Joy Stable Kathryn Wilborn

No she is not here yet! Good news today--not only is the tumor/fluid situation stable, I only have to go once a week from now on, (pending things stay the same). I can't tell you how big a difference this makes--I'm trying not to wear my mom and Sean's mom out--hello I'll need them once she is here--so we've been getting people to come watch the kids during the appointments. Did I mention kids aren't allowed at the perinatologists' office? I'm not sure I get that but there has to be a great reason. Scheduling, paying, teaching, paying, programming, paying babysitters will be much less frequent because if things go according to the new plan I will be able to schedule all appts. on Mondays and Tuesdays while Sean is home. Praise! 

I have officially graduated from the intrauterine surgery! After 28 weeks they don't do it because the survival rate is high enough to deliver her and it doesn't involve putting me at risk the way the surgery would. So there is the latest update--good news all around!

Want to know where Joy's name came from? Well I'm gonna tell you.

Joy--I'm not sure if I've really told her to what extent, but Joy is named mostly in honor of my Mom. For two reasons: Joy was my mom's uncle who had a life filled with reverence and passion for the Lord. He was a very kind constant in my mom's life, as she lost her daddy when she was 7 years old. The other reason is that in the last few years, joy has become her favorite word. We've made fun of how many trinkets and signs she has all over the place with the word on it and she always says, "Well I have true joy and it's changed my life." And we can all tell. It really has. My parents are so happy and full of joy--It is refreshing. True joy really is, isn't it? Joy that God can give you and in the midst of everything else you have the constant reminder of all of the good that He is. I also just really like the name Joy. I picture her getting into trouble and going, "Why did you have to name me something that has to mean I'll be happy all the time!" and I'll say, "Because I need you to be happy all the time. Stop complaining." Ha!

Stable--Do I really need to explain? Read a few prior posts. No I'm really not officially naming her this.

Kathryn--My middle name.  Also my maternal grandmother's middle name. We called her "Gee," but her name was Patricia Kathryn. I was always Mary Kathryn growing up and most people from my hometown still call me that. I got a few Saturday Night Live comments in High School but I always really liked my name. 

Wilborn--Well that's our last name. It's not rocket science. 

Eggs and His First Golf Lesson

Excuse the quality of these pictures--Use this disclaimer for all future posts because often my pictures are taken with my phone since it's handy. Plus if Sean is around he is taking the pictures and he doesn't find some of the things I capture picture-worthy. Ha! What does HE know :) Things like these two pictures are what make my day. 

My Mom started showing Ty and Charlie Easter eggs last weekend (during the weekend from down under,) hoping they will get into hunting them this year. They both love them--for different reasons. Ty likes to organize them. By size, color, etc. Charlie likes to just bang two together, much like her brother last year. Yesterday at Mimi and Pop's house, (Sean's parents) we broke out the egg collection and had a great time. Until other cousins joined in...what age do they understand sharing? Ever? Anyway, it was big fun and I'm really hoping Joy stays in the belly until after Easter so I can watch the kids hunt this year!
Isn't this a sweet picture? Sean's dad loves golf and felt it part of the plan that when they moved to a new house 5 or so years ago they put a putting green in the back yard. I'm not sure he pictured what would actually take place on it for the following years but imagine lots of lost golf balls, miniature plastic putters, and "THAT WAS MY BALL!" meltdowns. And Pops eats it right up. Ty giggled every time he actually hit the ball and would say, "Yay Pops." I sent this picture to Sean and he said it made him so sad he wasn't there with us. Sometimes when I send him a picture so he feels like he's not missing things it makes it worse that he isn't there. Not my intention babe!

Forgive the delay on telling you about our visit with the pediatric surgeon--It was great and relieving and has given us more hope than we have had before for Joy. When he walked into the room, my first thought was that he looks like my OB, which will help since after surgery I'll be drugged and can talk to them interchangeably..."Dr, how did the surgery go? Is all okay? Can you give me more pain meds?" You know, the important stuff. I kid. He does look, act, and calm me down like my OB though. They know each other and respect each other and that does matter to me. When you're envisioning your child in surgery of any kind don't you want someone that other people consider GREAT at their job?? 

