Yes, I had a lot of miscarriages. Now those all seem to be explained by a chromosomal issue, but at the time it just seemed to be our cross to bear. We had testing done and everything came back normal. Yes, each one put a hole in our hearts and to think about all of our children that were never born can get to be a little overwhelming. Unfortunately, after miscarriage two or three we started to get a little numb to it. Doesn't that sound awful? It became to be almost expected. It doesn't meant that it didn't hurt, but it certainly didn't hurt as much. I believe that those losses only made us better parents and made us appreciate our children more. At least we were graced with two healthy children. There are many couples out there who never have that opportunity. I tend to always have the mindset that things could be a LOT worse.
So, there we were. Pregnant with Carter. I seriously think that I held my breath for those first three months. It seemed as though they flew by with the business of having two other kids. I knew he was a boy from the very beginning. There was absolutely no doubt in my mind. The beginning of the pregnancy was very typical. A little morning sickness, but nothing major. Everything looked wonderful on the ultrasounds... that is until we went in for our big 20 week ultrasound.
It seems like a lifetime ago, but here are the blog posts from when I was pregnant with him: My Pregnancy With Carter .
There's more to come tomorrow.
On a current note, we took Carter to his checkup with the Cardiologist and everything looks great! This doc agreed with the Pulmonologist that we could try weaning the little guy down on his O2 during the day. I'd been kind of putting this on the back burner while we concentrate on other things, but am definitely going to start trying him out on a 16th more. He does fine on room air until he gets upset, and then he gets himself into trouble. I used to be in a hurry to get him off of O2, but I've learned that with Carter he'll do it in his own time.
December 30, 2009
December 29, 2009
My Story
I thought with a new year beginning, it was time to share some of the feelings that I've been having, but in order to get there, I need share my story from the beginning. This may take a few posts.
My whole life I have felt that I was supposed to have 3 kids. I grew up with only one sibling, so I'm not exactly sure where this feeling came from. It was something that I had always planned on. Michael and I got married in 2000 when I was 21 and he was 23. We waited a few years before trying to have any kids. I did get pregnant a few times before we were blessed with our first baby boy Mikey in 2003. Those first pregnancies ended in miscarriage during the early weeks. Mikey was a handful to say the least. He still is! As any parent knows I felt an enormous love for him from the minute he was born. I got pregnant again when Mikey was 9 months old. That pregnancy was a complete shock, but we were up for the challenge. Unfortunately, we lost that baby too. I remember being thankful to God for at least giving me one child. After that loss, we weren't sure that we would try again. The miscarriages were very hard on us, and we were starting to get the mindset that it was OK if Mikey was an only child. Not too long after that, I was pregnant once again. As fast as that pregnancy came, it was taken away. After a little time, we decided to try one more time. If this pregnancy didn't work out, then we were not going to put ourselves through it any more and we would possibly look into adoption later (I'm actually adopted, so that prospect was a little exciting to me).
We were soon blessed with our baby girl, Jovie in 2006. She was a very sweet balance to Mikey and definitely made our family feel complete for a time. After about a year, I felt that pull to have a third child again. I became pregnant quite shockingly. At that time we knew there was a chance that we may lose the baby, but still made plans to prepare for it. We began the process of selling our house to move into something a little bigger. A few days before signing the papers to begin the building of our new home we lost our baby. We were crushed. I knew that I was prone to miscarriage, but it still hit me very hard. We found out a couple of weeks later that the pregnancy had actually been a Molar Pregnancy . Basically, the placenta had formed into an abnormal mass of cysts rather than becoming a viable pregnancy. This meant that I had to be closely monitored by my doctor by having blood drawn every six weeks for six months. If any of those tests came back abnormal, then I was going to have to do rounds of Chemotherapy. That was a very scary time, but we made it through it. It's weird, but I hardly remember the trips to the doctors office, or the testing. Maybe it's because our life was chaotic at the time with the building of our house. Because of the Molar Pregnancy, we could not get pregnant for one year. I thought for sure that we were absolutely done having kids. Obviously we were meant to have two. I had come to accept it and had started to move on. We were now living in our new home, and things just felt right. Although, I must admit that I still had that pull. Michael and I decided that we would try ONE more time. If this baby didn't make it, then we were absolutely done. It's a good thing that we decided to try that one more time because that baby did make it. I was pregnant with Carter.
My whole life I have felt that I was supposed to have 3 kids. I grew up with only one sibling, so I'm not exactly sure where this feeling came from. It was something that I had always planned on. Michael and I got married in 2000 when I was 21 and he was 23. We waited a few years before trying to have any kids. I did get pregnant a few times before we were blessed with our first baby boy Mikey in 2003. Those first pregnancies ended in miscarriage during the early weeks. Mikey was a handful to say the least. He still is! As any parent knows I felt an enormous love for him from the minute he was born. I got pregnant again when Mikey was 9 months old. That pregnancy was a complete shock, but we were up for the challenge. Unfortunately, we lost that baby too. I remember being thankful to God for at least giving me one child. After that loss, we weren't sure that we would try again. The miscarriages were very hard on us, and we were starting to get the mindset that it was OK if Mikey was an only child. Not too long after that, I was pregnant once again. As fast as that pregnancy came, it was taken away. After a little time, we decided to try one more time. If this pregnancy didn't work out, then we were not going to put ourselves through it any more and we would possibly look into adoption later (I'm actually adopted, so that prospect was a little exciting to me).
