Christmas 2009

Boy we have come a long way since last year!

I will post this years pictures soon.....

Christmas Prep

Well I will have to admit I have been very lax with the Christmas decorations this year.  I am still sporting a fall wreath on my front door.  The only Christmas tree we have is one that is a blown air decoration in the yard.  Thomas managed to put it up sideways so it is facing the next door neighbors house.  It is accompanied by a blow up of Santa and a penguin with a surf board.  There are no stockings on the mantle (I haven't even gotten them out of the attach yet - might need to do that this weekend.) Never got the nativity up.  There are virtually no decorations inside the house except 2 sad little lighted snowflakes on suction cups on the inside of the storm door.

I just can't seem to get in the spirit this year.  I have done the shopping and wrapped presents but lets face it there aren't many to go around and they are all stacked under the window in the kitchen.  With so many people we know struggling just to put food on the table and doing without jobs it just doesn't seem to feel like a time we should be celebrating the secular side of Christmas.

Hunter and I have watched the Grinch twice and we managed to catch Frosty and Shrek the Halls.  We will read 'Twas the night before Christmas' but I think I will have him read the true Christmas story from his bible to me this year rather than the other way around.

My kids are so spoiled and Lord knows we can't afford it.  I just don't want Hunter to get so hung up on the material aspects of Christmas without remembering why it is celebrated in the first places.  I also want him to understand that there are many children in the world that aren't as lucky as he is.  Toby is a little young yet to understand but I will definitely include him in what we do.

I am excited about the spiritual side of Christmas but I just don't seem to be too interested in the rest of it.  I just want to enjoy the stress free parts of it and spend the time with my family (Who for the better part of the last month have taken turns sharing the stomach flu and the sniffles with fever).  We all have parts of the Holiday season that aren't enjoyable and I too will have those this year but hopefully they won't last long and I can get back to my little corner of the world and put my arms around my little ones as their faces light up with excitement and anticipation of things to come.

Thanksgiving

There has been a lot going on with our family.  We have a lot to be thankful for.  We are all healthy enough to have a lot going on!  Thomas has found a job thought Kelly temp with Hospira.  We are staying afloat despite the cut in pay but are praying very hard that he is hired on with Hospira by the first of 2011.  Thomas has also been diagnosed with Diabetes thanks to a required physical for Hospira.  We aren't thankful for the disease as we both suffer from it now but we are thankful to have found out about it as it was completely unexpected.

Hunter is doing pretty well in school.  I think he is just beginning the struggle of finding out who he is and what fights he wants to pick or should pick.  We are constantly pushing the limits with him and struggling to mold a responsible, dependable, respectful, sensitive and strong smart young man.  We need the Lords guidance and depend on it daily. 

Toby is running not walking and into everything as expected.  His speech has been a little slow and he continues to receive play therapy at school.  His gross motor skills have surpassed expectations so it is time to concentrate on other areas that have fallen a little behind since we focused so hard on those skills.  He is a happy, healthy and curious little boy.  I struggle to keep up with him but am thankful that he is here and able to "get away" from me so often. LOL

Mom and Dad are doing well and Tommy and Linda are also.  Mandy and Cameron got married last month and we are now focused on Angie and Brandon's wedding.  Brandon recently lost his mother to a quiet battle with cancer.  He and his family are still adjusting to the unexpected death and life without her.  I am sure that it will all be a little tougher as we head deep into the holiday season.  I am thankful that they have family and friends around them to help them through. 

Above all I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ and all he does for us.  The answered and unanswered prayers alike.  There is a reason for everything.  Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas Season and we should all remember that HE IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! 

Inspired

Reading a friends blog today I was inspired but the things she said and did.  I know I have a lot to update you on but for now let me say that I hope to do a better job at this blog thing in the future.  We have a lot going on in our lives right now and I wan to share some of them with you.

1. Hunter completed his first project of the school year a couple of weeks ago.  It was on the solar system and he did a poster on Mercury.  It almost killed ups trying to get it ready but just in time it was ready sure enough.  I am still waiting to see what kind of grade he made on it.
2. Toby has been saying something that sounds like bye and holding his hand out but not waving.  We figured out fairly early on that he was saying five and wanted you to give him a high five.  Well, last night we were playing and he kept telling the baby in the mirror (the one we talk to after his bath every night) five.  I finally leaned him up to touch the baby's hand and he smiled looked back at the baby clapped his hands together vigorously and said "All Right" and cheered.  It is the cutest thing.  We did it after I dressed him for bed for about 30 more min before he got tired of making Mommy laugh.
3. Thomas is coaching the Rocky Mount City Fall Ball Marlins and of course Hunter and Joey are on his team.  It has been a good season.  I really can tell that he has worked hard with those boys.  It is a shame that the season will soon come to an end after only 6 weekly games. His infield players are really starting to congeal and Joey had a fly ball hit him in the glove the other day.  He did miss the catch but that is the closest we have seen him come to catching one which is great!
4. Toby's PT is about to release him from the program because he is really getting around good now.  He is still trying to learn how to maneuver up steps and over uneven surfaces but he is working hard to figure it out. As the PT has cut him to 1 visit a month the Play Therapist has taken over.  She is encouraging him to use words instead of  whines, screams and other noises to express his needs and desires.  I have noticed his vocabulary pick up slightly in the last week or so.  At this point I would have to say that whatever Ashley is doing with him must be working.
5. Hunter was invited to play on a travel league this fall.  He is playing for the 8U Nash County Stars.  Thomas was asked to assist Tony Gay with coaching and Ivy Powell is helping out.  Thomas says they have a lot of work to do.  They have played in one other tournament but that was before the team was ever put together and practiced.  Their first tournament is this weekend and is here in Rocky Mount.  I hope they do a great job.
6. Angie's dress was ordered and is in.  She went to pick it up yesterday.  Other than some drastic heming and some slight alterations to the bodice it fits great.  She had finally settled on a bridesmaids dress but now that she has had it with David's Bridals I don't know what she is going to do.  Plans are starting to come together, now they just need to be executed.
7. My general practitioner has moved to Wilson so I was lead to search for another Dr.  I spoke to several people and Matthew Chaimberlain was an overwhelming favorite.  I saw him this week and of course they have pulled a ton of blood and are doing their own full battery of tests.  I got a flu shot and he has discussed the huge possibility of Sleep Apnea with me.  I used a screening monitor last night but between Hunter not wanting to go to sleep and Toby screaming for hours on end I will be lucky if I got a total of 3 hours of sleep last night.  I fear that I will have to do a more advanced and very expensive study or at the very least use this screening tool another night.

Well that is all for now.  I will try to update sooner if I can.

Toby's first Birthday Pictures

Here are some of the pictures that I promised a while back.  They were taken at Toby's and Hunter's Birthday party.  The party was on 7/17/2010 and was held at my parent's home.

Cake was done by As You Wish Bakery out of Battleboro, NC

 

Toby's 1st Birthday

Hunter hugs the baker for his very special baseball cake 

(I will try to load pics of it a little later)

Back to School...

8/18/10

Hunter started his first day of 3rd grade today.  He started the day by telling me how much he hated school and I reminded him that he would see his friends that he had not seen all summer.  When he got there he desk was stacked with 4-5 fairly large and very thick text books.  A bit overwhelming for mom but it didn't seem to phase him much.  He waved at other kids down the hall and put his book bag away immediately.  He went right to his desk.  When I left he had a smile on his face.

Hunter only had a half day of school and Paw Paw picked him up.  When I got home I asked him how his day was and he said it was GREAT!!!!  He told me about changing classed as group A or Group B but he doesn't know which group he is in yet.  He said he will get 2 grades from his homeroom teacher Mrs. Workman and 4 grades from his other teacher Ms. Worsley.  He also likes his assistant teacher Mrs. Criskmore. (Not sure if I spelled that right)  He seems to be really excited and settling right in to his routine well.

If only we can get him to go to bed and stop calling out for the next hour to find out where we are.  We tried to stick to a decent bedtime all summer and even most weekends hoping that it would help.  I can't move Toby into his crib in that room until Hunter stops acting out.  Hopefully we will gain control of the situation soon.

