Leaps and Bounds

A lot of things have been happening since the last post. We've been keeping pretty busy between working on the house, doctor appointments, beginning the new MOPs year, and regular daily life. However, Seth has been doing some pretty amazing things.

First of all, if you don't know Seth, I guess you'd almost have to imagine a child who is deaf most of the time. He hears, of course; he's just very, very quiet. Even while playing, he makes nearly no noise. His hearing is great, he just doesn't find the need to communicate yet. Over the last few months he would become more vocal in the evenings or sometimes when he got really excited. He would shriek and do a little bit of babbling. But it was still minimal. We've been working on getting speech therapy in place for the last four months - that's right, Folks - four months! It seems like everything that could go wrong with the process did. In the meantime, we did get a play therapy set up for him, which includes a little bit of speech in it. He's had three sessions and seems to enjoy it. He had his third speech and occupational assessments just over a week ago, which came to the same results. Seth is above average on his understanding of language, but very much behind on his using language. So now the therapies have been ordered and we're on a waiting list at Children's Rehab. They said it would take one to two weeks to hear back from them. It's been a week and a half and I'm hoping the call will come this week. We're quickly approaching Seth's second birthday and I would love to have him started before then.

However...

Seth has become much more vocal (by his standards) as of late. As I said before, he will mirror the words "mama," "dada," and "baby." He doesn't use them to identify us yet, but I think the time may come soon. If I had to say what Seth's first real word was, it would be "more." He's been using the sign for months, but now he'll actually say, without any provocation, "mo," which makes me so happy! If we prompt him, he will also say "ca" for car, "pa" for popcorn, and "wa" for watch. This is pretty amazing stuff for us, because he would never even try syllables before and now he's very willing to. I figured the beginning parts of words are better than no words at all, so we'll see how this progresses. If we ask Seth a question, he will also say "uh-huh" for yes. This isn't all the time, so we're not sure if he's actually using it as a word or just an affirmative noise, but I love it just the same. I've been waiting for so long to hear his voice, it's just such a miracle to me.

Physically, Seth has been developing, too. He has a few sensory issues he deals with, which I think made him progress a tad behind schedule. Now he's a little monkey and climbs on everything, though! Most impressive to me is how he behaves at the play area we go to. I can honestly say, without any prejudice, that Seth is one of the best behaved children there. He's patient, waits his turn, doesn't get mad when others cut in front of him or hog a piece of equipment, and he listens well. Anyway, there was a bridge you can climb on and Seth decided to climb over the side and lower himself with his arms. I didn't even know he was that strong! He also climbed over the "tent", that's a good six inches taller than him. He just pulled himself up, straddled it, and lowered himself down the other side. I was so proud! Oh, and he's decided he can take his bottoms off whenever he pleases; we've had two diaper-less issues in the crib already!

We're adding a few more signs into his vocabulary, and Seth will now use "please" semi-regularly. He is a whiz at puzzles and is pretty good at identifying colors and some shapes and knows all of his body parts. He's becoming a little more social with kids and will even play/interact with them a little. He's enrolled in Mothers Day Out this year and I'm hoping that will really help him on that field.

One really funny thing that Seth does is smell everything! He really surprised me with one thing, though. He's finally become used to the idea that Baby Caleb is in Mama's belly. (We're still struggling to get him to stop being so rough, though.) When I ask him where Baby Caleb is he will pick up my shirt and sniff my belly! lol I joke that the bun must still be baking in the oven.

One unfortunate event lately is that Michael, Seth and I all caught some kind of virus last week. Seth really didn't start showing symptoms until Saturday evening, but they hit him fast. Any time he gets sick it goes straight to his chest. So, I took him to the doctor first thing this morning and they did what I expected. They prescribed him a nebulizer. He's had three treatments and cries through the whole thing. It breaks my heart that he hates it so much, but I can already see a little bit of a difference in his breathing. I'm hoping that he may even be able to sleep in his crib tonight instead of in my arms. I know eventually he'll get used to this and I hope it's sooner rather than later. That being said, Seth will be missing his first day of "school" tomorrow, but I think it's for the best.

