#ThompsonNumber3 To Do List: Preparing for Jack-Attack

Since I am only four one week away from #ThompsonNumber3's debut I figured I better make a list of things I still need to do in order to be ready for him to be here! 

Things to get out of storage: 

• Newborn sized clothes 
• Infant car seat and base
• Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper
• Various swings and bouncy seats

Things to do: 

• Put clothes into the dresser
• Install infant car seat into the car
• Pack hospital bag
• Complete birth plan and print out a few copies to take to the hospital
• Hang up artwork in his room
• Put crib together

I am actually surprised at how much of the list has already been completed but there is always more to be done!  Typing up my birth plan is the BIGGEST thing that needs to be done as soon as possible- Jack could be here tonight or in six weeks... lets hope it's sooner than later! 

Weekend Links: Frozen Fun

I have to admit, I really love Frozen! If you have not seen it yet, you should- even if you don't have kids!  All of the songs are so catchy and the movie plot is great. So with all of the Frozen mania going around I thought I would share a few videos for this edition of Weekend Links that I have come across and think are awesome!  Enjoy!
 





Some other videos of note:

• Love is an Open Door- Real Life Words with No Backing... 
• Parents really sing Love Is An Open Door from Disney's Frozen

An Update on E

A response to Your beloved needs you now... and THANK YOU & an Update. 

Today I took Everett back to the pediatric pulmonologist for a recheck on his progress.  I had both the boys dressed and in the car by 9am and it took us a little shy of 2 hours to get there, we got out and were in the doctor's office for about 45 minutes and then back in the car for the ride home. Although we logged a lot of miles today it was well worth it- we love our doctor and how much he really seems to care about Everett's well being. The doctor asked how Everett was feeling, if he'd had any issues in the past 3 weeks, had he been having trouble using his new inhaler, had there been any need for his rescue inhaler at all, etc. Even though we were there for a shorter period of time for this appointment he was still very thorough. The doctor was very glad to hear that Everett has been doing much better since he has been on the new treatment plan.  Everett has been back to his "old self" since his last cough subsided and the new inhaler has been added.  In the past he would have been sick by this time again so to have him not be sick was a great step in the right direction.  The doctor asked that we keep him on his daily inhaler for another few months (through the spring) and then we will reevaluate his dose.  I am so happy that we finally have a diagnosis and aren't floundering around anymore just treating the symptoms and in turn not actually providing him any long lasting relief.  Thank you again for all of your kind words, thoughts, and prayers.  We truly appreciate everyone of you. 

THANK YOU & an Update

I am so grateful for all of the kind words that you all have shared here, on facebook, through texts, emails, etc.  (If I haven't gotten back to you yet I apologize- it has been one of the busiest days of my life!)  We are so appreciative of the prayers, the suggestions, and the love that each and everyone of you sent our way. Several of you shared my post and asked for prayers from your friends and family as well and for that I am so thankful.  The fact that you took the time out of your day to say a prayer for my child and to spread the request like wildfire via social media warms my heart and proves how great God's people are!  

At the pulmonologist appointment!

I figured that this would be the easiest way to provide an update, so here goes...

This morning I called the various urgent care and emergency room facilities that Everett has been seen in over these past few months in order to get his records because I was determined to get him into a specialist today.  I did a prayer-filled google search for a pediatric pulmonologist, found a reputable practice and dialed the number as soon as they opened.  It took a few tries to get through to the receptionist but when I finally did she was very helpful.  I briefly explained our situation and told her that we would be coming in and would sit in the waiting room all day if that is what it would take to be worked in.  She understood my urgency and was not only able to get us in, she scheduled us to see the doctor that I originally hoped we would see. God is so amazing! Our appointment was in the middle of the afternoon and the office was about an hour and a half away from our house.  After I hung up with them I called our allergist to see if we needed to go in to be seen beforehand and they asked that we bring him in around 11am.  

