Moving and Shaking

Well a lot has happened the past week or so. We met my new cardiologist. He seems nice and knowledgeable, I think I'll go and see him again. It was a very long day at the doctors office mainly due to the newness of me visiting them. By the way I heard him talk to Mommy and Daddy (I was pretending to sleep so they would talk more) I am doing well, hence continuing to do well. The diagnosis sounds very similar to what Dr.J has been saying down in GA. My right atria is still enlarged due to the ventricular regurgitation. We are to "wait and see" which was the continuing diagnosis from all the previous doctors. So, we'll wait and see :)

Life has been quite fun filled for me lately. I have gotten a new toy that I like to stand and move around. It makes noises and colors. I am moving around very much that Mommy and Daddy are now having to chase me a bit more. I have a lot of fun with Taag and Ripley. The other day I followed Ripley up the stairs. Mommy and Daddy were around me when I did this being my first time, but I made it to the first flight all by myself. Yesterday was a special event too. I went to my first volleyball game. We only got to see 3 of the potentially 5 games due to it being so late but it was really cool. One of Daddy's students plays for the team, she is a setter just like Daddy and Auntie A use to be. I was dancing and clapping the whole game. It was so exciting that I fell asleep about a quarter of the walk home. I hope to go again to watch again.

Well, we are gonna go hang with Mommy today, it is her birthday so we are doing all the things that she wants to do today.

Talk soon.

X-rays and Stairs

Hey All! Just wanted to let you know that we'll be going to see a new cardiologist soon. We are all excited to see what they will say. We do miss Dr.J but it is a bit of a drive to go see him. We had to go visit the hospital here in IL to get a new x-ray of my heart. Mommy was quite nervous but once we got there I think she cooled off a little bit. Daddy has been to this hospital already so he was quite normal. It was really cool. I got to talk to the nurse while Mommy and Daddy did all the paperwork. She was really nice. When it was time to go get my x-ray they came and got all of us and brought us to the x-ray room. They told Mommy and Daddy that they did not have to come with but they wanted to be there with me. I think Mommy came just to make sure that I was good and Daddy to watch the process and get a first hand look at the pictures. There were a lot of people in the room so I smiled at all of them. I like to do that because I always get a smile as a response usually followed by an "awwww" or "she is so cute" and that if fun! So they put me in something that was like my bouncy seat, raised my hands and enclosed me in a force shield of some sort. It was almost invisible but I was reaching for the sky (with some help from a nurse with a heavy shirt on, something called lead) and smiling all the way. It was really fun, I didn't cry or anything. Daddy had full faith in my x-ray abilities.

After that we came home and Mommy and Daddy were smiling and saying they were so proud of how I acted at the hospital. We got to play all over the house. I even decided to try the steps to go upstairs. I made it up one and felt that it was a good time to stop. I'll work on the other stairs later as I continue to get stronger and faster.

I hope you all have a great weekend and I'll be tossing some more info your way soon.

M, G and S Rock!

Wow, what a week. We had some visitors this week and they were so much fun to watch and play with. From the most northern part of the Mommy's side of the family, M, G, S and Auntie J came to visit us here in IL. They arrived earlier this week and we have been running around and playing ever since. I am sad that they will be leaving soon but I understand. Their Daddy could not come with due to his work. I know it would be hard to have my Daddy gone for such a long time but I do know that they will be really excited to see their Daddy.

Mommy and Auntie J got a lot of stuff cleaned out so there is more house and less boxes. We are moving into the house and it is almost done. Daddy had to work this week but that is okay. He really likes his job just like Mommy liking being with me all the time. I guess this weekend we'll be going and seeing some new friends. I am looking forward to that, it will help me get my mind off of missing M, G and S.

I'll let you know how the weekend goes. And I want to toss a huge shout out to Mac-Lee-Roy, it is her birthday today and I wanted to know that I miss her squeaking whenever she came to see me. Another shout out to Uncle S for letting M, G, S and Auntie J to come and visit this week! Both of you rock!!!

Fun With Dogs

I have been having a great time with Grammy and Peepaw. They are fun to play, sing and chill with. We went over to Grammy's friends house for dinner the other day. It was a lot of fun to hang and hear the stories of Grammy. One of the most enjoyable things was playing with their dog. Sure it was nothing like T or R but dogs are just cool to play with. So I was being held for most of the time but finally Daddy let me crawl on the floor. Grammy's friends dog (we'll call her Mop) was curious on who this little human was. I am sure of it because we are the same size. So there we were...eye to eye, with about 3 feet between us. All was quiet so I felt I would make the first move. I shouted out..."SUP!!!!!" (in dog language that I have learned from T and R of course) and all of a sudden Mop ran like the wind. She disappeared and would not come near me the rest of the evening. Apparently I am the Alpha female in that house :) I look forward to seeing Mop again as well as Grammy's friends.

Today we went for a few walks with Mommy, Daddy, Grammy and Peepaw. The walks are fun although the wind was a little blustery. The temperature is beautiful here. Mommy is a little worried. It is so beautiful she is worried of the chill that will come with the winter. All good though, that is why we have warm clothes.

We'll time to sneak back to bed before Mommy and Daddy find me up.

All's Well

Hey Everyone,

Just wanted to touch base to see how you are doing. All is going well here in IL. Daddy is working hard at his new job. Mommy is hanging with me and we are learning lots of things as I grow and develop. I'm learning many things like how to wave my hands when I am done eating, crawling and getting up on my hands and knees to learn the next movement and eating lots and lots of foods. I really like watching the dogs play and run around (usually when I am chasing them). One of my favorite things is when Daddy comes home. He is usually quiet when he comes in, I think to make sure he doesn't wake me from my naps, but when I see him I get really excited with smiles and my body jumps all over the place. I actually do that when Mommy is out of my sight for a while too.

Other than that not much else thus far. I am planning on seeing some new doctors in the next week or so. I am excited for that. I'll fill you in on the details when that happens.

Always Seems Tired

I don't know if it is the Illinois air but I am quite the tired being lately. I try to take naps but I just don't like to sleep. It is a lot of fun to have Mommy around playing with me all day which helps in me not wanting to leave her by herself to nap. Daddy believes it may be the onset of potential allergies, especially since he has had them for a long time. I know Daddy will be bummed if I had allergies, he does not like them and doesn't want me to have that bad experience. Time will tell.

On the lighter note Daddy has finished his first week of teaching at his new school. He seemed to really enjoy himself this week. I believe that he always is happy when he walks in the door he sees me. I know that I get really excited and jump around with smiles on my face whenever he gets home. Usually when he walks in he tries to work his way around the dogs to get to me for a little kiss, then he'll give Mommy one if she is close by. Today Daddy and I got to hang around for a bit so Mommy can get a rest and some things done. We watch a bit of my favorite video then crawled around the floor. I even tried to climb up and over him a few times. I'm getting closer on that one.

Mommy is still adjusting to being with me all the time. I know that I am a full time job and that Mommy is the best for this position! So...all in all, life is good.

Have a great weekend and we'll be in touch!

Online Again

I am so sorry for the long delay between posts. With the move and everything we were offline and crazy with packing/unpacking and moving. But we are good to go now!

What a change it has been!! I miss all of my friends in GA dearly but I want you to know that we are doing very well. We have moved into a beautiful old house near Daddy's work. We have been unpacking for about 2 weeks now and we are almost done. I try to help whenever I can but I can only lift so much. I have reached some milestones over the past two weeks too. I have two teeth on the bottom of my mouth and another one coming out there too. Mommy and Daddy say that I am "mobile". I am not sure what that means but I do know that I am going all over the place on my belly :) I like to move all over the place grabbing dogs, wires and all of my toys. Oh, Daddy told me to tell you that the wires are not plugged into anything and I am not allowed to play with the ends of them. I am eating more things now too. I'll be honest with ya, the beef smells like what Mommy and Daddy give Taag and Ripley, but it is okay flavor.

I have been able to play with Grandma and Grandpa this past week. They have been hanging with me as Daddy starts his new job and Mommy finish unpacking some stuff. I'm gonna miss them when they go but I will be seeing Grammy and Peepaw soon then I get to hang with Grandma and Grandpa again. Life is so full of activity!

Okay, so I'll try to keep up on my postings!

Have a great weekend!!

Mama C Rocks!

