Great Appointment Today

We had an Excellent appointment today with the new OB. Patrick and I both LOVE him and his entire staff!!! Everything looks great. We had an ultrasound done. Hershey has grown and was So cute, we even saw him or her move a tiny bit. The heart rate was 184bpm. In the pic you can see Hershey's head on the left and butt on the right. He changed the due date by one day, to the 5th of March. I'm going to go with this date, since we'll be using this doctor from now on and it's only one day. That means I'm 8 weeks 4 days. He changed some of my medication, we'll see how that works. I have to fast and do some blood work in the morning. He's also set me up with his perinatologist, they should be calling me within the week to set an appointment. My next appointment is August 18th (11 weeks).

10 days

We finally have an appointment with an OB that specializes in High Risk Pregnancies here in Aurora. We are so relieved. However, it's ten days until that appointment on the 28th at 1:00pm. Please pray for peace over the next ten days and that Hershey will grow big and strong! Thanks!

Red head

Several weeks ago Aiden began telling me he didn't like his red hair anymore. We've had this conversation before, it comes up every once in a while. We tell him how special his red hair is and how much we love it. That wasn't working this time. He just kept saying, "Mama, I'm the Only one with red hair!" So, finally, I said, "Aiden, Mama can have red hair too, would you like that?" His eyes got as wide as saucers and he slowly nodded his head!

So, while we were in Texas, I got my hair cut and then made it red for my red head.



When Aiden saw it he said, "Mama!!! That is soooo cooooolll!!!!! It's beautiful!"

So, he totally loves it. I called him to come to me, later that day, by his usual nickname. "Redhead, come see me." He replied with, "Yes, Red Girl?" We both laughed. Every once in a while he'll stop what he's doing, come over and stroke my hair, then say, "Mama, I love your red hair!" And he's been known to tell his Daddy that Mama's hair is beautiful and Daddy should love it. Well, I love it, but not because it makes me beautiful, but for how it made my little red head feel.

Summer Fun

VBS 2009 Boomerang Express



Anthony with a bucket on his head


Peek . . .


A Boo!


Slip N Slide!


Max out for a walk on his leash


Did you know Koolaid is considered "Southern" food?


Sleeping on the train to Texas


Nan's Colored Sand

Pictures of My Boys and Girl

I have the cutest children around. The only one that can hold a candle to them is my niece, C.J. When we were in Texas we got pictures made. This is usually a very difficult feat. As a matter of fact, the last time we attempted this, I left the store crying because it went so bad. (That was the photographer's fault though, not the children.) However, this time, they all three acted excellent, the photographer was awesome, and we got some amazing pictures! We celebrated with ice cream afterwords.

Aiden John - 4, Cadence Jean - 4, Anthony Joseph - 3


Aiden's Smile


C.J.'s Smile


Anthony's Smile


Group Shot

Hershey has a heartbeat!

We had a good appointment today with the MFM in Chicago. Then, we got an early ultrasound. Here's Hershey!



According to the ultrasound tech, who was awesome, Hershey is in a difficult to find position. He or she is so tiny. I am six weeks and one day, as opposed to the seven weeks the doctor's thought I should be. I knew I was six weeks. :) Anyway, it is awesome that Hershey had a strong heartbeat.

Please continue to pray for Hershey's development. Also, we desperately want to change our doctor here in Aurora. We are having a hard time finding another practice that will take us. The one we are currently seeing is not taking the high risks seriously enough for us and they do not deliver at the hospital we prefer. Pray that God will provide us with the perfect doctor.

Lab work and Prayers

All of our lab work turned out fine. However, the nurse practitioner we have been seeing did not order a HCG level, so we don't really know how the baby is doing. My blood pressure was much better, it had gone down to 138/88. The medication is working, but also making me have chills and it kind of feels like bugs are crawling under my skin. It's a fun experience.

