Saturday, December 26, 2009

Through the eyes of children

One of the best things about being a parent is getting to reexperience everything through the eyes of your children. Matthias is starting to get to the age where he is so curious and is learning so much. Today my mom was showing him the Nativity scene. He kept looking at the baby Jesus and saying 'baby, baby'. My mom said "That's baby Jesus". Matthias starting saying, "Baby Jesus, baby Jesus go night, night" over and over. It was so cute.

It was also so cute to watch the boys open presents. They really got spoiled this year. Each time they opened a gift, they were completely drawn to that particular present (especially Matthias). They insisted that mommy and grandma open each gift immediately and they needed to really check out each gift before they would even think about the next gift. They got a ton of Little People toys (lots of animals), Legos, and blocks. So spoiled. ;)

Christmas was great this year because all of us kids were home this year. Last year, Calvin, the boys, and I spent Christmas with Calvin's family in Canada. Andy (my brother) also brought his girlfriend along, so it was nice to get to know her a little bit. Unfortunately Katie's (my sister) boyfriend was unable to come. We also got spoiled because Andy cooked an amazing meal for us. He is in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School and is becoming quite a chef.

We have such a wonderful time enjoying family and fellowship and remembering the true reason for Christmas, Jesus' birth.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Houdini has nothing on this kid!

Matthias can get through childproofing quicker than most adults. We have some pretty cool gates that we have had to teach adults how to open, but Matthias just opens them with ease. And boy is he quiet! Today, while he was supposed to be napping (and I was napping) he sneaked out the gate and into the basement and started playing. He even made it back to his room before I woke up! The only reason I know he was down there is that I heard him trying to sneak out again and then when I went downs stairs I found that he had lined up all the soda cans in rows across the basement floor.

He also learned how to take off the door knob covers, so all of the doors of the rooms we don't want him in now have latches. Some may ask why we don't just put a latch on his door. Well, that is probably the next step, but right now we are potty training and would like him to be able to leave his room and come tell us if he has to go potty in the middle of the night. But since having him wandering the house while the rest of us are sleeping is not the best idea, his room will probably be latched soon.

This kid is too smart for his own good.

Monday, December 7, 2009

I fought the knife,

and the knife won... So Saturday evening, I cutting up some veggies and I ended up cutting my hand. A slip of the knife and I have a nice slash across the webbing of my hand between the thumb and index finger. Which meant a couple hours in the ER and two pretty blue stiches. And of course this happened shortly after Leanne (my sister-in-law) and her boyfriend arrived and shortly before my mother-, father-, and brother-in-law showed up. It made for an interesting evening.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

One year old!

Ezra is one year old now! We celebrated his birthday on Sunday with my parents and sister. It was just a simple cupcake and present party. Ezra seemed to like his cupcake, but ended up throwing it up afterwards. Apparently the sugar didn't sit so well on his stomach.
Today he had his one year appointment. He weighed 22 lbs, 6 oz. (50 percentile) and 30.5 inches (90 percentile). He weighs a whole four pounds less than Matthias did at one year, but the doctor is not concerned, because of his earlier issues and he is maintaining the curve he's been on since about 6 months.
He still isn't walking, but the doctor said not to worry. She says he looks good otherwise. Poor baby got three shots though, so he's been sleeping really well this afternoon.

He wanted to put out the flame with his fingers.

Yummy cupcake!


The boys were playing nicely together, because they each had a hammer.



Friday, November 27, 2009

Thanksgiving

Today was a great day. We got together with my mom's side of the family as usual. It was a great day of good food and conversation. And then after everyone left and we got the boys in bed, we got to play games together. It was a great time.

I love reading everyone's facebook messages about what they are thankful for. It reminds me what I am thankful for. There are so many things to thank God for that I could type forever, but I'll just give some highlights.

I am thankful that Calvin has a stable job. Although he has not received a raise in the last two years, he has not had a paycut or unpaid leave or anything.

I am thankful that my children are healthy and growing well. For a while, we didn't know how Ezra would do, but he is such a happy, healthy, even plumb little boy now! And for all of Matthias' climbing and just being a boy, he has had no serious injuries so far.

I am thankful that I have a supportive family.

I am thankful we have a warm home.

I could go on, but it's late. I am just so thankful that God has given me all these blessings and more in my life.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Calvin didn't escape.

Last week tuesday, Calvin came home from work with a fever, cough, and body aches. And it didn't break until early Friday morning. So he had to stay home Wednesday and Thursday. He should have should have stayed home Friday as well, but he woke up without a fever and was itching to go. I'm knocking on wood, but so far I have remained healthy! I have been dealing with some weird ear pain though. My left ear is plugged and hurts. But it's not an ear infection. It's kind of a mystery.

Calvin's dad also came to visit last weekend, which was fun.

This week, the boys and I are at my parent's house. I have a Pampered chef Open House/vendor fair, so we thought we'd come visit.

Matthias learned how to take the duct tape off his diaper. Which has made for some awful messes (poop fingerpainting on the walls). Our new solution is putthing him in pjs that have a zipper up the front and safetypinning the zipper shut. Hopefully that will work. Unfortunately it means buying new pjs, since most of his pjs are pants and a top. But it is a small price to pay for not having to scrub poop off the walls (did you know poop takes off paint?) and the carpet.

But the biggest news is that Matthias actually went pee on the potty! I know this is such a mom-thing to say, but this is great news. Hopefully, fully potty training will come soon!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Fever, Fever, Go Away!

So last Monday, Ezra came home from daycare with a fever. And along with it came stuffiness and congestion. Finally, Wednesday morning he woke up fever-free. So we took the boys to their appointments to get the H1N1 vaccine. Unfortunately when we got there we found out that the rules had changed and the boys couldn't get the vaccine. But Ezra was able to get checked by the doc and get his second dose of the seasonal vaccine. Fortunately, he checked out fine, but unfortunately the fever came back that afternoon. Thankfully it just lasted the evening. Now the congestion and stuffiness is gone and he's feeling great!

But, now Matthias is sick. It was kind of like deja vu this week. Matthias came home from daycare with a fever on Monday. His is much worse than Ezra's was though. He has also be having horrible chills (he shakes uncontrollably). So today we went back to the doctor. His fever had spiked to 104 degrees F! Thankfully, he tested negative for both H1N1 and seasonal flu. So now we are just on a regiment of tylenol and motrim to keep his fever under control.

So you probably don't want to come visit us for a while and we are under house arrest for now. Hopefully everyone will be well soon and Calvin and I can avoid getting sick!

Sunday, October 25, 2009

What to write about?

I feel like I haven't had anything to write about lately. It's not that there isn't anything going on. It feels like we are so busy! Maybe it's just writer's block. I've never been much of a writer.

