David, Elizabeth, James, & Andrew

James is 2 and a half!

2012-02-14T19:04:00.001-08:00

James is officially 2 1/2. I'm not sure where the time went, but he sure is growing up. James is officially taking steps. He'll take up to about 8 steps at a time, sometimes more. He doesn't go anywhere without both arms out for balance, but we'll take it! He is starting to make more consonant sounds, but still no words. James is using sign language a little bit. He loves to sign "ball." He also knows milk, bye, and all done. We're working on others with a video that his therapist is letting us borrow and with an app on the iPad. James is also interacting with Andrew. He thinks it's hilarious to tackle his brother when he is least expecting it.

James has been mostly healthy since he came home from the hospital in December. All his doctors are happy with the progress he has made. We're going to continue being extra careful though until cold/flu season is over, especially since it seems that RSV is everywhere this winter. We got a standing script for prednisone (steroids) to add to James lists of medicines. This one is to be taken at the first sign of congestion in hopes of preventing colds from turning into pneumonia. Hopefully we won't ever need it, but I'm glad to have it just in case.

James has his first transitional meeting with his therapists today. When children turn 3, they switch from getting therapy through the state to getting it through the school system. Everyone is very impressed with the progress he has made over the last year, but he still needs speech and physical therapy so we'll have to go through the process of getting him evaulated by the schools and setting up an IEP (developmental goals) with them. We'll probably look into getting him some extra private therapy soon too because they can better advise us on any equipment James might need if his walking doesn't develop as it should.

Overall, James is doing great! Enjoy his pictures!

P.S. Sorry for the lack of posts over the last month. I promise to do better, Grandma!

Andrew is 15 Months Old!

2012-01-12T07:53:00.000-08:00

Andrew hit the 15 month mark earlier this month. He amazes me everyday with how quickly he's learning. He also tests my patience everyday with his super sneakiness...I have a feeling he's going to be a toddler who becomes good friends with the time out chair :) At 15 months Andrew is:

24 pounds; 30 inches tall

Walking since about 13 months

Yesterday he discovered he could spin in circles...hilarious!

Loves to climb, but is still quite clumsy so he always has a scrape or bruise on his head

Has 12 teeth and counting

Loves to read, play with his kitty and big brother, do puzzles, and get into anything he knows he's not supposed to (maybe I should try reverse psychology with this one!)

Laughs and smiles as he runs into your open arms for a hug (Dave and I agree that his is our favorite thing about his personality!)

Is a picky eater, but will eat non-stop of the things he likes

Babbles constantly and says something that resembles "kitty"

Hates getting his diaper changed and sleeping in his crib (he sleeps in the guest bed)

Loves hamming it up for the camera!

Andrew Loves his kitty!

He is very mischievous.

He gets offended when his kitty swats at him.

Andrew loves to read. His favorite right now is probably "The Eye Book" by Dr. Suess.

Andrew is not a big TV person, but he loves pushing buttons and messing up the TV settings (which drives his brother crazy!).

He has started dancing recently.

And he loves playing in his laundry basket.

However, he gets stuck when he bends over like this and hollers until someone comes to help him out :)

He can do it!!

2011-12-27T09:01:00.000-08:00

He's getting so close!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-27T08:47:00.001-08:00

A few photos from Christmas morning...

Santa left us a few goodies...including presents from St Louis.

Andrew loved the snacks in his stocking.
James is still unsure of presents...

In their Christmas best.

A couple of family shots. Andrew decided pants were optional.

Christmas Letter 2011

2011-12-14T15:04:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I can hardly believe that it's December and that December is half over. It's been a long time since I've felt like time has flown. Dave and I started out the year by deciding to move to Lake Charles, Louisiana. The decision was done and the move made by the end of January. We have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the people here and getting involved in the community.

We have become members at a fantastic church that has been our gateway to feeling a part of life here. Dave has been active on the church's softball team, while I have volunteered in the nursery and taught the 3rd & 4th grade Sunday school class. We attend growth groups regularly on Wednesdays which has allowed us to make some great friends and grow in Christ. We are both going to play on the indoor soccer team that just started :)

We've also been able to get to know people through Dave's work: PPG. The ladies he works with have a monthly dinner out and are kind enough to include me. It's always nice to get away for a few hours. They also have a great family association that we are involved in. We've attended a crawfish boil, an Easter egg hunt, a trunk or treat, and a fabulous family day among other events through this association. We even competed in a kickball tournament! We always jump at the chance to do something fun and semi-structured with the boys.

Lake Charles and the surrounding areas host a number of festivals; the long summers, early springs and late winters make great festival weather! Since Dave and I love festivals, we have taken advantage. LC holds the second largest Mardi Gras Festival in Louisiana, so we couldn't miss that. It goes on for several days; we loved the gumbo cook-off and the children's day festivities. This year we also visited Contraband Days, a Mayhaw Festival, a Rice Festival, Sulphur Heritage Days, and the Moss Bluff Festival. I think I'm forgetting a few others too. James always loves the big slides. I'm sure Andrew will be right there with him next year!

We took our first family vacation in November to San Antonio, TX. We did all the touristy stuff and made time for the outlet malls. It was a great trip! (You can see an earlier post for all the details and pictures).

Mostly this year, we have just enjoyed being a family and watching the boys grow. James is so close to walking and saying his first words; it'll be right around the corner. He has begun clapping and is quick to celebrate any little accomplishment he or Andrew have. Andrew is walking and getting into everything. He is going to try our patience in a way that James never has. They are just starting to show an interest in playing together...they have completely different styles of play so I think there are going to be a lot of battles to break up in my future. In case you are wondering, James is a very organised player (like his mommy) where Andrew is more of the search and destroy type (like most little boys).

As far as health goes, James had two hospital stays (pneumonia) but no surgeries this year. We are hoping and praying his little body keeps getting stronger and no more surgeries are necessary! His specialists are very encouraged by the progress he's made this year. Andrew seems to be healthy as a horse (and he eats like one too!). He has gotten a few colds but has only been to see the doctor once for a sick visit. Dave and I both passed our annual blood tests, which is always reassuring. I guess the red wine is working! :)

We tried hard this year to enjoy the present and that will continue to be our family goal. We want to soak up the moments we have together and enjoy life as it happens. With that said, I still have an organized need to plan for the future. On the radar for 2012 is a second family vacation (possibly to the Pensacola area), a Midwest trip in July (complete with a friend's wedding in Chicago), maybe a baby (nothing cooking yet), and a lot more festivals!

I truly hope that this post finds you and yours well and that you're all able to celebrate Jesus' birthday with loved ones! MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Love, the (Louisiana) Iverson's

James Update

2011-12-14T06:32:00.000-08:00

Apprently I forgot to knock on wood after my last post because James' stretch of being hospital free ended abruptly the day after Thanksgiving. He was admitted that Friday evening with a bad cold that turned into bronchitus and eventually pheumonia. He went home twice in the 16 days he was there. The first time he was back within 5 hours and needed back on oxygen. The second time he was home for a day and a half before he needed to be readmitted. This time the doctors think he had bronchial spasms (asthma attack) caused by his reflux. Steroids seemed to do the trick that time. James seems to be doing much better now, but he's only been home for 2 days so we don't feel like we're out of the woods yet.

I'll be taking James to see his specialists in Houston as soon as they can fit him in. I'm not sure what to expect at these appointments so that worries me. I'm assuming we'll talk about our plan to keep him healthy and how we should adjust it since he got sick again. I'm just not sure what they'll want to do moving forward. I have lots of questions...hopefully they'll have some answers.

Friends in Lake Charles were amazing during this hospital stay. We were brought books, meals, snacks, toys, and all around great company. Abby even came to help out (all the way from Indiana) when Dave had to be out of town for his Grandmother's funeral. When Dave was working, various friends from church took Andrew under their wing to give him breaks from the hospital. He liked hanging out with James and me, but sometimes he needed out :) Thank you for all the help! And thank you for all the prayers from all of you who were following James' progress on facebook or via friends and family.

From the Little Things to the Big Things

2011-11-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

There are so many things to be thankful for and this time of year has me thinking about all of those things. I am thankful for Cheerios or in this case Great Value brand Toasted O's. Andrew's attitude towards these little snacks reminds me that it's about the simple things in life. Just a few O's and he'll happily sit through car rides, grocery trips and numerous other things.

I love that the boys love books! James' therapists are always telling me how important it is for their development, but I am mostly thankful for the way my heart feels when I come upon this site at home.

I am thankful for the silly faces and fun times that we were able to have in San Antonio. It was the first vacation we've had since before James was born and the first time in a long time I can remember not worrying about the possibility of James ending up in an ER. I am thankful the Lord holds our worries on His shoulders because otherwise I wouldn't be standing today.

I am thankful for James' health. He is a miracle and I thank God everyday that he has allowed him to get better and stay with us here on this Earth. James has been mostly healthy since April (just a few minor illnesses, but no hospital stays). It feels so unreal sometimes that I want to pinch myself. It's amazing how much he has grown in these past few healthy months. I know he'll be walking independently soon.

I am thankful for friends; old, young, and new! Jessica recently had a birthday and chose to celebrate it with us and a few of her other close friends from church. We are so blessed by our church family here. I miss friends that I don't see often enough, but my heart hurts less when I remember how many people are here for me in Lake Charles, Louisiana. I'm so thankful for the knowledge that I will have eternity to spend with brothers and sisters in Christ that may not live close by while on this Earth. Knowledge of Heaven is a huge blessing!

"My cup runneth over." What a great line from Hope Floats. My family is so wonderful. They love me and they're not afraid to show it. This is a picture of the family that lives under the same roof as me, but I am thankful for my whole family.

Most of all I am thankful for God and the gifts that He has given me: food, knowledge, family, love, strength, friendships, shelter, health, and the list goes on forever.

San Antonio Trip

2011-11-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

There are some definite perks to living in southern Louisiana. We love the local fare, the people are really nice, and the weather has been phenominal! Another perk is being only (25) minutes from the Texas border and just over 5 hours from San Antonio. Last week Dave and I decided to take advantage of this and take our very first family vacation. We all had a fabulous time and I will try to do it justice with words and pictures.

There is a famous gas station chain in Texas called Bucee's. We stopped at one about an hour outside of San Antonio. It was huge! It had 30 gas pumps, easily and the best gas station restrooms I've ever seen. The inside was enormous with everything from 8 different Icee flavors to a toy section that would make Kmart jealous. We enjoyed a Dr. Pepper Icee and some Dip 'n Dots. The boys liked the giant stuffed Bucee :)

In San Antonio we stayed downtown near the Riverwalk. We were within walking distance to a lot of attractions which was great! The first day we bought passes to ride the Alamo trolley and got a tour guide's advice on how to tackle the city (we took some and ignored the rest). I think the boys enjoyed traveling without carseats, but it made mommy and daddy a little nervous. That first day we saw the Alamo, San Jose Mission, King William's district, the Guenther House, and El Mercado (Market Square). We ate a fantastic lunch and got some yummy baked gooods at el Mercado. We got into the routine of eating big lunches and getting take out for dinner because by dinner time the boys had no patience left for a sit down meal. The pattern worked out well for us.

The church at the Alamo. Did you know it wasn't even completed (no roof) when the battle took place?

A live oak tree in the gardens of the Alamo...it was transplanted, but still cool.

I took this picture and then got yelled at. Apparently it's against the rules to take pictures in the Alamo gift shop. Now I know!

A wall at San Jose Mission. It was neat to see a mission in one piece (mostly).

Throwing a pizza into this old school oven :)

Dave checking on our dinner.

James and me checking out the homes inside the mission.

