Being on Bed Rest

I knew when I got pregnant with the twins that bed rest might become a reality.  I preferred to stick my hand in the sand and pretend I could be uber-tough like my friend, Kathy, and not need to be on bed rest.  This didn't happen because my cervix thinned out and we needed those babies to stay in and cook! 

I felt incredibly guilty that I wasn't able to play with Hayden as much as he or I wanted.  I had to learn to work laying down and a shower became a five minute mini vacation.  It was NOT easy on Hayden, Chip or me.  I did learn one very valuable lesson through it all though... I learned to be on the receiving end of help. 

I am the first one to want to help others and find that it blesses me tenfold to do so.  Being on the receiving end?  NOT so easy!  I had to rely on our neighbors, who are Hayden's adopted uncles, to help take Hayden to school and back when Chip had meetings.  They brought food, company and sanity.  These two guys, Steve & Rob, well, they deserve a post all their own.  We adore them and could never thank them enough!  Rob's family has invited us into their home, brought us food, celebrated with us, prayed for us and has been a true Godsend.

I had several friends who came and brought me lunch, magazines, Sonic drinks and kept me sane.  Mary Ann, Chasity and Adrianne are so sweet.  When you're stuck looking at the walls in your living room and you can't cook, clean, nest, have watched every show on your DVR and read until yours eyes are sore - it's a welcome sight to have someone bring you your favorite sandwich or drink!  If you know someone on bed rest, just giving  them 15 minutes of your time and spending a dollar on their favorite drink will bring them much needed sanity and joy!  TRUST ME ON THIS!!

As any pregnant woman can attest, you have the urge to NEST and being on bed rest does not allow for this.  Praise the Lord for the aforementioned Kathy!  This girl drove all the way from Houston, dropped her own sweet twins off at her parents in DFW, stopped by Costco for a trunk full of frozen dinners to stock our freezer with and came to save the day!  She stayed for several days and helped make the twins room a bright & cheery place.  Hayden is IN LOVE with her, so he was super excited to have "his Kappy" all to himself for a few days.  We go to catch  up, hang out and I felt so much more normal just by having her around to make me laugh and give me much needed twin advice.

Besides super friends, our family just plain rocks (and yes, I know just how lucky I am)!  My in-laws and my parents, as well as Nicole (our super sweet cousin who lives too far away in Stillwater), helped too!  They assisted in putting furniture together, spending quality time with Hayden, helping me organize (okay, doing  the organizing while I watched) and were just above and beyond awesome!!

I just want to put it all out there that bed rest can make you feel like your going batty.  If you are on bed rest, I want to give you hope!  My friend, Ryan, sent me a how to crochet set (that I'm still working on figuring out how to do, maybe when the twins are 10 - ha) out of the blue.  I had people Facebook me and message me words of encouragement.  Just know that the end result is so worth it!  Every day those babies are IN your belly is three less days of NICU time.  Knowing that fact helped me "power through."  Ask for friends to come to you.  Most people want to help, they just don't know how!  Allow them to bless you!!

If you know someone on bed rest, bring them magazines, a drink, talk with them about YOUR life.  Give them a call or a quick text to tell them they're awesome.  Stop by and do a quick load of laundry or bring them some food or groceries.  If they have a child, take them for an hour or two to the park or play ball in the backyard.  Every little thing helps and is appreciated more than you'll know.

To all of our sweet friends and family - you helped Dawson and Ansley grow and helped Hayden feel extra special.  Thank you will never be enough... I hope the sincerity and gratitude I'm trying to convey  through this post shines through!   

I'd Do It All Again

"For this boy (these children) I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28"So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there."  1 Samuel 1:27-28

These two verses sum up so much in 44 words... Years of trying to conceive the old fashioned way, fertility drugs, doctor visits, cross-country flights, tears, laughter, heartbreak, happiness and, through it all, SO MUCH prayer.  Chip and I have been blessed with three amazing miracles.  I have hopes and dreams for them, like any parent.  However, there are two things that are important above all else - I want my children to love Jesus and I want them to be kind.  Everything else they accomplish (and I know God has great plans for them) is a bonus.  I want them to sign the Lord's praises and to be a testament to His glory.  I want them to seek out the shy child, to stand up for what is right (even when it's not the "cool thing" to do). 

