December Update!

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! Things went pretty well here. We spent Friday and Saturday at my parents, Sunday at the in-laws and then we were home for Christmas Eve and day and had Pete and my parents over for dinner.

Jacob's 2nd Christmas went fairly well. He loves ALL of his gifts, but I think he was a little overwhelmed and on Christmas day Jacob decided to spike a high (104) fever and since came down with a rash which has been diagnosed as Roseola. While Roseola isn't supposed to cause a lot of discomfort, the past three days with Jacob have been a nightmare. He has been cranky, irritable and inconsolable. We took him back to the doctor today and they are just as mystified as we are... which makes me so nervous that this will never go away! He is a completely different kid... and for that matter, one that I do not like!

In other news, we had an ob appointment today and everything looks good. I'm measuring about 28cm (just a tad larger than expected), heart rate was about 135 (which seemed slow to me after drinking the glucola! Yikes, maybe I've been drinking too many soda's and Brody is used to it!!), and I'm now on appointments every 2wks, although our schedule is going to get screwed up when we go to Utah - that will make for a 3wk lapse. I've also gained about 10lbs, which is no surprise to me, especially after all the good food from the Holidays. Our ultrasound to check on the placenta previa has been scheduled for Monday, Jan. 14th. I'll attach a belly pic that we took last week. Unfortunately, I did a terrible job at taking pictures this year for Christmas, so I really don't have any of Jacob opening gifts, etc. :(

Aaron turned 35 on the 19th. I feel bad, it was pretty uneventful. Not like he would have liked some big party or something, but usually we go away for a night at a ski resort which we both enjoy doing (whether I'm skiing or not) and this year the weekends just didn't work out. I hope we work it out to go in the next few weeks, because turning 35 IS a big deal and we should celebrate in style!

I think that is about it really - oh, and I don't think I've mentioned the Utah trip before today... we booked that recently and the three of us and mom will be heading out on January 19th until the 25th. We are definitely looking forward to seeing Tom and Natalie and meeting baby Owen for the first time!

Hope everyone has a GREAT New Years! No plans on our end, but we are both looking forward to having a couple days off work together!

Oh, and to answer some FAQ's about Jacob snowboarding:

1. How long has Jacob been practicing? Jacob has been on the snowboard a total of 3 times, probably for about 10 minutes each time. The most recent video I posted was the 2nd time Jacob was out!

2. Where did you get that board? MC Sports. Of course with a dad that snowboards all the time like Aaron, he wouldn't let his son's first snowboard be anything but the best. It's a burton, with burton bindings and his regular snowboots. Both board and bindings are last years model and we had a gift certificate for MC's, thank goodness! We got a deal on the set up, not like that would have mattered to Aaron....

3. Where is his helmet? Good question! Jacob has a head that is in the 90th percentile, but do you think we can find a helmet small enough?! So if anyone happens to come across an infant sized helmet that wont cause neck damage, let us know! Until then, I think we are pretty safe with Aaron beside him in our front yard.

Look ma, no hands!!

Jacob Peed on the Potty!

We purchased a potty for Jacob this past weekend and have been sitting him on it (fully clothed) ocassionally when we go in to use the bathroom. Tonight I was getting Jacob ready for a bath and set him on it before and after his bath and HOLY SMOKES, he went both times!!!! I feel bad, I completely underestimated him! So my baby is finally potty trained :) Just kidding, we aren't going to give him any pressure until AFTER the baby comes and he has adjusted to that, but I'm just so glad that we have come this far!

Oh, the things you get excited about after you have kids... hey, those diapers are expensive!

Pictures from Family Christmas in Belding...

Santa Pictures

Comparison Belly Pics

Top ones are from 22wks (white tank) two weeks ago and then the bottom ones (pink tank) are from tonight at 24wks. Not too much of a difference, but definitely growing!

My boy's got skills...

So Aaron and I both learned something this holiday season. Aaron learned that kitchens aren't too girly for boys and I learned that Jacob isn't too young to start snowboarding.

We also learned that whoever came up with the expression "Like taking candy from a baby" was either grossly misinterpreted or never had kids. I got some highlights and a haircut on Friday and Aaron and Jacob came to pick me up. While my hairdresser was putting the final touches on me, I asked her if she wanted to try to cut Jacob's potential mullet. So we gave Jacob a sucker and she was able to clean him up pretty well! He moved around a lot, but she was quick and able to do a much better job than Aaron or I could give him. Things took a turn for the worse though when we returned to the car and took the sucker away from Jacob. (We didn't want him to have it when we couldn't watch him very well - also, he was a huge sticky mess). Jacob did the wide open-mouth cry where nothing comes out FOREVER. He cried harder over that darn sucker than he has cried about anything in his life! It was so sad! Aaron and I felt terrible and needless to say we were thinking "What kind of idiot thinks it's easy to take candy from a baby?!"

Thanks to everyone for their kind words and support.

Things are going pretty good now. It was such a turbulent relationship that it was/is difficult to know exactly how to feel about this news. And while their were many ups and downs, I think that all of us kids knew (know) that he loved us very much. I feel like I have a lot of regrets, but yet I'm not sure if I would change anything, it's just hard since its so final. I guess it just would have been nice if things were different, but we are blessed to have Bruce in our lives to provide the stability and day to day support.

Obviously this affected Tom and Natalie the most and they are doing pretty much how you would expect. We are planning on visiting with them in mid-January to hopefully take care of things and lift their spirits with some familiar faces. Then sometime this spring/summer they will return to Michigan with the ashes and we will place half in a plot next to Grandma Hilley and the other half at the lake in Harrison. The cabin there is no longer in the family, so I think I'll see if there are any cabins we can rent and maybe hang out and share stories from the good times.