We were soon blessed with our baby girl, Jovie in 2006. She was a very sweet balance to Mikey and definitely made our family feel complete for a time. After about a year, I felt that pull to have a third child again. I became pregnant quite shockingly. At that time we knew there was a chance that we may lose the baby, but still made plans to prepare for it. We began the process of selling our house to move into something a little bigger. A few days before signing the papers to begin the building of our new home we lost our baby. We were crushed. I knew that I was prone to miscarriage, but it still hit me very hard. We found out a couple of weeks later that the pregnancy had actually been a Molar Pregnancy . Basically, the placenta had formed into an abnormal mass of cysts rather than becoming a viable pregnancy. This meant that I had to be closely monitored by my doctor by having blood drawn every six weeks for six months. If any of those tests came back abnormal, then I was going to have to do rounds of Chemotherapy. That was a very scary time, but we made it through it. It's weird, but I hardly remember the trips to the doctors office, or the testing. Maybe it's because our life was chaotic at the time with the building of our house. Because of the Molar Pregnancy, we could not get pregnant for one year. I thought for sure that we were absolutely done having kids. Obviously we were meant to have two. I had come to accept it and had started to move on. We were now living in our new home, and things just felt right. Although, I must admit that I still had that pull. Michael and I decided that we would try ONE more time. If this baby didn't make it, then we were absolutely done. It's a good thing that we decided to try that one more time because that baby did make it. I was pregnant with Carter.
December 27, 2009
Christmas
Here is the completed Nativity. Isn't it precious? Thank you to our Secret Family for making this holiday season extra special for us. Your notes made us reflect on what Christmas is really about.
Our Christmas was spent at home this year. On Christmas Eve Michael brought home a new Wii game, and we made a bunch of finger foods. We had a few visitors throughout the day which made it even more fun. Here are the kids in their new Christmas jammies.
Carter looked so cute in his big boy jammies. It cracks me up because they are a size 3-6 months.
The kids woke up at about 7:30 Christmas morning. Carter slept in until about 8:00, and then he wanted in on the action.
Major sleepy eye.
Carter loved his new floor mirror.
Check out these gorgeous gifts!
A Secret Santa snuck these gifts into the back of Michael's truck. How sweet is that?! You won't believe what was inside of each one. Each of the kids got some REALLY nice outfits that included socks, pants, shirts, and hoodies from our favorite store. Carter got a very soft blanket too! Then one of them had a huge box of chocolates, a Christmas CD, and a photo keychain. The card was very nice telling us to believe in Santa Claus, and there was a letter that told the story about "Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus". I am seriously floored at how kind this person was to do all of this for us. Your generosity is too much! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. The kids loved their outfits, and they were the perfect size. You'll never know how much this act of kindness has meant to us. We feel very blessed.
We spent the rest of the day hanging out in our pajamas. It was the best Christmas ever!
Carter is nine months old today. Can you believe it? Nine months old. He's moving right along with things. I've noticed that I've been lacking in his therapies for the last couple of weeks with the holidays, so for the last two days we've been doing some major workouts. 
I started him back up on cereal, and as you can see he loves it.
NOT! This is Carter saying "Are you trying to kill me?!?!"
He's actually doing pretty well with it. I just need to stick with it so he can keep getting better at it.
December 24, 2009
Merry Christmas
I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas. We sure have already. Carter decided to give us an early Christmas present by giving us his first chuckle. He's been doing it all day as long as you tickle his thighs or his feet. I guess he felt guilty for putting a damper on Thanksgiving.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
December 22, 2009
Monkey Toes
Last night, I decided to add a list of things that Carter has been diagnosed with over there ------>
The only reason that I did this is for other parents who may stumble upon my blog. I know that it has helped me tremendously to compare Carter's conditions with other children who have a Chromosomal Disorder. I honestly didn't realize how long the list really was until I typed it out. It looks a little overwhelming doesn't it? The good news is that a lot of it can be repaired with surgery, or has already been repaired. The other good news is that it could be a LOT longer. It may even be a lot longer someday, but for now I'm going to stay positive and be thankful that it is what it is. I plan to to go through each thing and explain more fully what it is. I should definitely add extra cuteness and super long toes to it as well :)
December 21, 2009
My Sweetheart
Today was Michael's birthday. He had to work, but once he got home it seemed like we had a lot of visitors and phone calls with birthday wishes. Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate today. I know that it meant a lot to him. I'm very proud of Mike for all of the hard work he does. He really is the best husband that I could have found. I'm a VERY lucky girl!
Jovie had a Preschool program last week, and she looked so pretty. She and her best friend, Lauren are in a class together. As you can see they have similar taste in clothes.
Mikey had a mini talent show in his class on Friday. Michael and the grandmas attended. He was so worried because he "doesn't have a talent....he only knows how to do Kung Fu" which I assure you he does not. We taught him how to say Merry Christmas using Sign Language and he did great! What a cutie. He's getting to be so big.
Carter had his first Synagis shot today. This is the vaccine for RSV, and for a baby his size it costs $2200 a month. He has to have it once a month for 5 months, but THANKFULLY our insurance is covering it. I also swallowed my pride and asked the Pediatrician to fill out a form to get a Handicapped plaquard for our car. I do fine carrying Carter and all of his accessories most of the time....but lately it's been REALLY hard finding a parking spot at the hospital. Usually if I do find one, it's so far away from the building that I'm exhausted by the time I get inside. I usually take the stroller, but there are some appointments where it is such a tight fit. I guess we'll be sportin' a plaquard for awhile.
Our Secret Family is still delivering little surprises to us. The Nativity is almost complete. I'm going to share a picture when it's all done. Our kids kept asking when we could be someone's Secret Family, but since it was a little late to do that, we decided to start leaving little gifts for our Secret Family instead. The kids have had a blast with it.
