"Come on, Will"

We have a very important bedtime ritual in our house - we read "Thomas" and other books if Jackson will let me, sing songs (usually "Amazing Grace" and "Jesus Loves Me") and say our night time prayers. During prayers we thank God for our many blessings including our friends and family. We will then go down the list of those important to us. Tonight, we thanked God for "Baby Brother Will" and rubbed my belly. Jackson patted my belly again and said, "Come on, Will"! We had to laugh - and I couldn't have agreed more. Sometimes I rub my belly and say the same thing!

Tonight we also said a special prayer for Paw Bush who is steadily declining from the cancer attacking his poor body. He will no longer be able to undergo dialysis and is in terrible pain. He is a strong man but I know he's tired and ready to go home to see the Lord. They already have the gospel music playing for him and when he arrives there will be a big screen playing old westerns and ball games (Braves and Cowboys)... In the meantime, we will pray for his comfort and peace and that he will know how much he is loved and adored.

Belly Pics (23 weeks) and other updates...

I've posted the latest pictures of my torpedo belly - yes, that's Will in there who looks like he's ready to shoot out of my belly button at any moment. He is moving and kicking like a little maniac. I couldn't go to sleep last night due to his nighttime follies; he must be practicing for a spot in the circus with all that flipping around. I could actually watch my belly moving and David put his hand there only to get kicked back in an answer to the pressure decreasing Will's gymnastics arena.

I feel good, tired (well, exhausted really) but other than that I actually feel like a halfway normal person. I've been craving smoothies so I make these really healthy concoctions full of fruits and and veggies - I make sure they're really cold so that must be what my body is craving most. It's hot here in the Texas prairie! We swim often and Will seems to like it; it takes the pressure off of my joints. My hips hurt, especially at night, but doing yoga helps me achieve some relief with my joints in addition to the swimming. Jackson will pat "Baby Brother Will" in my belly and tries to talk to him sometimes. But, honestly, he still has no idea what is going on and that his world is on the brink of major, major change!

Now, on to the Jackson updates:

~ I am devastated to report (okay, that may be a drastic word but I really am heartbroken) that Jackson is now calling me "Mom." Where did he hear this? Why is he saying it? I remind him that my name is "Mommy" but that only encourages him to use "Mom" even more (while laughing). He sounds 15 years old. He asked me recently, "Mom, where did daddy go?" and I thought this is what it has come to. I'm "Mom" - no more mommy hugs and kisses, cuddles and nighttime whispers. I'm simply a provider of necessities... Well, maybe it's just a phase and I'll go back to living the sweet life as "mommy" for as long as possible.

~We had a great trip to Austin - it was a whirlwind of a weekend and we packed in lots of activities. Our trek started at Fossil Rim Wildlife Refuge where Jackson was able to feed deer, ostrich, zebra, and the giraffe from our guided tour aboard the safari bus. He was in safari heaven - and we were so excited to watch him experience this! Check out the pictures I posted recently to see more. From there, we made the drive to downtown Austin where we stayed for the night. We had a nice dinner then walked down to the bridge over Congress Avenue to watch the bats. We actually thought we were late but noticed people were still hanging around, so we hadn't missed it after all. Not so fast, don't assume this meant we actually saw the bats. Oh no, after waiting another 30 minutes with the other fools on the bridge (and those who paid lots of $ to take a boat ride to the site) it slowly dawned on everyone that the bats were comfortable in the perch under the bridge and they weren't coming out any time soon (by this point it was so dark that if they did come out, no one would have a clue). So we made the walk back to our hotel grumbling about those darn bats (but, hey, the people next to us on the bridge had stood there for almost 2 hours so I didn't feel that bad...). On Sunday, after a sleepless night of Jackson crying until after midnight and Daddy snoring like he was competing with a freight train, we had breakfast at a great little place on Lake Austin then headed to Zilker Park for a train ride around the park. This, honestly, was the highlight of Jackson's day. It took us on a 25 minute ride around most of the park and was quite fun! Jackson then had a snow cone and played at the park there before making our way to Barton Springs for a cool dip in the water (around 70 degrees!). We only made it in up to our knees but it felt great on that hot day! We had lunch at the original Whole Foods, while listening to a fantastic 8 piece band that played old standards. People were up dancing in the cafe' - this was authentic Austin and I loved it. I do still wish I had a chance to live there when I was younger but maybe Jackson will decide to go to college there one day and I can visit him (ha,ha, I know it never really works out the way Mom plans).

