Pictures from my phone

This is Owen at about the same age as Eden is right now.








Look like anyone you know?

Owen & Eden

Owen Can Talk

The other day someone asked me if Owen could talk yet. I said yes, and then this person asked if he used any words we could actually understand. I was a bit offended. You see, it was asked in such a way that it sounded as if this person equated intelligence with the ability to speak. Of course, anyone watching the political campaign can definitely see the flaw in that thinking.

Owen does have many words, and I debated listing them all here, but instead I'd rather list how he communicates without words.

Since I was pregnant with Owen we've had this crazy bond--almost as if I can hear his voice in my head. Even now, he can just look at me, and I usually can get it. I say usually, because sometimes I'm not a very good listener.

His eyes speak volumes. I can always tell when he's getting ill or tired just by looking in his eyes. They also get bright when he's excited, and he gets a sprite-like twinkle when he's up to no good.

Technically, Owen is bi-lingual. We taught him to sign at 9 months. He's almost 3, and he still signs several words. I'm hoping to start teaching him another language in 2008--just can't decide which one.

Matt would debate that Owen is already tri-lingual. He says that Owen speaks "Owenese." It's his own jibberish language, but sometimes we totally understand what he's saying. I can't explain it, but somehow he gets his point across.

That's what it's about, right? Communication isn't about intelligence, or using the right words. It's getting your point across. So, if you can't understand Owen, maybe you're just not listening.

A video of Eden

The noise in the background is Owen vacuuming.

Choo-Choo Cookie

Today we made a gingerbread train, or as Owen likes to call it a "Choo-choo Cookie." He saw a picture of one on the cover of a baker's catalogue, and when I told him it was a cookie--well, we didn't hear the end of it. So, we had to make one ourselves.

Owen adds the decorations.

The completed choo-choo cookie.

Devouring it before the icing dries.

Daddy joins in the feast.

And where was Eden during this sugar-fest? Why, just sittin' around looking beautiful, of course!

Gift-giving

I'm a horrible gift-giver. I can never decide what to get, and spend way too much time agonizing over if the receiver will like what I purchase. When I finally do make a decison I can never wait until the blessed event--I have to have the receiver open it now!

I'm also a horrible gift-receiver. I especially dislike opening gifts in front of the gift-giver. I agonize over how to respond if I totally hate the gift. I get disappointed if it's not exactly what I hoped for, and I feel utterly guilty when someone gets me something I actually want. I just don't feel like anyone should have gone out of their way for me. Also, I hate the dreaded "wish list." Where's the fun in that? Can you imagine Christmas morning: "Oh, wow, it's exactly the book I told you to buy me." Surprise, surprise.

That all being said, it's probably pretty obvious that my poor husband has struggled each holiday and birthday to get me something. I sat down one day after a particularly frustrating Christmas morning, and devised a way for my husband to buy for me.

It's worked so far, and I've been delighted with what he finds for me--sometimes it's something I never knew I wanted. So, I thought I'd share this with all of you who might be struggling this very moment with what to get that special someone.

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Has the gift-receiver mentioned the item(s) more than once? twice? three times?
2. Is it just for the gift-receiver, and no one else? (Meaning, you are truly buying this for them--not you.)
3. Is it something the gift-receiver would buy for themselves, but can't because of cost or time?
4. Does it make the gift-receiver's life easier?
5. Will it make the gift-receiver feel _________? (Fill in the blank: prettier, relaxed, special, etc.)

If you can answer yes to the majority of those, then it's likely the gift is a winner.

Another suggestion is to start from head to toe. This works for me, b/c I don't typically spend money on items for my appearance. Not that I don't want to, I just think their are other things that we need to spend our money on (like food and the mortgage).

Last year, Matt found a bag of manicure goodies. It included everything I needed to really make my nails feel great & look great. I love it! I hadn't asked for anything like that, but he knew that I enjoy getting my nails done even though I rarely can afford it. Now, he gave me the option of being able to do it at home.
What I love even more was the pride I saw in his face, and the story he told me of how he came to find & buy it.

This year we're keeping things simple. We bought the kiddos a couple things, but for each other we decided to get all we need to complete the rock wall in the garage. It's something we both want, but have been putting off b/c it wasn't a necessity (meaning: it wasn't in the budget). We've even found a way we both can contribute to the purchase, w/o breaking the bank, but still each making a small sacrifice.