I have to be honest with you.  Getting (and staying) pregnant and birthing my children was NOT easy.  With Hayden, I was so, so sick every morning until I was over halfway through the pregnancy.  He tried to arrive early several times.  I ended up having an induction and, after 12+ hours of labor, an emergency c-section.  I only dilated to an eight and he was transverse and stuck on my hipbone.  If I had had him back before c-sections, neither one of us would have made it.  Every struggle I went through from conception to delivery melted away the instant I heard his cry and saw him!  At three and a half, he still has a way of surprising me on a daily basis.  His love for all sports is undeniable.  He has the best sense of humor and such a kind and helpful heart.  Don't tell anyone, but he's my favorite.

With Dawson and Ansley, I expected to be sick, but not THAT sick.  I was sick morning, noon and night with them until I was 25 weeks pregnant.  I had to get outpatient IV therapy two times a week and wear a special band (along with taking medication) to keep from throwing up constantly.  I was laid off from my job at six and a half months pregnant (the day after I received a glowing review).  I was put on bed rest at 29 weeks and received two steroid shots to help grow the babies lungs.  The babies just kept trying to come early.  I ended up in the hospital to stop labor with the use of a magnesium drip at 32 weeks.  I left after a few days and then went BACK, this time for preeclampsia, three days after I left.  Even with medication, my blood pressure kept going up and I ended up having them at 33 weeks and 5 days gestation.  The doctor moved the c-section up by two hours and Chip almost missed it.  I was in the OR and they were starting my spinal tap when Chip came in.  It was that close.  My sweet friend, Chasity, almost had to stand in for him. 

After their birth, the babies were immediately sent to the NICU where they stayed for two weeks.  At the time, it felt like an eternity.  Having an older child at home and two babies in NICU, while trying to pump, work and not lose your sanity is something I only accomplished by the grace of God, my sweet husband and in-laws, along with some very amazing friends.  The work served as a distraction.  I have never felt pulled in so many different directions.  I wanted to spend every second with Dawson and Ansley, but Hayden needed us too and I wanted to spend every second with him.  Luckily, our NICU allowed siblings and is one of the very best in the state.  While they were in the NICU, I learned about CPAPs, PICC lines, baby IVs, bilirubin lights, touch times, rooming in, scary phone calls and having to make split second decisions, pumping, syringes of food, how to feed a preemie, tiny diapers, monitors, adjusted age and how to "brown nose" a nurse (sweets) and the thrill of passing a car seat test.  I had never been so excited to change a diaper, to feed my own baby, to nurse for the first time (in the NICU, babies do feeding tube, bottle and then boob), to take my child's temperature, to give them a sponge bath, to put clothes on them, to learn to hold them with wires coming out of everywhere,  to holding them with no wires.  I have had my heart drop when learning our daughter's stats had dropped to a dangerous level and, come to find out, she had reflux and only needed to be elevated to make everything okay.  I received a phone call in the middle of the night letting me know that she had to go back on CPAP.  I learned no one ever told our son that he was a preemie and that he and his sister were both fighters from the beginning.  I discovered I was stronger than I ever thought possible and I learned how to survive on very minimal sleep.  I learned who our true friends are - I learned about the kindness of strangers and how amazing Facebook can be.  People who I didn't really know that well reached out to us and surrounded our babies in prayer.  Those prayers saved their lives.  Dawson has such a sweet smile and infectious giggle. He is a determined little guy. Ansley has the calmest disposition, loves her thumb and has a heart-melting dimple. Don't tell anyone, but they're my favorites.

I now have two precious, feisty, amazing five month olds and a three and half year old who loves them SO much!  My heart grew three times bigger.  My job now is to raise them to love the Lord and to cover them in prayer.  That I can do and I do it constantly.  Our children are miracles and no, the pregnancies, births and after was not easy.  God gave me an attitude of gratitude and carried us through.  And you know what?  I'd do it all over again...

