Making Strides

It is hard to believe those tiny feet can support her!


Well, Addy Scott is walking......everywhere. Her new-found freedom has already led to the discovery of a whole new world to explore and several misplaced items....including my car keys. Yes, I heard her playing with them, but three seconds later when I went to go get them, they were gone. I'm sure they've been stuck in some very small space I don't even realize exists yet. Hopefully they will turn up soon. Thank goodness I have a spare set.

She also drew the number "10" in the triangle


Mary Ella is making strides of her own. I picked her up from school this week and she had cut and pasted a train together, with her teacher's help of course. However, in the compartment she had drawn a conductor with his hat and all. It truly amazes me how far she has come just this year. I guess with the new scissor skills also comes the inevitable....cutting hair. Fortunately, I caught her before real damage had been done. Only a few locks were gone and her wavy hair conceals it.

Scott and I are doing well. He completed a difficult month yesterday. There were many late days, hence the previous post. The "pregnancy fatigue" was getting to me. I went back and read it noticing many grammatical and spelling errors, but I'll leave it the way it is because I feel like that alone indicates how tired I was while writing it.

4-6 pm Syndrome

We have a very typical routine during the day between meals, naps, outings, etc.... Our children are generally easy-going, go-with-the-flow kind of gals. I say "generally" because obviously have moments when that is not the case. Overall, they are very fun to be around until 4 pm hits. I'm not sure what makes the switch go off, but at 4 pm I have at least one child clawing, whining, crying at my feet, or needing something. Lately, Addy has been the most consistent perpetrator. So what really happens at 4 0'clock? I usually begin scrounging to plan dinner, clean up the day's mess in the kitchen, and help Mary Ella clean some of the day's activities up (I'm sure there are other things that happen during this time as well). Anyways, as soon as I starting clanging things in the kitchen...it begins. I've tried to put on Baby Einstein...doesn't work, set her up with toys/activities....she migrates her way back, get her involved with her sister....again, migrates her way back. This usually ends when we all sit down for dinner around 6 o'clock or Scott gets home (also usually around 6 o'clock). This time period is the most challenging time of day for me and I hear the same from many other moms. I guess it is just a "right of passage". Sorry about the negativity, but I had to vent.....

Long Road

I'm talking about Scott's medical career....it has been a long, yet worthy road. We've had to face many life lessons together, depend on each other, and believe in each other. I could go on and on about the dedication my husband has demonstrated over the last 12 1/2 years I've known him. He dropped his baseball scholarship to pursue a pre-med degree. When he didn't get into medical school for two years, he continued to study and take tests in order to improve. He finally was accepted into medical school in 2000. Despite having two brothers who were OB/GYNs and investing many research hours in that specialty, he made a last-minute decision to do anesthesiology. He knew who he was and what he wanted...I was so proud of him and happy he found something he was truly interested in. He was interviewed by some of the more prestigious programs in the country and matched at his first choice here at UTMB in Galveston. We've been here now for three years enduring the ups and downs of residency yet Scott's work ethic has never wavered. He truly excels in all that he does receiving many letters of commendation and two awards for going "above and beyond". I guess what I am trying to say is that I have known how great he is both as a person and as a physician. However, when others see it and acknowledge it, it validates all that I know about this great guy I call my husband. So when he called me today to tell me he had been offered one of the "chief resident" positions, I cried. Was I surprised? Absolutely not. I was so overwhelmed knowing that God called him to this specialty, this place, at this time and he listened despite many people telling him not to do it. It leaves me wondering, how on earth did I land this guy????

Baby, Baby....Baby????

No, I'm not referring to a Britney Spears song. We are rather unexpectedly, but happily pregnant again with our THIRD child. Yes, Scott is a doctor. Yes, we know how these things happen, but considering it took us a year to get pregnant with our other two...well, you get the picture. All I can say is...SURPRISE! We saw a heartbeat last week, so all is healthy. This baby is due in October.

Nauseated? Absolutely, but thankful
Tired? Is there really a way to define this type of fatigue???
Cravings? Not yet, but hopeful
Smells? Nausea + Smell= DANGEROUS COMBINATION

All kidding aside, we are 100% excited. Addy and this new little one will be 19 1/2 months apart and Mary Ella is sure to be my little helper. I do wish I had a picture of Scott's face when I delivered the news. I don't think I've ever seen him so shocked and wide-eyed in the 12 1/2 years I've known him. Can you believe it????

Busy, busy, busy

Smash it up baby!






He looks so innocent. Ahh, the first baby doll!





Golly, it has been a busy week down here from Addy's birthday "weekend" to doctor appointments. I'm not even sure where to begin. Scott's parents came in to celebrate Addy's birthday with us. We had a small family lunch on Saturday to celebrate. Addy got her cupcake, although I think she enjoyed smashing and smearing it more than actually eating it. Following the cupcake photo op, we moved on to presents. I think the hit of the day was the TMX Elmo my mother gave her. No it wasn't necessarily the kids that were so entertained by him, it was the adults. In fact, Addy was very cautious about this wiggly thing. So what does any well-meaning mother do? In an attempt to show her he was harmless, I put him right next to her without being completely aware of his moves. Well, this was not a good idea. She tolerated him until he took a tumble forward right into her lap and .....shear terror. Fortunately, she is very forgiving and with a little love from mommy she was ok.


Scott and Mary Ella on the light rail.








The pony ride and her first funnel cake. She loved it!



Scott's parents left Sunday and we headed to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo with Mary Ella to see Hanna Montana and the Cheetah Girls. The highlights for Mary Ella were the light rail ride, the pony ride (that we waited 45 minutes for) and when Hanna Montana appeared. However, once the concert started, it was too loud for our "sound sensitive" daughter. The noise paired with the fatigue from the weekend led us to leave a little early to get Mary Ella in bed. She was very tired, but didn't forget about the promise of "Dippin Dots", so on our way out we made a pit stop to top off the sugary weekend. This was after I don't know how many cupcakes, an ice cream sundae, and candy galore. Needless to say, she crashed that night into a very deep slumber.

Monday morning we got up really early to take Addy into Texas Children's for the anticipated "milk challenge". She tolerated the milk well and didn't mind drinking it except they were only giving her a little at a time between 15-30 minute intervals. This was torturous for a little girl who had not been allowed breakfast in preparation for this little test, but overall, it went well. This honeymoon with milk only lasted 24 hours before she began developing her symptoms of colitis again. Although disappointed, we fully expected she would not be able to tolerate this yet. She is back on Neocate to heal and we will attempt Nutramigen in a few days. Maybe we'll have more success with that. On a positive note, she has progressed to 5-6 steps at a time. I'm sure she will soon be running all over the place soon.

Happy 1st Birthday

Can it be??? Is it true??? I guess I can't be in denial that my precious angel is one year old today. I look back at the anticipation I had a year ago this morning. They were probably putting in my IV's right about now and all I could think about was what her cry would sound like, what she would look like, and what Mary Ella's face would look like when she saw her. Well, her father can't deny her and her sister wouldn't trade her for the world. My house is filled with girly giggles that warm my heart with a joy only God could explain. It is amazing how intimately you can know a little person that supposedly comes into this world a "blank slate". I know every inch of her beautiful skin and every quirk she has developed. You see, from the time she was itty bitty (1 month) she began kicking her left leg during transitions. I go in to cover her at night and that leg kicks against the mattress when she stirs or when she is deciding what toy to tackle next that left foot stomps the ground. OR how about when she climbs into my lap her face always nestles into my right shoulder before coming up for air with a big smile on her face. These are the details I don't ever want to forget. So Happy Birthday my little one. I love every tiny bit of you!