December 14, 2009
Secret Family and Dance Class
We've had a few little surprises at our doorstep the last few nights. A Secret Family has been leaving us pieces of this adorable Nativity scene with notes telling us how each piece is a symbol of Christmas. The first night we got the background, the second was the Manger, and tonight we got the donkey with the cart. Our kids are LOVING this, and can't wait to see what comes next. I don't know if our Secret Family reads our blog, but if they do Thank you! I can't believe how thoughtful people can be.
Double Post Day!
I'm going to try my hardest to do two posts today. There's been a lot going on, but I just haven't found the time to sit down and write it all out. First, it snowed like crazy here this weekend. Poor Michael somehow got Gout in his foot, so he was down for the count. I took over the snow removal duties. I was so proud of myself for getting everything cleared. Please don't judge me for wearing a Denver Broncos coat. I don't have any snow gear.
As for an update on Carter, he's doing really well. The hospital hasn't called to schedule the EEG yet, so I'm starting to think that we got lost in the shuffle. I'm almost hoping that they don't call. He hasn't had any more episodes, and I'm truly convinced that it was acid reflux. If he does it again, then I'll be concerned. I really don't want to have an unnecessary test done, and at this point I feel like it is.
His upper trunk has gotten strong enough that we can lift him by holding on to his hips, and he keeps himself steady. He's been much more alert and talkative as well. He got really close to rolling onto his tummy yesterday. He got stuck in that position where he didn't know where his arm should go. Michael had to help him over the rest of the way. I think that he has a ways to go before that happens, but at least he's trying. I never thought that I'd get excited over the fact that my baby now lays flat on his back without rolling onto his side, but I am. He tries to reach for the buttons on his piano. He's acting more and more like a 3 month old baby. I took him to Jovie's dance recital today (pics on that later) with the idea that he would have his car seat covered the whole time. Carter had a different idea. He wanted to be able to see his sister dance. Before, he would have been very indifferent to being covered up, but he's wanting to explore his world now. Sweet, sweet boy. He's growing up! Carter and I have caught a cold, but it's really minor and more of an annoyance. He's struggled with eating the last couple of days because of it, but I'm sure he'll be a lot better tomorrow.
December 13, 2009
Michael's Poem
I have a seriously talented husband. He wrote this little "poem" for me today. It's simply perfect! For anyone who doesn't know, Ajax is our dog, and we have a blow up Frosty in our yard.
Twas the night before Christmas when all through our house,
Not a child was sleeping not even a spouse.
The stockings were hung by the fireplace with care
In hopes that Ajax would not reach them up there
The children were all nestled all snug in our bed
While Mikey's snoring was echoing through all of our heads
Mama on her laptop and me on Farmville
Was just getting ready to get half a sleeping pill
When across the room there rose such clatter
Mama raced to Carter's Oximiter to see what’s the matter
Away to Carter's crib she went with a dash
Tripping over Jovie's My Little Pony stash
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Made it so Frosty's blower would not blow
When what our wondering eyes should appear
A big smile from Carter which gave Mama a tear
With Mikey and Jovie wanting a drink
Dada was yelling get your cup from the sink
More rapid than Eagles the kids now run
Mama yelling your going in your own beds when done
Now Mikey now Jovie now Carter and Dada
Get Ajax and Bud get out of my bed
To your rooms you kids go and the cage for the dogs
Everybody to bed so I can finish the blog
With silence at last and all kids all tucked in
Mama and Dada could finally do some cuddlin'
When a knock on the bedroom door should appear
It was Mikey just wondering when he could sneak in here
Now after Midnight the clock shows
We can now finally rest our heads on our pillows
With Mikey, Jovie, and Carter now having sweet dreams
We can all rest and wait to see what Santa Brings
Merry Christmas!
Twas the night before Christmas when all through our house,
Not a child was sleeping not even a spouse.
The stockings were hung by the fireplace with care
In hopes that Ajax would not reach them up there
The children were all nestled all snug in our bed
While Mikey's snoring was echoing through all of our heads
Mama on her laptop and me on Farmville
Was just getting ready to get half a sleeping pill
When across the room there rose such clatter
Mama raced to Carter's Oximiter to see what’s the matter
Away to Carter's crib she went with a dash
Tripping over Jovie's My Little Pony stash
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow
Made it so Frosty's blower would not blow
When what our wondering eyes should appear
A big smile from Carter which gave Mama a tear
With Mikey and Jovie wanting a drink
Dada was yelling get your cup from the sink
More rapid than Eagles the kids now run
Mama yelling your going in your own beds when done
Now Mikey now Jovie now Carter and Dada
Get Ajax and Bud get out of my bed
To your rooms you kids go and the cage for the dogs
Everybody to bed so I can finish the blog
With silence at last and all kids all tucked in
Mama and Dada could finally do some cuddlin'
When a knock on the bedroom door should appear
It was Mikey just wondering when he could sneak in here
Now after Midnight the clock shows
We can now finally rest our heads on our pillows
With Mikey, Jovie, and Carter now having sweet dreams
We can all rest and wait to see what Santa Brings
Merry Christmas!
December 7, 2009
Long Overdue
I've been a terrible blogger lately. Sorry about that.
Honestly, things around here have been pretty dull. I'm NOT complaining, in fact, I prefer it that way, but it makes for pretty boring writing.
The kids had a really fun weekend. After a big storm on Saturday, they got to help Daddy shovel the snow. Jovie would have stayed out there for hours if we would have let her. We also put together a Gingerbread House. The kids thought that was a blast, but promptly started eating the candy off the roof later that night. Otherwise, we just watched all of the big college football games.