I know this post is mainly about Seth, but I don't want to leave Caleb out either. Boy is he different than Seth was! Of course, everything happens sooner with him than it did with Seth - the back pain, pelvic pain, heartburn, the huge belly - but also the good things. Caleb is a mover and a shaker. At first I only felt him in the evenings, but now I feel him at nearly any time. And he really pushes, because Michael has no problem seeing his movements. It's going to be crazy having two boys and I'm really anxious to see how similar, and dissimilar, they really are.

Back to Basics

We've been pretty busy this last month. We took our first family vacation to Florida, visited family, did some major work on our house, and Michael has had some crazy busy times at his job. Needless to say, the thing most on my mind (in place of blogging) is sleep. Oh, glorious sleep, how I dream of you from morning to night! But enough of that!

Michael took us, including my sister, to New Smyrna Beach for a week. We had a condo right on the beach and were fortunate enough to have nice weather the whole time. There were no problems with oil that far north and everything went pretty smoothly. The only down side to the trip, other than the fact that there wasn't much of interest for a near two year old, was our trip to Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure. We were supposed to be there for the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Long story short - five hours of waiting and we didn't even get halfway there. It was a poor set up (no shade, fans, or drink stands) within reach of the lines) and a big disappointment. After all that waiting we didn't really feel up to visiting the rest of the park. At least Michael and Rebecca got to visit Universal Studios the day before.

While we were away, we were supposed to have our house worked on - the dining room and living room. That did not go as planned and we were stuck living in my in-law's guestroom for most of a week. The house was still not even livable, so Michael and I took over the project. It's not perfect, but I think it looks pretty nice. We had to pull a few all-nighters and lots of late nights, but we're now to the point of just little things.

The biggest problem to come out of all this is Seth's attitude change. Taking him away from his normal schedule really messed with him. He was pretty good at going to bed, but now it's at least an hour of screaming before he finally will go to sleep. And boy, does he not want to obey anything now! He has definitely been trying my patience. The good news is that we're "supposedly" going to start speech therapy in August. I'm really hoping that will help, as Seth still isn't talking. He will mimic "mama", "dada", and "baby," but won't speak voluntarily. He is becoming more expressive with his noises, though. He yells "oh" when he falls or when his blocks fall over. It's cute and I love any noises he makes, except for the crying/screaming. I can really do without that.

On to our second child - we found out two days ago that we're having another boy. I have to admit I was a little disappointed at first, since we only plan on having two children, but God knows what He's doing and I'm not going to pretend like I know better. This way Seth has a little friend to play with and we don't even have to do any shopping. It should work out very smoothly. We've been juggling a few names around, some we liked until we found out they were very popular or other people were using them. I think we've finally settled on one, though - Caleb Martin. Michael and I both like it and I think it may be the one - but who knows!

9 months of catch up

Yes, before anyone makes the comment, I realize it's been a long time, 9 months, since I last updated this blog. Mostly this is because no one reads it! lol But then I realized what a great place this was just for me to reflect over time. I'd forgotten some things about Seth already and this blog is a sweet way to remember them. The other reason I wasn't blogging was because it seems like I never have anything interesting to say. But then I thought, no one's reading it anyway, so I can say whatever I want: boogaloo shrimp and buckaroo bonzai!

So, take that! Seth is doing great. He is now 20 months - 34" and 34 lbs. He is walking great, running a little, but still a little clumsy. He still loves to throw and enjoys reading time. His favorites for now are Dr. Seuss books. He loves to help water the flowers and sweep the floor. He loves to brush his teeth and is finally starting to enjoy bathtime and even a little pooltime. Seth still is not talking. He will mimic "mama", "dada", and "baby" but doesn't seem to associate them properly. We're currently working on getting speech therapy in place as well as possibly some occupational therapy. This is a slow and incredibly frustrating process. I just can't wait to hear my baby boy speaking.