When we saw the allergist he was very supportive of our decision to pursue a second opinion and was happy that I was able to get Everett in so quickly.  He gave me a few notes on what he would do with the various medicines that Everett was on and asked that if the pulmonologist changed anything to have him send a note over to their office.  The timing of the appointments was perfect because we had enough time after the allergist to pick up the CD of Everett's chest x-ray from last night's urgent care visit and then head to the pulmonologist appointment.  Nolan was able to take a few really good naps in the car on the way to the next appointment and although Everett didn't sleep I am sure he enjoyed the time to relax and watch a movie on his DVD player. 

This is happening right now!

Tyler met me at the pulmonologist appointment which was great because I wanted us to both be there so that we wouldn't miss anything.  When we were called back we gave a short synopsis of what had been going on to the nurse and then waited for the doctor.  The whole time that we were there it just felt comforting, almost like I knew that we were finally on the right track and not going down another rabbit hole.  The doctor came in a few minutes later; he was very friendly and very knowledgeable.  He spent over thirty minutes going over Everett's symptoms and past medical history with us and asked us all sorts of questions, some we hadn't even thought of ourselves.  He took almost fifteen minutes to listen to Everett and do the once over of his ears, nose, and throat. We discussed the issues that we have had in the past and the concerns going forward with him and he genuinely seemed interested and concerned.  

After we had thoroughly discussed everything and he reviewed the medical records that we brought/had been sent over he told us that Everett has asthma.  Tyler and I (and pretty much everyone else) have known for quite some time that this was probably the case but we had been getting the run around on a diagnosis.  There seems to be some sort of insurance issue with diagnosis a child as young as Everett with asthma even if it is clear that is the case.  So after months of various different temporary symptom fixes we are so thankful that he finally has a diagnosis.  Obviously we are not happy that he has asthma but a diagnosis means that we can finally begin to manage his illness properly and not just treat the symptoms.  The doctor did note that he would like to do a few additional tests to completely rule out the scary things that I said you shouldn't google any other medical issues however he said he was confident that we have the correct diagnosis.  So now we have an aggressive treatment plan for his current cough/symptoms and a daily preventative plan to (fingers crossed) prevent flare ups like this from happening. 

So this is where we are now; a diagnosis and a plan! Hallelujah, thank you Father! And I want to thank you guys again for the prayers last night and today.  Our family truly appreciates the outpouring of love and support that we have received- this answered prayer is truly a testament to how great our God is. 

Your beloved needs you now...

My kid is sick.  He has been sick pretty much non stop since last October and probably even longer than that.  My kid has been sick pretty much non stop since October and it seems like there is nothing that I, nor any of his doctors can do about it. We have been to the emergency room and urgent care more times than I can count, we've seen his pediatrician and his allergist.  We have had tests, x-rays, and cultures done and they all come back fine.  His lungs sound clear, his puls-ox is great, but he continues to cough and produce extraordinary amounts of mucus for no known reason. If you ever find yourself in this situation, please for your own sanity DO NOT GOOGLE SYMPTOMS. You will end up in sitting on your couch in the middle of the night in tears.

He gets a little better for a day or two- sometimes even a handful of days but without fail he ends up snotty, coughing, and having trouble breathing again.  He is on so many different medications right now just to help his tiny two almost three year old body be able to breathe and it is not fair.  It's not fair that he has to be stuck inside doing nebulizer treatments one two three four times a day.  It's not fair that he is constantly being poked and prodded by every doctor in the county.  It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair.  He can't breathe. It breaks my heart to see him so sick all the time, to know that he knows nothing else but the life filled with sickness.  Despite all the tears he has cried, all the tantrums, and all the sleepless nights he is a trooper.  He is my world and I am incredibly blessed.  

So this is it.  This is the breaking point. Something is going to happen and answers are going to be found.  I am not going to make him go day after day being sick and not knowing why or how we can fix it.  We are going to walk through this and figure out what it is going to take to get answers and a plan.  God knows the answers and I fully trust that He will lead us to where they are.  I am done trying to control this and I am putting it in His hands. Lord, please hear my prayer.   