Carter has had a good couple of days. He's had a lot of therapy lately, and it seems to be paying off. He still has a very hard time lifting his head while he's on his tummy, BUT his upper trunk is definitely getting stronger. He's not as wobbly when you hold him in the sitting position. He's been rolling from side to side like crazy. In fact, his vision therapist could not get him to stay on one side to concentrate on a toy the other day. Carter just wanted to show off his motor skills instead. Too cute! He's obsessed with the Christmas tree, and would lay on the floor staring at it all day if we let him. I had been holding off on the solid foods lately with everything that happened on Thanksgiving, but decided to start him back up today. He's still trying to learn what to do with the spoon, but he tries very hard. That's all I can ask of him. Here are some pics of him looking at me like "Get out of my way woman, I'm lookin' at my Christmas tree"
December 2, 2009
Therapy
Wow, there has been a lot going on today!
Carter had an appointment with his Pediatrician today. Our little guy now weighs 12 lbs. 8 oz. He's gained one pound in a month!! The Doc agrees with me, and doesn't think that Carter is having seizures, BUT we're going to have an EEG done anyway just to be sure. Carter had one small episode on Sunday morning, but has been free and clear ever since (knock on wood). They're supposed to call me tomorrow with the day and time of the EEG.
Afterwards, Carter had vision therapy and Occupational therapy. I don't usually schedule two therapies in one day, but our vision lady needed to see us today and our OT was already scheduled. It's alright though because Carter rocked in both of them.
He's still just chugging along developmentally. He's rolling from side to side all of the time now, and is raising his legs up higher. I can see that he's getting stronger, but he still doesn't have the strength to lift his head up when he's on his tummy. It will come though, he just needs to keep practicing.
Carter had an appointment with his Pediatrician today. Our little guy now weighs 12 lbs. 8 oz. He's gained one pound in a month!! The Doc agrees with me, and doesn't think that Carter is having seizures, BUT we're going to have an EEG done anyway just to be sure. Carter had one small episode on Sunday morning, but has been free and clear ever since (knock on wood). They're supposed to call me tomorrow with the day and time of the EEG.
Afterwards, Carter had vision therapy and Occupational therapy. I don't usually schedule two therapies in one day, but our vision lady needed to see us today and our OT was already scheduled. It's alright though because Carter rocked in both of them.
He's still just chugging along developmentally. He's rolling from side to side all of the time now, and is raising his legs up higher. I can see that he's getting stronger, but he still doesn't have the strength to lift his head up when he's on his tummy. It will come though, he just needs to keep practicing.
And The Winner Is
Sorry, I'm a little late doing the drawing... Carter's therapies ran a little long today :)
And the winner is:
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
2
Timestamp: 2009-12-02 22:57:10 UTC
Congrats Sarah! Email me at santasletters@hotmail.com for your prize :)
And the winner is:
Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:
2
Timestamp: 2009-12-02 22:57:10 UTC
Congrats Sarah! Email me at santasletters@hotmail.com for your prize :)
November 28, 2009
Jovie's Take On Things
Jovie drew a picture of Carter. Notice that he only has one ear in the picture? Also, he's got his headband on. So cute!!
Carter's had a great couple of days. No more episodes. I really think that acid reflux was to blame.
November 27, 2009
8 Months Old
Today, Carter is 8 months old.
Wow.
It seems like he's always been here :)
Well, Carter decided that he wanted to make life a little more interesting for Thanksgiving. He started having these episodes that look a lot like seizures. I'm not totally convinced that they are seizures though. This might sound crazy, but I'm almost completely confident that they have something to do with acid reflux. Michael has had a bit of a stomach bug this week, and I think that Carter caught it too which maybe made his Prevacid a little less effective. He had four of these episodes yesterday, and they only happened when he fell asleep AND was laying flat. If he was sleeping sitting up, he was just fine. I finally gave him an extra antacid and had him sleep in his swing all night, and he's been completely fine since 8:00 last night. Either way, we're going to make an appointment with a Neurologist. I'm really praying that I'm right about this because it would be a lot less serious than seizures, but if that's what is now in store for us we'll take it on. So, to all of our Primary friends, which Neurologist do you recommend?
Even though we ended up eating our dinner reheated in the microwave since Carter had issues right when we sat down to eat, it was a pretty good Thanksgiving.
Wow.
It seems like he's always been here :)
Well, Carter decided that he wanted to make life a little more interesting for Thanksgiving. He started having these episodes that look a lot like seizures. I'm not totally convinced that they are seizures though. This might sound crazy, but I'm almost completely confident that they have something to do with acid reflux. Michael has had a bit of a stomach bug this week, and I think that Carter caught it too which maybe made his Prevacid a little less effective. He had four of these episodes yesterday, and they only happened when he fell asleep AND was laying flat. If he was sleeping sitting up, he was just fine. I finally gave him an extra antacid and had him sleep in his swing all night, and he's been completely fine since 8:00 last night. Either way, we're going to make an appointment with a Neurologist. I'm really praying that I'm right about this because it would be a lot less serious than seizures, but if that's what is now in store for us we'll take it on. So, to all of our Primary friends, which Neurologist do you recommend?
Even though we ended up eating our dinner reheated in the microwave since Carter had issues right when we sat down to eat, it was a pretty good Thanksgiving.
November 26, 2009
November 22, 2009
'Cause We Need A Little Christmas
I'm trying hard to not use Christmas songs for my titles, but it just comes to me.
We set up our Christmas tree yesterday. I know, I know, it's a little early, but...but...but... Michael was gone for all of December last year, so we feel like we missed out. PLUS, we thought that it would be visually stimulating for Carter. I can justify anything.
