inconclusive except for the blood test. He had two types of antibodies that showed up low. What this definitely means is that he will get sick more easily than others and be sick for longer when he does get sick and that it will most likely always end up in his lungs. I was sad about this, but hopeful that it wasn't something worse. In the meantime I have had him on several different diets to stop the diarrhea: lactose free - for 6 weeks, then wheat free. It wasn't until I tried the wheat-free that I noticed a big change in Ethan. Whereas he only slept for 2 hours at a time before, he started sleeping 6 hours straight!!! Also he was less irritable and rubbed his eyes a lot less. I had the doctor try and test him for celiac disease but since his antibodies came out low they were unable to get an accurate result. We have went to a GI Peds specialist and they feel that he probably has a Gluten Intolerance instead of Celiac disease based on the fact that his reaction to eating gluten foods is within an hour. For people with Celiac it is usually within several days for a reaction. The next step is to get a genetic test done to see if he has the gene for Celiac disease. The only problem with this is that 25% of the population that has this gene does not have Celiac disease. So if the test comes back positive then we would have to put him back on a gluten diet for several weeks to get a stomach biopsy. I WILL NOT do this to him!! So my hope is that the Celiac gene test comes out negative and I can stop there. Knowing he is only Gluten Intolerant means that at a certain age he can gauge how much he can eat without feeling sick. Kind of like me - I can eat cheese but not milk or ice cream. We are still waiting to be referred back to GI and to an Immunologist regarding the low antibody blood test. Our insurance changed and now we will be going to Rady's Childrens Hosp in SD instead of Loma Linda. I am sad but it is sort of bittersweet for me. It was very hard to drive near that hospital because of the memories of when Ethan was small and could not be brought home. I stayed there because I loved the care and I hope I can say the same for Rady's.
This is just a bit of where we are right now. I can honestly say I LOVE staying home with the kids. Everyday they do something new to surprise me and I get sad when I think of Hannah going off to school and it just being me and Ethan. She is such a good girl and she's my little helper! They grow up way to fast although I do look forward to Ethan sleeping through the night! But - Hannah didn't do it until 2 years old and since he's a preemie I am gonna not expect anything until he is at least 2 1/2. Other than that we are all doing fine and looking forward to our first real "family" trip this summer. We are renting an RV!!! Should be crazy, I know but I love building these memories with my kids and I feel fortunate we can do so.

After much insanity and without further ado

I present........... an update!!!
It has been so long since I have written on here and the only excuse I have without making too many excuses is to say that I have had a mistress the last couple of months. Yes it is true my mistress is, dun dun dun, - Facebook. FB is much easier and consumes way less of my time. On the whole it probably consumes more but initially it is about a 5 minute look -see and it feels like way less of a commitment. Are there any "real feelings" or deep content on there? No. But I have liked it because I haven't had to "work" on it to make it right. Here I have to think about what to say, how to say it, and it has been much too difficult to use my few minutes in the day to compile a much larger final piece. Although I have enjoyed the time with my mistress I feel that I also need to make time for my wife. After all, the tryst was great but my wife knows me so much better. More posts to come. In the meantime..ponder my babies and how they have grown.

A Poem for the Lil' Ones

My Children

Their smiles
Their eyes
Their laughs
Their cries

The way they look
when I enter a room,
it as if their face
could jump over the moon.

Their tiny hands
I hold so dear,
One day may hold
their own babies near.

Every line
that shapes their face,
Every new freckle and crease
I know it's place.

As time passes so
swiftly and fades away,
A year ago seems
like yesterday.

What I want them to know
is I tried my best,
Did a whole bunch of praying
and let God handle the rest.

Hopefully having
a "small" success in life,
It's to be a great mother
and wonderful wife.


I say "small" because to some people this is just done by existing, to me it is something I work hard at.

As mommies we know things about our little ones that on one else does. What is something you know about your babies(children) that no one else does?

Lord give me Mercy or kill me now....

My Nana used to say this all the time when she was alive and I just used to chuckle. It never meant anything more to me than a saying she used to say all the time. It has a whole new meaning now. Do you ever have days that turn into weeks, weeks that turn into months, months into years, that you feel like you are waiting? The past few months since I was hospitalized before Ethan was born I waited for myself to go into labor, then I waited to some home to Hannah, then I waited for him to get out, then I waited for him to be off the breathing monitor, then I waited for him to stop having reflux, then I waited until I was not tired anymore....Today I am waiting for my blood test results to come back from the Endocrinologist. I had abnormal lab work about two months ago and with my HMO (die in a cot and not on the floor)ins policy It took about 2 months to get referred and get help for my sleepiness. I wasn't sure if I was sleepy because I wake up every two hours like a normal new Mom or if there was a problem. Well there was a problem. They now think I have an auto-immune thyroid disease. I will probably have to be on medication for a while and they are going to monitor me. There are many more worse things that I could have but being a person that likes to do everything I have not fared well with being tired all the time even when I do sleep. Do you ever feel like your waiting for something else? Is this just me? Do you need something to look forward to in the future? If not, how do you live in the moment?? I need to learn to live in the moment. In certain ways I never want to stop time until it is too late. Do you?

