2.23.2009
You know your pregnant when...
you wake your husband up in the middle of the night screaming bloody murder with leg cramps! Saturday night, I woke up with the worst leg cramp I've ever had. I have heard they were common during pregnancy and I have one previously, but B was out of town for that one. This time I woke up from a dead sleep screaming and crying. He then woke up with no clue what was going on. When he finally got it out of me and then massaged it out...ouch! That hurt too! My leg bothered me all day Sunday. B made me drink a big glass of Gatorade before I went to sleep last night and that seemed to help. It may have been all in my head, but I didn't have cramps last night. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I helped host bunko Friday night and had a great time. It was so good to see everyone. Saturday I went to Florala with B's mom and aunt. We had a good time looking at all the antiques and finds at the shops. That night we had game night with our Sunday School class. We started off with a great onion dip and taco soup that Katie made...it was delicious! After dinner we played a game called Whoonu. It was so fun! It helps you learn alot about people that you don't really know and those you think you know the best. Whoonu B likes to be on time more than he likes salsa...and he LOVES salsa! Then we moved on over to Rock Band 2 on the Wii. What a blast! Kim and I started out on the vocals...um...we weren't good to say the least. We kept getting us booed off stage! Then Parrish realized we were not holding our mic close enough to our mouths. She moved on to drums and totally rocked. I was the vocalist the whole night(not that I can sing!). B tried it all(except singing). I got 100% on Livin' on a Prayer by Bon Jovi and 99% on Red Hot Chili Pepper's Give it Away...that song is really hard to sing!! I would love a Wii after Little E is here. I have been wanting Wii Fit for a long time now! What more perfect way to get back in shape...no gym required!
2.20.2009
22 Weeks
Wednesday I started my 22 week! According to the What to Expect When Your Expecting book next week will start my sixth month. It's so hard to keep up with the weeks and months, so I was surprised to find this out. I thought it would be somewhere around the 25th week. She's moving a ton at all hours of the day. I have developed a sweet tooth, but I am trying to keep that under control by eating fruit instead of candy. I have also noticed that I have become unable to quench my thirst. I drink and drink and drink. I even bought some decaf tea this week and have made a couple of pitchers, with B's help. I'm not a tea drinker and have no clue how much sugar or how long to boil the tea. I read the directions on the package! I'm sure no true Southern tea drinker has ever done that! I can't complain though, everything is going great and we are just trying our best to prepare for our baby girl. We hope everyone has a great weekend! I am excited to help host Bunko tonight with Michelle. I am making the chili. This is a group that I used to gather with the third Friday of each month. Since we moved, I have only been one or two times, so I am very excited! Tomorrow night we are getting together with our Sunday School class for game night, which will be lots of fun. We have a great group! So, have a wonderful weekend, be thankful for everything and pray for Hunter's speedy recovery.
Update on Hunter:Please continue to pray
If you read my earlier post this is an update from Russell, Hunter's dad. Please continue to pray for this child as he has a long road of healing ahead of him.
To all who are praying for Hunter,
We would like to start out by saying thank you to everyone for their prayers, e-mails, and kind words of encouragement. We cannot put into words what it means to us to have received so much support from our extended family and friends.
Most of you have received periodic updates on Hunter’s condition through e-mails while we have been in the hospital. Most of those e-mails have originated from Mark Pugh and Jeremy McMath. We would like to especially thank these guys for taking the time to send updates to everyone on our behalf. Thank You!!
Hunter has a very long road ahead of him and we ask everyone for their continued prayers for our little man. The surgery to repair the pressure caused by the Chiari Malformation went well according to the doctors, but it will take a while to determine if the damage caused by the pressure is permanent or temporary.
As of today, Wednesday February 18, 2009, Hunter continues to show signs of reduced muscle tone in his head, neck, and upper torso, and still appears to be in a fair amount of pain. He is being monitored closely to determine if the Hydrocephalus condition that was noticed during surgery is going to be an issue that will need to be addressed surgically.
