Back to Work and Reality

Wow, I had it good being off! Cleaning and cooking and time with my kids were manageable, and I even found time in my day for some mommy time. Now, if I stay up till 10:00 or 11:00, my chores are done and I can get some me time around then. Me time consists of me, my pillow and my mattress all wrapped up into one cozy ball!
In general, thing have been crazy around our house, but we couldn’t love it more. The swine flu made its way through the family, luckily missing Gavin. He was put on the medication along with the rest of us so he wouldn’t be vulnerable.
Easton has adjusted much better to mommy being at work this time around. He does have his moments, but they are nothing compared to last year! Easton is very passionate, genuine and needy all at the same time. He wants to be home and he wants to be around his family. He likes to be held and cuddled (although he gets hot quickly and cuddling doesn’t last long) and kept close. He is a homebody, but so are Shawn and I. He loves to talk, and can fill up a 45 minute car ride with no problem! He just wants to know everything! He is a great big brother and very protective of Gavin. I can't set him on the floor or give him a bath without Easton making sure I'm watching or supporting him enough. Easton allows Gavin to climb on him and grab at his hair and face without too much of a problem or fuss. He says he is ready for another brother, and doesn't want any girls.
Gavin is doing really well to. He doesn’t even know I’m gone! I enjoy coming home though, because as soon as he hears my voice, he squeals and smiles and plants big wet kisses on my cheeks. Although he is now 7 months, at his 6 month appointment he weighed in at 16 lbs. 7 oz. and is 23 in. long. He is hard to recognize anymore. He has the army crawl mastered and can get around the house pretty quickly that way. He gets up on all fours and will take a crawl or two forward, but then realize the army crawl gets him to his destination much faster. Unbelievably, he is also crawling to things and at times pulls himself up to a kneeling or standing position. It makes us smile to walk into his room when he wakes and find him hanging onto the crib bars smiling! So far, the words include: ah dada(hi dada), mummmmm(mom), ato(Easton), and baba. ...and this just in! He is now crawling up the stairs! He made it up two steps before he lost it:) Time to break out the gates!

Hopefully it’s not another three months before I can get to this again!

Final Countdown

Sadly, I believe I only have twenty more days with the boys. I return to work on Monday, September 28th, and am really not looking forward to it. Gavin turned five months this past Friday, and we still sit back and laugh at how the time flew within a blink. I've been trying to do as little of that as possible! That will put Gavin close to 6 months by the time I return to work. I feel so lucky to have had all that time with him and Easton.
Gavin is doing a great job of sitting on his own and will do so for longer periods before falling over like a tree that has been cut by a lumber jack! He can't be left alone for too long, as he has found how to scoot himself around or roll continuously until he gets either what he wants or where he wants to go! He is pushing and crouching into the crawling position and just might be doing so in the near future! He is also grabbing and big and small objects and bringing them to his face for a taste! All little toys are gone! Gavin is very active and outspoken, and enjoys letting out shrill squeals! I am so afraid of what mischief he and big brother are going to get into when they are older.
We can now say that Easton is FULLY potty trained!!! He goes all day and night without diapers. He is definitly fitting the big brother shoes now. He is very sweet with Gav, and will sit and talk or play with him, which is nice when mom needs to do a quick clean up. We can see that Gavin thinks a lot of his big brother, because he stares and smiles at him whenever he is near him. I forgot to mention in the last post a couple things Easton has been up to! Easton has been able to spell his name for a good two months now! He will get o confused with u, but it's close enough for us! He can name and point to about 9 different states. He also can tell you most of his address, but gets confused at the end. It's 21239, and he will say, 21239 10, 11. or 21234,5,6,7,8...! We are having a lot of fun this summer and mommy is doing her best to get the boys out and about before she heads back! We will be heading the Children's Museum in Chicago, and touch a truck this coming week, so I will post some pictures of that!

Summer Catch Up!