After we had our fill of the trolley, we decided to check out the Riverwalk. Here Andrew and I are posing on one of the pedestrian bridges that cross the river.

This pic is for Madison! FYI, you are never allowed to work in this restaurant unless they change the waitress uniforms.

James relaxing after a busy first day.

The boys love "Peek-a-boo Barn."

On Tuesday we went to the zoo in the morning. It rained off and on so we had to occasionally hide in the various buildings, but the boys didn't mind because this meant they got to get out of their strollers and run around (we brought their walkers). The zoo had a great area for children under 5. The boys loved it! After lunch at Zuni's on the Riverwalk and some needed naps, we took in a couple of museums. We went to Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium and Louis Tussaud's Waxworks. They were running a special so for a dozen canned goods, we got in for $5 each. I love good deals!

Playing in the prairie dog tunnel.

Ready for bed after another busy day.

On Wednesday we did a lot of walking. We could have used the trolley again, but it's drop-off/pick-up times were limited and there were quite a few things we still wanted to see in the downtown area. We visited La Vallita (an artistic neighborhood on the Riverwalk with boutiques and coffee shops), the San Fernando Cathedral, the Spanish Governor's Palace, back to el Mercado, lunch at Paessano's on the Riverwalk, and Tower of the Americas. I was really excited to see a palace, but it turns out that a "palace" built in the 1700's is equivalent to a 2 bedroom house today. It was still neat to see though. I also bought my first Christmas present of the year at La Vallita...get excited mom bc it's for you! Wednesday night we found a great little German delicatessan called Schlipp's. They make their own rootbeer. I highly recommend the place!

James pushing his stroller around the plaza at La Vallita while we waited for shops to open. Apparently most people don't make it out before 10...ha!

Dave and Andrew in the Tower of Americas looking down on San Antonio.

Andrew playing under the pull-out sofa after another busy day.

On Thursday we drove up to San Marcos (about 25 miles NE of San Antonio) so I could shop at the outlet malls there. They were fantastic! I only wish I could have spent longer there, but 2.5 hours before and 2.5 hours after lunch was the boys limit. We stayed over in New Braunsfel that night. It's a (bigger than I was expecting) German town in between San Marcos and San Antonio. We ate lunch at Oma's Haus Restaurant (delicious!) and went to the WurstFest in the evening. Dave loved the brats and German beer...I had a Belgium waffle and the boys just loved being able to run around outside!

On Friday we spent the morning in Gruene, Texas, a historic district on the edge of New Braunfels. There were lots of boutiques. One gourmet food shop had samples set out of over 100 different things. I only came home with 2 salsas, 1 pecan honey butter, and one sun dried tomato and garlic dipping olive oil. It was hard not to buy out the store, except I'm sure if I'd have tried that my credit card would have been declined :) Gruene is also the home of the oldest dancing hall in the United States. I'd like to go back some evening when they're having a dance. We ate lunch at the Gristmill overlooking the Guadalupe River. It was another delicious meal!

We made it home Friday evening around dinner time. The boys ran around until bedtime trying to burn off the excess energy they stored up on the 5 hour drive home. Andrew spent a lot of time loving on Oliver...he missed his kitty.

If you've never been to San Antonio, I highly recommend it. We already have tentative plans to go back and do some things we didn't get to this time... SeaWorld, Schlitterban Water Park, many more restaurants, the drive thru Safari Zoo, and the outlets (again). If you couldn't tell, we had a great time! The best part was just being together as a family and all the other stuff was just (a lot of) icing on the cake!!

The boys...

2011-11-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

A few pics from the last couple days. I even got a video of Andrew taking some steps. I am by no means a videographer...you'll have to tilt your head to the left :)

James pushing Andrew on his new toy. It's hard to convince James he should watch where he's going.

At the skate park watching the big boys do their thing.

The Things

2011-10-23T18:50:00.000-07:00

Dave and I were so excited to celebrate Halloween this year. We missed it last year (Andrew was only a few weeks old and James was getting over pneumonia), so we wanted to make sure we did some fun things this year. Yesterday we went to PPG's Trunk or Treat. The boys had a great time pushing their walkers around the park. Today we went to the Fall Festival at a nearby church. Again, the boys loved pushing their walkers around everywhere! The boys enjoy watching "The Cat in the Hat" on PBS right now so we thought Thing 1 and Thing 2 were perfect costumes for them :) They did a great job and (fyi) the spray in hair color comes out really easy.

All ready for the party!

Thing 1 and Dave in the Hat :)

Dave and I both wore hats :)

Dave was trying to hold them still so I could get a shot of them together.

Sitting on the car...silly Things.

James loves pushing the walker through the grass now...a feat he could not do a week ago!

Love that smile!

Playing in the pumpkins.

Love my Things!

James was trying to crawl over this pumpkin, but kept getting stuck!

Colton, the spider. The boys play with him in the nursery every Sunday and Wednesday.

Tucker and Brady, two other little boys that go to our church.

Family Photos - Part 1

2011-10-22T19:22:00.000-07:00

We finally got our pictures taken. This is the first time we've taken the boys to have it done professionally. They did really well with the family shots, but were a bit tired of smiling by the time it was time for them to take photos by themselves. Oh well! We got some good ones and here are a few! (Check the next post too. I couldn't get all the photos to load on the same post).

I love James' smile in this one. He thought the flash was hilarious!

The best family shot.
Another great family shot.

My favorite of the boys together.

Family Photos - Part 2

2011-10-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

I think this is my favorite of James by himself.

Another good one of both of them. I kind of like the serious faces :/
Another cute one of James. I love how he looks like such a big boy just chilling on the steps!

Andrew has no patience left at this point. I was feeding him puffs to keep on the stairs.

Chewing on a puff :)

We didn't get any good ones with the "1." This was when we gave up on the session.

Andrew's 1st Birthday Party

2011-10-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Andrew's 1st birthday Saturday. It was a beautiful day... a little humid, but there was a nice breeze that kept it cozy. The boys loved playing outside so much. I can tell that we'll be spending a lot of time outdoors very soon. Andrew did a great job. We could not convince him to take a morning nap so we were afraid he might have a melt down. The sugar in the cupcake seemed to give him enough energy to power through until nap time! I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we enjoyed the party!

Playing outdoors is fun!

We grilled out and played yard games.
The boys liked watching people fly the kite.

Andrew hesitated at the beginning.

But eventually dug in and devoured the cupcake.

Some too big bites came back out a few times :)

The boy was too tired to sit up straight, but not too tired to flash his smile!

Andrew liked ripping the paper out of the bags but became annoyed at the toy packaging!

Taking a small break in between presents :)

He's concentrating so hard to get the paper out of the bag.

I love this picture of him digging in the bag to find books...he loves them!

Andrew is 1!

2011-10-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

Andrew is 1 today! So much has happened in the last year and we are just thankful that Andrew is a healthy, happy little boy. Andrew was born in Pittsburgh, had surgery when he was 8 weeks old and spent the next several months in and out of hospitals as a visitor to his big brother. At 4 months old, we moved him to Louisiana. At 6 months old he finally starting sleeping through the night and at 8 1/2 months he became mobile, a quick expert at crawling. Today he's one and a day never goes by that he doesn't bring a smile to my face and heart. At 1 year old Andrew...

has 7 teeth...no new one's this month.

is down to 3 bottles a day and starting to take milk with his meals. Hopefully we'll get him completely off his bottle over the next month or so.

is not a fan of fruit, but loves canned vegetables and the toddler meals that his brother eats.

weighs 20 pounds 10 ounces (25%) and is 29.5 inches tall (50%).

giggles like a hyena (video below).

loves to walk behind push toys and is very good at it.

loves to crawl and climb on his brother, cat, and parents.

is working on getting down to 1 nap a day...maybe soon he'll even nap in his crib.

is having his first birthday party this Saturday (I'll post pics after it happens).

Walking behind the train.

Smiling and crawling after mommy.
Standing on his knees.

Showing off his smile :)

Playing with his favorite big brother.

Andrew's Evil Laugh

Boating Fun!

2011-10-04T08:22:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon we went boating with a couple from church. They like to ski and tube and love to take people out with them. We spent the first part of our adventure boating in the rivers and lakes around Lake Charles. It's amazing how much faster you can get places here by boat as opposed to by car (a 45 minute car ride took about 15 minutes by boat). After we did our tour of the neighborhood, Dave and I both tubed and then Dave tried his hand at skiing. He has never been water skiing before and did a great job (after a few face plants into the water). I haven't skied since I was 12 or 13 so I passed this time, but I'm sure I'll get out there soon :) Enjoy the photos!

James enjoyed the boat ride...I enjoyed the wind-blown hair :)

A family shot on the Lake with one of the casino resorts in the background.
Dave tubing

Me tubing

Dave getting ready to ski for the first time :)

working his way up...

oops...got some water in his face on that one :)

But he figured it out and did a great job. On about his 5th attempt he was up for awhile!

Playtime

2011-09-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

I look forward to the times when the boys crawl away to play on their own. It happens nearly everyday in the morning. It doesn't last very long, but I definitely relish these moments for many reasons. I love that they're growing and playing more independently; I love having a few moments without them climbing on me (although those moments are good too); But most of all, I love seeing them healthy and happy.

(Andrew spotted me and the camera)

I love that he's laughing and playing by himself!

Andrew's Got Skill

2011-09-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's sideways...

Look Who's Standing

2011-09-22T06:22:00.001-07:00

It only lasts about 5-10 seconds at a time, but it's long enough to get a picture. Only 12 days until his first birthday...

Family Fun Weekend

2011-09-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

On Saturday PPG (Dave's work) and our church had their family fun days. We weren't sure if the boys would be able to do both, but they did and seemed to have a great time. We went to PPG's first, held at the Lake Charles Civic Center. They had food, music, and blow-up games. James loved the blow-up slides, but it was hard work carrying him to the top of those things! Both boys loved the grilled chicken! It was so great to be able to feed them both while we were out and not have to run home in between fun days for their lunches.

After lunch we headed out to Moss Lake where a family from church has a boathouse. The boys did a great job playing and nobody ended up in the lake (except our car keys, which were rescued). James even took his first boat ride. He really enjoyed it, but it was a long ride so he decided to take a nap for part of it. Unfortunately, I forgot our camera so I only have a couple of pics that others took.

Always hamming it up for the camera!

We're in the lower left. You might recognize the little boy next to Dave from James' birthday party pictures. Waylon calls us the baby family :)

Happy Labor Day!

2011-09-06T13:12:00.001-07:00

Dave and I took advantage of the beautiful day and took the boys to Kemah, Texas. There's a boardwalk there with shops, games, and rides. We mostly just walked around and enjoyed the weather. James loved the people and boat watching. Andrew just enjoyed the ride.

watching the train :)

catfish and ducks

Andrew is 11 Months

2011-09-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Andrew celebrated his 11 month birthday on Sunday with his first tropical storm. TS Lee brought us some much needed rain. It was mostly just wind and rain around here with SE Louisiana getting the worst of it. Since it rained all day, we celebrated by staying dry. At 11 months Andrew:

has 6 teeth. 3 on top and 3 on bottom. It feels like he's been cutting teeth since his 1o month birthday.

is playing well by himself for longer periods of time...nearly 10 minutes before he'll come searching for mommy or daddy.

has taught me that he will always be a difficult napper!

puts everything in his mouth.

prefers canned veggies over fresh ones (crazy) and won't eat fruit except for bananas.

loves his baby food and only wants to feed himself grains (cheerios, bread, puffs, etc.) and yogurt bites. Everything else ends up smashed or on the floor.

Showing off his new teeth. Still loves opening doors...
And getting into things.