WOW!!! What a day I had today. I thought it would be like most other days, you know...get up, eat, play, be loud and play with Mommy, Daddy and the dogs. It started like that but I did not know that Mommy and Daddy set up a play date with Mama C. She came over to get me in the afternoon and took me over to her place and did we play. I played with buddy A's toys and Mama C and I were jamming all over the place. We went outside for a little bit but it was quite hot so we came back inside to roll around and play more. I stuffed down two full bottles and some apple sauce and it was G-O-O-D...good. By the time we were supposed to meet up with Mommy and Daddy I was so tired I slept for a bit. I am going to miss them but I keep feeling that I'll be seeing them for my birthday ;) Right Poppa C.

Once I got back with Mommy and Daddy we went to see the Hutcholo's. They will be leaving GA soon just like we will be. I am gonna miss Jazz, Slim and Sweep as well as Beak. They are family so I know that we'll be seeing them again for holidays and such. It is kind of sad to leave, I mean...I just got here almost 7 months ago. I won't dwell on this now I have a few more days in GA to see everyone.

So, make sure you stop by and say hey because the time to do that is getting shorter and shorter!

Flury of Activity

Wow...how insane is life right now. Fortunately health wise I am as fit as a late 1970's Houston Oilers Tight End!!! Yep, I saw the cardiologist yesterday and the pediatrician today and I am as healthy and strong as an ox. I'm gonna miss my doctors here in GA but I know that Mommy and Daddy are doing a lot of research for good doctors for me in IL. I'll tell you what though...those tetanus shots HURT! I cried for a bit but I toughened it out...only one tear. Mommy and Daddy were good to make me feel better and happy so I was smiling before I left the doctors office. They are bringing me around more often without the life pod now. Sure, I am still in it when we drive places but they usually leave it in the car to go visiting people. I like it much more than being in a pod all the time.

So the flurry is how much work Mommy and Daddy are putting in to placing everything in boxes and cleaning up around the house. We are in the last week of living here in GA and then it is off to IL. I am excited to see what this white fluffy stuff is that they say is "snow". I guess I'll have to wait a little bit but it sounds really fun. Daddy told me to make sure you let him or Mommy know via email to get our new address. I guess they'll not have the internet at the end of the month so I'll either have to find a computer to talk to you all but once we get back online I'll let you know. I do have a few more days to talk to you so we'll make it count.

Please keep us in our prayers thorough this process!

I'm A Big Girl Now

I am sure that that title will come and go through the years. We are home, at least our current home in GA. Mommy and Daddy did get a house by Daddy's new job. We'll be moving to it soon, there are some things that Mommy and Daddy have to finish up her in GA before we go. Since we have been back I have gotten to do a few things.

I now sleep in my own room and I LOVE IT! A nice comfortable bed (okay the adults call it a crib but it is a bed to me) that has been used by many of my cousins before me. I thought that the history of my bed was really cool.

I really love to eat food epically beans and apples. I really don't like peas but Mommy doesn't either so we have some similar flavors and favorites. I am working on getting use to a cup of the sippy design. Daddy keeps saying he wants to put something called juice in the sippy. I am not sure what that means but whenever Daddy cooks it always smells really good so I know he'll have something really good for me when it comes to food and drink.

I am also up on my hands and knees with my head up. I keep seeing Ripley and Taag and will get very excited to get them but I just bounce back and forth...for now :)

These are just a few of my current accomplishments and fun endeavors since we have gotten home. I know there are more to come and I'll make sure to let you know of as many as I can.

A New Home

Very exciting news! Our adventure up north not only was wonderful to see the family but the mission to find a house to live in was a success. All of the driving and sitting in the life pod has been worth it. Grant it, it was not all fun and games but Mommy and Daddy are very excited and I am glad that this stress has been lifted from their shoulders. The next major stress point is to get our house in GA taken care of (sold is always preferred). We'll be home tomorrow and the major packing will begin.

We'll keep you posted and addresses will follow once everything is settled.

A Week of FUN!

I had such an awesome week this past week! I met many new family members and had so much fun playing with them. Not only did I get to hang out with Grammy and Peepaw, I got to see Auntie A again as well as S, J, B, D and Uncle B. On top of that I got to see Auntie D and Uncle D with Cousins H, L, M and A. I even got to meet SM but JL did not make the trip. That is okay though, he had to work at his camp. Summers are for camp which means a lot of work and little play for those who work at them. I was really excited to meet Mr. and Mrs. L who brought over a lot of toys for me and invited me to come and play in their pool. We did not get to the pool this week but I believe that there are plans for next week.

This weekend is a crazy one. We'll be looking for houses then back to the common trying to sell our house and pack up to go to the new house. I wish I could help Mommy and Daddy a bit more but even though I am very strong I am still a little too little to move those boxes. One day...actually Daddy says hopefully never until I go to college. I think he is tired of packing.

Well, off to see the world. We'll talk soon :)

Celebration of Freedom

Hey Everyone,

I hope that you all are having a great 4th of July weekend. We'll be seeing family in the next few days so I know that I am really excited about that as well as the rest of the family. I just hope that everything keeps going in the positive fashion. Apparently I have gotten a little ear infection this past week. We went to go see Dr.N this week and she put me on some medicine. I kept telling Mommy and Daddy I was fine, I just wanted to help Daddy out with his coughing and feeling sick. I am feeling a bit better over these past few days. When I am not feeling well I like to be held a lot by Mommy and Daddy, it makes sleeping easier I feel.

Other than my ear not much for me. Daddy is slowly getting better and Mommy is catching up on sleep here and there. She is really good with me. Don't get me wrong, Daddy does a great job too, but Mommy is where the good stuff is at. I know that Daddy will be around more when I get to walking and such, but for now cuddling with Mommy is the best.

Well, off to the family. I'll be around and having fun...you do the same!

Fun With Grandma and Grandpa

Today was an awesome day! I got to spend time with Grandma and Grandpa for a good portion of the day. Mommy and Daddy went to run some errands and I really did not want to be in and out of the car with this hot 95+ degree weather so I asked if I could hang out with Grandma and Grandpa. To my fortune everyone agreed :)

So, I got to spend a good amount of time playing with Grandma and Grandpa at their house. They have a cool place (literally, the air conditioning is really nice). They have a Mickey Mouse sheet always spread out on the floor so I can play with my toys and Grandparents. I rolled, talked and sang with Grandma and Grandpa. Sure I gave them a break every so often but I like spending time with them so I tried to keep them as busy as I could muster.

Eventually Mommy and Daddy came to get me. We had a nice dinner with the family then it was time for us to come home so I can see Taag and Ripley. It is bath night so I'm gonna go play in the tub for a bit before I chill for the rest of the night.

I hope that everyone else had such a cool day as I did.

So Much Fun

Good Day All! I hope that you are all doing well today. The past few days were quite enjoyable. I got to hang out with Mommy and Daddy as well as the GaFruit family. I even got to play with GmaC and GpaC last night. We went to dinner with them. GmaC is so fun! She talks and plays with me all the time. She even took me around the room showing me off to everyone. She had me talking, laughing and dancing on tables. It was funny to watch GpaC when she does this with me. He really likes it but likes to hide it so as not to encourage these behaviours. I really know he is bummed that he is not the one playing :)

It has actually been kind of quiet around here, with the exception of Daddy and his hiccups. His ear is getting better but a medicine he is on has given him really bad hiccups for the past four days. We believe we are on the tail end of this. With the upcoming weeks we'll be doing a lot of stuff so all of us need to be in a healthy condition.

Well, I am off for my nap. I slept quite well last night, even though I was on my face a lot of the time. Hey it was comfortable. I need my beauty rest through the day so I don't drive Mommy and Daddy insane.

Have a great weekend and we'll be in touch.

Daily Routine

Well, it looks like I get to go visit the G-Fruit family today. I like hanging with them. They have been helping and praying for me, Mommy and Daddy since the day I was born. Peachfuzz is the one who drove Daddy back to Mommy when I went to the See-Eye-See-You on my birthday. I like playing with the Lil Truck, she is funny. I like to make really loud noises that she has taught me over the past few months.

Life is going well. I feel bad for Daddy. He had an opportunity to go help teach scuba in Belize but with the insanity around here and his ear working on healing up he had to pass. We know there will be some other opportunities, it is just hard to go to another country (again) for a week at this time.

