Snow Fun!!!

left - Micah's, middle - Dada's, right - Snickers

28 weeks

This is not a picture of our baby. This is a picture of a 28 week old fetus done by 3-D Ultrasound. This technology is pretty incredible. I am 28 weeks now. They say that at this point the baby has now taken on the appearance that he will look at birth.

Like Dada....Like Pappy

The Many Dramas of Pregnancy

Well, just when I thought things were going great with the pregnancy, I get hit with a little more drama. I woke up Monday morning with dull lower back pain. I knew something was different, because I usually don't wake up with back pain, but develop it if I have been on my feet a lot that day. The back pain was consistent throughout the day. Nothing we did would relieve it. I tried resting, heat and Charlie even gave me a massage. So, I decided to just go to bed. I did not sleep but maybe 2 hours Monday night, because the pain was getting worse. When I got up Tuesday morning, I had more symptoms that were developing, so I decided to call the OB on call at the hospital. He said that it sounded like preterm labor and told me to be at the office first thing when it opened. Charlie took the day off of work, so that he could watch Micah and be there if I needed him. At the doctor's office, they did a test to see if I was at risk of going into labor in the next 2 weeks or so. We had to wait 24 hours for the test to come back, so I was sent home on bed rest. The bed rest was nice, because I really did not feel like doing anything else. I called the office Wednesday morning for the results and praise the Lord, the test came back negative. That was a huge blessing, but the doctor said that I still needed to take it easy with no exercise and lifting of Micah, because that does not rule out that I could deliver this baby a little early. She gave me a couple of medications, one for the back pain and one to take for the contractions. I am feeling a good bit better today, but still not like I was before this hit. The doctor thinks that the baby may have moved into a bad spot and is causing the pain in my back. Charlie and I joke all the time that this little boy is being a stubborn one. But with each new complication that presents, I am more convinced that this needs to be my last pregnancy.

The Third Trimester

I am 27 weeks and the third trimester begins. It is just a matter of time now before we welcome another sweet baby into our home. The baby is now beginning to run out of room. I feel him in my ribs and in my bladder all at the same time. I think I have even felt his hiccups. He is now 2lbs and about 15 inches in length. I am feeling much better, but still feel very pregnant.

Babies Can't Wait Evaluation

This morning, I took Micah down to Gainesville for his yearly Babies Can't Wait Evaluation. He has been in the program for a year now, so once a year we have to go back through the evaluation process to see if Micah still qualifies for their services. He does still qualify to have Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy each twice a month. I was thinking that we might go down there and they dismiss us from the program, but I am thankful that they didn't. Micah is doing much better, but is still showing some delays in most all areas of development. I am thankful for a program like this that keeps a good handle on his development and helps him progress in his skills.

Our Master Piece!

Almost every night before bed, we play with Micah's new 250 piece Mega Block set. This is about the only way I can get him out of the bath tub is to tell him we're going to play with blocks. He loves to see how high he can build before the blocks fall. The other night, we decided to use all the blocks. All 250 pieces! He loved it and this is what we ended up with. He loved knocking it over when we were done.

Micah is Home!

Well, the precious down time has come to an end, but I was ready to see my sweet toddler today. I knew he was in good hands, so I did not worry about him, but I thought about him a good bit. Charlie and I found ourselves singing The Wiggles several times throughout the weekend. We did take advantage of the time by going out to eat several times and I was able to sleep until 8:00 every morning. That was a treat!

Micah had a blast! I almost think that he wasn't quite ready to come home. I think he missed his dog Snickers more than anything. We spent most of the evening just playing with him and talking to him about his weekend. He gave us both sweet kisses before going to bed and was out pretty much the moment his head hit the pillow.

So what did we get done? Our room is now painted and looks great! I will have to post pictures tomorrow. It is also cleaned out of all the furniture that we do not need anymore. We are getting ready to purchase a bedroom set, but wanted to get the room painted first. We packaged up a lot of stuff that we don't need or want anymore and put the boxes in the attic. In the Spring, we will go to the flea market and try to get rid of some of it. There is still lots to do before the baby comes, but we made a big dent in it this weekend.

Step 1

Well, the room is almost done now. Yesterday, Charlie painted our bedroom. Step 1 in the gettting ready for baby process. He decided to have a little fun while doing so and painted his initials on the wall. I did a lot of cleaning out of cabinets and lighter stuff that I can do at this point. I also planned Micah's Wiggle Party. I am not aloud to paint or lift heavy boxes, so that really limits me in how much I can help Charlie with this type stuff. My parents will come up the weekend after next and help put finishing touches on everything. I am so thankful that our parents are always willing and ready to help us out with these big projects. Step 2 is to paint Micah's room, but before that can be done there is still a lot more stuff/furniture that needs to be cleaned out of the room.