"Reading" a book and thinking about standing.

He has a sore on his finger from chewing on it soooo much.

Squatting with the vanilla wafers.

He loves to push toys around...

And tackle them!

Back Home in LA (that's Louisiana)

2011-09-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

We've been home for a week now and are back in the swing of things. On Saturday we took down the second crib that James refuses to sleep in to make room for the new toy from Aunt Denise and Uncle Chris. James has been having lots of fun with it and Andrew loves the balls!
James can't quite reach the top yet so he starts the balls partway down the ramp.

And these are just a few pics of the boys playing before bedtime that night.

...And reading books.

On Sunday James got to watch a race on TV. I think Dave and I are going to have to learn about something new...

Backyard Fun in StL

2011-09-03T13:57:00.000-07:00

On the way back to Louisiana, we stopped over for one more day/night in St Louis. James decided he wanted to play outside (he was beating on the sliding glass doors to go out) so we all headed out for a bit after dinner. It was fun. James is definitely an outdoors boy. Both boys loved chasing Lucy and kicking the soccer ball.

Lucy chasing Dave and James.

Uncle Chris and Uncle Scott (Lucy's Dad) were in on the action too.

Everyone loves Uncle Dave :)
Lucy was showing us how she is going to smile for her preschool pictures.

Dave was trying to touch the rim.

James found his efforts hilarious!

Lucy thought it was funny too!

She then showed Uncle Dave how easy it is!

James showed off a little too :)

Brunch in WL

2011-09-02T10:44:00.001-07:00

When we lived in Indiana, we attended a great church in West Lafayette and were part of a wonderful small group made up of "young" couples. Very few of us had kids, only 2 to speak of. We were able to get together with most of that group when we were in town. The 2 kids have become 9 with more on the way and we didn't all feel so "young" anymore :) Our get together was noisy, but great. I've included some pictures of all of those babies that we are blessed with.

Desmond and Andrew...only 3 months apart.

Tate is a window into my future with Andrew.
Aubrey and Ella are beautiful and such great sisters!

Ella was one of the few willing to give me a big smile for the camera.

James enjoyed the swing set!

And so did his Daddy!

Miriam is Desmond's big sister and we have referred to her as James' girlfriend since before they were born :)

Andrew has a sore on that finger from all the teething he did on vacation.

Adult(?!) Game night

2011-09-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

When you live far away from family, you rely on pictures to see their smiling faces. Over the last couple of years, I have realized that 99.9% of my pictures are of my nieces and nephews with nary an adult in sight. I love all the photos of the kids, but I decided to do a better job of getting some "adult" photos on this trip. I broke out the camera on a game night and had a good time capturing some memories...even though I annoyed all of my subjects! (I thought the zoom made the photos more comical...)

Dad giving Abby a hard time, which rarely happens.

Julie keeping her cards close. The boys in our family are known to have rubber neck syndrome.
Abby's cards were so bad it was funny.

Smiles are contagious.

Snacks at game time is a must. I think Chad is storing up for a long winter.

This is the look of impatience.

I told you those boys can't keep their eyes on their own cards!

Abby was getting a little annoyed with the flash.

Hmmm....something's amiss.

Dope!

Playing serious and trying to rid himself of his non-factor status.

Oma and Opa's

2011-08-31T14:43:00.000-07:00

We spend quite a bit of time hanging out at Oma and Opa's (my mom and dad) while in Indiana. I loved that a day never went by when one of the boys' cousins didn't stop by. (I don't think Opa enjoyed the extra volume that went with the extra people, but he survived!) It was so great to see the boys interacting with their cousins.

Andrew loved Oma's endtables. It was hilarious to watch him try to reach objects in the middle of the table. He would walk all around the table trying to figure out why he couldn't get to the middle from any side.

James loved to run around in his walker on the hardwood floors. Bennett was often chasing him with the shopping cart in the lower left part of the picture. By the end of the week they were playing bumper cars.
When James wasn't in his walker, Andrew was often pushing it around. He even stood on the blue part and rode it like a scooter once.

James and Lightning

Everyone learned to defend their toes when James was in his walker!

James opening his birthday present from AJ and family.

Mia wants one too, AJ!

James loved laying on the blanket and looking at the pictures.

Mia loving on James...James is trying to push her out of the way because she's blocking the TV.

Breakfast time after a cousin sleepover at Oma's.

Watching "Cars" while the grown-ups set up for a game night (pics later of that).

Some of the cousins...Bennett did NOT want to be in the picture :)

Andrew only wanted his picture taken once!

Mia was fine once Andrew was removed :)

Miami's Fort

2011-08-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

While in Indiana, the weather was gorgeous. I think it only got over 90 once while we were there. There was a summer storm or two but nothing that interrupted our trips to local parks. On one of those nice days mom and I took the boys and Bennett (nephew) to a park in Peru. They all had a good time.

I tried to get a good shot of James "being 2." What I got was typical of James...distracted, howling, and trying to get away. Not surprisiningly, I did not get a smile.

Bennett walking on the tractor tires. In typical 4 year old fashion he says, "These are tractor tires and do not belong in a playground."

James loves all slides!

He especially loves tunnel slides and was not pleased to find out that this was just a tunnel and not a tunnel slide.

Bennett and James seem to have a lot of similar interests (outdoors, wheels, etc.). It will be interesting to see how those interests develop.

"Again, Mommy!"

Andrew is starting to show some interest in playgrounds.

We were trying to get the boys to pose on this cute train at the park, but they were not cooperative.

I think this is the best shot and you can't even tell they're sitting on a train.

The biggest smile of the day!

Bennett approved too after he took his first trip down with James and I.

James' and Lucy's Birthday 'Party'

2011-08-31T07:25:00.001-07:00

James' and Lucy's birthdays are only five days apart (she's a year older) so we had a small family birthday dinner for them.

James learned how to pull open doors while we were there. He thought their pantry was a great place to play!

Andrew used to always make this face when you fed him new things.
A yummy cake! Lucy was happy to help James blow out his candles :)

Present time!

No day is complete for James without some time in his walker. Andrew loves to tag along.

Me and Sam. He's only 4 months younger than Andrew. I think we're going to have to keep an eye on them.

Suson Park and the St Louis Zoo

2011-08-30T18:42:00.000-07:00

On James' actual birthday (August 11th) Grandma Sharon and I took the boys to Suson Park, a park in south county with a big playground and farm animals. James thought the horse and donkey were neat, but was annoyed with me for getting in his way to take a picture.
The barn wasn't open when we got there, but we were able to see the animals in the yard. The boys liked walking around the ponds too. We even saw a man reeling in a catfish he caught.

Just a photo of James on his birthday :)

The next day we went to the zoo. We had quite the entourage with me and the boys, Grandma and Grandpa, Aunt Jane, and Jennie with Lucy and Sam. We all had enjoyed a nice morning at the zoo, even though it was busy since it was the first day that wasn't super hot in quite awhile.

Lucy (our niece) petting the guinea pig.

Sam (our nephew) enjoying his giraffe.

Andrew was giving the llama the evil eye because it had just licked him on the mouth :)

James wanted to pet the chicken. Of all the animals there he could pet, he chose the one that could peck him. Silly boy!

James liked playing with the puzzles on rollers.

Lucy wasn't sure about the goats.

But she thought the gorillas were pretty neat...maybe it was because they were behind a glass wall!

Midwest Vacation

2011-08-30T18:32:00.000-07:00

The boys and I left Louisiana on August 10th. We stayed in St Louis visiting family there until the 14th. Then we spent some time with family in Indiana. Dave joined us on the 21st. The boys definitely missed their daddy and were very excited to see him when he came up. We spent a day in West Lafayette with friends from the small group we were in when we lived there. We also spent two nights in Peoria, IL visiting with friends from various parts of Illinois (Dave's college town made a nice reunion point). We finished our trip with another night in St Louis and finally arrived back in Louisiana on the 29th. It was a long, fun trip. We loved seeing everyone and will miss family until we get to see them again. I am so thankful for modern technology that makes it easier to stay in touch regularly! I have a ton of pictures. I will post pics in subject posts over the next couple of days.

James' 2nd Bday Party

2011-08-07T20:01:00.000-07:00

We had James' 2nd birthday party this weekend. He'll be two on Thursday, but we wanted to throw him a party before we head up north for a few weeks. We had a nice get together at our apartment clubhouse and pool. Several friends from church and Dave's work were able to come and celebrate with us. Dave's parents were in town visiting too, so they were able to join in the fun. Enjoy the photos!

James loves just floating around in the baby ring.

Everyone just visiting around the pool.

Yummy cupcakes!

Trying to sneak in a taste.

He wasn't sure he wanted the cupcake once he actually had one in front of him.

James wasn't sure he liked the icing sticking to his hand,

but he really liked the cupcake.

Andrew was very interested in helping his big brother open presents.

James loves "Cars" right now and this "Cars" book was a hit!

Waylon and James watching "Cars" in his new chair.

10 Months Young

2011-08-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

Andrew has hit the 10-month mark. He continues to be a smiley little boy hitting all his milestones right on time. Right now Andrew ...

loves opening and shutting doors, especially cabinet doors that he can continually bang quite loudly :)

is trying new foods. So far he's tried avocado and chicken & noodles. He's not a very adventurous eater. He makes the most horrible faces when you feed him new foods, but he smiles when you break out the camera so I can't get a picture of the bad face. Our goal is to get him on strictly table foods by his 1st birthday.

is still not a very good napper. I think we'll try to break him down after we get back from our trip up north.

says "dadada" a lot. He also makes b, v, m, and n sounds.

has cut his third bottom tooth and is working on getting his first top one. His mouth is lopsided right now :)

just got over his first real illness (besides colds and a surgery). He had Hand, Foot, Mouth and didn't really sleep for a few days...it was a long few days, but he's better now.

has a mischievous streak that continues to grow. It's a good thing he's so cute...

Andrew just figured out how to play with this toy the "right" way...

... but it's hard work ...
... and he quickly reverts to just chewing on the shapes!

He loves to ham it up for the camera...

... and trying to grab the flash is a favorite game of his.

He almost caught it :)

Check This Kid Out!

2011-08-03T14:10:00.000-07:00

This big boy turns 2 next week!

Let the Good Times Roll

2011-07-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

This is the smile he gives when he's doing something he knows he not supposed to. In this case, he was playing with a PS3 cord.

Playing with bubbles. We're trying to teach James how to blow, but mostly they just pop them.

Andrew finally worked up the courage to go through the tunnel, but he's still not sure about it.

Bath time. James was filthy after crawling around on the deck. Bath time ended abruptly when Andrew decided to pee in the water :)

Andrew loves to pull pictures off the "cousin" photo shelf.

Reading some books together...love it!

Baby/Child Dedication Photos

2011-07-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

As promised...

A Great Weekend

2011-07-19T07:56:00.000-07:00

We had a great weekend! (Unfortunately the camera didn't get used so there are no photos today.) It all started Thursday night with the premier of the final Harry Potter movie. I was able to go see a double feature that showed part 1 at 9pm and part 2 at midnight. It was definitely a late night, but the movie was awesome!

The next morning we got up bright and early to go boating with some friends (I got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep). It gets so hot so fast here that you really have to limit your outside time to early in the morning or later in the evening. After getting to the boat launch, though, plans changed because of a boat malfunction and a storm moving in. We ended up just visiting with our friends at their house, but it was still nice to visit and we're going to try boating another time. After lunch we all napped for awhile and then after dinner Dave headed out for his softball tournament.