Oh, and I guess the autopsy revealed that he died from a heart attack, he was 62.

My dad passed away...

Found out tonight that my dad passed away. I don't know too many details other than they are taking him to Salt Lake for an autopsy. I guess the police scared nearly everyone in Utah, leaving random messages without clarifying which Tom Hilley has passed. In addition, they asked Natalie to pick up his belongings from the hotel he was staying in and did not inform her that his body was still there. I'm feeling lots of things right now, but mostly just sadness for my brother Tom, who God love him, gave our dad many more chances than Mark and I ever considered. And I'm sorry for Natalie, its been a rough couple weeks for her and now a very difficult night.

I don't have much else to say, just that Tom and Natalie especially could use some prayers.

Some Sears Pics......

22 week Belly Photos...

We just got back from getting Jacob and Noah's pictures together. Ugh, that was a nightmare, Lisa and I were both exhausted. Amazingly, there were a few that were ok, once I get the link I'll post them so you can check them out too.

Appointment Update

Well we just returned from our 22wk appointment and all looks good. The doctor confirmed just what Julie said, that the low-lying placenta is common and almost always moves. At my next appointment on Dec. 28th we will schedule another ultrasound to take place between 28-32 weeks to confirm it has moved, so that should be happening in mid to late January. I'm already looking forward to getting another glance at the little fella!

She had a hard time finding the heartbeat, which sucked because it really started to hurt as she was looking for it. I wasn't concerned about the baby though because I could feel the little one moving around while she was trying to find it. I think he was trying to hide from her. Once she found it though it sounded good and was 145. Fundal height is 23cm, growing right on schedule. Oh and I've finally started gaining weight, +3lbs, which isn't too bad considering how good thanksgiving dinner was! (Thanks mom & Bruce!)

In other news, Aaron has now felt the little one move. His first kick was last week Tuesday and then he felt him again a couple more times since then! It's been very exciting for us both! Definitely my favorite part of the pregnancy.

Still don't have any new belly photos, I'll try to get that done tonight, but I don't think I've changed much.

More New Tricks...

Jacob is keeping us on our toes and learning new tricks. His latest is opening his dresser drawer and emptying it. Then he likes to do a celebratory touchdown-like dance and parade and stomp all over the clothes he just emptied out of his dresser. He is very proud of his handy work.

Jacob also learned how to clean the toilet. We usually leave the bathroom door shut to keep Jacob from unrolling the remaining toilet paper off the roll, but sometimes we forget. When we forget to keep the door closed, we at least hope we remembered to keep the toilet seat down. On this particular day, we (I) forgot to do both. So while I am busy folding laundry I suddenly realize Jacob is being quiet. I sneak up on him in the bathroom to find that he unrolled the entire toilet paper roll and put it ALL in the toilet. What is worse is that he didn't just 'place' it in there and let it be, he was splashing around, pulling it in and out, making a huge, wet, gross mess. Who knows, maybe he was just trying to clean the toilet for me?

Despite his naughty behavior, we purchased a play kitchen for him for Christmas, much to Aaron's chagrin. Since assembling the kitchen though, Aaron has come around, because he instantly realized how much Jacob LOVES it. He played with it all night and then after he fell asleep we hid it. That is one of the nicest things about Christmas with an 18month old, we can shop, assemble and wrap his gifts right in front of him and then he is STILL surprised on Christmas morning.

Guess that is about all for now. Tomorrow we have an OB appointment and then we are taking Jacob and Noah to get some pictures taken together. Wish us luck, I'm sure we will need it!

Plenty to be thankful for...

Well, the halfway point of this pregnancy has been reached... and is now behind us! I'm slowly adjusting to the realization that I am going to be the mom of two boys. If I could only work something out where I get a nickle for everytime in the future I am going to be yelling "BOYS!!!!", I think I would have a very comfortable future. We are excited though, Jacob's spirit and personality is so big and he brings so much to our lives that it's hard to imagine another personality like that in this home! My next doctor appointment is in a week. Our camera battery needed to be recharged, so now that it is all set I'll have Aaron take another photo and I'll add another belly photo soon.

Jacob is doing good. He is officially 18months old tomorrow, but our appointments are a little off, so his well baby check up is next month. He is back into books now. He went through a phase where he only wanted you to read the book for 1.2 seconds and then he was on to the next thing, but now he will sit through most of his small books. He is also really into identifying things on the pages (kitty, moon, dog, etc.). His vocabulary is growing, but most people (including Aaron and I) have no idea what he is saying. I would say that Jacob is learning new words, and while that is true, I think mostly Aaron and I are learning that Jacob already knows a lot of words and we are just kind of putting it all together. Whoops! Jacob's favorite word of the moment is HOT. He uses it for everything that may at one time or another be hot. Even if it's not hot right now. The stove, his food, a fire place, my curling iron, etc. Luckily this is one of his words that even strangers can understand.

Aaron is doing good too. He had a good time at deer camp with Bruce and was able to get a 4 point, so he is happy. He missed hanging out with Mark this year though - Mark was in Orlando, having fun with his family and NOT missing Aaron!

Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving and safe travels!!
~Danielle

OH BOY!!!

Here are some pics of the little one...

Uh oh, I'm totally outnumbered....