We took a break from the work last night and enjoyed our evening by going to a friend's house to eat and play games. We stayed out until after midnight. I think we have almost forgotten what life was like before Micah. It is great to take a weekend every now and then to ourselves, but I think Charlie and I would both agree that we would not have life any other way now. We love and miss him when he is gone.

Kid Free Weekend

Well, Charlie and I have a three day weekend here at the house without child. How and why did this all come to be??? Well, there is lots to be done around here to get ready for the new baby in just three short months. We have an entire room to clean out and two rooms to paint. We have got to get really serious about it if everything is going to be ready in time for Micah to get adjusted to his new room and bed before his little world is changed forever. So, with all that my parents offered to take him for the long weekend while we work. Well, the days will be full of work, but the nights will consist of whatever we want to do.

I met my parents halfway today to make the exchange and we will meet them again Monday afternoon to bring him home. I have already called to check on him about three times, but I am really enjoying the fact that I don't have any responsibilities for three days. After almost two years, it is hard to remember what that is like. Micah is doing great and having a ball! He got to eat whatever he wanted for dinner, take a whirlpool bath, play with cars and stay up a little later then usual...and tomorrow he goes to Chuck E. Cheeses. No wonder he is always ready to leave me and go with them!

26 weeks/6 months

I went to the doctor today for my glucose screening and ultrasound. I am now 26 weeks and getting to the end of my 6th month. I will start my 3rd trimester at the end of next week. I just hope that I stay feeling good for a while. Charlie went with me for the ultrasound. This is my second baby and probably 6th ultrasound, but I never get tried of seeing my cute little baby boys moving inside of me. This little guy moves a lot! The ultrasound techncian even commented on that. We got to see him yawn several times. That was the cutest thing! He is almost 2 lbs now and doing well! Praise the Lord for a good report.

Head too big...Belly too small

Today we had our follow-up visit to Micah's neurosurgeon at Scottish Rite. It is always quite an adventure when we venture down there and see this doctor. He is a great doctor...very smart, but always interesting. He very warmly greeted us when he came in the door and gave Micah a high five. Micah really seemed to take to him this time. Micah was great during the examination, shook his hand and told him "bye bye." The doctor asked how I was doing and this is how the rest of that conversation went:

Me: We are expecting again.

Doctor: When?

Me: April

(Doctor walks back over to the counter, looks at Micah's chart. He seems to be deep in thought, when he looks back up at me and continues his conversation.)

Doctor: Frankly, you do not look that pregnant. Are you getting the proper nutrition?

Me: (Trying to keep from looking too shocked by his comment) Yes, I never looked pregnant with Micah either.

I was not offended by the comment, but thought that it was funny. You would have to know this doctor to know just how funny it really was. This is the same guy that told Charlie, "Your head got big somehow." It gave us a good laugh when we got back in the van. I actually took it as a compliment, because he probably thought that I just looked good for this stage in my pregnancy.

The even better news from the visit is that he gave Micah a good report and discharged up from his practice. This is always a happy moment for us. Micah has had a total of 5 different specialists in less than two years time, and now we are down to just two. It has never been easy with Micah when it comes to the health situation, but the Lord is faithful and He has and will see us through each step. Thank you Lord for another answer to prayer.

"Where Dog?"

This is a picture of Micah with Buck, the dog at Charlie's school. We visit "dada" at school quite a bit. One day when we visited him for lunch, the dog was there. He was amazed with the dog. It was probably the size of the dog that Micah was most impressed with. It is an old dog, so Buck sits still for Micah to do whatever he wishes. We have been back to the school several times since our first sighting of Buck, but each time he has not been there. And each time Micah has asked about the dog. He would put his hands up and sign where and then say "dog." I was truly amazed by his memory of this dog. Well, we met Charlie for lunch yesterday and Micah finally got to see the dog. One of the teachers took this picture of Micah and sent it to us. I don't know who Micah was most excited about seeing...his dada or the dog????

Wiggle Wiggle

Sporting in his new Wiggle Pajamas!!

Sharing and Caring

Charlie and I worked in the office some today. We are trying to get rid of all the clutter in there, because this will soon become Micah's "big boy room." We went to Lowes last night and purchased paint for his room and our bedroom. We have big plans to get lots done in the next month or so, but we will see how that goes. Parents/Grandparents BEWARE...if you come to our house, we might put you to work. I am excited about getting everything cleaned out and ready for the new baby. Hopefully we will have a name for his soon, so that I can start calling him by it.