I Will Lift My Eyes

By Bebo Norman

God, my God, I cry out

Your beloved needs You now

God, be near calm my fear and take my doubt

Your kindness is what pulls me up

Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker

of the mountains I can't climb

I will lift my eyes to the Calmer

of the oceans raging wild

I will lift my eyes to the Healer

of the hurt I hold inside

I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let mercy sing

her melody over me

and God, right here all I bring

is all of me

Your kindness is what pulls me up

Your love is all that draws me in

I will lift my eyes to the Maker

of the mountains I can't climb

I will lift my eyes to the Calmer

of the oceans raging wild

I will lift my eyes to the Healer

of the hurt I hold inside

I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

'Cause You are and You were and You will be forever

the Lover I need to save me

'Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God

so hold me now

I will lift my eyes to the Maker

of the mountains I can't climb

I will lift my eyes to the Calmer

of the oceans raging wild

I will lift my eyes to the Healer

of the hurt I hold inside

I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, I cry out

Your beloved needs You now

Mommy Thoughts

Just some thoughts on life and the progression of things as parents....

This first twenty years of our lives are pretty much all about us.  We are born to parents who feed and clothe us, let us live in their houses, love us, etc.  This segment is all about having fun and not having to worry about anyone else except for ourselves.  During our first twenty or so years some of us will meet "the one" and settle down, some of us will go to college (and hopefully graduate), go on trips out of the country, start working, and some of us will even have children. 

The second twenty+ years, especially if you have children is all about them.  We spend these years working for someone else, cleaning up after other people, feeding kids/spouses, and for the most part putting others needs in front of our own.  As parents we have a desire to give our kids what they need and want and put our desires on the back burner.  We also have a tendency to forget that this time will pass all too quickly and let the little things get to us.  

In the grand scheme of things, twenty  years is not very long at all but in the moment it can feel like forever. I know that I let insignificant things get under my skin and I get frustrated with my kids for things that won't matter an year day hour from now.  I love this saying:

The days are long but the years are short.

It is so true and I tell myself this a lot on days that Everett and I are butting heads.  I only have twenty years with them before  they "grow up" and leave the nest.  I want to make every day count, even the days that are "crappy" because before I realize it they will be graduating and off on their own.  We are only given today and I will do my best to ensure that today is great. 

Letters to Nolan: 2/18/14

Dear Nolan,

Well Mister Man you have decided that you are not a baby anymore.  No sir, not you! You want to do just what your big brother is doing and you don't care what it takes, you will do what he is doing. Anything that he is doing seems amazing to you and you are so happy to spend all your time with Everett. 

You don't really like to take naps by yourself, or even sleep by yourself at night. I don't blame you though, who wouldn't want to be snuggled up with someone else and sleep!?  When Sue is here she usually wears you in the Ergo for naps and if you're still tired when she leaves or if you need to take another nap I will wrap you up in our Little Frog woven wrap. You really like to "go up" and instantly relax once you're in your happy place on my back.  We have been learning all new ways to wear the wrap and you are very patient when I am learning a new carry. 

You are so happy almost all the time! When you are crawling around, you will stop and start clapping- it is so cute! I love watching you explore around the house and seeing how happy you are once you've found something that you haven't been able to get to before.  You are also learning the word "no" and so far you are actually responding well to it (which makes me happy).  You are a very determined little dude but you are also very content to listen to me... for now. 

Here's what you've been up to this past month: 

01/20/14: Started pulling up to your knees

02/01/14: Started pulling up to standing 

02/05/14: Saying "Da-da" when you see Daddy
02/18/15: Nine month well check- 21lbs 14oz (70th percentile), 28" long (60th percentile), started waving

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Life as of now...

