Baby Brother Update

Well...baby brother is still very big. We went for an ultrasound and check up today and he is measuring at 5 lb 11 oz (up from 4 lb 5 oz 2 weeks ago) and a little over 35 weeks. I am 32 weeks so we're still ahead of schedule. My doctor is hesitant to officially move my due date, but she has requested another ultrasound in 2 weeks to measure my fluid levels and 3 weeks to chart growth. Today my fluid was the same as last time so it did not increase which is positive. However, it did not decrease so we will continue to monitor and I get to continue being uncomfortable. Luckily I still have not swelled which is amazing in this heat! We got a couple of photos today but they aren't really good as his forehead was smashed against the placenta and he looks really odd!

I have some cute new photos of Drew I will get posted in the next day or so...check back!

Update on Grandaddy

Grandaddy had his heart cath today and all looks good for a 58-year old. He has two minor blockages along some branches but nothing in the main arteries or veins. He does need to lower his cholesterol to reduce the plaque buildup in the heart but the muscle itself looks great. They are going to work on controlling the missed beats with lifestyle changes (read: reduced stress, increased rest) and that along with the cholesterol reducing activities (diet, exercise, medication) should help matters. As for the bigger problem of the heart stopping on Saturday, they believe it is related to his propensity to pass out when needles are headed for him and that if he is not doing it at other times then a pacemaker is not needed. At this point he has had 4 different cardiologists look over his chart, including an electrophysiologist, so we think they are being thorough enough. He will stay in the hospital tonight and will hopefully be discharged tomorrow!

My Dad

My dad (Grandaddy) has been in the hospital since yesterday morning due to some heart problems. He will have a heart cath in the morning and is most likely going to get a pacemaker to remedy some missed beats he has been having. Prayers are appreciated for our family and especially for dad as he is not looking forward to these procedures.

BUG!

I have to share a little funny story about Drew. On Friday, Nana and Grandaddy came over to help us work on the house. Daddy and Grandaddy painted the stairs and hallway while Mommy and Nana worked on "purging" and keeping Drew occupied when he wasn't napping. Nana also cooked a fabulous dinner that included corn, green beans and tomatoes we got from a little old man who sells them out of his backyard. It was amazing.
While we were all sitting around eating, Drew started saying something repetitively but I wasn't paying enough attention to decipher it. I looked over and he was shying away from his plate and the word was getting louder and more emphatic. Finally, Nana realized he was saying "bug" while trying to get away from his plate. A little bean from the green beans had fallen into his "dip-dip" (ketchup) and he thought it was a bug in his food! He was starting to get a little stressed out that we weren't concerned! Once we figured it out, removed said bug and were all laughing uncontrollably, he decided it was funny too and started hamming it up. I thought I was never going to catch my breath. It was one of those "if I only had a video camera running right now I could win some money!" moments in life...

Baby Update

Patrick and I went today for another ultrasound and doctor visit to check on the baby. For those who haven't seen me recently...I'm rather large. Not swollen like I was with Drew, just all baby, all out in front. It turns out that, yes, he is a big boy...measuring 2-3 weeks ahead of schedule right now. His head is HUGE! It is measuring at 33 weeks 6 days and I am only 30 weeks 2 days. Isn't that encouraging?! Drew had (has) a big head, as do I and my dad, so it runs in the family! The baby is still within "normal" range on the little growth chart, but it does not look like we will make it to October 15 for sure!

On top of a big baby, I have an above average amount of amniotic fluid around the baby. It is not at a level to be concerned about, but we will have another ultrasound in 2 weeks to check it again. Not much they can actually do about it, but it will be watched. Patrick offered to pop me with a needle...I told him I am not a zit.

Here are a few of the ultrasound photos...they are scanned, so sorry for the quality!

And no, I'm not posting a photo of my big belly. Just use your imagination!