Looks like another one for TEAM BLUE!!!!! The little man was not shy at all! Our ultrasound went really well. We got a good, informative technician, which really makes the experience that much more enjoyable. Austin/Brody? is measuring a couple days ahead - 20w3d with a due date of 3/24/08, but usually they don't change your original due date unless it is off by more than 2wks. He currently weighs 12oz (Jacob only weighed 10oz at his big u/s). He looks very healthy and was very active! He does look pretty cramped up in there though, he was kissing his knees with his feet way up over his head! My placenta is in the front, which explains why it took so long for me to feel the little bugger. The only cause for concern is that my placenta is less than 1cm away from my cervix. The technician said that I will probably end up with another ultrasound around 7-8 months to see if it has moved, so send some prayers that it DOES move and away from the cervix! Julie - your insight? What do you think this means for my chances of having a vaginal delivery?

I'll try to scan some photos in tomorrow.
~Danielle

Future Ultimate Frisbee Allstar....

Aaron and I rarely eat out at restaurants with Jacob anymore. Occasionally we will attempt it, but we've learned a few things. Such as eat at family friendly restaurants that either serve the food very quickly (Rancho Grande) or have a game room where Jacob can roam (Sugarfoot). Unfortunately, our main choices are mexican. Anyways, we decided to brave the waters once again and venture away from our 2 safety nets and try CrackerBarrel with my parents. As usual, Jacob started off deceptively well. He was quiet, well-behaved and looked cute. Just long enough for Aaron and I to let our guard down and order our meals (about 15 minutes). Then... he had it. Apparently, Jacob did NOT like the small plate that was placed in front of him with perfect little bites of food. With Peggy-like speed and accuracy, Jacob tossed the disc, errr, plate across the restaurant and it went crashing to the ground, shattering into pieces. Luckily he threw it pretty far, so it wasn't completely obvious that the disturbance was caused by our table. Guess we will stick with mexican for a bit longer.

Scoreboard:

Jacob: 1

Crackerbarrel: 0

Here is a pic of the troublemaker. Don't let that smile fool you... he is up to something naughty!

CONGRATULATIONS JOE & SHANNON!

Congrats to Joe and Shannon on the birth of their first child, Cadence Grace! Shannon's water broke around 2pm yesterday and Cadence arrived at 9:30pm! Um, I'm just a little jealous!!!! I felt like I was in labor with Jacob for D A Y S!!!!! Everybody is healthy and happy and Shannon sounded amazing, what a trooper! Shannon and I worked together at GRPD and she and her husband now live in Arizona.

Vote for your favorite baby name on the left!!!

We are having trouble deciding on a name, help us out! My personal favorite boy name is Brody, but I am a little hesitant to give our son the initials "BS". We are also having trouble coming up with middle names for girls, please add any suggestions! Oh, and what do you think about the nickname of Josie for Jocelynne?

Thanks for your help!

Belly Photo...

This was taken today at ~19wks....

We did a little shopping today and boy is Christmas going to be fun this year! Jacob was REALLY into all the toys, our possibilites are endless. Jacob also loved the Christmas trees, so that will be fun too.

Oh and in response to Kim and Peggy's comments... Well, I had initially thought the winner would just get bragging rights, but we COULD make it interesting... pick the name maybe? Or maybe just a couple bucks? :)

Halloween and other news!

Wow, November already! Sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I started a post a week ago and I must have been in a bad mood or something because I was annoyed reading it back to myself. So here we go again.

Jacob was a Lion for Halloween and wore his costume for the most part. We didn't do anything last night, but on Friday we met Lisa and Noah downtown for the crazy-busy trick or treating they have down there. It worked out perfectly and the weather was actually pleasant! The boys were both pretty overwhelmed and just kind of stared at everything, but neither one of them were spooked by the scary costumes, so I would say it was a success. Afterwards we enjoyed some pizza together and watched Noah take his FIRST STEPS!!! There are few things more exciting than watching a baby learn to walk! And boy has he taken off, I saw him today and he is doing so great. You can tell that he is ready to run and catch up to Jacob, now if only those legs would cooperate...

Ever since I went part time I've been looking into things to do with Jacob that would provide him with more social interaction (and myself since we still don't know too many people up here). I've even resorted to letting him play at the kids area in the mall... something I said I would NEVER do before I had kids :) It's been a challenge finding programs that are available on the two days I am home and that aren't geared towards kids with special needs, but luckily, thanks to a lady I ran into at the mall who owns a restaurant that we frequent, I learned of kindergym. Kindergym is exactly what I was looking for... it's an hour each Thursday and for 45minutes the kids have free play and then the last 15minutes is kind of organized songs and such. We've gone twice so far and its been fun! I think I should have exposed Jacob to this type of environment MUCH sooner though, because he hates the organized 15minutes where you have to sit down. He is the ONLY kid that doesn't cooperate. Even the kids that aren't 'active' participants, will just sit quietly on their parents laps... NOT Jacob. He insists on running around, trying to escape and playing with the toys. I am sweating and can't catch my breath by the time I leave this place because I'm the only mom who is tackling their son and wrestling with him to stay put, GEESH! I keep hoping that he is just going to get used to it, but unfortunately there are only two classes left and we will miss next weeks because I have my BIG ULTRASOUND and then the classes don't start up again until spring :(. Oh well... maybe I'll find something closer.

