EXCITING NEWS!!!

Noah's doctor called last Thursday and said his monitor download came back with only one episode and after speaking with a neonatologist, he has decided to discharge the monitor!!!!!!!!  He has done great without it and I am so happy!  Noah has had the monitor for over 7 months (that's over half of his little life)!  Thank you to everyone who has prayed for him and our family!!!!

Another Update on Noah

We finally heard back from Dr. M, Noah's pediatric GI doctor yesterday.  Click here to read about that appointment on March 9th.  He finally convinced the doctors that read the ph study and sleep study (that post is here) to correlate the results to determine whether the apnea was related to reflux or something else.  He told me that one of the complete airway obstructions was related to a ph lower than 4 and three of the other apneas was related to a ph under 4.  Dr. M isn't sure what is causing the other events.  He stated he was going to discuss taking Noah off the monitor with our pediatrician because Noah is getting bigger and it's a lot easier to get tangled in the cords.  I asked him if he thought it was safe to take him off the monitor and his reply word for word was, "I can't tell you if your going to get in a car wreck tomorrow."  I really thought that was inappropriate and I think that my question was a legitimate question.  His response didn't exactly give me a safe feeling about it!  I know that he specializes in GI issues and couldn't explain the other events and could only discuss the results related to reflux.  His recommendations were to continue with the prevacid twice daily and continue the monitor until I speak with Dr. V.  I heard from Dr. V's nurse today and she said that he is not ready to take Noah off the monitor yet.  Since speaking with Dr. M., he has been trying to decide whether to send Noah to see the ENT, pulmonologist, or neurologist.  He decided to schedule Noah to see a pediatric pulmonologist and to have a barium swallow study.  These will probably be done in about two weeks.  So keep little Noah in your prayers and pray for wisdom for these doctors.  Home health came out today to download the information from his monitor so we should get those results in a few days.  We are expecting to receive good news!  I would love to see a perfect reading!  Noah is also experiencing a side effect from the prevacid, sweating.  Not just typical sweating, but when he sleeps he is often drenched with sweat.  I picked him up from his nap the other day and when Seth walked in the door he asked if he had a bath.  We are praying that this stops.  Other than these issues, Noah is such a happy, active, fun little boy!  He is 14 months and already teases his sister and the dogs.  He has decided he doesn't want to have anything to do with sign language now and would rather scream and point.  (nice)  He  loves any kind of ball and loves to throw and kick.  He has been eating more and more lately!  His favorites are chicken nuggets, cheese, and quesadillas.  He is into everything so we have to watch him like crazy! He will sit in a swing outside for hours if he could.  When he is swinging, he is just so peaceful.  He doesn't make a sound and you can just see how relaxed he is.  I love it!  I love him!

Our anniversary

Seth and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary last month.  It was actually snowing pretty heavily when we woke up and we weren't sure if we would be able to celebrate, but it wasn't as bad as they predicted!  We dropped the kids off with gramma for the night and had a great time!  We went to the movies and watched 'She's just not that into you.'  It was very funny (lots of foul language but very funny)!! We then went to have a pedicure together and then headed downtown to eat at Crab Town.  We enjoyed drinks and buckets full of crab, shrimp, pork chops, and all the fixins!  Afterwards we enjoyed cake, ice cream, and wine at La Baguette and stayed the evening at the Colcord!  It was nice to have an evening with just the two of us!  Here are a few pictures from the evening!

Getting ready for our date

website

I think everyone should check out Happy Hour Mom!  Especially the daily confessions!

garage sales...

I am sitting inside my garage freezing!  This doesn't feel like spring weather to me!  The wind is blowing like crazy and I am considering shutting down early and taking a hot shower!  Seth took Halle to her soccer game and Noah is at gramma's house so I am here by my lonesome!  I have had some neat 'shoppers' today!  One couple is having a baby boy and decided to buy all of my boy stuff (of course I didn't sell the "good" stuff that I will be passing on).  I don't think they had a real sense of sizes for what age and what the season will be, but they got a great deal so hopefully what they can't use they can pass on too!  Sometimes I think "why don't people want this?"  I think very highly of my "junk."  ha!  

