27 days....and Yes I'm counting

The countdown to Baby is officially on! 27 more days til we get to meet our little man. May 26th is the day scheduled at the hospital. At first we didn't think we would make it full term but as of right now, baby is doing so well that we are planning on 37 weeks!

Baby still has a rather pronounced, obvious obstruction but is doing so well in spite of that. He is growing, thriving, and is under no stress from the obstruction(as of yet.) The 3 Dr.s that I consult and meet with are quite optimistic about the situation. One Dr. thinks that the actual obstruction is in his intestine rather than his colon with is wonderful news. There is a lot more intestine to work with and cut out, then the colon. And they are pretty sure they are seeing fluid move around in there which means it is not completely blocked.

In other good news, Baby is growing at a fantastic rate. At my last appointment he was over 5 lbs and in the 87% for height and weight. His bigness doesn't help his lungs mature any faster but it sure does help in surgery. They are predicting at 37 weeks he will be between 7 and 8 lbs. And it is so much easier operating on a 7lb baby's bowel than a 5 lbs baby. This is great news for him but kind of scary news for me.....I have decided to do a VBAC(vaginal birth after C-section). The hospital will try and be as accommodating and wonderful as they can by reserving us a room right next to the NICU so that all the neonatologists, pediatricians, Respiratory Therapists, nurses, etc....dont' have to be in the room for the actual birth. There will just be a window that can open and they will pass him through.

Surgery is planned for later that day or the next morning. We won't know the extent of the surgery until after birth when he will have numerous x-rays, CT scans, etc to try and figure out exactly where the blockage is. The surgeon we chose has agreed to come in and do the surgery even though it won't be his day in the OR. We feel very blessed. We learned this surgeon has won many awards throughout the hospital and throughout the country. Most recently named "Surgeon of the Year," at Primary Childrens. Makes me feel a tiny bit better about the whole situation.

We set up baby's room a few days ago and Carter has been obsessed with the crib. He loves to climb in it and play with the new light/music thing that Grandma got for baby.

Carter has finally come to terms with the fact that he does NOT have a baby in his tummy. There were tears shed over this and lots of "WHYS" but I think he finally gets that part. But now I think he's very confused about everything. I'm not sure he realizes that a real live baby will eventually be sleeping in there, and staying with us permanently. Even more confusing will be that the baby is born but may not be able to join our home for weeks/months. I hope he adjusts quickly and is as excited about Brother as he is now!

Easter Festivities

We started out the Easter weekend by attending our first ever "Baby Animal Days." I thought Carter would be so excited to attend and we talked up the event for days.

I've always known Carter doesn't get too excited or show too much emotion over animals and this experience really cemented my knowings. Carter doesn't love animals. He's rather impartial about them.

He had no real desire to pet or touch any of them. He would humor me and stand next to a few of them and pose with a fake smile. I guess he takes after me, he can take or leave animals.

The Real Star of the Show was this Guy:

We got there at 11 but the train didn't start running until noon.....boy was he upset. We kept trying to distract him with the animals and other exhibits but he was too focused on the train.

Luckily the train started early and we were able to get on the first ride. It only went around a short track 2 times but he was in heaven. Even though his face doesn't show pure bliss, don't let him fool you. He could have ridden it for hours.

And of course you always have to put your hands up whenever you go through a tunnel or up and down a hill.

His 2nd best activity of the day was the licorice rope Grandma bought for him. Even though it was stale and hard to bite, he managed to finish every last bite.

Allowing the bunny to sit on his lap for a picture.

After baby animal days we came home for a much needed nap and while Carter was napping, the Easter Bunny came!

The Bunny hid the basket in Brother's crib and Carter had no trouble finding his it. He got 2 of his favorite things from the Easter Bunny. A Car Transporter and a Thomas The Train Movie. He checks out Thomas movies from the library each week so he was so excited that he finally had one that he gets to "keep at home!"