To sum up life as of now in one word it would be hectic. I started working from home in October and we hired a nanny- then add in the holidays and it made life seem to spin backwards.  With all of the adjustments and changes I was really struggling to understand my new position as a "work from home mom." 

Let's rewind back to the beginning of this journey...

In late August I received a phone call from two former co-workers who had formed their own company and were putting in a bid on a contract that was similar to that of the one I worked on prior to Everett being born.  My co-workers were inquiring if I would be interested in a position on the contract but initially I turned down the offer.  While the thought of bringing in more income for our family was intriguing, Tyler and I knew that, for our family it was best for me to be home with the boys. 

A few weeks later I got another call asking if I would be interested in the position if it were four days a week at home and one day a week in the office.  This proved to be more of a possibility for our family as I would be able to be home with the boys so I accepted this offer.  Once I knew my start date we started searching for a nanny on Care.com.  I knew that this was the site that I wanted to use because I had actually used them when I was a nanny in college and was searching for work.  

I signed up for a three-month membership and posted the following ad: 

I am a full-time mommy who has just accepted a full-time work from home position. I will be working in the home but will not be able to devote my full attention to the children so I need someone to come to my house Monday- Friday. I have two boys, a two year old and a five month old. Duties would include: diapers for the five month old, potty breaks for the two year old, breakfast/snacks/lunch, playtime, reading to the boys, etc. We practice attachment parenting and would love to hire a nanny who either understands that or is willing to learn more about attachment parenting.

I wanted to hire someone who was experienced with multiple children and was either familiar with attachment parenting or was willing to learn and help us practice attachment parenting at home. We had great success with over twelve applicants within the first week of posting our ad.  Of those twelve applicants we interviewed four and ultimately hired Sue who is the perfect fit for our family. 

Sue comes during the day while I am working and it is so helpful to have her there with the boys.  At first, I really struggled with how I fit in when she was at the house because I was so accustomed to being the sole caregiver to the children.  We rearranged some furniture and turned the "man cave" into an office so that I would have a place to work that was separate from the kiddos during the day.  Once a week I travel up north to go into the office and have to be away from the boys.  As much as I loathe being away from them, it actually is nice to be able to have adult conversation.  

While I am at work I do have to pump and there is an AWESOME lactation room at my office! Seriously, it has two lounge chairs, a television, mini refrigerator, books, etc. and I am pretty much the only person that uses it! It is like my own personal break room!  Since starting work Nolan has had to adjust to taking a bottle... that was really tough for him.  It took him about three months or so to willingly take the bottle and even now he still does not like it at all.  As soon as I get home he clings to me and we are pretty much attached for the rest of the night!

Everett has been doing okay with the new changes, he loves our nanny and is learning a lot from her.  She is bilingual and is teaching the boys Spanish; Everett knows how to count in Spanish as well as most of his colors and several animals!   He does have a little trouble on Monday mornings when the nanny comes because he has been with Tyler and I all weekend but by Tuesday he is back in the jive.  One thing that he and I have been doing is having once a week lunch dates where just he and I go out and grab something to eat.  I made a goal this month to spend one-on-one time with him and this has really been helping out with his general attitude. 

So here we are in a new routine, one that I NEVER pictured for us but sometimes life throws you curve balls and you learn to go with it! What about y'all?  Is your life the way you thought it would be?  Are you where you thought you would be?

FBP: Resolved (January)

This year I resolved to creating monthly goals rather than yearly resolutions in hopes that I will stick to them and create better habits.  This month's goal was to take some time each week to spend with just Everett.  Having an eight month at home who refuses to take the bottle except when he absolutely has to makes spending one-on-one time with Everett hard and it is often something that is neglected.  

For Christmas, Everett got a trampoline and he LOVES it! So for one of our "dates" we headed outside to the trampoline and got to bouncing.  I could instantly tell that Everett loved the personal attention that I was able to give him and that he was having a great time.  He loves to jump and bounce and had fun playing outside with me.  I like to incorporate learning into what we are doing so we tooks some time to listen to the sounds outside, talked about the trees in the backyard, and even counted the number of times he was bouncing.  