We are enjoying summer and doing our best to beat the heat. Jackson seems to be doing a little better with his weight and we are working hard to get him to take a couple Carnation Instant Breakfasts a day as I believe this is crucial to his weight gain. We plan to make another trip home to see Paw Bush soon and our summer is sufficiently booked up with fun activities.

We send our love to everyone!

New Photos!

I've posted pictures from our 4th of July holiday as well as our trip to Austin this past weekend. I'll update more on the trip soon. Right now, I've got to fight Jackson to get him down for a nap...
http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=4875740014/a=127789006_127789006/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

June, what happened to you??

Golfing on the 4th of July.

Floating in Mimi's Pool.

Happy Birthday Jack and James!

Jackson was telling James how to "use" his new present.

Yes, it's been awhile. I could give excuses but mainly life has been busy. Traveling, visitors (Lee and Mimi), house projects, and our general daily schedule seem to take up the day and it's night before I know it - and I'm ready to put Jackson to bed and put my feet up! With everything going on, on top of being exhausted from the pregnancy, blogging has fallen behind on my ever-growing "to do" list. So, in an effort to catch up as much as possible, let me give you a recap of the past few weeks:

~ We had a great visit to Sulphur and Jackson enjoyed a fun, festive birthday party with his cousin James. We were so excited to see everyone and spend time with all our family and friends. Jackson came home with great gifts and lots of special memories. We spent some time with Paw and were able to have some nice conversations with him when he wasn't too exhausted. He is still uncomfortable and in pain, so we pray for him daily and know that God has a plan for him.

~ Uncle Lee made the drive back with us to Dallas - Jackson and the girls did great on the long drive I might add! He stayed for a long weekend and we were able to see SATC2, do a little shopping, swim at MawMaw's new pool and reminisce at Truluck's. Mom arrived a few days later and we got to work on "house projects" - I took advantage of her help (sorry, Mom, I know we wore you out). Everything is looking so great (and with a lot more color!) that I'm encouraged to keep going... I think I might be nesting early actually. Oh, speaking of that, we picked out Will's new bedding at Pottery Barn Kids. It has sailboats, ocean scenes, a beach house, etc. (it's called Santa Barbara if you would like to look it up in the magazine). We're focusing on the color sage for all of the accents and using sailboats as accessories. David even put together the bassinet for Will's room so at least he has somewhere to sleep for the first few months.

~ The 4th of July was full of family fun - we swam and ate at Uncle Brian and Aunt Debbie's, brought Jackson and Megan out to the golf course to practice a little, then watched the fireworks from our backyard (we had a front row seat). I'm thankful for living in a land where we have so many wonderful freedoms, thankful for the men and women who fight (and have fought) so we can keep those freedoms, and I'm thankful to live in a country where women have equal rights and we are free to worship how we choose. My hope is to use that freedom for good in every part of my life. I'm thankful my child can grow up in a country where he can have all the advantages we are given, while remembering to thank God for those blessings. Happy 4th to all!

~On a final note, though we still have many more pounds to go, Jackson has gained 1lb3oz since May 2nd. One small step but a big boost of encouragement for us - I believe the Instant Breakfast has been a big (caloric) aid and very helpful in this weight gain.

We are planning a weekend family trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Park and a night in Austin so I hope to have great pictures of that to post. Have a great week!