Next came the egg hunt. Small and simple around the house. He knew right what to do and was running so excitedly around the house squealing with each egg he found.

And lo and behold, the Easter Bunny knew all about his allergies and left him all his favorite candy.

My handsome boy in his new Easter outfit.

Here he is showing his new tie. He was so excited to "wear a tie like daddy's." At first he refused to wear his tie tucked into his vest so he looked pretty funny with it on the outside. But during sacrament meeting his realized that every time he leaned over to do something, that darn tie got in the way and so he allowed me to tuck it in!

Sunday afternoon he got to have another hunt at Grandma's house and received even more Easter candy. It is so fun to celebrate little holidays with a child. Neil and I had a blast hiding the eggs outside and then throughout the house the next morning for his entertainment.

Introducing......

Beaver Mountain's newest Season Pass Holder for 2011-12. And boy was he excited. Not for skiing, because he doesn't really know what that is. But to have his own card that had his own picture on it, just like daddy!

The first of April brought a new member to our family. Meet Kevin. A new kitty brought to our home in hopes of destroying the voles in the neighborhood. Keep your fingers crossed. Carter was a bit confused about his name for a bit and called him "Heaven" for a while. Carter loves the kitty and loves to feed him kitty treats. At least 10 times a day. This is the only time Kevin is allowed in the house. Other than that, he is strictly outside. We have decided that we have "indoor children" and not "indoor pets!"

Spring Break brought us a trip to Seattle to visit cousins. Carter was a true champ the entire 12 hour drive. Both ways. No tears, little whining and lots of DVDS. Made me almost willing to make the drive again!

Carter jumping on the bed with his cousins. They all got along so great. They taught each other their best and worst traits!

We got to visit the Tacoma Children's Museum aka "the really, really fun place." A completely different experience than the one in Ogden and he loved the new toys.

When we got home from a week straight of rain in Seattle Carter was thrilled to see snow. I'm pretty sure he was the only one who was excited to see more snow in Cache Valley.

Barely enough snow to do a snow angel in !

March Madness

March is almost over so I thought I'd better do some updating before April is here and over. Biggest news at our house( at least for Carter) is that he moved into his New, Big Boy Room! This room use to be red and it use to be the toy room. It housed Carter's train table, kitchen, etc. Now it's called Carter's new Room. And he refers to the other room as his old room, or brother's room.

He loves his new toy cubby that fits nicely in his closet. He even does a pretty good job of keeping the toys inside of it, rather than on the floor!

Here are a few shots of his room; taken by a very amateur photographer. Still planning on getting a bed frame for his bed but I'm in no hurry! It was fun picking out new decorations for his room. I decided to base everything off his bedspread and his obsessions. Trucks, Cars, Firetrucks, fire hydrants, etc. He came with me to Hobby Lobby and loved every minute of it.

He was really disappointed that all these new "toys" were actually just decoration and not play toys. It took him a few days but now he's content to just look at them on the shelf. But Hobby Lobby is his new favorite store!

Carter's really been in to hiding lately and having people find him. He loves to pretend these days and his imagination is quite wild at times. This day he was hiding from the dinosaur that was in the hall blocking the door to his bedroom and bathroom. So he chose to hide here.

This boy knows how to play but he also knows how to relax. He plopped himself on the couch the other day, amidst my laundry folding, and relaxed while he watched Mickey's clubhouse. In his sweats and everything. He really is my son......

Carter loves to have his daddy read stories to him and snuggle in bed with him. Whenever Neil lays down by him, Carter likes to lay ON him. Skin to Skin!

Carter is also becoming more independent in things/ways I am not ready for. This day he went to the potty all by himself (#2). Which is normal, but he always calls for me when he's done so I can come wipe him. When I didn't hear from him I went looking. And I he had unrolled almost a whole roll and had tried to wipe himself. Bless his heart. I wish he could wipe himself but I'm not ready to give up control of that area.