Saturday morning Dave had more softball games and the boys and I went and watched him play. We couldn't have asked for better weather in July...it was in the 80s and overcast for most of the day. After Dave's team was out of the tournament (I think they were playing some professional softball teams!), Dave and I took the kids to the playground and watched another game. The area in between the fields was all cement sidewalks so James had a blast checking everything out in his walker.

Sunday was baby dedication day at church. Due to James' hospitalizations we've never been able to have the boys dedicated, so we had them both dedicated on Sunday. It was a nice service and the boys smelled good the rest of the day from the lavender oil the pastor used to anoint them. I will post a copy of the picture the church took when I get it. We went over to our pastor's house for lunch and spent the afternoon there visiting. (It was so nice of them to realize that we had no family around to celebrate with and take it upon themselves to be our surrogate family for the day.) After supper and a little playtime the boys went to bed early: tired from a fun-filled weekend.

And that was our great weekend! I promise to post pics again soon!!

Andrew is 9 Months

2011-07-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Andrew celebrated his 9-month birthday on the Fourth of July. We just had his check-up today and he is healthy! Some facts about Andrew at this age:

29 inches long (63%) and 19 lbs. 3 oz. (25%) ... long and skinny :)

Still has a small head; 17.5 inches (24%)

has mastered crawling and loves to chase after his brother

cruises along the couch like a pro

feeds himself puffs

still a bad napper

not through his mama's boy phase yet, but hopefully soon

Splish! Splash!

Pictures and More Pictures

2011-07-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Just a few pics from over the weekend...

James lounging :)

We all wore our Cardinals shirst on Saturday in honor of Pujols returning from the DL.

James likes to look out the window...in case you couldn't tell.

An arm-around

James picking up blocks with both hands!!

The boys in their pj tops.

James crawling through his new tunnel (this has been a great way to encourage him to crawl the right way, as opposed to with his head on the ground).

Visitors

2011-07-05T19:05:00.000-07:00

My sister and part of her family came to visit. We all had a wonderful time. The grown-ups played lots of games, the kids just played lots, and we all ate a lot of great food. Dave and I were able to get just about every Cajun food you can think of into their bellies (etoufee, pistolettes, gumbo, crabs, crawfish, shrimp, red beans and rice, boudin, poor boys, drive thru daquiris, crab cakes ... we missed cracklin). We even made a trip to the gulf and a trip over to Orange, Texas where we all tried Whataburger for the first time (the food reminded us of Burger King). Basically, we all just had a good time and enjoyed each other's company. Here are a few pics of all the fun :)

Liv

Cole

At the beach

Liv and Andrew

Gotta love Uncle Dave

We all watched Cole play video games at least once :)

Gone Fishing

2011-06-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

A couple of photos and a video of James learning to use his new toy.

James Update

2011-06-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

James had a couple of appointments in Houston yesterday at Texas Children's.

We saw his pulmonologist first. He was pleasantly surprised at how good James' respiratory system sounded. Since James was so sick the last time the doctor saw him, the doc didn't know how healthy James can be. The only thing he commented on is diminished capacity in the lower right lung, which is to be expected since that's where James' stomach sits. Then the doctor ordered a blood-gas so that he would have a baseline to compare to if James gets sick again, so we went to the lab before his next appointment to get that done (after 3 different draws, they finally got a sample that worked).

Next we went to see James' GI doctor. The last time we saw her, we made a plan to get James off one of his meds. The doc was happy to learn that we were able to ween him from it successfully, taking James down to 3 meds on a regular basis (prevacid in the morning and before bed, bethanacol before each meal, & pulmacort nebulizer each morning).

We will continue to see these doctors every 3 months as long as James stays healthy, more frequently if he gets sick. They want to see him healthy for 9-12 months before they try to reduce any more of his medications. We are so thankful that he has been healthy since the end of April. The docs say if he can't stay well, then we'll have to consider surgical options so we're just praying for continued good health here!

Developmentally, James has made a lot of progress in the last 8 weeks or so. He's mastered crawling and loves chasing the cat around the apartment. He can cruise along the couch and has also mastered his walker. He can even walk if you hold both his hands to help him keep his balance. Even though he doesn't talk, he is getting better at communicating with us and we are trying to teach him some simple signs. His therapists are working with him to try and develop more fine motor skills that will help with signing and feeding himself. We are just so happy he's been healthy that all of these developmental steps are just icing on the cake!

Playing

Happy Father's Day! (James is waving)

And He's Off...

2011-06-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Double Trouble

2011-06-14T18:34:00.001-07:00

A typical day in the lives of James and Andrew...

James pushing Andrew out of the way to get to my lap.

Andrew trying to pull James off to get my lap for himself.

The boys playing with some toys "together."

Crawling towards the camera.

Smiling at Mommy.

"Petting" the kitty.

8 Months

2011-06-05T07:16:00.000-07:00

Andrew celebrated his 8 month birthday yesterday. We celebrated by going to the pool :) Everyone had a good time! At 8 months Andrew...

can scoot anywhere he wants to go.

has his first two teeth (on the bottom).

is still a bad napper.

is now eating puffs after each meal and loving it.

loves to steal his brother's sippy cup, but doesn't know what to do with it yet.

can pull himself to standing.

loves lounging and playing in the pool.

is a Mama's boy.

loves to get into things he shouldn't.

Loves his highchair because it means he gets to eat!Playing in the hallway with his brother, but then he spots his mommy with the camera...

And within a few seconds is sitting in front of me waiting for either the camera or me...it's hard to tell!

You Go Boys!

2011-06-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

Andrew can pull himself to standing now at his activity table.
The boys standing at the couch together.

We even saw James standing independently next to the couch for about 2 or 3 seconds the other day. So proud of these two boys!

I Love May!

2011-05-30T08:41:00.000-07:00

Dave and I are so very thankful for the past month. Although May included quite a few weather-related tragedies in the U.S. and the loss of a dear family friend, life has been as close to perfect in our little corner of the world as it has ever been for us.

The weather in Southwest Louisiana was absolutely gorgeous this month. We had sunny skies and great temps nearly everyday. It's now hit 90 down here, and we're told that it won't get any cooler until September.

James had a healthy month! No colds, no sick visits to the doctor, and no trips to the hospital. James even started crawling this month and is now cruising along the couch fairly consistently. He's even started taking steps in his walker! He's made such improvements and we are so thankful and so proud of him!

Andrew continues to grow. He is cutting his first two teeth and is scooting all over the place. His favorite thing to scoot after is his brother's sippy cup. The boys love to swim and we take them down at least once a week.

James and Andrew are starting to play together, which is adorable. It's more like they play around each other, but still cute. They steal each others toys and crawl on and over each other and neither one of them seem to mind. They both like to terrorize Oliver by "petting" him and James likes to chew on his tail (don't worry we don't let him).

Dave and I are getting out too. We were able to be in a kickball tournament (I still have a black toenail) and go on a date while my parents were here earlier in the month. Dave is playing softball a couple times a week with some guys from church. We went to a crawfish boil, 2 festivals, and a barbecue. We've started going to a growth group on Wednesdays at church (the boys are doing fairly well in the nursery now). And right now all the boys are napping :)

Like I said, as close to perfect as we've gotten in a long time. We are so, so thankful that the Lord has blessed us and given us this time to rest and enjoy being a family.

Andrew loves to climb on things...he is going to get into everything!

James reading books with his Daddy. We have a bookshelf in the hallway with all his books. He loves to crawl down the hall to them and read.

All the boys playing.

James absolutely loves slides! (we're in the middle)

James smiling after going down the "Super Slide."

Dave and James swimming at a friend's house. Andrew and I were pigging out on the grilled food!

It's Official!

2011-05-21T09:10:00.000-07:00

James is Crawling!!!!!

Kicking

2011-05-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

Andrew is 7 Months Old!

2011-05-04T09:20:00.001-07:00

Andrew just keeps growing, but I suppose that's how it's supposed to be. He is sleeping through the night now, which we are so grateful for. Since he has been sleeping through the night for a few weeks, we moved him to his crib so now he and James sleep in the same room (when James makes it through the night there...he seems to end up in our bed by morning most of the time). Andrew is eating 3 meals of baby food a day now: oatmeal and bananas for breakfast, veggies with rice cereal for lunch and dinner. The only way he'll eat his baby cereal is when I mix it with other foods...stinker. Andrew still isn't a good napper. I put him down and he screams for as long as it takes for you to come and pick him up. Then as soon as you pick him up he falls right to sleep. If you try to put him back down, the whole process starts over again. Needless to say, it's not a whole lot of fun sleep training him :) As always Andrew is full of smiles. He loves playing with his big brother's toys and will probably be crawling in the next month or so. Enjoy the photos!

Back Porch Sittin'

2011-05-04T09:08:00.000-07:00

The boys love to be outside, so they love hanging out on the balcony. James especially loves to people watch and can't get enough of cars driving on the road. Our balcony overlooks a yard so they don't get to watch cars, but the other day there were people flying kites so they had a blast. Here are a few pics of the boys enjoying themselves on the balcony.

Thinking About Crawling...

2011-05-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

James can't decide if he should switch to crawling or stay with scooting and rolling. He's working on it though. Each day he takes a few crawling "steps." The most "steps" he's taken in a row is 4 or 5, but we're very proud of him. I have a few pics of his attempts and will post a video when he gets a little better (it's hard to catch the moments on film for now).

Easter

2011-04-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

We had a lovely Easter. Although we didn't make it up north to visit any family, we were able to spend Easter with new friends in Louisiana. The weekend before Easter we took the boys to an Easter Egg hunt at PPG. They even tolerated having their picture taken with the Easter bunny. I was pleasantly surprised they didn't scream at him. Dave had a few days off for Easter and we were able to get lots of family time in over the weekend. Saturday we went to our Pastor's birthday party at a nearby lake. It was a lovely, breezy day. On Sunday we went to church and then had an Easter dinner with some families from church. We have truly been blessed with our new friends and church family. I hope everyone had a Happy Easter!

Pictures from my photo shoot with the boys in their Easter best...

Beautiful Weekend

2011-04-18T07:47:00.000-07:00

It was a sunny weekend in the high 70's this weekend so we got out and about as much as we could with two little boys that both take at least 2 naps a day. We went to a picnic/Easter Egg hunt (I'll post all Easter related pictures later) at PPG Park on Saturday afternoon and then went to watch Dave's softball practice in the early evening. On Sunday we went to church and then visited the pool that afternoon. It was nice to have a fun weekend with everyone feeling well enough to get out.

James on the slide...he loves them.

Playing in the shade. Andrew loves to put everything in his mouth!

Having fun splashing in the pool.

Sitting under a cabana.

Andrew stealing James' hat.

James realizing that Andrew has his hat.

James and his tongue :)

James discovered that he likes sitting on Mommy's or Daddy's shoulders!

Our New Place

2011-04-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

Since we're not sure how long we're going to be in Louisiana, Dave and I decided to rent while we're here. I'm so glad we did. After getting to know the people here, I've learned that owning a home here comes with a totally new set of challenges. Termites are a regular problem around here and everyone has there home checked at least twice a year. There's also hurricane season and the stockpile of plywood and other accessories you need to have to protect your house in case of bad weather. Those two things alone were enough to make me relieved that I don't have to worry about that! The termite protection billboards I see every couple blocks remind me every day that I'm thankful for our apartment. The apartment also has great amenities. I know we're going to love having a pool for the hot summers. There's also a nice fitness center that Dave has already put to good use. The clubhouse has Wi-Fi, an "Internet Cafe", and a media room. The internet cafe has a coffee machine and there are often free cookies and popcorn there. The media room is a room with seating for about 10 people and a large screen TV and blue-ray player. We took James down there the other night to watch "Busytown Mysteries" on the big screen while we checked our email. The complex is also in a great location. And here are a few pictures...the inside is nice but a mess so enjoy what you get!