Baby Update: We had a doctor appointment on Monday and all looks good. My fundal height (uterus) is measuring 19cm - it's supposed to correlate with the # of weeks pg you are, but as long as it's within 2cm you are good - I'm 18wks, so things are good :) Heartbeat was in the 145's, which I looked up Jacob's at this point and it was the same. Not sure if that means anything other than a healthy heartbeat! I haven't gained a pound, but I didn't gain any weight with Jacob at this point either... it was in about 2-4wks when all of a sudden... it caught up to me! Everything else looks good. She did say that she would prefer we not fly in February, so we are trying to figure out if we are going to visit Tom, Natalie and Owen in January or wait until a year from now... the only bad thing about that is we will have to pay for Jacobs seat since he will be over the age of 2, BOOO. We'll see.... In other baby news, the ultrasound is only ONE week away, so put your guess in now at the link to your left! Also, I have FINALLY began to feel undeniable movement and I love it. Crazy thing is, as sick as I have felt, feeling the baby makes me finally really feel pregnant! I'll start posting belly pics soon, but I don't have a cute belly yet. In certain clothes I look huge, but most of the time, I just feel fat :(

In other news... Mom just got back from visiting the new parents and the cutest baby ever, Owen. Poor Natalie has had a very difficult recovery and has been fighting a serious infection in her uterus which has landed them in the ER at least once :( Natalie has been receiving very strong antibiotic injections and mom thinks she is finally on the road to recovery, so send some prayers their way that this ordeal can be over.

Things have been a bit stressful here. Last Wednesday, Aaron was notified that this hatchery (and one other one) would be closing November 1st. There were so many possibilities of what this meant for us, it was too much to even try to figure out, so we did our best to ride it out and luckily, things have taken a bit of a turn. This Wednesday, it appears as though the leg*slatures have prohibited any hatcheries closing (ever), so that is one relief. There will be several cuts in the months to come however, especially if a license fee increase doesn't happen (which they have until Jan. 15th to pass). There hasn't been an increase in 11years, but unfortunately there is a strong opposition to it. We don't *think* it will effect Aaron, but it may for some of his coworkers, but we could still use some prayers! All of this information has been in the papers, if I did a bad job explaining this, feel free to check it out there! Anyways, bottom line is that we can breathe a sigh of relief for awhile.

Guess that is it! I'll be writing next Thursday for sure with some big news (hopefully), if not before then.

~Danielle

Jacob, Lately

Here is a list of the bosses current likes and dislikes:

Likes:

• Wearing mommy and daddy's shoes around the house


• Playing hockey


• Candy, pop, sweets (thanks, grandpa Bruce)


• Anything he is NOT supposed to have


• Throwing things


• Pinching mommy (luckily, biting has mostly subsided)


• Apples


• Putting cords, strings, etc. around his neck


• Pulling himself up on the stove (by standing on the bottom drawer)


• Finding his belly button


• Finding YOUR belly button


• LOVES looking at the fish at the weir and in the raceways


• Standing/balancing on things (kitchen table, riding toys, etc.)


• "Driving" our cars


• And he STILL loves being outside (I'm bracing myself for a very cold winter!)
  
  

Dislikes: Haven't changed too much...

• Halloween costumes


• Eating at restaurants


• Bath time, go figure, this used to be under the "likes"


• Sharing, except when it comes to dinner with Roxy


• Goodbye's

Happy Birthday Owen!!!

It's official, Tom and Natalie are parents! Owen Edward was born today via C-section after Natalie's induction stalled at 4cm. Owen weighed in at 7lbs 10oz and was 21" long with blondish-red hair! He scored an 8 and 9 on his APGAR and everybody is in good health. CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Can't wait to meet my newest nephew...

Big Day...

Not too much to report except that my nephew is going to be born TODAY!!! I get my updates from Mom and here is what she has told me so far... they arrived at the hospital this morning (for their scheduled induction as she is overdue) and Natalie was already contracting on her own and they were 'uncomfortable' at this point. They were going to start pitocin to speed them up. Around 2pm (our time) she got her epidural and mom did a bad job updating me because she didn't tell me how dilated she was or anything (she was on the golf course). So, very exciting. I hope they are doing ok. I think they were both very freaked about the birthing process, so hopefully they have some excellent doctors and nurses guiding them through it. I'm guessing it's going to be a BIG boy and I'm so curious what they are going to name him! I'll keep you posted!

In other news, Aaron is assisting the fire safety officers with a fire near Thompsonville (Crystal Mountain). He ASSURED me that it would be safe and he was only doing clean up work and that he would keep in touch. Haven't heard from him all day. But I gotta feeling he is doing just fine, I'm just a little curious when he will be home! I better go turn the A/C up full blast... not only is he wearing a big protective fire suit, but it is unseasonably HOT here - 81 degrees and HUMID!!!

October!

On Friday, Aaron and 35,000 others were told not to appear for work on Monday and every day thereafter until an agreement was reached on the State's budget. Luckily, an agreement was made before Monday (or I should say VERY early on Monday), so we didn't have to deal with any days without pay. Still made for an uncomfortable weekend though, not knowing... well, anything, really. Thank goodness. I wasn't worried though because in five years, I'm going to be blown away :)

Jacob is doing much better. Still has a runny nose, but as long as that is his only complaint, I can handle it. He is officially back to sleeping through the night (thank God), but is pretty difficult for naps. Aaron has him tomorrow, good luck, hon.

We received the preliminary results on the NT scan and they are NORMAL! :) The doctor is extra thorough and will be combining the results with some 2nd trimester blood work for what they call a "sequential screen", so we are covered on all bases. I think this test can identify potential problems with like a 95% accuracy, which sounds great to me. So, I go in on the 15th for the final blood work. Then I should be good until 28wks when they will do the gestational diabetes test and CBC or something like that to make sure my iron levels are good, etc. My blood pressure was normal. I'm down a pound but I think she read my weight wrong and accidentally gave me 5lbs in my favor, like --2 instead of --7, so at my next appt she is going to be like "whoa, holy weight gain!" Because in addition to her error, I will most likely be wearing heavier clothing and shoes (it's warmer today, so I had t-shirt and flip flops on). Oh well. She didn't find baby's heartbeat right away, but I wasn't nervous since we heard it loud and clear at home on our doppler. Once she did find it though it was perfect coming in in the 150's. Next appointment is on the 29th. And for the BEST news of all... we've scheduled the BIG ultrasound for November 8th!! I can't wait and I hope the baby cooperates. I've suddenly developed this fear that the baby won't cooperate and we won't be able to find out the sex. Which is strange because that never occurred to me for one minute with Jacob. Oh well, keep your fingers crossed that the baby will keep it's legs UNCROSSED!