We have had some issues with Everett acting out in the past (see here and here) and I think that a lot of it has to do with us not giving him enough attention so I am hopeful that this monthly goal will be beneficial in helping us to reconnect with him.

So have any of y'all set monthly goals or yearly resolutions? Have you been sticking to them?  I'd love to hear about it!

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Have you liked my Facebook page yet? Please do!

This post originally appeared on Not So Average Momma on Fredericksburg Parent.net! 

Letters to Nolan: 12/18/13

Dear little big Mr. Nolan,

You are seven months old and continue to grow like a weed! Food is your newest adventure and you are trying to eat everything in sight! You have decided that you don't want to eat anything that is a puree' or offered to you on a spoon- I think that you have forgotten that you are still a baby! You like to gum on anything that you can get your chubby little hands on and you really go to town.  I think one of your favorite foods is pasta! 

You are starting to get into everything and really want to play with anything that Everett has and Everett doesn't want you to play with anything.  It seems that sibling rivalry is starting early with you two! You also started moving forward this past month-  not full out crawling but you have places to go and people to see!  And another fun development that we had this month- you went pee and poo on the potty!  We practiced elimination communication with Everett and are going to start incorporating that into your daily routine too.  :)

We are still cosleeping and that is going pretty well still.  You pretty much sleep all night but you also nurse on and off throughout the whole night as well!  I don't mind it so much because I know that you are getting the nutrition and comfort you need.  You only want me to hold you at night and there is pretty much a zero percent chance of me being able to put you down after 4pm every day.  Sometimes this frustrates me because I have "things to get done" but I try to remind myself that this wont last forever! 

Here's what you've been up to this past month: 

11/29/13: First Black Friday shopping trip (Best Buy) 

11/30/13: Pushed up to a sitting position from being on his stomach 

12/01/13: Started getting up on hands and feet and rocking on your knees 

12/05/13: Started sucking your thumb

12/12/13: Started picking up food and feeding yourself 

12/13/13: First time to pee and poop on the potty

12/14/13: Rolled from your back to front 

12/16/13: Moved into 9-12 month clothing 

12/17/13: Started moving forward/belly crawling 

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Letters to Nolan: 11/18/13

Dear Nolan,

What a big boy you are! You are growing so fast and it amazes me every singe day! You think that you are a big boy and you want to do everything that your big brother does! You are trying to figure out how to crawl and have some pretty interesting ways to get around.  Rolling doesn't quite work for you just yet because you only roll from your tummy to your back so instead you push off with your arms and "crawl" everywhere backwards.  You have also started trying to scoot around while sitting up.  

We visited Sneads Asparagus Farm to check out the pumpkin patch and took our annual trip with Uncle Aaron, Aunt Krystal, and Colt to the Apple Harvest Festival at Graves Mountain! The fall is always packed with fun activities and family outings.  You also attended your fourth (yes fourth) wedding this month and were the most behaved baby! 

This month marks the first time I have ever left your side.  Since I started working you and big brother get to stay with RaeRae the one day a week I have to go into the office.  You still haven't taken to liking the bottle even though it is still momma's milk, it is just not the same to you! Our routine at home has changed a little too since I am working at home. Suyappa, our wonderful nanny comes to play with you and brother while momma is working and you both love her. 

Last but not least you are really (really) really excited to start trying to eat "real"food.  Whenever we are eating dinner you watch us so intently and even get mad if we don't let you have some of our food! We have played around with some purees and food that is large enough for you to gnaw on and you seem to be okay with most of them.  Anything that is more of a mushy texture you don't care for.