Promoted ...

8/9/10

Just a quick update.

Toby has officially been promoted to the 1year old class!  His teachers Ms. Jennie and Ms. LaDawn say he is adjusting well.  He cried when I left him this AM but hopefully that will change as he gets used to the new AM routine.  Ms Jennie said he stopped shortly after I left.

He is walking some but only a few steps at the time.  We continue to work on that at home and encourage him to walk rather than crawl.  He just gets where he wants to go so much faster by crawling that it is hard to get him to walk. 

Big Boy class...

7/30/10

Toby has been spending more and more time in the 1year old classroom at school. He was there for the majority of the day today. They said that he even ate and took a nap with them today. He is doing well and fitting right in. He still isn't walking yet but now that he is spending more time with the kids that are I think he will catch on much faster. I spoke with Mrs. Karen and she thinks she will move him full time on 8/9/10. He is up to at least 3 solid steps before he falls down or gives up and sits down to crawl. He has picked up how to wave byebye very well and when he says bye it is very clear. He is picking up on more and more sounds everyday. He has started to try to mimic us from time to time when we talk. He has had a couple of rough weeks not sleeping well and running a low grade fever. The only thing I can figure is that he is teething but there just isn't much relieve I can give him. He can probably do without a bottle although I tend to give him one first thing in the AM and one with cereal in it just before bed, to help him sleep. He has graduated from baby food for the most part and pretty much eats from my plate. So many changes in such a little period of time.

2010 All Stars ..... OVER!

7/23/10

Thomas and Hunter are watching the State Championship hosted by Rocky Mount at the sports Complex. Hunter's team had the opportunity to play in but didn't do well in Rolesville. Therefore, He is watching and not playing.

Boy have we played some baseball this summer. Hunter was tapped to represent Rocky Mount on the American League ALL STARS!!! He was so excited and has had a wonderful time. As a parent the experience has been much different.

We have played in 100 degree weather every other weekend and those poor kids practiced every day in the hottest part of the day. We played in tournaments in Oxford, Smithfield and Rolesville. We didn't do very well at any of them and I think the heat got to all of us.

Hunter did a great job considering the circumstances he was dealing with. He has learned a lot about Sportsmanship, Graciousness and Humility this season. He even played in a game where we lost so badly that he never stepped up to bat. He was placed at the bottom of the line up and only 11 of the 12 players got a chance to hit the ball. Thomas and I were furious but Hunter truly surprised me! He took it all in stride like it was nothing. He was really ok with it. I can't tell you what his reaction meant to me. Just when I needed a reminder of the proper way to behave when something doesn't go my way. Leave it to my little man to do something so out of character and remind us all how we should behave. He never ceases to surprise me. I am so proud of him.

Toby's 1st Birthday!

7/17/10

Hunter and Toby celebrated their birthdays on 7/17/10. Toby's 1st birthday was shared because of all the baseball that has kept Hunter and Thomas running all summer. We got them a couple of wonderful cakes from As You Wish Bakery. MMMMM the chocolate was my favorite but the whole thing was delish. We did the typical hot dogs for dinner and hands full of cake icing in the face. Aunt Kelly is probably still scraping icing off her glasses. Silly woman! Jimmy and Lisa brought Dustin to help us celebrate. Everyone else in attendance was family. Aunt Nini was supposed to come but got sick at the last min and wasn't able to attend. I will try to post the pictures later. It was a long day and Toby didn't get a nap so by 7:30 he was out like a light laying in his playpen at MawMaw and PawPaw's house. I don't think an earthquake would have woken him up.

I really can't believe he is a year old already. He is pulling up and will stand without holding on for quite some time. I have seen him take a step or maybe 2 without falling but he just needs a little more confidence. I am sure we will skip walking all together and go straight to running once he figures it out. We met with the Physical Therapist who is pretty much ready to cut him loose but I asked that he continue every other week until T is walking on steady foot. He agreed and then I think we will move to once a month just to keep a check on him and make sure he is continuing to progress at a steady rate. He has come a long way and is pretty much caught up to where he needs to be.

He for the most part is a pretty easy kid. Except for when he wants something (he has no patience - wonder where he got that from...) he is really laid back. He keeps himself occupied and is pretty quite unless he is not feeling well (teething) or if there is food in the room. Didn't you know that you aren't supposed to have food in the room with a baby unless you are ready to share - LOL. Unlike Hunter, T loves to eat. Sometimes I wonder if he hasn't quite figured out when to stop. He is still fairly small for his age but I can honestly say that I don't think we will be buying slim anything for him in the future. Toby eats well. There are few things that he doesn't like. He doesn't to very well with eggs I think it the texture. He doesn't care for broccoli or prune juice. Other than that he seems to eat just about anything.

Since his tubes were put in his ears he has been babbling more. He says DaDa, MaMa, BoBo, BuBu, ByeBye, EtOh, NuUh and MM

Oh they grow up too too too too fast!

Tubes...

07/02/10

Toby is home and out of surgery. I am soooooooo glad that we chose to go ahead with tubes for T's ears. Dr. Jarvis said that his ears were full of nasty puss. eeeewwwwww gross! Poor thing. He is still pretty cranky and it looks like it may be a long night but I am sure there are better days to come.

Happy Birthday Hunter !!!

06/30/2010

Happy Birthday Hunter!!!!!

My big boy is getting bigger every day. I can't believe he is 8 years old today.

He is so sweet (when he wants to be) especially when it comes to his baby brother. They adore each other so much and it just warms my heart to watch him with Toby. I never would have guessed he would be so cautions and caring and easy with T.

He has proven to be a great help and even though we sometimes have to argue about it he is starting to take a little more initiative to do things for himself. We still need to work on appreciating the things that we have and not being wasteful. All these things he is supposed to do as he grows up but I still can't help but catch a glimpse of that tiny frail 6lb 4oz little boy we brought home from the hospital a week after he was born. He is still every bit as precious just in a different way.

Hunter has grown to become a very smart and affectionate child. The things he says and does sometimes catch me off guard. Sometimes I wonder how he could have such a vivid understanding of a subject or where he learned to be so passionate about the things he believes in. Other times I wonder how he got so smart. He knows exactly what to say and do in order to get his way. Just the other day he wanted to sleep on the floor in our room. I told him that the storms were over to get quiet and go to bed. Hunter then says "Mom I don't want to sleep in here because of the storms I want to sleep in here just because I want to be with my family. You are my family and I just love you guys so much" Needless to say it was tough but I told him no and sent him off to bed. He is certainly trying to use the FAMILY Card here lately. Yesterday he asked me something what I don't remember but I replied whatever floats your boat. He informed me we didn't have a boat and wanted to know what that meant. I told him whatever makes him happy. He said just being with me made him happy because he loved me and he was my family so where ever he was he would be happy as long as he was with me. Sometimes I swear someone is handing him lines to say. He can put it on pretty thick. LOL

Mudcats ... Here Comes American All Stars.

06/24/2010

 

Back to the Mudcats stadium we go. Daddy got the box from Roger and we had a few extra things to consider. Mark Ream one of the IT guys at Eagle sang the banner. Way to go Mark. I think this was the 3rd year in a row that he has been invited to come sing. Hunter and the rest of his All Star team were invited to take the field with the Muscats during the opening ceremony. Hunter ran out to Far Right field. I think they all had a good time.

Before anything could begin it rained and rained and rained. I was beginning to think that they would never play ball that night. While we waited for them to get the field conditions taken care of one of the Mudcat players came out to talk to our team because they were hanging out on the stadium floor. He even took time to share his sunflower seeds with our guys. How great is that!!!!! I hope Hunter is kind enough to follow his example if he is lucky enough to be in the same circumstances when he grows up.

Toby scheduled for surgery.

Don't worry nothing serious. Actually a little relieved.