I guess I should start calling the doctors in our lives by their names or titles to keep things less confusing. Maybe I'll think of some nicknames. Anyway, the ped. surgeon-let's call him that for now-said he has done "many" operations on babies similar to what Joy will have, he can operate at our hospital, and he doesn't expect to have to do the surgery immediately after birth. He explained CCAM more to us and said they often don't cause severe respiratory distress immediately after birth and that he will likely be on call for her delivery just in case but will probably do a CT scan when she is 3 months old to see the tumor then operate when she is about 6 months old. He actually said, "This is not too big a deal..." about three times. She will have 1 or 2 small scars and the surgery will take 2-3 hours. I can't tell you how different this looks from what we were imagining! He assured us that if for some reason she does need immediate surgery he can be there and do it and she should do fine. In the meantime, the NICU at the hospital is equipped to handle whatever symptoms she has and keep her stable until he gets there. If my diabetes stays under control and no more fluid appears in Joy's body they project that we will schedule her delivery at 36-37 weeks...mid-April. 

Thank You Lord. We are continuing to pray that she stays happy inside for as long as possible, but we have crossed the huge milestone (28 weeks,) that all of the doctors involved were hoping for. Our prayers and your prayers have been answered over and over again and we couldn't be more thankful. 

Last One...Probably

Okay thanks to Heather again, I found a whole new designer for blog backgrounds...this will be the last few tries at picking my new background I promise. Let me know when you like one!

Okay Y'all. The Hair

**Update**Thanks for the suggestions for miss Charlie! I need to run to Target :) I intended to get up earlier today to write a post about yesterday's appt. with the surgeon but my kids are already up and one is crying and the other is jumping in his crib--praying he doesn't get airborne and fly over the edge onto the floor as I write this. 

I'll write more later but the appt. was great-we feel much less anxious after hearing details about the surgery...he literally said, "It's no big deal," which is exactly what you want your surgeon operating on your child to think, right? He's not worried at all! He has done many like it, can be there quickly if needed, and can do it at my hospital so we wouldn't have to transport her. In Sean's sister Stephanie's words, "PRAISE!"

Gotta run--going to Mimi's house in Denton today with the kids :) 

It really needs some help. Maybe it's just the wind the last few days but her hair has taken a turn for the worse. I am getting worried.

To add to my concern, she has learned how to pull bows out so my only defense is now obsolete. 
Rubber bands? Does that make her look too much like Pebbles? Should I break down and start using gel or something? Promise not to judge me if I put products in my one year-0ld's hair?

Stable Is Our New Favorite Word

Looks good once again. I sent Sean and Mom a text right away when she said "stable," and Mom wrote back, "That is our favorite word now. Maybe we should name her Stable instead of Joy." Direct quote. I guess she could have two middle names :)

At the end of the week will be another sonogram and she said today that if all is okay then we will push it to once a week. Wouldn't that be nice?! This afternoon I see my OB and tomorrow Sean and I will go meet the pediatric surgeon that will remove the tumor if needed when she is born. That is my final appointment until Friday. I'm not sure what to do with myself with all of this extra time. 

Yes I do. I'm gonna go walk around the mall, get a Route 44 Diet Dr. Pepper, and say thank you to my husband who will gladly play with the kids all day to give me a break. Then have an uneventful OB appointment and come back home. Happy Day!

Look What I Found!

I'm back! I know you were hanging on the edge of your seat. Ha! I know I say it a lot but for the record, steroids are not your friend. They may be your unborn baby or your little girl's lungs' friend but they are NOT good for the mood of the already hormonal momma. Thankfully my blood sugar has returned to earth and it looks like I might not even need insulin yet (or ever again!) We will see in the next few weeks...This morning while Ty was happy watching Blues Clues and miss Charlie took her nap I cleaned out some pictures from my computer and look what I found! I might have posted some of these but just pretend you're seeing them for the first time if not. It'll be more fun that way. 

