And my favorite...
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
3-Month Pics
I was just going through my pics and realized I forgot to add these last month!
And my favorite...
And my favorite...
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The All Clear
I spoke to my hematologist on Friday and my bone marrow biopsy came back normal. I'm very relieved to finally know that there isn't anything seriously wrong, and I'm excited that I don't have to have weekly or bi-weekly blood tests anymore (I have seen my hematologist more in 4 months than I saw my OB when I was pregnant!)! My doc just wants to monitor me periodically to make sure my levels don't dip really low again.
Thanks to all for your prayers and support. It really means the world to me. :)
Thanks to all for your prayers and support. It really means the world to me. :)
Friday, August 21, 2009
Weekend of Fun!
This past weekend was another great one!
We started off the weekend by going to Anthony's softball game Friday night. We had a lot of fun watching Daddy and visiting with friends. Saturday, we got to meet Madelyn's newest little boyfriend, Hayden! He is so sweet, but he wasn't too happy about having to take his picture with a girl!
The proud new daddy Justin, baby Hayden, Ant & Madie
We are so excited to have another baby in our circle of friends. It will be so much fun to watch our kiddos grow together!
On Saturday afternoon and evening, we spent some qt with Dede & PawPaw, who drove up to visit. Bubba finally made it to the house after a long day of working at the Hunters' Expo in Forth Worth.
On Sunday, we all packed up and headed to the Hunters' Expo. We had a good time, and Madelyn got to see her first rattlesnakes! Woo, fun! No, but it was great to hang out with the family and take her out to experience new sights and sounds. Oh, and she was the most decked out and cutest little camo-sporting baby there, of course...
Maybe she'll be scoring deer with him one day!
The onesie and bow Uncle Bubba got for her came in handy!
Headed home in our cute hat (and gnawing on Daddy's shoulder)!
We started off the weekend by going to Anthony's softball game Friday night. We had a lot of fun watching Daddy and visiting with friends. Saturday, we got to meet Madelyn's newest little boyfriend, Hayden! He is so sweet, but he wasn't too happy about having to take his picture with a girl!
The proud new daddy Justin, baby Hayden, Ant & Madie
We are so excited to have another baby in our circle of friends. It will be so much fun to watch our kiddos grow together!
On Saturday afternoon and evening, we spent some qt with Dede & PawPaw, who drove up to visit. Bubba finally made it to the house after a long day of working at the Hunters' Expo in Forth Worth.
On Sunday, we all packed up and headed to the Hunters' Expo. We had a good time, and Madelyn got to see her first rattlesnakes! Woo, fun! No, but it was great to hang out with the family and take her out to experience new sights and sounds. Oh, and she was the most decked out and cutest little camo-sporting baby there, of course...
Maybe she'll be scoring deer with him one day!
The onesie and bow Uncle Bubba got for her came in handy!
Headed home in our cute hat (and gnawing on Daddy's shoulder)!
Yummy in My Tummy!
At Madelyn's 4-month appointment, we got the okay to start rice cereal. So far, she seems to love it! The first time we tried it it, I made it a little too runny so there was cereal all over her face, her bib, her clothes, her arms, her bumbo, her legs, her mom... Since then, we've figured out what consistency works best, and she goes to town at dinner time! She'll even fuss a little if we're not feeding her fast enough!
Mmm! This stuff isn't too bad!
Give me more!
Mmm! This stuff isn't too bad!
Give me more!
Our 4-Month Old!
Time flies when you're having fun! This post is a bit late, but we've been busy around our house these days!