Life here is going well, but is rather busy, as I mentioned above. My class is going well. Right now I'm getting an A and I really enjoy the class. The prof is a bit kooky, but honestly, I think that's one of the prerequistes for being a prof.

The boys are doing well. Ezra took his first step the other day. And it is step, not steps, because he only took one and has not taken another since. He just seems to have no desire to walk. Which isn't all bad. He does seem to have a desire to talk and has been babbling his little head off. He smiles and babbles to anyone who will listen and if no one will listen, he'll talk to his hand.

Matthias continues to be a monkey. His newest trick is turning his bed on its end. He still loves being naked, so we have to continue to duct tape his diaper one for naps and bed time. He is also talking more and more.

Calvin is doing well. He just went to a 'Man to Man' conference which was about men's ministries. He really enjoyed it. His job is stable, so that is helpful. He'd love a different job, but right now we're just thanking God that it is stable and pays our bills.

Well, I guess that's about it for now. Hopefully, I'll come up with a more exciting post soon.

Friday, October 16, 2009

New Words

Matthias' speech has just taken off in the last month or so. He is learning new words every day and it is so cool to watch. He loves to talk about stuff he sees and is also able to communicate his needs more and more. But, like most children his age, he doesn't always have the pronunciation down. One of his favorite words is 'truck', but instead of the 'tr' sound, he makes a 'f' sound. So that is an interesting predicament when he is yelling at all the trucks he sees driving by. I'm sure people sometimes wonder what he must hear at home, but I guarantee that it is not that word!

Ezra is doing great. He seems like he is almost ready to walk, but just doesn't want to let go and take that first step.

My Human Anatomy class is going well. I love the material and am doing quite well on the quizzes and tests.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

More Matthias Antics


He is such a hoot. (Note: Calvin helped him get up to this position, but he held it for a few secondson his own).

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

crossing my fingers

No mice in the traps for over 24 hours. Could we really have caught them all?

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Mouse Count

3. Calvin finally set up a second trap. Hopefully this is it, but after my friend having at least 18 in her apartment, I'm not getting my hopes up.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

An Uninvited Guest

Normally, my husband and I are very welcoming. We love having people over and will open our doors to just about anyone. But right now we have an uninvited visitor. And no, it's not my in-laws.

We have a mouse.

I love animals and I don't even mind little rodent like ones. AS LONG AS THEY ARE NOT IN MY HOUSE! So this little mouse needs to leave. I put Calvin on mouse eviction. I suggested a live trap, but he wants vengence. So he set a trap. And caught one. So hopefully that mouse has no friends, because want no more deaths.

Friday, September 25, 2009

My little Monkey

So today, during Ezra's nap, I left Matthias playing in the living room. He was being quiet, so I went to check on him. I didn't see him playing on the floor, so I looked up. And there he was. standing on the ledge outside the window. Just smiling at me from his perch above the bushes. Much to my husband's dismay, I didn't get a picture. Apparently he had punched through the screen and climbed out. I tell you, that child is fearless! I guess the time for window locks has come.

Oh and the nudity continues! Matthias insists on taking off his clothes whenever I put him down for a nap. I've been told duct tape works well. Any other suggestions?

Ezra is doing well. He started taking steps behind one of the walking toys! It won't be long until until he's walking on his own (oh help me now!)

Friday, September 18, 2009

'Helpful' little boy

I know I've talked a lot about poop recently, but it seems to have consumed me as of late. And since I know you guys like to have a good laugh at my expense, I'll share another story.

So I like sleep. Always have, always will. So when Matthias wakes up and is playing quietly in his room (which he for the most part can't get out of), I let him be. Usually this lasts only five mintues, but those five minutes of extra sleep are just blissful!

This morning, I heard Matthias wake up, but he seemed content to play quietly. So I went back to sleep. After a few minutes, Ezra woke up, so I went, picked him up and went to get Matthias. I was greeted at the door by a naked little boys sitting on the floor with a poopy diaper next to him. Apparently he had pooped and decided to change his diaper himself. He had taken off his clothes, his diaper, found some wipes, wiped his butt (he actually did a fairly good job although he used about ten wipes), and went back to playing. Great. That added another chore to my already long list for the day. Potty training cannot come soon enough!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Good Bye Grandma

Yesterday my Grandma went to be with Jesus in Heaven. It was sudden but not unexpected. She was 88 or 89 (I can't remember which) and has had some health problems for a long time. I'm not sure all the details, just that she fell and they lost her either on the way to the hospital or shortly after arriving. The funeral is probably going to be this weekend.

Although she will be missed, I rejoice that she is in heaven with Jesus and feels no pain. She is joining my Grandpa who passed away 25 years ago and my uncle Robert who passed away 3 years ago. She has been ready to go home to Jesus for a long time. She is happy now, it is just us that are left behind that mourn.

There are so many great memories that I have of my Grandma. I remember how much she liked to bake and crochet. I remember being a little girl and making "Grandma" buns and how she made really little ones just for me. I remember how she always had cookies in her freezer for when we came to visit. I still have some of the little doellies (sp?) that she crocheted. She was a great woman and she will be missed.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

A busy, busy day

As many of you know, Calvin and I only have one car. So most days I do not have a vehicle available and just stay home with the boys (or maybe go for a walk). Well, since Calvin works about 20 miles away, when I need a car I have to get up really early and wake up the boys and drive Calvin to work and then pick him up again at the end of the day (during nap time usually). So I try to avoid needing the car as much as possible. That means I have days like yesterday where I pile a ton of stuff into one day so that I can make good use of having the car. So here was my day.

First brought Calvin to work. Came home and got the boys fed and ready for the day (including a short nap for Ezra.)

Then brought the boys to the doctor's office for Ezra's 9 month appt. He's now 20lbs 11 oz and 29.5 inches long which means that he has officially outgrown his carseat and I need to clean Matthias' old seat for him. All the staff is excited to see Ezra and amazed at how big he has gotten. When you go in so often, you make an impression and it has been 3 months since Ezra last went there (new record for him!). Ezra got the flu shot and Matthias got the flu mist.

Next stop was Taco Bell's for lunch. Or should I say we went through the drive-thru and then ate in the parking lot because Ezra had fallen asleep and there was no way I was moving him.

After Ezra woke up and had a bottle, we went to the library so that we could get some books and a couple of dvds. Matthias did not want to leave, but alas we had too. Right after leaving the library I had to pull into a parking lot to move Matthias' carseat. Ezra's seat is right behind the driver and we had had Matthias' seat in the middle so that we could take an additional passenger if needed, but Matthias kept bugging Ezra (pulling out his pacifier and throwing it on the other side of the car) so I moved his seat to behind the passenger seat. No one gets to ride with us anymore.