Mommy is doing well. Each day is a new day and we all pray that guidance, wisdom and patience.

I wanted to give a shout out to my 'god-father' JC...yes this is the one who I am named after :) I know that you really wanted to be at my baby dedication this past weekend. But as I have learned a lot over these past few months, life has a way of making it's own mind up. I just want you to know that I want you to get better. Work hard to get the knee back to working order and take care of yourself. I look forward to going sailing next summer!

Well, off to have a great Tuesday. I hope that all of you do the same!

It's Been So Long

Hello my friends!

I am very sorry I have not written since Easter. Life has been quite a whirlwind of craziness and change. I have been taking the time off of writing to make sure that Mommy and Daddy are taken care of during the hard times of change. It was hard enough with me going through my days at the See-Eye-See-You, but with those times behind us we had many new challenges.

Just to keep you in the loop of what kind of craziness is going on here is a small summary...with the downturn of events Daddy was released from his job at OC. Not to worry though because he recently got a new job at WIU. A real upgrade to what he was doing here in GA but we'll have to move again. I hear that IL is not that bad, Mommy and Daddy are originally from there so it can't be that bad. The house is on the market to sell and we continue to pray for it to go smoothly (please keep that in your prayers). Daddy took a group of people to Mexico to go scuba diving (I can't wait to learn that). He got another eye issue but it was not as bad as last time. The trip was really good even though Mommy and I missed him a lot. We did try the cool technology of Skype and saw each other...now that was really cool. Upon return Daddy went to the doctors and got some medicine that he reacted to and put him out of commission for a week. This was a bummer but Mommy took good care of Daddy and me during this time. Most recently Daddy went to IL to finish up some paperwork and look for houses for us. He ended up with an ear issue so he could not fly home. This being the case he ended up taking trains and cars to make it home after a few extra days on the trip. Totally crazy, right!

Anyhoo...I want you to know that I am doing extremely well. As you can see my one of my most resent pictures I am a happy little girl :) I am around 12 pounds now and am growing every day. I like eating my rice cereal and have had some other foods too like green bean, pears, apples and sweet peas. Some of the new foods taste funny at first and I might make a funny face but then I get used to it. The cereal seems to have helped me gain some weight. I even have some dimples on my legs and arms. I roll all over the place and I am working on getting on my hands and knees to prepare to crawl. I am getting pretty good at getting my knees up under me. I love talking to Mommy and Daddy, but what makes me smile most are Taag and Ripley. I laugh and smile every time they come by and say hello...actually all they have to do is be within eyesight and I am as thrilled as a firecracker on the 4th of July. I also have really learned to love bath time. I kick and splash and have all kinds of fun in the water. I am looking forward to getting into a big bath with Daddy some time soon. Mommy even bought a special suit for this.

Today was really neat. Not only was it Daddy's first Father's Day but it was my Baby Dedication at Church. Mommy and Daddy held me up in front of the whole church and promised do their part to raise me to be a Godly lady. Many people came to see. Grandma and Grandpa were there as well as Auntie T and Uncle A. The small group that Mommy and Daddy were in were there too. I can't forget the Hutcholo's and Fisch face, they came to support me, Mommy and Daddy too! The everyone came over here for some lunch. It was fun but I did miss some of the time due to a much needed nap.

I'm planning on keeping you informed much better that I have :)

Talk soon,
Carlee

Another Weekend

Well the weekend is almost here and it is a very special on too. Tonight many are learning and respecting the Maundy Thursday, where Jesus and his disciples shared the Last Supper. Tomorrow is Good Friday, although I am still a little confused at the concept of Good on this horrific day for Jesus. Sure it came out to be good with the saving of all Christians who believe that Jesus came to sacrifice himself in our place for our sins but other than that how can it be given a title of "good". I'll have to talk to Mommy and Daddy about that one. Then, of course, the true good day. Actually a blessed wonderful day. The day we celebrate where Jesus came back to Earth defeating death. Whew...what a weekend he had! I look forward to heading to church with Mommy and Daddy and then I'll get to go up to Auntie T and Uncle A's for some good food. A time to spend with family is always nice.

Well, wherever you are I do wish you a humble Good Friday and a wonderful Easter Celebration!

So Many Adventures

Hey All!!! The past few weeks have been so full of activity I have not gotten to get to the blog in quite a while. Now that Mommy and Daddy are sleeping I got to sneak away for a few moments to catch you up.

On the health note, I am doing great. Stats are good, eating is good, pooping is a little on the rough side as of late but at least the air is going through well (Daddy is so proud).

I have been getting out into the world and meeting new people all over the place. I believe the last time I posted we just got done meeting with GUncle Paul and GAunt Lynne. I got to meet P&C and their boys as well. Since then I have been up to see Grammy and Peepaw in Indianapolis. Mommy and Daddy put me in the life pod and we drove up through Tennessee, Kentucky to Indiana and back of course. I did a nine hour trip up and it took us ten hours to get back. It was a lot of fun seeing all the scenery go by like that. While in Indiana I got to hang with Auntie A and finally meet Uncle B, S, J, Br and D. Br & D are really funny. They would come up and jump around while singing for me. It was a great trip for me and Mommy. Daddy was to go do some work but got sick and he disappeared behind a door for a few days. He did not want to get me or Mommy sick. I felt bad for him but he told me that it was okay. He rather I had a great time with the Indiana family than worry about him. To be honest with you...I did both. I do miss the family in Indiana but I know that I will get to see them soon. Grammy and Peepaw will be down in a few weeks to spend time with me and I am really excited about that.

Once we got back Mommy had to go back to work so I have had the opportunity to hang out with CP and Drool. I'll be hanging with them a few days a week until Daddy finishes up with work. The other days I get to spend with Grandma and Grandpa as well as Mommy and Daddy. Life is going really good.

Today was a special day. Daddy and I went over to the church for the Easter Egg Hunt. I did my first Easter Egg Hunt (pictures will come soon). We had a lot of fun. I got the see the Humorous family again as well as some others. It was nice to see them and I had a lot of fun getting those eggs. I got five of them, which I gave to Mommy and Daddy since I am not really able to eat taffy and chocolate yet.

So, all is well and I'll try to be more vigilant on my blogging!

Many Adventures Ahead

Well, I know that many of you were very excited to meet me today in church but alas...I did not make it this weekend. I have been looking forward to the trip to see Pastors S, G, G and K but Mommy and Daddy felt that it would be better for me to rest. I totally understand their thought process on this since this past week I had the opportunity to meet many new people. We have a big adventure coming up so they wanted me to stay healthy and avoid the crankiness due to being over tired or overwhelmed. I'll be there sooner than you know.

I want to do a shout out to my buddy MP for reaching her second birthday today. We'll be hanging out a lot soon and I look forward to those fun times. Another shout goes to Gma C as she has a new grandson to keep up with. Oh, no worries, she'll still think of me every so often too :)

There Is More Outside These Walls

I know that many of you have been waiting for this post so here it is. Actually where do I start...okay, so my first real trip outside was a few weeks ago when Daddy had to run by work for a moment but we consider that trip unofficial due to the idea that I really was not supposed to be out. Since then it has been inside 24/7 with the occasional trip to the doctor. Well, eight weeks has passed and my immunities should be up and running. With this in mind Mommy, Daddy and I went to see G-ma and G-pa C. We were out for a few hours talking and laughing. I did not realize there was so much out there in the world and this is just a small part.

This past Tuesday Mommy and Daddy took me for a ride in the car. We went to eat and drive and drive. I really liked the ride. Quite soothing I must say. Then on Wednesday I had my doctor appointment. It was not that bad until they poked my legs with some sharp objects. Oh sure, they say it will keep me healthy but it really hurt! Mommy and Daddy took care of me and reminded me that this was nothing compared to what I had to go through in the See-Eye-See-You. I realized that was quite true so I toughened up a bit. The NP that checked me out at the doctors office kept commenting on how strong I was. I was like, "lady...if you knew all the stuff I have had to do you would understand my strength." Plus I have genes from Mommy and Daddy who are quite strong too. So with a clean bill of health I am now able to go out and visit a bit more often. We're not going to over do it of course but it will be nice to get out of the house every so often.