This past month has been so much fun. Madelyn has really shown her personality and has become very interactive with us. She started "talking" and using her voice a lot more, and she also gave us her first little giggles! She is getting much better at tummy time (even though she still does not love it...). Because we don't get as much tummy time in as we need, she sits in her bumbo seat quite often. She loves to just hang out with us in the kitchen at night or in the bathroom in the mornings. She has also taken to her pacifiers a lot more this month. Thankfully she's more interested in the clear ones instead of the big 'ole green soothie that we were using! She still loves her bouncer and playmat, and she's finally reaching for and grabbing her toys. She's also started grabbing my arm and my hands during diaper changes. Oh, and the feet! She finally discovered her feet and toes and can't stop grabbing them! This is actually quite helpful during diaper changes because she will grab her toes and hold her bottom up when I'm cleaning her, then when I put on the new diaper, she straightens out and locks her knees so I can fasten it! It is too funny to watch! She also loves to look in the mirror now. I'm sure she doesn't recognize herself, but she definitely knows Mommy & Daddy. She always give us the biggest grins when she sees us in the mirror. She also LOVES it when we sing to her (although I've heard several complaints from recent houseguests). Ant & I have made up many, many songs to the tunes that play on her bouncer and car mirror and swing and every other little gadget that makes noise in our house. She is constantly mimicking us when we're singing or talking. The most exciting milestone this month, though, is that we're consistently sleeping through the night! Mom & Dad are super excited about this one!
At our 4-month appointment, the doctor was impressed and said she was very vocal for a 4 month old (the "talking," not the crying!). He said she is growing right on target and everything looks great! We got the go-ahead to start her on rice cereal (pics to come!), and we'll start her on vegetables next month! Where has the time gone?! And although she is a drool machine and always has a finger, fist or entire hand in her mouth, her doctor thinks it's going to be a while before we see any teeth.
At 4 months, our girl weighed 13 pounds 2.5 ounces (45th percentile), was 25 1/4 inches long (85th percentile), and had a head circumference of 41 centimeters (50th percentile).
Our long-legged Madie Kate at 4 months
My smiley face :)
More big grins. She seriously smiles all. the. time.
"Okay Mom, enough smiles. I'm just going to chill out here until you stop..."
Couldn't resist a pic in her matching baby legs!
My two 13-pounders
This past month has been so much fun. Madelyn has really shown her personality and has become very interactive with us. She started "talking" and using her voice a lot more, and she also gave us her first little giggles! She is getting much better at tummy time (even though she still does not love it...). Because we don't get as much tummy time in as we need, she sits in her bumbo seat quite often. She loves to just hang out with us in the kitchen at night or in the bathroom in the mornings. She has also taken to her pacifiers a lot more this month. Thankfully she's more interested in the clear ones instead of the big 'ole green soothie that we were using! She still loves her bouncer and playmat, and she's finally reaching for and grabbing her toys. She's also started grabbing my arm and my hands during diaper changes. Oh, and the feet! She finally discovered her feet and toes and can't stop grabbing them! This is actually quite helpful during diaper changes because she will grab her toes and hold her bottom up when I'm cleaning her, then when I put on the new diaper, she straightens out and locks her knees so I can fasten it! It is too funny to watch! She also loves to look in the mirror now. I'm sure she doesn't recognize herself, but she definitely knows Mommy & Daddy. She always give us the biggest grins when she sees us in the mirror. She also LOVES it when we sing to her (although I've heard several complaints from recent houseguests). Ant & I have made up many, many songs to the tunes that play on her bouncer and car mirror and swing and every other little gadget that makes noise in our house. She is constantly mimicking us when we're singing or talking. The most exciting milestone this month, though, is that we're consistently sleeping through the night! Mom & Dad are super excited about this one!
At our 4-month appointment, the doctor was impressed and said she was very vocal for a 4 month old (the "talking," not the crying!). He said she is growing right on target and everything looks great! We got the go-ahead to start her on rice cereal (pics to come!), and we'll start her on vegetables next month! Where has the time gone?! And although she is a drool machine and always has a finger, fist or entire hand in her mouth, her doctor thinks it's going to be a while before we see any teeth.
At 4 months, our girl weighed 13 pounds 2.5 ounces (45th percentile), was 25 1/4 inches long (85th percentile), and had a head circumference of 41 centimeters (50th percentile).
Our long-legged Madie Kate at 4 months
My smiley face :)
More big grins. She seriously smiles all. the. time.
"Okay Mom, enough smiles. I'm just going to chill out here until you stop..."
Couldn't resist a pic in her matching baby legs!
