Merry Christmas!

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas day! We had a great day - up in the morning for Santa presents at our house then off to Nana & Grandaddy's for the afternoon and evening. Both boys slept hard last night (Allen slept 10 hours!) and mommy and daddy did too! We'll post photos when we can find the camera...the house is in complete chaos!

He's Growing Up So Fast!

We hit a major milestone last night...Allen slept through the night (8 hours)...without waking at all...in his own bed! He has been napping in his crib for a while now, but I had still kept him in the bassinet in our room at night. This was primarily because I am selfish and if he woke up at 5:30 (which he seems to do a lot), I didn't have to get out of bed to soothe him...I just reached over the side of the bassinet, put his paci back in and patted him until he went back to sleep. But I decided yesterday that the time had come for him to move on. It was sad (and hard for me to do!) but I know it's for the best. Luckily, he slept very well and woke up this morning as happy as ever!

Impromptu Nativity

At preschool last week they had an impromptu nativity. Basically, the older classes (3-5 year olds) dress up as angels, shepherds, wise folk or animals and they come to the manger during their part of the story. There is no real script and it's very laid back - kids are just wandering everywhere. The younger kids, Drew included, come and watch.
This year they asked Allen to be baby Jesus. The catch was that I had to be Mary and Patrick, Joseph! We agreed and it was a pleasant experience. Allen was a great baby and just looked around the church for a long time - then off to sleep.
A real "moment" occurred with one of the wise men wanted to give me his gift he had brought for baby Jesus (a gold painted box filled with fake coins and Mardi Gras beads). He was adamant that I take the gift, so I did and opened it to show Allen what was inside. The little boy was then content and went off to another area of the stage. He was very into his part!


Note the Wise Man's gift at my feet!


Sure, baby Jesus had a paci!! Yep...we honestly had that conversation while we were sitting there...


This little shepherdess just stood in front of me and stared almost the whole time - she was enthralled!

We're Going on a Trip...

Our tickets came today - we are off to Tampa to support the Vols in the 2008 Outback Bowl!

Patrick and I decided to travel to Florida for the bowl game this year. We have only attended one UT away game in our 11+ years together and this game came at a good time for us. We could really use a short trip together (without the boys) and heading to Florida in January is always a good idea! Plus, we do not know ANY other people attending the game and I thought that was sad - so we're going!
We are technically going to Orlando - the flights were cheaper and we got a good hotel deal there. We're just driving to Tampa for the game day. I'm weaseling a day or two at Disney World out of the trip. I missed out on a few things when we were there in May, the whole being pregnant thing and all. We're working out the details for New Year's Eve (our first time to ever actually DO something for that night!) so it should be a fun time!
Hugs and kisses and lots of thanks to Nana and Grandaddy for taking on the boys for 4 days!

Painting Christmas Cookies

On Saturday evening, we had the annual family Christmas cookie painting party. It was a new experience this year with 2 2-year olds, but it turned out much better than I expected! Drew ate more than he decorated, but Amelia made up for his slow decorating skills. She was so into the activity and did a really good job, under the watchful eye of Celeste. Jay and Mike were being very detailed in their art and turned out some good cookies as well. Patrick and I had a harder time sitting down to get any done, but we managed a few. Allen just thought it was all too fun! Should you visit my mom's house this holiday, I'm sure you will be served a few of these culinary delights. You can be comforted in the knowledge that we made sure none of the cookies licked by any children made it to the drying rack for "human consumption"!

Allen's 2-Month Check Up

Allen and Maddie hanging out together...this is from the other night while we were trying to capture good photos for our Christmas card. This one didn't make the cut, but it was just too cute!

Today, Allen and Mommy went to the doctor for his 2-month check up. He was a perfect angel, until the 4 shots of course. He remains at 95% in weight (14 lbs!) and 75% in both height and head circumference (23.5 in and 40.5 cm respectively). So while he is a very big boy, he is staying on the same growth curve which is what we want!