We set up our Christmas tree yesterday. I know, I know, it's a little early, but...but...but... Michael was gone for all of December last year, so we feel like we missed out. PLUS, we thought that it would be visually stimulating for Carter. I can justify anything.
Carter loved it!
Michael already has the outside lights up too. I just need to do the Nativity scene and my mantle. I plan to tackle that a little later in the week.
Also, I wanted to let you know that if you were wanting a fully custom Santa letter for your little ones, there are only 2 days left to order to receive the first shipment. You can click on the link in the sidebar to check it out. This is my third year doing this, and it's so much fun!
November 20, 2009
Vacation
Seriously, do you get much cuter than that? I took his O2 off for his bath, and couldn't resist. That's a typical Carter smile right there. Awww. Now, I want to go and wake him up just to kiss his cheeks. This picture makes him look like such a big boy. Sometimes I wonder what Carter would be like if he didn't have a Chromosomal Disorder. The answer is that he wouldn't be Carter. I'm so glad that God sent us THIS little boy. He's the sweetest thing ever! As frustrating as things get with him, it's also so much more fun to raise a special needs child. You get excited over EVERY new thing that they do. Even Mikey will come and tell me if Carter moves his hand in a new way, or smiles at him. It makes life much more exciting.
Today was our first day of vacation. OK, so we're not going anywhere, but Michael is off from work for the next ten days so we're counting it! On our first day of vacation we got our pics done for the Christmas card, and Michael finished putting up the Christmas lights. Exciting eh? That pic isn't going to be posted yet, but let me say that even with all of the flaws, I'm pretty impressed with it considering it was taken with a self timer and a tripod.
Carter had vision therapy today, but wanted no part of it. He's been doing really well with trying to roll over and hold his head up when he's on his tummy. The strength is coming slowly but surely. I'm so glad that we started Physical Therapy recently. I really think that it has helped him. I have it set so that his OT and PT come on opposite weeks, so Carter gets that type of therapy once a week. I also think that we're getting close to the first laugh. If anyone can make him do it, it's going to be Daddy. Carter's starting to really appreciate his jokes. At least someone does. (totally kidding Michael)
November 18, 2009
All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth
Mikey lost another tooth today and Carter's complaining because his sixth is coming in. How is that for irony?
Carter did great at the Audiology appointment. I went into the sound booth with him where he sat on my lap. It's a soundproof room, and the Audiologist would talk through a microphone that would send sound to two different sides of the room (one at a time). She'd check to see if he would respond to it. Carter decided that it would be more fun to talk to himself the whole time. It's all good though. She said that's pretty much what she expected.
Today we've been having mega tummy time trying to get his neck stronger. Carter's not too happy with me, but oh well. The show must go on!
Carter did great at the Audiology appointment. I went into the sound booth with him where he sat on my lap. It's a soundproof room, and the Audiologist would talk through a microphone that would send sound to two different sides of the room (one at a time). She'd check to see if he would respond to it. Carter decided that it would be more fun to talk to himself the whole time. It's all good though. She said that's pretty much what she expected.
Today we've been having mega tummy time trying to get his neck stronger. Carter's not too happy with me, but oh well. The show must go on!
November 17, 2009
My Deal Post
So, there's still not a lot going on here. Carter has an appointment with Audiology today which should be pretty easy. I know that his Audiologist wanted to try the sound booth which will be a new experience for us. Has anyone ever done this? I'm just curious what it's like, and will definitely post pics later.
I've been spending a lot of time online lately just searching for good deals for Christmas. We are trying to do it VERY frugally this year. My proudest moment was when I got a Leap Frog Tag system for Jovie for free! It's a $40 toy that I used a manufacturer coupon for $10, a Target coupon for $10, and a free Target gift card I earned for $20. Pretty sweet huh?! I also price matched the Pictureka Flipper game to $15 and used two $5 coupons (Target and man.) to bring it down to $5. Oh yeah! I plan to go back soon to get two of the $15 Wii or DS games and use the $10 coupon off of 2 that is in the Target book. That's $10 a game.
I've been doing Swagbucks too. I managed to earn $15 in Amazon gift cards that I plan to use toward one of the kids' gifts. So, if you haven't signed up for Swagbucks yet, there's a link on my sidebar. Basically, you earn bucks by using their search engine like you would use Google. It doesn't bring the best results, so I loaded the toolbar and just type my typical websites like Facebook and Ebay into it every time I want to go to there. If you refer friends, you'll also earn a buck for every buck that they earn (did that make sense?!)
If you've got any good deals for my kids, please let me know.
Also, I can get my hands on a few 40% off codes at Kodak, so if you want one of those, shoot me an email at santasletters@hotmail.com.
Now, back to regularly scheduled programming. Wish us luck today at Audiology!
I've been spending a lot of time online lately just searching for good deals for Christmas. We are trying to do it VERY frugally this year. My proudest moment was when I got a Leap Frog Tag system for Jovie for free! It's a $40 toy that I used a manufacturer coupon for $10, a Target coupon for $10, and a free Target gift card I earned for $20. Pretty sweet huh?! I also price matched the Pictureka Flipper game to $15 and used two $5 coupons (Target and man.) to bring it down to $5. Oh yeah! I plan to go back soon to get two of the $15 Wii or DS games and use the $10 coupon off of 2 that is in the Target book. That's $10 a game.
I've been doing Swagbucks too. I managed to earn $15 in Amazon gift cards that I plan to use toward one of the kids' gifts. So, if you haven't signed up for Swagbucks yet, there's a link on my sidebar. Basically, you earn bucks by using their search engine like you would use Google. It doesn't bring the best results, so I loaded the toolbar and just type my typical websites like Facebook and Ebay into it every time I want to go to there. If you refer friends, you'll also earn a buck for every buck that they earn (did that make sense?!)
