Ian Update

Well, let's see. Ian has been a busy little guy this summer. Sorry the pictures aren't where they are supposed to be. I need a lesson on how to get them where I want them. Can some of my blogger friends tell me how to get the pictures to appear under the paragraphs I want?

He has a new word now, Pool. We put him in a 2 week Water Babies class with daddy and he loved it except for the night that I tried to watch him and get some pics. I did manage to get 2. Whenever mommy is around that is the only person he wants. He is soooooooooooo spoiled. He doesn't like to get his face wet but we will work with him on it. It's just hard to undo 2.5 years of telling him not to get his face wet because of the trach in a year.

He also helped host a baby shower for his new little sister over Father's day. He wasn't too sure about that but he definitely loved opening all the presents. Christmas is going to be a blast this year. He got to spend all day Father's day in the pool and even learned how to shoot a water pistol. Granted he was shooting me but he was having fun. Unfortunately, he did come home with a lovely black eye. I swear, I'm the world's worst mom. The boy trips into a low windowsill where we were staying and this happened with 2 people walking right behind him. The funniest thing that weekend was that he got to see a little 3 month old baby girl. I didn't hold her because I didn't want The Look yet. Daddy held her, grandma sneak attack, and Ian saw him and he got The Look. Then they sat her in his lap and it lasted for a good 5 seconds before he put his hands in front of him and 'pushed' her away. We were loving it and unfortunately we didn't have the camera.

We just got back from a trip home to Albany, GA to see grandma and grandpa and help put plans into place for another baby shower. Somehow mom tricked me into designing my own invites for the party that she's hosting. Got to love Moms. Ian had a blast there as usual and as usual was filthy. The day started at 445 for him and he was up for about 16 hours straight. Can we say tired 3 year old.

So on Sunday he got to go to a 4 year old Bday party at Burger King for our friend's son. The other reason we went home. I've known that dad for about 30 years, yep most of my life. Just scary. Ian just did laps around the playpark but he had a blast and only 2 falls but none of them were on the equipment. Why is that they happen in slow motion and you see it happening but you can't get there fast enough even when it happens less than a foot away from you. I swear if I could figure out how to wrap him in bubble wrap I would.

So now for Monday, we had to go to Bham for his ortho appt for a 6 month followup on his back and get xrays to see if the curve had made any improvement. He was a big boy and only one meltdown and that was when daddy had to take him to be xrayed since I wasn't going to go into the room with them being so pregnant. He went in screaming momma and came out all smiles and with an Elmo sticker. We love the modern technology of them putting us in the exam room and then pulling the xrays up on the computer. We were looking at today's as soon as the nurse left and we could see how much straighter he was. Of course the first words out of the ortho's mouth was Are we sure he has achondroplasia? Yes we are we have the genetic testing results. Yes his head doesn't show the typical forehead bossing and apparently he has grown a little. We don't see it but grandma on Saturday made the same comment. So we actually thought about it we were out and about after the appt and we noticed that we weren't having to hunch over to hold his hand anymore. Ok back on target. The ortho measured his curve and it was a 10 degree improvement. So at this point since it was showing improvement we aren't going to brace but continue to monitor and we go back in another 8 months.

So that's it for now on what Ian has been up to so far over the last couple of weeks. Upcoming events are eye surgery and then the second baby shower he is hosting and starting preschool and oh yeah getting a sister.

28 Week Dr Appt

Well, we made it to this appointment. So little sister has officially been cooking about a week longer than when Ian was born. So we are officially first timers again. We don't know what to expect any more at this point. All the bloodwork from last week's paranoid appt came back fine and I apparently don't have gestational diabetes as nothing was said about that. Yay!! So I got the lovely Rhogam shot today as well. We also went ahead and scheduled the CSection date for her arrival. Friday, Aug 28 is the big day. Now hopefully she will not make any surprise appearance before then.

So this weekend is the first of 2 baby showers being held for us. This one is in FL by my MIL and SIL and Ian is hosting with their assistance. Hopefully we will get some of the items we need and not just frilly dresses but I'm not holding my breath. Thank goodness for exchanges.

So for now all is well with the Bankesters. Now to make it to our next Dr appt in 4 weeks.

1st Dentist Appointment

Well we had put it off long enough while waiting for all the other issues with Ian to stabilize and for him to get old enough to understand what was going on. So today was Ian's first dental appt. He did well. He did have a meltdown which I had thought would happen especially after the mood he woke up in this morning. But he came out all smiles with his 2 toys, bribes to behave. Oh how I love bribes:) He didn't have any cavities but they are watching some areas. Which I expected after him being on Pediasure and bottles for so long and not letting us near him with a toothbrush until last year. Granted all the milk he drinks doesn't help but he needs the calories and protein from it . They didn't do xrays as they didn't want to push their luck with him and his cooperation. So we will work up to that. Now to introduce flossing to him. That ought to be fun. But he will probably surprise me and like it and then we will have to hide all the floss in the house. We did get an at home flouride treatment for him to use and we will start that and hopefully that will improve his teeth some.