Then we had to go to Matthias' first dentist appointment. As I had mentioned earlier, Matthias had fallen and broken his front two teeth. The one on the right is a very small chip and nothing to be concerned about. The one on the left is much more broken and discolored. The dentist said at this point it is nothing to worry about. We just need to watch it and if it becomes infected it will need to be pulled. Otherwise she would rather not put Matthias through the trauma of pulling a tooth. The appointment went fairly well. Matthias did not enjoy her looking at his teeth, but was happy again when they brought him a balloon and a Wall-E battery operated tooth brush and a Cars sticker. They also took a picture of his first dentist visit!

After the dentist visit, we went to get Calvin. He actually took off early yesterday because I had orientation at Gateway (where I am taking Human Anatomy and Physiology as a prerequiste for my Midwifery program).

We got Calvin and then I dropped him and the boys off at home. I then ran to RadioShack to drop off our laptop (this is a loner computer from my parents that I am using) because it needs to be fixed. Then I went to the bookstore at Gateway ($225 just for the required books for the class. That is not including the recomended book. I am waiting on those until I start the class so I can see really how recommended those are). And then I had New Student Orientation, which unfortunately was rather boring. Oh well.

So finally after that I got home. But Calvin had a Deacon's meeting at church, so when I got home I had to load up the kids in the car to take home the babysitter, who had come to watch the boys for the hour of overlap Calvin and I had in our schedule. So dropped her off and then came home and put the boys to bed and finally had a chance to relax.

These crazy days make it possible for Calvin and I to share a car. If I had an appointment or something every day, it would make it very difficult on the boys and I. It will be hard enough when I start my class and I will need the car twice a week. I am hoping to put appointments on those days as well in order to cut down on car days. Oh the joys of only one car.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Poop storm!

There are some days I wonder why I became a mother. Those days are few and usually far between, but yesterday and today have been those days. I mean I love my kids and wouldn't give them up for anything, but oh, some days make me want to rethink this whole motherhood thing.

WARNING: the following stories are pretty gross!

So yesterday, when Ezra was done for his nap, he had pooped in his diaper and then taken it off. Then he proceeded to step in it, pick it up with his hands, eat it, and smear it all over his crib and everything in it. It was everywhere. And of course it was right as a friend of mine was walking in to plan the Youth group year. So I had to pick Ezra up and put him in the bath tub. and wash the poop off of every part of his body (except surprisingly his bum was rather clean), including his mouth and nose. Then I had to go and put all sheet, mattress cover, blankie, crib bumber and his clothes in the washing machine. And then the fun part. I had to go and scrub the crib. I swear that kid grabbed each and every bar of his crib and smeared poop on every rail. It was gross. I am just so glad I am not pregnant because then I would have been puking over everything as well.

So if that wasn't bad enough, this morning Matthias woke up and Calvin had not put his diaper on right last night, so it had fall down his leg. Well, then of course, Matthias pooped and so the inside of his pjs were coated in poop and of course it had leaked out and on to the carpet where he was lying this morning (the kid almost never stays in bed, but seems to prefer sleeping on the floor). So another kid in the shower and more scrubbing. This is worse than the day I kept getting puked on (by Ezra and a friend's baby).

So I love my kids, really I do, but if I have to see any more poop that is not in a diaper anytime soon, I am going to be sending some kids to Grandma's house.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Busy Weeks

So, it's been a while. But in my defense. Life has been super crazy.

From July 29-Aug 2, I was working at the Racine County Fair in the Pampered Chef booth. The boys stayed with my parents. It was a very successful five days and I think the boys had a lot of fun at my parents' house. I know my parents had a good time. The only downside was that Matthias fell off the kitchen counter (he is such a climber these days) and broke his front two teeth. The right one just has a small chip out of it, but the left one is abot half gone. Obviously, they are just baby teeth, and thankfully, they don't seem to bother him, but that was a bit tramatic. Unfortunately, the left one is startig to turn black, so we are trying to get him in to see a pediatric dentist, as they will probably have to pull it.

Anyways, back to our busy schedule. So I worked at the fair from the 29th to the 2nd. Calvin's sister Leanne came on the 1st (Saturday) and Calvin and Leanne picked up the boys Saturday night. I finished the fair early Sunday evening and then packed like mad. 4 AM Monday morning, we all left for the airport. Leanne, Matthias, Ezra, and I left for Alberta to see Calvin's parents for a week an a half. Calvin could not go to Alberta, because he had to work.

Alberta was a lot of fun. We got to hang out with Calvin's family, meet Curtis' girlfriend, Leah, and see some good friends.

On August 12, my mother in law, the boys, and I made the long drive to Abbotsford, British Columbia (it took us 14 hours, but that included three 45-60 minute stops. The boys did surprisingly very well). We were going to Abbotsford, because Calvin's grandparents were celebrating their 50th anniversary and we were having a big family reunion. After we arrived, the family slowly began to trickle in, with everyone (including Calvin who had flown up for the weekend) arriving by Friday evening. While I was there I also got to see two really great friends, that I haven't seen since college and meet Kristi, Harv's girlfriend. Saturday was a busy day with family pictures in the morning, family fun in the afternoon, and a reception for Grandma and Grandpa's friends and family.

Sunday was also busy, as after church, we went to the otherside of the family (Calvin's dad's side) for coffee and lunch and then back to Calvin's mom's side of the family for supper. And then the mad packing started over again and 6:30 AM, Monday morning, we (Calvin, Leanne, Matthias, Ezra, and I, along with Calvin's parents, whom were dropping us off) left for the airport. After a long day of flying and a not so happy 2 year old (I apoligize to every poor person who had to fly from St. Louis to Milwaukee with us), we finally made it home. Which has filled the last couple of days with cleaning the house (Calvin would live in utter filth if he was a bachelor), unpacking (still not done), and trying to get my follow-up calls from the fair done.

So if that isn't enough of an excuse to not blog for a couple of weeks, I don't know what is! And of course, both boys came home with a cold and have been bears while trying to readjust to their routine and not having a hundred people around all the time. So it might take me a couple of weeks to feel settled in again.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Teeth!

Teething is such a curious thing. Babies act crabby, chew on everything, and drool like crazy for months. The whole time, you are thinking that it must be teething, but everytime you check, there are no teeth. You don't want to keep giving them tylenol or orajel, or whatever remedy you use, since you don't know it is for sure teething. It isn't until you fnally see one of those little teeth pop up that you can use hindsight and realize that that awful fever he was running or the fact that he has been sleeping like crap for the last four days was probably related to these little teeth. And once the teeth have popped out, most of the pain is gone and they are much more comfortable.
Saturday morning, Ezra's first tooth popped and then on Sunday morning the second showed up. We've been waiting for these teeth for a while, since he is almost 8 months old and Matthias sprouted his first two teeth at only five months. But they are here now!