Even though March brought more snow we waited for a semi-warm evening (about 40 degrees) and got the trusty helicopter out. He had no fear last summer but was a little hesitant this time and once he picked up a little speed he got nervous and tried to drag his feet. He did this twice, which resulted in 2 crashes and a bloody lip. But it didn't really slow him down.

He even got to ride with his cousin Tyler on his Pre-Season ride. Can't wait to do it again.

My favorite new trait of Carter's is his prayer saying. We tried for quite awhile to get him to pray but he refused. Then one day he just kind of took off. His prayers are the highlight of my day. He says usually the same thing each time. Most of the time it goes like this:

"Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you dad came home in safety. Bless us we should go to the really fun place and the dr. Bless us we should go to Lowe's and the Toy store. Thank you we should stay home and take naps. Keep our family safe. Name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

We always remind him to bless the food at dinner but he has more important things to pray about. This boy loves to shop. Lowe's is his favorite although Hobby Lobby, Walmart, and the mall are close behind. Even though he says the same things over and over again he really is being so sincere and putting lots of thought into his words. Depending on our activities for the day, his bless and thank yous may change slightly to include: grandma's house, the gym, etc.

Love this boy!

Baby Update

Life doesn't always go as planned:

I've wanted to write our roller coaster of a pregnancy down for awhile but have been putting it off because of the unknown. Right after our 20 week ultrasound (where we thought we were having a healthy baby boy) we got the news that the Dr. "spotted" something that wasn't quite right and wanted us to meet with a specialist right away. Luckily we only had to wait 3 days to meet the specialist who gave us the diagnosis that our sweet little boy has some sort of Bowel Obstruction. We say some sort because it's impossible to see and know everything while en uterine but there is a definite blockage in his bowel. My life turned upside down for awhile while my brain tried to process this information.

I am so grateful for technology that caught this problem early and for wonderful doctors whom I trust. We meet with 2 perinatologists from McKay Dee hospital who come to Logan once a week to meet with patients like us. We trust them both and feel like we are in good hands. (Even though each visit costs as much as our mortgage each month-thank heavens for insurance!)

There is absolutely nothing they can do for the baby until he is born and the exact problem cannot be determined until he is born and CAT scans, Xrays and further testing can be done. The plan is for me to deliver at the University of Utah hospital so that the baby can be taken over to Primary Children's Hospital for surgery, that same day most likely. Primary Children's hospital deals with the exact problem a lot so we are confident in the surgeons and staff members there. We are hoping they can fix his intestine in 1 surgery but there is always the possibility of more than 1. He could be at Primary's for 1 week or 1 month...or more. We won't know until after the first surgery.

We have frequent ultrasounds with the dr.s who are watching the size of the obstructions closely. They call the fluid build up in his intestine "pockets" or "cysts" and hope they decrease over time but as for now, they have increased. The blockage is not causing any problems for baby as of right now and hope it stays that way for quite some time. That being said, there is the potential for the fluid to become to much and could cause his intestine to burst and we don't want to go there. There is isn't need to deliver right now, thank goodness because I am only 27 weeks along and baby is only 2 1/2 lbs. But anytime after 30 weeks there will be little to no hesitation to deliver him after that, if necessary. Best case scenario is 37 weeks MAX but realistically hoping for 34 or 35 weeks. They do not want me to go into labor in Logan so everything will be scheduled to have the surgeons and neonatologists waiting and ready.

While this news has been hard for me I know we're being watched out for and guided. Neil's sister is a surgeon at U of U and has hand picked a wonderful pediatric surgeon for our baby boy. We will be meeting with him in the next couple of weeks to go over all the little details and ask lots of questions. We will be able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House connected to Primary's so I wont' have to leave his side. We also realized Neil's company has a second office minutes from the hospital so he will be able to continue working without being stuck in Logan should we need to be in SLC for an extended time.