Smoothie!

This photo is horrible resolution (it's from Patrick's phone) but I had to share it. Drew loves smoothies and tonight Patrick took him to get one as a treat (he has a bit of a fever so we're pushing liquids). He ordered the kid's size but asked them to add yogurt to it for some protein. They misunderstood in the drive-thru and Drew ended up with a full size smoothie! It's as big as him!

A Different Look!

Drew reading to his little brother...can't beat that for a good 2-year old!

I thought I'd mix things up a bit and change the look of the blog...maybe it will inspire me to post again!
We had Drew's allergist appointment today and after 3 hours and a few sticks, we came away knowing not much more than when we started. He is allergic to Elm trees. Great...that helps so much! Nothing else came back positive (Maddie can stay!) but there is a 30% false negative rate at this age. The doctor adjusted the dosage of some of his medications, but otherwise we go back in 4 months for a check up.
Christmas is quickly approaching and I'm not ready at all! We did manage to get the tree up and decorated and Patrick got the lights up outside. Otherwise, everything is just a mess and not too festive right now. I'm hoping to get there soon!
We have a busy weekend planned so I'll try to post again next week. Oh - Allen gets to be Baby Jesus at the preschool nativity next week! Won't he be so cute?!

Good News!

Drew's sweat test results came back normal so we can officially rule out CF. That is great news for us and we were very thankful to hear it today. Now we are on to the allergist on December 6 to see what they can tell us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

More Medical News

Today, Drew and Mommy visited Children's Hospital for a Chemical Sweat Test. Daddy is in Kansas City again so we embarked on the adventure alone (Nana kept Allen for me - a HUGE help!). The test itself is painless and non-invasive. They just put a piece of gauze on his arm and wrap it in a plastic wrap-type stuff and we sat and watched cartoons for 30 minutes. Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication up front and we ended up waiting an hour before they came to take it off, but Drew was a trouper through the whole thing. The test is to rule out Cystic Fibrosis. I know - it sounds scary and I have just decided not to think about it until we know something. Drew has very few symptoms of CF, but since he keeps getting (and keeping) these horrible sinus infections and chest congestion, our doctor just wants to rule it out. We should know something tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow...I go for my 6 week check up. It's time for my doctor to give the the "all clear" to start working out. It's my one last excuse for adding in another time-consuming activity to my life. Oh well...this baby belly won't go away on its own I guess!
Here is a photo of my awesome OB - if anyone is in the area and needs a doctor, I highly recommend her!

News from the boys...

We have had a busy week. Allen had his one month check up on Tuesday (yes, he is actually that old already!) and is growing like crazy. He was 11 lb 5 oz (95%) and 22 inches (75%) and his head was 75% too (don't remember the measurement). So he is growing right on track. He is having some issues with returning some of his meals so we are undergoing the great formula switch. We started a new one on Tuesday afternoon (Enfamil Gentlease) and it seemed to make things worse. So this morning we started another one (Enfamil AR) that supposedly will help reduce the spit up. He screams if you lay him down to soon after feeding him, so I'm guessing it's true reflux. It makes for a long feeding session though! I broke out the Baby Bjorn on Tuesday and have used it a little every day so I can continue to function while holding him upright. He is having more periods of awake time and his nights are getting a little longer. Thursday night he slept 7 1/2 hours! It's not happening every night, but I'll take what I can get.
Patrick was out of town for most of this week so the boys had to put up with just me for a few days. It was hard, but we made it through. On Thursday, Patrick flew from Kansas City to Asheville for a meeting and I drove over with Allen for the night. It was nice to get away and enjoy a wonderful hotel (The Inn at Biltmore), a fabulous (and free!) dinner, and some adult conversation. Luckily Allen is still at that stage where you can tote him along and he just sleeps in his carrier. He was a really good boy and he loved the car ride. I was able to see Cary, a sorority sister and friend from college, on Friday morning. It was great to see her and catch up on her new life in Asheville.
Drew got to spend Thursday and Friday with Nana and Grandaddy and had a blast. When my dad called us Friday evening, he said "I think we have a problem." Drew did not want to come home - he was in the background saying "No go home - stay at Nana's house! Play trains!" It was cute. He did come home and was excited to see his trains. He didn't really care too much about Mommy, Daddy and Allen. But he is two so what can you do?!
Patrick travels tomorrow and returns Tuesday evening so we'll have some more Mommy time this week. We'll be getting ready for some special guests scheduled to arrive on Wednesday - Auntie Maggie and Uncle Jim are headed down from Indianapolis for Thanksgiving. We are looking forward to seeing them and spending some time together. And we're excited to see Maggie's belly...she is almost 19 weeks pregnant! Granted, she still looks the same, but I'm determined to find a belly in there somewhere!
Have a great week!!