Later that night I got to go over to Grandma and Grandpa's house to visit them and Great Aunt L and Great Uncle P. They were driving through to visit us and were really excited to see me. It was fun to meet more of the family. As it turned out I got to see them yesterday before they left too. They came over to the house to see where I live. They did not stay long but it was nice to see them again. The crazy thing is that I got to meet more of my family today as Mommy took me over to meet CnP and their family. I was held by some of CnP's boys. It was a little different having such small arms and hands hold me but it was really cool to be held by more family. I feel the love all over the place.

So this weekend will be interesting. I am thinking that maybe Mommy and Daddy will venture me out to church and even the ever popular Pacho's. We'll see and I'll let you know of whatever happens.

What A Week

Wow, this week went by quite quickly. Just the other day I blogged and now it is already Thursday. Life is going quite well. I am doing great and really enjoying my time with Mommy and Daddy. Over the past few days I have been smiling a lot more because I think Daddy does some really weird things and Mommy has a great singing voice. Well of course I smile when I fart too, it feels soooooooo goooooooood. I have even been chatting to Mommy and Daddy lately. They call it cooing or baby talk, but they know what I am saying and we have good conversations.

Grandma and Grandpa have been a good help here for Mommy and Daddy. The Grandparents come on by to hang with me when Mommy and Daddy have to run out for errands. That is mainly due to my not being able to go out and see people yet but we have a doctors appointment next week so hopefully that will change...not the skipping on Grandma and Grandpa, the being able to go out and visit the world. I got really excited about it when Mommy took me in the yard the other day to check out the garden. I know I am going to like it outside. Soon my friends....very soon!

A Few Extra Days

Yeah, okay it has been a few days since my last blogging. As I get bigger and stronger my time working on eating and gas seem to take up a lot of my time. My schedule seems to be getting to somewhat of a norm. I am still eating every three hours with Mommy or Daddy but every so often, usually during the day, I like a few snacks too. I down anywhere from 14-18 ounces a day with me hitting the high numbers more often. I won't see a doctor until next week but I am hopping to be in the eight to eight and a half pound range by then. I am in my 7th week of air breathing and life is going quite well. I am excited to go see the doctor in a few weeks to see if they give me the okay to go out into the world for things other than medical checkups. I know that Mommy and Daddy are excited for that too.

Grandma and Grandpa have been helping Mommy out a lot when Daddy is at work. Actually today Mommy and Daddy got to go to church. This was their first time back since Christmas. They were really happy to see all of those who have been and continue to support them (and me). Soon I will be able to join them :)

Everything else is going along. It has been a hard road these past 7 weeks and I keep hearing Mommy and Daddy say that they do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Trouble comes in threes...I don't know if that means that I will eventually have two siblings but don't say that to Daddy, he may rip your eyes out. I do say the trouble in threes due to the following calculation...beautiful child with heart condition + job loss + car wreck = 3 hard/difficult things. So, unless that Lawyer Murphy dude has anything to say the Gonzales Clan should have a few good months ahead of them. But we all know that is a given with me being around!

Up Is On The Way

Well, yesterday seemed to be an adventure for Mommy and Daddy. I got to stay home with Grandma and Grandpa for their trip to see the doctor and we are all glad that it worked out that way. While Mommy and Daddy were driving home they were on their way to turn at a stoplight and out from the traffic a car came from a store directly in front of Mommy and Daddy. Daddy slammed on the brakes but the other car came in too close so the front of Mommy's car is really messed up. Not able to drive Mommy and Daddy were potentially stranded about an hour from home. Mommy and Daddy are okay, as are the others in the crazy car, but we will be without the Corolla for a little bit of time. As it turns out the other driver was at fault and their insurance should pick up the tab. We will find out in a few days once all the paperwork is through. Mommy and Daddy rode with the towing dude to bring the car to the auto shop. Once there CP was there to give them a ride back to Daddy's work where his truck was so they can come home. It has been a crazy time for Mommy and Daddy and they are in need of some prayer. I do know that all of you who have been thinking of and praying for me are still out there with me in mind. Can you toss a few shout up's for Mommy and Daddy.

Thank you! I'll let you know more soon.

Dr.J Says All Is Okay

Well, it was a good day today. Mommy, Daddy and I went to see Dr.J, my cardiologist. He is a really good doctor. He was nice and talked to me like he remembered me as if I was just there yesterday. My O2 Saturation level was at 100% and my heart is doing well. Again, this is all with the current condition of Mr. Ebstine. I am able to be reduced on one of my medications but I still need the continued dose of the SVT medicine.

Other than that all is doing good. I did have a rough night last night due to major gas pains. I was quite upset for a bit more than an hour. I believe that I really stressed Mommy and Daddy a bit, but I was not feeling well at all. After some time I had Mommy scrunch me up and I had some good farts...sorry Grammy...toots. Toots sounds like I am playing the trumpet or something, they were farts! I hope that doesn't happen too often. It was not fun for anyone.

They Got Some Time Together

It was an adventure last night. Mommy and Daddy went to dinner without me. The doctors still say I should not go out on public just yet due to my physical defensive tactics are not up to normal standards yet but Mommy and Daddy can still go out every so often. Daddy does it a lot during the week for a few hours here and there for work but Mommy really has not gotten out much. It was nice for them to go and grab some dinner. Mommy even gets to go out with the Humorous Lady today. Daddy time for today, quite exciting.

So last night, while Mommy and Daddy were gone, I had Taag and Ripley watch me all by themselves...hahahahha....no not really. Grandma and Grandpa came over and we had a great time. Grandpa would watch and talk/sing to me when Grandma was up and about doing stuff and then Grandma would hold me and sing to me as Grandpa watch Glen Beck and the Fox News Network. I will admit, I was a little fussy for them last night. I was a little stressed, well who wouldn't be? Mommy and Daddy went out without me. They did need the time to talk and enjoy themselves. I have been occupying most of their time and Daddy had a bummer of a week. His job is cutting back on positions and he was one of the people they let go. Please pray for us as we will start the adventure of a new job after this semester. I'll keep you posted on that progress as well as mine.

I have the cardiologists appointment this coming week. We'll see how my heart is doing. It has been a month since I last seen Dr.J and I am feeling good. I hope the results reflect how I feel.

I'll talk soon!

All Quiet Except When I Have To Go To Sleep

It has been a good past few days. I am enjoying eating more and keeping Mommy and Daddy up with sleeping less. Oh sure, I am sleeping when I want to but it will take a little bit of time and energy to get me down. I won't go without a fight :)

Mommy has been awesome the past few days when Daddy has to go to work. Grandma and Grandpa come over every so often to give Mommy a break. I did miss Daddy yesterday. He had to go to work early for a meeting and with all of his classes he ends up having a very long day. An okay thing about it is that when he comes home he does hold me and talk to me for a while. Eventually he will try to put me to bed but as you can see on the above I do resist.

Well, as I mentioned, life is good. We go see the cardiologist again next week so on the doctors news nothing new, just me chillin with my family.

Who Needs The Calendar To Say "I Love You".

So what is this Valentines stuff? The world needs a calendar to tell people when they are supposed to do something nice for your loved ones? I like that Mommy and Daddy do it every day not just one day a year.

I am doing well this weekend. True, I have been a little fussy in the evenings but I am like Mommy...I don't like to sleep. I hear that cousin M does the same thing. She sounds really cool, I can't wait to meet her G and S. I have been eating very well during the days and okay at night. Last night was a little frustrating. I ate my whole bottle then my tummy decided to spit-up most of it all over Mommy. Just after my bath too. Mommy and Daddy changed me and Daddy helped my empty tummy out by letting me have some more food, at my request. Not much else really going on other than the Olympics. The new fun thing today will be that Mommy and Daddy decided on some new bottles that I will be eating from. Mommy is going to go and get them so Daddy and I can have some fun time together. I wish I could go with Mommy but the Doctor said that I need to stay in for a few more weeks. I need to get a little stronger before I go and meet the public and their germs.

More Snow In Georgia

Well have been breathing air for five weeks now and this is the second time it has snowed. Mommy and Daddy said that since they have been in Georgia it has only snowed (aka fluffy stuff with accumulation) once here in Georgia before I came along. So that means that in their five years here in Georgia they have seen snow three times and twice when I was here. I just like to remind them of the old times up in Illinois and Wisconsin.

So, Daddy has finished his first week back at work. He came home every evening and held, talked and took care of me. I heard that there are many students anxiously awaiting my visit. Soon my Oxford friends, very soon I will come and visit.

