Speechless

I had a customer come in today for the H1N1 vaccine. Yes I have it in stock and no you can't have it. Unless you are in a priority group.

She was 18 weeks pregnant. Pregnant women are at high risk for complications so are in the priority group for receiving this vaccine. She said she had been going back and forth trying to decide if she should get the vaccine at all but finally decided that having a baby with autism was better than having a miscarriage. WHAT? Okay. Now I was beginning to understand. She was one of those...

Those? The ones who believe that vaccines are the root of all evil. That vaccines cause autism... Even though you can read on the CDC website and the FDA websites that several studies have been conducted and do not show an association between vaccines and autism. The FDA protects people. Keeps them safe from potentially harmful substances. They are not for promoting drugs--but for safety and health. I have a hard time believing that if studies were truly showing that vaccines may be responsible for autism that something wouldn't be done.

I don't want to downplay the importance of autism awareness and how serious autism can be. So, instead of arguing with this patient, I let her express her opinion and kind of kept my mouth shut.

So, as I was starting to give her the shot, she tells me she is afraid of needles. Which is why she had two kids without an epidural. I said, "Good for you! "

She said, "Yes, it was good. Epidurals just slow everything down. It was great!"

I smiled and said that I had had 2 c-sections. She said, "Oh, I'm sorry."

Sorry? Seriously? That was kind of offensive. Just because my labors didn't fall into her "Labor Plan" doesn't mean that they were any less miraculous or wonderful. I said that it didn't matter as long as my kids were healthy. I think she agreed with me. Maybe not...

I was kind of speechless after that.

Toilet Training Tribulations and Triumphs

I think we have done it. We have found the right bribe.

We have been having issues with our stubborn-if -it- isn't- my- idea -it -I -am- not -doing- it- three year old and potty training. He just was refusing. When we took him for his 3 year old well check, the doctor said to give him a little time and try again. She suggested that even though we had tried different incentives maybe we hadn't touched on the right one...Well, I think we found it.

They were going to be discussing pets at preschool so they were asked to bring in a picture of a pet they had or a pet they wanted. Since there are NO pets in my house, my Mom helped Cade pick a pet he would like. Cade decided he wanted a fish. A goldfish like Dorothy, Elmo's fish. **LIGHT BULB!**

Cade was told he was not allowed to go back to school in pull-ups. He was not supposed to be wearing them, so when the teacher noticed them, we got a phone call. But Cade loves school and was doing well. Didn't want to pull him out over potty training--especially when he knew how to do it. So the bribe...the fish.

We bought a fish tank, rocks, plants, and little figures. We bought fish food. Every day that Cade was dry, he got another piece to his tank. He knows that when the tank is all ready, he gets his fish. We have had NO accidents. Amazing. We found the right bribe. We are still working on number two, but, one step at a time... WOO HOO!

Speaking of well check appointments, Cade weighed in at 43 pounds and 41 inches tall! In the 99th% for height and weight. Zane was over 17 pounds. He gained 5 pounds in the last two months. Guess he had some catching up to do! He went from being in the 5th % for weight to the 50th%. Now he is right where he should be. Happy, chubby, healthy. Love it.

Pictures--Cade 3 years, Zane 6 months

I have a blog?

Wow. I almost forgot I had a blog... But, since I did remember, you can now suffer through my long overdue--and possibly long-winded update.

• We were honored with a visit from our friend's the Peterson's for Cade's 3rd birthday. It was so much fun to have them here. Swimming, eating, drinking, card playing...it was wonderful. Cade LOVED having two boys to play with. They hunted dragons and bad guys with a strange assortment of weapons (foam swords, drum sticks, spatulas)... You can check out Jaime's account of their visit here. One of the best things we did was take the boys to Ridemakerz. It is like a grown up version of Build-a-Bear. Instead of making teddy bears, you make cool cars or trucks. Cade and Kole made the same truck--same color. I think the Dads had just as much fun as the little boys!

• Cade turned three on August 17th! I am not sure how my baby boy is three. Is it really possible? Apparently it is. We had a fun party at Peter Piper Pizza. Backyardigan themed. For those of you who don't know who the Backyardigans are, well, no loss there! Cade had a great time and I didn't have a house to clean up! It was a win-win situation!



• The weekend after Cade's birthday, we took a quick trip to California to go to Legoland. My parents came with us and we all piled in their car for the long drive. My two boys did very well considering we were on the road for about 7 hours each way. Cade liked Legoland. He loved driving the cars--but was NOT thrilled that he ended up on a roller coaster with me. It was pretty tame, but he said it was "scary, scary, scary, scary, scary". Most kids think it was fun after the fact, but Cade will NOT say that it was fun. Maybe in a few years...On Sunday we went to Sea Life. Cade loved the fish and Zane enjoyed them, too.