For our anniversary (the big #3,) in August, the man and I went to Santa Barbara for a little getaway. We'd planned on going somewhere this year because I'd been pregnant both prior anniversaries and couldn't travel--I hate to fly so the shorter the plane ride the better and I've never been anywhere in California besides LA. Sean used to live in Santa Barbara so it seemed like a good fit for a quick trip...it was! I highly recommend it for a trip with or without kids. The weather was beautiful and you can stay outside all day without breaking a sweat. For those of us who sweat more than a woman should, it was great to be on a beach and never feel the least bit gross. I also highly recommend In and Out burger. Enough said. 

This is the old Santa Barbara Mission building. Beautiful! Sean had never been there before and it was just breathtaking. 
This is me in the early stages of pregnancy...but I didn't know that. I was tired and nauseous but thought it was the triple dose of Dramamine that I took to make it through the plane ride. Yes, it's okay to have Dramamine while pregnant.
My pictures really don't do the Mission justice. Inside it was a sacred place--full of history and really beautiful but you couldn't take pictures. 
And this is what Sean used to fly when he worked in SB for SkyWest. It makes me nervous just looking at it because of the plane similar to this one that crashed last week. If I do have to fly I think it's worth the picky schedule and extra $$ to get on a big airplane. The bigger the jet the better I feel. Sean, of course, thinks this is hogwash.

It was fun to look back at this trip and think of how much is different now. I didn't know about what would unfold in the months following this past September. How many uncertainties, great blessings, and new challenges. Ty and Charlie are doing so much more than they were then!

On an update note, I go tomorrow morning at 9:30 to see if there are any changes. Right now I'm not the least bit nervous because I'm just so glad we survived this past weekend. If you know my parents or sister, give them a hug and tell them I wouldn't be able to do this without them :)

Feeling Nutty

Sonogram today showed things are still stable. Blood sugar not so much but we're working with insulin to get it under control. Think I will avoid the computer for a few days until I feel like myself again. I have great sympathy for Charlie now after we give her steroids. They do make you feel nutty! Happy Weekend :)

One Last Warning

On Tuesday when I talked to my OB's office about taking the steroid shots that I get today and tomorrow to help mature Joy's lungs, the nurse said, "One last warning, try to get a good nights' sleep during those two days. Since we found out it might make your blood sugar spike it will only help if you are well rested." Sure, I can control how I sleep now that I am carrying a very mobile watermelon in my stomach. Oh and have two toddlers and a husband who travels four days a week. I actually said most of this to her, both of us laughing. I've told you before how I love her. She's a peach. Or a gem. 

Speaking of gems, I'm liking this background more than others...what do you think? I totally copied Heather, momma of Dynamite and Tater Tot, because she fancied up her blog and changed from this background. I met Heather at my friend Amy's wedding last summer when I overheard her talking to a mutual friend about being newly pregnant with a 6 month-old at home. GASP! I've done that. We instantly had a bond. After talking a little, we remembered that we actually met in the nursing mother's room at church, a sacred place to swap horror stories about those first few weeks. I went there long after I weaned Charlie to vent to other moms and poor Carley has spent many a church service there talking to me while I nursed my kids. Heather's first baby, Trevor, was a strapping lad like my kids--even a little bigger if I remember correctly, and her new princess, Tatum, is just precious. Go look at the two of them together on her blog. Cute Cute Cute.

See how I butter Heather up since I stole her background? 

Ha! Heather introduced me to a website called Baby Bunching, which I added on my sidebar under...wait for it...WEBSITES. I'm so tricky.