Here's what you've been up to this month:

10/19/13: First time to wear shoes, first trip to Graves Mountain, first visit to Uncle Aaron and Aunt Krystal's house
10/25/13: Started pushing yourself backwards with your hands
10/28/13: First time to try a bottle (of mommas milk), started making more mouth noises, started rocking on your hands and knees, Suyappa started to babysit you 
10/30/13: Tried a bite of apple sauce and you were not very impressed
10/31/13: First time to stay with RaeRae while mommy went to work and you did not take a bottle so mommy had to come home early, first Halloween- you went as Cookie Monster
11/01/13: First time gnawing on teething biscuits
11/02/13: Attended your fourth wedding
11/03/13: Stole mommas apple to gnaw on
11/04/13: Reached out for momma for the first time
11/06/13: Started saying "dadadada"
11/08/13: Ate first Chickfila french fry, able to sit by yourself
11/09/13: Gnawed on a sweet potato fry
11/10/13: Gnawed on a ritz cracker
11/15/13: First time to eat peaches and refried beans
11/18/13: First time to eat yogurt and oatmeal; Six month well check- 20lbs 2.5oz (90th percentile), 27" long (75th percentile)

 

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For more Letters to Nolan, click here! 

For Letters to Everett, click here!

Thirty Days of Thankful: Day Sixteen

I'm taking some time every day this month to jot down something that I am thankful for.  Feel free to post a comment below each day with what you are thankful for or post a link to your own Thirty Days of Thankful! 

Day Sixteen:

I am thankful for the differences and in my boys and how that keeps me on my toes. They say no two kids are alike and that is  holding true for these guys. I love being a mother and learning more about how to keep my boys happy every day. 

FBP: Sweet Sleep

Up until a few weeks ago, when I thought about putting Everett to bed I would instantly be filled with dread. As much as I loved to snuggle with him once he dozed off, I hated having to fight him to go to sleep. He was not interested in sleeping at all and it didn't seem like anything that we did helped us to get him to go to bed at night. I know "they" say that napping relates directly to nighttime sleep and that is probably why I had so many issues with getting him to bed at night which in turn was why I couldn't get him to consistently take naps during the day. It was a vicious cycle, to say the least!

 

Read the full post here over on my blog at FredericksburgParent.net!  

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Letters to Everett: 10/22/13

Dear Everett,

Life seems to be flying by these days.  You are growing more and more independent and are becoming such a much more like a kid and less like a toddler.  You are speaking in full sentences (sometimes paragraphs) and are able to articulate what you want with little to no frustration.  If we are unable to understand what you are saying you are able to come up with an alternate way of describing something. 

This past month we visited Sneads Asparagus Farm to check out the pumpkin patch and took our annual trip with Uncle Aaron, Aunt Krystal, and Colt to the Apple Harvest Festival at Graves Mountain.  You had a lot of fun playing with Colt and your friend Kristian who met us up there too! There was a corn maze, a bouncy house, and a few other activities but you guys had more fun just running around together than anything else. You love to run and play and you are really into exploring and testing out boundaries. 

 

One thing you started doing this month that I particularly like is telling us you love us without being prompted or asked.  You will just walk over to me and say “Mommy, I love you.”  Ahhh it melts my heart.  You are such a sweet boy and you really love to be with mommy and daddy- you especially love for us to hold you. One thing that you don’t like is us kissing on you! You “wipe kisses off” when we give them to you- but don’t worry, I sneak more in when you’re not paying attention. 

Another fun milestone you hit this month was standing up to go potty, you tell us “I do it all myself.”  (Don’t hate me when you’re 14 and reading this!)  You are consistently telling us when you need to go potty and you make it to the potty almost 100% of the time.  When you go potty you get “kenny” (candy) and I think that is your favorite part.  I tried to stop giving you candy as a reward but you decided to rebel and not use the potty when I did that!  We have transitioned from Hershey’s kisses each time to small tootsie rolls or Nerds. I am hoping that you’re not still getting candy each time you go potty by the time you are 28!

I love you so much little big boy! 

Momma and daddy love you to the moon and all the way back! 

xoxoxox,

Momma

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For Letters to Everett, click here! 

For Letters to Nolan, click here!