This is the view from our 3rd floor balcony...the stairs I take every day are getting me into shape!

A closer shot of our pool. It's supposed to open this weekend after the put in the pool furniture! An outdoor kitchen area with a nice grill and fireplace.

The boys playing in their new living room :)

Andrew is 6 Months Old

2011-04-13T07:06:00.000-07:00

Apparently no matter how sick we get or how wrapped up in unpacking we get or how many nights James spends in the hospital, time still moves. Andrew is growing and developing like a healthy, normal baby boy. At his 6 month check-up he weighed in at 17.5 pounds (50%) and was 27.5 inches long (75%). Andrew eats like every other Iverson, which means he eats A LOT, usually taking down 40 ounces of formula, 1/2 a cup of oatmeal, and 4 ounces of baby food every day. Andrew is sitting up and weight-bearing well on his feet. He has also discovered that his feet are a great toy! Andrew is full of smiles and is usually only grumpy when it's naptime. I am going to work a lot harder at getting a good nap routine for him now that we're all home. He does a pretty good job at bedtime, but still wakes up around 2 fairly consistently. We're working on that too :) But basically he's a good, happy boy so I'm not complaining (too much) about his not so good sleeping habits that are mostly my fault anyway. Enjoy the pictures of Andrew on his 6 Month birthday!!

This Past Month with James

2011-04-12T07:48:00.000-07:00

After James' most recent surgery in December, we were hoping his acid reflux troubles would go away. And for awhile we thought they had. His reflux was much better and he had a cold in January that didn't turn nasty, so we were hopeful. He even went the whole month of February without any trips to a hospital, only seeing a doctor for an 18-month well visit. Then around mid-March the whole family got colds. Dave and Andrew seemed to get a mild version of what James and I got. It took me over two weeks to kick it. James' reflux was acting up around the same time and the combination always seems to push him over the edge. The doctors say that reflux makes colds worse and colds make reflux worse, so the two can really feed off each other and make a bad cold really, really bad. James ended up in the hospital for two nights while my parents were visiting because he needed some oxygen. He seemed to be getting better so we went home. The Monday after that we headed to Houston so that James could meet his new surgeon and pulmonologist. He also needed to get his vision tested since he had bleeding on the brain when he was a newborn and currently has a droopy eyelid. All of his new doctors are great and Texas Children's is a great hospital. The eye doctor said that his vision is perfect for now and that the droopy eyelid is minor. We'll have to take him yearly to get his vision tested to make sure his vision stays on track (this is due more to the fact that I had a lazy eye that developed later in my childhood than his newborn issues). The surgeon wants to do yet another esophogram with an upper GI and small bowel follow through. He wants to make sure there aren't any blockages or strictures (since his reflux has been acting up again) and get a better idea of what James' looks like on the inside. He also referred us to a GI doctor because we would all prefer to get James' reflux under control with medicine as opposed to another surgery. We won't have to see the surgeon regularly unless another surgery is required. The pulmonologist changed up some of James' nebulizer meds. When he's not sick, he'll be down to one breathing treatment a day. This is to keep the swelling of his airways down that the reflux causes. We'll make trips to see the pulmonologist every 3 months. Overall the trip went well. A new friend from church road along with me since Dave had to work. It was so nice to not have to worry about Andrew while I was talking to all the doctors. On the way back from Houston, James got sick again. We went straight to the doctor when we got home. His oxygen rates were low again and had to be readmitted to the hospital. This time he was in for 9 days. He had some ups and downs over those 9 days. I was lucky enough to have made yet another new friend through church that sat at the hospital with me most days and helped take care of Andrew. Our new church family has been the biggest blessing. James and I never went a day without a visit from someone and they often brought meals and snacks for us too. They are amazing! After James got discharged we headed back to Houston to meet his new GI doctor. She is actually from Pittsburgh...such a small world! She added a new medicine and has a few other ideas to try to help James. We will be seeing her every 6-8 weeks, probably making small adjustments to his meds each time until we find a combination that works for him. She also said that as his core gets stronger, the reflux should get better. This is because as your core gets stronger, your stomach and esophagus get stronger and do a better job of holding down food and acid. She also mentioned that his acid reflux will be a lifelong battle. It was kind of nice to hear this from a doctor instead of believing and hoping that each next step will be the thing that fixes James' problems. Our goal is going to be to get his reflux under control enough that it will stop negatively affecting his respiratory system. James also has new therapists. The system in Louisiana doesn't have as much funding as the one in Pittsburgh, so he won't have therapy as often, but the therapists he has are great. James has also been making progress on his own the past couple months so I think the therapy he will be getting will be enough. For now he has an occupational therapist and a specialty therapist; both will focus on building James eating skills and trunk strength. Finally, James was tested for food allergies last week. The doctors wanted to make sure that there wasn't an allergy making things worse for him. He wasn't allergic to any of the 30 foods they tested for. They also tested his immune system at the same time and it was normal as well. Good news! James has been completely healthy for about a week now. Please continue to pray that his reflux stays/goes away and that his little body can fight off any germs that come his way!

Brothers

2011-04-11T20:03:00.000-07:00

I got the boys matching pjs a few weeks ago. I think they're quite adorable, although it seems to be impossible to get them both to smile at the same time :)

I Owe You

2011-04-11T16:44:00.001-07:00

I have been out of touch for the last several weeks. We finally moved into our apartment in Louisiana over the weekend of March 18th. We were all fighting off colds at the time and the move went slowly. Dave and Andrew seemed to kick it quick, but James and I were down for the count. We finally got all of our stuff into our apartment (but not unpacked) and James' cold turned into pneumonia (yet again) and he had to spend time in the hospital (yet again). He was in for 2 nights one week and then back in for 9 days the next week. We've also made a couple trips to Houston to meet James' new doctors down here and last week Dave had an eye infection and the worst strep throat ever. He didn't move for 3 days. Despite all of this I probably would have found time to blog and post pictures, but our internet was not working in our new apartment. Today it finally works! So I owe you several blog posts since so much has happened. I seem to finally be unpacked so I am going to try to catch up on posts. Look for several on James, Andrew, and our new place over the next few days!

Mardi Gras

2011-03-10T06:32:00.000-08:00

It's officially Lent, which means we just finished celebrating Mardi Gras in Louisiana. Lake Charles' Mardi Gras celebration is second only to New Orleans. They have a ton of festivities that are family friendly, but we only made it to a few this year. We decided this year was our scouting year and next year (when the boys are another year older) we would really hit up the major events. On Saturday we went to a Gumbo Cook-off. There were about 3 dozen different booths and for $5 you could try all the Gumbo you could fit in your belly! There wasn't even any parking fees...I love small town festivals!!! After that we were going to go to the Barkus (dog) Parade, but the weather turned cold and rainy so we decided to wait until next year for that one.
The next day was Children's day. They had lots of games and prizes for the children, refreshments, a bird show, and a dance floor with a band. This was followed by the children's parade (the whole celebration consisted of about 6 parades over the long weekend). Even though James was exhausted and ready for a nap, he loved the parade! We're excited for next year when the boys can enjoy more of the games and the carnival...and maybe some cousins can come enjoy the festivities too! :)

A Couple of Handsome Boys

2011-03-04T19:06:00.001-08:00

Andrew is 5 Months Old!

2011-03-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure how it happened, but Andrew is 5 months old today. Even though he isn't a very good sleeper, we still love him. He's starting to explore with foods and push up on his hands when on his tummy. He likes playing with his big brother's toys (when James lets him) and will put anything in his mouth he can get a hold of. He is very strong and growing fast. I love all his smiles!

"dada"

2011-03-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

This just started a few days ago. He says it a little more everyday. Maybe he'll figure out what it means soon :) Sorry it's sideways.

Sam Houston Jones State Park

2011-02-27T11:08:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a nice day so we took the boys and went to a state park about 20 minutes north of where we live. The trails weren't stroller friendly so we just walked along the road that went around a pond/swamp area. James loved watching the people and cars; Andrew slept. Here are a few pics of the wildlife at the park.

A little lizard that scared me half to death. It was only about 4 inches long, but it was fast and it scurried away right in front of me.
There were lots of turtles hanging out on logs and such in the middle of the pond. They're weren't any up close to see.

This is the closest I got to a turtle...it was about 30 feet away.

I get shivers just looking at this one. Thankfully, it was the only snake I saw.

There were lots of ducks and a few geese-like birds. Then there was this one...not quite sure what he is, but he let us get up close to take a picture.

No alligator sightings, but there were lots of signs warning you to be careful because they could be in the area. :)

18 Month Photo Montage

2011-02-14T09:28:00.001-08:00

At the zoo...
That tiger was awesome!

Standing and playing at the couch.

This is the best shot I have of James on all fours. It doesn't happen very often yet.

Reading while standing.

My kids must have sugar coated fingers :)

Watching Daddy feed the coots.

Watching the coots at Lake Charles (where my memory card now lives...sigh)

Ready, set, go!

The bigger the slide the better!

Again Mommy!

Playing on the patio with Daddy...James likes to watch the cars go by.

James' New Trick

2011-02-12T16:18:00.000-08:00

Hungry Man!

2011-02-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

James loves to eat. Here is a picture and video of him hollering because the food is not appearing in front of him fast enough. Then he realizes that he has milk and that makes it okay for a minute :)

The Facts...

2011-02-11T16:49:00.000-08:00

Andrew- 4 months

14 pounds 8 ounces (36%) ...up 4 lbs. 4 oz. from 2 months
25 1/4 inches long ...up 3 inches from 2 months
16 1/2 inches head circumference ...still small, but growing :)
Has rolled over from tummy to back and back to tummy
Holding his head up like a pro
Loves his doorway bouncy seat :)
Smiles and coos all the time!

James - 18 months

25 pounds 8 ounces (46%) ...amazing weight gain because he was down in the 10th percentile when he had pneumonia in December
31 inches long
18.5 inch head circumference ...deceptively small because he has a bit of an odd shaped head :)
Sitting all by himself
Will stand at the couch and play with toys on the couch ...not pulling up yet
Pauses in the crawl position when he transitions from laying to sitting for a few seconds...he even rocked on his hands and needs for about 2 seconds earlier this week!
Had a cold at the end of January, but he fought it off all on his own and it didn't turn into anything serious :)

The 18 month mark seems to be an exciting time for James. Look for several posts in the next few days with a few videos and lots of photos of this little guy that has grown up a lot in the last few months!

The Gulf

2011-02-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Dave and I loaded up the boys and a picnic lunch and drove ourselves down to the Gulf. It's about a 45 minute drive from where we live now. Driving south we winded around fields and water. Sometimes one side of the road would be water and the other side would be cow (steer) pastures; other times it was mostly water on both sides. It reminded me of driving around the countryside where Eric and Abby used to live in Maryland. If feels like the ocean is just creeping in and it could take over at any moment. Of course, at Holly Beach, where we were driving, the ocean often does take over. Wikipedia said the houses there are "built to be re-built." And the sewer system includes about a half dozen porta-potties because no permanent option is available. None the less, it was a beautiful beach, with no oil in sight. There were shells everywhere. I can just imagine the boys running up and down the beach, playing in the water and collecting shells. It makes me happy and excited to know that both our boys will learn to walk while we're living here. We ended up eating our picnic lunch in the car because it was a tad cooler than we expected with the breeze coming off the water. It was still nice to get out and see the local sights, so to speak. Enjoy a few photos from our day!

James and Dave checking out the endless water.

Andrew was still waking up from the car ride...and I am finally fitting into my pre-prego jeans again!!!
Pretty skies and handsome boys. ...See the house on stilts off to the left?!