A test was performed yesterday to determine if he had regained the ability to swallow. He did swallow a trace amount of liquid during the procedure and, with time and therapy, it is possible that he could regain his ability to swallow and feed on his own. In the mean time, in order to maintain the proper nutrition level, Hunter will need to have a feeding tube installed surgically into his stomach. The doctors are currently scheduling him for installation of the G-tube…..a procedure that will more than likely take place toward the end of this week. Hunter is also scheduled for an MRI tomorrow to determine how his body has healed from the surgery and to see if the Hydrocephalus needs to be addressed. From what we know right now, Hunter should remain at Children’s Hospital at least through the end of next week……..however, that is subject to change.
Along with the Chiari Malformation and Hydrocephalus, Hunter also has a Basilar Invagination. The Chiari Malformation puts pressure on the spinal cord from the back side of the head……..the Basilar Invagination causes the same situation from the front side of the head. Basilar Invaginations are caused by different things, but in Hunters case it is caused by the way his bone developed at the top of his spinal column.
We are hopeful that Hunters symptoms and problems were being caused from the Chiari Malformation; however, it is possible that the symptoms are a result of the Basilar Invagination. Only time will tell.
The Good Lord has blessed our family in many ways and we continue to believe that our little boy is on his way to recovery. This is not a fast process, and definitely not a process that we can become impatient with……our son is in the hands of the Lord and we continue to petition Him for His healing mercy.
We thank each and every one of you for your e-mails and apologize for not responding. We have read each and every one of them, and definitely intend to respond to each of you at some point in the future. A good many of you have heard of, or have experience with, a Chiari Malformation. It is a developmental condition that has an average age of onset of 27. It is a condition that is very rare and very serious in an infant. Our doctor has performed 350 to 400 of these surgeries, but has only performed 5 on infants under the age of 6 months……Hunter makes number 6. There is not a great deal of historical data on infants treated for this condition. Therefore, we have to be patient and allow God to work.
Thanks again for your prayers. We ask that you continue to pray for Hunter that he will be healed and that his health will be restored.
There are surely names missing from this e-mail list who need to be included, so please forward this e-mail to any person who has been praying for, or, will continue to pray for, little Hunter.
Sincerely,
Russell, Dee Dee and Hunter
To all who are praying for Hunter,
We would like to start out by saying thank you to everyone for their prayers, e-mails, and kind words of encouragement. We cannot put into words what it means to us to have received so much support from our extended family and friends.
Most of you have received periodic updates on Hunter’s condition through e-mails while we have been in the hospital. Most of those e-mails have originated from Mark Pugh and Jeremy McMath. We would like to especially thank these guys for taking the time to send updates to everyone on our behalf. Thank You!!
Hunter has a very long road ahead of him and we ask everyone for their continued prayers for our little man. The surgery to repair the pressure caused by the Chiari Malformation went well according to the doctors, but it will take a while to determine if the damage caused by the pressure is permanent or temporary.
As of today, Wednesday February 18, 2009, Hunter continues to show signs of reduced muscle tone in his head, neck, and upper torso, and still appears to be in a fair amount of pain. He is being monitored closely to determine if the Hydrocephalus condition that was noticed during surgery is going to be an issue that will need to be addressed surgically.
A test was performed yesterday to determine if he had regained the ability to swallow. He did swallow a trace amount of liquid during the procedure and, with time and therapy, it is possible that he could regain his ability to swallow and feed on his own. In the mean time, in order to maintain the proper nutrition level, Hunter will need to have a feeding tube installed surgically into his stomach. The doctors are currently scheduling him for installation of the G-tube…..a procedure that will more than likely take place toward the end of this week. Hunter is also scheduled for an MRI tomorrow to determine how his body has healed from the surgery and to see if the Hydrocephalus needs to be addressed. From what we know right now, Hunter should remain at Children’s Hospital at least through the end of next week……..however, that is subject to change.
Along with the Chiari Malformation and Hydrocephalus, Hunter also has a Basilar Invagination. The Chiari Malformation puts pressure on the spinal cord from the back side of the head……..the Basilar Invagination causes the same situation from the front side of the head. Basilar Invaginations are caused by different things, but in Hunters case it is caused by the way his bone developed at the top of his spinal column.