Right now I see my OB for my care and the specialists for baby's care. Starting the middle of April I will say goodbye to the OB in Logan who has been overseeing my OB needs and start seeing the specialists in Ogden weekly. That is a lot of driving back and forth to Ogden but I'll do whatever it takes to give the baby the best care. The Dr.s think that after surgery the baby should be able to live a perfectly healthy, normal life as this problem is generally correctable and should have no lasting effects. We are very grateful for that news. In other good news, all of baby's other organs and etc are very healthy and perfect. Plus he is growing strong. Above normal actually! Carter was a "big" baby (8 lbs.) and looks like Brother will follow in his footsteps and we're hoping that will help him as he faces these obstacles.

We are very excited to meet "Brother" which is how he is mostly referred to in our house. Carter talks about all the toys he will share with him and all the things he will do to take care of brother. I have tons of basically brand new baby clothes saved from Carter that brother will get to take care over. I've wanted to buy him some new clothes just for him but with all the uncertainty I don't know what size to get. Especially for his coming home outfit. Will I be bringing home an 8 lb. baby like last time? Or a 5 lb. preemie? I know things like clothes don't really matter, but I am a planner so I hate not knowing all the details!

I'm horrible at taking belly shots and these are the only ones I have so far. This was taken a couple of weeks ago. I'm definitely much bigger with #2 than Carter. My stomach had no problem remembering where it needs to stretch to.

If all goes according to the new "Plan," baby will be here sometime in mid-May. I've got so much to get ready. We're hoping and praying things go smoothly and for the best.

Weekend Trip to St. George

Back in the dreary days of January we decided we needed a quick vacation to somewhere warmer and with less snow. We decided on St. George and invited our friends Melissa and Trevor and their little girl Lilly along. Much to our dismay, it was a cold, wet weekend in St. George so we were a big disappointed but it was still much warmer than Logan. And there was no snow! We only had 3 days down there and so we tried to pack many activities into those short days. We succeeded.

The condo we stayed at had a great park for the kids and we tested that out the first morning we were there. The home show was also going on that weekend so we all got tickets and hit a few houses each day. Much to my surprise, I think the home show was Carter's favorite part. He really got into it and caused quite the scene at times(a good scene though). He would run around each room yelling(since he hasn't figured out how to use an inside voice, anywhere) "I love this carpet." "I love this kitchen." "This shower has 2 shower heads dad!" And my favorite was "I love this master bedroom guys!" I have no idea where he learned what a master bedroom and bath was, but he did. At a couple of houses people would gather their friends/family to follow him around and listen to the things he would say. One guy commented that he's sure Carter's future job will be as a decorator. I really wish I would have had my camcorder to record Carter's excitement. I guess my obsession with HGTV's House Hunters has paid off.

On the warmest, driest day we headed to Snow Canyon and did a mini hike. Carter also loved this and has inherited his daddy's love for the outside and all things associated with it.

He and his girlfriend Lilly found the perfect hole in the wall for a quick picture. They got along quite well the whole trip and were willing to let us snap lots of pics of them.

Neil was in heaven taking his little boy into the "tiny canyons" as he called them. Carter ate it right up and had no fear of walking in tight spaces and getting dirty.
Neil has already made future plans of where and when to take Carter next. Carter could have stayed here all day had we let him. His pregnant Mommy didn't fit to well in these tight places so we didn't get to go far.

He also loved the sand dunes and didn't even notice the cold wind that started blowing. We actually had to carry him away from these in order to go to dinner. First time we've ever had to force him to come for dinner!

We ate at some fun/delicious places down there. A great mexican restaurant "Poncho and Lefty's," "The Pizza Factory," and "The Bear Paw." All great choices. Not to mention the homemade cupcakes, Neilson's Custard and other yummy treats.

There was good male bonding with golfing and girl time at the outlets! Without the kids!!!!

We took the kids swimming one day at an indoor pool/waterpark and they both loved it. Carter still talks about it today. I'd love to have one of those in Logan. It was the perfect activity to do while it was rainy and cold outside.