I got in to see the ENT with Toby today. He does not have any infection in his ears but both drums are dull with fluid behind them. Dr. Sieracki discussed our options. We decided to go ahead and put tubes in his ears. A much needed procedure if you ask me. Anyway, he is scheduled for July 2, 2010. Just in time for his birthday. I will be relieved when it is all over. Please pray that he remains pain and infection free until we have surgery. I hope that he will get immediate relief from the tubes.

School's Out

School is out for the summer.

We are so proud of Hunter. His award ceremony was held on 6/2/2010. He received 6 awards that day.

Principal's Academic List (all 3 & 4s)
Music
National Physical Fitness
AR Reading
Respect
AB Honor Roll

Man that is a list, and really a few surprises. I am so happy for him. He didn't always give 100% according to my expectations but he must have come pretty darn close. I couldn't be prouder and he couldn't be happier to officially be a 3rd Grader!

There's No Stopping Me Now

I thought I would try to get a few pics of Toby in the New Huggies that look like Jeans. He is finally crawling very well. Little booger is getting fast. Before we knew it he started to pull up too. I have no doubt in my mind that he will be walking by his first birthday. I am so proud of my little man.

Please forgive me for the picture quality my phone was the first thing I could grab when he started doing this.

How ya like me now?

All Star Player...

6/1/2010

Hunter was tapped to represent Rocky Mount on the American League ALL STARS!!! He is so excited for him and can't wait to see what experiences lie ahead.

Tooth Fairy comes knocking again.

5/18/2010

I just got an e-mail telling me that Hunter lost another tooth today. That brings the grand total to 3 all on the bottom row. Well, since the tooth fairy just came by the house last night this was a bit unexpected. Well, I guess all those days of waiting are finally over. Sounds like he is trying to catch up with his friend all at once. That would be cool if all of his friends didn't already have the permanent teeth back and only lost theirs one at the time. He is destined to be snaggle toothed for a while. Thomas said he doesn't think that any of the others are loose yet so maybe he will give the Fairy a break for a little while. If this keeps up she's going to go broke!

More of Mommy's birthday present pics.

Here are a few more pictures of my cutie patootie

5/15/10
Toby cut his first 2 teeth yesterday. Both of his bottom teeth are coming in together. I was so excited for him. He will be 10 months on Monday and that has been a really long time to go without teeth. He is so funny. Licking his gum and smacking his lips all the time. He hasn't felt the best in the world this weekend but still his happy little self.
We took him to sears to have his pictures done. I wanted one last set done before his teeth became visible but he never gave us a full fledged laugh so it really wouldn't have mattered. He did really good. The girl snapped 19 pics in about 15 min. I will try to share some of them below.

Terrible Blogger

I know I have been terrible about blogging lately. Our computer is in the shop. I will try to post some more updates and pictures very soon.

I will tell you that Toby's 9month check up went well. He was 17lbs 10 oz. 50% head, 50% height and 25% weight. Also on 4/29/2010 - Toby began to go from laying on the floor to sitting up all by himself. He is scooting on his arms all over the place and occasionally will crawl a step or so on all fours.

on 5/4/2010 - Hunter's baseball team beat the undefeated Nationals in a 1 run upset that lasted the entire 5 & 1/2 innings. Now they are at 4wins 3 losses - they play again tomorrow and then meat the 1 loss team again on Thursday so keep your fingers crossed!

I have been such a terrible blogger lately. Trying to keep up with this blog and the one for the ball team is proving to be almost impossible. - LOL

I just dumped my photo card last night so I thought I would share some cute photos that have been taken since 1/2010.


This is how I go to sleep - I must have those fingers behind my pacifier.

Pete and Re-Pete

Toby Pictures

Here is a picture from March... Look at that sweet thing and the TAB on his shirt.


This one is from April - Look who is finally holding their bottle - Yippe!!!!

Happy Baby

I just love to hear him laugh.

Snaggle Tooth

I promised a picture of my little snaggle tooth so here it is...


If you look hard enough you can see the permanent tooth behind the place the baby tooth came out.

The Tooth Fairy is a commin'

Well it finally happened. That itty bitty wiggly tooth Hunter has been stressing over for the last month finally just fell out this morning. He was staying with Linda and he called me so excited. "Guess what Mommy, I was just playing with and it just fell out."

I called the dentist yesterday to ask him about it because the permanent toot has come completely in behind the loose one. Maybe I should have called him earlier...

I am so excited for him and he is already asking what I think the Tooth Fairy will give him for such an itty bitty tooth.- LOL

My little boy just ain't so little any more!

3.27.10 - IRON MIKE

We participated in Rocky Mount's annual Iron Mike Tournament this weekend. Friday night was in the 30's with rain and a harsh wind. We lost the first game when it was called for time and weather in the 4th inning. We had a game Saturday afternoon. The weather was cool and very windy but the sun did come out and the brief moments when the wind quit blowing were really nice. We won this game 10/7. I am so proud of all of my Sundrop BRAVES - keep up the hard work!!!

Hunter got his first HOME RUN Saturday!!!! He hit a hard line drive right up the middle. It landed toward the back of center field and rolled to the fence. There were no errors on the other teams side. We had 2 men on base and Hunter was rounding Third before they could throw the ball into the infield. He crossed the plate like someone who had just won a marathon. Screaming, smiling from ear to ear and with both arms in the air. We were tied up in the 5th inning when Hunter scored those 3 runs. Neither team scored after that point. Hunter scored the last 3 winning runs... you can only imagine how big his head is right now. Needless to say the Home run has been the main topic of all conversation the entire weekend.

On a side note our neighbor players ball for Wesleyan College. When Hunter ran out to tell Andrew about his home run...he had news of his own. I am pretty sure that Andrew is a Junior and from what I understand he has always pitched for Wesleyan but he has rotated out to other positions as well. This year he is strictly pitching. From what I hear he has a really good fast ball but he is too modest to agree to that. Anyway he pitched a complete game this weekend for the first time. To top that off he pitched a 1 hitter!!! Way to go Andrew!!! We couldn't ask for a better friend and neighbor and we couldn't be happier for you.

3.26.10

Well, Basketball was over last Saturday and Baseball season started for us this past Monday. Hunter is officially a member of the Sundrop Braves Pee Wee League team. He and his dad are so excited about their first Tournament starting today at 6PM. Due to the weather, Me - Not so much. I am sure we will all have a great time but it will be a long weekend.

Toby has been very sick. He has Croop and Laryngitis. His hears are bothering him too. He sounds just horrible. He has now had 3 doses of sterriods. They helped the first day but don't seem to be helping as much now. His grandmother has aggreed to watch him tonight so that I don't have to take him to the ball field in the cold, wet, windy, weather. Thank God for that! I am going to try to take him out there some tomorrow but Mom said she would take him home with her if she got too cold and had to leave.

Daddy, Andy, Bo, Donnie and maybe Terry are taking the motor home to Charlotte this weekend. They are going to visit the Bass Pro Shop to get ready for their big fishing tournament next month. I hope they have a great time but pray that the Lord will watch over them and keep them all safe. Dad especially needs the prayer. I am not sure he has been away from home without his dialysis machine for this long period of time.

3.5.10

Toby is still toothless but has almost conquered rolling over. He started that about 2 weekends ago. He was taking a nap at daycare yesterday and was on his belly (I have never seen that happen) because he rolled over in his sleep. He doesn't usually like to be on his belly so I was really surprised. He will transfer a toy from one hand to the other. However, he still isn't holding a bottle, pulling to sit up, reaching for us to pick him up, sitting unsupported or bouncing on his legs when held in a standing position. He should be doing all of these things and maybe even crawling by now but that is ok... Help is coming soon.

Linda and I took Toby to the Doctor today. He has been fighting a cold for a little over a week now and he started pulling at his ear a couple of days ago. He has an ear infection again. No big surprise there. Dr. Baliga gave him an antibiotic and a combination medicine for his stuffy/runny nose and cough. He weighed 15lbs 11oz and is 7months 18days old. He said that other than this cold and ear infection that Toby looked pretty healthy. You know he does have his moments don't get me wrong but I have never seen a child that can feel as bad as he has lately and still laugh and smile like he does. He is just a pure joy to be with. I thank god every day for my children. I am so bless.