In other news, and also the main reason for starting this blog up again, Michael and I are expecting another baby. We are currently 16 weeks and due mid-November. There isn't much news to report on this yet. It's a little different from Seth, but not bad. I got sick a lot more with this one and felt exhausted for about a month to six weeks, although that was also due, in part, to Michael's erratic work schedule. I definitely started showing a lot earlier this time around. I think I started wearing maternity clothes around 12 weeks. I'm also pretty sure that I felt the baby moving last night. There have been a few occasions where I thought I felt it, but I'm nearly positive that last night was the real deal.

Everyone wants to know what we want to have. We both want a girl this time, but we also realize how convenient it would be to have a boy. Either way, it goes back to the cliche of us just wanting a healthy baby. We'll find out in 4 weeks what we're having. We have two names in mind if it's a girl: Sarah and Lorelei. We're a little less sure on names for a boy. I know for sure that his middle name will be Martin, after my uncle and cousin. As far as first names go, we've bounced from Biblical names, to Irish names, to family names, and back to Biblical names. In all honesty, we're no closer on a name than we were in the beginning.

Because it's cute!

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Open the Eyes of My Heart, Lord

Let me begin by saying I am a fount of emotions right now. My thoughts are scattered and I don't even know what I'm going to write. All I know is things have to change...NOW!

I just came from my first night of my small groups (Bible Study) and my butt is sore. Why is my butt sore (and more importantly, why would I write about it)? Because I just got another big kick in it with the big, steel-toed boot of reality!

I have known for quite some time that I fall short of the glory of God, past the point of normal people. I am so low and deserve absolutely nothing that I have. And yet, God has chosen to bless me abundantly. If I wrote for the rest of my life, I could not list all of the blessings that I have. How crazy is that?! There is not enough time in the normal human life to even list all of our blessings. And what do I give in return? No amount of time I could give God will ever be good enough, but I don't even give a fraction. I put so many things ahead of praising and worshipping my Lord and Savior. Not important, life-saving things....things as trivial as an extra five minutes of sleep, folding laundry, watching ridiculous mind-numbing tv. So, I'm going to change. It's not for myself or for the people reading this. It's for my awesome, amazing, "I am who I am" God. Because although I can't give Him what He deserves, I need to try. When I meet Him, I don't want to cower in shame (although that is still highly probable). I want to be dumbstruck by Him, soak Him in, praise Him, acknowledge Him, sing for Him, worship Him, humble myself at His feet. I want to do it all! I do not want to be Martha anymore; I want to be Mary.

I don't really know where to start changing my life. I've signed up for Small Groups and attend my regular Bible Fellowship and have joined my church's MOPs group. I'm hoping that the relationships there will help to support me. And actually, I'm hoping YOU will support me. My plan, for now, is to start another blog where I can just journal about my readings. It would be interesting and strengthening if others gave their opinions. Sometimes we get so stuck on ideas that we don't see other possibilities. Now, I don't expect anyone else to follow the same path that I am. I'm going to try to make my quiet time a focal point of my day, not a rushed chore. If I have time to post a blog, I will. If not, I may play catch up later or I may skip sections. In any case, I'd love to hear other viewpoints.

The world we live in is so crazy, I can't even comprehend. There are close to seven BILLION people here and God knows the hearts and minds of each of us. He knows the exact number of raindrops He'll bless us with as well as how the beautiful rays of sun will shine on us and everything else. He knows EVERYTHING, absolutely everything. He blesses us even though we don't deserve it, because He loves us. He blesses us even though we give Him nothing.

As the Fall Season Approaches

Well, another summer is over and the beautiful Fall season is just beginning. I can't wait for the weather to be crisp, the leaves to change color, to drink hot apple cider and eat caramel apples again, and for the family to join together for Thanksgiving. When I was young, summer was my favorite season, as it seems to be with most children. Of course, this was probably due to no school. But then the first few weeks of summer would pass and I was ready to go back again. Yes, I was a school nerd.