Here are some pictures of Lilly and Carter together. Carter is about 9 months older but about 3 times the size of Lilly. I forget how tall Carter really is until I see him next to kids his age. Carter and Lilly have both mastered the fake cheese smiles!

Carter is not shy about showing his affection. There were plenty of hugs and kisses between these 2 throughout the weekend.

Thanks for the good time Melissa and Trevor. Can't wait til next Winter when we can do it again. But let's pick a warmer weekend next time!

The Allergist-The Long Version

Like mentioned earlier the time had come for Carter to visit his allergist. I always get my hopes up when we visit that there will be good news. The odds are on his side to outgrow both his egg and milk allergy, as the majority of kids do. But then again, he is my flesh and blood and medical luck doesn't seem to always be on my side..........

Carter was SO brave this trip. He use to scream bloody murder at the sight of a doctor or a room but he has really gotten over that. (It helps that he had no idea what they were going to do to him.) When the Dr. came in he sat so nicely on the table and let her look in his eyes, nose and mouth and even said "AHH" without prompting. Then came the hard part.

We had a great nurse who gave Carter the whole bin of stickers and a sack to decorate to his hearts desire. And he used enough stickers for a small group of children. This really helped to distract him as she had to write on his back and put drops of the allergens on him(she called them rain drops!) Then she told him that he would get some little "cat scratches." And if you've ever been scratched by a cat, you know that doesn't feel good..............

He did start to cry and said "OW, that really hurts me." But after a quick hug from mommy (am I bad for taking pics of this?) and more stickers he was back to his happy self. Thank heavens for McQueen and Mater stickers. He preferred them over a sucker. The nurse said she would be back to record the results in 10-15 minutes. Poor guy, it only took him about 4 minutes to produce "Highly Allergic Results."

It's hard to see but he had huge welts on his back but was very good about not scratching them. So no good news this time but our allergist is VERY hopeful that he will at least get on eggs someday. The FDA is in the process of approving and finishing up a study that introduces food allergens into people's bodies at microscopic rates until they can handle them. Much like seasonal allergies. So we wait patiently for this study to be approved so 1) the Dr. will administer it and 2) insurance will cover it. Which is the most important.

It's hard for me to think about my little boy dealing with serious food allergies the rest of his life so I keep hoping and praying he can outgrow them. I worry constantly about him and him growing up and being away from me where I can't protect him. I already have nightmares about school and school lunches even though that is years away.

He has such a positive attitude about his allergies(even though he only understands them at a 2 yr old level.) If you ask him "What are you allergic to?" He will respond "Milk and eggs. If I eat milk or eggs I get really sick and i have to go to the hospital and they have to give me shots." His last "episode" in November, although scary, was really a blessing to us. He remembers it vividly and can describe the events with perfect memory. He knows that eating "Yuckies" has a very negative effect on him. I'm hoping those memories will keep his curiosity to a minimum. He knows that he is "different" and drinks soy milk, eats "special ice cream" and can't have eggs. He even asks for soy milk when he asks for a drink.

Although a pain, we are certainly grateful that allergies are the worst of Carter's health problems. We know it could always be worse. The allergist did tell us that Baby Boy #2 has a 50/50 chance of having food allergies too, since they are highly genetic. We have to take special precautions with him in the future and are hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

The day wasn't all doom and gloom though. Since the allergist is in Ogden we decided to buy a season pass to the Treehouse Children's Museum. And we plan to use it frequently and always after a Dr. appt as a reward!

He loved every minute of being there and kept true to his age.....we were in about each section for about 2 minutes before he wanted to explore something else. His pregnant mother would just have gotten comfortable when he was ready to move!

We were lucky to have Grandma E with us on this trip and Carter loved showing her all the neat exhibits. Plus she had a magic Mary Poppins bag that would magically produce candy-and never seemed to empty (much to my dismay and his delight!) Thanks for coming Grandma. Let's do it again in 6 months at our next appointment!