Hunter has a basketball game tonight and another one in the am. Baseball tryouts are next week and he and Thomas are really looking forward to them. Then we have one more week of basketball before the season is over. I am so proud at what Hunter has done this year. He has really progressed quite a bit this season. I am not sure how many points he scored the first game but I think it was 4 or 6. He scored 16 in the 2nd game and last week he scored 8 more. He can be quite the ball hog but I have really enjoyed seeing him take up a sport that is indoors and doesn't involve a small hard ball. LOL !!! I love to watch him play baseball but that is all he and his dad ever talk about at home. It has been nice to have a little diversity. Thomas has shown that he is a good coach no matter the sport and I am so proud of his accomplishments and willingness to step in whenever needed. We continue to work on Hunter's grades and sometimes struggle with his attention span in school which leads to behavior issues like excessive talking or not sitting in his seat like he is supposed to. Please pray that this will work itself out. I really am not sure if there are many more medications out there to try.

Thanks for you interest in what is going on in our lives ... We hope to hear what is going on in yours.

03.04.10
Child Development Services came to evaluate Toby's development. He scored very well on most aspects of the test. However, he did have a low score in 2 areas. They don't seem to be too concerned about one of them yet due to his age but they did find that he has a "moderate gross motor delay". From what I can tell they think that with a little help he should catch up rather quickly. They have suggested that we seek the services of a physical therapist which will be provided to him through CDS at no cost to us. PRAISE GOD!!! They have given us a list of providers to review and choose from. Thomas and I will discuss it this weekend. Pray that we make the best choice for Toby. The therapist will come and evaluate his needs and then they will probably see him once a week but they will come to his daycare to work with him. Isn't that wonderful. I have already spoken to the director at the daycare and she is more than happy to allow them to do this. I am so excited that I am not going crazy. There really was something going on with Toby. They said I was right to call and now he will get the help he needs. Hopefully he will continue to progress at a more rapid pace once he starts working with the PT.

2.20.10 - Toby has been a little slow on his ages and stages development. He was 2 months behind at his 6 month check up. Dr. Baliga suggested that I give CDS a call. I spoke with the people with Child Development this past week and they have an evaluation scheduled for us on March 4th. I hope they tell me everything is ok but if they don't I am comforted in the fact that they will be able to get us the services that Toby may need.

This weekend Toby has finally learned how to roll over! "WooHoo!!!" He hasn't mastered the feet yet but he is well on his way to mobility. He still needs help sitting up alone but I can tell he wants to very badly.

Hunter continues with Basketball and is having a great time. He scored 16 of the teams 28 points today. He is also looking forward to Jump rope for Heart and an upcoming field trip. He and his dad have begun to gear up for baseball and I think we have all been bitten by the spring fever bug. I for one am ready for a little warmer weather. I am sure that we will all be wishing for snow by late July.

2.8.10 - I know I have been a terrible blogger. Things are staying busy at our house. The Baileys came over Christmas eve and we spent Christmas day with the Leonards. We went to a beautiful Christmas wedding the following weekend and then it was over to the Driver's for New Years Eve. It took a while but all of the decorations are finally down. We got together to watch East Carolina Win their conference but loose the Liberty Bowl. Yesterday we watched Danika Patrick come in 6th in the Arka race and then we tried to stay up and watch the NASCAR race but my eyelids closed before the cars could reach the finish line. Last night it was back over to mom and Dad's to watch the Super bowl. Daddy is doing much better and is back to work today!

Hunter is so active and so so smart. You can't get anything past him. His Christmas was too good. He is way too spoiled. His grades in school are good but not as good as we would like to see them. He recently completed a project on Reptiles. He made a 100 and I had a good time helping him with it. He loves to use my scrapbook tools so if I can just keep in interested in the task long enough we are in great shape. We are having some issue with his meds. Please pray that we will be able to find what works the best for him and the doctor will be open to increasing the dosage as needed.

Toby is growing like a weed and although he is sleeping through the night most of the time he still wakes up at night and can't settle himself back down. It is a lot better than it was but there are still a lot of sleepless nights. Toby has had an ear infection since Christmas. He then caught a head cold from the rest of us but I think we are over the hump and on the road to recovery now. Toby actually lost weight on his 6month check up on 1.22.10. He was 14lbs and 13oz. He is in the 10% for weight, 50% in height and 50% for circumference of his head. We are now adding Meat in with his fruits and veggies. He loves his solid food. Toby has such a sweet and laid back disposition until he wants or needs something ... then the neighbors know it. - LOL I can't get over how Blue his eyes are.

We had SNOW about 5 inches of it and sleet and rain and lots more sleet... Hunter went sledding with the neighbor on the back of his 4 wheeler and then we took him and his cousins Donnie and Alexis to a hill that I used to sled down when I was younger. They all had a blast. I didn't get Toby out in it too much. I know he would have liked it but since he was just getting over a cold I thought that it would be best if he weren't exposed to the frigid temps we were experiencing. It has been over a week and we still have snow sitting around in parking lots where it was piled up and we had a washout last Friday. There were flurries this weekend but no accumulation. It was beautiful falling but caused to difficulty in travel. That's my kind of snow!

Thomas agreed to Coach again. Most of the time I would say this was expected but this time not so much. He is coaching boys basketball. I told him he better find a book and start reading up on it quick. We had our first game Saturday and Hunter scored 3 baskets (He put many more than that up). All in all I thought our boys did a super job.

I will try not to make it so long next time but until then...

12.24.09 @ 7:00 PM

Praise GOD!!!! My Christmas wish came true. Daddy is coming home for Christmas!!!!!!

Daddy was released tonight and if he isn't already home he should be on the way. I haven't spoken to them since about 4:45PM so I really don't have a lot to report. I will try to post again as soon as I have more information.

A huge shout out and THANK YOU goes to my siblings and all the Aunts and Uncles who organized, cleaned and cooked to make Our annual Christmas breakfast happen. The tradition will live on...

Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes and prayers. Daddy will continue to need them in the coming weeks as he continues to heal.

Merry Christmas Ya'll

12.24.09 @ 11:00AM

I just got off the phone with Daddy. He sounds a lot better today. He said the bruises look better today. They have drained into his cheek bones and he is almost recognizable from his nose up again. They have started him on oral meds and plan to cut his epidural off at noon today. Let’s just say the oral meds were working on his happy little self – LOL. He was joking around and wanted to know what was going on around here. We spoke for about 7 min before hospital personnel came in and he had to go.

He said if the oral meds kept him at a comfortable level of pain and he could get his oxygen up then they would probably send him home later today. However, they want his oxygen at 93% and he is having a hard time keeping the saturation up that high.

Dad did seem a little worried that he wouldn’t be home for our traditional Christmas breakfast. He definitely feels better and is ready to come home. I told him if he had to stay we would be fine and that we would all have Christmas one way or another. He said it wouldn’t be the same but I was quick to remind him that it beat the alternative of not having him here at all if he had died in the accident. He said he had thought about that several times too. I know it will hurt his feelings if he can’t be home though.

Please continue to pray for him and that everything will work out. I know what is meant to be will be and we will all deal with it but just having Daddy home for Christmas would be the best present I have ever been given.

12.23.09 @ 4:00PM

I have not heard anything further today other than Daddy may be allowed to go home sometime tomorrow. I think the feeling is sometime early tomorrow rather than later in the day. Continue to pray for his improvement, that his pain is manageable and he is able to keep the congestion clear. I know he will do anything that he can to go home tomorrow so that he will be there for Christmas. He is determined not to interfere with our traditional family Christmas breakfast. However. if he doesn’t make it home we will just have to take Christmas to him. (Just not all at once… can you see all of us and our wild kids packed in that room.) That is just a small part of what makes Christmas so special.

If I don’t have an update before then – Have a wonderfully merry Christmas!!!!!