Creating a Family

There are SO many ways to create a family - from "the old fashioned way," to adoption, blended families or, as is the case with us, through fertility treatments such as IVF (in vitro fertilization) or FET (frozen embryo transfer).  There is no right or wrong way.  Everyone's story is different and, I believe, the plan that God had for them.  Given our long road with struggles and, ultimately, three amazing blessings, I want God to use me and our story to encourage and offer hope to others.  To do that, I have to be open and honest...

With Hayden, they transferred two embryos and he "stuck."  I believe his sibling is in Heaven being rocked by my Grandma Water, along with the other babies that I miscarried.  We had four frozen embryos left to use to complete our family.  When we decided that it was time to expand our family, I thought that the lab would end up having to thaw all four to get two embryos that were viable for transfer.  We were VERY lucky in that the first two they thawed were viable.  They transferred them both and the result was Dawson (our precious boy) and Ansley (our sweet girl).  We were absolutely thrilled!  This left us with two frozen embryos.

Our yearly decision time with the embryos is April.  We decided to postpone our decision until after the twins were born.  After an eventful pregnancy and two miracles who came six weeks and two days early, but were (and are) healthy and home (that's another post), we received the notice from the doctor.  We had four options: store the embryos for later use by us, destroy them, donate them to research (for new lab doctors to "practice" on - they wouldn't let them grow or anything like that), or donate them to an anonymous couple so that they could create/complete their family.  We prayed and prayed about it.  It was either option one (us) or option four (another couple).  We knew our family was complete, however, I had a hard, hard time with option four.  I felt they were biologically our children (I believe life begins at conception) and all the lab would tell us is, after a year, if the donated embryos resulted in a successful pregnancy and a successful birth(s).  I looked at our miracles and how beautiful they are, how lucky we are.  Was this the right decision?  Was my crazy pregnancy and tough delivery, followed by a two week NICU stay, keeping me from making the "right" decision?  I prayed some more.  I asked God for clarity and peace.

When the twins were about three weeks old (home one week from the NICU), I was texting a friend and she was talking about their fertility struggles.  They were about to embark on IVF.  I thought about their journey with secondary infertility and another close friend who would have to use donor eggs (or donated embryos) due to her eggs not being viable from the chemo and radiation she received when battling (and beating) breast cancer.  I have prayed for these friends everyday.  I know how desperately they want to complete their families.  I know firsthand the struggle of infertility and the roller coaster ride it is.  Then, my "ah ha" moment.  I would do ANYTHING for these two friends. I would do ANYTHING for any of my friends.  They have so much love to give and want nothing more than a child to give that love to.  All at once, I felt overwhelming peace.  There was a couple out there who needed our embryos.  Yes, they were biologically ours, however, they were also growing in the heart of someone else.  I had to trust God.  He wanted us to donate them. 

The next morning, I called  the lab and told  them our plans.  The doctor told me that they were seven day freezes (that means that they fertilized and were frozen as seven day old embryos).  They don't even do seven day freezes any longer.  The doctor told me that they were the best quality for seven day that she'd ever seen.  She also told me that the list was long of people who needed embryos to complete their family and it would be an enormous blessing to them.  This lab, these doctors and nurses, they had been (and are) a blessing to US.  Their expertise and dedication allowed us our family.  I couldn't deny someone else the chance to have their own miracle. 

Chip and I filled out stacks and stacks of paperwork.  We had to get forms notarized, do special blood work and provide our medical history, along with that of our children, siblings, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents.  And now... we wait.  Everything has been signed, sealed and delivered.  It's in God's hands now.  We can call in a year and find out if it was a successful pregnancy and how many babies were delivered.  Honestly though, I think I already know what the answer will be...

What the FET?

We made the decision a few months ago to move forward with a FET (frozen embryo transfer).  It has been quite a journey for us emotionally and physically to get to this point.  We are AMAZINGLY blessed with our sweet miracle, however, we knew that our family is not yet complete.  Hayden has been asking for a baby sister and he just loves tiny ones.  We know he will be an amazing big brother!