We are hopeful that Hunters symptoms and problems were being caused from the Chiari Malformation; however, it is possible that the symptoms are a result of the Basilar Invagination. Only time will tell.
The Good Lord has blessed our family in many ways and we continue to believe that our little boy is on his way to recovery. This is not a fast process, and definitely not a process that we can become impatient with……our son is in the hands of the Lord and we continue to petition Him for His healing mercy.
We thank each and every one of you for your e-mails and apologize for not responding. We have read each and every one of them, and definitely intend to respond to each of you at some point in the future. A good many of you have heard of, or have experience with, a Chiari Malformation. It is a developmental condition that has an average age of onset of 27. It is a condition that is very rare and very serious in an infant. Our doctor has performed 350 to 400 of these surgeries, but has only performed 5 on infants under the age of 6 months……Hunter makes number 6. There is not a great deal of historical data on infants treated for this condition. Therefore, we have to be patient and allow God to work.
Thanks again for your prayers. We ask that you continue to pray for Hunter that he will be healed and that his health will be restored.
There are surely names missing from this e-mail list who need to be included, so please forward this e-mail to any person who has been praying for, or, will continue to pray for, little Hunter.
Sincerely,
Russell, Dee Dee and Hunter
2.16.2009
Sweet Husband, Sweet Daddy
We were very busy over the weekend. Friday, my sweet husband picked up our dresser for the nursery in the rain. Then we worked together to put it together (who knew it would have so many pieces?). Saturday was Valentine's Day. We had talked earlier in the week about how we would celebrate and I knew that the plan was going for us to go to Pensacola. I woke up really early Saturday morning and when B got up, I heard him in the kitchen. He had gone on his way home from work the day before and got ingredients to make one of his famous delicious "big breakfasts". This is the same thing he did to propose to me, so sweet. He even made the decaf coffee that we got in San Antonio from the Guenther House http://www.guentherhouse.com/ . If you like coffee, you can order from their site and believe me, you will not be disappointed. B and I both agree, it is the best coffee we've ever had. He also presented me with two cards, one for me and one for Everly.
In Everly's he wrote,
Everly,
You don't know how much you already mean to your mother and I. I love you and can't wait to hold you for the first time.
After breakfast, we headed to Pensacola to pick up Everly's crib. It was raining on our way there, but the weather turned out to be very nice for the most part. After picking up the crib, we had lunch at The Fish House http://www.goodgrits.com/. It was our first visit and we'd love to go back when the weather is warmer to sit outside. That night B was so tired, but he came home and put together the crib anyway.
This weekend was full of sweet moments, sweet treats, and our sweet man.
2.13.2009
Prayers for Hunter
Hunter Holland is the four month old son of our friends Russell and Dee Dee Holland. He stayed in the hospital in Pensacola for about 13 days with no diagnosis. He was transferred to Children's Hospital in Birmingham by helicopter earlier this week. Once he was there he was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/chiari/chiari.htm. He had surgery for the condition on Tuesday at noon.
Today we received this update from a friend from Sunday School.
To all who are praying for Hunter:
I just talked with Russell (Hunter’s Father) and received an update on Hunter’s Condition. Hunter is still recovering in the special care unit at UAB Children’s and has a long road ahead. The Doctors are meeting with Russell and Dee Dee today to discuss his progress and the obstacles that may lie ahead.
As a result of the Chiari Malformation, damage was done to Hunters ?nerves?, etc regarding his ability to swallow and we are praying that this ability will be fully restored (Could take 5-7 weeks to tell whether or not he will regain this function). It is our prayer that Hunter will regain his ability to swallow and thereby forego the operation to install a semi-permanent feeding tube (Tummy Tube). A test will be performed on Monday to see how this is developing and will be the determination for installing the tummy tube. If required, the tummy tube surgery will probably be performed Tuesday or Wednesday.