I thought the days flew when we had only Easton! Add another kid to the mix and the whole week is gone before we know it.
And where to start. My mind is so full of everything, I only hope that it returns to it's normal state. Although what is normal anymore?? Easton, surely isn't:) The child is an energy ball, and mommy is having quite the time keeping up. He no longer naps, and is still going at 7:30 at night. He is hard to keep still and focused, so I have all but given up for the time with the teacher antics and trying to educate him myself. I am thankful for his ability to retain information that comes out of my mouth while he is running around at 90mph and throwing whatever he grabbed off the couch at the cat. My anxiety rises when I think that I have another that will be joining him shortly. He definitely is a comedian and loves coming up with interesting things to say to make us laugh. He enjoyed his most recent outing, "A Day with Thomas the Train", in Union, Illinois. I was surprised at his interest in the old trains, and he loved the little attractions the had for kids.
Gavin is doing great and is truly a big boy. He weighs 13lbs 9oz as of his last appointment and the doctor gave us the go ahead to start rice cereal. We had our first go of it yesterday, and just like Easton, he was one messy boy. He wasn't to sure of what he thought about it at first, but once he got the hang of it we could tell he liked it just fine...any child of mine will eat whatever:) Mommy and the boys took a trip to Oakbrook to buy some food cubes. I am going to try making Gavin's baby food from scratch and see how that goes. Hopefully with work, it won't be too crazy. Aside from that milestone, Gavin continues to be a very calm and happy baby. He rarely cries, and we can most often get a smile or chuckle out of him. He, when positioned right is sitting for a good five seconds and is scooting and pulling himself around the floor...and under our bed(thought he'd be ok while I put away a few shirts)!
Now that Gavin is more into playing with toys and talking,the bond between he and Easton seems to be even stronger. To see the way Gavin stares and his brother is something to smile about. He already looks up to him. It is going to break my heart when they start fighting and name calling and that admiration fades. Enjoy the pics!

Update on the Boys

Gavin is now 3 1/2 months and ever the observer! He loves watching and following people. Gavin is so different from Easton. I could never get Easton to smile or talk to me as a baby, and Gavin is a big flirt with his big grin and endless chatter! Looks and a heart problem...how will I ever spank him:) He has gotten better rolling over from tummy to back and is doing so more frequently. He has almost mastered the back to tummy roll, so we are awaiting that. Within the past week we noticed him grabbing objects and pulling them towards him. The time is going by way to fast!
Gavin's last appointment with the cardiologist went well, and his heart is looking as good as could be expected from his complication. The doctors will monitor the scar tissue from the surgery to make sure it stretches as everything else grows. In the event it doesn't, the doctors will put a balloon in the artery to widen it. The only other note the doctor made was that Gavin's tricuspid valve has only two leaflets instead of the normal three. He said it's like and old ugly front door. Doesn't work great, but it does the job.
Easton is making up for the lack of talking and smiling he did as a kid! He continues to question everything, and his questions seem to get harder and harder to answer. I'm getting nervous as to when exactly he will become smarter than his mama!
If you haven't already, check out our video: http://animoto.com/play/uOShFrfGv4XIdc44O4wB3Q

Our Kiddieland Faces

Pictures From the Fourth and Kiddieland

A Lift...then a roll!!

We were so excited when on July 2nd, just before grandma and grandpa came to take us to Kiddie Land, Gavin lifted his head! This was not just any lift. Mommy had time to run into the kitchen, then out to her car, then upstairs to the computer room where she finally found the camera, and back downstairs for the shot. Then just today, the little guy rolled over! Yeah Gavers!
Easton is also doing well with potty training. He wears underwear all day now and even when we are on outings. He went to Kiddie Land in undies and came home that night in undies. They were a different pair, but only because when mommy was holding him above the toilet, he peeed everywhere except in the toilet. Even on mommy's pants. He had his first experience peeing in a urinal with daddy. He thought it was pretty cool to pee on the wall. Easton is doing really well pooping on the potty too. We are SO looking forward to only having one in diapers.
Easton was a stich at Kiddie Land. His favorite rides were the roller coaster and the log ride with the 40 ft 45 degree drop. He and daddy found much humor in mommy's screams.
Gavin's next appointment with the cardiologist will be July 16th. I will have a heart update then:)