Hilton Head Vacation

We returned on Saturday evening from our "annual" family vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC. Drew got to spend a week with, not only mommy and daddy, but also Nana, Grandaddy, Aunt Celeste, Jay and Amelia. Uncle Mike was able to be there for the first few days as well. Here are a couple of photos of our trip...I will figure out a good way to post more soon! (Yes, I know I said that with the Disney photos...) One of the greatest outcomes of the week was Drew's enhanced vocabulary and language skills. He is speaking in short sentences now and daily reviews what we did at the beach. However, he does miss his cousins a lot!


Drew LOVED digging in the sand (and flipping it in the air!)


A rare moment with the sun hat actually on Drew's head...


"Me go bike ride!" was frequently heard from Amelia - it was a big hit!


Morning dancing with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse


Our little family...

Monday's Adventure

Before Drew got sick this week, we had an adventure on Monday. Drew and mommy went on a "cow trip" with Lora and Elizabeth. We drove down to Athens to see the Mayfield plant and have some ice cream. Then we headed back up and stopped at the Sweetwater Valley Farm to eat lunch, see cows and have some cheese. The kids were great and had a good time at both places. It was the hottest day so far this summer (great planning on our part, huh?!) but they still trooped along. Here are some cute photos of the day - I'll get some cow pictures from Lora to post as well. Drew liked the baby cows and the horses the best.


Touring the Mayfield Dairy plant...love the hairnets!

Drew and the Mayfield cow

Drew's first "car movie" adventure...he was captivated!

Update on our week...

Well, we have had another family week of illness. Monday, Patrick came down with the stomach bug that Drew and I had earlier. It's just no good! Then Tuesday morning, Drew woke up with a fever of 102.5. This isn't too high but unusual for him as even an ear infection usually gets about a 101. We went to the doctor and were reassured that nothing was systemically wrong (no ear infection, no chest congestion, etc.) and to watch the fever. Well...it progressively got worse. Tuesday night he hit 105 during the night, Wednesday he hovered at 102-103 all day. We thought we were out of the woods Wednesday night as he was down to 99, then Thursday morning he woke up at 105.9. Yeah...high... So back to the doctor we went for blood work and another system check. Everything came back ok and we agreed it was most likely some nasty virus (read: nothing we can do about it). So yesterday was another day of Tylenol and Motrin to keep the fever down. Our wonderful doctor called us 3 times after we saw her that morning just to make sure he wasn't getting worse throughout the day. Today he woke up at 102 and we were back at the doctor to recheck blood just to be sure. It still appears to be a virus and he has started getting a nasty rash all over him. The doctor says that we should be at the end of it as a rash usually comes as the fever ends. The good thing is that he has been sleeping like a champ over the past few days which seems to really help. He is a little dehydrated and not wanting to drink much but we're trying creative ways to help with that.
The greatest part about this all is that we are supposed to leave tomorrow morning for our family trip to the beach...yeah...not sure about that right now. As long has he has a fever he is contagious and can't be around Amelia, and I'm not going to subject him to a 7 hour car trip when he doesn't feel well. So we'll see how today goes and make a decision tonight on whether we'll leave in the morning, tomorrow afternoon, or wait until Sunday. Ahh the joys of a toddler!

Tunnel

Drew LOVES tunnels. When you drive under a bridge, he says "nunnel...whee," which is adorable. Patrick will often make tunnels out of couch cushions for him to crawl through. Well, we got him a wagon as a "mid-year" birthday present (it's hard when your birthday and Christmas are so close together!) and while the wagon is a hit, the box has been an even bigger one. Here is Drew in his new "nunnel".

Happy July 4th!

Swimming with Daddy

It's so hot...I just want to relax on the "big swing!"

Amelia's "adie bug" cake

The princess and her new car! Too funny to watch this driving adventure!

Happy July 4th to everyone! We had a very busy day today and we are all so tired! We kicked off the day by supporting the economy and purchasing a new mattress for mommy and daddy's room - a much needed investment! We then all went to Steve & Sharon's for some swimming, eating, relaxing and an early birthday party for Amelia. It was a good day, but the little man did not take his afternoon nap - which, combined with his teething, refusing to eat and general grumpiness these days made for a cranky afternoon! But all is well tonight and mommy is off to an early bedtime!