12.23.09 -
Daddy’s Bruising is moving down from his upper eyelids and into his lower eyes and cheek bones. I only spoke with mom for a short second. As you can imagine Daddy is still having a hard time breathing. He has developed some chest congestion overnight. They are trying to get him to cough to clear his lungs but it hurts really bad. They are also going to try to pull him off his epidural today and see if they can manage more with by mouth medication. That will tell us if or when he can go home. Mom sounded much better this AM and actually like she got a little bit of sleep last night. She has stayed with Daddy at the hospital since this all happened. I know she is tired but I think she is getting a glimmer of hope in the healing process rather than seeing Daddy progressively get worse. Don’t get me wrong he has a lot of healing to do but I think things might be starting to turn the corner for him.
I saw pictures of the truck and the “Structure” 4.5-5 ft embankment that he hit yesterday. I am shocked that he was able to come out of this thing alive. The front of the Yukon is a mangled mess of metal. The dash has seperated from the bent frame. The steering column is bent. The sun visors were torn down. The front and back seats broke and shifted in the impact. Thomas said that the impact was hard enough to knock the motor sideways. There are some cracks in the front windshield but it didn’t cave in. No other glass is broken. The doors were all intact so the front end is where the majority of the visual damage is. The major thing we noticed is that HIS AIRBAG NEVER DEPLOYED! We don’t know why, all evidence and damage shows that it should have. Praise God he had his seat belt on. I can tell you that is the only thing that saved him.

For those of you who don’t know Daddy was in a rather serious car accident last night. He has been admitted to Pitt Memorial in Stable condition. Updates from this AM are below
12/22/09
1:00AM update
They admitted him - he will be there for at least 2 days. He has 3 broken ribs and bruised lungs. I am not sure if his nose is broken but it should be. Everything from his upper lip to his forehead is swollen and red or blue.
10:35am update
Daddy is in Room North 448 – I don’t think there is a phone in the room and mom’s phone is going dead but Kelly and Bo should be there with her charger by now.
Dad has 4 broken ribs - 3 on one side and one on the other & Both lungs are bruised. He is in danger of collapsing a lung or filling with fluid because his breathing is too shallow. That is why he had to stay. He had 2 shots of morphine and an epidural last night to keep the pain under control.
Bo thinks he heard someone say that Daddy hit a building but we won't be sure of anything until they get the report from the HP today and go to the scene and take pictures. They saw the car last night. It is torn up pretty bad. The frame is buckled and the back end is slightly raised off the ground. In the dark they could tell that the rear view mirror was tilted all the way down so they are pretty sure that he hit that with his head. The doors are in tact and it didn't look like any of the windows were broken.

12.21.09 - We got a call from Pitt Memorial tonight. Daddy was in a serious car accident and is in the hospital listed in stable condition. I will post more informaiton as I get it.

12.18.09 - Happy Birthday Thomas!!!!! Things are very busy around our house getting all prepared for Christmas. We have almost finished all the shopping and Hunter is about to die with curiosity to open all his presents. I think he was so excited about opening them that he accidentally let Dad know what his Birthday/Christmas present was. Therefore we convinced him to open it on his birthday instead of waiting another week for Christmas.

Toby is doing well and settled right in at his new daycare several weeks ago. It is amazing, within 4 days he was sleeping through the night!Finally. Now we still have a couple of knights here and there but nothing like what we had before. He was 14lbs a month ago at his 4 month checkup but he turned 5 months old yesterday. I would figure he is about 15lbs now. He has started on food and cereal. He eats all is vegetables and Green Peas and Squash are his favorites. He has also had pears, peaches and prunes along with rice and mixed cereal. He is still a little behind in his physical development but he is the sweetest most laid back kid... most of the time. He really is a joy to be around and he loves to look around and smile with his crooked smile. He is starting to really giggle out loud well and has learned how to talk and fuss with his passy still in his mouth. So .... Passy doesn't always work to make him quite now and I think he is discovering his own voice at the moment. That is cute until you are in church and he just likes to hear the sound of his voice echo while the preacher is delivering his sermon.- LOL I pray he keeps this sweet disposition and his laid back nature.

Hunter is excited to finally be out of school and is starting to realize that this is Toby's "First Real Christmas". I don't know what is more special to him right now. The fact that his name is on the gifts or that Toby has some to open too. Hunter is jealous of the time that mommy has to spend with Toby but he truly loves Toby with all of his heart. Hunter is just a little attention starved right now I think.

11.11.09 - TOBY SAID MAMA TODAY!

First let me start by saying thank-you to all the veterans for everything they have done for us - Job Well Done! Now to the active service men and women out there who do such a wonderful job to keep us safe we humbly thank you too!

Now, I know it has been a while since I last updated this site and a lot has happened. We are all doing well and Fall Ball season if finally over. I am so proud of Hunter and how much her learned and grew this past season. His grades were OK but we just met with his teacher and she says that he is doing better on the couple of subjects that he was having a little trouble with. I really can't complain. For the most part he is behaving at school and the majority of his grades are outstanding! We are so proud of him for working so hard to meet his potential.

Toby is growing like a weed. He went to the Doctor last Friday. He weighed in at 12lbs 5oz. He was running a fever and had been very cranky for about 3 days. He had even begin to decrease his formula intake. Several of us were sure that it was his first ear infection. - Turns out Toby is teething! It may be a good while before those teeth finally break through but it is apparently going to be pretty tough for our little guy. Now, he used to smile and chuckle quite a bit before he started feeling so but but he will still do it from time to time. He has not only learned how to whine and cry with a passy in his mouth but he has started babbling like crazy. This AM he was just babbling along in the car as we were leaving the house when all of a sudden I heard this tiny voice say MAMA! Now I know he had no clue what he was saying but I just had a fit. I smiled and clapped my hands I told him what a good boy he was and he just smiled the biggest smile back at me. It was kinda like that scene in baby geniuses when their daughter talks for the first time. I started to pull out of the driver way as he was just laughing and squealing. He caught his breath and said it again! when I looked at him he looked to be so proud of himself as if to say Look Mom see what I can do... I can make you act like a crazy loon now lets see if you will do it again. And of course I did. I talked to him all the way to school telling him what a good boy he was and how proud I was but he never said another word just grinned from ear to ear and tried to shy his face away in his blanket.

10.09.09 - Toby is officially 12 weeks old today. He isn't laughing outloud yet. He will make a noise that sounds like he is gasping for air that is really loud occationally but not a real giggle. He is pushing out with his legs and scooting around when he is flat on his back. Not really going anywhere but it is enough to make changing a diaper a bit more challenging. I haven't really tried but I am pretty sure he could put some weight on his legs if I tried to hold him in a supported standing position.

Guess what we were doing at 12:30 this AM... smiling, cooing and just having a grand time. Mommy was about to pass out from sleep deprivation but that didn't seem to matter to Toby.

Hunter has a game tonight at 7:00. Thomas said he hit the ball well at practice yesterday but his pitching wasn't too great. I am still amazed at how he just takes the pressure of playing ball like it is nothing. When he started pitching this year (at only 7 years old) I was a nervous wreck. I still am every time he steps on that mound. It doesn't really seem to bother him that much and for a 1st year, 7 yr old, pitcher I think he is doing a great job. I will try to get some pictures of his pitching posted soon

10.08.09 - Toby has been smiling off and on for a couple of weeks but it has been really hard to get him to do it for you. This week ... It has been easier with each passing day. He was really happy last night while I was cooking dinner and gave me the oppertunity to snap pictures of several good smiles. He is growing so much and too fast. He is at least 10.5 lbs now.

10.4.09 - Toby has found his hands! He isn't sucking his thumb but would rather try to cram his entire fist in his mouth at once. He is cooing more and chattering some. Mostly fussy noises or sqeels but at least he isn't screaming at the top of his lungs all the time now. We went to MawMaw and PawPaw Bailey's new house. We met MeeMee for the first time and PawPaw held Toby and played with him. Hunter played his Nintendo DS most of the time because they still don't have their TV working yet. MawMaw fed Toby and them PawPaw played some more. Somehow I got roped into playing checkers with Hunter. That ended up being a battle between me and Hunter (with the aid of Thomas and PawPaw). I was out numbered... Thankfully Toby spit up and I had to quit. The Bailey's seem really happy and we all had a good time.