My first alligator sighting...just a sign :)

Andrew is 4 Months

2011-02-05T18:46:00.001-08:00

Andrew was 4 months old yesterday. He's a good boy for the most part, although he's still not on a very good schedule. The move last week messed up his days and nights but we've finally got those straightened out again (I hope). He eats when he wants and sleeps when we can convince him he's tired...he'd prefer to cry over actually falling asleep :) He's growing and drooling on everything. He soaks through multiple bibs everyday and usually his shirt too. He is showing interest in toys, books, and TV these days and prefers to play with mommy or daddy as opposed to by himself. He likes to play with big brother too, but James mostly just takes toys away from him. We're hoping to get him into his new pediatrician next week for his check-up, but we have some we have to get our new insurance squared away first. Unlike his stoic big brother, Andrew smiles easily and often. I think the brothers are going to compliment each other well and get along great as they grow up together. Here are a few pics of Andrew on his 4-month birthday...

Sitting in his Bumbo. Although he is in a hurry to sit on his own.

Laughing and playing with mommy while she takes pictures.

Playing with letter links in his bouncy.

Bouncing and weight-bearing in his bouncy.

On a side note, the drive down to Louisiana was uneventful. The boys (and Oliver) did better than we expected them to. Every hour we drove it got warmer until it hit 70 degrees when we were in Mississippi. We are staying in temporary housing but have found a brand new apartment complex with large 3 bedroom apartments. We're excited about it! I hope all of you are staying warm up North and aren't snowed in. We actually had some temperatures below freezing here this week and it caused the schools to close for a couple days. It's supposed to be in the 60s tomorrow...come and visit if you need a break from the cold :)

Moving Time

2011-01-21T06:16:00.001-08:00

Well, we've lived in Pittsburgh for 19 months now, so I suppose it's time to move :) Dave's company has been telling him since July that he needs to be available for a transfer and it's finally happening. We will be moving to Lake Charles, Louisiana at the end of next week. We've known about this since right around Christmas, but it wasn't made official until this week. Dave will be working on a project while he's there that is scheduled to take 18-24 months. Another move that won't be permanent, but we're not sure we want to settle that far from family so we're okay with that. We are excited and ready for a change of scenery though, so we're looking forward to getting this show on the road, so to speak.

Lake Charles has a small children's hospital in case we need it and the Texas Children's Hospital in Houston (which is an amazing hospital) is only 2 hours away. I have a lot of phone calls ahead of me to get all of James' care transferred, but I've started the process and we're thankful that there will be good healthcare and therapy available there.

Please pray for a safe move for our family. And also please continue to pray for James. I think he's getting a cold and so we're praying extra hard that it stays a cold and doesn't turn into anything else this time...especially since we're supposed to be moving in a week!

James Update

2011-01-18T10:59:00.000-08:00

I just realized that the last couple of posts I've made have been about Andrew and that those blog readers out there might want to know how James has been doing and are just too polite (or scared) to ask. Well, James is doing fine. He hit a low point the Monday after Christmas and has been getting steadily better since then. He's still on his breathing treatments twice a day, which can be doubled if he gets any cold symptoms. The pulmonologist wants him on the treatments at least until cold/flu season is over. We will reevaluate in April to see if he needs them on a permanent basis. James will forever more be on his Prevacid (or some other reflux med), but the surgeon is hopeful that we will be able to back off on the dosage size as well as the motility drug he's on (to speed up digestion) as James grows. We are keeping James away from daycare, nurseries, and play groups for now. Since he puts absolutely everything in his mouth right now there's really no way to keep him away from germs, but we're hopeful that keeping him out of these environments will go a long way to keeping him healthy.

James' development has also been getting better since Christmas. He can't crawl yet, but he is finally showing a desire to be mobile. He can transition from sitting to laying down now, which is a huge step for him. He has his own way of going short distances which includes a process of sitting, laying down, sitting, ... He'll also roll and scoot on his back using his head and feet. It's quite the site. He is finally putting weight on his feet and will stand with help, but refuses to walk (even when standing on my feet). James' weight is in the 15% right now, but the kid would eat non-stop if we'd let him so we're not really that worried about his size for now. He is finally developing more vowel sounds and will scream "eeeeee" at the top of his lungs until he is acknowledged. He's getting better at communicating what he wants with reaching and pushing things away. We're working on some sign language, but he still has a long way to go on that. Overall January has been light years better than December and we are hopeful that his progress and health will continue to get better each day.

Thank you for all the continued prayers and encouragement!! Enjoy a few pics of James :)

Likes sitting in his little booster seat.

Likes rocking and reading

Loves watching his favorite TV shows
(not sure what we'd do without PBS)

Baby Talk and Smiles

2011-01-12T06:59:00.000-08:00

Andrew is 3 Months Old

2011-01-05T04:59:00.000-08:00

Andrew's 3-month birthday was yesterday. He is growing right along. Andrew can roll from his tummy to back efficiently, but he hasn't got the other way yet. He can hold his head up high and likes sitting in his Bumbo or doorway jumper. He usually only cries when he's tired, but has his other moments of course. He likes to take small naps about every 3 hours with one longer one after lunch. Andrew's been going to bed between 8 and 9 and usually wakes up around 3 for a bottle and then likes to start his day by 6:30 (hopefully he'll grow out of that). I'm looking forward to the day that he stops the 3am feeding! Andrew is full of smiles but they're so hard to catch on film because the camera always distracts him. Here are a few pictures for you're viewing pleasure...

Getting ready to roll over...

Really interested in the camera...
Enough pictures Mommy!

Okay. Just one more because I'm so cute!

Good Bye 2010!

2010-12-31T16:00:00.000-08:00

It's been the hardest year of my life, but there have been points of brightness too. We knew James was going to need corrective surgery this year, but we weren't expecting all the side-effects (breathing issues mostly) caused by his irregular anatomy. But God has carried us through it all and we continue to be hopeful that the worst is behind us. Andrew joined our little family in October. He has brought new challenges and renewed joy to our lives. We are sending up unending prayers that 2011 will be healthy and hospital free for all of us. Happy New Year!

Cute outfits from Grandma Iverson

Playing on Christmas morning
Andrew is very strong and growing fast

James still loves to read (watching TV is his other favorite past time)

Worrying from Home

2010-12-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

James was released yesterday. They more or less kicked us out. I know that James isn't all better yet, but all of his tests have been normal and his vitals have been good. For these reasons, the doctors didn't see any reason to keep him. We got home at about 5 last night and James has been grumpy and irritable ever since. I think he got a little spoiled over the last couple of weeks in the hospital having his every whim given to him. Plus, he's still a bit under the weather.

James is on several medicines now. He's still on the Prevacid to help control his reflux. He's now also on another medicine that speeds up his digestive system that should help reduce reflux as well. James is taking oral steriods for another week to help reduce the inflammation in his airways. He also has 3 different nebulizer meds that he can take to help with his breathing.

It's nice to be home, but with it comes a whole new set of worries. As I mentioned before, he's grumpy and I have to worry about why. We tried tylenol, so I think he's just irritable. I worry every second that his breathing will worsen and we'll have to take him back to the hospital again. I'm scared something will happen to him on my watch and that petrifies me. Being down a similar road before, I know that these worries will lessen with each passing day, but that doesn't make me less worried now. I'm trying hard to let God shoulder these worries for me, but it's not easy.

Please Keep Praying

2010-12-20T06:51:00.000-08:00

Although James' surgery went well, he's still in the hospital and not all better. His issues at this point appear to be mainly respiratory. His airways are probably still swollen and he's retracting (his ribs cave in when he breathes). His breathing is also a little fast, all indicating that he's working harder to breathe than he should be. The doctors can't give me any definite answers which tells me they don't know what's causing his problems and so aren't sure how to treat them effectively.

I feel like I'm screaming my prayers at God these days. I have been praying for a miraculous healing for James' health issues since before he was born, but for some reason (unknown to me) our family, especially James, is being put through trials that we can not shoulder on our own. I will continue to pray for a miracle, but would be happy just to have answers on how to make him feel better. I mostly just pray for James' suffering to be over. Please pray that God will bring strength and healing to our family.

On a happy note, Andrew is growing well and full of smiles for us. If not for him, I'm not sure how I would get out of bed some days. I guess I know why God surprised us with our second little bundle of joy so close to our first :)

James' Surgery (#9)

2010-12-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

James has surgery yesterday and is doing good. He was scheduled for 9:40 am, but as we all know these things never run on time. They took him back to the OR at 11.

The pulmonologist went first. They did a scope of his upper and lower airways. They found that the majority of James' airways are swollen and some are even flattened as opposed to being round. His vocal chords are swollen too. There was also some really thick mucus blocking a few smaller airways that they were able to get cleaned out (he hasn't sounded so clear in weeks). At this point it's hard to tell the cause and it's possible that there are multiple things going on. They took a culture from the inside of his lungs and this should confirm that his reflux has been causing him to aspirate food into his lungs, but we won't know for a few days. Finally the pulmonologist did a pulmonary function test to test his lung strength. We should have the results of this test today. This all took about an hour or so.

Next the surgeon was up. They have a lot of technical terms for what they did and why. I will take a stab at an explanation. At the base of everyone's stomach is the pyloric valve that opens and closes to allow food to pass from your stomach to your intestines. Because of James' gastric pull-up to connect his esophagus to his stomach, his pyloric valve is higher than normal and in an unusual orientation. This abnormal anatomy sometimes requires the pyloric valve to be disabled (about 20% of kids that have gastric pull-ups). They put a small scope though his belly button and another one down his esophagus to see what they were doing. They were then able to then do the procedure with only 4 small incisions (as opposed to cutting open his belly) which reduces recovery time and the chance of infection post-op. This will hopefully allow his stomach to empty more efficiently and prevent him from refluxing food into his airway, but only time will tell. The surgeons feel that this will help, but don't necessarily expect it to totally fix the problem because he will always have an unusual anatomy. This procedure took a little over 2 hours.

James made it back to recovery around 3 and we were able to see him at 4. He is on pain meds for now to keep him comfortable. They are going to put a PIC line in today so they can get him some calories via IV. The poor kid has gotten so skinny in the last couple weeks. He won't be allowed to eat until later in the week and it will be slow process getting him back to full feeds. We are hoping that we will get to go home by Monday. The doctors are confident that we will be home by Christmas.

My mother-in-law is town this week helping out with the baby. My dad and brother are planning to help out next week. Dave is hoping that once James comes home from the hospital, he will be able to work from home until the New Year. God, our family and your prayers have kept us going and continue to give us strength. Please keep praying for James' healing and our sanity!

James...sigh...

2010-12-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

I don't really know where to start. Life with James has always been an emotional ride, but it's been an absolute roller coaster lately. Let's recap...

When I was about 28 weeks pregnant with James when he was diagnosed with some type of Esophageal Atresia (missing part of his esophagus). We knew that his situation would be able to be corrected surgically. Before we could even meet the surgeons and have a consultation with them, James was born at 33 weeks and had his first surgery when he was 3 days old, weighing right about 4 pounds. The surgeons were fairly confident that he would be fixed and ready to go home as a "normal" baby within a matter of weeks. 10 weeks (and 4 more operations) later he did get to go home, but not fixed. James didn't have corrective surgery until April of this year (postponed from January). I suppose I thought, probably naively, that he would be all better in a few weeks and his crazy start to life would be all behind us... not so much. In the 2 months that followed James' corrective surgery, we made 5 trips to the ER for various things and dealt with constant reflux and spit-up. By the end of July, we were all home again and thought we fixed our problems with high dose reflux medicines. We had a fairly quiet August and James had tubes put in his ears in September. Then came October...

