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Everything you want to know (and maybe a few things you didn't) about our life as we just try to get through one day at a time with our two boys - Jackson and Will. This is an exciting time for our "Little" family!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

The Ups and Downs











I have many updates to post this week, so hang in there with me (I'll do my best to condense):


~I am now 16 weeks pregnant. That puts me at month 4 and only 4 weeks away from the halfway point. Yes, I am counting down and marking the days on my calendar!

~ Jackson is the sweetest thing and now says, "I miss you" and "I love you." It just melts my heart. He and daddy have been swimming in the pool at MawMaw's twice and he loves it (especially the water falls). We will begin swimming lessons on June 7th (this was pushed back due to the next update).

~ On Friday morning, Jackson's pediatrician, Dr. Hunt, told me that the results from his stool samples showed a malabsorbtion of fats. This means, when he is eating, his body doesn't absorb fats and it passes to his stool without his body receiving enough of the nutrients (from the fat). He is absorbing carbohydrates and proteins so this was positive news. This all came two days after our appointment with the Gastro pediatric doctor who told us that it seems very probably that Jackson is having some pain when he eats and this has lead to food/eating issues.

~ We have scheduled a endoscopy procedure for this Friday to have Jackson's stomach, esophogus, etc. viewed and to have biopsies taken from the tissue. The biopsy should help us determine what may be causing the malabsorbtion of fats. We will also have a better understanding of his possible acid reflux issues.

This is a very minor procedure that will involve a pediatric anesthesiologist who will sedate Jackson with a gas mask. We are able to be in the room during this part of the procedure. We will then step out for the scope that will take about 20 minutes. He will awake about five minutes following the procedure and after a short recovery, we can take him home to rest. Please pray for our little man during this time!

~ We also received word on Friday that a mass was found in my grandfather's abdomen, near the location of his previous mass. You all may recall my posts describing his miraculous recovery from major surgery back in February. We have been blessed to have these last four months with him. They performed another surgery last night and were unable to remove the mass. It has encompassed most of his organs in that region. The doctors are unable to do any more surgery and chemo is not an option on this rare form of cancer. Please pray for his comfort and peace during this time.

~ Despite this news, we welcomed The Bush family to Dallas (James, Ethan and Allison) for a little visit and had a great time. We went to the park on Friday while the daddies went to the Byron Nelson PGA tournament. James had his first swing ride - Allison has video! On Saturday we went to the zoo - it was crazy busy but Saturdays usually are! - and the boys enjoyed the sights. Jackson preferred the monkeys, elephants, zebras, etc. while James watched all the little girls around him. Sunday was a relaxing day and we went to lunch at Cowboy Chow, visited the Grapevine Botanical Gardens where we got some great photos, and then grilled by the pool. James loved putting his feet in the water and splashed around. On Monday, we had lunch at Towne Square and walked around to some of the stores. Right before we left, we had a celebrity sighting - the oldest Jonas brother. They live nearby and he was with his wife and another couple. I only recognized them from pictures in People Magazine which is where I get most of my information from these days...
When we finally made it to the airport without a minute to spare - sorry E! - we were sad to see them off and hope to have more time together very soon. The boys were really enjoying each other by the end of the trip - I have pictures of them reading books together, playing cars and rolling the ball to each other. Jackson was smitten with his "Uncle E" which made James a little jealous but they shared him pretty well.

Tomorrow is my monthly checkup with Dr. Neal and we'll schedule the ultrasound for next month to determine the sex. We are hoping Whitney (also known as "ninnie" to the kids) will be able to fly in tomorrow as planned but this, of course, will depend on how my grandfather is doing.







I'll have much more to post later this weekend. Please continue to pray for Jack, my grandfather and our family...

James' visit with Jack, May 2010


I've posted pictures from our visit with James, Allison and Ethan. We had a wonderful time and the boys became buddies! The link will bring you to the snapfish webpage where I have updloaded the pics.
Click here to view photos

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

15 weeks and counting...