Summer Happenings

Gavin was baptized yesterday, June 28, 2009. The date marked the two month anniversary of his open heart surgery. It was very special and emotional watching him, and thinking of all he has been through. We had lots of family and friends who joined us in welcoming Gavin to be apart of God's home. After the baptism, we headed to our home for food and fun. Gavin slept throught the whole party...in fact I had to wake him close to 5:00, because I wanted a good nights sleep! Speaking of sleep, my little bug usually sleeps a good 9 hours (8:30-5:20)before waking for his morning feeding. He eats well, and is growing just as good as Easton. Gavin trails big brother by a few ounces when comparing them at the same age. Gavin is very attentive, and watches everything around him. He literally will turn his head until it will go no further to follow a person he is interested in. He is so happy, and I love making him smile. He will coo occassionally, which is how his big brother was. I'm not going to worry about that at all, because I can't seem to find Easton's off button!
Easton is a talker, and has been going through the asking for explanations for things. The questions are really cute. He wants to know why things smell the way they do or how things got where they are and so on. Thankfully he is a sponge, because I can't seem to get him to sit and let me teach him things...He is all over the place! He continues to do well with potty training, and had a playdate without mommy, and wore big boy undies with no messes!! He even pooped at the friends house!! He continues to wear diapers during naps and bedtime. Easton continues to grow in his new role as big brother, and is resenting mom less and less. He is showing greater independence by trying to put on and take off shoes and clothes. The neighbors loved seeing him mow the grass naked(mom was changing a diaper!).

Rockstar update

Wow! It seems like once we feel as though we have things under control (laundry, cleaning, the boys) our world turns upside down. Two kids are quite the challenge!I find more and more that I can't quite do the things I enjoy doing, because life needs me! Easton is all over the place. We are hoping that his recent hyper-activity, defiance and mood swings are due to the adjustment he is making to having his new brother around and getting lots of attention. At any rate Easton is still the sensitive and loving boy we are used to, but with a hint of crazy jackrabbit!
We are almost totally potty trained!!! You go little man!! Easton is in undies all day long unless we make a trip out or to play at friends houses. He is consistent at home, but is a little uneasy with friend's or public(ok, who isn't) toilets. He will poop on the potty, but ONLY if it is a small poop ball:) Any major blowouts, and he requests a diaper to poop into.
Gavin is getting over the flu he has had since returning home it seems. We took him to the doctors to see what they could do for him, and they ended up sending him to St. Joe's for x-rays of his lungs. They wanted to see if there was any fluid in them. Thankfully all came back clear. Gavin weighs 10lbs. 8 oz as of his 2 month appointment, and from what daddy says, he has a great set of lungs. Poor guy received 4 shots!
Gavin lives up to his name(means alert). He is so interested in what is going on around him. His head turns everywhich way to follow voices, or people. He loves talking and likes to mimic mouth movements and sticking out his tongue. We truly have our hands full.

Gavin's Visit to the Cardiologist

We set off this morning for our sons first visit with his cardiologist. For the most part things went well. Gavin is up to a whopping 9lbs 9 oz and is now 22 inches long. During the echocardiogram, the doctor noted that his heart looked and was functioning 300 times better than what he saw that Monday night in April. He said he was very worried about our little guy. It was so touching, because he remembered that night just as clearly as we did, and you could tell his heart(no pun) is totally in to what he does. He remembered it was storming that night, and he said when he received the echo he looked at it three times at home studying it. He said he eventually went to his wife and told her he needed to leave to check on a liitle guy who was in trouble.
Unfortunatly, on todays echo, the doctor also noted that about 11 percent of the left side of Gavin's heart is dead, due to the lack of oxygen/blood to the area. He said the result is similar in persons who have had a heart attack. He was given
Lasixs-( spelling might be off)to reduce swelling and take more work off of the heart. He said Gavin won't be my long distance runner:( Shawn and I are so torn with emotions...so happy that the functions have improved, but sad that he will have restrictions.

Our Boys

Thursday is Gavin's Cardiologist appointment....Will update with the newest news. Until then, here are some pictures of our boys.