Truly that's what it's all about, right? Sacrifice? One amazing sacrifice, that puts all this gift-giving to shame? If you're reading this, and don't have Jesus in your life--it's time you got to know him. It'll be the best gift you ever got.

Breathing

I haven't blogged since before Eden was born. Didn't know what else to post, beyond what has already been said. Matt has done a great job keeping everyone up to date.

But we have OUTSTANDING news today, and I didn't realize how much stress it was causing until we heard the news.

Eden's PKU's came back normal--meaning that there are no immediate signs of CF. Praise GOD!!!!

Despite that throughout my pregnancy I suspected that this baby did not have CF, and we had no reason to believe she had CF after she was born--getting these results lifted a burden from my mind. It's almost like I wasn't allowing myself to bond with Eden, b/c I was afraid.

It's pretty hard being told that your child has a "life expectancy" abnormal to anyone else. That that life expectancy is shorter than your own. Even though Owen defies the norm, and challenges his doctors with how to "treat" a healthy CF kid--it's always in the back of my mind to make every day, every second, count.

Not that I feel like I don't need to make it count with Eden, but I feel like I can breathe a little better now. Yeah, it's silly. Yeah, I know I'm a nut case, but that's what's going on in my head right now.

Eden will be 4 weeks old tomorrow. We were looking through our pictures from the last month and it is hard to believe how much she has grown and changed. Owen loves to take care of his little sister. He insists on holding her at least once a day or his life is not complete.
I don't remember Owen having either the strong neck or the determination to hold up his head like Eden does at this age. Tamara says he did though so I guess he did... I have a smaller collection of functioning brain cells after having two babies and getting up at 4AM most mornings.

Eden really likes baths as long as they are nice and warm and the water keeps running over her. I guess we are in for trouble in about 12 years.

Milk Coma Anyone?

A typical sight after eating her weight in milk.

A New Ad Campaign for Starbucks

Doesn't this make you want to go out and buy lots of coffee...?

Had to take pics in her gifts from the crew at Starbucks.

Sledding on Thanksgiving

Grandpa and Dad took Owen sledding Thanksgiving morning since we had a few inches of new snow. This year Owen loved it.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

More pics of the wee one.

Some new pics

Little Eden is 5 days old now. She loves to sit in her little bouncy seat and watch Owen run around.

We're Home!

After a crazy night at the hospital, we came home this morning at about 10AM. It is now our mission to rest and retrain our little night-owl. Eden wakes up about 9PM, and is ready to play and eat all night--ALL night, not just off and on--all night.

Tamara is doing well. Very tired and restricted to a lot of rest for the next two weeks until her blood count comes back up.

Time to feed the little one and get some sleep.

Update

Tamara is doing very well. They released her from ICU Sunday afternoon about 4PM and sent her back upstairs to the maternity ward. Her blood count is still low but she is mobile and looks amazing. It looks like they are going to keep her at least until Wednesday before they let her come home.

Little Eden Mara is doing great. She is a sleeper. Owen was noisy and hungry all the time. Eden likes to sleep while she eats and then sleep some more. No complaints though.

We will get some more pics up soon. It has been tough to get updates up since this is the first hospital I have been in that has absolutely no public internet access--not even a wi-fi in the emergency department.

Proud Big Brother

Owen is a very happy camper when holding baby sister.

Just minutes old

Just moments after being born and meeting Mom, Eden awaits weigh-in, measurement, footprints, and breakfast. Already, her eyes are open and she turns her head to follow sounds or movement. She is 7 pounds, 11.8 ounces and just over 19 inches tall.

Baby inspection

Proud papa and big brother, Owen, give Eden the tender inspection only hours after birth, bath and breakfast.

Owen Welcomes His Baby Sister...

...though we haven't fully decided on a name. Tamara was in labor for 3-1/2 hours on Saturday, November 17 and the litte one was born without the aid of any pain medication at 11:34AM. All went amazingly well up to that point.

After delivery, there were complications trying to get the uterus to clamp down and stop blood flow. The doctors took her to the OR to make sure that all pieces of the placenta were out but the bleeding did not stop. They ended up going in with catheters through the femoral arteries and blocking the open ends of the uterine arteries with an expanding gel foam to stop the bleeding. After nearly 7 hours in the OR, she was released to ICU for observation.