• 


• Cade started preschool. He is doing well--or he did in the first week. He seems to enjoy it!Of course, to be in preschool, he is supposed to be fully potty trained. However, that seems to be an issue for us. Cade understands the concept. He can even execute the concept when forced. But, the key word is forced. It is a full out raging battle to get Cade to go to the bathroom. I actually found an article on line about potty training REFUSAL. It isn't that he isn't capable, it is a power struggle. So, the recommendation was that you make the child in charge. WHAT? That is exactly what he wants. So, Cade is back in pull-ups for now. At least until we come back from vacation and see his pediatrician for his 3 year well check. Maybe we can get some good advice then.
• After our trip, Zane will go for his six month well check. He has grown so much! He actually has rolls on his legs! He was sooo skinny for such a long time, that he has plumped up in like the last 6 weeks. He went from weighing 12 lbs 5 oz on 7/13 to over 16 pounds tonight! He had some catching up to do and he has done it! Zane has mastered rolling over to his tummy--but hasn't quite mastered rolling back over on his back. So, several times a night he cries because he is stuck. Great fun!
• We leave for Hawaii soon! I can NOT wait. The long plane ride with two kids isn't as exciting, but the destination is well worth the travel. Maui here we come!

A picture worth a thousand words...

I just had to share some images I took with my phone. Therefore the quality of the pics are lacking, however, they get the point across.

This is the clock in my car. This was at night.

This is a picture of the temperature reading on my rear view mirror at that time of night.

Yes, you are seeing it correctly. It was still 104 degrees at almost 10:00pm. Lovely, isn't it?

The second set of pics are a list I found in my house. When we learned that my Grandfather was very ill, my mother and I flew out to NY and took Zane with us. That left Jim and my Dad in charge of Cade, and my nephews, Brandon and Gabe who were visiting.

Brandon and Gabe stayed the night with Jim before they left to join us in NY. Jim, as I similarly do, made a note of things they needed to grab before walking out the door.

Do you see what I found funny?

Jim explained that the note was for Gabe's Nintendo DS. Not for Gabe himself. I am glad that Jim didn't really need a note to remember one of the kids...

He

He was larger than life...

Even after his life was over.

He was a pillar of the community,

A judge that was fair and just.

He was a man that loved fully and faithfully

With no regard for the boundaries of this physical earth.

He was a believer.

One who shared his faith through his words and actions.

He was a family man

Whose family included more than those with blood ties.

He was a humanitarian

Who helped anyone in need by providing a warm smile, a firm hand squeeze, knowledgeable advice, or the items they lacked.

He loved to make other people smile

Even if it took corny jokes to induce those smiles.

He was an amazing man.

He was my Grandfather.

Play Bejeweled! But Don't Beat me!

What has kept me away from blogging?

• Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook. There is a monster competition going on between my brothers and I. Well, it was initially just my brothers and I...now my mom is involved. And she keeps pulling ahead of me!


• Books. I haven't read a book in so long. Having young kids means that I read more "Hungry Caterpillar" than any adult books. But, when Jim had his surgery, I had some time in the waiting room to start a book. I read, "The Shack" by William Young. It was an amazing book with such insights and explanations that opened my eyes. It was wonderful. So wonderful, I think that book needs a post of its own. Totally excited by reading a book again, I jumped right in to another. I read a book about the Columbine tragedy. It was an interesting book that dispelled a lot of incorrect beliefs I had about what had happened. Then, I started the Twilight series. Ohhhh...I am enjoying them immensely. I am on the second book. Wish I had more time to read.


• Kids. Zane is flourishing. Sleeping pretty well at night and gaining weight finally! Tonight our scale said he was 12 pounds. Because he has gained so much weight, we had to go back to the GI doc to increase his Omeprazole for the stomach acid. He is much happier now that his meds have been adjusted. He will go for his four month check up next week. Cade is doing well, but seems to be having a little trouble with jealousy of his brother. Cade occasionally wants to "be the baby" and asks to be fed a bottle or pretends to have a pacifier. We are trying trying trying to potty train, but with little success. He is figuring it out, but...


• Work. I am bummed out that I am being kicked out of my store and having to move to Sun City. The store isn't bad--slow, but I will survive. I will just miss my coworkers and my customers who I have known for over 5 years. Change is tough. But, I will continue my one day a week work schedule which is great.
• Kim. Kim was here for a week visiting. What an awesome time we had drinking and just hanging out. We shopped and ate and went to the spa... We just generally had fun enjoying each other's company. Well, I enjoyed it anyway...you would have to ask Kim if she had fun. I hope so.

So, I have a new masthead up and a current blog. That's a start, isn't it?