I have not abandoned you, my dear blog

I am so sorry to my readers, what few of you there are, that it seemed as though I left this old blog. Carefully placed it right on the top of that old dusty bookshelf, along with my 3 inch heels, and note cards of times that passed, waiting for a day when I thought I would have, I mean make, the time to write. I could say a thousand reasons why I have not written here but none of which would be true. The truth is that I wanted this blog to be more than an update of events passed but also a place where others thoughts could be shared and, in reading about my interpretation and experience with my own family, others that read could say if they felt the same or different too. The problem is I ran out of wanting to write. It began to feel like another responsibility and it did not fulfill what it should have because I was not giving what I felt I should have. After much time away I have made a promise to myself to come back with a blog that could include others thoughts and feedback. As a Mom that stays at home this is what I need more of in my life. As it is so important for others to read what I write here and connect to it, it is equally important that I write from my heart and instead of just re-telling simple "facts", state what is really happening in my life. Life with my children is more than just a percentile or a step and it is my goal to open my heart to my readers that are still there and tell them exactly what that more is. Stay Tuned!

Hannah in Vintage Dress

My Grandma Pearl's sister Aunt Gen used to make these cute dresses that are actually vintage pillowcases with a onesie on top. They are beautiful! When Hannah was born she sent one for her to wear when she got big enough. well yesterday we had her put it on and take pictures. She's into jumping big time and takes it seriously like it's an olympic sport so I got a really cute one of her jumping off her toy box. Anyhow here are the pics.
Enjoy!
Windy

Haven't posted in Awhile

Sorry all bloggers but we have been a little swamped since Ethan arrived home. He came home 3 weeks ago tomorrow and this is the first chance I have had to update with the good news. He is doing well but as expected no one is sleeping around here. Between him and Hannah we have out hands full! My Grandma Sharon and Ryan's Mom Lynn have been coming and helping us out and that has made it easier in the days but the nights are all us and it has been a real challenge to get used to. We are so lucky he came home healthy and we have been blessed with not one but two miracles. I wanted to post some pics of him so you could see what he looks like now. He is 9 lbs and growing bigger each day. Hannah is turning into quite the Mommy and helper too. She wants to give him his paci when he cries and she calls him Queaky for Squeaky b/c he squeaks a lot.

Ethan Update

Ethan is growing bigger each day. He now weighs about 7 lbs and is really starting to look a lot like Hannah when she was little. He was expected to leave the hospital sometime last week but he has not been able to increase his cc's when feeding from the bottle. If possible, I plan to breastfeed exclusively when he gets home but in the meantime he needs to be able to drink 60 cc's every 3 hours to be able come home. This amount is based on his weight and increases as he too gains weight. He was born with a pulmonary condition that all preemies have that are born at 30 weeks. It is called RDS - respiratory distress syndrome. It basically just means he cannot breath on his own and needs help of a ventilator or oxygen. By being intubated and then re-intubated for some days, and on ventilator assistance, his lungs suffered some damage. By the age of 2 it should virtually be gone because of the fact that children naturally grow new lung tissue by that age. After a preemie is on oxygen for 21 days they re-label them with Brachopulmonary Dysplasia which just means that they still need oxygen to live in. When Ethan comes home he will be on oxygen for sure. A nurse will come to the house several times a week and we will take him to a clinic where they will assess his oxygen needs and he will slowly in the coming months be weaned off of it. He also has what is called apneaic episodes where he essentially forgets to breathe. This actually sounds scarier than it is but it means that he will have to come home on a monitor which will let us know of this happens. He is on the medication caffeine for this and he has thankfully not had an episode in several days. If we wanted him to come home right now he would have to be tube fed at home on top of me pumping, trying to breastfeed, feeding bottles, oxygen and the monitor. I told the doctor today that with a 2 year old it just is not going to happen. So I am not quite sure when he will come home. It is essentially up to how well he feeds in the coming weeks and days. Ironically enough we need to get him to take a bottle so I can essentially get him home and get him off of one. Although it may seem like he has a lot of problems, for a baby born at his gestational age he is doing remarkably well. They are all typical "preemie" characteristics. I would like to thank everyone for their support and prayers. We could not have done this without our friends and families.