If you've got any good deals for my kids, please let me know.
Also, I can get my hands on a few 40% off codes at Kodak, so if you want one of those, shoot me an email at santasletters@hotmail.com.
Now, back to regularly scheduled programming. Wish us luck today at Audiology!
November 16, 2009
Somewhat Uneventful
Not much going on here. Carter had his Occupational Therapist come today, and he thought that Carter was doing well with reaching for objects. I was actually really shocked to hear that since it didn't seem as though he was reaching for much to me. The OT showed me some examples of reaching, and he's totally right. Carter's a reacher now lol!
He seems to be getting stronger. We've been doing a LOT of exercises on a Pilates ball, and that seems to be helping. He's started to do that scooting thing where he'll start at one point, and his head will stay in the same spot, but his feet will end up diagonal from where he started. Hey! That's a start!
I'm hoping to get some family pictures done for our Christmas cards.... wish me luck on that. I think that it's tougher to get Michael to do it rather than the kids.
He seems to be getting stronger. We've been doing a LOT of exercises on a Pilates ball, and that seems to be helping. He's started to do that scooting thing where he'll start at one point, and his head will stay in the same spot, but his feet will end up diagonal from where he started. Hey! That's a start!
I'm hoping to get some family pictures done for our Christmas cards.... wish me luck on that. I think that it's tougher to get Michael to do it rather than the kids.
November 13, 2009
Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
You may have noticed the button on the side of my blog. Don't be in denial! Santa is certainly on his way!
Santa and I have been tight for the last few years, and he's put me to work gathering names for his mailing list. This is one of those things that I look forward to every year, and this one is no different. I can't wait for Carter to get his very first letter! If you're interested in having your child's name added, please visit his blog on my sidebar over there ---->
The deadline for ordering for the first shipment is November 27th. There will be two additional shipments in December.
Santa and I have been tight for the last few years, and he's put me to work gathering names for his mailing list. This is one of those things that I look forward to every year, and this one is no different. I can't wait for Carter to get his very first letter! If you're interested in having your child's name added, please visit his blog on my sidebar over there ---->
The deadline for ordering for the first shipment is November 27th. There will be two additional shipments in December.
November 10, 2009
Thank You Lord
I didn't expect much from Carter's hearing aid.
In fact, I expected him to be very upset about it and not tolerate it.
I was WAY wrong.
I just played with Carter for the first time since we've been home, and he is a COMPLETELY different kid. He's actually looking at me when I talk to him and not looking all around me. He's smiling easily at everything I say. I am floored. Seriously, floored. We are very thankful today.
In fact, I expected him to be very upset about it and not tolerate it.
I was WAY wrong.
I just played with Carter for the first time since we've been home, and he is a COMPLETELY different kid. He's actually looking at me when I talk to him and not looking all around me. He's smiling easily at everything I say. I am floored. Seriously, floored. We are very thankful today.
Do You Hear What I Hear?
It's here! It's here! Now, Carter can hear!
The headband isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It ended up being all denim without stripes (thank goodness!) He looks a little like a pirate to me. I'm definitely ordering some different colors, and Grandma Sherie needs to get hard at work sewing him some new ones as well.
Carter reacted much better than I thought he would. He just sat very still and tried to figure out what was going on. He's been very happy since we've been home and just seems to be adjusting to his new sense well. We got to try out the bone oscillator, and it just sounds like he's listening to stuff through a radio. I'm actually pretty impressed with how well it works.
I'm hoping that this really opens up a new world for him. I'm patiently waiting to see what happens.
Notice the guitar shirt in celebration of being able to hear music and Bon Jovi's new album.
Mikey had his parent teacher conference today. His teacher says that he's doing great. She noted that he's a very hard working and shy little boy. I'm not sure that we were talking about the same kid. *sigh*
November 9, 2009
Orton Hears A Who...
Strange title for a post huh.
We're watching the Broncos game while Michael paces back and forth yelling at Kyle Orton to put a drive together. It brought to mind the fantasy football team name that Michael came up with and hence the title of my post was born.
I found it a little ironic since tomorrow Carter *should* be getting his hearing aid. I just might lose it if the Audiologist calls to postpone. I'm ready for our two month break from doctors and appointments to begin. Only therapies at home for the next couple of months once we get this one under our belt.
Mikey is feeling much better. In fact, he's been driving me crazy today with all of his energy. Thank goodness he can return to school tomorrow.
Wish us luck tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have some pics to post of the denim and white headband!
We're watching the Broncos game while Michael paces back and forth yelling at Kyle Orton to put a drive together. It brought to mind the fantasy football team name that Michael came up with and hence the title of my post was born.
I found it a little ironic since tomorrow Carter *should* be getting his hearing aid. I just might lose it if the Audiologist calls to postpone. I'm ready for our two month break from doctors and appointments to begin. Only therapies at home for the next couple of months once we get this one under our belt.
Mikey is feeling much better. In fact, he's been driving me crazy today with all of his energy. Thank goodness he can return to school tomorrow.
Wish us luck tomorrow, and hopefully I'll have some pics to post of the denim and white headband!
November 8, 2009
Strep. Yep, I said it. Strep.
Mikey has Strep. I must say that I'm not surprised since it seems like he gets some sort of throat illness every Fall. He told me late Friday that he had a sore throat. I pushed it off as no big deal. On Saturday he was running a fever of about 100 for most of the day, but Tylenol knocked it down a bit. Still had a sore throat.