Cute Comparison

I forgot to mention Gavins weight in the last posting:) He, as of his one month visit weighs a whopping 7 lbs 6oz! I looked back at his big brother's stats and saw that he is only trailing his big brother by 9 oz. Easton weighed 7 lbs 15 oz at his one month appointment. Not bad for going through open heart surgery.
We had our first smile!! Sunday, May 17th, the little guy gave us our first "real" smile!! He has had the little smiles here and there previously, but we are pretty sure those were caused by gas and bowl movements! Easton is also adjusting much better to having Gavin home and not as much attention. He plays very well on his own. I on the other hand am still not over the mommy guilt. It tears at my heart to see him playing outside singing or talking to himself while I tend to his little brother. Deep down I know he will be a better person, because of all of this.
Shawn has been doing a little research on Gavin's condition, and the doctors who performed his surgery. 1 out of 500 births will have cardiac issues. Out of those 500 cardiac cases, every 3,000 would have a condition like Gavin's where the Aorta is completely closed off and no blood flow can get through to the lower body. His case normally requires immediate surgery, and so for him to have gone as long as he did is a blessing. We feel very lucky to have had such an outstanding team of doctors! Yeah Hope!

Little Bugs First Bath

Yipee, Yeah! One Month Today!!

It is hard to believe that it has been a month already! I think as of right now we are breaking even with the amount of time Gavin has been at home and in the hospital. Everything has really been running as smoothly as can be expected with two kids. We are in that awkward transition where it is hard to keep up with day to day tasks. We have to relearn a new routine, get a little more organized and hopefully things will become easier.
We took a trip to Hope Wednesday, because Gavin was again sleeping all day and night, rarely waking to eat. By morning he was lethargic looking and by about 10:00 we decided to call the doctors. They told us to take him to the E.R. By 11:00, he was alert, and looking for food...we were confused to say the least. Turns out he was fine. After surgery, babies can go through changes in eating and sleeping.
There are similarities between Gavin and Easton as far as looks go, but Gavin is a little more mommy than Easton was. Gavin is really alert, and enjoys looking around and studying faces. He is quite the strong one as well(but we all knew that our boy was strong!!). He likes to use his legs to kick himself up as we hold him. He does a great job lifting his head too. He enjoys his baths, and now that his scar is healing, were were able to give him his first one yet!
Easton is showing the strain of less attention. This is really hard on everyone. It seems every time he needs me, I am having to tell him to wait, because Gavin needs me. He is holding up, and doing a great job of playing on his own and helping mommy when needed. We can't say he hasn't made out though! He has gotten many gifts from friends and family, including a new swing set.
Before I sign off on this, I wanted to say thank you again to all those who showed us their support. Shawn and I can't stop thinking about the generosity and love we were given. The letters, and daily texts (should I say daily blow up of texts Bridgett and Jen!), and phone calls were exactly what we needed to get us through. Thank you, thank you, forever thank you! I will get more pics up later...I can barely stay awake as I type this. I may have to edit later!!

Gavin's Hospital Stay in Pictures

Last pic is at St. Joe's Hospital, the rest are from Hope. If you look closely at the hospital picture, Gavins room has a heart and streamers on his window(clicking on the pics enlarges them)

We're Home!

Even though the whole ordeal was just under two weeks, it seemed like forever, and we are glad to be home together as a family once again! It took two trips to the hospital before Gavin came out, and it took two trips to get him home...hopefully for good! The discharge went well. We were once again scared about what the future was going to bring. Hospital Nurses, doctors and beeping machine came to be like a security blanket for us, and we didn't know what we would do without them! Our first night was stressful. Gavin turned into a picky eater the minute we got home and started to make straining sounds as he would breath. This lasted for a good two hours, and the noise subsided. He only makes it occassionally. He picked up eating towards the late evening and man has he made up for that! My 3-4 hour feeder turned into a 2-2 1/2 hour feeder!
Gavin will be seeing a cardiologist in a week and every month from here on out(my dad thinks it's funny that he and his grandson both see cardiologists!), and will be on a heart medication until December at the earliest. Gavin's left side of his heart is still very small. The doctors hope that this will eventually get bigger, and will watch the functions of that side at each visit. If the growth doesn't happen, they said they will have to do other surgeries in the future, but for now his heart can handle what it is being given.

