Sunday, January 31, 2010

Weekend with the Aunties!

This weekend my sister and 3 best friends/college roommates/sorority sisters came into town to see the boys and I. We had a great time catching us, playing with babies, going to lunch and doing a little shopping on Saturday, followed by a relaxing evening of Miss America and 3 large pizzas! It is never fun to see them leave and with our busy schedules (or should I say their busy schedules) our trips are always short! Hopefully we can do it again in the next 6 months. They came down in August and I a meet with Sarah & Melissa S. in November so I am thinking Dallas for Spring Break maybe?

Melissa, Jason, Me, Melissa, Reece, & Sarah

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Future Cooks

You spend lots and lots of money on baby toys and other little things to keep them occupied and it never fails that the simple things usually work best. This week while cooking dinner the boys were about to drive me crazy to I brought them into the kitchen and gave them both a few utensils from the kitchen drawer. They were happy with it for about 10 or 15 minutes but that’s longer than most toys last! Needless to say it was enough time to finish dinner and that’s was the ultimate goal!


Seeing A New Dr.

I try to read to the boys as often as I can and lately we have received several Dr. Seuss books from Aunt Laurie to add to our mini book collection we have going. I guess the boys like the rhyming schemes and rhythms that are in the books. In addition to books Papa Jeff & Gigi got them “Thing 1 and 2” outfits when they were first born that they are just now fitting into and for Christmas they got Dr. Seuss onsies from Aunt BooBoo and Grandma Judi. Luckily this past week we have had some pretty and warmer weather so they were able to wear the outfits. Look at how cute they are!


Monday, January 25, 2010

No worried we aren't MIA

I haven't posted in over a week. Here is a quick run down of what we have been up to but I couldn't even tell you what day we did what because the last week has been kind of a blur in some ways...
One day last week we meet up with a friend of mine from college, Anna, at the Woodlands Mall for a little time out of the house. We made the mistake of going to lunch at the Cheese Cake Factory and Jason was awful...I mean AWFUL. At one point I really thought we were going to have to leave because he is starting to reach that age where he doesn't want to sit in his stroller and he doesn't always want to be held either. It was so nice catching up with Anna, who is now Mrs. Skalka since she got married this past month!

Another today my friend Sheila came over and spent several hours hanging out keeping me company while cooking a casserole (lol) and of course played with babies too! We spent a couple of pretty warm afternoons outside playing in the Garage with the doors open so the boys could get some outside time without being in the direct sunlight (since we know what happens when we do that!)

One day my Meme and PawPaw came out to the house. I believe that was on Thursday of last week and they enjoyed the time with the boys. On Friday I met back up with Sheila and her nephew and our friend Jennifer for a walk. We walked with babies for about an hour and half. Hopefully if the weather permits this can be a new weekly occurrence. The boys love being outside and they enjoy their stroller rides (as long as you keep them moving).

What else happened during the week? Oh ya, we had a power outage for several hours one afternoon. Luckily once it started getting dark my Mom came to the rescue as always and we loaded up and went there. Once power came on she helped me bathe the boys and get the all nestled up for bed. What would I do without her? (Other than really go crazy!)

Over the weekend we were busy busy busy. Our task for the weekend was to get most of the leaves from the front yard raked and burned. I did most of the raking while Ryan did the moving and burning of piles. All and all it pretty successful except we have more on the ground because we have so many trees. We could probably rake every day if we wanted to (but we don't). However, I do want the yard cleaned up because with spring on its way I want to be able to play in the grass and out front in the shaded area without worrying about snakes or anything to that extent.

To wrap up the weekend we went to Texas Road House with Ryan’s family for an early dinner on Sunday and then over to Grandma Judis for a little while that evening before starting another crazy week. Well I think that about wraps our MIA report. Here are a few pictures that I have to share. (I have got to start taking more like I use to! Did you know in their first 2 months of life I took over 3,500 pictures on my camera. Crazy I know! I guess we were just excited! Haha)



(Left) Reece & Baby Brae sleeping after dinner. (Right) Tummy timeon the table!