Drew's Birthday Party

Sunday evening we had Drew's birthday party with our family. It was a Thomas party (of course) complete with lots of balloons and train themed items. Patrick made his cake - and no one would eat it! Everyone was convinced it was too awesome to actually eat and that we should somehow save it. (I think Patrick was a little sad that no one enjoyed all his hard work!) There were extra cars that the kids decorated and ate so at least some of the baking was consumed.
Drew got lots of new Thomas trains, books, puzzles and movies. He also got a Drew sized table and chairs and a new bookcase for all his books. While he didn't get excited about it, I loved the new clothes Nana got him - especially his Christmas train sweater!
Allen slept through the entire party and I didn't even get a picture of him...sad, actually. And I failed to get a family photo for the second year in a row. Someday I'll get my act together!!

Happy Birthday Drew! (with Photos!)

Drew is 2! Yesterday morning Drew woke up to Mommy, Daddy and Allen singing (lovely wake up call!). Daddy and Drew went to Dunkin Donuts to pick up a nutritious birthday breakfast to start our day. Drew opened his presents from Mommy and Daddy, with Gordon's Express Coaches being the biggest hit. We all played trains for a while and got ready for a special outing - a trip to Jumpity Jump for Drew to bounce and slide to his heart's content. (Nana kept Allen for us at home - thanks Nana!) After lunch and a VERY long nap, we had yummy pizza for dinner and Drew had his birthday cake. Daddy made Drew a special Gordon cake, complete with a tender. It was awesome and Drew loved it! Wednesday was our regular night at the Little Gym and Amelia and Aunt Celeste came as Drew's special guest for his birthday. It was a very fun end to a very full day!

My Little Monkey...

I'm working on getting Halloween photos downloaded and posted, but here is a preview of our little monkey! Drew loved being a monkey this year and had a great time at all 3 outings! These are from his first trick-or-treat experience at the zoo - he got the hang of it quickly!

We're Still Here...

Now that we have completed the second week of life with two boys, I have discovered very little down time to do things like update the blog. And that is with almost full time help from my mother-in-law and my mother! So, while I promise I will post new photos of Allen as soon as I can, I cannot promise when that will be! Here is one to get you by until then...

We're Home!

We were discharged Wednesday afternoon and had a good first night home last night. Allen had a check up at the pediatrician this morning and his bilirubin level increased dramatically overnight so we started light therapy today. It is not fun, but we are hopeful for lower levels in the morning so we only have to do this for one day!

We will continue to update the blog with new photos as we have time to download them to the computer!

It's another boy!!

Allen Edgar arrived on 10/08/07 measuring 21" long and weighing in at a whopping 9 lbs. 3oz.. Mom and baby are doing just great. For those of you who read this on a regular basis, forgive the lack of blogging whit that normally accompanies the posts Amanda creates. Here are a few photos of Allen, mommy and her boys, and the new family.

Pumpkin Patch!