James came down with a couple of colds that turned nasty...pneumonia. He spent 9 days at Peyton Manning Children Hospital in Indy and then 2 more days once we got back to Pittsburgh in the hospital for dehydration. He finally got all better around the second week in November. Then the day before Thanksgiving (maybe 2 weeks later) James got sick again. We took him to the hospital that night, he got discharged the next day. Still sick and back to the hospital the Monday following Thanksgiving, discharged 2 days later. Still sick and back to the hospital on Friday. By this point he's pretty sick and admitted to the ICU, where they diagnose him with a bacterial pneumonia (the bacteria that normally causes ear infections moved into his lungs). At this point, we consult pulmonology and the surgical team that has been following him since birth because the doctors are finally convinced that something else is probably going on. Their first instinct was Cystic Fibrosis (because he's so sick from "minor" virus/bacteria and his mucus is really thick), but James had full genetic testing when he was a newborn and we know he doesn't have this. There are a lot of theories floating around, but they finally feel they know what's going on and have a plan.

Due to James' gastric pull-up to connect his esophagus to his stomach he has an unusual anatomy, his stomach is in the right side of his chest cavity and he doesn't have a valve in between his esophagus and his stomach. The doctors have noticed by looking back at all the tests James has had done over the past 6 weeks that his stomach is not emptying as fast as it should be. Apparently this is due to his unusual anatomy...the pyloric valve can't work properly and so his stomach is not emptying into his intestines fast enough. This has been causing his severe reflux. They can "fix" the problem by disabling the pyloric valve (it's called a pyloric-plasty). The hope is that this will eliminate his reflux. ...The surgery is scheduled for Monday.

The doctors think that for the past 6 months James has been refluxing so badly that sometimes he gets stomach acid and food into his lungs. They believe that this has been aggravating his airway and making his colds more severe. The pulmonologist will run a couple of tests and check the integrity of James' airways when he has surgery to make sure permanent damage hasn't been done and to eliminate other potential problems.

Once he has the surgery (his 9th), the main risk is called "dumping." This is when the stomach empties too fast into the intestines and nutrients aren't absorbed properly. The doctors feel that the risks of not doing the surgery (aspiration and permanent lung damage from stomach acid) are greater than the possibility of "dumping," which can be addressed with medication.

So again, I hope (possibly naively) that this surgery will fix all of James' problems and turn him into a "normal" kid. Time will tell...

Andrew is 2 Months Old

2010-12-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

Andrew is doing great these days. He has his 2 month check-up tomorrow. Andrew has rolled over from his tummy to his back several times now, although he only does it when he's angry. He is quite strong for such a little guy. We still haven't got him on a regular schedule, but he is keeping food down now that he is all fixed. He is very interested in the world around him and he loves to talk and smile. A few pictures...

holding his head up high :)

Relaxing after surgery...happy to be keeping his food down
Playing happily on the quilt Oma made him

James is still sick and in the PICU at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. He is off oxygen now. He had a bacterial infection in his lungs this time on top of his cold. He is getting a combination of antibiotics and steroids to hopefully get him feeling better soon. Please pray that God heals him fast (as mommy really can't take much more of this). Here is a picture of him happliy playing a few weeks ago.

Is Cold Season Over Yet?

2010-12-03T11:19:00.000-08:00

It's barely December and James has already made 5 ER trips this cold season and been admitted each time. First thing this morning was our most recent trip to the ER. After a couple of different ambulance rides and one helicopter (his 3rd helicopter trip of the year), James is now in the PICU at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh once again. James has been fighting a cold now for over a week.

Last Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving), we took James to the ER because he was retracting and working hard to breathe. They kept him overnight for observation, but was able to come home on Thanksgiving. He seemed to be doing better and was coughing up a lot of mucus but keeping food down. Then early Monday morning his breathing became really labored again, he was unable to work up any mucus, and James turned dusky, so we took him back to the local ER. He was transferred to Children's where they monitored him for a couple days, but there wasn't much they could do for him since it was a virus and sent us home on Wednesday. We slept well that night but woke up rough Thursday and clung to me all day. He slept well again last night though so I was hopeful that he was healing in his sleep. However, this morning he awoke struggling to breathe again and ended up getting mucus caught in his airway so the ambulance was called and they brought him in.

The whole situation is very frustrating. Dave, Andrew, and I don't even have the sniffles so we are nervous that there is something else going on besides a common cold. The doctors have run all kinds of tests and seem to think it's just a virus (but not RSV). Today there are more tests and still no new ideas. However, we probably will be taking James to see a few more specialists in the next month to make sure there's not more going on (allergies?, asthma?, ???)

Please pray for James' health, for God to give Dave and I the strength to keep going, and for Andrew to stay healthy!

Andrew's Trials

2010-11-26T18:52:00.000-08:00

Andrew will be 8 weeks old on Monday...and it's been quite a ride. When Andrew was 2.5 weeks old James was admitted to the hospital for Rhinovirus. James was in the hospital for 9 days, discharged, and then readmitted for 2 more days for dehydration. During that time Andrew stayed with my mom or Abby (my sister-in-law). While he was staying with them, his appetite was growing normally and so was he. He also had his first projectile vomit during this time. It happened about twice that week. The projectile vomiting increased in volume and frequency until it was happening at least 2 times every day (talk about dirty laundry). At his 1 month check-up, the pediatrician started him on Zantac hoping that it was just reflex. She warned us though that it could be something more and to call her if the medicine didn't make a difference after 5 days. So after 5 days and no improvement, we called. Andrew was switched to Prevacid, a stronger medicine. 5 more days passed and still no improvements (and still a TON of laundry). The pediatrician then put him on a combination of the 2 medicines and ordered an upper GI to make sure that his anatomy was not causing the problem. Andrew seemed to be doing better with the double meds and we were hopeful that the problem was fixed, but I took Andrew in this morning for his test anyway. They did the upper GI and an ultrasound which both indicated that he has Pyloric Stenosis. This is when the muscle in between the stomach and the small intestine doesn't work properly and the stomach can't empty, eventually causing the projectile vomiting. We were sent straight to the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh where they could do corrective surgery. It's important to have this problem fixed as soon as possible because babies can become extremely malnourished if left untreated. So the surgeon worked Andrew it at the end of the day and now he is all fixed. He will be able to eat again in about 4 hours. They will slowly increase his feeds until he is up to 2 ounces every 3 hours and then we get to take him home. This could be as early as tomorrow evening, but probably Sunday morning.

It has been an absolute crazy 2 months with the birth of our second child, a couple of ER trips, a few hospital stays, a couple surgeries, some birthdays (I can't believe Dave and I are 30!) and a holiday or two. God may put all of these things in my life, but He also pulls me through them. I get angry and frustrated with God for putting my children (and other children) through so much, but I know that someday we will live on an Earth with no pain and suffering. ...and someday I'll understand...

Some Photos

2010-11-15T05:55:00.001-08:00

Looking good in their church clothes

Live long and prosper :)

Hello camera

It's okay, little brother.

Check-Ups

2010-11-13T14:42:00.000-08:00

James is 15 months old...

weighed in at 22 pounds 8 ounces and 30.5 inches (25%)
can feed himself pieces of soft food now, like bananas and avocado
stable at sitting (finally!) and working on building his arm strength with his therapists so that he can learn to crawl
has 14 teeth (only 2 canines and 2-year molars to go)
had his second hair cut...no more mullet!
loves being outside

Andrew will be 6 weeks on Monday...

weighed in at 9 pounds 3 ounces and 21 inches
got put on Zantac for reflux
eats, spits ups, sleeps, spits up...
already very strong and can hold his head up for a few seconds during tummy time
prefers being held

Life Goes On...

2010-11-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

We may have spent many nights in the hospital over the last several weeks, but that didn't stop Andrew (and James) from growing. Andrew is 1 month old today and James will be 15 months next week. They are quite the handful, especially when they both want to be held at the same time. But we're making it (with lots of help) and we are thankful that James is on the mend and that Andrew is healthy! Here are a few pictures...

This Too Shall Pass

2010-10-27T08:02:00.000-07:00

October 22, 2010 marked the 1 year anniversary of when James came home from his long stay in the NICU. Unfortunately, it was celebrated in the PICU. James came down with a cold last week. On Thursday afternoon he seemed to be having a hard time so my mom (I was still in Indiana) and I took him to a Med Express clinic and they send us to the E.R. James was having difficulty breathing so he was intibated and choppered to Peyton Manning Children's Hospital in Indianapolis. He was eventually diagnosed with Rhino virus (the cause of the common cold), which spread to his lungs causing a viral pneumonia. He was able to come off the vent Monday late afternoon and is now on a high-flow nasal canula. The doctors hope to get him down to a regular nasal by tomorrow. At that point he would be able to go to a regular room and start regular feeds (his feeds are through an NJ tube right now). We are hoping that we will all be able to go home together this weekend. Dave is with us for now but will have to get back to work next week no matter what.

On the plus side, little Andrew is doing fabulously. Family members are all pitching in to help watch him this week, so we don't have to bring him to the hospital. Andrew is eating like a little piggie and porking up as a result. He is quite adorable...I will get pictures posted again someday.

We just keep praying for a speedy recovery and for no more hospital stays...

My Cup Runneth Over

2010-10-18T13:46:00.000-07:00

Brothers

Cousins

And Great a husband!

The Past Few Days...

2010-10-08T07:43:00.001-07:00

...have been crazy, wonderful, exciting, and exhausting among other things. We have become a family of 4 and we are enjoying it all...even the sleepless nights. It's such a wonderful feeling to have a healthy baby that nothing can bring us down right now. In the past few days we have...

...welcomed Andrew Michael Iverson into our lives...

...played together...

...and just hung out together.
James has become quite the big brother too. He has become quite proficient at playing on his knees and can sit on his own for a half an hour if he decides to.

We even got an edible arrangements gift basket from Dave's work. I've always wanted to get one of these and was so excited when it got delivered today!

Andrew Micheal is Here!

2010-10-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

First: Congratulations to Denise and Chris!!!! ~Married October 2, 2010~ Such a beautiful bride!

And then 2 short days later, Andrew Michael Iverson was born. Andrew weighed in at 6 pounds 13 ounces and is 20.5 inches long. A few things...he has a small head, long fingers, dark grey eyes for now, blond peach fuzz for hair, and is perfect.

I reported to the hospital at 6am Monday morning as instructed to start the process of welcoming Andrew into our little world. I was taken back to the OR at about 8:30 where I was given a spinal and started the c-section. Unfortunately, the spinal ended up being splotchy (apprently this happens about 10% of the time) and I could feel entirely too much, so I was put to sleep for the delivery. Andrew came out healthy at 9:06 am, but he was breathing a little too rapidly and was having some mild retractions. After spending most of Monday in an isolette on room air, he was allowed to come see me and he has been perfect ever since. I am doing well also. We are up and moving together and enjoying getting to know each other. He hasn't quite figured out the eating thing yet, but we're working on it. He definitely likes to sleep...hopefully he'll keep that up.

Enjoy the photos!

7 More Days...

2010-09-27T17:06:00.000-07:00

I went in this morning for an amnio to make sure the baby was ready to come out and join us tomorrow. Unfortunately, he's not quite ready. So my c-section has been rescheduled for next Monday, 10/4. Hopefully, the extra week will make him nice and strong!

Unfortunately, James and I are going to miss Denise (Dave's sister) and Chris' wedding. It's this Saturday in St Louis. We wish so much that we were going to be there to celebrate with them. Baby Boy Iverson wanted me to tell you that he's sorry and he loves his Aunt Denise and Uncle Chris and can't wait to meet you!