So, we took an entire van load of stuff to Sharing and Caring (thrift store) today. We also set things aside to sell at the flea market or Ebay. While at Sharing and Caring, I found out that they were having a $3 bag sale. That meant that I could stuff an entire brown grocery sack of anything I wanted for $3. I took advantage of this to look for clothes for Micah and the new baby. I was so excited when I found a pair of Wiggles pajamas just Micah's size! I have been looking and these on Ebay, but they have been too much. I could not believe that I found them at the thrift store! Lucky me, or should I say lucky Micah. I have got to get them washed, so that maybe he can wear them to bed tomorrow night.

Hello 2007!

It's a brand new year...2007. So far this year has been great for me. A good 1/3 of the end of 2006 found me miserably pregnant. This year has started off much better. I am still very pregnant and feel very pregnant, but I feel like a new women in several ways. My energy level has returned, I am only getting headaches about once a week and I'm rarely nauseated. Since I am feeling leaps and bounds better, I have been working around the house like a maniac! There was so much that I had to let go the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy and now I feel an urgency to clean everything. I guess you could say I am nesting a little early. There is so much to do to get ready for the baby. We are also concerned that this baby may come a little early, since I am carrying him so low and experiencing so much pressure. That makes my sense of urgency even greater. I am trying not to overdo it. Working too hard does not help matters, but I am making sure to wear my maternity belt daily.

With the new year also comes the feeling a starting fresh...turning over a new leaf. I usually don't make resolutions. I don't guess I have really done so since I was a teenager, but this year I have two.

They are as follows:
Read my Bible daily (the most important)
Clean out the clutter in my house (become less of a "pack rat")

We are four days into the new year and so far I am very impressed with my progress. I have read my Bible everyday. I have also cleaned out something different each day. I have cleaned the kitchen cabinets, bathroom closet and cabinets, our bedroom and closet, Micah's bedroom and closet, and now I am working on the office. The office is a working progress. It is going to become Micah's big boy room. Once we get it all cleaned out, we are going to paint, decorate and move him in. The plan is to have this ready by February, so that he has a little time to get adjusted to his new room and bed before the baby comes.

New Years Eve Weekend

We spent the New Year's Weekend in Birmingham visiting friends from college. They have a 12 month old, a two year old and we brought along our 22 month old. Let's just say there was never a dull moment. Elijah and Micah enjoyed playing together for the most part. There was the occasional toddler battle for a favorite toy. With toddlers, "the grass is always greener on the other side." Each boy had their own guitar, but Micah wanted to play with Elijah's and Elijah wanted to play with Micah's. Besides that, it was fun to watch them interact with each other. Not to mention, I think they knew each other's language.

Micah, Elijah and Libby

Micah and Elijah

Christmas With My Family

YUMMY....Cookies!

Making cookies with Mimi and Pappy

Micah and My Brother's Children

Christmas Day at Our House

My Big Boy Bed!

Christmas Day at Granny and Granpa's House

Charlie's Brother's Children

Boy # 2

Well, I have not officially announced yet on my blog the sex of the child that I am carrying. It was in part due to the fact that I just had to get over a little disappointment before letting others know and partly due to the fact that we have procrastinated putting the pictures on the computer.

I have known the sex of this child since 16 weeks of pregnancy. Most people do not find out that early, but I had to see the at risk Maternal Fetal Specialist at that time in my pregnancy due to some bleeding and carrying the baby low. I did not realize that I would receive an ultrasound that day. Not only did I receive a typical ultrasound, but this one was 4-D. It was pretty neat and it lasted about 30 minutes. We found out that the baby is as healthy as can be at this point. They checked all different parts or the baby's heart and of the brain. It was pretty incredible. The best part of it was that it was free, since I was considered "high risk." The last thing that she did was tell me the sex of the child. I was so hopeful that she would say that I was carrying a little girl, but then I heard the word "boy." I have to admit that I cried on the way home from the doctor. I just knew that this one would be a girl, because I have had so many difficulties that I did not have with Micah. What was the hardest to deal with was the fact that this would be my last child, so there was not a chance for a natural girl. Pregnancy has been hard on my body, so it would not be wise for us to go through this process again. I was sad about it for about 2 days, but then I began to count my blessings and thank the Lord that this baby was healthy. I also know that the Lord knows best and knows what we need. I am beginning to get excited about the fact that Micah will have a best friend that sleeps in the room right next to him and then one day in the same room. They will be buddies for life. They will share the same room, same toys, same clothes, etc.