Friday, July 17, 2009

Don't touch my cracker!

Ezra is learning that Matthias likes to eat and likes his food and does not share well. Today, we were getting ready to learn how to climb done the stairs (Ezra can get up really well, but cannot get done very well). Matthias was climbing all over and had a graham cracker in his hand. Well, Ezra thought that the cracker looked pretty tasty, so he reached over to grab it from Matthias. Matthias was not about to give up his cracker, so he pushed Ezra down the stairs. It happened so fast I couldn't catch him, even though I was right there. Thankfully we only have six stairs and they are carpeted and padded, even at the bottom, so Ezra was not hurt, but I think he will learn pretty quickly not to mess with Matthias' food.

Matthias is also learning to talk a lot more. Yesterday after we dropped off my sister Katie at a friend's house in Chicago, he said "Katie go bye bye". This was the first time he had said her name and one of his first sentences. It is so much fun to see him learning more and more every day.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Biopsies

So on July 1, I went to my regular doctor to get some moles looked at. She decided that I needed to get two of them biopsied and sent me to a dermatologist. On July 8, I went in and had the two spots biopsied. Ok, if you get queasy, skip to the next paragraph. How they do the biopsies is that they give you a shot of lidocain behind each spot. That numbs the area completely. Then they take a razor blade and scrap off the spot. This leaves a hole, which is can be very sore and is very, very itchy while it heals. Not so much fun.

I got the results back yesterday.

The first spot was not really a mole, but was a lump on my back. It looked like a bug bite, but it has been around since about January. The dermatologist thought it was (insert big long medical term here), which is basically scar tissue. The biopsy confirmed this, so that was no big deal.

The other spot was a mole that looked abnormal. There are basically three different results that you can get. The best is that the cells are benign and there is nothing to worry about. If this is the case, then you get a call in the mail. If it is one of the other options, you get a call from the nurse. The second possibility is that the cells are atypical and the worst possibility is that the cells are cancerous. Well, yester day I got a phone call. As soon as I answered the phone and heard that it was the nurse from the dermatologists I got nervous. The biopsies came back that the cells are atypical. This means that it is not cancerous, but pre-cancerous. It may turn into cancer, it may not. So what we are doing now is just keeping an eye on it. I will be going back in six months for a check. If nothing changes, I'll probably just have to keep going in for checks. If something does change, then we will have to treat it somehow. So the news was ok, not good or bad.

So that is what is new with me. Thank you to all who prayed for me while I was waiting for results.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

I can't keep up with him!

Matthias learned how to crawl over his gate in his room this week. This meant that he didn't take any naps. He was too excited to sleep and liked the freedom of getting out of his room. This was rough on me as I couldn't get anything done as I as trying to keep track of where he was and trying to get him to take a nap. But right now we've got him beat. He bought a new gate that is ten inches taller than the old one and has straight bars so that he has nothing to climb on. So far he hasn't been able to get out and actually took a nap today.

Yesterday we celebrated July 4th with a bunch of my mom's family. It was a lot of fun. The boys enjoyed themselves. Here's a picture of them playing together for once.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

He's on the move!

Ezra is on the move! He is a crawling pro and is not pulling himself up on the furniture to a standing position! He can also crawl up steps. It's a good thing that our house is pretty baby proof already. We really need to keep our eyes on him!

Matthias is doing great as well. He doesn't like to share much, so we are working on that. The boys sure do love each other. They spend time each day just looking at each other and making each other laugh.

Calvin and I are doing well. This past weekend we left the boys with my parents and went out to Iowa to attend the wedding of two of our friends from college. It was a great weekend. We got to spend a lot of time with a bunch of our friends from college. It was like a mini-reunion! We had a great time. I think the best part of the weekend was the drive there and back. Now usually I'm not a big fan of an 8 hour drive, but it was great for Calvin and I to reconnect and talk the whole time without kids interuppting. It was like getting to know each other all over again.

I did miss the boys a ton this weekend, so it was great picking them up Monday morning. I loved the looks on their faces when I came in to get them.

This is going to be a great week. Calvin has Friday off, so it will be nice to spend some time as a family.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Pictures!

So I know that this took a while, but here are the pictures from our weeknd with Grandma and Grandpa Canada (Calvin's parents from Alberta). Calvin' sister Leanne also came for the weekend. We had a great time. On Friday, Calvin's dad and Calvin had to work, so Calvin's mom and I took the boys to the Betty Brinn's Children's Museum in Milwaukee. On Saturday, all of us went to downtown Chicago and Navy Pier. On Monday, Calvin and his dad had to work again, so Calvin's mom, Leanne, and I took the boys on a tour at the Jelly Belly factory. It was an awesome weekend.


Friday:
Matthias enjoyed playing at the sand table.
Grandma Canada entertaining Ezra.

Ezra playing with Grandma.

Matthias mowing the 'lawn' at the Children's Museum.

Matthias crawling through the tree trunk.
Saturday:
Calvin and Matthias playing in the fountain at Navy Pier.

Ezra! (post haircut, obviously)

Three genrations!
Monday:Matthias with the Jelly Belly car.

Ezra wearing his mandatory hat during the tour.

All of us on the train.

Me and my boys at the Jelly Belly Factory!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Chunky Monkey

Don't worry, pictures from this weekend with the in-laws (Children's Museum, Navy Pier, and Jelly Belly Factory) will be coming soon. Just not tonight.

Ezra had his 6 month appointment today. He is doing fantastic! He weighed 19 lbs and was 28 inches long! He's so tall! And he put on two pounds in the last two weeks! We don't have to worry about weight anymore. The doctor is surprised that he is crawling already and even more surprised that he can crawl, but not sit up. But he's getting there. Ezra's doctor thinks that he'll be walking before nine months. I'm hoping not! Once he starts walking, he'll start running and I'm not ready to run after two kids!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

1st Haircut!

It's been a busy weekend with Grandma and Grandpa Doornbos. Later I'll make a post with pictures from the Children's museum yesterday, but since we're leaving for the Navy Pier, I need to be quick. But I wanted to post Ezra's first haircut pictures!
Before:
After:
He's so grown up now!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Gorgeous Days!

Today was absolutely gorgeous! It was in the 80s and sunny. Beautiful! Matthias and I played outside while Ezra took a nap. Matthias loved it!