(Left) Jason wants to get up and go soooo bad! Won't be long! (Right) Grandma Judi was using Reece as a duster by scooting his little bottom around since he couldn't sit still & he loved it! Lol

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

God is good...no HE is AMAZING

Ok so after 6 months of wondering if there was something more going on with Reece we can finally rest assure because his blood test for SMith Lemli and the genetic testing all came back normal. What a huge blessing! I got tears in my eyes today as I listened to the voicemail. This means a lot of things...

1- we have come to the end of the road with doctor visits minus the MRI, feeding therapy and surgery in May

2- a whole lot less worrying in general

3- if Ryan gets another job I don't have to worry as much about a genetic diagnosis being pre-existing when we change insurances

4- I will begin looking for jobs to go to work in Aug.

5- God is still on our side and always has been with little Reece and I think this is His way of showing us that all he really needs is just a little time!

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Hes got jokes...so he thinks.


Jason woke up from a nap and I asked Ryan to go get him and change him. He was back there a while so I asked "Ryan do you need help?" and he brought me Jason and said "you act like I don't know how to change and dress my own kid". Bahahaha

Its the little things...

From about 10:30 till 3 this morning I had a least one of the boys crying. I have no idea what got into them but it was like I would get one asleep and the other one would start to fuss and then we would have about 15 minutes of sleep time and then before you knew it one of them was back up. Frustrating and 6 bottles in one night! Maybe they were just really hungry for some reason I don’t know. However on a positive note after 3 they went back to sleep and Reece got up when Ryan left and ate again but Jason stayed asleep from 3 till 11 this morning which was soooo nice. I was able to get up and shower while they were both sleeping and then just as I finished Reece woke up so I feed him and then gave him a bath and then Jason was up so they both got morning bottles and then I gave J a bath. Luckily Reece was ready for a morning cat nap so while he slept Jason and I played on the floor and read books. It is always nice to not feel stressed and to have that one on one time with just one of the boys. It doesn’t happen often, but it makes me smile when it does and reminds me just how precious they are despite the 4 ½ hours of crying the night before.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

I'll Show You!

At the 6 month appointment this week I was told to go ahead and introduce Reece to eating with a spoon because delaying could cause problems with his oral motor skills even though he probably wouldn’t be ready for it. Then when I was at the GI doctor with him this week they said he didn’t have the oral motor skills o eat solids and it would take 2 -3 months of introducing before he was able to get the hang of it…

So last night was his first round of feeding. I started with just the rice cereal. He was taking it and swallowing but you could tell he didn’t care for the taste so I mixed it with the vegetable of the week (sweet potatoes) for him and he gobbled it all up like it was a Thanksgiving feast! He loved it! In other news Reece is now also rolling over back to stomach. He hates being on his tummy so after a few minutes he realizes what he did and starts to cry until he is turned back to his back. Here are pictures from his feeding. I have a video too but it is too big to upload.






Also yesterday the boys started off their morning playing (or shall I say watching Dom) when Amy came by. Jason was so facinated by him. I can hardly believe how big they are all getting. Dom has already taken his first step. We have taken several pictures of the 3 boys side by side. Here is the most recent. Dom will be one next month!


Last but not least I snagged a few pictures of last night. The boys started off sound asleep in their beds but that was short lived so we ended up watching baby Einstein in bed with me until they couldn’t hold their little eyes open much longer and then were put back into the crib. Something tells me I am going to miss these days…




That’s about all that’s new with us for now. We did cereal again this morning and Reece did wonderful once again. Jason is still struggling with his tongue. Part of me wonders if it is normal. It’s as though he has no control of it when he swallows and just doesn’t know what to do with it. Oh well with time it will come together. That seems to be our common trend here. As for me I am headed back home to do some serious house cleaning and hoping it keeps my mind off of our nearly 400 dollar electric bill this month! Ugh please warm us up soon Mother Nature!

Better late than never...

Better late than never. I forgot to upload the rest of the Christmas pictures to the blog. Oh well here they are!