Because I don't have the time, nor the energy, Jackson will have to share his blog with his soon-to-be sibling. It's only the beginning of this sharing thing so he has to start somewhere. I'm a younger sibling, I know how much of a pain we can be especially when we want your stuff! So, I'll begin including updates for Baby Little with Jackson's adventures. Sadly, we took our first belly pictures last night to mark 15 weeks (we were doing this every month for Jackson!). But, the second one always gets less attention - before and after birth! I'm posting those belly pics for your viewing pleasure. It's definitely a bump, though a little odd-shaped, and starting to cause me some back aches. On Monday night, I felt the little baby move for the first time. It was a little tickle, almost like butterfly wings, on the right lower side of belly. I hollered to David but there was no way he would feel something so slight. I believe the only reason I'm feeling it so early is that a) I'm bigger this time around and b) I know what I'm feeling from experience and it isn't gas. It made my heart swell to know I have another little life inside of me - I get so busy that I forget the miracle of what is happening. With Jackson, I had the time to relish every little thing and bask in the moments. This little movement reminded it is the same with this little person too; I have to try not to forget that. According to my book, the baby is about the size of a softball and the genitalia have fully developed. We should find out the sex at our ultrasound next month - anyone want to take a guess at what it might be?? We're still hoping for a boy but who knows - I don't have a feeling either way. I would love to know what you all, loyal readers, think!

And now, on to the Jackson updates:

~He is now taking the prevacid every night for acid reflux and I find it is helping a little. His appetite has improved somewhat though we would love for it to get even better (but, hey, at this point, we're happy with any improvement). Today is his appointment with the gastro doctor that specializes in pediatrics. We will discuss the reflux/esophageal issues and possible allergies.

~His vocabulary continues to grow every day - we are amazed at some of the things he says now. Just yesterday, he pointed at one of his favorite books that we keep in the car (Richard Scarry's Cars, Trains and Things That Go) and said "book." I asked him "this book?" and he responded "that book." He knows the difference between this and that! My little genius...

~ He still begs his daddy to play "golf balls" as soon as he walks in the door in the evenings and we've enjoyed the nice weather (when it isn't raining). They now play baseball too and Jackson is doing great catching and throwing. I'm hoping David will take him to the driving range to practice putting sometime this summer - Jackson would be in heaven.

I'll post soon on the results of our GI doctor visit today...

Monday, May 10, 2010

Jack at the fire station, etc, by Hayley Little


I'd like to share my Snapfish photos with you. The pictures are from the past weekend - Jackson went shoe shopping in my closet, had a playgroup date at the botanical gardens and went to the Trophy Club Fire Department pancake breakfast where he thoroughly enjoyed the "woo woos" - that means fire engines.
Click here to view photos

Jackson's First Report - It's Good News

(My first Mother's Day with Jackson)

Dr. Hunt called us late Friday evening to tell us that Jackson's blood work (on those four vials) came back with positive results. He tested negative for celiac's disease, an endocrine disorder, CBC, anemia, etc. His levels were all normal. We are so thankful for this news and now look to our next doctor visit with the gastroenterologist for answers on possible issues with his esophogus/acid reflux and intestinal related allergy issues. She called out a prescription for prevacid to see if this helps with his eating and possible reflux. I'll keep you all posted on the results of that.

We had a great Mother's Day weekend and even went to Babies R Us to purchase a new bassinet for the baby. Jackson LOVED the toddler beds, especially Thomas the Train, so we are considering making this move to a toddler bed soon. My "Toddler Wise" book tells me its best to have them moved into some type of bed by the age of 2 but I haven't wanted to push it. He is doing so well sleeping that I would hate to disrupt it. However, I know the time is approaching and we need to get this done before Baby Little arrives.

My boys also took me to lunch at my favorite place - The Bistro at Nordstrom's in Northpark Mall. They gave me a beautiful orchid and a card from each of them. My only disappointment is that Mother's Day didn't last a week, not just one day. Don't we work hard enough all year to deserve a full week of pampering??? I guess that's not how it goes for us Moms... The world would probably stop if we all took a week off anyway.