So why I sit out here freezing in what should be 80 degree weather....I will think happy thoughts about what I would rather be doing!  

Playing outside in the sun with these two kiddos tops my list!

would rather be watching "Alice in Wonderland" at the IMAX

I would love to be at the beach right now!

Mmmmm starbucks!!

Shopping...shopping...shopping!  I gave up shopping for lent (recreational shopping), but I did buy shoes for the kids and an Easter dress for Halle.  I figure those don't count, because they are essentials. =)

I would love to be getting a pedicure right now!  Love them!  I very seldom get one, but had one last weekend for our anniversary date and I want another one very very soon!

My hubby is bringing me home Wendy's Chili!  Thank you Stacey for bringing some by yesterday!  I could eat this chili every day.  It's awesome when you add some french fries!  (can you tell i'm hungry?!)  

I will continue to sit here hoping people come by my stuff.  But I am shutting down at 1:00pm.  Seth will be home shortly with the kids (and my chili) and we have a birthday party to get ready for!  Happy birthday Gallagher!  

Crazy moms...I might be one of them?!

Today was enrollment for preschool at Piedmont!  We are technically not in Piedmont school district,....yet!  We are putting our house up for sale tomorrow, and are going to try to sell it by owner.  We don't really have plans yet as to what to do when it sells.  We are just praying that it sells...and sells quickly.  We will probably just rent for a while until we find a house we want to buy or build.  I am not in a huge hurry and don't want to feel rushed about our permanent residence yet.  I also don't want to be stuck with two mortgages.  So please pray that our home sells and that it will be a blessing to whoever is the new owner.  We have had wonderful memories here!  People have asked why we are moving to Piedmont.  Halle and Noah both stay with their Aunt Lala.  That is such a huge blessing to me!  Since I am unable to be a stay at home mom, I love that they get wonderful loving attention from her.  I also trust her completely with Noah and his monitor situation.  When school starts, I won't be able to pick Halle up everyday at 3pm or take her at noon, so the best situation is to have her in Piedmont schools where her aunt can do the taking and picking up.  This has been something that we have been planning since I was pregnant with Noah.  We have just been dragging our feet a little bit thinking it would be too hard with a newborn.  I think it might be hard with a new walker too.
Back to my enrollment story.  I have heard how people almost practically camp out to enroll their kids in pre-k....and that it's first come first serve.  However, when I spoke with the secretary, she told me that they would allow parents to line up at 3:30 and enrollment begins at 4 pm.  So I pull up in the parking lot (which was full) and see this loooong line of parents.  I finally get parked in a muddy field and walk to the line.  I just kind of stand there and a guy (in a bright orange sweater) tells me where the back of the line is (in a not so friendly tone).  So I make it to the back and meet up with my friend Stacey.  Well this wasn't a "real" line and the guy was crazy to think we would walk in single file fashion to the front doors of the school.  When the last bus left and we were able to cross the street to get in the real line a lady starts running and then I see an orange flash (psycho eager dad) running to the door, I grab my friends arm and we book it to the door.  Crazy dad still beat us and claimed position #1.  I am proud to say that we were #8 and #9 in line!  It ended up being first come first serve so I am hoping that Halle will be in the afternoon class.  They are now offering full day pre-k and I felt kind of pressured to make a decision.  We were taken in by groups of 25 and had to make a decision right then giving our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice out of full day, 1/2 day a.m., 1/2 day p.m.  I wasn't aware that there would be an option for full day.  I feel right now the best option is 1/2 day pm.  Halle will be able to spend time with her brother in the morning, eat breakfast and lunch with him, and then go to school from 12:10 to 3 p.m.  (Also, the thought of me having to get her to school at 8 a.m. for 1/2 day a.m. kind of freaks me out.  I run late every where I go!)  I think she would be fine in all day, but had to make a decision right away.  To my friends of preschoolers and teacher friends.....what did you choose or do you recommend?  I am hoping that I made the right choice.  And it's not the end of the world if I didn't.  I didn't even go to preschool when I was little and we didn't even have all day kindergarten.  Times are changing!