If You Understood, You Would Understand...

That statement was spoken by my husband.

"If you understood, you would understand." After mocking him for several moments regarding this seemingly un-profound statement, I realized that although it sounded meaningless, it held great meaning.

Jim was referring to his post hernia surgery pain. He had two hernias repaired a week ago and has been suffering ever since. He has an incision above his belly button and one in the groin area. He says the incisions are not really what hurt, but the groin. As he said, it "feels like someone is using his groin for a punching bag." Any men reading this are probably wincing and sympathizing with Jim. As a female, I am trying to be compassionate and understanding, but I have different anatomy that doesn't allow me to understand 100% what he is feeling. I was picking on him for whining for a week and he said..."If you understood, you would understand."

But there are two sides to every story. Jim has been miserable the whole last week and so have I pretty much. On Monday and Tuesday Jim was basically helpless. So, I had THREE babies. It has been a rough week being a single parent (but thank goodness for the family support of both of our parents). I have been trying to contain my resentment but it bubbled forth a couple of times. I just kept thinking of my two c-sections. I had my abdomen cut open and a baby pulled out and my "recovery" period included no sleep and feeding a crying baby every two hours. Jim, on the other hand, had no cares other than himself. I was angry and hated that I was angry. In trying to explain this to Jim, all I could think to say was, "If you understood, you would understand."

Makes sense, right?

Catch-up

I have been long gone, but finally a few minutes to get on blogger! Not much to say, but pictures galore!

Mr. Zane smiles all the time. He is such a cutie!

After a bath, I was combing Zane's hair and fell in love with his perfect swirl on the back of his head. Picture worthy!

Cade loves to help give Zane a bath!

Dad, Jim, and Cade spent a morning trimming our two fruit trees. You can see Cade shooting the fallen grapefruit into the trash can.


Not much else going on except for Jim is recovering from his hernia surgery. Pretty sore and miserable, but getting better each day! Luckily he doesn't have to back to work for a couple of weeks.

HI HO! HI HO! It's off to work I go...

Tomorrow is it. The day I return to work.

When I whined to my older brother I was basically told "boo freakin' hoo" and to suck it up. Gotta love the support family gives you.

I did have to point out to him, however, that I have not been on vacation. Maternity leave is harder, I believe, than being at work. But the satisfaction is greater. So while I haven't been sunbathing on the beach in Hawaii (I CAN NOT WAIT FOR SEPTEMBER) I have been able to spend some precious time with my kiddos.

I am very lucky as I am only going back to work 12 hours a week, which means one long day a week and I am done. I am VERY lucky that my parents, my mom especially, are willing to be our daycare providers. Leaving your baby is never easy, but much easier knowing that the caretaker loves him.

And for those of you who care or notice, I am aware that my masthead has not been updated for June. I was half tempted to keep the same one and just put June on it, but I decided that was WAY lamer than being a few days late with a new one. Hang in there. June's will be up sometime before....July :-)

We're Growing!

Zane turned 12 weeks old yesterday.

He is now 10 pounds and smiling! What a sweetheart!

Short and Sweet

Well, y'all agreed that for the time being I could get away with short, unimaginative posts--as long as they contain pictures.

Let's just say that it is a good thing we have air conditioning since this is the way Zane likes to sleep. All bundled up. I have a theory on that. When Zane was in the NICU at birth and PICU at two weeks, the nurses/doctors would swaddle Zane when they were done poking and prodding him. I think Zane associates swaddling with a break from needles, medicine, respiratory therapy, etc. Of course, it could just be that he is a baby. And lots of babies like to be swaddled. Doesn't really matter. Looks like a sleeping angel either way.

Just Not Feelin' It

I haven't been around the blogging world much lately.

I could blame it on my crazy two year old, or my needy newborn. And while both excuses are valid and true, it isn't the whole story. I am just not feeling very creative or interesting lately. I guess what it comes down to is the fact that I am NOT interesting lately. I have said before that boring is good. Means no drama is going. However, it also means that I am boring. And boring, is, well, boring. See, I am boring you already.

So enough about boring me. I will just torment you with more pictures.

Here is Zane--getting bigger each day and so happy and alert--especially in the morning!

My friend's daughter came over to play this morning. Cade really likes Zoie but is usually very quiet around her. Not today! He was in his house, so must have felt more comfortable. That and he is finally reaching an age where you play WITH other kids, not just NEXT to them.

Here is Cade and Zoie sharing a chair--because why sit by yourself?


Cade and Zoie decided to take the toys out of the coffee table--not to play with them, but to make room so they could climb in. Who needs toys when you have fun furniture?!

Six Word Story

In church today our pastor talked a little bit about Ernest Hemingway and how he was challenged to write a story in six words that would tell the whole story.