On the flip side of things, Mommy and I have been chilling here at home. We like to sleep, eat and walk around the house. Taag and Ripley are getting use to me now too. Ripley will watch me in my bouncy chair and let Mommy know when I am up and stirring. Any time that I cry Taag will immediately look for Mommy to let her know that I am calling. They are really good big sisters.

During today's tummy time Daddy put me on the whale and I rested my head on it for a bit. I then got tired of looking to my left so I lifted my head and turned it so I can face the right side all by myself. I have been working on my neck muscles the past few weeks so I am getting stronger each day. Daddy was so proud he and I went to tell Mommy. She was so excited too but a little bummed she did not see it. I'll show her later.

What Is This Work Thing?

It has been a good few days. Unfortunately the Colts lost but good for the Saints. They did earn it and both teams gave us a good game. Now on to help Daddy with his research to win his fantasy football super bowl next season.

Speaking of Daddy...I have missed my Daddy time as of late. He had to go back to work this week and it is really cutting into my time with him. He told me that it is necessary for many things like our food, home and me but he also said that it was for all the other students that he works with. Many of them have been keeping up with this blog, getting information from Reverend Pace and asking around the campus. I really did not know that Daddy has such an influence on so many young lives, not just my own. I think it is really cool, so I can't really be that upset. Over the past few days Daddy did tell me that many of his colleagues and students have been asking about me and Mommy. They are all glad to see him and have him back and I don't blame him. He really likes what he does and were he is. This gives me a bit more time with Mommy. Oh, sure, she does the same thing as Daddy just on a younger level. I heard that Mommy's colleagues and students miss her too. Sorry though, only one can go back to work now I still need some Mommy/Daddy time.

Which in fact brings me to to today. I went to visit Dr.N again today. I have grown a little and gained some weight. I understand that many women don't like to talk about weight but I feel that at my age it is a really good thing. I gained about a pound, which is really good for me. Remember it is hard for me to eat at times, one can only run so many marathons in a day and I do it every time I eat. I am healthy (for someone in my condition) by all the standards. Sure the murmur is still there and it will be for a long time but I am doing good. I did get a sharp poke by a nurse today. I cried a moment but that was just for shock value. That little shot was nothing compared to what I had at the See-Eye-See-You.

So, I am healthy and doing well. I get to spend a lot of evening time with Daddy and daytime with Mommy. Taag and Ripley are taking care of me too. All is good!

Just Before The Game

I thought that I would jump on and give a quick update before I watch the Colts smack down the Saints.

A good weekend. I have been a little cranky lately but I believe that it is due to my growing state. I feel longer and a little heavier but we will get that information this week at the doctors office. I have been eating a bit more, especially when Mommy and Daddy offer it to me. That is good though, I figure since I am getting older and bigger I will be more hungry. I just have to figure this eating and sleeping a little more. Mommy and Daddy seem so blah when I like to be up after my 12 or 3 am feeding. I believe that they have to get with my program, but I do plan on giving them a little slack about that eventually. Daddy is supposed to go back to work so he will need his beauty rest for his students...trust me he needs a LOT of beauty rest (I take after Mommy in my looks).

This weekend I got to see a lot of Aunt T and Uncle A. They spent the night here on Saturday. Grandma and Grandpa hung around a bit on Saturday too. We just talked and passed me around. Aunt T helped Mommy with my bath, it was good. I really like it when they have the extra heater on, it makes the room all nice and cozy.

Aunt T and Uncle A left early today. That gave us some time to rest and clean up a little for Gma C and Gpa C. They came over this afternoon and loved on me a bit. Gpa C is so big that I totally fell asleep on his gorilla chest. The man's hand is as big as my whole body...yes...head to toe! After they left Mommy and Daddy discussed if we were going to go to some friends house for the Super Bowl. Although they really wanted to go visit, they decided to take the night at home and prepare for a new week. I'll be seeing my pediatrician this week so that will give some answers to Mommy and Daddy so I can go out and visit more next weekend.

Eat a lot of good food tonight and GO COLTS (do keep in mind that I am cheering for the Colts only because the Bears are not in the Super Bowl...okay I think Manning is a great player and cute too).

Stop On By

Quite a day it was getting that nose string out. I do hope that you get to see the excitement on the video that I posted. Yes, that is actually coming out of my nose. Just think...people pay good money to see magic tricks like this, mine is real. Life has been quite easier to eat, dress and play with out the nose string. I can breath easier and Mommy and Daddy don't always have to worry about the dangling end of the nose string now. No more tape on my face too, now that is REALLY exciting! After that event Mommy and Daddy let me have a relaxing day. Sure it was a little traumatic but, as you could see on the video, I took it like a champ. Just a bath that night and the day was quiet.

Daddy has been getting a lot of phone calls from his friends at work. Many of them are planning on helping us out next week by bringing us dinner. This is really appreciated since next week Daddy has to go back to work and it will be just me and Mommy for a few hours at a time. With all of our friends bringing us dinner, Daddy can come home and play with me as he adjusts to finding all the time to work, clean, cook and play with me. Oh, no worries, Mommy will be doing some work around the house too, I will make sure of it but to be honest with you, I would prefer to be held, loved and sung to as much as possible from Mommy. She has a way better voice than Daddy. Hey, he knows it and he would tell you the same thing :)

There was some good Daddy and me time yesterday. Mommy went out with her 5th grade friends for lunch and Daddy got to hang with me. We talked, slept and played. I gave him a good laugh when I totally farted on his chest. He said that it felt like something punched him it was such a force. I was like...yeah dude, take that! We had a good time. Last night I got to meet D-Ray. He is a really cool guy. He smells like concrete most of the time but he is a really good friend of Mommy and Daddy. Gma C came by to visit last night too. Mommy and Daddy like it when people come over. Mommy said it is nice to have conversations with adults. I was like, "what about Daddy?" No response was given, what is up with that? They are so funny together.

Well the weekend is here and the Colts are going to win. Have fun at all the Super Bowl Parties and eat some good food!

News Flash

The nose string is out! Yes folks Daddy took the nose string out of my nose since I am eating consistently from a bottle. Watch the video with caution. If you have a weak stomach you may find this slightly disturbing. None the less...the nose string is OUT!

For some reason this video has not been working. Daddy will put it on his Facebook page for those of you what would like to experience the removal of the nose string.

Feed Me!

So Mommy and Daddy are finally realizing that I like to eat. This every three hour stuff that the doctors said I "need" is not for me. I like to eat every 90 minutes or so. Okay, I am only three and a half weeks old and I even know that 90 + 90 = 180 which is equivalent to 3 hours. Simple math :) How do I know this, I spent nine months learning about math at the 5th grade level from Mommy's teaching, it is really not that hard to figure out. So yeah, I like to eat every hour and a half which will eventually come to the proper amounts of "prescribed" food for every three hours. Daddy called the doctors today to confirm my hypothesis, we are still waiting to hear back from them. In the meantime Mommy and Daddy set me up with some tummy time (pictured above). It was fun for a little bit but that is all that I was able to handle before I started to get frustrated. Then it was time to flip and play on my back again.

Life is going well. I want to continue to thank all of you who are supporting me in prayer and thoughts. I extend the same in prayer and thought to you to :)

Adventures Come In Waves (not the water ones yet)

I always get a comment or a message here or there whenever I take a day off of posting. Always remember, no news is commonly good news when it comes to the Gonzales family. In all reality Sundays adventure was just a bath with Mommy and Daddy's help. They did a good job on it and I am smelling wonderful...actually like Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo and Lotion, which some believe is wonderful.

Monday was a nice quiet day. I have been working on my eating over the past few days and I am thinking I am getting the hang of it. Of course, as Daddy puts it, Mr. Murphy...apparently he is a lawyer or something because he has a law named after him...will always make things interesting. I did get almost all of my feedings from the bottle. I think there were only two that were done by the machine. Feedings today went well too. We have not used the machine yet and I only have one more official feeding of the day for today. Sure, I want to have my meals broken up here and there but I am eating the amounts that I am supposed to and if all goes well over the next few days Daddy may be able to take this nose string out. He and Mommy don't want to take it out just yet due to Mr. Murphy, but I am thinking that that lawyer will keep his distance or he'll have to deal with me.