My two 13-pounders
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
My Battle Wounds
Yesterday's boipsy went as well as could be expected. It hurt like no other. I'd say it was worse than giving birth, but I think that's only because I've suffered new mom amnesia and forgotten about the pains...
My sweet sister made the trip with me and had to hold my hand through the entire procedure. I don't know what I would have done without her there to take care of me! They started by giving me a sedative, which really only made me a little drowsy. I then got a topical in my skin and another in my bone (FIRE!!!!). My doc then (what felt like) drilled a hole in my hip and took a sample of my bone marrow. The whole thing only took about 5 minutes, but it was 5 minutes of... well, no fun. After they were done, they couldn't get my blood to clot, so she also had to do another blood check to make sure my platelets hadn't dipped again. Super. So I left with holes all over my body!
I'm still pretty sore today, but I'm sure I'll be back to 100% no time. I'm anxious to get the results back, which should be in about a week. Thank you all for your prayers and support. It means so much to my family and me. :)
My sweet sister made the trip with me and had to hold my hand through the entire procedure. I don't know what I would have done without her there to take care of me! They started by giving me a sedative, which really only made me a little drowsy. I then got a topical in my skin and another in my bone (FIRE!!!!). My doc then (what felt like) drilled a hole in my hip and took a sample of my bone marrow. The whole thing only took about 5 minutes, but it was 5 minutes of... well, no fun. After they were done, they couldn't get my blood to clot, so she also had to do another blood check to make sure my platelets hadn't dipped again. Super. So I left with holes all over my body!
I'm still pretty sore today, but I'm sure I'll be back to 100% no time. I'm anxious to get the results back, which should be in about a week. Thank you all for your prayers and support. It means so much to my family and me. :)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A Little About Me...
It's true. When you have kids, no one really cares about Mom & Dad anymore, ;) but I have been asked about my health lately and I figure a few extra prayers might come in handy in the coming days.
As you may remember, I had issues with low platelets throughout my pregnancy. When I hit 36 weeks, they started declining rapidly. By week 38 they were low enough that my doctor put me on steroids and induced me as soon as my levels were high enough for me to deliver, which happened to be one week later.
After Madelyn was born, I continued taking the steroids and going to the hematologist every week for blood checks. My levels were back up into the "safe zone" of around 130-150 (normal levels are 150-600), so she slowly weaned me off the steroids the last week of June. Let me tell you, nearly 3 months of steroids is NO fun. My doctor believes I have something called ITP (immune thrombocytopenic purpura - a mouthful which basically means low platelets), but it is a diagnosis of exclusion. This means that she has to rule out many other diseases before officially diagnosing me with ITP. She's ruled out all kinds of other diseases through blood tests and ultrasounds on my liver and spleen, but the last test they need to run is a bone marrow biopsy to rule out leukemia. She is very confident that this will turn up negative as I've had no other symptoms, but they still have to stick a long needle in my hip bone before giving me the official thumbs up. :(
If you have a free moment, please send up a prayer or two because tomorrow morning I'm going in for the biopsy. I am not looking forward to the procedure at all, but I'll be glad once I have an official diagnosis and can move on.
As you may remember, I had issues with low platelets throughout my pregnancy. When I hit 36 weeks, they started declining rapidly. By week 38 they were low enough that my doctor put me on steroids and induced me as soon as my levels were high enough for me to deliver, which happened to be one week later.
After Madelyn was born, I continued taking the steroids and going to the hematologist every week for blood checks. My levels were back up into the "safe zone" of around 130-150 (normal levels are 150-600), so she slowly weaned me off the steroids the last week of June. Let me tell you, nearly 3 months of steroids is NO fun. My doctor believes I have something called ITP (immune thrombocytopenic purpura - a mouthful which basically means low platelets), but it is a diagnosis of exclusion. This means that she has to rule out many other diseases before officially diagnosing me with ITP. She's ruled out all kinds of other diseases through blood tests and ultrasounds on my liver and spleen, but the last test they need to run is a bone marrow biopsy to rule out leukemia. She is very confident that this will turn up negative as I've had no other symptoms, but they still have to stick a long needle in my hip bone before giving me the official thumbs up. :(
If you have a free moment, please send up a prayer or two because tomorrow morning I'm going in for the biopsy. I am not looking forward to the procedure at all, but I'll be glad once I have an official diagnosis and can move on.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
One Year Ago
Funny how much one's life can change in just one short year.