And the BIG NEWS: Jackson poopoo'ed in the potty. Yes, my little boy told us he had to poopoo. We put him on the potty for a little while, read a few books, but nothing happened. As soon as we were about to put his diaper back on, he told David, "uh oh, Daddy, poopoo." He put him right back on and he went poopoo in the big boy potty. Now, this event did not repeat itself over the weekend but I believe we are beginning on the right track. He knows when he has to go potty (#2) and tells us. Now, we must start working on #1...

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

"Doctor, Doctor Give Me the News"

(Jackson at Maw Bush's House, playing under the carport)

All in all, it was a good report for Jackson's 2 year checkup. His stats are as follows:

Height: 34 1/2 inches (58%)

Head Circumference: 19 in (35%)

Weight: 22lbs (this was in the negative percentile)


He is developing very well cognitively, socially and in physical mobility. He even performed his golf swing for Dr. Hunt. As you can see the only thing we have to confront is his weight, or lack of. This lead us to endure a very long and exhausting visit filled with my little boy being strapped into a "pappoose" so they could drain four vials of blood from his little arm. It was so traumatic for him that not only was he crying hysterically so was Mommy. Thank goodness daddy was there but I think it shook him up a little too. They sent this precious little boy's blood to be analyzed for all types of issues including allergies, celiac disease, etc. We are also collecting a bowel sample over the next 24 hours to also be analyzed. The doctor agreed with us that Jackson most likely has an issue resulting in malabsorption (ie. celiac's disease) but could also be suffering from some type of reflux issues as well (if you recall, he had this as a baby). Both of these lead to pain when eating which is why he is so adamant about not wanting to eat. She promised these tests are a good start to understanding the problem and getting my little man on the road to gaining some much needed pounds. In addition to the blood draining, he then had to endure two vaccine shots (Hep A and Polio). I am very happy to report though that we are done with shots until he is 4! Now, in November we'll start the process over again with our new little baby but I think my nerves may be a little numb this time around so it won't be such an ordeal for me to endure. But, I must say, watching your child sob in pain is one of the most difficult things to go through especially when there is nothing you can do to help and they're looking at you with those big eyes willing you to do something...

So, at this time, we are crossing our fingers and waiting for the test results. As we find out more, I will post it for everyone. Please pray for Jackson that we figure this out and he is able to grow, eat and prosper into an even healthier, strong child.

"Party Time, Excellent"





My boy is 2, and if you ask him, he'll tell you so! We celebrated on Saturday (a day before his birthday) with a dinosaur bash. We had 15 kids here and their parents which made for a fun-filled, action-packed morning. It took a couple days of planning but was well worth the effort. We made posters for the yard that included "activity stations" for the kids. Jackson's daddy had the task of chalking dinosaur footprints on the sidewalk in front of the house and painting footprints in the grass leading to the backyard. When the kids arrived, they decorated their own sand pail with their name and stickers. The purpose of the pails were to collect all the dinosaurs hidden in the sand and the kids could take them home when they were done. This leads me to the "dino dig" - we hid over 75 dinosaurs in a large bathtub filled with sand. The kids had a ball, especially Jackson who just can't get enough of his new sandbox. MawMaw mentioned that Jackson had no problem climbing right into the sandbox while most of the other kids played and dug from the outside. Ah, that's my son - all boy! We also had a station for kids to make crafts with crazy nuudles (they stick together when dipped in water) and playdoh for making dinosaurs or whatever their little hearts desired. Finally, after lunch of dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets and hot dogs, each kid was able to decorate their own brownies with icing and sprinkles. Ice cream topped it all off! Jackson got a lot of great presents which he has made great use of since the party (especially with all the cars, tractors, snorts, etc. that he can bring to his sandbox). It was a great time but, man, was I tired by 1pm... It also dawned on me that next year I'll be doing these parties twice a year. At least I'll have about 6 months in between to prepare and rest.