Tuesday, January 12, 2010

No News Is Good News

Today we went back to Texas Children’s this morning to see the GI doctor. It has taken nearly 5 months to FINALLY get in there after being tossed from one doctor to another. Of course by now Reece isn't spitting up out the nose like he use to so the doctor and I both aren't too worried. Jason spits up just much if not more than Reece these days. So basically we went all the way there to be told he needs feeding therapy. We got a referral for TCH in the Woodlands. She told me that with it being so late in the game odds are that by the time he gets an evaluation scheduled, therapy arranged with the insurance, and starts regularly therapy it could very well be that he doesn't need it anymore since it appears to be that he is growing out of the reflux.
In other medical news Reece will have to have the MRI as opposed to the ultrasound. I called to make the appointment and since he has a heart condition (that’s very minor) they had to first obtain a report from the cardiologist for scheduling. So now we are waiting on that part of everything. Hopefully genetics comes back clear and the MRI if so I feel like we will be in the clear and finally reaching an end to our weekly visits to Texas Children’s. We shall see...

Here is my little cutie pie today at the doctors office. He looked like such a little man (this was taken on my phone which is why it is a little blurry)


Monday, January 11, 2010

Reflecting

Wow. I am working on my scrapbook for the boys and needless to say I am still in the pregnancy and the first month so I haven’t had much time for progress. Today I was making a timeline of key events from my pregnancy and thought back to the day when I saw Doctor Rowe and how I was hit with one thing after another unexpectedly…can’t go back to school, your on bed rest starting now, bed rest will take place in the hospital till the babies are born, Baby B probably only has a 10% chance of surviving….Bam Bam Bam one thing after another. It was as though his list wasn’t going to stop!

As I was thinking about all of that today there are visual images that pop out in my head of that first week prior to going into the hospital. It’s really weird because for a split second all of the emotion struck me again today and then I snapped out of it and smiled right as Reece woke up from his nap and started crying. I guess that was Gods way of brining me back down to reality and reminding me that his cry is a precious gift.

Now I look back on that day with a mischievous smile as I sit here done with school, healthy and have two beautiful sons who are my whole world. I sometimes wonder if I cherish my children more than those who didn’t almost loose theirs. I know that sounds awful, but I just can’t imagine anything greater than seeing them as they are today despite the issues we have had with Reece. In my mind I see them as perfect.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Today the boys had their 6 month check up even though they turned 6 months on the 30th of this past month. Overall I must say that today was by far the best appointment the boys have ever had mostly because nothing was negative. Can you believe that? The doctors only had positive information about both Jason and Reece!

Jason weighs 17.10 and is 27 inches. Reece weighs 12.2 and is 24 inches. They said considering Reece's size he is a good heigth. He is still off the charts with his head size, weight and height, but is almost tehre with height and the rest is increasing steadily which is good.

To begin I gave Dr. Smoot a brief update about what was has been going on and how Reece has been doing much better. Both of the boys were highly active so she was able to see them in action. She was also very pleased with the progress Reece has made. He is finally rolling over from his back to his stomach. He hasn’t mastered it yet, but is working really hard to accomplish the task. I was still worried about his strength and muscle tone, but he has really blossomed and Dr. Smoot didn’t feel that he would qualify for services.

They both had their 6 month immunizations and also got their flu shot. They screamed and fell asleep in the car and see to be doing just fine for the most part. Here are a few pictures from this afternoon playing after we got home from the doctors office:





...and then while they were playing I was cleaning the closet up and found their precious little coverups that were at one point in time to big for them in the NICU. Look how they compare now...


...and then my friend Sarah called and Reece I guess wore himself out while I was on the phone. Too cute!


Thursday, January 7, 2010

Genetics Today...

We went back to Texas Children’s today this time visiting Genetics with Reece. I expected it to be a quick visit, but I was wrong. I must have talked to a billion (okay like 10) different doctors/nurses/medical personnel. So here is a quick run down of what I know, don’t know, and everything between.