8 More Days!

2010-09-20T11:22:00.001-07:00

I am feeling very large and uncomfortable these days. I am looking forward to having this baby next Tuesday (9/28)! I have a check up this Thursday and then an amnio on Monday to make sure the baby's ready for Tuesday. I am anxiously awaiting having my body back to myself!

James got his ear tubes in last Tuesday and got his fraenulem under his tongue snipped. The actual procedure took less than 20 minutes, but we were at the hospital for 6 hours. James did a good job...he just thought that after surgery was a perfect time for a nap. They wouldn't let us go until he was awake and had drank a cup full of apple juice. He's doing well now. I haven't really noticed a huge difference in his behaviors or eating, but at least there isn't a bunch of fluid in his ears anymore.

I think that's all for now. James' therapy is keeping us busy during the week and we are outside as much as we can on the weekends enjoying the fall weather. James loves being outside! You can tell he wants to get down and play with the other kids at the park...hopefully in the spring.

A Fun Sunday

2010-09-12T17:40:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed another nice weekend as a family. It was great to have Dave around after a very busy week at work. He didn't make it home before James went to bed at all this week so James enjoyed some much needed "Daddy time." We went to a festival in Sewickley on Saturday and found a couple of great bargains at a HUGE church yard sale. My big find was a nice oak glider for me and the baby! Sunday we relaxed and took in some football games. Enjoy a couple photos (ignore the fat, pregnant lady...15 days left!)...I have a video to post too as soon as it lets me :)

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Dave, James, and I had spent a nice weekend together around Pittsburgh.

Saturday we went to the Big Knob Grange Fair. It's a county fair just north of where we live. It was small as far as fairs go, but had enough stuff to give me my fair fix. There was a small commercial exhibit tent, a small building with 4-H exhibits, some rides, good food, animals, and a tractor pull. I enjoyed a Taco Boat and we shared an elephant ear...yum! It was the first time any of us had been to a tractor pull (it was free and provided great seating while we ate). James thought it was highly entertaining. One tractor even blew fire out of its exhaust! The weather was wonderful. It was 65 and for once I wasn't hot. This is the one picture I got that day before my camera died...oops.

Sunday we went to church and made a trip to Babies r Us to get a monitor for the baby. I had to go this weekend because I had a Labor Day weekend coupon and I got some money off towards the double stroller we're planning on getting in the next few weeks. It was another beautiful day with a high right around 70, so we decided to get some much needed yard work done. Mowed, hedge-trimmed, weed-whacked, and weed pulled until the yard was looking much better.

Monday was a little warmer, but the high was still only in the upper 70s. We decided to go to a Rib Fest that happens every year down at Heinz Field. Dave enjoyed some ribs while I had a great pulled-pork sandwich with Carolina BBQ sauce. We also had a fresh squeezed lemonade and a rootbeer float. All was yummy! There was also an old WW2 boat docked on the Ohio for the weekend. Dave wanted to check it out, but the line was really, really long so we just took pictures. This boat was used in the invasion on D-Day and was made in Evansville, IN.

Dave enjoying ribs :)

The ship from WW2...notice PPG in the background?

This & That

2010-09-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

It's officially September, which means James will be a big brother this month! I am anxious to no longer be pregnant. It feels like I've been pregnant for 2 years. Even though I'm ready to no longer be pregnant, I'm not so sure I'm ready for 2 super-dependent kids at home. It really will be like having twins, considering how demanding James is these days. He's going to have to learn some patience! My mom is going to come stay with me for a couple weeks to help out and then I'm going to go stay with her for a few weeks where Mom, Dad, Julie, & Abby can all help out. Then Abby & Annie are going to bring us home and stay until the end of October. Dave can take some more time off at that point if I need him too. We shall see!

My c-section is scheduled for September 28th. I will have a test the day before to make sure the baby's lungs are ready. There's approximately a 10% chance that the baby won't be ready. If that's the case, the doctor will postpone the c-section by a week, making him an October baby.

This month also brings another surgery for James, but a minor one this time. His ears have been full of fluid since he was about 6 months old. Due to his other surgeries and the fact they never got infected, his pediatrician put off sending him to an ENT. But it was time when the fluid was still there at his 12 month check-up. The ENT wants to put tubes in, which we are having done on the 14th. It is a very minor operation and should only take about 20 minutes. James is also going to have his fraenulem (the piece of tissue that connects your tongue to the bottom of your mouth) cut at the same time. His goes right to the tip of his tongue. Right now it is preventing him from being able to move food around his mouth with his tongue and the ENT said that it will also effect his speech development if not corrected. Recovery for both is minimal and there is no restrictions on diet or anything like that.

James is no longer on the bottle! He takes milk from his sippy cup with each meal. He can even hold it on his own, as long as there are handles on the sippy cup. He also can eat puffs off his high chair tray now. His therapist says he's still not ready for pieces, unless they're very soft and mushy. This month we've added eggs and ground meat to his diet. The small pieces are a great way to start transitioning to food you have to chew more, according to his therapist.

A few weeks ago Dave, James, and I took a small road trip to Johnstown, PA. It's about an hour and a half southeast of here. Dave read a book about the flood that happened there in 1889 and wanted to tour the town before the baby comes (since we're still hoping to move back to the midwest before year end). It was a neat little town that was built upon the steel industry. We went to the incline that was built in the years following the flood as a way to help people escape in the event of other floods (which did happen). We also went to the flood museum and walked around town to see some of the buildings that survived or were rebuilt following the flood. We had lunch at a fun little sub shop in town. James did a good job until the car ride home. He was tired and decided his carseat was not where he wanted to nap. It was a good day though!

Below are a few pictures from Johnstown and a few random ones too.

A view of Johnstown from the top of overlook by the incline.
Dave and James overlooking Johnstown.

The incline; much bigger than the ones in Pittsburgh. You can even take your car on the incline for $6 if you like :)

A church that survived the flood, but then burnt down in the fire that followed. It was rebuilt, obviously.

James enjoying downtown Johnstown.

James and Dave playing with James' new Alphabet Train. He bought it with his birthday money.

Dave and James after church last Sunday. I got James dressed while Dave was getting dress. I thought it was too cute that they happened to match...couldn't pass up the photo op!

Food & Drink!

2010-08-23T05:20:00.000-07:00

Enjoying some puffs and milk. He's not perfect yet, but it's a start. He just needs to chew a little bit more before he can have pieces for meals :)

1 Year Old!

2010-08-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

Today James is officially 1!!! It has been a crazy year. After 7 surgeries, 98 days in hospital, and 5 ER trips, James seems to be on the right path now. He has been tube-free for just over a month and is eating well. James takes 24 ounces of formula and 3 meals (consisting of mashed foods right now) a day. Developmentally, James is a little behind because of all his hospital stays and surgeries, but he has 3 therapists that work with him 3-4 times a week. He is making progress every week and is so, so close to sitting all on his own. Right now he can sit for about a minute before he throws himself backward. His PT is confident that once he starts, he won't stop. James has his official one-year check-up next week.

Dave and I took James to the park across the street from our house and had a little photo session. The pictures below are from that and from his first birthday party. Enjoy!

A side view of the mullet before it got cut off!

One of our favorites. He can really ham it up when he wants to.

The finger rarely leaves the mouth these days. I think he might be teething his molars.

A look of annoyance after having his pictures taken about 100 times.

Loving the shade after all the pictures in the sun.

James' 1st cake...an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Yum!

James was more interested in the candles...I was afraid to light them!

Enjoy some cake!

James and Miriam...what a cute couple!

The balloons were the biggest hit at the party.

Liv wanted to see how many she could hold at once.

I thought the hat was cute, but James is going to need some convincing.

He LOVES to read...or should I say, he loves to turn pages.

Friends and cousins enjoying the party.

James' cousins attempting to pose for someones camera.

All of my siblings and a few nieces/nephews that didn't want to miss the photo op.

Funny Video

2010-07-20T15:18:00.000-07:00

James Playing

2010-07-17T13:04:00.001-07:00

11 Months

2010-07-14T07:49:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately, James celebrated his 11 month birthday in the PICU (it was Sunday). We decided not to document this hospital stay with pictures, since it's one we would rather forget. James is doing well though. We are scheduled to go home later today.

The whole trip this time has been a little disheartening since by the end of this week he was supposed to be released of all of his specialists (besides his in-home therapists). Now his case has been reopened with cardiology, surgery, and the speech therapy team at CHP.

The Echo James had came back normal, but he has a PDA. This is a small hole that newborns have that typically close on their own by now. James' is not completely closed, but they are not concerned about it at his age. However, he will have to have some follow-up done in a few months.

Surgery wants to see him again in a month to make sure there are no more episodes like the one over the weekend. There concern is that it was caused by reflux, so they want to do what they can to prevent that. James is already on Prevacid. He also can't lie down within 30 minutes after a meal.

James' swallow study was the same at the last one. He aspirated the tiniest bit of liquid and had a delayed swallow. They suggest thickened liquids again and pureed baby foods for now. The speech team wants to do a repeat swallow study in a couple months to check on his progress.

James' developmental progress if coming along. He rolls all over the place now, especially in his bed. He quite enjoys sleeping on his tummy now. He can sit on his own unsupported for about 15 seconds right now and then he falls backwards, so there's no sitting without someone close by. He is enjoying his exersaucer now and loves toys that make noise and light up. Dave and I are very excited for his one year birthday, although now more than ever, we are still unsure of what we are going to do to celebrate it. I think pudding might be in order though.

I'll post some happy picture once we get back home.

ER Trip #5

2010-07-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend marks James 5th ER trip since the beginning of May. This was by far the scariest trip ever. Shortly after dinner Saturday evening James got fussy because he wanted picked up. My mom, who was visiting, picked him up and we noticed that his cry was off so I took him from her to try to calm him down. At this point I noticed that he was turning blue. At some point he must have aspirated some food left in his mouth or some saliva because he couldn't catch his breath. We did back thrusts and my mom took over (yay for a mom who is trained in infant CPR) as I called 911 and Dave ran down the block to the police station. My mom gave rescue breaths which finally caused a response from James and the ambulance arrived shortly there after. He was rushed to the ER at Sewickley Hospital (about a mile from our house). Once in the ER, they started bagging James immediately and he then he began to return to himself, although he was exhausted from the whole experience. The Sewickley Hospital decided to have him transferred to Children's of Pitt because of his history. Since he had to have CPR, James and I got to fly by helicopter to Childrens. By this point an hour had passed and he was back to himself (Thank God!). He seemed to quite enjoy the ride.

When we got to Children's we waited in the ER for several hours while they got a room ready for us. They wanted to admit him to observe him for 24 hours. Once we got up to his room, James was having a low resting heart rate which concerned them. This is when they decided to transfer him to the PICU for closer monitoring. Overnight he had 2 EKG's, a few chest x-rays, some blood tests, and virtually no sleep (as the tests went on until 3 am). All of the overnight tests appear normal. The ICU docs want to monitor him for 24 hours in the ICU and they had an Echo cardiogram done (we don't have the official results of this one yet, but we are expecting it to be normal). Once the ICU docs feel they have ruled out everything, then James will most likely be moved to the surgical floor for a few more tests, including a contrast study and a swallow test.

The docs are pretty sure it was a bad case of something down the wrong pipe, but because of his history they want to rule out all other cardiac, neurological, and GI possibilities. We will probably be in the hospital until Tuesday. Please pray that this was just a fluke and nothing else is going on with James. He is tired and hungry (he's not allowed to eat until all his tests are complete, which could be a few days), but doing okay other than that. Hopefully tonight we will all be able to get a full nights rest.