To celebrate this second birthday, we are visiting Dr. Hunt, our pediatrician, for his 2 year check up today. This will give us many new "stats" to post on his development (or non-development when it comes to his weight).

To close, I want to say, "Happy Birthday Jackson!" You are the greatest gift God has ever given me and the light of my life. I wish you many more happy birthdays and healthy years to come...

Love, Mommy

Monday, May 3, 2010

Oh Man, What a Month!


April concluded a very, very bush month for us. With Easter, David and my trip to South Beach, and Jackson and my visit home to Sulphur we didn't have much time for anything other than party planning fo Jackson's 2nd birthday party. Because I want to keep things in order, I will post the party pictures and birthday photos in the next blog. This post is strictly for April updates (if I don't stay in order, I'll forget and possibly lose my mind - actually I may have lost my mind already. If you find it, please send it back to my home address...)

I believe our last post concluded with a recap of Easter and our trip to South Beach so I'll pick up there. Before Jackson and I left for Sulphur, he came down with allergies/sinuses that lead to an ear infection. We went to the doctor the day before flying home and Jackson was given an antibiotic and other over the counter meds. Unfortunately, the first few days at home he really struggled with feeling bad and wasn't much company for everyone. By Sunday, he began to improve and continued to soak up the love and attention everyone was giving him. We packed as much into our days as possible (between naps and rest). Jackson was so happy to see everyone and had no attachment issues to me at all anymore. He would go right to anyone and say their name before launching into conversations with them. He also had so much fun playing with his doggies in Mimi's backyard - we sure have missed them so these last few weeks. Maggie was and remains his very best friend. In fact, I'm posting a picture of him kissing her the day we left town to return to Dallas. It almost broke my heart! I hope he is this sweet and loving with his new baby brother or sister... He also got a brand, new golf cart courtesy of Mimi and Paw Paw Bob. His feet don't quite reach the pedals but he woud sit on that thing all day. He reminded me so much of his daddy in those moments (not that it's much of a stretch when you look at him). He also got to drive Papa's wrecker for the very first time - he even learned how to turn the wheel and make the "beep" when it goes in reverse. We made visits to Auntie's to see the pigs and we went to PawPaw Rod's farm to see the llama, goats, chickens, donkeys, horse, cat and dogs. It was a great way for him to practice his farm animal noises... and he even learned a few new ones - "cock a doodle doo and bock, bock".

When we returned home, we had our monthly checkup with Dr. Neal to see how Baby Little was progressing. Jackson went with us to ths visit and was able to see the baby moving on the screen during the sonogram. He looked, pointed and said, "baby!" Even thoug it still looks like a little alien with the big head, he still knew it was something extra special. He now pats my belly and gives the baby kisses (through my belly button). That little baby was moving all over the place during the visit which leads me to believe I'll have another active one on my hands. Oh man, when does a mom get any rest?? When they're 15?? But, the good news was, the baby is healthy and doing just fine. I've gained about 3 pounds which is good and the nausea is easing up a little. I still struggle with some pain in my lower abdomen but the doctor says this is due to my uterus growing at a more rapid pace than the first time. I can attest to that - my belly has shown up and is here to stay!

My favorite thing Jackson is saying now is ,"Bless you, Mommy." I've been miserably sick with a sinus infection and I cough and sneeze all the time. He'll say it then and sometimes when I blow my nose loudly. It's the sweetest thing I've ever heard. Every time I hear it, I want to break down in tears. He is such a polite, pleasant little boy. My only complaint is that he is like the energizer bunny that keeps going and going at a very rapid pace and I just can't seem to ever catch up. I can't even begin to update you on what he's saying now - suffice it to say that anything you want to hear, he'll say. He even sings "Happy Birthday" now thanks to the preparations for his birthday party. Come to think of it, the only thing he really won't say is his own name. He knows it, obviously, but just won't say it to us. It's like he doesn't understand why we want him to say his own name; it doesn't make sense to him! He's pretty stubborn too but he gets that honestly...

Visit us again soon for updates on my little boy's BIG 2 Birthday Party...

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