Jacob Hates Halloween...

Or maybe he doesn't like Lions?

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Good news is he is feeling great now! He hasn't had a fever since Saturday and he finally slept through the night again last night, Woohoo!

~Danielle

What a week...

Wow, 6 doctor visits in 6 days. Ouch!

Sunday - Jacob Urgent Care
Monday - Roxy Vet
Tuesday - Jacob Pediatrician
Tuesday night/Weds Morning - Jacob ER
Thursday - Me, Prenatal test/Ultrasound
Friday - Jacob follow-up ER visit

We should be good for awhile, right? Hope so. I'll recap our last few days beginning with Jacob:

Jacob is doing so much better! He still has an occasional low (100-101) fever, but responds well to Tylenol and Motrin. He still can be a little cranky, but he is moving around a lot more now and acting much closer to normal. Still not much of an appetite though... he is skinny enough as it is, he better get that appetite back soon! His sleeping patterns are a mess, last night was TERRIBLE. Aaron and I are just exhausted from the late nights. We had our follow-up appointment with the pediatrician this morning who was very relieved to see that Jacob was feeling better. His blood culture came back positive that there is some bacterial infection (doc mentioned staph, but I don't know if that was an example or what) Jacob is fighting and the doc said that if he came into the appointment today still not feeling well that would mean he would be admitted for iv therapy. Luckily he IS doing better, so there is a chance the blood culture was contaminated. Either way, he switched Jacob from Amoxicillin to Cefprozil. I hope this new med tastes as good as the Amoxicillin did, because Jacob didn't mind that at all!

Baby Update:
So we had our NT scan yesterday and it went well. Our technician was a biotch and refused to provide ANY information, let alone scan a bit between the legs. So looks like we have to wait a few more weeks on that one! Here is an example exchange from our ultrasound:

Me: So from what I read, a measurement of 2.5 and smaller is what we hope for, right?
Tech: Uh, ya. Generally anything under 3 is good.
Me: So how are the baby's measurements so far?
Tech: Uh, 12weeks 4 days.
Me: No, the spinal measurements?
Tech: Oh, I don't know
(Doctor walks in...)
Doctor: How does it look
Tech: Great, ranging from 1.2 to 2.0
Me - banging head on wall

So besides having a completely unhelpful technician, the doctor said the measurements look good. I had bloodwork done too and they will combine that for the overall risk. The baby wasn't entirely cooperative and the tech kept hurting my stomach trying to get the baby to move. The baby moved a ton, just not in the direction she wanted. Blah.

Oh, and Julie, we did not have this done with Jacob, just the quad screen. I didn't know much about it at the time and at my last ob appt my doctor mentioned the quad screen and I asked her about the NT scan. She said she usually doesn't mention it because most patients are not interested in traveling to Grand Rapids for it (I always forget how much of a small town I live in until something like that), but that she thinks it is superior to the Quad screen as far as fewer false positives, etc. And with the added bonus of getting another peek at the baby, I was sold! Even though we don't have any risk factors, Aaron and I both prefer to be prepared for the possibilities and know as much information as we can. Lot's of people say that they prefer not to do any testing because "it wouldn't change anything", but for me, I would make lots of changes! I would learn as much as I could, I would consider delivering in Grand Rapids, I would try to find other moms dealing with the same thing, etc., etc. We have no reason to believe that the results will be anything but normal though, so let's hope that it was nothing more than a poke of my arm and a glimpse of the baby! The baby looked good though, lots of changes since our last ultrasound at 6wks! We could even see the little one open his/her mouth! We should get the official results at our next OB appointment on October 1.

I broke the news to two of the important people at work. They took it well. One of them was funny, he was trying to figure out how I was going to have a baby in March when it takes 9 months. When I told him I was three months along, he said "Did you just find out?" Like it never occurred to him that we would keep it mum for awhile. They both acted surprised, which is good since I have not been sneaky at all (drinking caff-free pop, being nauseous all day and wearing maternity pants). So I'm sure that by the time I return to work on Tuesday, the rest of the office will know. Great. Can't wait to hear the bad pregnancy and labor stories ALL OVER AGAIN. Not to mention the "you are going to have TWO kids in diapers!!!" comments.

Guess that is all for now. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Oh, and thanks Julie for all the information, it's so nice to have a nursing expert in the family!!

“105º and Still Cooking...”