We went to the doctor in April and started the process.  I had to have a minor surgery to get my body prepped and to do a mock transfer.  I started the medication (including daily shots) and the doctor appointments every other week to make sure that everything is on track.  My body is responding perfectly to the medication and we did the transfer this past Friday (August 24th).  We had four frozen embryos.  I was expecting that all four would need to be thawed to get two to be transferred.  God provided and the first two that they thawed came out perfectly and were able to be transferred.  This means we have two more frozen embryos left should we decide to grow our family further!  YAY!
I am now in the waiting part... the pregnancy test will be on Sunday (in TX at our doctor's office) with another one to follow on Tuesday (here in OK).  Two weeks after that, we will find out how many babies. 

We are praying and having faith in God's amazing miracles.  Boy or girl, one or two... we are ABUNDANTLY blessed!

Did You Know..

Did you know that Hayden...

eats the sprinkles first, followed by the icing and then the cake on a Starbucks Birthday Cake Pop?

calls powdered donuts "snow donuts" and powder for his diaper "pee pee snow"?

loves Izzie so much and tries to ride her like a neigh?

loves to chase Addison with his Mater push toy?

cuddles in the morning and says "Momma kiss"?

would eat cheese for every meal if we let him?

calls chocolate milk "choc milk" and guzzles it down?

calls Christmas lights "pretty lights" and asks when the sun will go down so the lights will come on?

loves to play hoop ball... like seriously, the kid is obsessed?

calls statutes and anything else that he can't get out of something "stuck?"

now cries when we have to leave a playground?

knows that a tractor will "push the dirt" and uses his whole body to tell you so?

calls a teepee a little tunnel?

knows a train says "chug, chug, choo choo?"

loves to watch the shows "Mighty Machines" and "The Adventures of Chuck and Friends?"

loves to take a Buzz bubble bath (Buzz is on the bubble bath soap container) and play hoop ball in the tub until all the bubbles are gone and the water is cold?

will only wear his football or Penguin hat?

calls any red veggie or fruit an "apple?"

kisses his friend Harper's picture every day?

All of these things (and more) Hayden has started saying or doing since his surgery. I thank God every single day that I have not had to miss any of these moments. When he's acting like a straight up crazy two year old, I remember how very lucky we are. God granted our wish and gave us our miracle... TWICE! He opened a door for us and we moved a few hours away from our families. He allowed me the opportunity to work from home part time. He's enabled us a better work/life balance as a family. He has blessed me with a man who is my very best friend and balances me and a son who is such a joy (even when he's a mess and throwing a tantrum while I try not to laugh).

So, did you know that I am extremely blessed, extremely thankful and overcome with this amazing life?

Worst & Best Day of My Life

We've all heard the saying that, once you have a child, your heart walks around outside of your body. Three weeks ago the enormity of this saying hit me in a way that I was wholly unprepared for. To understand the ending, a sweet loving toddler who is safely sound asleep, we must start at the beginning of the journey - which began when my wee one was not quite six weeks old.

Hayden at 6 weeks - first ear infection

Fast forward to July 13th, 2010 and we are in the waiting room having his first set of tubes put in at the tender age of 6.5 months old. The surgery was uneventful and recovery a breeze.

Fast forward to June of 2011 and Hayden (WITH tubes) has had seven ear infections in an eleven month time frame. We're at the ENT and are NOT seeing our regular doctor, as he takes approximately (no lie) 3-4 months to get an appointment with and Hayden doesn't have one with him until the end of June. The resident that we see is super nice and I explain my concerns: the multiple ear infections, chronic congestion and runny nose, the snoring, the "flip top" head while he sleeps, the NOT sleeping through the night. Yes, we answer to his questions. We have tried: saline drops, cool mist humidifier, deep carpet cleaning, cleaning the air ducts, allergy testing, a fan, elevated mattress, Vicks Baby Rub, Vicks Plug Ins, air purifier. I tell him that I REALLY think it's his adenoid blocking his airway while he sleeps. He agrees. THEN, enter Dr. A*Hole, the attending. He dismisses the thought that it could be his adenoid and insists it's silent reflux and prescribes Zantac. We let him drink too much milk and coddle him too much he states as gives us a list of foods for Hayden's new reflux-friendly diet.