We will be seeing a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist tomorrow in Chicago at 10:30. After that appointment we have our first ultrasound at 1:30. I'm very nervous about this appointment and ultrasound. Please pray that we get the quality of care that we are looking for and have not found yet. It seems that we know more about my conditions than the medical staff caring for us and that they think we are stupid so they are not listening to us. Most importantly, pray that everything goes very smoothly with that ultrasound. I'm terrified and trying to remember to turn things over to God. I'm doing a pretty good job of turning them over, I just keep forgetting to leave it there! 1:30 can't come soon enough for me! Pray for Hershey! Thanks!

Tuesday's Docttor Appointment

Our doctor appointment yesterday went okay. My blood pressure was very high, 170/110. I think it had alot to do with having just had to go through a list of my losses and explain each one of them several times. That always upsets me. Anyway, I'm doing all kinds of labwork. I go back on Thursday to review the results of my labwork. But, the important thing? On Friday I go to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago to see a Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialist. We were hoping for a referral to a high risk OB and this is it. We are looking forward to that appointment on Friday at 10:30. Please continue to pray for us, especially baby Hershey.

You just gotta pay right!

On our recent trip to Texas, my sister-in-law and I were talking about our children's "currency." The "thing" that they want and will motivate them to do things we want them to do. For Aiden, his currency is a movie. If I want Aiden to nap, well, I promise he can watch a movie afterward and I assure him he will not watch a movie if he doesn't nap. (We didn't watch a movie today, I'm so tired, he has got to nap when Mommy is this exhausted!) Evidently for my niece, her "currency" is currency. The girl loves money. One more way she's like her Aunt. When I think of Anthony's "currency" I remember that old commercial, "What would you do oo ooo for a Klondike bar?" Anthony is motivated by food, in particular, chocolate.

Anthony has been using the potty for several months now, off and on, but nothing really consistent. Everyday I would ask, "Anthony are you ready to wear a pull up?" He would say, "no, diaper." A few weeks ago that changed to, "Anthony are you ready to wear a pull up?" "Yes!" So, my question changed to, "Anthony, are you ready to wear underwear?" "No, poo up!" He's loved going in the potty for nearly a year, but he refused to put on underwear. Mimi bought him really cute underwear. He was excited! Would not wear it. I kept asking, everyday. While we were in Texas, he realized he was the only one not in underwear now. He started going to the potty more consistently. Everyday I asked, "Anthony, are you ready to wear underwear?" "Nope!"

In the meantime, about a month ago, I began a system with Aiden. Go accident free all day and you get a piece of chocolate before bed. I was desperate. Well, Aiden has been accident free for three weeks now! Yay! Yesterday I told a friend that I finally thought Aiden was done!

Today, Anthony woke up, came into my bedroom and said, "Mama, I wear unddaware, I get chaawwwkit." Translation: "Mama, I will wear underwear today and you will give me chocolate." Okay baby!!!! Ooops, sorry, I mean, okay big boy!!!

So, we put Anthony in underwear for the first time today. He did really great this morning. He was playing in his kitchen and all of the sudden I heard, "oops, oh nooooooo, MAMA HELP!" He had a tiny accident and we ran to the bathroom and finished. I'm so proud of him! It's looking like he's going to be easier to train than Aiden was, but it was only the first day, so I'm not holding my breathe. He ate up that little piece of chocolate before bed tonight and we made a huge deal of how proud we are of him! I guess I should have offered chaawwwkit before now! I can't believe I have two in underwear now! He's growing up way too fast!!!

Nickname

On the train ride home Aiden and I were discussing that there is a baby in Mommy's tummy. I was explaining to him how important it is to be gentle with Mommy and where the baby was. Expecting all kinds of questions I was surprised that this was his response:

"Let's name the baby Apple Juice!"

Well, Aiden, that's not the A.J. name I was thinking of, but it's a cute nickname! Too bad your Daddy and I have already nicknamed the baby Hershey. Hershey and I have a doctors appointment Tuesday morning at 8:30. Please pray for us!