Saturday, May 2nd

Gavin will be transferred to the NICU today!! As odd as that sounds, because I would never have associated the word NICU with good news. However, it is not the PSHU(Post Surgical Heart Unit) where he has been since his arrival at 2:00 am Tuesday morning. I just arrived for his 8:00 feeding, and they informed me that they removed his chest tube and would be moving him shortly. Yeah for one less cord or wire around his body!! Despite his four days without food, he was content in his be with his froggy blanket. Not only does this move push us closer to our departure, but it also allows Easton to visit his brother. This has been extremely hard on him. He asks to see him daily. Luckily, his allergies have been acting up and I told him he can't go when his nose is runny. He has taken his Zyrtex without fail, and the runny nose has cleared up...perfect timing. Doctors took him completely off oxygen yesterday and he did wonderful. I was able to start feeding him myself at around noon yesterday. They had to have been sick of me asking when I could feed him.
Easton had an appointment yesterday to see the cardiologist for an echo cardiogram. He saw a doctor two days ago for an ear ache/ ear infection. As Shawn was in the office, the doctor listened to Easton's heart. He left and another doctor came in for a listen. The first doctor returned and told Shawn he thought he heard a murmur in Easton's heart. We talked with the doctor's here and they squeezed Easton in. The Echo looked great! He does have a murmur, but they said it is a normal and common murmur.
Other than being extremely tired, Shawn and I are overjoyed once again! Our Spirits are up, and we find joy in so many little things that we were ingnorant towards in the past. This has been an eye opening experience for us, and we hope we never loose site of what it has taught us.

4-30 Update

Last night Gavin was put back onto the respirator. The doctors had him on CPAP, which allows Gavin to breath on his own for two hours then the machine would kick in for 2-4 hours. They eventually weaned him and let him go completely on his own. They expected him to have a few bumps with breathing. Whenever he would stop breathing for 10 seconds, or if his breathing slowed for to long, the backup mode of the machine would kick in and it would breath for him. The machine kicked in a little more often than the doctors were hoping throughout the night, and so they put him back on the machine. Again this morning they returned him to CPAP, and he is tolerating it. He was a little more awake and upset this morning, which is what they want. I can't even begin to explain how much it hurts my heart to see my son crying, but no sound can come out because of the tubes. He just looks at me and his eyes well up and his little mouth opens up as much as it can for an attempted wail that never comes.
I had to leave the room, because they are going to excabate him (remove his breathing tube) and monitor his levels closely through the machine and by drawing blood gases to check ph levels. I can't wait to see him without his tubes!! I am hoping for the best, but am not allowing myself to much excitement. It seems every time I get good news about him, we hit a bump. I think I am better off expecting the bumps and being pleasantly surprised when we don't hit one. Thank you all for your continued prayers, texts, calls, and emails. There are NO words to explain how that fills me with hope.
-Sarah

Little Miracles!

Today, my life is wonderful, and today I am smiling. I cry, but my tears today are happy and joyous and filled with relief. I have my family today. All of my family.