One year ago today, Anthony & I were on cloud nine. No one knew but us. What we had hoped and dreamed for was going to come true. I didn't think we could be any happier or that life could possibly get any better.
But we are, and it did.
Today, we are on cloud nine, plus one. Little did I know one year ago that this little miracle would end up being the sweetest, most beautiful, most perfect little person we'd ever meet. Little did I know how much we would do for her, how much we would give for her, or how much we could possibly love her.
I've been saying it a lot lately, but I smiled when I read my journal entry from one year ago. "I am so blessed (and so freaking excited!!!)." One year ago today was one of the very best days of my life.
One year ago today, Anthony & I were on cloud nine. No one knew but us. What we had hoped and dreamed for was going to come true. I didn't think we could be any happier or that life could possibly get any better.
But we are, and it did.
Today, we are on cloud nine, plus one. Little did I know one year ago that this little miracle would end up being the sweetest, most beautiful, most perfect little person we'd ever meet. Little did I know how much we would do for her, how much we would give for her, or how much we could possibly love her.
I've been saying it a lot lately, but I smiled when I read my journal entry from one year ago. "I am so blessed (and so freaking excited!!!)." One year ago today was one of the very best days of my life.
Our Sleeping Beauty
During the week, I feel like we hardly get enough time with our sweet girl. She is at day care all day, and she's usually ready for bed between 7:30-8:00. We cherish the awake time we have with her, and we spend it playing, singing, splashing in the tub, feeding and cuddling with her. When she falls asleep, I either just hold and rock and cuddle her or just stand over her crib staring at this face in awe.
I know all moms say this, but she is the most beautiful and precious thing I've ever laid eyes on, and I can't believe she is ours. Ant and I thank the Lord every single day that He brought her into our lives. We are so blessed and are absolutely in love with this beautiful little girl.
I know all moms say this, but she is the most beautiful and precious thing I've ever laid eyes on, and I can't believe she is ours. Ant and I thank the Lord every single day that He brought her into our lives. We are so blessed and are absolutely in love with this beautiful little girl.
The Day Her Daddy's Been Waiting For...
Madelyn's first Rangers game!
Let me preface this with a little story about my dear husband. Earlier this year, Anthony was dying to go to opening day at the ballpark. The Rangers hadn't had a home game on opening day for eons, so this was big. He begged me to go, even though opening day was 8 days before my due date. I love going to the ballpark (and getting out of work to do it), but there was no way in hell I was going to drag my fat arse out there at nearly 39 weeks pregnant. So, poor Ant didn't get his tickets. Just a few days prior to opening day, we found out Miss Madie Kate would be born on April 7, the day after opening day. Of course, we were thrilled, but Daddy was secretly hoping she'd make her appearance before the 7th so we could watch the game from the hospital. Of course, things didn't work out quite like he had hoped, so he missed the game. The boys didn't have a game on the 7th, which worked out perfectly because we were still recovering from the day's "activities." On Wednesday, April 8, Daddy and the newest little Rangers fan got to enjoy their first game together in the hospital. It was the first of many many games they've already watched together. :)
Oh, and another note - when I found out we were expecting, we wanted to give our parents "grandparent" onesies to tell them the good news. While I was out shopping for these, I made my first baby purchase - Texas Rangers onesies!! No cute little socks or outfits or rattles, I bought Rangers gear. This girl of ours better like some baseball!
So on August 2, we were invited to join Ant's coworkers in a suite at the ballpark. While we love cheering from the cheap seats, it was so much easier to be able to spread out and relax. We got to enjoy the game with a great group of friends, which included 3 other babies! All of the kiddos were perfect during the game! I don't think I heard any of them cry or fuss the entire time! And check out the cute bow. Dede's ginormous bow was just a little too ginormous, so we had to refashion it before the game. I think it turned out pretty cute! :)
On our way up to our seats!