The boys have been sleeping great lately (knock on wood, I really hope I don't jinx this!). Last night both boys slept through the night. And not just slept through the night, but slept in! Ezra slept in until 9:00 and Matthias slept in until 9:30! So you'd think I'd have gotten a great night of sleep as well, huh? Not so much. I woke up at 3:30 am and could not get back to sleep. It sucks. I tried all of my tricks to get myself to go back to sleep and nothing worked. So finally at 5:00, I got up and went for a run. It was already in the 60s and the run was beautiful. After getting home and taking a shower I went to get a couple of groceries. All before Calvin even got up. Oh well. I did manage a nap this afternoon while the boys slept.

The boys are growing up so much! I can't believe it. And they are so funny. I heard Matthias get up, so I went to go let him out of his room. Before I got to his door, I saw him picking up all of his clothes off the floor and put them in the hamper. It was so cute! He dragged the hamper with him as he walked around the room picking up each piece of clothing. Usually he is the one putting the clothes all over the room and I am the one putting them in the hamper. He is also starting to speak a few more words. He says Ehra (Ezra), baby, carrot, door, dog, go, yes, no, yep, and probably some others I can't remember. It's funny. He says baby and Ezra, but won't say Baby Ezra. And his new favorite food is carrots. He ate about half a pound of them today.

Ezra is starting to get better too. He is coughing less and seems less congested. He tried carrots today for the first time and loved them, just his big brother. He also continues to move. He hates staying in one place too long.

Well that's all for now. Hopefully tomorrow we'll get to play outside again!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Crawling. I'm not ready for this.

Ezra started crawling over the weekend. It's not the full hands and knees crawl, but more of an army/inch worm type crawl. And let me tell you that he is FAST! Everytime I turn around he's half way across the room and getting into something new. The days of just laying him on the floor while I try to get work done are over. He needs to be strapped in something to keep him put. The problem is that he doesn't want to stay put, so I have very limited time where I can leave in him the jumper, rocker, or swing. Oi vey.

In other news, I've been trying to organize the playroom and my office space. In order to do this, we purchased some new cabinets to increase our storage space. The playroom was really easy to do, but my office is taking a little longer. I just have so much paperwork to sort and I really have to look at each piece and decide whether to keep it, file it, or do something else with it. Most of it is medical bills and those are annoying. Since I can't always pay a medical bill right when I receive it, I sometimes get a second bill. So then I have to sort out whether or not I paid it. And since we have had quite a few medical expenses in the last 6 months, there are a lot of bills to sort through. Slowly, but surely I'll get through them all.

Matthias is doing well. He is communicating a lot more, although he needs to work on his English.
Oh, and you know how I was so excited that Ezra was not going to have to see a doctor at all in May? Well, Ezra likes his doctor too much to let that happen. He ended up going in today to get checked out. He has a sinus infection that he can't seem to shake. It's been going on for like four weeks. Last week, his doctor had called in a prescription for an antibiotic for him. It hasn't made a difference. So today, she put him on a stronger antibiotic, but she isn't sure if he'll be able to make it through the whole ten days. Apparently this antibiotic can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea in a normal baby and with his history, it will probably be worse. So we'll see what happens. Apparently, Ezra is not ready to give up his status as medical problem child. But he sure is cute.Here's Matthias on his birthday.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Running

So I went running this morning. So it's not like I ran a marathon or anything, just jogging for a few blocks. But if you know me, you know that this is a big deal. I HATE running. Usually I do whatever I can to avoid running. In high school, I talked my way out of running whenever possible. I got out of running the mile in freshman gym, because of knee problems. Mr. Van Der Poel said he'd make me run it before I graduated (oops). I also talked my way out of upper classmen gym. I don't like running. Even now I've been trying to get out of running. I told Calvin almost two weeks ago that I wanted to start running and this morning is the first time I've gone. I keep coming up with excuses (the boys kept me awake, it's raining, I have a blister, etc).

So if I hate running so much, why am I doing it? These last ten pounds. I have lost all the weight from my pregnancy with Ezra, but still have ten pounds that I never lost from my pregnancy with Matthias. Ideally, I'd love to lose twenty pounds, but I'm sure I'm committed enough to diet and exercise to make that work. I do want to lose this baby weight though, so I am going to start running.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

2 Years Old Already!

I can't believe that Matthias is 2 years old already! It seems like just yesterday when I was holding him in my arms for the first time. I couldn't believe how tiny he was (even though he was 9 lbs). Now he is such a big boy. He is no longer a baby. He runs and climbs. He is learning to express himself and has his own opinions. He is learning more everyday. He is curious and daring. He loves his baby brother as well as Calvin and I. He's just such an amazing little boy and I am really enjoying seeing him grow up. I can't wait to see what this next year brings. I'm hoping for talking and potty training. But I'm sure that whatever is in store for us this year will be amazing.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

5 month and 2 year appointments

Today we had Ezra's weight check and Matthias' two year appointment. Ezra weighed 16 lbs 6 oz! That was another great weight gain. We don't have to go back until his six month appointment! We are also starting him on two meals of solids and start vegetables.


Matthias is also doing well. He weighs almost 30 lbs and 35 inches tall! He's getting so big. Developmentally, he's doing great. He isn't talking much, but his doctor isn't concerned. She said that sometimes boys just take longer to learn to talk. He communicates, just not using english words. His doctor also said that we can start potty training this summer. We aren't going to put a lot of pressure on it, but we are going to see if he has any interest in it.
Here's a picture of the boys from Easter.


Tuesday, April 14, 2009

What a difference a week makes!

So I've been a bad blogger. I blame it on the weekend. We went up to my parents' house for the long weekend. It was fun, because my sister was home from college, so the whole family was together for the weekend. And if my brother gets into college in Texas, this might be one of the last times we're all together for a while. So it was a good weekend.

Today was Ezra's weight check. He was 15 lbs 5.5 oz! That is a 1 lb 4 oz weight gain! We were expecting a good turn gain because he was eating like crazy this past weekend. He was definitely going through a growth spurt.

We are tweaking his feedings just a little bit. Obviously having cereal added to his bottles helps him gain weight. Plain breast milk and formula are not enough. But pumping is not going well. So now I am going to nurse him and then follow it up with a bottle that will have either breast milk or formula with rice in it. Since my supply has gone down, I'll probably be giving him a bottle at every other feeding or so. Although I am hoping to keep breastfeeding, I am not opposed to formula. So we'll just see how it goes.

We also started feeding him cereal by spoon once a day. It is going ok. He likes to keep his hands by his mouth, so it is definitely messy. This week we are going to start feeding other foods, probably some yummy veggies.

In other development news. Ezra is rolling like crazy. It's fun to see him move. This weekend he also started pushing himself up on his hands and knees. He just wants to be on the move. Tomorrow we are going to go buy him a jumper activity station, because he loves to be upright and I am getting tired of bouncing him up and down on my lap.