Daddy told me today that Peepaw and Grammy are really missing me. He apparently talked to Grammy this morning and she told him that as she and Peepaw were chilling while watching television that Peepaw said that he missed Carlee (that is me). I miss them too but I know that I will get to see them soon.

Today I did get to go on an adventure. Daddy took me and Mommy for a trip in the car. It was my first non-medical trip. That is very exciting because every trip I have taken so far has either been to a hospital, home from a hospital or to go see a doctor. This trip Daddy took me to see his work. I got to see Jazz, ATF and DTS again as well as my first introductions to PS, the Tennis Man and some others that Daddy works with. I even got to meet some more of Daddy's students. It is really neat to hear all the squeaky quiet noises that come from all of those that meet me. It is always, "she is so cute" or "oh my goodness she is so small" and I get a "she is so precious" every so often. Yeah, even though my eyes are closed I am still listening to you and I like it :)

We got home and chilled. I'm going to work on some more food and try to get this last bottle down this evening. I'll let you know when the horrible nose string is on it's way out.

Sigh...

We all need time to relax and play over the weekend. I got to hang out and play with Auntie A, Grammy and Peepaw. Mommy and Daddy were here too but they gave me a lot of time with Auntie A, Grammy and Peepaw since they had to leave this weekend. It is a little sad now that they all have gone back home. Auntie A left Saturday morning. I figured she was getting ready to head home since all day Friday she held me and played with me. I bet that SJBD are happy to have their mommy home as I am happy to have my Mommy with me. I do appreciate the time that Auntie A was able to have with me, Mommy and Daddy and I look forward to seeing her again but this time I would like to meet Uncle B, SJBD. I heard that they may come in March. If not then I hope soon.

Grammy and Peepaw had to leave today, Sunday. They have a long drive ahead of them so they left in the morning. They were sad to leave mainly because I am here and they are in Indiana but I do think that the fact that the average temp here in Georgia is in the 50's while in Indiana it is in the teens. You have to love the south at times :) I will miss them too but Peepaw got some video cameras so we all can chat through the computers. I don't know how it works but that should be quite cool. I'll let you know how that works later.

It was real nice to have Grammy, Peepaw and Auntie A here for the past week. They really helped out Mommy, Daddy and me as we all get custom to the new patterns and schedules that we are developing. We'll see how it all goes this week.

Making Changes

I did get some tummy time today. Okay, not really officially on my tummy but I did really like my underwater adventure set. There is a really cool whale that I like to look at and poke. I chilled on my back with all of these cool things all around me. With the whale there was an octopus, dolphin, turtle and many fish. I know that Daddy really likes for me to identify with these animals since he is really into that water thing. Other than hanging around the underwater adventure set I really just chilled with the family today. I did finish off one full bottle (1 out of 8) which is not my best but consistency is the key to success.

I'm looking forward to some good adventure time as well as a bath tonight. I am going to keep exercising my food eating skills too. I am hoping to get at least three bottles consistently by Tuesday.

The next few days look to be the basic chilling days. Hanging with Mommy, Daddy, Auntie A, Grammy and Peepaw. Not many visitors have come by this week, I think it is because of the out of town family is here which I totally respect. I look forward to some visits next week.

The Stump Of Life

Just after I finished up yesterdays blog I totally forgot to mention a huge event. You know what they say, "Out of sight, out of mind". The stump that had my belly line in it while I was in the See-I-See-You has fallen off. I now have what they call a "Belly Button". I am not sure why they call it that, people push it and nothing happens. Well, sometimes something happens but I can push air out of my butt without people pushing the button.

So, some exciting things happened yesterday. I finished off two full bottles on my own. Mommy and Daddy were hoping for just one but I decided to finish one in the afternoon with Daddy and then to one up them, I drank another full one for Mommy for dinner. This was an exciting time since they did not have to use the machine to feed me. I am working on more, so far I was 2 for 8 yesterday. We'll see what I do for today (so far 0 for 3 on the full bottle thing). I need to be a consistent 8 for 8 before I can officially get this nose string out of my face. Keep those prayers coming for this task. It has been proven to be more troublesome than first expected. The second exciting thing is I got my first bath at home. Mommy, Auntie A and Grammy worked the system a bit. They did a good job, my hair is nice and silky fresh. I do look forward to some more, I just hope it goes a little faster :)

Auntie A did make it safely from IND to ATL. She held me and loved me a lot. I want to thank SJBD and Uncle B to let her come down and visit for a few days. I won't get to come up and see the family for a few months so this is a special trip for her and me. I know it is hard for SJBD, especially BD, but I really appreciate you letting Auntie A come down. I will make it up to you when I come and visit. I am really excited to see all of your animals!

After I got to sleep last night all was good. This morning for second breakfast Peepaw held me as the machine fed me. He has not done that very much (Grammy has taken a majority of my time) but he'll get his time in here and there. I am looking forward to tummy time. Sure, it is only a few minutes a day, but at my age minutes seem like hours! I'll let you know tomorrow if and how it goes.

Have a great day!

A Face To Look At

Yes, I AM that cute!

I had a few glamor shots yesterday with no tubes or tape. Does this mean I am no longer needing the nose string? Unfortunately, No :( But here is the story of yesterday's adventure...

Last you heard it was a slow day and I liked it. I just figured to toss some adventure at Mommy and Daddy since they looked awake. The afternoon was fun. I got some good Mommy time with Grammy and Peepaw going to the store and Daddy had to go run some errands. It was only an hour or so, but it was really fun. Mommy held me and fed me and gave me a lot of love. It was very special for me since this will be the first of many times with Mommy. When Grammy and Peepaw came home, Peepaw decided to make a lot of noise in the garage while Grammy held me in my favorite chilling way on the minicouch. Daddy came home a little after Peepaw started making crazy noises. It was good. Mommy came to change and feed me for my second lunch and that is when I decided to give her a run for her money. Mid-change I quickly raised my hand to the nose string and grabbed it. Then I pulled! Okay...not the smartest thing that I have done in my two and a half weeks of life. Mommy called in Daddy to help (he is the local nose string expert). Mommy was upset, well I was crying which seems to spread to Mommy and Daddy sometimes, but Daddy quickly hovered over me and started to work on the nose string. He said something about resistance and then pulled the string completely out. FREEDOM!!! But I learned it comes at a price. It was very uncomfortable and then Mommy and Daddy had to work on the white cloth stuck on my cheek. With some effort (and mineral oil) it eventually came off. Then Daddy picked me up to hold and love me. While he did this he was with Mommy too. Somehow he comforted me and Mommy at the same time. He must really love us both to be able to do that. When we both calmed down Daddy had Mommy go relax and then he fed me. It was a little longer than the usual feeding since I ended up forcing myself to eat a whole bottle since there was no nose string to get the rest of the food. Daddy encouraged me the whole time but I just could not do the whole thing, almost the whole thing but not all. Then I got some pictures taken to show all that I do have a full face of joy and love. Like the new profile picture. I felt that it was time to get rid of all the Darth Vader pictures and show my real face. After a little bit of time Mommy and Daddy brought me back to my room and tried to put in a new nose string. The first attempt Daddy felt some resistance again, do you blame him I was crying and moving I can't make it too easy for him. He pulled that attempt out, loved me and tried again. That time it was not bad. Went in easy and in a matter of moments it was over. Daddy tried the air test but did not gain any results. Just so you know, the air test is pushing in 1 ml of air in the string, in essence my tummy, and listening for a "poof" through an ear extender. Daddy did not hear anything so he had Mommy listen...she heard nothing either. This can mean that they have faulty equipment or Daddy did not get the string in my tummy but in my lungs. Mommy and Daddy agreed that since they did not hear anything that they would pull the string out, so Daddy did. Again...NOT FUN FOR ME, but essential for my safety. We were coming up on supper and no string was set. After some thought Daddy called Newton Hospital Nick-U to ask some questions. We ended up deciding to go to the Newton Hospital Eeyar. The people were very nice there. All of my statistics were very strong and we got into a room quite quickly. We were not an emergency case, which is good, but that caused us to wait a bit. That was okay though, I want to make sure that everyone else is okay before a doctor has to visit me. We did get to talk to a bunch of nurses and techs though. When the nurse came in to ask what we needed Mommy and Daddy told the story and even brought in all of their own equipment to replace my nose string. Then we saw the doctor, a handsome guy I must say, and he gave the go for the nurse to put my string back in. Actually when the nurse came in to do it she asked Daddy if he wanted to try again. Daddy was all for it and did an excellent job. He did not hear the air test with his ear extenders but the nurse did with hers. She even let Daddy try her ear extenders and then he heard the difference. I got the white cloth to hold my string in place and then the axray machine came in to triple check placement. All was good and we were able to go home. Daddy is going to go to the doctor store today and get a good ear extender today, he and I feel that he did good the second actual attempt but had a bad ear extender to confirm, but all in all the decisions today were good. Got home last night and I was tired. I ate some from my bottle but really got a majority from the nose string. A good night sleep and morning feedings today so far and now we are here at this moment.