Answered Prayers and Jackson's "girl time"

Let me start with the best update we've had in a long time - we received the results of Jackson's genetic screening (blood test) and he does NOT have the gene for celiac's disease. This means he does not have and will never have it! Our prayers, and the many prayers of our family, friends and church, were answered. We're still trying to figure out minor details - why he's not absorbing fats, his inconsistent bowel movements, etc. but all of these things can be fixed (the celiac's was permanent and life-long) and are relatively minor in comparison. We will begin eating therapy July 16th and have to keep a detailed diary of his food intake until that time. I sincerely believe this will offer us some guidance on where we go from here and I welcome it! His eating is still very sporadic but he has become addicted to Popsicles. He asks for them constantly and can eat over 8 in one day! If only they were loaded with calories...

Jackson's three cousins were here at MawMaw's house visiting for a week and they taught him all the essentials - how to play barbie (and barbie.com on the computer), how to dress up to be beautiful, how to play with the princesses in the castle, etc. But, don't worry, he still chose the trains, trucks and cars over all the girly things. He did, however, have a great time with the girls and they were wonderful playmates for him.

I've also posted pictures from Jackson's first swim lessons. We've learned a lot about water safety and great "moves" to practice with him to get him more comfortable and aware of the water. I cannot say that he enjoys them (see the screaming face above) but we expected this - he hates water in his face and ears. Even still, we feel much more confident after learning these important safety skills with him (but have found it very hard to practice at home when we see him so upset). We know he must get more comfortable in the water but are hoping we can gradually ease into that.

On that note, we have accomplished our "easing" out of the pacifier stage!! Jackson is officially off the wagon, I mean binkie! He has not had it for naps or nighttime in over two days, no longer asks for it and is becoming much better at putting himself down without it.... What an accomplishment. Now on to figuring out what to do about a toddler bed.

In baby news... we had our ultrasound Monday and found out the sex of our baby. However, you will have to tune in later to find out. We're not telling my family until this weekend when we visit them in person for Jackson's and James' birthday party at Mimi's house. So, it must remain a secret until then - sorry!! I will say that the baby was very healthy and everything appeared just fine with the organs, brain, skeletal system, etc. The profile was beautiful and it has long legs just like Jackson did. We'll put up the pictures next week!

Summer, Summer, Summertime...

Jackson got a new much shorter 'do for the summer! His daddy took him to have both of their haircuts done at the same time. What resulted was a cut very similar to David which only makes them look even more identical. I have to admit, it is taking quite a bit to get used to - I love, love the long hair - BUT it really is great for summer to have the shorter hair. I'm spiking it a little so he doesn't look so old but his hair is so fine that it won't stay up for very long.

The pictures above were taken at a local splash park - talk about fun! Jackson can't get enough of the water; it's about the only thing we can do outside while we have this 100 degree weather so I'm thankful he has taken to it. He starts swimming lessons on Monday so I'll be sure to post pictures of that!

We did receive results from Jackson's xrays, though not his bloodwork. They showed a pretty large backup of stool in his colon so we've begun a regimen of Miralax to clean him out (and it's already working, poor baby). This should help increase his appetite as it has waned even more over the last week or so. We're hoping to have the results of the bloodwork this week.

Happy Summer!

Our Little Man is so Brave!

His "Cheese" face - he's saying while we take the picture!

