Putting up the Christmas Tree

Last week we finally got around to getting up our new Christmas tree. Last year (after the holidays) we decided it was time to buy a new tree as ours was literally falling apart (and Bailey had eaten a good 1/4 of it)! So, we waited for things to go about 80% off, and we got this pre-lit tree for $40 bucks! It was a great deal and a beautiful tree... once Jamie figured out that it was mislabeled!!! ;-) Of course Sean was a BIG helper (please picture that said with sarcasm)!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful Holiday... who doesn't love to get together with family (and friends!), eat delicious food, share what we're thankful for, and have a puking child! Well, okay, our day wasn't all bad. We were able to spend the day with my family (and Aubrey!) and the Jamie's family in the evening. However, Wednesday night Sean came down with some sort of stomach bug. He seemed SO much better on Thursday, but first thing Friday morning we started in again.

I'm happy to say that he is feeling MUCH better - still not 100%, but certainly getting there! And, we were fortunate enough to have a calm stomach Turkey Day (well, we ate WAY too much... does that count?).

Thankful for you all! God bless! Now... on to Christmas!!!

Sean's first Speech Therapy appointment

Today we met with Anna, Sean's new Speech Therapist. First, let me tell you how much I love her! She was SO nice and SO good with Sean. I know what some of you are thinking... it's their job to be good with kids, but we all know that is not always the case. She was so sweet in her tone and so kind in talking with Sean, he warmed to her instantly - what a relief on my end. They played and she observed and asked me a lot of questions.

At the end of our session, she said she was impressed at how well Sean did some things and at how advanced he was for his age in some areas. She said he is a excellent listener and followed directions extremely well. And, just like Dr. Striegel told us, Anna said he is on the brink of talking up a storm! She does think that therapy would benefit him in the continual building of sentences.

There is a waiting period to get in to therapy, so we now have to wait for an appointment (which is anywhere from one week to one month). We are willing to wait if we can get that 8:00 a.m. spot with Anna. It took me over a half an hour to get from work, to daycare, then to therapy! If you think Champaign-Urbana is not big, think again!

As we were leaving, she said that we have a very sweet natured little boy. She said she could tell he was very loving and that he is very loved. Of course WE think so, but what Mommy doesn't love to hear that about her child! :-) Overall, it was a very positive experience, and for that, I am VERY grateful!

16 week check-up

Today was my 16 week check up. It's hard to believe I'm already four months pregnant! Only 23 days until our sonogram and we can hardly stand it! Of course we are anxious to see if we can tell what we are having, but more importantly, it is always nice to hear that things look perfect with the baby, and that he/she is developing right on track!

Okay, back to today. I have gained two pounds since my last visit four weeks ago, which brings my total weight gain to six pounds - right where I should be! My blood pressure is almost exactly the same and still showing no signs of pre-eclampsia (although I was good at this point with Sean too). Like our last visit, this little critter I'm growing was all over the place, so they couldn't get the heartbeat to register. Three people later, they brought in the portable sonogram machine (I tried to convince them to keep their eyes out for any little "parts", but no such luck!) The baby's heartbeat was at 149 - that's the highest it's been, and MUCH higher than last time (it was 122, I didn't like that).

They said everything looks good and we are good to go for another three weeks when we have our sonogram. Woo-hoo! Go Baby Lance!

Goodbye friend

Today we said goodbye to our sweet kitty Jolie. For those of you who never saw her (she wasn't out much), here is a picture. It was very sad to see her pass, but Jamie and I know it was the right thing to do. If you have never lost a pet before, you are a very lucky person - it is one of the hardest things to do. Thank you all for your emails and calls to see how we are doing. We miss her, but fortunately we have three other pets to keep us plenty busy (and a two year old)!

Updates: Sean/Jolie

Well, today was the day of making appointments. I called St. Louis Children's Hospital and got Sean scheduled for March 16th. We are on the waiting list in case there are any cancellations, but for now, that's the date.