Unknown to us, we had a very sick little boy in our hands. At Gavin's birth, our doctor told us he heard a little bit of a murmer(might have spelled that wrong, but not to worry, because many babies are born with murmers and they usually correct on its own. Gavin's week appointment went well and everything sounded good. We had concerns about his purple feet, and that he could go 7 hours at night without eating. The doctor said the purple feet would correct on its own, and that we needed to work a little harder at waking him for feeding.
Friday, April 24th, Gavin still wasn't eating well(maybe 2-3 min on one side), and wasn't awake but an hour during the day. His last attempt at eating was at 7:00pm and it wasn't a great attempt. I tried my best to wake him througout the night, but even when he woke, he just wouldn't eat. I thought ok, they said that babies can be like this, and he will eat in an hour. At 5:00 am, he began to cry and looked as though he were in pain. I thought maybe a tummy ache and burped and bicycled his legs. Holding him close was the only thing that calmed him. This continued into the afternoon. His breathing seemed to be extremely fast and wierd sounds came from him. Shawn timed his breathing and called the doctor. Shortly after we rushed him to the emergency room. His color was a pale grey and he stared off. The doctors immediatly began working him and let us know his condition was critical and had we not brought him in, his heart would have overworked itself and given out sometime in the night.
Gavin was intibated and put on a breathing machine because his heart was working way to hard. Blood was drawn and IVs were started. Doctors performed a spinal tap to see about certain viruses or bacterial infections. They said he was in critical condition. After being sent to the PICU, we were told he had pneumonia and a bacterial infection. By Monday we saw no improvment, but were told that no improvement was better than his condition worsening. The doctor making the rounds that morning sent his "student" doctor in to check Gavin before he arrived at the hospital. Upon the doctors arrival, he said everything looked fine with Gavin. The student told him she thought she heard a little something with his heart, and so the doctor listened again and ordered an echocardiogram, which would take an ultrasound of his heart. The results were sent to a cardiac specialist. At 8:00 Monday evening, we recieved a call from the doctor stating that the cardiologist noticed a little something with what was sent to him via the computer, and wanted another echo performed. The cardiologist, Dr. Ow would drive from Chicago to perform the echocardiogram himself. Once he arrived and performed the ultrasound, he found a malfunction with Gavins heart. He had a corartation of the aorta, which is the main aortic valve that pumps blood from the left ventricle of the heart to the lungs and organs in the lower body. The valve was completely closed off and blood could not be pumped from his heart out. This explained the purple feet, lack of kidney and intestinal functions, lack of eating and low blood pressure in the legs. The doctor said that his condition was worsening and he would need to be transported to Hope Children's Hospital for open heart surgery. Upon our arrival (2:30 am), the nurses and doctors got to work. Gavin immediatly looked better, the puffy lifeless look was changing to that of my son. I could tell who he was again. The doctors said that had he stayed at Provena, he may have had another day or two to live, because the hospital was treating him for pneumonia, something he did not have.
The doctors started Gavin on a medication (can't recall name, but I wrote it down somewhere!) that would hopefully relax the artery that is open only when the baby is in utero. If the medicine worked, a little blood could get around his closed artery and supply a small amount of blood into his left valve and the lower organs of his body. This would help them to be just a bit stronger for the surgery. Unfortunatly, this intervention did not work for Gavin, and so the needed to get him into surgery immediatly before his organs and heart weakened even more. The surgery was a success, and the change in Gavin's appearance was phenominal! He looked a little stressed out, but so much healthier. We were told that a sack in his lungs collapsed, which would keep him on the breathing machines longer and he would be able to eat 48 hours after the surgery. We were estatic. We were once bug eyed, hunched over, smelly, and stressed, and now were a more relaxed, and smelly couple without the bug eyes. (will continue later)

Overjoyed!

If those words could only begin to describe it! Yes, it is stressful going from one to two and balancing day to day tasks, but a little organization and grounding never hurt anyone:) It will come in time. For now, we are enjoying this.
I went to my doctors appointment Wednesday with the hopes of being in labor. I woke at 5:30 am not quite feeling right. Turned out, I was in labor, and having contractions 1-2 min. apart. We were sent to the hospital where those close contractions went to 8-12 min apart, and eventually...even with power walking the halls of the hospital all throughout the night, became irregular. In the morning the doctor came in looking for a decision...VBAC or c-section. Shawn and I decided to go home and wait it out.
We went out for breakfast and I ate! Shortly after getting home, I lost my plug and began contractions again. I was waiting until I couldn't stand it! At 4:00, we headed back to the hospital, and boy what a ride!! I could only imagine what I looked like to the people next to us! We got to the hospital and all the nurses remembered me,or heard about me through the chatter line. "Oh, your the walker". My water was broke around 6:00pm and by 12:35 our son was born.
The feeling of being able to accomplish what I wanted is immeasureable. I can't believe I almost let go of it, and gave in.
Gavin Michael looks a lot like Easton, with a hint of his mommy. He is very mild mannered just like Easton was, and doesn't cry much at all(fingers are crossed!)
Easton has done a great job transitioning and is IN LOVE with his brother. He makes sure all visitors are washing their hands. He gets a little jealous every now and then, and shows it by whinning. We are trying our best to not make him feel left out.
The pictures below show Shawn and I leaving for the hospital for the second time(hence the 2 fingers), Gavin and Easton, and just Gavin.