Matthias is doing well also. He had a rough nap time this afternoon. He was climbing out of his bed and got his pacifier stuck in the bed rails. And while trying to pull it free he ripped the tip of the pacifier off. Let me tell you he was not happy. Now I know a lot of people would have taken the opportunity to be done with the pacifier, but I'm not ready for that battle, so we headed off to the store to buy more this afternoon. He only (usually) gets it during sleeping times, so I'm not too bothered that he still has it.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

I had a bad feeling about this appointment

I had a bad feeling about Ezra's appointment today. Now usually when I have bad feelings, I am completely wrong and usually things go better than expected. Not today.

Ezra lost 5 oz. this week. That's the most he's ever lost. We think that the weight loss is the result of not adding cereal to his feeds this week. So now we are going back to adding rice to his bottle feeds and we are also going to start spoon feeding him one meal of cereal a day. We will then go back to his doctor next week Tuesday for another weight check. This means I have to go back to pumping, which I hate. Oh well.

Also Ezra had his four month shots today, so he's a bit cranky. That on top of his cold, I think we're going to be in for a rough night.

Matthias still has a cold and is very irritable right now. He threw a horrible tantrum at the doctor's office today (He screamed for at least twenty minutes).

With everything going on today, I am rather tired now. Thankfully, we are going to my parent's house this weekend and they promised to help with the kids so I can have a break. That is the only think keeping me sane right now.

Monday, April 6, 2009

All part of being a mom

It has been a few days since I blogged. I apoligize; I have been rather tired lately.

Today has been one of those mornings.

First Matthias woke up a little congested. Well he started coughing so hard that he threw up. Thankfully, it was on a blanket, so all I had to do was toss the blanket and his pjs into the wash.
Well, a little while later I stepped on a piece of glass in the kitchen. Calvin broke a glass a few days ago and we thought we had gotten it all cleaned up, but obviously we missed a shard. So I cut my toe pretty good and had to clean blood off the floor.

I also realized that I need to start planning Matthias' birthday party. His birthday is on May 2 and that is going to be here before I know it. And with Easter coming up, I need to give out the invitations at mom's group tomorrow because otherwise I won't see those families for almost two weeks.

Ezra was doing a lot better at not spitting up until Saturday night. Saturday night and Sunday all day were awful. Everything seemed to be coming up. Not fun. Ezra went through about four outfits himself and I think I had to change two or three times. This morning seemed a little better, so hopefully it was a fluke. Tomorrow he goes in for another weight check and his 4-month shots. He is growing though. At least height wise if not weight wise. He is stretching out of his 3-6 month clothes and so I need to start buying some 6-9 month clothes for him. Matthias' 6-9 month clothes are all fall/winter clothes, so they will be fine until the weather warms up, but then Ezra will need some summer clothes. I was at Kohl's this past weekend and they were out of all the 6-9 month size in the outfits I liked. So I'll have to go look at the Racine Kohl's or Carter's I guess.

This past Thursday night, I attended an open house for the Graduate School at Marquette University. That is where I would like to attend to get my MSN in Nurse Midwifery. It was very informative. I'm a little nervous about getting in though. They only accept 48 students out of approximatley 130 into the direct entry program. Right now though I need to focus on picking a school to finish my prerequesites at. I need to take Human Anatomy and Physiology. I know of a few schools, so now I just need to decide on which one works the best for my schedule, is the most affordable, and has room for fall enrollment.

Well, I guess that's what's new in our lives. I'll try to update tomorrow on how Ezra's appointment goes.

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Done with the GI Specialist

Yesterday, Ezra had his four month appointment. He lost 1 oz from last Wednesday. Other than that, he looked great, but we had to push his 4 mo. shots to next week, since he got his 2 month shots less than 60 days ago.

Today was Ezra's GI Specialist appointment. First thing was an ultrasound of his belly, which looked great. Then we saw the specialist. Today they weighed him at 14 lb 6.5 oz. This is 1.5 oz up from yesterday and .5 oz up from last week. I was worried that the specialist was not going to be happy about this, but he was ok with it, since he gained 3 lbs in the prior 3 weeks. The specialists have decided that he has nothing more than reflux and since we have been able to get him to gain weight, they are no longer concerned. They expect him to start growing out of the reflux over the next few months. So this was great news! We will need to continue to go in to our regular peditrician every 1-2 weeks for weight checks, but as long as he keeps gaining sufficient weight we do not need to go back to the GI specialist!

So this was a great day. Ezra was a very happy baby. He smiled at everyone and everyone said he was the cutest baby. He has also been wiggling and moving all over the place. He scoots on his back across the floor and he is *this* close to rolling over from his back to his tummy. He keeps trying it, but can't quite get over.

Well, time for bed. Calvin leaves for a business trip in the morning, so pray for safe travels for him and that I survive three days alone with the boys.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

4 months old

Ezra turned four months old today. I can't believe is is so old already! He also has started to sit and stand with help. He's going to be all grown up before I know it!

So a couple days ago, I asked for prayers for Calvin and I and some decisions we were trying to make. We have been doing a lot of praying and we have decided that I am going to go back to school! I am planning on taking the Nurse Midwife program at Marquette University. This coming fall and spring I need to complete a prerequesite class (Human Anatomy and Physiology) and then in May 2010, I start at Marquette. I will first be taking a 15 month pre-MSN program, which is basically an acclerated nursing program. Then I will be taking two years of master's courses in nurse midwifery. I am very excited, but I still covet your prayers. There are a lot of details to iron out. We think we might have childcare lined up (a wonderful friend of ours). We still need to figure out funding and getting another car. Then there is the adjustment for our family as I will not be with the boys full time any more.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

He's Getting Chunky!

We had Ezra weighed today. 14 lbs 6 oz! That's almost a whole pound since last tuesday! So, while the GI doc was pleased with the weight gain, he is not pleased that Ezra is still spitting up. So they will be doing an ultrasound of his belly on Tuesday. So we'll see what that shows. Good news is that he can go back to breast milk. They would still like us to add rice cereal in it. So we are very happy.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

It's raining, it's pouring

I like the rain. So cleansing!

Anyhow, I talked to the GI nurse today. They are very concerned that Ezra is still spitting up even though he is on the super hypoallergenic formula. So they have requested that Ezra be weighed and seen by one of our peditricians tomorrow morning. If he has lost weight or shows signs of distress or dehydration, he will be admitted tomorrow afternoon. I don't think that is going to happen. Although I don't think he has gained another two pounds (although I didn't think he had gained that much last time either), I don't think he has lost any weight either.

Good news is that if he has gained some weight, we can go back to breastfeeding! I'm super excited. And more good news, I don't have to keep up the dairy-free/ soy-free diet anymore! That is awesome news. Although, technically, I caved and quit the diet last night, I'm glad I don't have to feel guilty.