10.1.09 - (Toby) "The doctor said that I could have a little cereal but I don't really care for it. Don't get me wrong it is ok but I could live without it. He also told Mommy that I could have a couple oz of Apple Juice every few days. That is different but I am not sure if I like it yet. I will have to give it another try. Today, Mommy gave me prunes with Apples. She fed me with a spoon and everything. I was so happy. I like to eat from a spoon and those prune things are really good. I hope I get some more of that stuff soon!"

9.25.09 - Happy 10th Anniversary Thomas and Heather. I can't believe it has been 10 years! Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday that we said I do but other times it feels like an eternity. We made it this far so I guess another 10 will be over before we know it.

Hunter continues to do well in school. He has only had a couple of days on yellow and I couldn't ask for his grades to be much better.

Hunter had a game tonight. It was cold, raining and messy. Jimmy, Lisa and Dustin came to see him play. The Rays lost again but they had a good time doing it. Hunter played pitching position while the machine was out. and he caught a couple of innings. He pitched the last inning and stuck another kid out. We had a touch ump to please. He was calling definate strikes as balls and Hunter was really getting tired there toward the end. He will never admit that but you could tell it.

We went to eat with Jimmy, Lisa and Dustin after the game. It was really great to spend time with them. We don't do that as often as we used to.

Thomas has to work to morrow doing inventory so he is already off to bed and it will be me and the boys tomorrow.

9.18.09 - SHOTS - Toby got 3 shots and 1 by mouth vaccination at his appointment today. He was 9lbs and 22.25 in he was in the 50% for height and head circumference and 25% in weight. He should be smiling a little more. He will occasionally but it is hard to force him to smile. The rest of the milestones were reached. So far so good on the milk change and he has even started sleeping a little longer between bottles but no where near a good night sleep yet.

Hunter pitched 2 innings during his ballgame tonight. He did a wonderful job and we are extremely proud. He struck out 4 and hit 2. One of the kids he struck out was one of the biggest best hitters on the other team. That kid was mad! I will say that the other team was really crowding the plate and it was very difficult to throw strikes. One of the kids that Hunter hit was batting with his foot on the base. Hunter is the youngest smallest kid in the league so you can imagine how he looks on the mound pitching to a 10 year old. Everyone said he is doing such a great job. This instructional fall league has been great for him. He has played several different positions including 2nd, short, catcher and some outfield. He has actually spent very little time on 1st. Thomas is the assistant coach and Tony Garcia is head coach. Tony is a great coach and I think Thomas has even learned a thing or two.
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9.17.09 - Toby has developed Excema and it is pretty painful for him. Dr. Baliga has changed us to a soy based formula and given me some cream to put on Toby's face once a day. We have a check up in 2 days so I am sure he will check everything out then.

8.31.09 - Well it is back to work for me and Toby started daycare at Ridgecrest today. He did great - I wish I could say the same for myself but I did manage to resist the urge to call and check on him today. I think I may try to go down there to feed him his bottle at lunch tomorrow. The women in his room are good with him and he is the smallest one in the room. There is one little girl that is about 2 weeks older than him but the other 5 are almost big enough to move up to the next age group. I spent most of the day catching up on e-mail and bills. I should be ready to start hiring drivers again by lunch time tomorrow. It does feel good to get back into the swing of things but I am a bit overwelmed with all the things that need to be done in the short 3-4 hours between leaving work and going to bed. Maybe things will settle down and we will get in a good routine very soon.

8.19.09 - Hunter started 2nd grade today. He seems to like his teacher and I feel like he got a good one. He had a great day and is ready for tomorrow.

8.13.09 - We were in to see Dr. Baliga for Toby's 2 week and 1 month check ups all at once. I can't believe he is almost a month old. Time is really flying by and I will be back to work before we know it. Toby is 7.5 lbs and 22 in long. He has done a lot of growing. He continues to have bouts of colic but the acid reflux is worse than anythig. They started him on some medicine to help with the acid reflux and we have changed his milk yet again. The neutramagin doesn't seem to be helping but I am going to give it a few more days. The only milestone that he hasn't seemed to pass is focusing but this appointment is a little early and that may be why we haven't noticed him focusing on objects. Other than that and the fact that we are still not sleeping everything is great.

8.9.09 - As you can imagine it has been a very busy few weeks at our house. I think the newness is starting to ware off and we are beginning to settle down into some sort of normal lifestyle. Hunter is still very excited about being a big brother and loves Toby very much. He still has his moments, as every child does, but he has been a good helper and is starting to really mature. His behavior has been good for the most part, particularly when I have to go out with him and Toby alone. I am trying to divide my time between the 2 of them fairly but it is tough because Toby is suffering from reflux and colic. He obviously requires a lot of attention and I could really use some sleep. Hunter is still having some trouble understanding all of it. I hope the start of school and ball season will help redirect his focus.
We shopped for the start of school yesterday. We were out for 6 hours and the visited my parents for a while. As long as his teacher doesn't send a big list of additional needed supplies home, Hunter should be ready to go. We are on the count down now. Open house is 8-17 & the 1st day is 8-19.
We had a scare earlier this week. We obtained a spot in a preferred daycare only for it to be given away to someone else. I was scared we wouldn't find another spot in a reputable place. I was in tears for a while but it all worked out. We have secured and paid a deposit in a church based daycare close to my office. Timing will be a problem in the AM when trying to get Hunter to school, Toby to daycare and in to work by 8AM. It will be close but all we can do is try.
Toby turned 3 weeks old Friday and we started on the 3rd brand of formula. Every time we change his symptoms get worse. We are supposed to see Dr. Baliga on Thursday. I am fairly certain we will leave with some medicine for reflux. Then maybe I can work on the colic problem and getting his nights & days straight. It sure would be wonderful if I could get 5-6 hours of sleep before I have to return to work.

7.25.09 - Back to the Doctor's office today. We saw Dr. Kinard. The last little bit of Toby's unbilicle cord fell off Wednesday night but nowToby's belly button is a little infected. Dr. Kinard cleaned it really good with peroxide and sealed it up with silver nitrate. It looks kinda ugly becuase the silver nitrate turned it black but that should all wash away soon. Toby gained a couple of ounces and is doing fine.

7.20.09 - We saw Dr. Baliga for the first time today. Toby didn't loose or gain any weight and is doing well. They think that we may have a bit of jaundice but his bili results aren't high enough for major concern. He is eating well and seems to be perfect in every way.

7.17.09 - Read all about it!

Toby Aiden Bailey is finally here!

Toby came into the world like he was running a race. We got to Pitt Memorial Hospital around 5:30am and Toby was born at 9:00am on the dot! Thomas was even back in Rocky Mount by 10:30am to watch Hunter play in a ballgame at Wesleyan.
Toby was 6 lbs and 14 oz. He is 19.5 inches long. He has 10 fingers and 10 toes. Everything seems to be working fine. He looks just like Hunter. He is a beautiful baby boy - but I am a little partial. We are all doing great.

7/13/09 - Back to the OB today. They ran several tests today but everything looks good. Toby only measured 6lbs 4oz but they could be off by about a pound either way. I will go back to see Dr. Taft on Monday 7/20/09 but... There is an end in sight...
... We are scheduled for induction at 6am on Wed 7/22/09!!!!!!

7/8/09 - Happy Birthday Garrette - you guys are all growing so fast! I am sorry that your mom was sick and we weren't able to have your party. I am sure that we will be celebrating with you soon. .......... Who knows maybe we will be celebrating Toby's birthday soon too.

7/7/09 - Happy Birthday Big MawMaw! We really enjoyed having your over for ribs last night (7/6/09) We have such a small house and don't get to do those things very often but I am really glad that we could do it this time. We hope you had a really great birthday yesterday!