Now as I'm older, I appreciate Fall much more. Spring is beautiful; everything is soft and light and starting anew. But Fall is comforting; it's a time to rest and recover. It means sweaters, bonfires, throwing the football around...just having fun. And that's about all I can say about that. It's not important, not even very interesting, but I'm looking forward to the season again.

I'm starting to resort to this blog as a journal more and more frequently. It's where I spill out my thoughts and feelings without having to bore too many people! This past week or so I've been doing a lot of thinking and really just needed to get it out, so here's my outlet.

First of all, I've been having some issues the last few months, so I went to the doctor for a check-up. The last cyst I developed while I was pregnant has not grown, so the doctor was happy with that. However, due to some newer circumstances, I have to go back in a few months. Without getting graphic, suffice it to say that the doctor is concerned with potential future pregnancies. There is a possibility I may not be able to have more or that if I do, I'll have to have assistance with it. We're going to follow up on this in November and see where I stand then. If the problems persist, then we're going to discuss treatment options. I'm not sure what "treatment options" means, but it's not something I'm looking forward to discussing. I know I can be a bit of a drama queen and let my imagination get away with me, so I'm trying not to think about it too much. However, I can't stop imagining the pictures of a high school classmate's ordeal with IVF. I don't think that's something I would want to do.

I've talked to Michael about this and he is, of course, calm about it. He says he'll be happy with just Seth. I'm still anxious about it. It's just like back in high school when my doctor thought there was a possibility of Cancer. My scores were high and he couldn't come up with any other explanation for my cysts. I wasn't afraid of the word Cancer or it's consequences; it was the waiting I hated. I hate riding the fence and imagining situations for either course. Either I have it or I don't; either I can get pregnant or I can't. It's not the answer the bothers me, just the waiting. I would be very happy with having just Seth. It's much more practical and economical and we would be able to do so much more for him. And it's not like a second child could make me any happier than I am with Seth. I just wish I knew already.

The second thing I've been dwelling on is an ongoing thing. There is a person in my life whom I love very much and I know he loves me. However, this person seems to appreciate long-distance, superficial relationships to more conventional relationships. It's been like this for years, but as my life has changed so much, I guess I was sort of hoping for more. I was hoping he would make it to my wedding, or at least answer my calls that weekend. I was hoping he would want to know about my son, or at least say his name....just once.

I decided a long time ago that our relationship was up to me. If I wanted him in my life, I was going to have to accept him for who he is and not expect him to change. And I've been patient and mostly satisfied with our arrangement. Then he canceled our visit the last time I was back home. When I had a layover in his city, he forgot the time and made it just as I was boarding. I appreciate the great effort it took to rush to the city and push his way through security to see me, but what do you say in five minutes? "It's good to see you. How are things?" Keep it neutral, keep it distant. But this time was going to be different: I made plans to visit and he offered to let Seth and I stay at his house. Maybe things would change. But once the plans were settled, he seemed to forget the previous conversation and said, "Things change." No they don't; things stay just the same.

Why do I keep hoping? I don't know. I know he's a good person in his own way and I don't want to lose him. Unfortunately, it's just not a normal relationship. I stick to it, because I think he needs me. He doesn't have normal relationships with anyone and who's going to be there in the end? It will be me, because I won't give up on him. As much as this upsets me, it also gets me thinking of all the wonderful people God put in my life. He knew that I would have some difficult relationships, so He gave me other people to fill that void. They don't replace other people, but they offer what's missing. I can never say that I'm alone or that I feel unloved, because it's not possible. I am blessed with so many people who love me and I love them, even those who want to keep it superficial.

On a side note, Seth did not have Roseola. He had a common cold, which Michael and I then caught. We all spent the Labor Day weekend recovering. But before Michael and I got sick, my mom babysat Seth so that we could go to the movies on Michael's birthday. His birthday wish of seeing Harry Potter trumped my boycott, so we saw it. It was, of course, awesome, and I can't wait for it to be released on DVD. Not only was it a present for Michael, but I really enjoyed myself, too....more than I thought I would. Married couples need dates, too; they keep things fresh and exciting. We're still young, and every now and then we need to remember that!