In non-medical news, we had a great day today! My mom and I took the boys to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum in Milwaukee today. That place is awesome! It is more of a playground than a museum. There are a ton of things for kids to do and even a section that is only for toddlers 3 and under. That section is great for Matthias. I think he could play their all day! At the end of the day, we decided to buy a year membership. I can't weight to take the boys back!

Monday, March 23, 2009

Matthias' first ER visit

So tonight we made our first official US ER visit (we made on to the Canadian ER in December with Ezra). Tonight after Matthias went to bed (but obviously not to sleep) he screamed. He had been playing with his closet doors and got one caught on his foot, specifically his big toe. It was red and puffy, but the tip was white. So after calling the nurse line, we brought him to the ER, as was the nurse's suggestion. So we went in. After waiting a couple of hours, we finally got in and got an x-ray of his toe. Thankfully it was not broken. But it meant for an eventful night.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

And it continues

The spitting up that is. It is getting worse. I just feel bad for the little guy.

In other news, Matthias is starting to say more words. The other day we were looking at a pond and there was a duck. He pointed at it and said 'das'(which is his word for 'what is that?'). Calvin told him duck. And Matthias said duck! In is so much fun to see him starting to communicate better and say some words. I can't wait until he is talking more.

Also another prayer request. Calvin and I are talking and praying a lot about our future as a family. I am looking at going back to school, so we are praying about what will be best for our family.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Another appointment, Another challenge

So Ezra had his follow-up appointment with the GI specialist today. He gained 2.5 oz since Friday, which was acceptable. So in the last two weeks he has gained 2 lbs 1 oz which is more than he had gained in the previous three months. So that is great.

The doctor still wants to see if this is a cow's milk protein allergy. So Ezra is going to stay on this fancy formula for another two weeks to see if we see a difference in the spitting up. This is quite expensive ($189 for six cans!). I would like to go back to breastfeeding, so right now I am still pumping. If it is a allergy, then in order to keep breastfeeding, I need to be on a cow's milk/ soy free diet for three weeks before I can start breastfeeding. So I am starting the diet tomorrow (I wanted one more night of milk and ice cream!)

Now, I know what you're thinking, ok, no milk, no ice cream, that sucks, but not too big of a deal. Well, then you haven't been reading labels. There are milk proteins or soy proteins in just about everything. Basically I have to eat foods made from scratch. So I guess I'm going to be getting back on my diet, since cookies and candy are out.

So I hope this isn't too incorherant, I'm rather tired. Next step is that we continue the formula and pumping for the next two weeks and then he goes in for his 4 month appointment and a weight check. At that point we will decide whether or not the formula is working. If it is not working, we will most likely go back to breastfeeding with added cereal, since that helped him gain weight. His weight is also still a consideration. If he stops gaining at any point, they will have to change his diet and possibly hospitalize him. So we are hoping that he continues to gain weight.

So again, we thank you for your prayers. We know that this is all in God's hands.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Finally, Good News!

So yesterday after waiting over two days for a response from the nurse, I finally got a call from the nurse and the doctor late yesterday afternoon. They were concerned that he was still spitting up, so they wanted a weight check and to start him on some fancy new formula that is super hypoallergenic and dairy free. I am still not convinced it is an allergy, but I'm willing to try it. We will still be mixing it with the rice cereal. He doesn't seem to like it very much, but I am hoping that he gets used to it after a few more feedings. He also is not a fan of having to take a bottle in the middle night (I'm not a fan of making a bottle in the middle of the night), but we will both get used to it.

In case, I can go back to breastfeeding later, I am pumping and freezing my breast milk. I'm getting really sick of pumping, but if it means I might be able to go back to breastfeeding, I'm going to keep at it.

Anyways, this morning I brought Ezra in for a weight check. He weighed 13 lbs 4.5 oz! That was a 1 lb 12.5 oz weight gain in ten days! I am sure this is because of all the prayers on his behalf. Thank you all for your prayers!

This is not the end of this medical journey for Ezra though. Tuesday he will be seen by the GI specialist again to make sure that he is still growing. He is still spitting up quite a bit. He probably gained weight due to the fact that his feedings had extra calories in them. He has also not been pooping very well the last couple of days (probably because of the high amount of rice cereal). So he will still probably need to be monitored for a while to make sure he continues to gain weight. Although we are very pleased with this weight gain, we want to make sure this was not a fluke.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

No News

I left a message for the specialist's nurse and she didn't call me back. So I have no news.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Good News and Bad News

The good news is that Ezra's x-rays looked normal.
The bad news is that Ezra's x-rays looked normal.
So we still do not know what is causing his spitting up/vomiting. Tomorrow I have to call in to let the nurse know that he is not getting better. I'm hoping that they want to try something different. I just don't see the point in prolonging this another week. I know that this means he'll probably have to be hospitilized, but I just want him to get better.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

No improvement

In fact, I'm pretty sure that Ezra's spitting up has gotten worse. We have been adding rice cereal to his milk since Thursday, but he is still spitting up. Maybe even more so than before we started adding the cereal. My in-laws are here and my mother in law has been wearing a towel while feeding him, because he has spit up all over her a couple of times already. So Monday is his x-ray and on Tuesday I have to call the nurse and they will probably be switching him to some kind of formula to see if that helps. I am hoping that maybe he will still gain some weight, since there are extra calories in his feedings. So maybe he is keeping down enough to gain some weight. We'll see.

In good news, Matthias seems to be doing better. He did not have a fever today and seems to be more himself, although he is still quite tired.

Other good news, tomorrow is Ezra's baptism. I'm very excited. It will also be nice to get back to church. Since the boys have been sick, we haven't been to church or any of our bible studies or activities for a couple weeks.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

When it rains, it pours...

I hope this post isn't too depressing, but I am quite tired and a bit down, so I make no guarantees. I barely got any sleep last night. Ezra had a little trouble falling asleep last night and then once he finally did, I was too nervous about today to fall asleep right away. Then right as I was falling asleep, I heard Matthias start coughing over the baby monitor. And it was not just any cough, but a deep, barky, croup cough. So after listening to him suffer for a few minutes, I pulled him in bed with us so I could listen to him breath. That eased my mind, but didn't really help me get any sleep. And then we had to get up at 5:30 am to get Calvin to work.
After bringing Calvin to work, the day really began. Ezra had his appointment with the GI specialist today. I was nervous that they would find something seriously wrong or that they would say that there was nothing we could do and we just needed to wait it out. After answering a ton of questions on some forms and then answering the same questions from the nurse, and answering the questions again from the first doctor and then again from the second doctor, the doctors came back with a game plan.