7/2/09 - Happy Birthday Dustin! - You are such a precious little thing. I am sure that your parents made sure that you had a really special day. We really enjoyed your party a few days ago and look forward to comming back to swim agian soon.
I went back to the OB today. Everything looks good except my Blood Pressure which continues to be elevated slightly. Enough for them to be a little concerned but nothing like what I experienced with Hunter so far. Toby gained 4 more ounces and is up to 6 lbs 2oz. I on the otherhand actually lost 8 ounces. - Go me! I am starting to get really uncomforable and Toby has really dropped in the last 2 weeks. Don't get me wrong I am not complaining at all after all it all comes with the territory. Besides compaired to kidney stones this has been nothing. Looks like this comming Friday may be my last day at work but I am not sure. I guess it depends on Toby and when he choose to come meed us. I know that he will be here by July 27 by way of induction. We could go in at anytime not and if we go earlier they will not stop my labor.
We are in the short rows now!!!!!

6/30/09 - Hunter had a great birthday today. He went swimming with Mrs A at Birchwood and then his Dad picked him up early to go to the batting cage. Both sets of grandparents and his aunt Angie, aunt Kelly, uncle Andy and their kids Joey and Will came to meet us all for dinner. He chose K&W. Mom and Dad surprised him and brought Donnie. At dinner we learned that Donnie lost a tooth this week but Joey lost his first 2 teeth at the same time earlier in the day. Poor Hunter turned 7 and hasn't had the first loose tooth. After Dinner Thomas, Hunter, Donnie and my Dad went back to the batting cage where Bo met them and they all took a turn swinging the bat. It sounds like they all had a good time. I took mom home so we could stay out of the heat. I know that Daddy was tired when he got home but he looked better to me today than he has in a few weeks. When I got home Hunter was already in bed but I let him come down and snuggle with me in my bed for about an hour past his bed time. He fell asleep and Thomas had to lift him up into his top bunk. - I asked him if he had a good birthday and he said he had a great one. Thanks to everyone who made it such a special Day for our special "big" boy.

6/29/09 - We can't decide on a middle name for Toby. I like Aiden and Thomas likes Fisher. Anyone want to wiegh in or make a suggestion of their own. Please help us pick the perfect name for Toby.
CommentsHeather,I have been thinking of an "H" name so Toby would have both your initials too.I like both the ones you guys have picked but I also like Toby Harrison and Toby Harper..... Just my 2 cents... Lynn! - Lynn Billings

6/27/09 - June and July are months to celebrate in our family.
Happy Birthday Will - we really enjoyed your party with Chuck-E-Cheese. I hope you had a great time. You got a lot of nice presents and anytime you want to stop growing up it will be fine with me. You are getting so big. 4 is such an important age. You will be getting ready to start Kindergarten next year so there is a lot to learn. I know you will do great. You are such a character and we love being around you. You so unpredictable and we can't help but laugh when we are around you. Keep being yourself. You should be very proud that you always bring a smile to everyone's face.
Happy Birthday Dustin - Wow 2 already! You are such a bright eyed and enthusiastic little boy. Your Mom and Dad threw you a great party. Hunter really enjoyed swimming in your pool. He can't wait to come back and swim some more. As always the food was wonderful! You are such a lucky little boy to have so many people who love you. My heart fills with joy and happiness when I watch you play. I know your parents can't imagine life with out you and they couldn't love you anymore than they do. We are so happy to know you and glad that you came into our lives.

6/25/09 - We went to the OB today. We have been going every week for a little while now. This one was a pretty big appointment. We had a non-stress test, ultrasound, blood work, strep test and we saw Dr. Taft who checked things out before we left. Thomas was able to take off an go this time and that was great. We ate at O'Charley's and spent about 30 min at Babies R Us before we came home. It was a nice afternoon for just the 2 of us to focus on our new arrival even if Thomas was a little preoccupied with the upcoming NBA draft. (Just in case you didn't catch it Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson both went 13 & 14 in the first round. I am sure that the Pacers and the Nuggets may have found a new fan in Thomas) Thomas really likes Dr. Taft. Some of the reasons are pretty obvious because Dr. Taft has been so understanding and supportive through this whole process. I think their shared enthusiasm for the NC Tar heels has something to do with it too.
For those of you who aren't interested in the gory details... Feel free to stop reading here.
As for me and the baby we are just fine. He weighed just under 6 lbs on Thursday. I am fingtip dilated. My cervix is extremely soft and about 50% effaced. Toby was at -1 station (2 stations lower than they expected -so I think we can safely say he has dropped) I noticed he was a little lower than that over the weekend and I have a lot of pressure. They won't check me again for another 3 weeks. I got the feeling that Dr. Taft will not induce until after my due date. However, he kinda gave us the impression that he felt like I would go on my own before then. We will see. I have had some cramps but nothing major or continuous. Toby has found my sciatic nerve and I have had a few bad days with that but for now he seems to be off of it again. I am starting to gain a little weight now, I am swelling a little and my BP is starting to creep up slightly. My sugars are rising but I am managing them with insulin it just takes a whole lot more. I am not complaining because all of this comes with the territory and it has all been so much easier than it was with Hunter. I was so miserable by the time he came that I don't think any of this can compare to that. We are in the short rows now and in less than a month we will have a new little boy to take care of. Just knowing that makes it worth the wait even if we are getting a little anxious. When it all comes down to it ... Toby will be here when he is ready- LOL.

6/20/09 - We had Hunter's Birthday party today. Everyone had a great time and we would like to thank them for coming to celebrate with Hunter. Hunter's Birthday isn't for a few more days but with the holiday being so close it is hard to fit it in so we usually try to have it a little early. The people at the Mini Putt were great. It was really nice to let the kids just run and play and have a good time without worrying about them. Sams made us a wonderful cake. It was one of the most, moist cakes we have ever eaten. - Yellow Cake with Butter cream icing if you ever need to order one and the price was very reasonable.
I am so proud of my little boy. He is growing up so fast. I can't believe that you are already almost 7 years old. We love you very much baby!!!
Happy Birthday

6/5/09 - #3 seed Jenkins takes out #2 seed West Mount to advance in final playoff against Sykes Sunday @ 2:00 PM on Coopers Field. - Way to go Jenkins!!!!

6/2/09 - I am so proud of Hunter that I just have to share with you what he did. Today was the awards ceremony at school. He got the national fitness award and was very excited about it. He was so proud of himself. We are most proud of him for getting the Head Master's Academic Award!!!! I don't think he really understands how great that is. He had to maintain an A in every subject of study for every grading period during the entire year. When we got his report card he had a 100% average in spelling and a 98% in Math for the year, all others subjects were between 97-95%! HURRAY HUNTER WAY TO GO!!!

5/23/09 - Baby Shower time. Mom, Kelly, Linda and Donna took care of the food and decorating the church. They did an outstanding job. I can never thank each of them enough!!! Many of you were able to come by, visit and eat. Others sent gifts as well. Many of you showed us kindness beyone imagination. I was truely blessed! I spoke with Jeanette and confided in her that this is one of the first times I have really been able to let myself get excited about everything. I don't think I quit smiling all day. It has really hit me now. This is really happening and Toby is really going to be ok! Hunter is so excited and he even got some gifts too. (Thank you for thinking of him and making sure that he wasn't left out - that means more to me than you will ever know) I would like to thank everyone for what you have done both in gifts and support. I would have never made it through this time without the support of my family and friends. You have all taken the time to lift us up in prayer and hold us up in a time of need. I hope it isn't needed but would like to think that we will someday be able to return the favor. We will continue to remember all of you in our prayers each day. Oh and did I say THANK YOU!!!!!

5/15/09 - Another visit with the OB. Overall it was a good visit. I am right at 30 weeks now. We opted not to pay for the 4D ultrasound but the tech did let us get a peak at Toby's face on 4D for just a second today. It was amazing. Just as we thought he looks just like Hunter. They did a growth scan today which brings us to my biggest news... Toby is already 3lbs and 3oz. He is going to be a big baby. He has gone from the 48% in size to the 53% since our last scan at about 22 weeks. Linda, Angie and Hunter were all with me. It was truely a wonderful experience to be able to share. When we left we went to Wal-Mart, BabiesRUs and stopped to eat at O'Charley's. Hunter got some Bacugons (I don't know if that is spelled right but they are kinda like transformers meets pokemon) and the Shrimp dip at O'Charley's was out of this world. Thanks guys for going and spending this time with me it really meant a lot!