A month later, we go in to see Dr. D, our regular ENT. I explain that I think Dr. A*Hole is wrong. The medicine is not making a difference in the pattern of behavior we are seeing. What should we do? He suggests a wait and see approach and recommends we come back at the beginning of October and re-evaluate. Hayden passed all of his hearing tests, so, in that respect, he seems fine and is hitting all of his developmental milestones right on schedule, so our doctor isn't overly concerned.

October 2011: It's a Tuesday and we're back for our follow up appointment. The Zantac and adjusted diet is STILL not making any difference in how Hayden sleeps. He still DOESN'T sleep through the night and has all the same issues. I tell the nurse that I REALLY think it's his adenoid and I'm frustrated that no one will listen to me. I ask her what our options are to see if I'm right. It's either a sleep study or xray. We decide on the xray, as we'll have an immediate answer and, seriously, the kid DOES NOT sleep through the night so I'm not sure what good a SLEEP study would do since I doubt he would actually, you know, sleep. A half hour later...the xray is complete. Dr. D comes in and pulls up Hayden's xray. YUP...it's definitely his adenoid. It's blocking 98% of his nasal passage and the Doctor is surprised at the enormity of the blockage given how Hayden continues to grow and thrive. He has an opening for surgery on Friday at the Children's satellite surgery center. We can remove the adenoid and put in new tubes, since his left one has been blocked for the past six months.

Two Days Later: Chip picks Hayden up from school and the lil' guy proceeds to get sick on him at home. When I get home from work, I get the same treatment four times. I call the surgery center and they direct us to still bring him in. We take him in and he has a 101 fever. Of course, surgery is a no go. Dr. D looks in his ears and SURPRISE - a nasty ear infection. We leave with a mega dose of antibiotics and a miserably sick little guy. Hayden's surgery is rescheduled for 10 days later to make sure he has enough time to recuperate and get better.

A week later: I wake up in the middle of the night as I hear what sounds like Hayden gasping for air over the monitor. I lay down with him in the guest bed and his breathing seems to even out, so I chalk it up to me hearing something weird or dreaming something strange. Still, the next day, I mention it to his teacher when I drop him off at school. When I call to check on him at nap time, she mentions she noticed it too. I call the ENT and they direct us to the ER at the Children's Hospital. We end up staying overnight for observation and the monitors don't pick up anything too bad. His heart rate and pulse ox drop, but the alarm goes off and he recovers. I have a Momma Bear moment with the on-call ENT about my concerns with Hayden's breathing and frustration when they try to discharge us. I want my baby better and I only trust Dr. D. I refuse to leave until the on-call ENT talks to Dr. D and tells us the plan and what's going on to make Hayden breath so strangely. Dr. D decides to postpone surgery until the next Wednesday so it can be done AT the hospital and to give Hayden more time to recover from whatever virus made him so sick and possibly caused the breathing issues he's having. He directs us that Hayden is to stay out of school until surgery and he wants him to get as much fresh air as possible to help make his lungs stronger. Dr. D explains that Hayden will have new tubes put in, his adenoid removed, but also will have a scope done to see what's going on with his breathing, as well as biopsy of his esophagus, washing of his lungs and a possible removal of his tonsils (depending on what he sees during surgery). Note to self: beware when you Google this as really... it's intimidating and scary stuff. However, we have to do what's best for Hayden and I have to be prepared and know what the doctor will be doing.

The next Wednesday: I am a wreck. I'm scared. I pray. Our sweet baby is having several scary sounding procedures. I'm swamped at work and nervous I look like a slacker since I've been out a week and have only been intermittently checking email. I curse myself for giving a crap about work right now and let it go. Hayden needs me to be strong right now. We play with Hayden and the anesthesiologist comes in and reviews the dangers of sedation and intubation. He reviews what will happen during each step of the procedure. We pray. They give Hayden some happy juice and we walk him to the OR doors. We kiss him, hug him and tell him the doctors will take great care of him and we'll see him in a minute.