Charlie and I both know that there will not be another pregnancy, but we are both still pretty certain that we will one day, Lord willing,be the parents of a beautiful baby girl. We have talked about adoption since we first got married and this may just be the Lords way of telling us that adoption is what He has in mind for our family. We are both praying and seeking the Lord in this decision. It will be a financial burden as well as a change to the dynamics of the family. It will be a decision that we will both have to be 100% certain about and one that we know the Lord is leading us to.

There are pictures posted below of my sweet little baby boy. We are still deciding on a name for the little guy.

4-D Ultrasound pictures

Sucking Thumb

Its a Boy!

Christmas and Such

Well, Christmas is over and the fun of playing with all the new toys begins. I will have pictures to post in the next couple of days. We have been extremely busy with visiting family and friends. We have spent the last several days traveling. We are in Birmingham Alabama right now visiting a college buddy. They have a little boy Micah's age and a one-year-old little baby girl. Micah is having the time of his life playing with his friend and learning how to do new things, such as, jumping off of furniture. Two-year-old little boys are such a joy!

Well, back to the subject of Christmas. Charlie and Micah were showered with new toys. I got a few nice things as well, but that really doesn't matter to me. I just like for them to be happy. Most of what I got was things that we needed for the house and a couple of maternity tops. I need a few more maternity tops that I really enjoy wearing and I will be set. I get tired of wearing the same thing day after day, but that is the way it goes. I have a hard time finding ones that fit me really good and that I enjoy wearing. I really need XS and that size is really hard to find in Maternity.

Speaking of maternity...I visited the OB on Wednesday. So far so good. I am now a couple of days shy of 24 weeks and my blood pressure is great. I just pray that it stays this way and I continue to feel better day by day. The only thing that bothers me now is that I can't be on my feet for a long period of time, because I am carrying the baby really low and he is putting a lot of pressure on my bladder, back and pelvis. The OB has me wearing a maternity belt now to relieve some of that pressure. I just hope that it does the trick. So far I am not noticing a big difference. Charlie and I are both a little anxious at the fact that this baby may come a little early.

A quick update on Micah...he is now in speech therapy and I am learning new things to do to increase his vocabulary. The whole process is pretty complicated, but I think we will start to see some improvement soon. This morning, I think that he said please. At least it was close to that. I have not been able to get him to say it since, but we are making progress and that is the big thing. The goal is that Micah will have 20 words over the next 6 months. I am keeping up with a journal of his progress for myself and the therapist.

That is all for now...more pictures and such later.

The Virus Has Hit!!!

Well, I have spent the last 24 hours now in the bathroom. This is one of those viruses that really humble you. You are sitting on the toilet and holding a trash can at the same time. I can't keep the smallest sip of water in at this point. I was up most the night last night with stomach cramps and a back ache. I thought that maybe I was going into preterm labor and came really close to calling the hospital. I am overdue for my OB appointment. I was scheduled for this morning, but had to call and cancel. Micah also has his appointment with the ENT specialist today to look at his tongue. It was a blessing that I was able to call and get an appointment that quickly. When I called, they had just had a cancellation and I jump on that quick. I just hope that I can pull it together in time, so that I can make it. If not, it will be the beginning of February before we can get in. I just pray that I am over this before the weekend and that I don't give it to anyone else.

Christmas Plans

Well, Charlie is out of school, I am done with preschool and the break officially begins. All the presents, but one have been purchased and wrapped. The countdown to the Christmas festivities has begun! My whole family will be at my house this year. This is a first since Charlie and I have been married. I am busy getting the house clean and the last finishing touches done on the meal plans. I just hope and pray that everyone is well, so that we can all be together. Charlie has been sick with a virus the last couple of days and Micah has had an eye infection due to allergies and a blocked tear-duct. I so far am well, except for the normal pregnancy stuff. I just hope that I don't come down with anything this weekend.

We have a busy week ahead of us. Tomorrow I visit a friend, who has just had her baby. I will also put the finishing touches on the holiday shopping. Thursday I have my OB check-up in the morning and then we take Micah to the ENT that afternoon to check on the status of his tongue. The news that we could possibly hear from this appointment could make my Christmas a very merry one indeed. My parents will be here on Friday. Hopefully Charlie and I can catch a movie while they enjoy Micah. Saturday I will be busily preparing the meal for the family and cleaning the house. That night my brother and his family of five will come over to celebrate the Hooks' Christmas. Sunday we will attend church as normal, rest and put together Micah's toddler bed and wrap his other presents. Monday, we will do Christmas here for Micah and then travel to The Kelly's for Christmas lunch and more fun with the family.