Down With the Sickness

Seth was up and down last night with a slight fever and a major case of the sniffles. Michael and I finally took him out of his crib at 5:30, because it was clear he was up for good. The poor little man's eyes were a little puffy and red, he was still oozing snot, was too warm for having the fan on, and just didn't seem like his normal self. Michael and I chalked it up to allergies since everyone is getting hit with them.

I called the doctor's office as soon as they opened, and after being put on hold for 32 minutes, the nurse agreed that his symptoms sounded like allergies and to give him 1 tsp of Children's Benadryl. Now, the box says not to give it to children under the age of six and at that age they would get 1 tsp. So, I called the doctor back before buying the medicine. She assured me it was ok and that was the recommended dosage. Naturally I texted my bff, DR.(!) Bryan Dodd, to verify what she said and he told me that I should give Seth 12.5 mg. Now mg cannot be converted into tsp without some fancy formula. So, needless to say after googling quite a bit and doing much more math than I have in a long time, I found that 12.5 mg of Children's Benadryl is 1 tsp! (I know that was incredibly boring, but it took a lot of effort on my part.)

So, I gave Seth his medicine and his snack and he went to sleep. He dozed off and on for a while before he woke up crying. When I picked him up he felt even hotter, so I took his temperature, which he is not fond of. He had a fever of 102.4. I called the doctor and got an appointment for that afternoon. I took him in, we waited. They weighed him, we waited. The doctor saw him, we waited. The nurse took swabs of his throat and nose to check for flu and strep, we waited and waited. And finally the doctor came back and said he showed negative for both and that he probably has Roseola.

Roseola lasts for several days with the first three to four days averaging a high fever and leaving the patient contagious. Once the fever declines, he will develop a rash that will spread to his whole body and may or may not itch. At this point, he is no longer contagious (but who really wants to bring them out looking like that?!). So it looks like Seth and I will be homebound for the next week or so.

My poor baby barely cried or fussed all day, which is so unusual for him. He was mosty just zoned out and clung to me like a little monkey. It's odd to miss crying and fussing when normally you pray for quiet days like today. But I know why he's quiet and it makes me so miserable for him. I put him to bed an hour early, hoping that he can catch up on the sleep he missed last night and maybe sleep this thing off.

It's times like this that I wish Michael were home with me. It's not that I can't handle it, it's just sort of heartbreaking when your baby gets sick for the first time and you can't do anything about it. Which got me thinking....

The next four years are really going to suck in a way. As it is, Michael works a normal job, but then brings work home regularly. Sure, he usually tries to do it after I've gone to bed, but I usually end up going to bed early so that he doesn't have to stay up too late working on it. We don't spend the time together that I wish we could. Not that we aren't fortunate, because we do get to see each other a lot more than other couples do; I'm just selfish. But anyway, Michael's semester started this past Saturday. He has classes on Wednesday and Friday nights and Saturday mornings. We signed up for small groups: his is on Tuesday nights, mine is on Thursday nights. That leaves Monday, Saturday, and Sunday nights open for me. But where does homework fit in? Right, so that leaves some time for me. Some is still better than none, but not as good as a lot. And so this is roughly how the next four years will go.

The situation makes a lot of questions. If we were to have another child, when would we? Michael wouldn't be able to be involved until he/she was a toddler unless he postponed school more, which postpones school more. How can I plan for special father/son time when there's barely any time? I'm lonely now; how am I going to feel next semester? Year? Presidential term? It makes me miss my friends. I'm very grateful I have my family here, because they really are some of my closest friends. (I mean, who else is more easily manipulated to go garage-saleing, grab lunch, or have game nights?!) But I really hope that I make some friends closer to my age who may be experiencing similar things. Anyway, that was a lot of random thoughts thrown together, but that's how my mind works: point A to G to V to 2.

How do I get from a blog about my poor little angel getting sick to feeling sorry for myself? It comes naturally - I'm selfish and self-pitying and I have another 1 1/2 hours until my husband comes home. Blah...