Hemingway said he could do it... His story:

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn."

I think Hemingway succeeded in creating an amazing story with depth and feeling in six tiny words.

If you search the web, you can find lots of people who have written these "short stories". Some fact, some fiction...and many very personal.

The favorite one I found: "Not quite what I was planning!"

Our pastor challenged us to write one for our Mom's since it is Mother's Day.

My story for my mom:

"I could never thank you enough."

Anyone else up to the challenge? Leave me a comment with a six word story regarding your mom or mother figure!

Have to Share

I know I am biased, but I think my kids are cute.

Therefore, I must torture all of you with pictures--and lots of them. I apologize for that, but am aware it can not be helped!

What's New

There are just not enough hours in the day.

Especially if you have house guests. House guests that make you stay up until all hours of the night drinking. It was fun, but it left me exhausted and no time to blog! So here is the deal in a few short words.

• Zane's baptism went really well. He didn't cry at all!
• Cade thought his role for the baptism was to pose like a diva on the stairs to the altar.
• Josh makes me drink way too much.
• I miss everybody already.
• We are going to see Dave Matthew's Band tomorrow night. Hopefully I won't fall asleep and will really enjoy the night out with Jim and my parents!

Well, that is it in a nutshell. Enjoy the slide show in the previous post!

All's Quiet

I love to say that. Love even more to experience that.

Cade is sound asleep in his bed. Zane is sound asleep in his bed. Cade will hopefully be asleep until at least 6:30 tomorrow morning and Zane, well, hopefully until 10:00pm when he will want to eat again.

Tomorrow my older brother Josh is coming into town. Cade is sad that Brandon and Gabe won't be with him, but he is excited nonetheless to "rock out" with Uncle Josh. Cade will tell you that Uncle Josh is coming for "baptize". To put water on Zane's head. Not Caden's.

Many other friends and family are coming in for this special occasion. My Aunt Sue from New York, Jim's sister from Tennessee, my brother, Jeremy and his wife, Jenae who have agreed to be Zane's Godparents and Jenae's parents from California.

It is going to be a fun time--surrounding an important, blessed event!

Good For Something

Cade has now had two big attempts at potty training in underwear.

Neither one went really well, but we will get there eventually. In the meantime Cade has found a new use for his underwear. Accessories for all! Bracelets and head wear!

Medical Bills

The cost of health:

Ambulance ride to John C. Lincoln: $875.00
John C. Lincoln: $4,302.00
X-Ray: $200.00
Doctor services at John C. Lincoln: $920.00
Ambulance ride to St. Joes: 974.00
ICU Stay at St. Joes: $20,333

PCP visits for GI Issues: $260.00
Lab work: $200.00
Ultrasound: $625.00
GI Specialist: $570.83
Prescription: $70.00/month
New formula: $28.99/can

Having a healthy, happy baby: PRICELESS

(Having insurance so we have only paid about $500 of this: Priceless!)

Rejection

I know. That title seems unbelievable, right?

I mean, who would want to reject ME?

Apparently my own child.

After Zane was born, my parents and in-laws have been very generous and take Cade for a while so that all I have to do is focus on Zane. It has been nice to have some bonding time alone with my new baby and Cade basks in the attention from his grandparents.

I decided that I needed some time with my older son, too. To make sure he still felt loved and cared for by me--who has lately had to devote more of my time to his brother. So, I asked my parents to watch Zane for an hour or so tonight so Cade and I could do something fun. We got to my parent's house and Cade was ecstatic to be there. So much so that he didn't want to do ANYTHING with me. I couldn't even bribe him with the toy store. He volunteered his Granddad to go to the store with me and he was going to stay home with Nana and Baby Zane. Only after 20 minutes of playing outside with Granddad and me promising him pancakes at Cracker Barrel did he finally agree to go with me. I have never felt the sting of rejection like I did tonight.

We had a good time. It was really nice to have some one-on-one time with Cade. I think he liked it, too...once I got him in the car.

Reality Check

Ever since I went back to work after having Cade, my Mom has been baby-sitting for us.

It is an amazing blessing to have my Mom willing and able to do that for us. It made going back to work so much easier knowing that someone who loved Cade was taking care of him.

When we found out we were pregnant with Zane, I remember thinking that I would need to put Cade in day care because it wouldn't be fair to expect my mom to watch both kids. I mean, what if they both cried at the same time? My Mom assured me that she would be fine. However, in my worries about my Mom, I never thought about that situation for myself. I never thought about the fact that I might be alone with them and have them both crying or needing something at the same time. DUH! Welcome to my daily life. I would like to thank my friends and family that made having more than one kid look so easy. You could've warned me!