Last night we took Jacob’s tem.perature around 9:30pm and got a reading of 104.4, 104.5 and 104.9 (we obviously kept checking hoping it was a thermometer error). We just use an ear thermometer, so I told Aaron to go get the digital one for a more precise tem.perature to ensure the accuracy of the reading. Meanwhile, I kept checking the thermometer on myself and getting normal readings of 98. In addition, Jacob was burning up and listless, so we figured it was probably pretty accurate. Aaron found the digital thermometer, but the battery was dead, he tried to replace it and said “screw this, get in the car”. So we rushed Jacob to the ER and got him into triage immediately. They took his tem.p the "hosptial way" and the triage nurse announced his tem.p was “105 and still cooking”. The tem.p peaked at 105.2 and they took us right to a room. The hospital was pretty prompt and attentive to us, but unfortunately we had to do lots of waiting for observation and blood tests, so it was a long night. The doctor was concerned about meningitis and suggested we do a spinal tap if Jacob shows no sign of improvement. Luckily, after four hours and some big doses of medicine, Jacob did show signs of improvement and was alert enough to indicate he was ready to leave (by repeatedly pointing to the door). His fever came down slowly, it took about 2hrs to get down to 104, then it dropped like crazy down to 99. Jacob’s white blood cells came back elevated (I think he said 72,000? - which means nothing to me... Julie, any insight?), but he said that is expected given everything. Luckily though, he was staying well hydrated and his electrolytes were normal, which meant NO iv, thank goodness. The doctor gave Jacob a shot of antibiotics to really kick start things and sent us home with a much cooler baby. If he becomes listless and inconsolable again though, we are supposed to return so that they can further explore the meningitis possibility. Thankfully, so far today, Jacob is doing great and is even back to assaulting the dog! What a terrible experience though. I feel awful enough that Jacob doesn’t feel good and then we put him through two doctors offices and then a trip to the ER. He was poked, prodded and had his tem.perature taken WAY too much. Jacob hates everything about the hospital. From the stupid hospital bracelet he couldn’t get off his foot to the little clip on his toe monitoring his pulse. It was so hard to watch him so uncomfortable, not just from his illness, but his surroundings and everything they were doing to him. We didn’t get home until 3am and I went to work at 8am this morning and I am just physically and emotionally drained. I’m just so glad its over and hopefully it is over for good and Jacob is on the upward spin of things. We have a follow up appointment with our regular pediatrician, but we are having problems scheduling since the doc wants it to be 48hrs after his visit and we are scheduled to go to GR, so we are still waiting on a call to see when they can fit us in. They should have some more bloodwork results back then - something to do with a culture that takes several hours. So, we’ll keep you posted! Pray for a speedy recovery and NO more trips to the ER!

Still sick...

Poor Jacob is STILL sick and keeps getting worse instead of better. After Aaron called me at work today to let me know he was having a hard time bringing Jacob's fever of 103.5 down, I got us into our regular pediatrician. Our regular doctor said that Jacob DOES have an ear infection and he told us that milk IS ok to drink, but anything he eats or drinks should be in small increments. Sooo, lots of conflicting advice, but I'm much more inclined to believe our pediatrician rather than the PA at the urgent care. All I know is that so far, Jacob is MUCH happier to be getting some more of his favorite milk. Sooo, hopefully the little one improves. We have our NT scan on Thursday in Grand Rapids and cannot reschedule it because it must be done within a very particular time frame, so hopefully Jacob is well enough for us to leave him by then.

We'll keep ya posted!
~Danielle

My sick little boy :(

It all started on Friday when I was driving to work feeling confident about being 12wks along and excited that the morning (all day) sickness was beginning to end. Then I arrived at moms. As I opened the backseat door, Jacob began throwing up, for no apparent reason. I rescued him from his carseat and whisked him inside. I tried to hurry off to work, but as soon as I opened the car door, I realized that it was way too soon for me to combat cleaning that up and I promptly threw up myself. Luckily, mom took care of both Jacob and myself and cleaned up my car for me. So the rest of the day seemed to have gone well and we shook it off as a fluke.
Until Saturday.
Jacob woke up just a little off and had 3 bad diapers in a short amount of time. His attitude seemed ok for the most part though, so we considered heading to Kim and Peggys as planned, but the more we debated the idea, the more I felt it would be better to just stay home. The kicker for me was that I just didn't feel like being around drinking... but maybe it was mothers intuition? Probably not, but it sounds good! So then things just got progressively worse. By dinner time, Jacob stopped eating, spiked a temp and became very clingy. He whined off and on throughout the night in his crib until 4:30 when he threw up again EVERYWHERE. Today has been much more of the same... high temps (103 and lower), not eating and throwing up. We took him to the urgent care, even though we figured it was probably just a bug, but what can you do? The kid can't verbalize what he is going through and we have insurance, so no harm, I guess. I'm glad we did go though, because although the doctor confirmed it was just a virus, he advised us not to give him any more milk... we definitely wouldn't have figured that one. And it was also nice to hear that his ears and throat are healthy. Jacob has been sick before, but this is definitely much different. For one, normally he is still pretty active when he is sick, but just crabby. This time he is very clingy. He only wants to be held and drifts in and out of sleep. Also, normally he has "ninja-like" skills when he is sick and can block any attempts we make to give him medicine. This time? He hardly has the energy to open his eyes. He is just the saddest sight to see. While my heart is just breaking for him, I must admit, I am loving that I now have a lap baby who I can cuddle all day. Well, Aaron has had him all of 30 minutes now and needs a break (he much prefers the active baby), so I better get.

Videos!!!

Here are some videos that I have been meaning to post....

Here is one of Aaron wakeboarding on Gun Lake... not bad for his second time trying it!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Here is Jacob playing in the waves in Grand Traverse Bay...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Jacob Dancing! (Please excuse the toys everywhere!)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

September already?

I know summer doesn't officially end until the 21st, but Labor Day always feels like the unofficial end to the summer. It was a great, fun summer though and I am eager to get this pregnancy going, so I don't mind so much that the time is passing by.