We expect the procedure to take about 30 minutes to an hour. I watch his ID number on the board - PreOp it says and then it updates 10 minutes later to Surgery. We drink coffee - I try to read a magazine, to Facebook, to count tiles in the ceiling. FINALLY - Dr. D comes in and says that the surgery was perfect. He's amazed at how well Hayden had been compensating all this time. His tonsils were literally touching when he breathed in. He had to remove them, as well as his adenoid. Hayden had one of the worst cases he had ever seen for someone so young. After the two week recovery process, we should have a new kid! Dr. D said that we were right. He apologized for not listening to my mother's intuition sooner and praised us for not giving up and speaking up when we knew in our hearts something was wrong. Hayden most definitely had a severe case of sleep apnea (hence the gasping) and did NOT have reflux. Dr. D said that we would be able to see our baby in about 10 minutes.

30 minutes later...we're starting to get concerned. Did they forget about us? The board still says Post Op. I'm pacing and praying and praying and pacing. I go outside in the hall and see the anesthesiologist walk by and look at me. I follow him into the waiting room. He motions me over and tells me to get Chip and get our stuff and come to the conference room. We won't be coming back to the waiting room, he tells us. I'm confused and anxious. My heart is literally in my throat and I'm about to puke. "He's okay," he starts, "but...." My ears start ringing. Chip literally has to hold me down in my seat as I start crying and saying, "I want to see my baby, NOW!" Somehow, I pull it together to hear what he has to say. The doctor tells us that the surgery went perfect. Recovery was going perfect. Then...20 minutes after the surgery, Hayden stopped breathing. They have to intubate and bag him and it took a few minutes for him to recover enough to breath on his own. He had only not had oxygen for a few seconds, as there was a nurse right beside his bed every second. He reassured us that this happened occasionally and they knew how to handle it. Hayden was crying now and he would take us to go see him. The walk to the recovery room was the longest of my life.

In the recovery room... it was wonderful to see Hayden awake and okay. It was awful to see him looking so NOT like himself. Nothing can prepare you for the sight of your child hooked to monitors. He has wires and cast-looking things around both arms to keep him from pulling anything out. There is also this terrible, green thing (nasal trumpet) sticking out of his nose. He's so tiny! I am holding it together, but barely. It's like I'm watching myself through a window. Hayden sees me and the nurses give him to me. I practically rip him from their arms. I sit and rock him and start singing as tears roll silently down my cheeks. I'm praising God that he's here, he's okay, he's breathing. Even as I hold him, Hayden's pulse ox keeps dropping...he'll relax and try to fall asleep, then he stops breathing. We have to tickle him and make him cry to get him to start again. Finally, after an hour, we are able to remove the "blow by" oxygen and I can just hold him and rock him and love him. He settles down and his vitals start to stabilize. We'll be staying the night in the PICU they tell us...Honestly, there's nowhere else I wanted to be at that moment. I'm still so scared. As I sit in recovery and continue to rock Hayden, I realize that God planned all of this. He knew this is where we needed to be for his surgery. If we had been at the surgery center, we would have had to been CareFlighted to the hospital. He knew what He was doing.

Even now, as I type this, I am overwhelmed. I still need to write thank you notes to the nurses and staff at the hospital. I don't know what to say, especially to the recovery nurse. How do you properly thank someone for literally saving your child's life? A superhero cape? A million dollars? My eternal gratitude? We know what this happened - the intubation tube from surgery was removed when he was under too deep of sedation. It caused his airway to freeze up (similar to the response a child has when they fall in the water). They had to give him a shot to "unfreeze" the muscles so that they could intubate him. I saw the little instrument they used to intubate my son. I saw the bag they used to breath life and air back into his lungs. The memories of those moments are forever burned in my mind.

Right now, yea, I am probably a helicopter parent and probably let Hayden get away with more than I should. There's so many lessons learned from October 19, 2011. I will go into them later, but, suffice it to say that Chip and I were forever changed on that day. We left the hospital stronger and closer than ever. We learned who our true friends are. We learned that family and friends will move Heaven and Earth to help you. We were reminded of what really matters...

Seventeen to Twenty Months In...

Oh Hayden,

Please don't take the fact that I have written NOTHING on this blog for the last FOUR months to mean that you haven't done anything noteworthy. Quite simply, it is because you are so. very. busy. There is certainly never a dull moment and "toddler wrangling" is truly a whole body workout.