So he was an awfully good big boy today and then of course mommy bought him a new Hot Wheel car at Walmart as a prize. As if he didn't have enough cars and I don't complain enough about putting them up. Oh well, 97 cents and it makes his day, he deserved it.

28 Week Milestone

Well we have made it to one big milestone in the pregnancy with Ian's little sister, 28 weeks. By this time we had already had Ian and had started the NICU roller coaster. Granted I have been to the OB 2x in the last 2 weeks because I'm paranoid and don't know what is normal. This last visit on Friday was due to a tiny bit of bloody drool on my pillow when I woke up. Now typically probably wouldn't bother me as I have bad gums but that was one of the things that happened with Ian when I was developing HELLP and we didn't know it was a cause of concern.

Now with it being Friday and going into the weekend I was worried. So into the Drs we go. I know that they think I'm being crazy but with everything that happened with Ian and with how fast it happened, I am a little justified. So the Dr ordered some bloodwork to check my platelets and liver enzymes just to be on the safe side. They will let me know if anything is off. My Dr (not the same Dr that I had with Ian) is funny since he has finally figured out that I wasn't the typical presentation of HELLP with Ian( I skipped preeclampsia and eclampsia and went straight to Class 1 HELLP) and wants me to be boring this pregnancy. I want to be boring as well.

So as of now, all is well and little girl is still cooking, yay!! We have our next milestone on Thursday when we go in for the actual scheduled Dr appt. I never made it to that one with Ian. I get to have the lovely Rhogam shot as well. Oh joy.

Time to now hopefully go get some sleep. I hate pregnancy insomnia.

I Love Pea Pod Announcements

I love Pea Pod Announcements. I found them when I was looking for birth announcements for Ian and wanting something unique. They did such a great job with his and didn't freak out when some, ok the majority, were NICU pictures. They are a small company started by a mom and is now 4 years old. They also do invitations, thank you cards, and holiday cards as well as announcements.

Well they had a 4th Birthday Party on Facebook last night. Just for signing in I got a 15% off code and then I won a set of Keep In Touch cards ( think of as kid business cards) and a 30% off code.


This is so great. I've been looking and trying to decide on which announcement to do for our little girl and how to customize it. The codes will help with the cost. Yay:)

If you want to check out this cool place they are at www. peapodannouncements.com and they also have a Facebook page as well.

I know I sound like an ad for them but they are an amazing bunch of designers and do a lot of great work.

The summer is packed

Whew!! Just got through with making all of Ian's dr appointments for the summer. We are trying to get as much done this summer as possible before 'lil sis arrives. Ian sure is a busy boy.
This month we are going to the dentist for the 1st time. My one question is Why do dentists think a one year old & up are able to go back by themselves and let strangers near them with sharp instruments and no other dr expects this? Ian is funny about his mouth and going through a separation anxiety phase. I refuse to let them restrain him or sedate him. Hopefully he will do well.

Ian also is going to start Water Babies this month for 2 weeks. We decided to do that instead of swimming lessons to start off with. Since he just got his trach out last summer we wanted him to get used to the water first. He's going to do this with daddy. This will be interesting.

Ian is also going to host a baby shower (with a grandma) this month as well in FL. This will be fun and the first of 2 showers. The grandmas missed out on this stage with Ian so they are having fun with 'lil sis. Hopefully I won't end up with all super frilly girl clothes but I have a feeling I will. He then has a bday party for our friend's son the next weekend. We love them and don't get to see them much. I've known the husband since 1st grade. How weird is that.

Ian will then see his orthopedist. Hopefully, he won't end up with a back brace. He's doing better sitting up straighter but I'm still worried.

Are you tired yet? I am. Now for July, Ian will have another shower to help with and then the next week have eye surgery. It's not an emergent surgery but we wanted to get it done now before there is more damage. Hopefully it is just the one eye muscle on each eye that is causing the problem and this will help with him looking up and not having to move his head to look up and holding his head back while he is walking. Then we a followup for that. So far July is not as booked as June.

August 10 starts Preschool at the elementary school. Hopefully, I will be able to see him off that week for his 2 days a week. August also starts back up with Playgym so that he gets that as 'therapy' and modeling. Sometime in August, 'lil sis will make an appearance as well, I think.

The summer is flying by and we still don't have a name for the little girl but with us that's par for the course. She probably won't have a name until right before I'm wheeled in for the c section. I can't believe I'm 36 in a couple of weeks either. Time sure has flown by. Hopefully we will have Ian's room redone in the next 2 weekends so that we can start setting it up for him and his sister. Nothing goes together like Cars and flowers. The house will be a tight fit for the next couple of years but by then we will be in a better financial position to buy a bigger house.

Next dr appt is in 2 weeks and that will be a milestone for us as we didn't reach that one with Ian, we will be 2 days short of 29 weeks. Already we have reached one milestone, at this point with Ian I was already in the hospital with HELLP. So I am now in completely uncharted waters. I don't know what's normal and what isn't. It's like being pregnant for the first time all over. I also think that his 'lil sis is already bigger than Ian was when he was born.

Oh well that's enough for now.