It's a BOY!

Julie has a new baby brother on the way! She will be able to boss him around whenever she wants :) I know it has been a long time since I have last blogged and a lot has happened!

Julie
Julie's ear surgery was a BIG success. She acts like a completely different kid and her learning has increased tremendously. The copy cat stage is where she is now because she tries anything she sees us doing. We just got her toddler bed set up and she has been a very big girl sleeping in it at night. Of course jumping on it is way more fun than sleeping :) This weekend we are going to see Barney Live in concert and I can't wait to see what she does. Barney is her favorite purple dinosaur. Christmas is just around the corner and this year she will be able to tear into presents and get very excited. Can't wait to take pictures and get her room all set up!

Baby Brother
The sonogram we had at 13 weeks showed our little boy's neck measuring larger than it was supposed to. The doctor said that sometimes that can be linked to a congenital heart defect and so another sonogram and echo of the baby's heart was scheduled. I just had the sonogram last week and praise God that his neck measurement is back to normal and they didn't see anything wrong with the heart so far. Dr. Farney said that it doesn't negate anything, but it is a good sign and looks to be in our favor. The echo of his heart will be at the end of January and we are praying for reports that show everything is ok.

He is a very active little boy and I am feeling his movements more every day and they are getting stronger too! I am so excited to prepare for my little man and look forward to learning a whole new ball game.

Julie's Ear Surgery

Julie's ear surgery was this morning for tubes in both ears. I was so nervous once we went over all of the paperwork and I signed things like, "I authorize Surgicare to use resuscitation if needed during the procedure." A big lump was in my throat once we got back into the room. The anesthesiologist came in to describe how they would be making her comfortable and the possible side effects. Once she was in her hospital gown they were ready to take her back to the table. I gave her big kisses and a hug before handing her over to the nurse. As I walked away from the room tears started to fill in my eyes, even though I knew she was in good hands.

About 20 minutes later we were able to go back into the room and hold her. She was a little bit groggy, but in about 10 minutes she was trying to get down. The ride home wasn't real fun because she was obviously hungry and tired. After a three hour nap she woke up and acted like nothing was wrong! You can tell it probably feels weird because she pokes at her ears and sometimes will get fussy, but for the most part she is doing great :) The scary part is over and now I know she will feel so much better. She is on the right track to becoming a healthy happy girl :)

Poor Sick Julie

Oh boy, it's been a crazy weekend. Sunday morning Julie woke up with dirty pants all over her crib. Once she was all cleaned up and had some orange juice, it decided not to settle in her stomach and she continued to vomit all day. Even though she was having stomach issues and her diapers needed changed every hour or so, she was still playing and doing ok. Later in the afternoon she started getting weak and so mommy made her a sick couch.

A fever set in later that night and the tired girl only wanted mommy to hold her. Last night she woke up around 2:30 screaming and when I picked her up heat was radiating off her body. The thermometer said 102 but I swear it felt like 106. After some medication and pediatlite she fell asleep in the middle of our bed kicking me, of course. :)

This afternoon we went in to see her doctor and they confirmed that she has gastroenteritis (stomach flu). I guess the diarrhea can last up to 10 days. Her right ear still looks a little red and has puss in it, but it is going away. Of course we had to push back her ear surgery until next Thursday. As a mother, the hardest thing for me to do is see her in so much pain and not be able to help her. I just pray that things clear up and she is able to go through with the surgery next week. My poor little girl has been sick more in her 14 months than I have ever been sick! Check back next week to get an update on how the surgery went. Keep us in your prayers :)

It's Just the Beginning!

Hey Everyone!
I am just beginning a blog about our family and most important, Julie. There has been so many changes in our lives since she has came along and I have learned so much from her. She will be 14 months old on September 13th and boy has the time gone by so fast! It seems just like yesterday when I met her for the first time.

Daycare:
Grandma Ruth has been babysitting Julie and she does a fantastic job! The problem is that she doesn't get much interaction with other children and it's hard for grandma to do the fun stuff like painting and coloring. Last Friday was her first day at Elf's Learning Center and she had a blast! When I went to pick her up she had a ball in her hand and was running around with it while the other kids watched her. She was having a good ol' time and then saw me and started waving her hands and gave that huge grin of hers. The picture she colored is on our fridge :) We are going to start with Fridays for now and then move to Thursdays and Fridays. She loves it!

Health:
As a lot of you know, we have been struggling with ear infections. She's had 4 of them now and the 3rd one was the worst. She had a fever for 6 days straight which had me scared to death. I hate more than anything not being able to fix her when she's sick. We found out she had a double ear infection and both ear drums had burst. She went on 2 different oral antibiotic and 3 rounds of injections until it finally went away. The doctor said one more time within 5 weeks and she would be getting tubes. Guess what? One week later she had another ear infection. So, September 9th she will be going in for surgery to get the tubes put in. The doctor says it will be instant relief for her and I can't wait for her to be all better. For now she is sticking all kinds of objects in her ear. I will keep you all updated on how surgery goes.

Other than that, we are all doing great! I have a new job at Wichita Technical Institute (A college in Wichita) and Josh is still at LinnStar contracting through Sears to install appliances. We have decided to be on a bowling league again this year and Josh bowled a 300 on our first night of league! He will be getting an awesome ring and money. Very Nice!!!