Last Friday we had another OB appointment and things are looking good. We rented a doppler and were able to hear the heartbeat for the first time a couple days before our doctor appointment (we saw it during our ultrasound at 6 weeks, but this was the first time we heard it). But, it was still nice to hear it at the doctors office also (she always finds it faster and has better equipment!). Heartbeat is going strong at around 155. My blood pressure was a little elevated (140/80) - which means nothing to me, but the doc didn't seem concerned. The cutest part of the whole appointment though was how concerned Jacob was... he did NOT like the doctor/nurse examining me. He was very untrusting and had to sit on my lap while she took my blood pressure (hmmm, maybe the reason for the elevated #'s?!?!) and then he had to stand up by my head touching me while the doctor felt my tummy and ran the doppler across for the heartbeat. I've never seen him so concerned... especially about me, so it was kinda funny. And touching. We scheduled a nuchal translucency prenatal screening test for September 20th. I'm slightly concerned about insurance covering it, but I called them today and they said they would cover it 100%, minus deductible. But, I don't trust insurance companies, so I'm still worried that something else will come up. But we are both looking forward to the opportunity to get another peek at the little bean.



Jacob is doing great. He is as funny as ever. Still loves to pretend to drive the car. He also has recently become fascinated with the 'waterfall' at the weir. He will RUN all the way down there (1/4 mile - with those tiny little legs) and then want to stay and point at it FOREVER!!! He also has become fascinated with the raceways, not because of the fish, but because of the rushing water. Jake also has been picking up some new sports. Aaron has been sitting him on his skateboard and pushing him down the sidewalk - and believe it or not, the kid just sits still with a big smile on his face! Aaron picked up a little hockey kit with a perfect Jacob-sized stick! Jake actually knows how to hit the ball, but he also likes to use the stick for chopping at Roxy... poor girl.

Guess that is about all for now. We are going to the beach, not sure how many more weekends we will be able to do that, so we better take advantage. The rest of the family is downstate at the MSU game as Bruce's brother Dean is being inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame... Aaron couldn't get off call (he picked up on-call this weekend for his coworker who is in the national guard), so we couldn't go...

~Danielle

New Tricks

Jacob has officially discovered how to take his diaper off. And he definitely prefers it off. Lord help us.

Oh the misery...

So I'm 9wks today according to my ultrasound and morning sickness (all day sickness) and fatigue are in full swing. This morning Jacob decided to really test my limits. First, he throws up in his high chair. I was frantically trying to pull him out of the chair to comfort him while gagging and trying not to throw up myself. I knew there was no way I was going to be able to clean this up without making a bigger mess, so I gave Aaron a call and luckily he was available to give me a hand (another perk to living at the hatchery). Aaron rescued me so that I could go vomit in the restroom as opposed to all over our kitchen floor, whew! Then, Jacob tests me again. I picked Jacob up to go change his diaper. (Jacob is VERY obvious when he fills a dirty diaper). So as we are walking back to the bedroom, Jake lies his little head on my shoulder and gives me a little hug. I stop and look at him hugging me in the mirror, when my eyes are immediately drawn down to his back and diaper and I realize that, just like when he was a newborn, we've had a major blow-out. Poop was all the way up his back (he was only wearing a diaper at the time... I had just given him a bath since his throw up incident). And now on my arm that is wrapped around him. Gross poop with black olives (not that you really wanted a visual - but I just had to share so you could really understand how painful this experience was). I ran back into the kitchen and checked the clock... Damn, 10am. It hasn't even been an hour since I called Aaron, so I didn't feel like I could call him again and it was WAY to long to wait for Aaron to come home for lunch. So, I threw the kid in the tub and dry heaved throughout his bath/shower/detox. Lucky for me, I had just thrown up everything inside me just a bit earlier, so I didn't have to worry about that. All I could think of was how much I wish I had decided to work today. Blah. Gross. Nasty. You know I wasn't too sure before this pregnancy if I wanted more than two kids. Now I am sure. Two kids.

In other baby news, I ordered a doppler so we could hear the heartbeat at home. We did this with Jacob and I loved it. It's so reassuring to hear and I think it helped us bond early with the baby/pregnancy because we would listen to Jacob's heart every night before bed. I can't wait till it comes in! Our next OB appt is on friday, so if our doppler doesn't come in before that, we should be able to hear it at that appointment.

Also, I started a little internet guessing game for baby #2. Put your guesses in now so we can see if any of the gender predictions are right before the 20wk u/s. I think you can change your guesses too, up until a week or so before the birth. The link is on the left!

More about July... and some August info

The day we found out we were pregnant I got to see my friend Shannon, who moved to AZ last summer. It was great to hang out with her and go shopping in the stores I drive by every day, but many of which I have never been in! And I think I may have gotten a lucky belly rub from her 5month belly, because of the good news we discovered that evening! It's amazing how it can be months or years since you have seen a friend, but when you get together again, it's like you still get together all the time. Anyways, she is doing great and she and Joe seem very happy together.

We ended July with a Switzer family reunion. The majority of attendees were his family from NJ, who are all pretty fun and laid back. Being just 5 weeks pregnant though, sucked. It was not fun to be around everyone drinking, campfires, etc. Plus, I was chasing after a 14month old who was trying to get into all of the coolers and EVERY alcoholic glass or can that was left unattended - which was a lot. I survived though, but I think I've secured my place in the family as 'the bitch'.