He started to act much better, so I thought it was probably just a little bug. I made a doc appointment for that night, but since he was doing better I cancelled it. I was afraid of taking him amongst the "flu ridden".
Sunday morning he woke up with no fever, but a little sore throat. I made another appointment, but he came right out of it again. He acted COMPLETELY fine, so I cancelled it again.
Finally, by afternoon he said his throat hurt again so I made an appt and stuck to it.
He has Strep.
He's on antibiotics.
I'm going to bed now.
He started to act much better, so I thought it was probably just a little bug. I made a doc appointment for that night, but since he was doing better I cancelled it. I was afraid of taking him amongst the "flu ridden".
Sunday morning he woke up with no fever, but a little sore throat. I made another appointment, but he came right out of it again. He acted COMPLETELY fine, so I cancelled it again.
Finally, by afternoon he said his throat hurt again so I made an appt and stuck to it.
He has Strep.
He's on antibiotics.
I'm going to bed now.
The Big Move
Carter made a big move this weekend.
When he sleeps, he usually sleeps here (picture a pack and play there). About a foot away from Mama.
Now, he sleeps here:
About 10 feet away from Mama.
OK, so maybe it wasn't a "big" move, but it was big for Carter and me.
We had been using a Pack and Play as a crib next to me, but it just wasn't working for us any more, so we moved Carter's crib into our room. I wish we would have done it a LOT sooner because everyone seems so much more comfortable. Michael even put up a shelf above his crib that holds his monitor, diapers, and feeding bag. I cleaned out a drawer in our dresser for extra blankets and jammies since he has a tendency to need a change in the middle of the night. I think that he likes the new sleeping arrangement.
Mikey is sick. I've been holding off on taking him to the doc, but am finally giving in this afternoon. He's got a low fever and sore throat, so I'm guessing that he's been plagued by the Tonsilitis which gets him every Fall. Wish us luck!
November 7, 2009
Sobering
My heart is broken today.
Recently, I have gotten quite involved in the blog world of special needs children. It helps to know that there are other parents out there dealing with similar issues, and to read that they have the same struggles. I can't even begin to put into words how much it helps to have this support. Today, my heart is broken for a family. There is a sweet little boy out there who is spending his last moments on Earth. He has touched MANY lives in his short three years and will likely touch many more just today alone. If you get a chance, take a peek at this family's blog. They could really use some prayers today. Gavin Owens .
I have other stuff to post, but not today.
Recently, I have gotten quite involved in the blog world of special needs children. It helps to know that there are other parents out there dealing with similar issues, and to read that they have the same struggles. I can't even begin to put into words how much it helps to have this support. Today, my heart is broken for a family. There is a sweet little boy out there who is spending his last moments on Earth. He has touched MANY lives in his short three years and will likely touch many more just today alone. If you get a chance, take a peek at this family's blog. They could really use some prayers today. Gavin Owens .
I have other stuff to post, but not today.
November 5, 2009
The Good Doctor
Carter had an appointment with his Pulmonologist today to discuss the results of his sleep study. After I left, I started to think about how much I really appreciate her and everything she does for Carter. It's a long drive home, so I had a lot of time to process what had happened and how I felt about it.
It seems like ages ago that we were sitting in the hospital room with a doctor who looked like he couldn't be more than twelve years old. This doc was pretty much telling us that Carter needed a Tracheostomy, and he needed it now. Many of the reasons he gave were valid, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to take that step quite yet. I'm not even sure that this particular doctor ever even used Carter's name. It seemed as though he was more intrigued by Carter's genetics than by Carter himself. It was at that point that we made a turning point in our parenting style for Carter. Up until then we had taken everything that the docs had told us almost as the word of God. It didn't matter that we didn't really think that he needed a heart cath....we agreed to it because the doc told us it was the right thing to do. After nine days in the hospital (because of the heart cath) we knew that we absolutely had to stand up for what Carter needed. We had enough of the hospital treating our son like a guinea pig because of his genetics.
That wasn't the only time that Carter was treated that way. After his cleft lip/palate surgery, we had a resident who was going over Carter's history with us. Granted, Carter's medical files can be quite overwhelming especially when it's the first time you get his case, but he was only supposed to spend one night in this unit before being discharged. As this resident checked him over, I did not get a warm fuzzy feeling AT.ALL. She kept drilling me about all of his medical problems and asked me over and over what was being done for each and every.little.thing. After her exam (when I started getting a bit nasty with her), she told us what her "plan" for Carter was. She acted like she was taking on the role as his new Pediatrician and wanted to change his feedings and such. Instead of one more night in the hospital, she was acting like he was going to be there for a few more weeks while she put her "plan" into action. Then she proceeded to tell us "obviously I can't fix everything that is wrong with him on this visit, but I'll do what I can". What?! Carter had been doing wonderfully and just needed to finish recovery from his surgery. We weren't there for anything else. This experience just made us even more protective of him. The point I'm making is that I can't stand it when some of these doctors act like Carter is just a giant folder of medical history. He is a person too. Yes, his genetics are a little different, but he is a person and deserves to be treated as one.
I know that this is probably not making any sense, but it is something that I thought about as I took my long drive home today. We had such a good visit with the Pulmonologist and I realized that part of the reason was that this doctor treats him like a person. She continually played with him during the entire conversation. She kept telling him how cute he was and how proud of him she was. She couldn't wait to see who he would grow into and couldn't believe how far he had come. After reading his sleep study, the doc decided that Carter just needs a little more Oxygen while he sleeps. We're upping him to 1 liter at night, and she told me that we could take him off of the O2 during the day as long as his saturation stays in the 90's. For the most part he can do room air while awake, so we just need to get him used to it a little more. The doc did tell me that she thought that some other docs might not care for her decision to not try him on CPAP, but she was looking out for Carter and truly thought this is what is best for him. She told us to come back in ONE YEAR (wow!) for another sleep study UNLESS anything came up that we needed her for. She told me that she is always there for Carter. Oh, and she also said that she expected that his next sleep study will have improved significantly over this one. Only time will tell.