Here is a timeline of five minutes in our typical day after we get home:
Put our bags up.
Ask for "up."
Bang on the window by the stairs.
Go upstairs.
You open the girl's kennels.
We go back down the stairs.
Go outside.
Go inside.
Feed the girls.
Play in the dog food.
Clean up the dog food.
Fill up the water bowl.
Empty the water bowl.
Clean up the water.
Play "hoop."
Play "gawf."
Play "frow football."
Put on "football hat."
Take off "football hat."
"Momma, hike football"
Play "baseball bat."
Repeat.
Play "barn."
Go outside.
Go down "side."
Repeat.

See - who needs a typical workout when I have you? I get hugs, kisses and a lot or running around! Seriously, I am loving every moment. Every day something new happens that just makes us laugh.

• You weigh 29 pounds and are very tall. You are in size 6 1/2 shoes, 24 month or 2T shirts and 18 to 24 month shorts and pants.


• You are also skinny with the cutest milk belly.


• You have your Daddy's obsession with shoes. You are extremely picky about what shoes you wear, so much so that we had to buy the same pair in a couple of sizes.


• You wear a size 5 diaper and are VERY good about telling us when you go "poo, poo." You will grab our hand, get a diaper from the diaper bucket, grab your wipes and diaper cream and then lay down on your farm rug for us to change you.


• Like any boy, you find bodily functions HILARIOUS! The other night, Izzie had a sneaky, silent and smelly toot. I asked you if Izzie tooted and you started belly laughing and saying "Izzie toot!" You also grab your own behind and say, "I toot!" while laughing. It is pretty funny, I have to admit.


• The messier the activity, the better! I am loving this. This past weekend, we painted a paper maiche witch hat, made chocolate chip cookies, made Christmas ornaments with your handprints in plaster (which I bought to do last Christmas, but oh well) and made Rice Krispy treats. You liked all of it. The stickiness of the marshmallows ws pretty funny - it was like a cat with tape on it's paws. You figured out how to get it off though - licking it!


• You love to give "noses." It's what's typically called an Eskimo kiss.


• You like to high five, say "Bye bye!," talk to everyone and watch CARS!


• CARS is your favorite movie. We have it saved on every DVR, on Blu Ray, on DVD and on every other electronic device/format possible I think.


• Don't wash a talking "A Peen" (Lighting McQueen) car - it will then have a high voice, will then quit working and "bake." Your Momma will then have to buy you a new one since she's the one who washed it to get the stickiness off of it.


• You took swimming lessons over the summer and LOVED them! We signed you up for more lessons twice a week in the evenings. It's an indoor pool and we like the way you sleep afterwards. You are a water baby!


• You don't like it if I hold another baby. You try to crawl in my lap or up me and will just cry. If it's a bigger kid, no jealousy. I guess this means you're not quite ready for a sibling? :)


• You love your puppies and enjoy making all the animal sounds. It's our favorite game to play in the car.


• Your favorite song is "Back That Thing Up" by Justin Moore. It's the rooster sound at the beginning of the song that you like the most. As soon as you get in the car, you ask for the "cock-a-doodle-doo" and point to the radio. You also like "Where the Boat Leaves From" by the Zach Moore Band and have liked it since you were a wee baby. We need a new CD of it though because it's "baken." (broken)


• You are 100% boy. You love watching or playing ball, getting dirty, playing on the playground, riding your bike (tricycle), watching Elmo, playing outside, playing with tools and loving on us.


• Speaking of Elmo, you had a boo boo awhile back and I gave you an Elmo bandaid. After that, you wanted ONLY an Elmo bandaid every day for your arm. There are only 6 Elmo bandaids in a package, so I ordered Elmo tattoos. You have to have an Elmo on one arm and Cookie on the other. Good thing I over-ordered by accident and we have about 432 tattoos.


• Ilove you so much, buddy! You are a joy and make our hearts burst. I love the way you run across your classroom to give me hugs and kisses when I pick you up and how you say "bye, bye" and give me hugs & kisses when I drop you off.


• At night, when I rock you, it makes my heart so happy that you say "Star" for me to sing you Twinkle, twinkle little star, then you say "pay" so we pray (with your hands folded together) and you say "Amen" at the end. Then you snuggle in and I sing "Bible" (Jesus Loves Hayden).

More to come...

Love,

Momma