Right now the doctors this that this is probably simply reflux. But since he is not gaining weight very well, they are concerned. So we are going to try a couple of things to try to help him keep his food down. First we will try to hold him at a 30 deg. angle and trying to keep him more on his right side. This works with gravity and his natural anatomy to try to help the food get through his stomach. We are also trying to make his feedings heavier. This means that I have to pump my breast milk and mix it with rice cereal. This should also help him gain weight, because it is adding more calories to his feedings. I am supposed to doing the pumping and adding rice for a week and if after a week, he is still spitting up really bad, then I will have to stop the breastmilk and switch him to formula thickened with rice.

On Monday, Ezra will be going in for an upper GI x-ray. He will have to drink barium. It will be interesting for sure.

After two weeks, we are going back. If he does not gain enough weight, he will be hospitalized for further testing and until he can gain enough weight. I am praying that thickening his feedings will work, because I really do not want to have him be hospitalized.

So after all that with Ezra, I had to bring Matthias to the doctor in the afternoon. He indeed has a bad case of croup. So he is now on steroids to help keep his airway open. Not only am I well known at the pediatricians' office, I am getting to be somewhat well known at the pharmacy as well. He is really tired and out of it. He fell asleep on the couch an hour before bedtime.

In good news, we finally got some pictures of Ezra smiling!




Sunday, March 1, 2009

Making Progress!

Ezra seems to be making a lot of progress. He is coughing a lot less and his breathing seems to be getting a lot better. He is also getting back to his happy, smily self.

Speaking of Ezra being his smily self, he seems to think that sticking his tongue out is a form of smiling. I guess he's been watching Calvin and Matthias. It is super cute though. I wish I could post a picture of him doing it, but he refuses to smile for the camera.

Saturday, February 28, 2009

A better day

Ezra seems to be doing better today. He has been smiling and had been a lot more active then he was yesterday. The breathing treatments seem to really be helping with his breathing, so that's great! We just keep praying that each day he will get a little better.

Now if only I could get over this cold I picked up from Ezra.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Ezra's Journey

So like I said, part of the reason for this blog is to keep everyone updated on Ezra. He's had quite a journey. He was born very healthy and showed no signs of trouble at first.

Then at five days old, he was hospitalized for jaundice, which is having high levels of billirubin in the blood. After being under the lights for almost 24 hours, Ezra was released and was thought to be all better. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the jaundice did not leave his body as quickly as expected. Normally, after treatment, billirubin levels return to normal within two weeks. Well it wasn't until after two months and countless blood draws that Ezra's billirubin levels returned to the normal level. We are not sure exactly why his levels took so long to go down. His doctor says that sometimes it just takes longer for some babies than for others.

At about two weeks old, we started to notice that Ezra spit up A LOT. I don't mean a little dribble down his chin after a feeding, but he would spit up handfuls of his feedings. We estimate 1-2 oz at a time. I first asked one of the doctors, how much spit up is too much. He said, that it is not the amount of spit-up that matters, but whether or not the baby gains weight. Well, since he had gained back his birth weight and more already, we did not worry at that point.

Then came his one month appointment. He was weighed and we found out that he had only gained 2 oz. in 12 days (babies at this age are supposed to gain 1 oz each day). The doctor determined that Ezra has reflux. We tried supplementing with formula that has rice in it, which usually helps stop spitting up, since it is heavier. That did not work. We have tried the medications, Zantac and Prevacid, neither of which worked. We tried pumping my breast milk and added formula or rice to it. That did not work. He had an ultrasound of his pylorus, which is the valve at the bottom of the stomach. His pylorus is normal. So we are not sure what is causing his spitting up. We are going to see a pediatric GI specialist on Tuesday, so hopefully we'll get some answers. He is quite skinny and needs to gain some weight. For comparison, Matthias weighed 9 lbs 0 oz at birth and 13 lbs 3 oz at his two month appointment and Ezra weighed 9 lbs 6 oz. at birth and 11 lbs 3.5 oz. at his two month appointment.

Now for the current hump in the road. Last weekend, Ezra started coming down with a cold. That was not suprising, since Matthias and Calvin had both had colds and as much as you try to prevent the passing of germs, it is nearly impossible when one of the people with a cold is a toddler who wants to touch everyone and sneezes and coughs without covering his mouth. Well Sunday night was pretty miserable for all. I had a bad stomach flu and Ezra was coughing so much he barely slept. We brought him to the doctor and was diagnosed with croup. He also weighed 9 lb 9.5 oz, which was only half an oz more than the week before. Ezra was given a steroid to help the croup. That was about all we could do for him, since croup is a virus and there is not real treatment. Dr. Iyer asked me to call with an update on Thursday.

Thursday came and Ezra was worse, not better. He was not breathing normally, so I called Dr. Iyer's office and the nurses told me to bring him in. I brought him in and Dr. Iyer was also concerned about his breathing and that his cough had gotten worse. She decided right away to do a breathing treatment. She said he most likely has RSV (Respiratory syncytial virus) and Bronchiolitis. He is on an antibiotic and is receiving nebulizer breathing treaments 3-5 times a day. If he gets any worse, he is going to have to be hospitlized. So now we are just praying that he gets better, not worse. Also when they weighed him today, he was only 9 lbs 6 oz, which means he lost 3.5 oz since Monday. This is big for him, since it takes an average of two weeks for him to gain that kind of weight. Only good thing about the weight loss is that they moved his specialist appointment up from March 13 to March 3.


So now you are up-to-date with Ezra. I'll let you know if anything changes. Otherwise, we just ask for your prayers.




Thursday, February 26, 2009

Introducing us

So I decided it was about time to start a blog. The main reason I finally got around to starting it, is that to be able to update people on how Ezra is doing. But this blog is not about Ezra alone, but about our family. Ezra is just going to be a featured player for a while, since he is having some health issues. Anyways, let's start from the beginning of our family.


Calvin and I met at Dordt college in the fall of 2003. Calvin is from Lacombe, Alberta and I am from Sheboygan, WI. We started dating about three weeks into freshman year and have been together ever since. We were married on August 13, 2005. This is from our third anniversary.



Right after our first anniversary, we got the surprise of our lives. I was pregnant. So on May 2, 2007, eleven days past his due date and nine days before our college graduation, Matthias James was born. He weighed 9 lbs and was 22 inches long. Now Matthias is a very active toddler. He loves puzzles and duplos. In this pictures, he is trying out his new potty. We aren't really starting potty training yet, but wanted to give him a chance to try.



Not quite 19 months after Matthias was born, we welcomed Ezra Jacob into the world. He was born on November 29, 2008, only three days after his due date. He weighed 9 lbs 6 oz and was 21.75 inches long. He is now almost three months old, but has already been through a lot, which I'll talk about in my next post.



So that's a brief introduction to our family. I hope that this blog will help you all stay updated on our lives.