It seems like ages ago that we were sitting in the hospital room with a doctor who looked like he couldn't be more than twelve years old. This doc was pretty much telling us that Carter needed a Tracheostomy, and he needed it now. Many of the reasons he gave were valid, but we just couldn't bring ourselves to take that step quite yet. I'm not even sure that this particular doctor ever even used Carter's name. It seemed as though he was more intrigued by Carter's genetics than by Carter himself. It was at that point that we made a turning point in our parenting style for Carter. Up until then we had taken everything that the docs had told us almost as the word of God. It didn't matter that we didn't really think that he needed a heart cath....we agreed to it because the doc told us it was the right thing to do. After nine days in the hospital (because of the heart cath) we knew that we absolutely had to stand up for what Carter needed. We had enough of the hospital treating our son like a guinea pig because of his genetics.
That wasn't the only time that Carter was treated that way. After his cleft lip/palate surgery, we had a resident who was going over Carter's history with us. Granted, Carter's medical files can be quite overwhelming especially when it's the first time you get his case, but he was only supposed to spend one night in this unit before being discharged. As this resident checked him over, I did not get a warm fuzzy feeling AT.ALL. She kept drilling me about all of his medical problems and asked me over and over what was being done for each and every.little.thing. After her exam (when I started getting a bit nasty with her), she told us what her "plan" for Carter was. She acted like she was taking on the role as his new Pediatrician and wanted to change his feedings and such. Instead of one more night in the hospital, she was acting like he was going to be there for a few more weeks while she put her "plan" into action. Then she proceeded to tell us "obviously I can't fix everything that is wrong with him on this visit, but I'll do what I can". What?! Carter had been doing wonderfully and just needed to finish recovery from his surgery. We weren't there for anything else. This experience just made us even more protective of him. The point I'm making is that I can't stand it when some of these doctors act like Carter is just a giant folder of medical history. He is a person too. Yes, his genetics are a little different, but he is a person and deserves to be treated as one.
I know that this is probably not making any sense, but it is something that I thought about as I took my long drive home today. We had such a good visit with the Pulmonologist and I realized that part of the reason was that this doctor treats him like a person. She continually played with him during the entire conversation. She kept telling him how cute he was and how proud of him she was. She couldn't wait to see who he would grow into and couldn't believe how far he had come. After reading his sleep study, the doc decided that Carter just needs a little more Oxygen while he sleeps. We're upping him to 1 liter at night, and she told me that we could take him off of the O2 during the day as long as his saturation stays in the 90's. For the most part he can do room air while awake, so we just need to get him used to it a little more. The doc did tell me that she thought that some other docs might not care for her decision to not try him on CPAP, but she was looking out for Carter and truly thought this is what is best for him. She told us to come back in ONE YEAR (wow!) for another sleep study UNLESS anything came up that we needed her for. She told me that she is always there for Carter. Oh, and she also said that she expected that his next sleep study will have improved significantly over this one. Only time will tell.
November 3, 2009
Photocard Designs
So, I've been meaning to make this post for awhile. After Carter was born, my friend Crystal offered to do his birth announcements for us. I wanted to wait until he was actually home, and did a welcome home announcement. She did such a wonderful job customizing it for us. Check this out!
My point is, if you're looking for some fresh Christmas cards this season then you definitely need to check out Crystal's site: http://www.photocarddesigns.com/ . There is a link on the sidebar.
Dang it!
Carter's hearing aid came in all wrong, so now we have to wait another week. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Today Is The Day...
That Carter will get his hearing aid. His appointment is at 4:00, so wish us luck! I'm so excited to be moving forward with something.
November 2, 2009
News Story
As promised, here is the article that appeared in Mike's work newsletter. I think that the reporter did an awesome job. Mike told her that she could use any pics off of our blog that she wanted, and this is the one she chose. Click on it to see it bigger. Enjoy!
November 1, 2009
Our Halloween
I haven't gotten that article scanned in yet, so I'm going to try my very hardest to get it posted tomorrow. Instead, here's how our Halloween went...
The kids had a fun time. I felt like a bad mom because we didn't even carve our pumpkins until Halloween day. Ughhh! I hate it when I procrastinate (which if you know me, I do a lot of) and end up rushing things like this. In my defense, we had planned on doing it the night before, but time got away from us because Carter had a random bad day with his breathing. Here are the older kids carving away. Jovie's pumpkin was so tiny but took the longest to get the seeds out of. It was one of those rare moments when Mikey was being extremely helpful and cute about getting all of the seeds out. Carter slept through all of it.
Here's the very cute outfit that my grandma sent for Carter. Awww...isn't he the most precious boy! He had just woken up so there were no smiles coming from him. Can't you see how he would have a crooked smile...just like Edward?
Finally, it was time for the good ole' trick or treating. Jovie was thrilled that we colored her hair purple. Carter is looking at me like "seriously... what are we doing?", and Mikey was all business. Get the candy and move on!
We have another big week ahead of us. Tuesday is the big "hearing aid day" for Carter. We're so excited! Thursday we meet with the Pulmonologist to discuss the sleep study. She already sent us a letter with the results, so we know that she thinks that CPAP would be beneficial to him. No problem... bring it on!
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