While the sleep deprivation from one kid waking up while the other one falls asleep makes me a little grouchy, Zane's weight gain makes me very happy! My neuroses finally got the better of me and I bought a baby scale. Everytime I take Zane to the doctor for a weight check, it costs me $25. And since things have been so tough for him and weight gain pretty much nonexistant, I have been pretty stressed about it. The pediatrician doesn't see him again until he is 2 months old and the GI doctor not for three more weeks. That is a long time for me to wonder if he is gaining weight or not. So I bought a scale. It was either that or stick him in the produce scale at the grocery store or sneak him into the post office at night for their scale. Anyway. A long explanation for a simple statement. According to my new baby scale, Zane weighs 7 lbs 13 oz. We are finally back to and past birth weight. That means Zane has gained 12 oz in about a week! That is more than he gained in the first 5 weeks of his life! Apparently the new formula and medicine are working! Yeah!

Where?

Most kids like to ask, "Why?"

My unique child, Cade, asks "Where?" Repeatedly.

It is kind of humorous and slightly annoying. Here are two examples of our conversations:

Me: Cade, did you have fun at Peter Piper Pizza?
Him: Where?
Me: The pizza place.
Him: Which one?
Me: Seriously? Where we had dinner.
Him: Where?
Me: Never mind.

Him: Where are we going?
Me: To the doctor.
Him: Caden's doctor?
Me: Zane's doctor.
Him: Oh.
We get in the car..
Him: Where are we going?
Me: To the doctor.
Him: Zane's doctor?
Me: Yes.
Two minutes pass...
Him: Where are we going?
Me: What did I tell you?
Him: What?
Me: Where are we going?
Him: Zane's doctor?
Me: YES.
And this repeats until we reach our destination...

It's Always Something It Seems...

It has been another interesting week with Zane.

He had a doctor's appointment last Tuesday to discuss his weight and his reflux. The doctor that we saw said that Zane needed to space out the feedings more to help decrease the amount he spit up. We also needed to make sure he was getting two ounces (no more-no less) at each feeding--which is impossible to know when you are breast feeding. So that meant pumping--and becoming closer to my inner dairy cow.

By Thursday I was alarmed at how much he really was spitting up. Especially with the bottles. I called the office Thursday night and Friday was sent to Phoenix Children's Hospital for an ultrasound. Zane's fourth hospital in his four weeks of life. The ultrasound came back normal.

We went back to the doc on Monday. His reflux had NOT improved and he had gained only one ounce. Now Zane is almost 5 weeks old and has not even gotten back to his birth weight. So, we were sent to see a gastroenterologist today.

The specialist we saw today was awesome. Very calm, understanding, supportive and knowledgeable. Everything you want in a doctor that is caring for your child. He said that the reflux is a problem and gave us medication for that. He said that there could be something going on with the anatomy of Zane's GI tract so he is ordering an upper GI. He also said that he suspects there is a milk protein allergy. That would explain all of Zane's symptoms. So, he ordered blood work and a new formula to try that is not milk based like the others.

Unfortunately for me, that means if I want to continue to breast feed I have to eliminate dairy products from my diet. Most of you know that I avoid milk like the plague (like Josh does green beans) but think about all the dairy products consumed other than milk. Ice cream, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, ICE CREAM, Starbucks lattes, ICE CREAM! DID I MENTION ICE CREAM? I guess to put it mildly this might be the end of breast feeding. Which does then open up my ability to drink caffeine and alcohol. There has to be an upside to this.

The biggest downside is the formula is super expensive and smells disgusting. But if it helps...

Kiddie Kandid Pics

Recent Pictures

When a week feels like a year...

Tomorrow, Thursday, it will be a week since we called 911 for Zane.

Hard to believe that it has only been a week. It seems to me like it has been FOREVER. I guess that whole situation sucked a lot out of us. All of us. I wanted to say thank you to my parents and my in-laws as they helped us through this past week. It helped so much to know that Cade was safe and well cared for so that we could focus on Zane in the hospital.

Diana, Jim's mom, took off work to come and visit us in the hospital and to take Cade for the afternoons and evenings. My parents took care of Cade the rest of time and would sit with Zane in the hospital for a few hours so Jim and I could run home and shower and change. Diana brought us cookies and Starbucks. My mom did our laundry. The support from our family is amazing--and priceless. Thank you!

Tomorrow, Thursday, it will be a week since Cade had his pictures taken with the Easter Bunny. I seem to have a valid excuse of why it has taken me so long to get these pictures up, but here they are!

Life in the PICU

**I started to write this post on Saturday...so it is a little old, but it tells you our whole story. That we know has a happy ending! Thanks to everyone that has supported us with prayers and love. Thank you!**

What is the PICU?

Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

A place we never dreamed we would be. A place where a nightmare puts you. A place where my baby is getting the best care possible to keep him alive.

That sounds so scary to say. But, it is true. How long can you live without breathing? Not long.

Zane had congestion since early this past week. I called the doctor's office last Monday and they said it was probably just "newborn congestion" and as long as he wasn't running a fever, we should be fine.

Zane was seen on Wednesday at the doctor's office. The doctor did his circumcision and listened to him and said that although he was congested, his lungs were clear and to follow up on Friday for his congestion, to check on his circumcision and his weight since he had not gained any of his birth weight back.

Zane pretty much slept the next 24 hours. He would wake up once in a while to eat--and I was waking him up to eat since he needed to gain weight. But he just seemed tired. We thought he was just traumatized from his circumcision and needed to sleep.

Thursday morning we went to the mall. Zane hung out in the stroller--still sleeping. We had lunch and took Cade to see the Easter Bunny. I had taken Zane out of the stroller so he could get his picture taken with the Easter Bunny, too...but I changed my mind and just had Cade in the picture. My Mom took Zane so I could pay for the pictures and we walked out of the mall. When we got outside, Mom said she was glad to be outside in the sun because when we were in the mall Zane's upper lip looked a little blue. But he looked better outside.

I sat next to Zane in the back seat of Jim's truck on the way home from the mall. I was watching Zane pretty closely as my Mom's statement had freaked me out a little. His breathing seemed shallow--and his skin pale. I told Jim that he had to watch Zane when we got home to see if we needed to get Zane to the doctor on Thursday instead of waiting until his appointment on Friday. By the time Jim pulled him out of the car seat at home, Zane was really pale and limp. Jim told me to call the doctor's office--he needed to be seen. I was put on hold with the doctor's office. Watching Jim's face change, I knew this was a little more pressing than running to the doc. Jim then said lets go to the ER. Then told me to call 911.

I called 911 and the rest of what happened is somewhat of a blur. Jim was trying to keep Zane breathing and occasionally blowing air in his mouth. Zane quickly turned a grayish blue color and Jim said he wasn't breathing by the time the fire department got to our house. The fire department came in and took over right away. Cade just wanted to go outside and see the firetruck. The firemen got Zane breathing again and stabilized him enough for transport to the hospital.

I rode in the front seat of the ambulance to John C. Lincoln where they have Mendy's Place--an ER for kids. Once there, a team of doctors and nurses took over keeping Zane breathing. After a couple of tense hours there, they transferred us by ambulance to the PICU at St. Joes hospital down town. We got there around 7:00pm. They tried to do a lumbar puncture on Zane to get a culture to rule out meningitis. However, he stopped breathing a couple more times, so they stopped. We spent the next three days in the PICU and then was transferred to the regular pediatric floor for one more day. They had Zane on oxygen, fluids, antibiotics, monitors...the poor baby had so many wires and tubes coming out of him it was hard to hold him.

The RSV swab came back positive. A viral infection that most kids and adults respond to like a cold, but in the little babies can be very dangerous. Since Cade was recently battling a viral infection that left him with steroids and breathing treatments, we are pretty sure we know the source of the infection. It just hit Zane hard.

This week has been crazy. Well, the last almost three weeks since Zane was born and in the NICU have been crazy. But, thank God we are home and mostly healthy. We are hoping to keep it that way.

It's Official

Cade is sick.

For the last week we have been hoping it would just disappear. But, all the virus did was move from the head and into Cade's chest. So... back to our usual course of steroids and breathing treatments. And of course, dealing with the nightmare child that follows that course.

Poor Zane went to the doctor today, too. However, he got a little more than a check up! Zane was circumcised today. The we had to take him to the lab for his second set of newborn screenings. Zane has pretty much slept the rest of the day away. Apparently he was a little traumatized!

Jim goes back to work Monday and that will be an adjustment for all of us. I kind of like having Jim around--one kid per parent works out pretty well. It will be interesting when Jim isn't here to tag-team with me. I am sure he is not looking forward to going back to work as he is at a new store, but we will all make it through!

And I am tired. Just tired. Must sleep!

Stolen Moments

I only have a few precious moments before Zane wakes up hungry.

But, I wanted to thank Kim for her guest post and welcoming Zane into the world.

Life in our house is crazy right now. Lack of sleep always makes the world seem a little off kilter.

We have a newborn. In case you didn't know (or don't remember), newborns don't sleep through the night. And they cry. And they are sweet angels that win you over with a smile in their sleep that is probably caused by a gas bubble.

We also have a two year old. And two year olds love to say, "No". And they are confused when another being enters the household and disrupts their normal life. Cade is sick. Fever, cough, runny nose, congestion...he is miserable and not sleeping well. And the hardest part is trying to keep him away from Zane. Don't need a newborn with that virus!