Two Great Showers!

I had two great showers that were given in honor of Ethan's birth. The first one by my neighbor and good friend Liz. We went to a restaurant that I have always wanted to go to in Riverside called Sevilla. The food was wonderful and I was showered with wonderful gifts. The second shower was given by my sister in law and mother in law Robyn and Lynn. It was at a really tasty restaurant in Brea called Cedar Creek Inn. They have the best desserts and again I was so blessed to receive many more gifts for Ethan. For being my second baby he sure is spoiled! I want to thank everyone fro making him feel so special and welcome into the family. I have a great group of friends and family that I would not trade for anything and neighbors that are so sweet and special too. I feel so truly blessed. Thank you everyone!

Look how similar my babies look in these pics!

Ethan James is one month and Hannah Noelle is two months.

More Ethan Pics

Sorry I have been so bad about reading and commenting on others' blogs. I have been soo busy going to the Hospital and back that I haven't had much time at all for the computer. I promise in the near future I will begin commenting again on others' blogs. I do however get a chance to read them every once in awhile. I hope everyone is doing well.
Happy New Year!
Windy

Hannah & Marley

Marley stopped by with Kinsey this last week to visit Hannah. They had so much fun together! We miss living closer to them! Kinsey has already gotten so big! It's hard to think of Ethan that big but he will be someday soon.

More Ethan Pics

In photo #2 my 3 and a half pound guy has cheeks! He is doing well, growing bigger each day. Thanks for stopping by.
Windy

Happy Birthday to our Baby Girl!

Happy Birthday to our baby girl. She turned 2 on the 28th of December. You are a spunky, smart, and energetic little girl. I missed you soo much in the hospital. I can't wait for brother to come home and be with all of us. He has a wonderful sister to look up to. Mommy Daddy and Ethan love you lots.

Announcing......

Our new baby boy, Ethan James, arriving 10 weeks early after two and a half weeks of bed rest at the hospital. I was admitted after a rupture of my membranes following Thanksgiving. He is at the hospital where he will likely remain for the next 6 weeks. He is doing well and growing bigger each day. I have a lot to say but not enough energy to write about it right now. Thank you to everyone for your support prayers and well wishes. We love you all!
Windy, Ryan, Hannah & Ethan

He was 3lbs and 5 oz, 15 1/2 inches long.
Born 12/15/08

Welcome back readers!

Well what can I say...with Thanksgiving, X-mas and Hannah's birthday coming up I have been busy, busy, busy, and mostly trying to conservatively shop for the bargains out there. I have also been busy reading others' blogs but have not put forth the effort to update mine. I hope everyone is doing well. I am fine just getting bigger by the day. Feeling more and more fatigued running around after a 2 year old pregnant and trying to keep up as well as trying to think of fun things to do in the 90 degree weather we have here in late November! Not looking forward to cooking a turkey for several hours in the heat next week. I hope, hope, hope, it cools down. So much for Fall now what about a Winter? I am in a tank top and capri leggings today and I feel warm. On a much more interesting note Hannah is getting so big... she can sing several songs now and thanks to Dora she knows her numbers and colors(almost) in Spanish! I guess I am not too fond of too much TV but it is amazing the things they put in the cartoons now. She loves Dora so we will be having a Dora birthday party/fiesta for her b-day in early January. Should be fun and I can't wait to chow down on the Mexican food. Hannah also loves beans,rice, and chicken. In baby news, I went for my Glucose Tolerance Test last week and just like last time I have to go back for the 3 hour GTT because my sugar level was high again. Please pray that I do not have gestational diabetes b/c if I do I am in for a very interesting 3rd trimester of meal planning and maybe even insulin testing. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! I can't wait to show pics of my Thanksgiving table next week with our big meal in the middle. I just love all the food. To have to watch my sugar during the holidays....would suck!!!!!I will update after I get next results. Take care all!
Windy
P.S. This is a picture of Hannah last Thanksgiving. I don't have many pics of her sleeping as she never sleeps and when she does I am sleeping too. Sleeping babies are so cute though!

Kinsey's Welcome Party

Yesterday I went to a welcome party for baby Kinsey and Amy in San Diego at a place called Extraordinary Desserts
I had a piece of chocolate cake and it was literally the best dessert I have ever tasted! We had so much fun hanging out together as Mom's and talking. Four of us there were pregnant! Don't drink the water out here!! Amy got a lot of wonderful gifts and she looked beautiful. I was able to borrow my sister-in-laws camera, thanks Robyn! I love her camera! It's called a Sony Cyber Shot. It takes great pics. Here are some pics of the party. Hope all is well and I am so glad it finally feels like Fall!!!!!!!!!Yeah