On Saturday we went to the pumpkin patch to celebrate fall. Granted, it was 90 degrees and insanely hot, but it is October and we didn't know when we would make it out on such an adventure again! Drew had a great time - he painted a little pumpkin, ran through the hay bale maze, ventured through some corn rows, and rode the hayride to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkin. He found one his size and could not be convinced to leave it behind, so we ended up with both "Daddy's pumpkin" and "Drew's pumpkin". (Mommy didn't get to ride out to the field...we were a little afraid of the bumpy ride and the distance we were from the hospital!)

Still the plan...

Had another uneventful appointment today...everything looks the same so we are still on for induction on Monday morning. We will update the blog with photos and details as soon as possible that day!

Drew has had a fun week - yesterday he went home from preschool with Aunt Celeste and Amelia and had a big afternoon playing at their house. I met them at Jay's baseball game last night. After the game, Jay's team was having their little team meeting on the hill and Drew walked over and plopped down next to Jay like he was one of the guys! It was adorable. Today, Grandma came over to play and took Drew to the park while we went to the doctor. He is definitely getting a little spoiled by all the attention!

There's an end in sight...

We went Thursday for our weekly check up and everything still looks the same. Baby brother has dropped some, indicating he is getting ready for his appearance. My doctor scheduled me for induction on October 8 if I don't go into labor before that on my own. Patrick said once we hit October 1 he will start walking with me to see if we can move things along! At least we have an end date in sight and I am very much looking forward to meeting this VERY active little boy!

I have been laid up with a stomach bug since Thursday night and I am just now feeling better, though still quite weak! It's one way to loose your baby weight...down 4.5 pounds in 24 hours! Not that I recommend that diet program. It was rough!

Camping Trip

We had a wonderful weekend camping with our extended family (9/13-16). There were 23 of us there which made for a crazy but fun time. It rained almost continuously Thursday night and all day Friday, but the weather cleared and was beautiful and wonderful the rest of the time. It cooled off enough on Saturday night to make the campfire a necessity more than just a pretty addition!

My wonderful husband tracked down the lady who made a cake for a baby shower I attended a few weeks ago and had a cake made for the weekend so we could all celebrate Baby Brother. My mom and all the "ladies" in the family brought gifts and threw us an impromptu baby shower. It was really sweet and fun!

Baby Brother?

Well...we went in to check on baby brother yesterday and we're still waiting. I am 3 cm dilated, but that really means nothing at this point. I had a couple of routine tests done, but no ultrasound. We go back next Thursday for another regular check up and hopefully schedule an induction date. It is looking more like the week of October 8 will be his debut.

Patrick and I were able to take a tour of the hospital unit where I will deliver. Since we had Drew in KC at a wonderful, small, community hospital, we were determined to find a small setting here as well. I did the best I could with the physicians on our insurance and we are at a smaller community branch of a larger hospital chain, but there are still many more rooms and many more babies born here than we experienced last time. But the good news is that the whole unit was redone about 2 years ago so it's all nice and new. I think everything will be great - the nurses all seemed quite nice and the rooms were very comfortable. I told the baby about it...it didn't seem to phase him!

Baby Brother Update

We had another ultrasound this morning and got to see baby brother again. He was crazy active during the entire scan! Everything looks good so far. We are still very ahead of schedule - measuring right at three weeks ahead. Today his estimated weight was 7 lbs 7 oz. Yep...that's the average weight of a full term baby! Next week we will have a regular appointment (with no ultrasound...how odd!) and at that time discuss setting a date to induce. However, she said that if I go into labor naturally after 9/24 (37 weeks) that she would be completely happy and not really surprised. Otherwise, it will be around 10/8 for an induction.

We're off to camp for the weekend in the Cherokee National Forest! No...I'm not sleeping in a tent. Patrick's parents "live" in a very nice camper so I'll have a bed and air conditioning and a shower and everything! YEA!

Little Gym

Drew started classes at the Little Gym last month with Daddy. I went along tonight to take some photos and see all of the things he has been learning. It's so adorable and I love that he is in a night class where Patrick can take him (since he is much more fun and active for Patrick) and there are lots of other daddies there too.