Home sweet Home

Natalie is home and doing well. She is back at school and loving it. She gave us all a big scare. My mom and Dad were here visiting, thank goodness! I could not have stayed sane with out the help of them and my in laws! They were all able to help take care of the little guy so that Joe and I could spend as much time as needed with Natalie in the hospital.

Here is a link to what she had should you want to read about it.... http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/764421-overview

Here are some pictures of the little man...



He loves licking on Gradpa Mike's arm...

Natalie

On Saturday when Natalie woke up she said that her neck hurt. Joe and I thought she had just slept weird and so off to gymnastics she went. Later that day we went to an Earth Day Festival downtown and Nat started to complain about her legs hurting... I carried her to the car and she took a nap when we got home. When she woke up she was saying her neck hurt worse as did her throat hurt she also had a fever of 101.5.. I was sure she had strep throat so I took her to a Med Check. Nope her rapid test came back normal so I just thought she had some drainage and slept wrong. With a little Motrin she was doing great.

At 2am she was saying crying in her sleep about her neck and running a 102.7 fever. I called the childrens nurses line becuase I have always heard that meningitis starts with a stiff neck. The nurses line said to take her in. In the ER they did a chest x-ray as well as a CAT scan with contrast on her neck. It came back that she had a pretty bad infection in her neck between her esophagus and her spine called retropharyngeal cellulitis. They admitted her to the hospital and she was not released until Tuesday, yesterday. Today she is saying that her ear/jaw area hurt really bad and her fever is back. Joe is taking her to the doctor in about an hour. I will let you know if she goes back in.

Riley is 3 month and Natlie is 4!!!

Riley is now 3 months old… and getting big! He is 25.25 inches long and 14.5 pounds. He looks just like Joe, see below! Natalie is 4!!! She is 46 inches tall and 43 pounds. She loves her brother so much and tells him everyday. He is smiling more and more. Now for what you all come for… pictures…

Natalie's birthday cake, made by our friend Chrissy's mom. It was the best cake ever!

Natalie after her party

Riley hanging out at work

Riley outside for his first of many bonfires in the court.

View from our deck on vacation in NC, day 1

View from the deck the last day, check out the snow!

View from the front of the cabin

Family picture on vacation at the Nantahala Nature Center

Riley spent most of vacation sleeping….


Natalie hiking

Beautiful waterfall on our hike.

Riley Michael

Riley was born on January 12th 2009 at 4:49 in the afternoon. I had gone in for a normal check and my blood pressure was higher than the doctors wanted. I was set to have my c-section 2 days later. When my BP did not come down the doctor decided to go ahead and take him that day… that and she did not want to listen to me complain anymore! He came out kicking screaming and peeing, weighing 8lbs and 10oz. He was 20.5 inches long. Since then he has done nothing but eat and grow. By his one month check he was 24.5 inches and almost 11 lbs. Here are some pictures, enjoy!

Just before I walked myself into the OR

Not so happy!

A little better

Much better

Big Sister

Just thinking

So Proud

So alert

So big

Natalie and Aniyah, BFF

A real post and pictures

To come when the new baby is home... next weekedish!

Natalie is doing well. She is sassy as ever. Nana has been here helping us out since the middle of December. The new baby will be here on or BEFORE Wednesday the 14th.

Joe is doing well. I think he is enjoying having my mom here so he has some time to himself to workout and get back in his grove.

My dad will be back at the end of Jan to drive home with my mom and meet his new grandson.

Projections at this time are that the little one is about 9.5 lbs. We shall see.. only a few more days.

Hope you all are having a safe season!

Funny things Natalie says

Over the last week or so she has said some stuff that amazes us.

- Her and Henry were watching Kung Fu Panda the other night... Henry said.. Mr. Joe can I please have some lemonade... Joe, of course... Natalie would like some too, Mr. Joe. Joe brings them their lemonade as they are watching their movie with popcorn.. Henry says to Natalie.. here is your wine. Natalie; thanks H! About 30 minutes later Natalie sprouts off with "Mom drinks milk and water... Daddy drinks beer... Nana drinks Bourbon Beer... Grandpa Mike drinks wine... Me... what did you say Nana drinks... her... Bourbon beer... I guess she calls them like she sees them!

- This week she has had an off an on bout with some sort of stomach bug which results in diarrhea... she told me today, Mom, we do not all it diarrhea we need to be polite and call it little poopies, it just sounds better, OK?

- Yesterday she was talking to Aniyah (best friend who moved to MN) on the phone. She was telling her that Grandpa Mike was coming to see her next week and then says, Aniyah... did you know that my Grandpa runs? He runs the fastest of all the Grandpas! How cool is that? Aniyah says, pretty cool Nat.

Everyday is something new... I just wish that I had a recorder on her all day to hear what she says to her teachers!

As promised

Natalie and Daddy at the pumpkin patch

She has taken to reading stories to Shelia and Kyra

Natalie and Henry watching a movie

Natalie and Henry at the fall festival

Natalie sitting on the "marshmellows" aka, hay


Natalie and Henry trying on their costumes

Our little Mermaid

Pictures on Monday... Promise

I am so behind... We have pictures of the new baby... to come on or before my birthday Feb. 5th... We have end of Summer pictures, We have picutres of Haloween. We have little miss sassy pictures. She is getting so big. She says things everyday that amaze us! I will try and post a little story about our little miss everyday next week but for now...

The other day we were driving home from school and she says.. Mom, the trees are very sad... I asked, Why? Her, Because we are driving. I asked what would make them happy, she said if we did not drive but we walked or rode our bike that would make them happier...

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures

Michigan in July













Sparklers at home





Sneeking chips after a bath

Hanging with Baby Jack

Summer is here!

Natalie is having a great time in the pool, both the one in the front yard as well as the one in the neighborhood. Yesterday she went "swimming" in the big pool. She blew bubbles and had a great time kicking.

As promised

More pictures

Natalie learned how to ride her bike



Natalie's guy friends, Christopher and Henry


Natalie in her new dress that Nana brought her today


Her new friend, Henry's new brother, baby Jack


Natalie's sad face, she fell off her bike