Yet another adventure...three hospitals in two and a half weeks. It's all good, Daddy and Mommy say I am worth every visit.

My new adventure is to meet my Auntie A today. She will be here this afternoon and I am really excited to meet her. I'll tell you all about her tomorrow :)

An Uneventful Twenty-Four Hours

I have come to realize that calm relaxing time is not really that bad. It was nice to have just a chilling day with Mommy, Daddy, Grammy and Peepaw. I am sure that these will come in more frequency as I get older but I can handle it. It seems that Taag and Ripley are the crazy one's the past few days. They don't get to do much with the wind lately, the flying disc just doesn't fly properly with that much wind.

I am looking forward to meeting Auntie A tomorrow. I'll continue to work on those bottle feedings today. Maybe I'll get some tummy time with Mommy and Daddy today, they have a really cool looking tummy time set that I am really excited to use.

Not Holding A Time Bomb

Okay, tell me that you feel that Minnesota had a fair game called and I'll tell you that my heart is normal. At least the Colts are heading to Florida. Speaking of football and Florida...what rocket scientist decided to put the Pro-Bowl the week before the Superbowl? Any Colt or Saint will not play due to the risk of injury. Real intelligent folks.

Enough about football, I don't want to get to wound up. Had a nice night last night with Grammy, Peepaw, Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy and Daddy. Good food and social activities. It was a little stormy but nothing too scary down here. Mommy and Daddy stayed up late with me last night. I was sleeping here and there but I do like to wake up around 1:00am to fuss a bit. All was good because Mommy and Daddy seem to be teaming up on me now. That with their shift techniques of feedings they seem to be getting my schedule down.

This morning was a little slower than usual. It was nice for Mommy and Daddy to have Grammy hold me so they can get ready for the day. Daddy fell asleep as Mommy got ready to meet another one of my doctors. She then had to wake Daddy so he could get ready. When they were finally ready they put me in my life pod and we were off to meet Dr. J. All was good but they did forget my nook. They took a chance and did not turn around to get it. Yeah...that won't happen ever again. While at the doctors office they did give me my lunch and over an hour time (which usually is my common feeding time) I ate all 50 cc's of my food. Yes, that was a WHOLE bottle! True that is really exciting, but keep in mind that this was the first time. I'm still working on those eating habits and skills. What today's lunch bottle was an extreme encouragement and something to continue to work towards.

So my doctors visit was good. Dr. J was quite cool. They took some more pictures of my heart and as it looks not much has changed. I still have some ventricular regurgitation, which is where the blood goes back into my right atrium which is not where it is supposed to go. My right atrium is still large but he called it moderate. He told Mommy and Daddy that, "You are not holding a time bomb." Which is really encouraging. All is very good for one with Mr. Ebstine's problem. I am to continue what I am doing, get the food down to get the tube out of my nose. Time will tell.

Football!

Home life has been quite nice. After yesterday's post I got to get some sleep and that was great. A whirlwind of activity came over from noon until...well...it is still going kind of. We got a visit from ATF and her big daddy, they brought over lunch. Apparently this was a settling of a bet that ATF and Daddy had earlier in the football season. The BEARS (GO BEARS!) beat the (snicker) steelers. Daddy said it was a horrible game for both teams but the better team always wins. After ATF and her big daddy left we got a visit from the Humorous family. C&G have been helping Mommy and Daddy a lot over the past few weeks and they have been wanting to meet me since day one. At one point I heard C Humorous screeching on the phone when she was talking to Mommy. It was good excited screeching which made Mommy and Daddy laugh a lot. I think that is why they are called the Humorous'. During that time JZ and Slim brought over Snow White and had a visit. I was held by ATF, C Humorous and JZ. Then Gma C came to visit and hold me. She even got to feed me my supper. It was great to have all of these people visit me. I am actually looking forward to a relaxing day watching football today. Yes, I am going for the Colts vs Vikings but we will see if Manning and Favre (I am still wondering how this is said as Farv when it is spelled like that) steps up to play today.

Grammy and Peepaw made it safely here last night. They have already helped out a lot for Mommy and Daddy. Grammy fed me a few times and Peepaw held me too. They are here for a week so I know that Mommy and Daddy will really appreciate the help. This will be their first full week at home with me and I am a big hand full of joy :P

Every Day Is Good

Well, since yesterday's post it has been quite a day. I have continued to eat with some success from the bottle. My amounts seem to increase with each day. Sure every so often I blow it and go back to 8-12 cc's but I am working on it. I got to go see my pediatric doctor yesterday afternoon. Dr. N was really cool. She, Mommy and Daddy talked a bit about me and my medical history. Daddy made the comment that I already have a medical history and I am only two weeks old. I figured it just means that I am cool. I am supposed to go back in two weeks to get my official one month checkup. Mommy and Daddy wanted to bring me in a little early due to my Mr. Ebstine's thingy and so Dr. N and I can meet. She knew me off of paper from the hospitals (yes that is two that I have already been in) and now she got to meet me in person. Dr. N did say that Dr. J was good. We will be going to see Dr. J on Monday, we are checking him out to be my cardiologist. Daddy always thought he would be the first in the family to need to see a cardiologist. Just proves that I am much better than him in many ways and this is just the beginning.

It was fun getting into my life pod again for a trip. I did decide to pull out my nose string while we were waiting at the doctor's office. I wanted to try to breath through both my nose holes for a while. It was nice, but Daddy had to put the nose string back in. Again, I did NOT like it. Only if I could eat all my food through bottles, better yet from the source! In due time, in due time. What I am good at is (sorry Uncle The Tim) pooping! I got to show off my projectile skills for Grandma last night while Mommy was changing me. I did get Mommy this morning too :) Daddy has been lucky, so far. I am waiting for the perfect moment for him. Yep, Grandma came by last night. She brought me a new chair so I can sit in it instead of always being in my Paknplay. We'll get to test it out today...I am so excited!

Speaking of today. So far I hear that ATF is coming to visit for a bit. She is currently making a baby in her belly now. I am excited for that because I like to have more and more friends. After that Grammy and Peepaw should be arriving soon too. They left Indianapolis around 6:30 this morning to come and spend more time with me. I think JZ and Slim may poke by sometime this weekend as well as Gma R and some others. Now that I am home everyone wants to come and see me. Very exciting!

Okay, so I am going to get dressed and rest a bit so I am ready to go for the busy day today. I'll let you know what happens. TTFN (that is "ta ta for now" in Tigger speak, he is all over my room with Pooh...the bear).

My First Full 24 Hours

Yep, that is me in my life pod. It is the only way to travel (for now at least). So my first 24 hours at home was very nice. I am on somewhat of an eating and sleeping schedule and Mommy and Daddy are adapting to my schedule well. They should be use to adapting to my schedule, I have been in total control for the past four weeks. It's true...remember I was right side up and they had to schedule a See-Section which was to be on December 29th. At their Pre-Op meeting on the 28th, I flipped and was in the correct position. It was of my doing that added an extra 11 days in my warm underwater apartment. Hey the rent, food and heat were free. On that 12th day (January 8th) was when Dr. J and her awesome nursing staff evicted me. I was happy to, even though those weren't officially my terms. Then it was off to CHoA at Eglestion for a while. Now here at home...my schedule. I have it all under control :)

I am getting better at the bottle feeding. It is still a little difficult so we go to the Mommy's Mixture Machine to finish things off, but practice makes life go easier. Ripley will sniff my head every so often. I think she is getting use to me being around. Last night Mommy was holding me as she talked to Daddy and Ripley was at Mommy's feel. The next thing I felt was something poking me in the butt. Apparently Ripley was standing on her two feet to get a closer inspection of me. Taag is very protective of me. She will go and sit close to me wherever I am. She even posts up on the corner of Mommy and Daddy's bed at night always facing the door. Part of me think it's because of the very comfortable bed that Mommy and Daddy use, but Daddy said that her sleeping spot has changed. Taag is now on the corner, which Daddy does not mind since it is Mommy's side, that is close to the door and she always has her head facing the door. Quite interesting. Grandma and Grandpa came back to see me again. Grandma held me for a while and Grandpa likes to hover over my bed and rub my back, belly and arms. Grandma and Grandpa also helped Mommy and Daddy a lot when they were here by helping with the cleaning and giving Mommy and Daddy resting time as they adapt to my schedule.