Our Family !!!

Welcoming our Newest addition! It's a Boy!

Welcome to the world little one! Gavin Michael Toso was born at 12:35am on Friday, April 17th! Mommy delivered a successful VBAC (only 12 pushes!!). Here are some pictures and a video(Shawn would kill me if he knew, but it's too sweet not to), and when I find a bit more free time, a longer post will follow! Everyone is doing great, and we are excited to be home plus one!

Baby Shower, Easter Egg Hunt N More!

Anxiously Awaiting our Arrival

Tip-toeing up to the final day, I find myself constantly second guessing the decision I make in regards to the baby(VBAC/C-Section). Had I chosen the c-section, baby would have arrived on April 7th and I would have been a week into recovery. Now, we sit and wait for the baby to be ready:) Problem comes if the baby isn't ready by Tuesday. I have an ultra-sound schedule for Wednesday, and a few tests. As of Wednesday, I set up the c-section, and no longer get the option of delivering. I thought I was in control of the decision, but am slowly figuring out that I am not in charge:) On the upside, if the baby doesn't come by Tuesday, it will be neat to see an ultra sound of a baby at 40+ weeks!
Easton has been quite the trouble maker latley(hense why there have been no posts!). He's not a bad kid by any means, just pushing the limits with mom and dad in regards to everything lately. Bed time is a debate, eating is a debate, picking up and even going places can turn into debates Please, please, please let this be the terrible 2's and 3's!
Aside from that, I can say that half stinker child of ours is the most caring and lovable thing you will ever meet(maybe a slight manipulator, but hey, that may get him far some day!!). Easton can walk into a room (especially with older women) and have them eating out of his hand in minutes. He knows just what to say, and how to look in order to get what he wants from a situation.....hmmm...could that be why mom and dad are in so deep??? Easton is constantly telling me he loves me, and always hugs me. He will stop in the middle of play several times to do so. If I am getting ready to go somewhere, he makes certain to say, "Hi pretty lady", or "mommy, your budaful", which melts my heart. He most often will thank us for taking him somewhere or tell us he had a great time without us having to remind him.
I will post some recent pics of us all, and hopefully be updating VERY soon with the news of baby!

Snow Much Fun!!

A Few Recent Pictures!

A Merry New Year!

The break went fast, as it was filled with lots of activity! I enjoyed having the time off and getting to spend multiple full days with Easton and Shawn. It's tough getting out of the work routine and into full time mommy mode, only to get comfortable and have to switch back!

Christmas was so much fun this year. Easton was into santa, as well as opening presents. We spent Christmas Eve with our family at Aunt Missy's house and Christmas Day with family at Grandma and Grandpa Bozue's. Sunday we ventured to Waukegan to see Grandpa George and Grandma Eva. Easton was a little charmer as always and had everyone laughing and enjoying themselves. On New Years, we headed to Uncle Matt and Aunt Sally's house for dinner and fun. We headed home early so mommy and daddy could ring in the New Year together. The day after New Year's, everyone joined at our house for Daddy's homemade pizza....delicious as always!
We took advantage of the sled from Aunt Mandi and Uncle Michael and headed outside a couple times to enjoy the break in the weather. I only hope I can download from a camcorder the footage we got. Easton loved the sled and was so happy being pulled around in it. The neighbors yard slopes into ours, so that along with the layer of ice sent him across our front yard nicely! Icicles were another favorite. He enjoyed pulling them off of the patio furniture and crunching them.
Mommy and baby #2 are doing well! We had our 6 and 1/2 month doctor visit on Friday, and all looks and sounds great. We are (and will most likely be until the end)debating on whether or not we will try for a VBAC. If that doesn't work for us, the baby's due date will be April 4, 2009:)