Also, the Doctors have told them of a new obstacle that Hunter also faces which involves the growth of the very top portion of his vertebrae in an odd manner. They are not sure at this point whether or not this problem is affecting his current condition adversely or if it is just something that will need to be monitored and addressed at a later point in his adolescent life. They hope to find out more from the doctors this afternoon and remain thankful and appreciative for the many prayers, e-mails and words of encouragement they have been receiving. God has truly been their foundation during this time and they Praise Him for how he working in the life of Hunter. They have specifically requested for continued prayer for Hunter and ask that you keep petitioning God for healing in their only child….. 4 month old Hunter.
As you say your prayers and make prayer requests at church, please remember Hunter and his parents Russell and Dee Dee. I know they would greatly appreciate it. We hope all of the Holland family is healthy and home soon. I will try to keep the blog updated as we receive information on Hunter's progress.
Today we received this update from a friend from Sunday School.
To all who are praying for Hunter:
I just talked with Russell (Hunter’s Father) and received an update on Hunter’s Condition. Hunter is still recovering in the special care unit at UAB Children’s and has a long road ahead. The Doctors are meeting with Russell and Dee Dee today to discuss his progress and the obstacles that may lie ahead.
As a result of the Chiari Malformation, damage was done to Hunters ?nerves?, etc regarding his ability to swallow and we are praying that this ability will be fully restored (Could take 5-7 weeks to tell whether or not he will regain this function). It is our prayer that Hunter will regain his ability to swallow and thereby forego the operation to install a semi-permanent feeding tube (Tummy Tube). A test will be performed on Monday to see how this is developing and will be the determination for installing the tummy tube. If required, the tummy tube surgery will probably be performed Tuesday or Wednesday.
Also, the Doctors have told them of a new obstacle that Hunter also faces which involves the growth of the very top portion of his vertebrae in an odd manner. They are not sure at this point whether or not this problem is affecting his current condition adversely or if it is just something that will need to be monitored and addressed at a later point in his adolescent life. They hope to find out more from the doctors this afternoon and remain thankful and appreciative for the many prayers, e-mails and words of encouragement they have been receiving. God has truly been their foundation during this time and they Praise Him for how he working in the life of Hunter. They have specifically requested for continued prayer for Hunter and ask that you keep petitioning God for healing in their only child….. 4 month old Hunter.
As you say your prayers and make prayer requests at church, please remember Hunter and his parents Russell and Dee Dee. I know they would greatly appreciate it. We hope all of the Holland family is healthy and home soon. I will try to keep the blog updated as we receive information on Hunter's progress.
2.12.2009
21 weeks
Yesterday marked my 21 week mark, as you can see I have definitely popped since the last pictures we took. I feel great and now have lots of energy again...finally! We cleaned out the office yesterday, which will now be the nursery. It was a lot of work. I was amazing how much paperwork you can accumulate in a desk. B took apart the desk that we had from his parents old TV shop. That desk had many memories associated with it. I painted that desk bright blue the day that we got engaged. It was kind of sad to see it all torn apart and what's even sadder is that I can hear the workers out there throwing it in the truck right now. I am probably too sentimental about furniture (and everything else). I associate memories with objects. I also had to finish cleaning out what will now be Everly's closet...mama is down to one :( I packed up all my spring clothes a while back, but I had to move all of my shoes yesterday. I think I should soon pack up the winter shoes and give myself a little more room. Also yesterday we began our walking regimen and I am proud to say that I can still whip B in a speed walking competition (we didn't try, but I know I can do it). We did the whole neighborhood once and when we returned home, we both agreed that we could have done it twice. The other pictures are of the Kelly Rightsell items we ordered. They arrived yesterday. I think they were my inspiration to get things going on the nursery.
Those sweet girls are our nieces, Nicole and Emily. They were taken a few weeks ago when they came to spend the weekend with us. We went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate Emily's sixth birthday! We all had a great time and I just wanted to post a picture for them, because I know they check the blog often. We love you girls!
2.05.2009
Everly's bedding is ordered!