However, no matter how crazy things are, I am trying to focus on the good. The blessing of our new baby boy.

Thanks for all the well wishes!

Perfection

*** Guest Post by Kim, spouting nonesense from the (and almost spring) frozen wilderness of Wisconsin.

While Courtney is being waited on hand and foot by her adoring husband recouperating at the hospital, I've snuck into the Monkey House through one of the upstairs windows. Actually, while she was delusional from pain and desperately waiting for the pharmacological juices from heaven to kick in, I took full advantage of the situation in order to get her to give me the keys to her cyber-apartment. She did make me promise to put the seat down when I was done though, so she wasn't completely incoherant. heh. Of course, Courtney knows me pretty well and is wise enough to not let me run amok in her tidy little space without a darn good reason.

Zane Rylan Morales

Zane was born on March 04, 2009 at 12:11pm. He weighed a 7lbs 4oz and was 20" long.

Courtney is recouperating and doing well. We had a little bit of scare with Zane due to some fluid in his lungs but he seems to be flourishing now.

Isn't he the most gorgeous little piece of perfection you have ever seen?

No, really. He is.

I have two boys of my own who locked up my heart at their very first breath and I'm here to tell you that neither one of them looked that beautiful immediately after they were born. Their were red, splotchy, screamy bundles of yummy baby. I thought that's what all newborns looked like. Apparently I was w-r-o-n-g. Just look at that face.

Here, maybe this will help:

Perfection!

Congratulations Courtney, Jim and Cade.

I love air conditioning...

Current weather where my some of my friends and family are:

• Deforest, WI: 10
• Roy, UT: 56
• Kingston, NY: 15
• Iowa City, IA: 20
• Philadelphia, PA: 17
• Houston, TX: 50

Current temperature in Phoenix: 78. The high today was 90.

Yes, you are reading that correctly. Therefore, since it bumped the temperature in my house up to over 80...my air conditioning is on.

Hey...it was warm, and I am pregnant. Not a good combination.

Croup Continued...

Cade got his steroid shot at the doctor on Friday.

Friday night was rough. Apparently the steroids wired him. He didn't sleep much. I keep joking that Cade is preparing me for life with a newborn--with little sleep. I appreciate his thought, but would like to have a few more nights of solid sleep before they become a thing of the past. Saturday night was a little better as he only woke up once at 11:45pm. Of course, I had just fallen asleep and was very confused as to why I was being woken up by a little hand poking me in the back...But, after I got him back in bed, we were good until 6:30am. I am hoping tonight he will sleep all the way through. Wish us luck.

Jim and I ran to Target tonight to get a baby swing. Our old one is now missing vital parts and will not be useful. So, we picked out a new one. The Fisher Price My Little Lamb Swing. You can check it out here and see how cute it is. I am glad that we don't have to purchase all the big items this time around, but it is kind of fun. So, I am glad I got to do this!

What?

Cade woke up at 4:50am. That is early, by the way.

His favorite thing is to come into our room and turn the light on. It is kind of obnoxious, but that is what makes it fun, right?

I got up and told Cade that it was waaaayyyy too early to be up. And that he had to go back to sleep. We turned his fishy light on and got him some books hoping that he would hang out and fall back asleep. As I was tucking him back in, he told me that he needed a breathing treatment. WHAT?! My child HATES breathing treatments. He has gotten better about doing them, but never to the point of asking for them. He had not been coughing...didn't seem wheezy or short of breath... So, I gave him some Tylenol hoping that would fill his need for medicine. He fell back asleep around 5:30 and slept until almost 6:30--when he came in and turned the light on again.

We had a busy morning and Cade fell asleep for his nap around 1:45. By 2:30 he was coughing hoarsely. By the time he was up at 3:00, I knew he needed to go to the doctor.

We got into the doctor at 5:00 which is great--means we don't have to do the Saturday clinic-- and Cade is definitely starting with the croup. Again. Luckily, since we caught it early we won't have to do oral steroids. He got a steroid shot in the office, but I can handle five minutes of crying as opposed to 7 days of screaming. Even the doctor was amazed, though, that at two years old Cade woke up this morning knowing something was going on and knowing that breathing treatments would help. Crazy.

In other news, the SHAMROCK SHAKE is at McDonald's. I love them. A LOT. So, we walked to McD's after dinner and got them. Walking burns off the calories, right?

My Random Things

Luckily not much is going on here.

Boring, I have decided, is generally a good thing. Means things are status quo. Exciting doesn't always come with "good" things.

So, since I am so boring, I will tell you a few random things I have discovered lately.