Last night I got some visitors. My first visitors that were not family. It was really exciting. I S&C came by to see me. Apparently S was the scruffy man that was with Daddy my first day at CHoA, he is still scruffy, and C was with Mommy as Daddy and I went to CHoA on my birthday. They only stayed a little bit but it was really nice to see them in person. I got to thank them for all of the support and help that they have provided during my first adventure.

You will notice that there are no poop or spit up stories. Nothing to report except that the spit up was at an extreme minimum. Just one time did I urp a little up, just like any normal person my age would.

Today will be a new adventure. I get to go meet my pediatrician. I'll fill you in on the good details tomorrow. Have a great day and know that I am thinking of you.

The Home Experience

As Daddy carried me in my life pod through the door I was greeted by my sisters, Taag and Ripley, as well as Grandma and Grandpa. Taag and Ripley were quite excited to see Mommy and Daddy. They sniffed and nudged them. Not to long after that they noticed my life pod in Daddy's hand. Taag was able to see me much better than Ripley since she is much taller. I got to see a large black snout and feel her sniffing my feet. It was a cool meeting. Daddy got Taag and Ripley outside after I greeted them so he and Mommy can get me out of the life pod. Mommy got me nice and relaxed as she and Grandma talked. Daddy unloaded the car and started putting things away. Once Daddy got my Mommy's Mixture Machine up and running Mommy fed me for the first time in my home. It was the first of many, remember I have to keep up my exercises so I can get the Mixture from the source. Taag and Ripley watched. Taag laid next to me the whole time while Ripley was there but at a distance. I don't think Ripley knows who I am just yet but we are working on that. Daddy continued to clean up stuff so I can get my medicine and get ready for bed. Once Daddy was done he and Mommy switched. Grandma and Grandpa had to go home but I heard Grandma say that she'll be back tomorrow. I wonder who else will come and visit tomorrow. Mommy and Daddy did tell me that they will try to take it slow for a little bit so we can get adjusted to the new experience. I was like, "What! I am home and you are slacking off on all my friends visiting?" Then I figured that is cool because I have a long time to meet people and I have Grammy and Peepaw coming this weekend and Auntie Andrea coming on Wednesday. I am sure that others will come, just give them a call or what they say...text...and we'll get something set up.

As Daddy held me Mommy went to do some errands around the house. I could tell they both were tired. Do you blame them? I was tired too but all of these new experiences were really stimulating and I had a hard time to fall asleep. Eventually I did fall asleep and Mommy and Daddy got to rest a little bit. Mommy ended up taking the first feeding and changing shift with a little help from Daddy, then at the second shift it was Daddy's turn. I decided to keep him up a bit more. I fell asleep again in Daddy's arms then woke up in my bed, he is smooth. Mommy took over again and Daddy showed Mommy how to work the Mommy's Mixture Machine, then went back to sleep. Since then they have been changing around and getting home settled.

Well, life has now moved from my first 12 days in the Hospital to many years at home. Ahhh....the new adventure begins!

Home Is Where The Ebstine's Malformation Is

I know, I know and I am very sorry. I went way over my 24 hour posting this time. Trust me it is with very good reason. But before I get to it I want to express a Very Happy Birthday to Grammy! It was a few years ago that she was born, almost on the same day as me. Okay, a week or so after but close enough and she is my Grammy so it is very special either way.

So...Wednesday evening through Thursday morning was a little rough. I was not holding my food in my tummy very well. I spit up several times (I promised Uncle The Tim that I would avoid my poop stories unless they were of special events so we'll talk about the next best function...spit up) which is apparently common for those my age, but when we get into the times and amounts that I was going for it raised a little concern. The nurses and doctors finally caught up to Mommy and Daddy's thoughts on not putting 65 cc's of Mommy's Mixture in me every three hours, which actually comes out to every two once I actually finish my food (which takes about a hour). So, now I am supposed to eat 50 cc's of fortified Mommy's Mixture. I usually get down around 8 to 20 cc's from my bottle then we have to put the rest in my nose-string. Did I mention that Daddy put my new nose-string in. Yep, he pulled the old one out and put the new one in. It was a horrific experience, so I am working hard to get all of my feedings by bottle so I don't have to experience Daddy putting the string back. My exercises consist of a few minutes to eventually hours of Nooking (Daddy sometimes calls it Binking also) and every three hours I get to practice on the almost real thing, the bottle. Hard work and practice will get me to my goal, if you want to help prayer is always a great helper too.

So as Wednesday went by I did not spit up as much. We do have a feeling that this may be due to the lower amount that is put into my tummy. I get one every here and there but all is good. Mommy and Daddy were visited by Miss K the Social Worker as well as some others. I got to see both of my Doctors in the morning. Apparently I will be meeting more over the next few days as I get to try out a new Cardiac Doctor and Dr. N for my common things. After all of the visits, which also included a Speech Therapist for helping Mommy and Daddy in my feedings, I noticed that Daddy kept getting white feathers from a lot of people. As it turns out they where what they called discharge papers. I was like, "so that is what paper is." The next thing I knew Daddy was all over the room putting things in bags, boxes and taking them out of the room. Mommy hung around with me, she was napping on the couch. She has had a long few days. Oh, don't get me wrong, Daddy has done a bunch of stuff too but he seemed to get some energy boost. He must have had his bottle that day. The first time Daddy returned he brought in a cool looking life pod. It was way too small for Mommy so I was hoping that it would be for me...IT WAS!!! As Daddy left for a second trip with a bunch of stuff Mommy and Nurse J & Nurse M started working with me on my life pod. They strapped me in and clipped all the clips. I tell you what, I felt like I was a test pilot or race car driver they had me clipped in so well. When Daddy returned we were off. I said bye to all the nurses and doctors as I went down the hall with Mommy and Daddy. I was actually going home!

I had my eyes open for almost the whole trip home. I was working out on my nook like there was no tomorrow. I knew there was but your first car trip is quite exciting and a little stressful and Daddy always said that exercise helps relieve stress. Mommy sat next to me the whole ride home. We did have to make a little stop for some of my medicine but after a few moments we were off and home.

Considering Going Home

Yes, today is an early blog day. It has been quite exhausting today with everything going on so I'm taking the opportunity to write to you early. Evenings are fun with Mommy and Daddy here. They do a good job with all the new stuff they have to know to bring me home. Mommy and Daddy have been reading and watching videos on SVT's, NG Tubes and Mr. Ebstein's Malformation for the past few days. Which is good. The more they know the sooner they can take me home.

I got visits today from Chaplin DA, the CHoA Chaplin, and Chaplin Pace from Oxford. It is really nice to see people visit me, Mommy and Daddy. Soon it will be in my own home! I hear that Grammy and Peepaw are coming back to visit me on Saturday. Auntie Andrea will also be coming in for a few days. I am really excited about that.

My only current issue is my desire to get up the will and ability to feed from my bottles. Sure Mommy and Daddy got some cool looking equipment to help with my tube feeding, but I don't want to rely on that forever. Especially since it will be Daddy or Mommy putting in my NG tube. Daddy pulled my old tube out and put my new tube in today. I really did not like the experience! Sure Daddy did well with it and put it in the right spot, but it is really uncomfortable to have a tube put into your nose and pushed all the way down to your tummy. Mommy did well with the initial measurement of the tube and holding me and they both loved me a lot when it was finished. Sigh...I do hope I can get over this bottle issue and not have to do the tube feedings very soon.

Well, honestly that is really about all. Some visits from friends, food, sleeps and eats. We are hoping that tomorrow is the day to head home, we will see. I'll be writing to you from home soon, you bet this will continue. The hospital adventure may be coming to an end (for this round) but the true adventure awaits!