This time of year is always busy, but I love it! The part that I enjoy most is spending time with family and creating special memories and traditions for Micah.

Do you notice anything weird about this picture? Look at this toddlers tongue...it is "tied." After speaking on the phone with Micah's doctor yesterday, I decided to investigate tongue-tied. I told her what the therapist said about the retrictive moments of his tongue and she suspected that he could be tongue-tied. When Charlie got home, we held him down and both examined his tongue. We both agreed that his tongue looked stranged (some what like the toddler in the picture) and strongly feel that he might be tongue-tied. Neither one of us are an expert in this area, so we are just going on his tongue compared to ours. We will have to take him to the doctor to know for sure. Well, come to find out it runs in families and my dad is also tongue-tied and required speech when he was younger. So what does all this mean??? If we are right, then it is great news!!! It means that Micah's speech problem is not anything serious like we thought before, but it is just because he can't move his tongue. This would also explain why he cannot eat meat. If this is the case, then they do a simple surgical procedure and we will probably see the effects of it immediatly. He will be freed!!!! I can't help but get excited about the possibility that we may not have a long road of speech therapy, just a quick trip to the operating room and DONE! I will try and contain myself for now though, because we could be completely wrong, but for now we will be hopeful.

Speech Therapy

It has been a little while since I have posted an update on Micah. He is doing well with his gross motor skills now. He has almost caught-up. The therapist still comes, to keep an eye on him and make sure that he doesn't regress. She is now working with him on his fine motor skills (Occupational Therapy) more then anything else. For so long, we focused so much on the gross motor skills that he has fallen a bit behind on the fine motor skills. I am sure that he will catch-up with this soon as well. Both areas of his development are just something that I am going to have to remember to stay on top of. I just thank the Lord for therapist that are trained in these areas and that Micah is able to benefit from their services.

Micah's Physical Therapist has been keeping a close watch on his language development for several months now. His development in this area has been some what of a concern to her, so we have been in the process of getting a speech evaluation. We have been trying to get the evaluation now for a couple of months and finally yesterday the Speech Therapist met with us. The therapist shared tons of information with me and I should say that we have our work cut out for us. It was all a little overwhelming. The therapist said that he is pretty sure that Micah has some sort of speech problem (which may be related to his other delays) but he just could not diagnose it until he has worked with him more. He is pretty certain that he is not a "late talker," but that there is some other issue. He noticed something different about the way Micah uses his tongue. He showed me some exercises to do with Micah to try and get him to have full use of his tongue. This, he said is also the reason why Micah will not eat meat. It is going to be a lot of work and I am a bit discouraged. He could not tell me for sure that Micah would have full language development. Yesterday, I had a bit of a pity party. I just kept thinking about how hard things might be for him as he goes through school. But I am also thankful, because I know that it could be a lot worse. The Lord has chosen for us to travel down this road with our precious son. It would not have been the one that I would have chosen for Micah, but I realize that the Lord knows what is best for us and Charlie and I both want to be in His Will. Besides, nothing will change the way that we love and care for him. Just keep him in your prayers and pray that the Lord give me patience.

The house is all decorated for Christmas now and Micah is excited about the new look our living room has. He has been very good not to bother the decorations. Friday morning, I dressed him up in his Santa outfit and we took pictures in front of the tree. Several of them are posted below. Just so you know...I got the outfit at Walmart after Christmas last year for $1.50!!

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Merry Christmas!

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Thursday night we decorated the Christmas tree. Micah helped by hanging his rocking horse ornament. He is going to have so much fun at Christmas this year!

Ebay Pays Off Again!

Every once in a while I will get on an Ebay kick and sell things to make a little extra cash. It has proven itself successful many times. Right now I am interested in making a little extra cash for Christmas. The item I am saving for is a surprise, so I can't spill the beans quite yet.

Well, the day after Thanksgiving my mom and I hit the "early bird specials." As I mentioned in my prior post, we usually make out very well by doing this. We got some really great deals at Target. One of the things that I picked up was the complete four seasons of the hit show "24." They were all four priced at $54.99, but the early bird caught the worm and I got them for $16 each. Now Charlie or I neither one are interested in that show. We love "Lost!" But my wheels started spinning and I just knew that I could not pass up a good deal...I would sale them on Ebay!! Well, the auction ended last night and overall I made a $50 profit. I should say that is pretty good for just picking them up at the store, listing them on Ebay and shipping them.

This gets me in the Ebay selling mood, so I think I will look for some more things to sale while Micah naps!