This morning I was so thrilled to place an order for our crib bedding! I can not wait for it to get here. I am a huge planner and this will give me lots of time to tweak the nursery down to the last accessory. I wanted one of the floral bedding sets shown here, but B thought they looked too "granny". So we compromised on the 
fabric shown below. It is called "Mimi's Tea Party" by Kelly Rightsell. If you are not familiar with her work (I wasn't until I was in search of fabric!), she has a website kellyrightsell.com featuring many of her items. Some of the items are boutique exclusives and you can find your local retailer on her site. She is a Southern Mama, I think this is what drew me to her style. I can wait until Everly (our daughter's name, in case I haven't stated before) gets a little older and I can set her up a little table with a tea party, just like Mimi!! Our bedding will be made similar to the "Emma" set shown using a mixture of stripes, polka dots and minky fabric. I will post pictures as soon as I get it. B is ready to start painting. I am so excited! I ordered a swatch, but I can't decide if we will use blue, green, or yellow. I will definitely have to consult with B, who would have thought he would have such an opinion of a little girl's room! Take care everyone and if you can remember, please pray for our friends The Hollands. Their son is only three months old and has been in the hospital all this week. The doctors are not sure why he is choking and having difficulties swallowing. He will soon be transferred to Children's Hospital. We pray the doctors will find a treatment and Hunter will be home healthy with his parents soon.
fabric shown below. It is called "Mimi's Tea Party" by Kelly Rightsell. If you are not familiar with her work (I wasn't until I was in search of fabric!), she has a website kellyrightsell.com featuring many of her items. Some of the items are boutique exclusives and you can find your local retailer on her site. She is a Southern Mama, I think this is what drew me to her style. I can wait until Everly (our daughter's name, in case I haven't stated before) gets a little older and I can set her up a little table with a tea party, just like Mimi!! Our bedding will be made similar to the "Emma" set shown using a mixture of stripes, polka dots and minky fabric. I will post pictures as soon as I get it. B is ready to start painting. I am so excited! I ordered a swatch, but I can't decide if we will use blue, green, or yellow. I will definitely have to consult with B, who would have thought he would have such an opinion of a little girl's room! Take care everyone and if you can remember, please pray for our friends The Hollands. Their son is only three months old and has been in the hospital all this week. The doctors are not sure why he is choking and having difficulties swallowing. He will soon be transferred to Children's Hospital. We pray the doctors will find a treatment and Hunter will be home healthy with his parents soon.
2.03.2009
Daddy's Little Girl is on her way!
Yesterday was the big ultrasound. When we were very close to the doctor's office, I could feel definitely movement about five different times. I thought, oh yipee! the baby is going to be moving in the ultrasound and then I thought, oh no! what if he/she gets tired and falls asleep. Our appointment was at 12:30 and we had our ultrasound first. When our UT first started the process B and I were both shocked at how all the features we could see on the screen. We could see the baby laying still and I said, I thought this would happen...I thought the baby wasn't going to cooperate...boy, was I wrong!! Our child put on a show! After the UT showed us all of the body parts were in place-fingers, toes, spine, the baby just spread it's legs, as if it were saying is this what you were looking for...girl! She already has a little bit of hair and rubbed her head as if she was fixing her hair(Mr. Johnny, B's dad, said that was a Mack thing!). Then she put her finger in her ear. We got a slight wave, she was really putting on a show! Then B said the next part was like me, she got comfortable and went to sleep, as if she was saying, "alright, that's enough for today!"
Here are a few pictures we sent to B's parents to let them know the sex of the baby. They were out of town on a ski trip. The first one we sent of B, notice the outfit says, "Daddy, is it game time yet?" Then we sent one of me and wrote, "Not yet, it's mommy's little sweetheart" I forgot to turn the volume up on my phone until about an hour later, so they were confused for a while. We didn't take into consideration that they couldn't read what the outfits said because of the size of the screen on their phone! They were very excited. There hasn't been a Mack girl for many, many years. Both of our families have been so supportive and we were so happy to share the great news with both of them yesterday. I think my mom left as soon as I talked to her for a little shopping trip!
My sweet friend Monica sent me this quote today, "Nothing could prepare me for this wonderful world of pink". I know this holds true for me, but probably even more for Brett. He is going to be a sweet, sweet daddy!
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