My new favorite song:



And my new favorite thing to eat:



And it is now less than 3 weeks away from my scheduled c-section. I am ready to be done. Not ready necessarily to have a new baby, but ready to not have to pee 12 times a night and ready to sleep on my stomach! And I really can't wait to meet this little guy. Even if he doesn't have a name yet...

A Wonderful Weekend

Jaime and Denin had to return home today.

Something about their kids and their jobs--and their house and pets...I don't know. Seemed like excuses to me.

We had a great time while they were here. Cade was a little unsure of the man and woman that moved into his house while he was sleeping on Wednesday night. But, he was quickly won over by Denin and Jaime. He kept calling Denin, "that man". It was kind of cute. "What's that man doing?" I had to keep reminding Cade that "that man" had a name and that I wasn't able to explain EVER what Denin was doing. Usually resulted in making Cade laugh no matter what it was.

We ate, we played games, some of us worked (Jaime), we went to the spa, and we even did our good deed for the year by volunteering with Feed My Starving Children. We only worked a two hour shift but over the two and a half days of packing, 227,488 meals were packed, which will feed 623 kids for a whole year! It was fun to be a part of something that will make an impact.

Our visit was short and sweet, but very much enjoyable. Miss you guys!

So what's new?

My mother very pointedly told me that no one had any new blog posts up lately.

Fine Mom, I took the hint...

• Jim and I both worked on Valentine's Day. I had contractions off and on for hours before I finally shut the pharmacy down and went to the hospital. Labor was not in sight, so it was just a reaction to standing as much as I have to at work. So, I am now off of work.
• Me being off work coincides very nicely with a visit from Jaime and her hubby, Denin, from Utah. Now, Jaime will have to work since she is here on business, but we have made plans around it! We will eat more than our share of Peter Piper Pizza as Jaime loves it and it is not available in Utah.
• I am currently the size of a whale. And although I really understand the need for the baby to "bake" in the oven a little longer, I am ready to be done. Of course, it is MUCH easier to take care of the baby where he is right now!
• We are participating in Feed_MY_Starving_Children through my church this weekend--and dragging our guests to participate, too. The volunteers are supposed to package 225,000 bags of food over the three days. A wonderful cause that we are honored to be helping with.
• Our church was lucky enough to have a concert by the Watoto choir. Kids from Africa with amazing stories and beautiful voices. Cade LOVED the music so we bought the CD and it is so adorable to hear Cade singing along with the kids.
• Cade has taken to screaming bloody murder every time I put him down for a nap or bedtime. It is wonderful. Not really. Not at all. And things are going to get worse when a baby comes? I am in big trouble!

Nesting

I am "nesting".

For those of you who have not been pregnant--or lived with a pregnant woman, it is an "uncontrollable urge to clean one's house brought on by a desire to prepare a nest for the new baby, to tie up loose ends of old projects and to organize your world."

I also have company coming to stay with us for a few days. And I know they wouldn't care if my house is a disaster, but I did have to move some stuff to find our guest room bed. They need a place to sleep. Free of baby paraphernalia.

So, luckily my Mom likes to organize. We tackled the office today. And the guest room. And the hall closet. It looks so great.

The baby's clothes are washed and his bag is packed for the hospital. I am getting ready. Sometime in the next 4 weeks or so we are going to have a baby!

What a terrifyingly wonderful thought.

The Crazy Alphabet Song

Jim made me listen to this the other day in his car.

To be fair, Cade was with us and we were listening to the Sirius Kid's radio station. But, it cracked me up. Can't find a video on YouTube, so you will just have to read the lyrics and google it if you want to find a place to listen to it.

Barenaked Ladies widget by 6L & Daxii

Superstitious?

My c-section has been tentatively scheduled.

For Friday, March 13th. Friday the 13th. Is that creepy?

My doctor asked if it would bother me. I asked if he would move up the date if it did and he said no...that it would be later. Then it doesn't bother me one bit!

I keep joking that I will have to name the baby Jason now.

Sunday's Sermon

At church today, Pastor Al was talking about a passage in the book of Mark.

Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out, "What do You have to do with us, Jesus—Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!" But Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"And the unclean spirit convulsed him, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.
Then they were all amazed, so they began to argue with one another, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."

Do you think God will give me the power to drive the demons out of my 2 year old? I know they are in there!

More Vacation Pictures

I finally got these pictures scanned in...

On our last day in a park, Cade finally nailed the stand next to the "character" and smile thing.

Here is our motley crew at Sea World. It was cold. Only 29 degrees that morning.

And here is Cade, looking so sweet and adorable. Makes me not want to give him away...even though his current 'roid rage makes me want to! To give him credit, I skipped the steroids this morning and he was an absolute angel. I gave him them tonight instead to see if he will sleep through his anger. Lets hope he does and doesn't wake up in the middle of the night screaming!