This morning the doctor verified that the bleeding had stopped sufficiently. They are monitoring her blood counts to make sure she is stable and will be releasing her back to the Maternity Ward later this afternoon. We will probably be here for another day.

Owen is a perfect big brother. He makes sure his little sister is covered with her blanket and her hat is on good so she stays warm. She is eating and sleeping and pooping like a champ. As soon as we can get pictures loaded into the computer we will post some here.

More updates to come...

No baby yet, but...

I just saw my midwife--good news!
3 cm, 60% effaced--we're making progress. YEAH!

They did some bloodwork, just to be on the safe side (checking for pre-eclampsia again), b/c my blood pressure was up a little bit.
Then they did a non-stress test (put me on a fetal monitor), and the baby was not reacting liked they wanted. They wanted to send me to triage for more testing, but after poking the baby for a bit we convinced them that I was okay to go home.

However, no more work. If by some chance I don't have the baby this weekend, they're insisting I take it VERY easy.

Praying that the baby comes this weekend!

Nothing to report

Yesterday I had contractions that built up from 5 a.m. until 10 a.m. They got closer & closer together, and more & more intense--it finally seemed like the baby was coming.
By lunch it had calmed down, spiked again around 2 p.m., and basically came to a screeching halt by bedtime.
I was exhausted & sore.
Despite contractions most of the night, I feel great & well rested. Still, no baby, and nothing really showing that we'll see him or her today.

I'm not so frustrated that the baby hasn't yet been born. I'm definitely bummed--I was really looking forward to holding him or her yesterday.
The frustration comes with how do I plan my day when any second things could change. Do I go in to work? Do I rest up in preparation? Do I clean the entire house, b/c my nesting instincts are driving me nuts?

You would think with all my training & education in birthing that this would be so much easier.

Here's hoping my next post is to announce the birth of our second child.

No, I haven't had the baby yet.

I received 5 phone calls in a row all asking if I'd had the baby yet.

If you're reading this: Don't call us, we'll call you. We don't plan on keeping the birth of our child a secret (obviously, we're posting intimate details of our life on the world wide web).

I wasn't feeling anxious until all these calls started happening. Now it's like I'm pressured to push this kid out--and my due date is still two weeks away!

So--here's your official update: I was taken off bed rest, though they want me to take "rests" 3x a day for a least an hour (meaning laying down). I plan to go back to work tomorrow. I feel great. Blood pressure is normal (except when I get a phone call about whether or not I've had the baby). The baby will come when it comes. Thanks for asking.

It's Not All About Me

Yesterday my midwife put me on bed rest.
I can get up to:

• use the bathroom
• shower
• eat

I woke up on Wednesday extremely fatigued--not a little extra tired--we're talking muscles-not-responding-to-commands and falling-asleep-in-the-middle-of-conversations pure exhaustion. When I went into the midwife's office they found my blood pressure higher than normal. They did some bloodwork, and put me on the fetal monitor for about 1/2 an hour.

All tests came back good, but they don't want to take any chances considering my history. So, to bed I went.

I'm really bad at bed rest, but as a good friend pointed out--this isn't about me. We're trying to keep the little one safe.

I can't believe I've done this for two days. A BIG thank-you to all of you wonderful people who have offered to watch Owen, bring food, or just come and sit with me to keep me from going stir-crazy.

Surprisingly, I've had about 4 hours worth of naps today, and I'm still tired. I'm hoping that this means the baby will be here soon. Mom & Dad are due to arrive on Saturday--seems like a perfect day to go into labor.

Tamara

Top 10 Things Never to Say to a Pregnant Woman

10. When are you due?
9. You're really not that big.
8. Looks like you've dropped.
7. Wow, you're really showing.
6. Look at that belly!
5. When are you due, again?
4. You're still pregnant?
3. When are you going to let that baby out?
2. Are you sure you're not having twins?
1. No, seriously--when are you due?

The only thing you ever need to say to a pregnant woman: "You look fabulous."

So, we've started a blog. We wanted a place our friends & family could go to get updates on our growing family--so, here it is. Enjoy!

As of Thursday, Tamara is 50% effaced with minimal dilation. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless. Unlike with Owen--we're actually "ready," if there is such a thing when preparing for a baby. The carseat is in the car, the bags are packed, and now we're waiting.

Owen is getting very excited, and enjoys rubbing his mommy's belly. We think he's got an idea of what's going on, but has no clue how his life is getting ready to change.