July Recap

So our wedding weekend started out kinda rough. Mom, Aaron, Jacob and I traveled together from Traverse and we met up with Bruce the following day in Chicago (he was traveling in the area for business). We got on the road at 10:30am and made it to Grand Haven before encountering any problems. We stopped in Grand Haven for lunch and mom handed me the car keys, because I needed to change. I changed my clothes, but left the keys locked in the car. Whoops. Luckily, we realized this right away, called AAA and were back in the car before we were finished with our meal. And, it was free, gotta love AAA. So then we continued on and noticed the gas light turning on just as we were getting off the Tollway, just south of Chicago. "No problem" mom says, I can make it another 60 miles till our destination. Except, as soon as she said that traffic stopped and proceeded at a top speed of 5mph. So we decided to get gas at the next exit, which happened to be not a very nice part of town. We pulled into the gas station and a guy in a red shirt flagged us down and waved us into the only available pump. Hmmm, could it be a gas station employee or a person trying to get money? Mom, always giving people the benefit of the doubt, feels assured he is an employee. She rolls down the window and says she would like unleaded. While she is digging through her purse, contemplating paying with cash or credit, the guy in the red shirt asks her for some bus fare, which she does not hear. She hands him a $50 and asks for $40 worth of unleaded and the guy walks off. I thought for sure the guy was just going to disappear, but sure enough he goes in and pays the attendant and then comes back to pump our gas. Mom then frantically looks through her wallet again, to obtain $3 to give him as a tip - thinking, surely this man will return the $10. So he fills our car with exactly $40 and says we are all set. So, I think we did pretty good getting out of that situation for only $10! We flee back to the 'stop and go' traffic on the highway and don't get to the hotel until 8pm. Sheesh, it was a long drive!

So then we checked in quickly and then headed to Debby and Bob's for a BBQ. I wish I would have taken pictures of her house (and more pictures of the wedding in general) - her home is so beautiful! We had a great time catching up with our friends and although it felt brief, I think we still didn't end up getting back to the hotel until around midnight.

The next day we went to the Brookfield Zoo and had a great time. Jacob loved looking at the animals AND all the airplanes flying in and out of O'Hare. We went to a dolphin show too and he watched them in awe. It was pretty fun to see his reaction to everything. Sure wish we had a zoo close to home :(

That evening was the rehearsal dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings where Aaron and Mark (Mary's boyfriend) and Peggy became bff's, bonding while they spent every last penny in a stupid claw game. Everybody had a blast and I kept thinking how fun it was to have the event there... until the next morning, that is.

The next morning was a little rough, but went pretty smoothly. The day got off schedule early on with the hair/makeup but it all turned out just fine. In fact, it was just what a wedding is supposed to be... an emotional ceremony and a blast of a reception. Aaron was a GREAT husband and dutifully carried out all of my orders and demands during the day and always had a drink waiting for me. Debby, of course, looked beautiful. The whole family looked amazing, actually. The food (lobster bisque, filet mignon, etc.) was fabulous and it was extra nice because Deb set up the tables so that we could eat next to our spouses/significant others, etc. Which I enjoyed, but I think Aaron probably would have been just as happy sitting just with his bff's

Mark and Peggy. Kim and I survived the toast and I think we did a pretty good job, although we didn't get any comments/compliments on it from anyone besides Aaron and Peggy...

We really appreciated Mom and Bruce coming along and watching Jacob for us during the various events going on. It would have been so hard to leave him that far away for that long. He did SO good traveling too, I was really impressed! Actually, he did better in the car than Aaron...

So the next day we headed on another long trip back to Michigan, but stopped in Lansing to see the newest Shadduck. Leah was just 10 days old and boy is she cute. Kyra is still cute as ever and a smart little thing. We bought her this little alphabet toy and I was shocked to see that she already knows her letters! She just turned two! Jacob isn't quite used to playing with other kids, so he was a little independent and didn't play with her too much. The one time he did play beside her, he threw sand on her and made her cry... so we aren't doing to good with the pre-arranged marriage yet. Charissa and Chris still need to work on that dowry, too.

So then we returned to find out we were pregnant a week later! It was a great last hurrah!

August Update

Wow, I have been so neglectful of the blog lately. Here is a general update:

Baby News: We were quite shocked to find out we were expecting again, but thrilled! I've had some early bloodwork, which looks good - my hcg levels are doubling as they should. My first appt was on Tuesday which was boring, but my doctor was really sweet and gave me a big hug. She also scheduled an ultrasound which we had this morning and everything looks great! Our little peanut has a heartbeat of 125 and is measuring 6w6d. I got a few different due dates at the doctor appointment, but basically we are looking at the end of March, first of April. Which means we should be able to find out if this little peanut is a boy or girl around mid-November! We can't wait for that! Any name ideas???

Jacob News: Jake is doing great. He loves the water - I'll share a video clip of him soon swimming in the lake. His new thing is to climb up onto the dining room chairs and then up onto the table. Luckily for us, he doesn't know how to pull the chair out himself... yet. He still loves dancing and has added some new moves - spinning and side-stepping. We think he must be going through a growth spurt, because he has been eating a ton lately! He loves imitating us, whether it's by brushing his hair, talking on the phone or playing with the remote. Oh, and his other favorite thing to do is pretend to drive the car.

A big CONGRATS to Debby who got a new job ALOT closer to home working for... uh... a great, well known company!! All I can say is it's a good thing Dr. Pepper and Diet Mt. Dew are so yummy..... or else I might have to hold it against her... :).

~Danielle

Another Video...

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Hi

Hi everyone!

It's been a busy couple of weeks, but I think things will slow down now.

I've decided to make the blog private, so that only people whose email address I provide can read the blog. I tried to go off memory for the email addresses, so if you know of someone who wants to be able to read the blog that I missed, just email me their email address and I'll add them.

I'll write more after I'm sure that this change works right!!

~Danielle

Here is a video from the zoo.....

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Pictures from Lansing...

Kyra is 2yrs old and Leah is 9 days old!