Last Friday Jackson had his upper endoscopic procedure and three biopsies taken - one from each: esophagus, stomach and duodenum (small intestine). We arrived at the Pediatric Surgery Center around 7:15 and Jackson had about 45 minutes to play with the "cool toys" in the waiting room. Actually, it was the nicest waiting room I had ever seen! He was mad when we pulled him away to go to pre-op. There, in the room, a small DVD player had been set up so he could watch a movie while we waited for the procedure to begin. He, of course, chose to watch "Cars" and this kept him preoccupied and unaware of the other crying children throughout the center. However, their cries were not lost on Mommy, who at this point had to lie down from the nausea I was experiencing. Once I laid down, my back started to spasm (the stress had caused me to have so much tension). Anyway, the anesthesiologist finally came for Jack and we were able to be in the room while they gave him the gas mask. He struggled while they held it to his face (even scratching himself some) but, finally, after about 30 seconds he gave one last kick and was out. Let me tell you - this was pretty scary to watch! Anyway, we were brought to a post-op area and only had to wait about 10 minutes before the doctor came in with a followup. Jackson was waking up and had done wonderfully. The preliminary pictures showed no signs of any major damage to the stomach or the esophagus. We were to get the results this week on the biopsies. They brought us to see our baby, who was very distraught at this point as he was coming out of the anesthesia and being held by a nurse he did not know. David immediately grabbed him and we held on to him for the longest time. They gave him a Popsicle and he finally calmed down once they removed the sensor from his toe that monitors his vitals. We were even able to leave through the front door due to him being so calm - He was doing so well! It took him, and me, a few days to recover from the experience but after Saturday, he was finally feeling back to normal. Mostly, he was just grumpy and very tired; he didn't each much but when does he really??
Now, on to the results: We had our consultation with Dr. Dave' today and she told us the following -
1. The results of the esophagus biopsy were 100% normal. He has no damage and/or allergy issues here. We are to keep him on prevacid until further notice though because this may be eliminating any damage caused to his esophagus by acid reflux (though we still aren't certain he has this).
2. The results of the stomach biopsy were also 100% normal. There are no allergy issues and or stomach problems to report. He did not test positive for cystic fibrosis or lymphoma.
3. The results of the small intestine did show some questionable problems. There is some minor damage to his "vilae" which may be a result of either 1) celiac's disease (an allergy to wheat, barley and rye) or 2) an infection such as a virus (stomach, cold, etc.).
4. She also wanted to have an x-ray done of his colon to ensure no problems were happening there. This had not been done before and we wanted to rule everything out. He has some problems with having normal bowel movements - he has a lot of constipation that immediately turns to very loose bowel movements. Any backup in the colon would affect the small intestine and make his stomach feel full.
5. Finally, she also asked us to have more blood and genetic testing done to make a better determination on the celiac's disease. If he does NOT have the celiac's gene then we can be certain that is not the condition he has. If he does have the gene, then it is likely that is what we are dealing with and he will have to go on a gluten-free diet permanently (for the rest of his life).
6. Our information has also been sent to "Our Children's House at Baylor" to begin the process of meeting with their eating therapists, nutritionists, etc. to begin eating therapy. We will have the results of the genetic testing by this time and his diet will be determined accordingly before beginning.

Jackson has had a rough few days from all this but he has handled it all so well - he really is such a big boy! Please keep praying for us; I know God is with us in this struggle and he will take care of us - he always has!

On another note, we have begun the process of "weaning" Jackson off pacifiers. His obsession with the binkie has become a little excessive and may be interfering with his eating - meaning he doesn't want to take that thing out for anything! So, we have begun the first stage by cutting off the tips. You should see him - he gets so mad at that binkie, bites it, then throws it across the room. He'll then scream, "I want MY binkie!" Now, he's starting to get used to the new "shorter" tips so we're going to cut them a little more. We tell him that he is getting too big for the binkie and it is getting smaller. Pray for us on this too as it has been pretty tough!

As for our little "bun in the oven" - our appointment last week with Dr. Neal went very well. The baby has a very strong heartbeat and my blood pressure and weight are great. So far, I've gained about five pounds which is on the lower side but perfectly fine. I've lost my appetite quite a bit so I have to remind myself to eat, but if too much time goes by without a small meal or snack, I begin to get a bad headache and feel very weak. So, I may not be hungry but the "Little Baby" sure is! We have our ultrasound scheduled on June 14 (less than two weeks from now) to check up on the little buggar and see if we're having a boy or a girl. I still have my bets (and hopes) on a boy but who knows. Yesterday, I was 17 weeks and the bump has significantly become a "pregnant belly" though still small enough to make people wonder if I've had a few too many beers. We are so thankful that everything has been perfectly healthy to this point with my pregnancy and the baby.

When we find out more test results, I will post those. In the meantime, we are going to be swimming in the pool to get out of this extremely hot Texas weather!