I also heard from the vet... we have scheduled to take Jolie in Monday at 11:40.

I truly appreciate all your emails. It means so much to know we have such a great support system.

Jolie

Many of you know our cat, Jolie. Or rather, you've heard that we have a cat named Jolie (lovingly referred to as "the fat one".) Jolie doesn't come out much unless it is to eat, but she is a sweet, sweet kitty none the less.

Last Saturday she was supposed to go in for her annual exam and shots. But since we've been having a lot of problems with her urinating (everywhere), we decided to have some tests run. This evening the vet called with the results of her lab work... As it turns out, she is severely diabetic (along with a possible neurological issue). This leaves us with a few options, but the one we are choosing to go with is to have her put to sleep. We don't want her to suffer.

Of course my heart is breaking. I'm very sad by this as I've had her for eight years... she's a sweet, loving kitty - even if you haven't ever met her. We will discuss timing with the vet tomorrow. Please keep us in your thoughts as losing a pet is never easy. We appreciate it...

Update on Sean's growth

As many of you know, Sean had some tests run at his two year check up to see if his bones were showing signs of growth. Between a bone scan/x-ray and blood work, we were hoping to find out if there is a problem, or if he's just our little man.

Last week we received a call that his blood work came back normal (other than being a little low in iron, but nothing to worry about there) and his x-rays all looked good (showed signs of his bones growing). Of course we were thrilled with this news!

This evening, I received a call from Sean's doctor. They received the last of his blood work test results back, and there was one marker that showed a little cause for concern - the IGF 1 growth hormone. A normal two year old should fall in the range of 45 - 222. Sean is at a 25, which is where a one year old should be. This means that he has what's called short stature growth hormone deficiency.

Per the instructions of Sean's doctor, the plan of attack is that in one month, we will have the test run again to make prove that it is a "reliable" test. Tomorrow, I will call to make an appointment with a pediatric endocrinologist at St. Louis Children's hospital. Apparently there is a four month waiting period to get in, so we're looking at sometime in March (hopefully). The doctor gave us the names of three doctors, and she said they are worth the drive - they are the best. Well, we of course want the best for Sean, so the distance is NO issue.

Once we meet with the specialist, we'll know a lot more of the plan. Based on the research I've done, it looks like we will have to administer a daily injection of growth hormone to Sean. Depending on how severe they determine his low level to be, will depend on when the injections start - but most research says when the child is 4 - 5 years old. Research also shows that he will be administered the shot until his bones are at the maturation age of 16. The shots are virtually pain-free (according to several websites), but very costly.

Of course this news is not what we wanted to hear, but we ARE grateful that he is otherwise healthy. Like the emotional Mommy I am, I have cried a lot about this and ask for prayers that all works out. I know that things could be SO much worse, but no Mommy (or Daddy) wants their child to have to experience anything bad. We appreciate your prayers for Sean that everything will work out in the way that God sees fit. I'll be sure to update the blog as we learn more. Thanks everyone...

Just being cute!

Sean got a few new toys for his birthday... new stuff is always fun (although, so are the boxes!) Here he is playing with one of them being all cute! I love his smile in this picture!!!

Visit from Grandma Becky

This weekend Jamie's Mom was hear for a visit. We had a lovely time. You could tell that Sean recognized her since we just saw her in September, so the warming up period was much better. Becky was kind enough to watch Sean on Saturday night so that we could have dinner with our friends the Meyers. We went to Alexanders (YUM) and were able to visit for awhile. We were very appreciative of Grandma Becky for that!

While she was here, we also took a trip to Toluca to visit Jamie's Grandmother, Jan. We met up on Sunday night for dinner at Mona's (Becky and Jamie's FAVORITE place to eat... me, not so much! :-) ) We hadn't seen Jan since Sean was nine months, so it was nice for her to see how much he's changed!

Although it was a short visit, is was nice for Becky to spend time with Sean. He's changed so much from when we were there in September!!!