5/4/09 - Back to the OB today. Thomas was able to go with me this time and that is always great! Overall we had a good visit and everything looks good. I am measuring exactly where I should be for this time in my pregnancy. My sugar levels are starting to creep up particularly at night. Dr. Taft (I just love him) decided to leave me on my oral medication for diabetes but has added a shot of insulin at night with my dinner. Thomas is looking forward to sticking me with that needle every night - LOL. Dr. Taft said it is too early to tell but right now I am not having any other issue that would lead him to believe that Toby will appear early. I told him Toby would probably come late to make up for the time that Hunter came early. He did say that babies whose mothers are diabetic tend to have lungs that don't develop as rapidly as those who don't. We really need to pray for Toby's lungs. We go back to see Dr. Haskins on May 15th. Then will probably start weekly visits by 5/29/09.
Hunter got his new bed last week - Thank you MawMaw and PawPaw! He loves it. I still haven't gotten the room completely moved around and the crib put back together but things are starting to come together.
Our poor little ball team is still struggling but they do have a couple of checks in the W column. Hunter loves to play baseball! We only have 2 or 3 more weeks left in the season. I sure hope we can get the team fired back up so that we can get a couple more W's.
Thomas had another long week at work last week but it looks like things are going to be better this week. That push at the end of the month is about to kill them all. Hopefully he will get a breather before the hours start stacking up again. God Bless him for making the commitment to go in at 2:30 AM so that he can get off by 2:30 PM in time to pick Hunter up from school. He works so had and I am thankful for him everyday!

4/20/09 - Hi everyone I know I have been slack about writing since we got the good news. Things have been very busy around our house. Hunter is in full swing with the baseball season. Thomas is so excited about coaching his first "competitive" team. Right now there are 4 teams and I think we are ranked 3rd. It has been a real challenge but Thomas wouldn't trade if for the world. We are trying to get the house ready to welcome Toby home. We are still looking for a bed for Hunter. We have found several on craigslist.com but they have sold the beds before we could get there to pick them up. Our dryer has died. We have had it fixed once this past month but apparently the motor has finally decided it doesn't want to work any longer. We will be having it repaired and a new motor placed in it. I just feels like we can't get ahead to save our souls.My sugars are starting to creep up and I will probably be on insulin in the next couple of weeks. My tummy is getting much more rounded but I have managed to remain at the same weight for the last 3-4 weeks. I think Toby is starting to put on more weight than I can loose at this point. So far swelling has been at a minimum and aside from not really being able to see my feet, bend down easily and being so darn tired all the time we are doing very well. We are in the short rows now and I feel like he will be here before we know it.School will be coming to an end very soon and Hunter has had a really bad case of spring fever ever since Easter break. He is starting to talk a lot in school and therefore we are starting to see less Green days. We have talked about it and he said he would try harder. I just hope is spring fever breaks soon.Hunter has a field trip coming up on Thursday. He is looking forward to it but will probably be late for his ball game and that didn't make him very happy. Up until yesterday, when Thomas let another kid play 1st base, Hunter has still expressed a desire to go on the trip. I think he is just scared of losing his position. Truth be told, he played better at short stop yesterday in practice than he does at 1st base. Mr. Jodie worked on Hunter's swing and stance yesterday. He was somewhat impressed with Hunter. He seems to have figured out the problem and gotten the ball back up in the air for now.My scrapbooking weekend is coming up and I am so excited about it that I can hardly wait. A whole weekend of just the girls and doing some of our favorite things. This is the first time I have gotten a chance to go and spend more than a couple of hours at Memoranza. I know it will be a few years before I can do it again so I am really looking forward to it. I am a little upset because I will miss Hunter's game on Saturday but I am sure he will do a great job!

I will try not to wait so long before I write again - Ya'll have a good week!

4/2/09
As for Toby and me we are doing fine. He is a squirmy little thing but we have known that for a while. I continue to loose weight and I have to watch what I eat very closely as my sugar levels aren't allowing me to fudge very much. I am starting to get very soar and I am tired all of the time. Hey, all of that comes with the territory. There are worse things and I am just happy to be able to experience the rest of this pregnancy.
Dr. Taft called Friday night just to let me know that he was thinking about me. He said that Toby and I had been the topic of conversation in several staff meetings. Since the Amnio that he performed didn't catch the abnormality he was very concerned and they are even in the process of re-evaluating their choice of labs because of my one experience. I am shocked but honored that they would question a lab that they have been using for so long based on my experience alone. Dr. Taft has been awesome! I really hope he is the one that gets to deliver Toby.
Thank you all for your prayers and continued support. I can not begin to express what they mean to us. I would have never gotten through this without you guys! Please keep us in mind when you say your blessings every night. We may be out of the woods but we can always use your words.

3/29/09 - Hunter played in his first baseball game of the season today. His team played really well in the first half of the game, leading in the fist 3 innings, but ultimately lost in the 5th inning. The score was 14-8. Hunter played first base and got several outs. He even caught a fly ball. He is still missing a few plays but all of that will come in time with experience and maturity. He also hit the ball well. He needs to work on getting the ball down better but all in all he did a really great job. I am so proud of him and his team. His Daddy is going a good job as coach too. Hunter's next game is at Coopers Field @ 6PM Thursday

3/25/09 - PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! The wait is over. Dr. Isler called this afternoon. Thomas carries the exact same gene mutation that they found in Toby. This means Toby should be fine. We will still have to watch him a little closer to make sure that he meets all of his milestones on time but overall we expect a healthy baby boy! When Dr. Isler called all I could do was laugh. We already suspect that this baby will be another spitting image of Thomas. All of this has proved that I am nothing more than a mere vessel for my children. They get all of their genetics from their Dad - LOL
CommentsThank you Lord! Oh what nice news to hear. You should get a good nights sleep tonight now that this has been settled. We are mighty happy for you too! - Lynn and Randall God is good, all the time!Love you! - Tammy and Tanner

3/23/09 - Thomas and I went to Greenville today to have a couple of tubes of blood drawn each. We learned a lot about chromosomes and completed a family tree for the counselor. We may know if either of us carry this inversion by the end of the week but I really don't expect to hear anything before next week. If the inversion is passed from one of us it appears to be balanced and they don't suspect that there will be anything wrong with Toby. If this is new to the baby then we will have to keep a closer eye on him as he continues to develop and once he is born. One of the things that we will need to look for is developmental delays and mental retardation. There are some physical problems that he could have but because of all of our results from previous ultrasounds everyone feels pretty confident that he will not be affected by any of these concerns as long as he continues to develop normally.
On a separate note, I haven't been able to get on the treadmill like I was prior to all of this testing. I am trying to get back into it now. However, my sugar levels are beginning to creep up again. They are still within normal range but they are starting to push the envelope. Pray that I will be more diligent and able to get them back under control very soon.

3/20/09 - Just when we thought everything was over - here we go again!

The Genetic Counselor with the Brody School of Med. Called this afternoon about 2:45. There is no evidence of Trisomy but there is an inversion of part of the 9th Chromosome. This could be hereditary so they now want to test mine and Thomas's blood. If either of us possess this inversion and we are both healthy there is no reason to think that Toby will not be healthy. If this is "new to the baby" they will do further study to see exactly where the chromosome broke and flipped around before reattaching. This will help indicate any issues that we may have to face once he is here. Inv(9) as they call it, can be responsible for dimorphic features, congenital defects, development delays and phenotype development. This being said studies have shown that although there is a significant link to inv(9) and genetic human diseases, 1-3% of normal humans in general population possess this inversion. From what I can tell inv(9) is one of the most common. We have an appointment back at the Brody School of Medicine on Monday at 8:00AM. We will find out more about the defect and both of us will give samples of our blood for analysis.
I will keep you posted so check back later for more updates.