-Genetics doctor- wanted my history and mine and Ryan’s family history
-Genetics specialist- examined Reece…in addition to the hypospadius, webbed toes, mini hole in the heart, small size she said he also has a slightly turned up nose, droopy/slanted eyes, wide forehead/nasal bridge, small chin. In her mid sentence of “all possible sighs of…” I interrupted and said “ Smith Lemli Optitz Syndrome and she smiled and said yes but 9 out of 10 times with genetics a verbal prediction is often the wrong diagnosis. She absolutely loved him and was impressed by his muscular strength for his size. She said that it’s a great sign that he is so active and alert. She made the calls as to what kind of testing needs to be done and they are as follows…1. chromosome testing (blood work which was done today) 2. Blood test (which was done today and if positive a DNA test will be done) 3. Ultrasound of the kidneys (requires additional appointment- wants to do this because of the hypospadius kidney failure/problems is associated with it and the Opitz syndrome) 3. Spinal ultrasound (requires addition appointment- wants to do this to check the spot on his spinal cord to make sure that the nerve endings are all closed. Waiting to hear back if he is big enough for this, if not he will have to be sedated and a MRI will be done) 4. Check brain (this will be done when the spinal ultrasound/MRI is done) 5. Oral Plastic Surgeon- hopefully this will speed up the referral process that I am already waiting on.
-Genetic counselor- gave us lab paperwork, discussed lab procedures and sent us to the 3rd floor for testing
-Lab work- they drew blood which required 3 nurses and 5 different picks because they couldn’t get the vein. Poor baby was screaming bloody murder for about 30 minutes. It was terrible. Needless to say since he has been back to sleep and is doing just fine. They took 4 of the little things of bloods. He hated it and even made ugly pouty faces to the lab workers.

So what does all of this mean? Nothing, right now because we do not have any answers, just possibilities. One of three possibilities will happen…
1. blood work comes back normal meaning that there aren’t any missing, extra or abnormal chromosomes- best case scenario!
2. blood work comes back abnormal meaning there are missing, extra, or abnormal chromosomes that doctors are knowledgeable about- second best case scenario because that means that they are familiar with the condition, aware of possibilities and treatments.
3. blood work comes back abnormal with missing, extra or abnormal chromosomes, but are conditions that doctors know little or nothing about- worst case scenario because then it is just a matter of hit and miss. If it comes back with this being the problem then they will test both Ryan and I to see if by chance one of us is a carrier of whatever it is and see if it is possible to be a carrier but not be effected (which could be the case with Jason…Ryan or I could be a carrier for a syndrome but J didn’t get the DNA makeup and Reece did) These are all REALLY BIG IF’s!

So now we wait on test results, make appointments for ultrasounds, and go to other appointments. Overall Reece is doing really great in terms of his spitting up. He is much happier than he use to be and is slowly coming around with his motor skills. Hopefully my prayer is we just need to give him more time and he will catch up! It will take 3 to 4 weeks to get test results back. If it is all normal we do a follow up in 6 months if it is abnormal they will schedule us as soon as they can get us in and we will begin treatment if there is any and regular follow ups for disability. Yes, I know that “d” word sounds scary and may I just remind you doctors always prepare you for what might come worst case scenario…Only the “big man upstairs” as Dr. Rowe once put it can control outcomes.

I have too say that so far I am a pretty big fan of Texas Children’s. The doctors for the most part have been very proactive. I mean really I think we have just about hit every major branch in that hospital and praise God with all of our visits we still haven’t come across anything that isn’t correctable or has life altering affects! I am telling you God does work miracles and in the end of all of this Reece will be living proof. I think I am going to end this posting on that note and that my highlight of the day was I got a medical 2010 planner for doctor visits today free! Heck yes :P
If you have questions...leave them as a comment below chances are others are wondering the same thing!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Peas Make J Gag!

Jason had sweet peas with his cereal last night and his facial expression was to die for! He only gagged about 3 different times...he better get use to it because peas are what’s for dinner all week for him! I have a video on the camcorder but the file is too long for publishing. I haven't yet figured out how to compress the file to publish unless I take a bunch of really short clips. There must be a way to manipulate video clips...

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Giddy Up!

So when you’re a baby Christmas just never seems to end...wait what am I talking about the gifts for Ryan and I just keep coming too! Aunt BooBoo joined us at Mom's New Years Day for the traditional black eye peas, cabbage and the works and brought over the boys Christmas gift. A pony rocker complete with galloping sounds and the classic horse "nnnaaayyyy". Jason just didn't know what to think and was the amazed the most by the crinkle sound the mane makes...Reece of course just wasn't there yet but sat for a few minutes. This will defiantly be a hit for the boys when they are a little bit bigger in about 3 months! In the mean time they can practice being little cowboys with support.