He's been waiting for this moment for a long time!
Our little fan
3 of the 4 cute babies. I think sweet little L liked Madie's hair...
We stayed until the very last out of the game, and as you can tell from the smile on her face, we all had a great time!
Let me preface this with a little story about my dear husband. Earlier this year, Anthony was dying to go to opening day at the ballpark. The Rangers hadn't had a home game on opening day for eons, so this was big. He begged me to go, even though opening day was 8 days before my due date. I love going to the ballpark (and getting out of work to do it), but there was no way in hell I was going to drag my fat arse out there at nearly 39 weeks pregnant. So, poor Ant didn't get his tickets. Just a few days prior to opening day, we found out Miss Madie Kate would be born on April 7, the day after opening day. Of course, we were thrilled, but Daddy was secretly hoping she'd make her appearance before the 7th so we could watch the game from the hospital. Of course, things didn't work out quite like he had hoped, so he missed the game. The boys didn't have a game on the 7th, which worked out perfectly because we were still recovering from the day's "activities." On Wednesday, April 8, Daddy and the newest little Rangers fan got to enjoy their first game together in the hospital. It was the first of many many games they've already watched together. :)
Oh, and another note - when I found out we were expecting, we wanted to give our parents "grandparent" onesies to tell them the good news. While I was out shopping for these, I made my first baby purchase - Texas Rangers onesies!! No cute little socks or outfits or rattles, I bought Rangers gear. This girl of ours better like some baseball!
So on August 2, we were invited to join Ant's coworkers in a suite at the ballpark. While we love cheering from the cheap seats, it was so much easier to be able to spread out and relax. We got to enjoy the game with a great group of friends, which included 3 other babies! All of the kiddos were perfect during the game! I don't think I heard any of them cry or fuss the entire time! And check out the cute bow. Dede's ginormous bow was just a little too ginormous, so we had to refashion it before the game. I think it turned out pretty cute! :)
On our way up to our seats!
He's been waiting for this moment for a long time!
Our little fan
3 of the 4 cute babies. I think sweet little L liked Madie's hair...
We stayed until the very last out of the game, and as you can tell from the smile on her face, we all had a great time!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Mama & Madie in Meridian
As I mentioned previously, two weekends ago, MKR & I headed home to see the family while Daddy worked. We had a great time visiting with all everyone, including Bubba, who drove all the way in from Three Rivers to see all of us.
PawPaw and my little turkey
Somebody needs a tan
Madie Kate & Dede with her cool new 'do
Okay, this picture is only hilarious to the people who have seen the picture Mom & Dad took of us kids in the exact same pose 20-something years ago. And yes, we had the exact same tv remote in the original picture...
On Sunday, we went to see Mamu in Clifton. We were excited that Lolly & Aunt Chris were able to meet us there, as well!
Sorry if the quality of these pics isn't too great. I forgot my camera, so I had to steal these from Andrea off of facebook! Sister, email me some more pictures! :D
Bubba finally held her (for only the second time)!
And we had to visit with PawPaw more before going to see Papaw and heading home.
We had a such a great time with all the family and can't wait to see them all again very soon!
PawPaw and my little turkey
Somebody needs a tan
Madie Kate & Dede with her cool new 'do
Okay, this picture is only hilarious to the people who have seen the picture Mom & Dad took of us kids in the exact same pose 20-something years ago. And yes, we had the exact same tv remote in the original picture...
On Sunday, we went to see Mamu in Clifton. We were excited that Lolly & Aunt Chris were able to meet us there, as well!
Sorry if the quality of these pics isn't too great. I forgot my camera, so I had to steal these from Andrea off of facebook! Sister, email me some more pictures! :D
Bubba finally held her (for only the second time)!
And we had to visit with PawPaw more before going to see Papaw and heading home.
We had a such a great time with all the family and can't wait to see them all again very soon!
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