Back to my "good night's sleep." I didn't get one last night because both of my cherubs were awake during different parts of the night coughing/gagging/screaming. I was sure that we'd be headed to the pediatrician this morning. It HAS been a few weeks since we were there so I'm missing Dr. Fowers. I love her as much as Justine, the nurse. Anyway, want to hear how very sick my kids are this morning? Not at all. Maybe a slight cold on both fronts but nothing like it sounded last night. Motherhood is great isn't it? You aren't sure sometimes whether to hold them or search them for hidden cameras from the producers of PUNK'D.

In the words of my wise friend Brandi a few weeks after her own little girl was born, "Are you kidding me?" She said those words pretty much summed up being a momma. So far I can attest to that being a thought that goes through my head on average three times a week. 

But then, after they calm down and lay their head on your shoulder and wrap their arms around your neck because they can't reach around your back in your current watermelon-carrying state, you remember that God gave you the most precious of jobs. And you're thankful it's you who can comfort them and teach them that it's okay to need your momma. I sure need mine. 

She's coming today to help me since no one knows what the steroids will do in combination with the diabetes. I've got a good sized baggie (read last post,) full of remedies but just in case I'm incoherent either from last night's events or the shots she will take over. If I respond okay we'll all just have a party with Nattie. I just told Ty she was coming and now he's running laps around the house. You think he's excited?

You Know Me...

And YOU thought I was just like this because I'm pregnant. Old friends, take a vote: These things listed here, are they evidence of hormones or just normal Mary?

*Two days ago I make the trek to Tuesday Morning in search of a rug for the entryway. See, Max had IBS a few weeks ago and killed our rug. And the play room mat. The mat was replaceable but the rug...well rugs are expensive. Unless you know that they have cheap but good ones at Tuesday Morning. I sent Sean pictures of them as I went through the piles--a sight in itself since they average 80 lbs. each--and picked my favorite, talked him into it, and paid. 

When I got home and rolled the rug out to look, we both doubled over laughing. It was maybe 1/5 the size we need for the entryway. Like as in it is long and skinny, looking more like a red carpet for a two year-old than an entryway in a house with real live adults. Yes we have a two year-old but he doesn't care yet about reenacting the Oscars pre-show with Momma. Can't wait for the day.

*I walked down to CVS yesterday with my prescriptions for insulin, honoring my endocrinologists' orders to get more regular exercise to help maintain blood sugar levels. Killed two birds with one stone. It is maybe 1/2 mile away so walking there then making the loop around my neighborhood back home is about a mile and a half total. I broke out my maternity brace/girdle thing (GO GET ONE GIRLS IF YOU ARE HEAVY WITH CHILD!) and made the trip. Stopped at CVS and made the drop-off, then back home. Then I had to take a nap. A two hour one.

*Last night when I went to pick up the meds I waited in line for about 20 minutes, which put me dangerously close to missing church--my co-leader Carley is in Hawaii so I knew I had to be there--anyway, I pulled up in the drive thru to pick up the goodies and the girl couldn't find me in the system. I knew I had handed someone the paperwork myself so I had great patience with her and figured "maybe she is new...bless her heart." I waited for about 10 more minutes for her to find my long lost prescriptions before I realized what the problem was. WHEN YOU DROP OFF YOUR PRESCRIPTION AT CVS THEY WON'T HAVE IT READY FOR YOU THAT NIGHT AT WALGREENS. 

*I have been to Target to get face wash three times this week and forgotten that very item every time.  Last night Sean went there and bought if for me. 

*I went to our brand new shiny Dollar Tree yesterday to get baggies for diapers. Nattie came up with the perfect solution for dirty diapers: Put them in baggies, then in your normal trash can and they don't stink up your whole house and you don't have to make 50 trips a day (with a newborn anyway,) outside to dump diapers. Genius! We were out of sandwich size baggies and I checked the drawer ahead of time, (not like me at all,) to see if that was the only size we needed. Discovered we were low on gallon sized ones too so I also bought those at DT. Got home with my stash and when I went to put them up in our pantry I found three brand new boxes of gallon sized baggies. I hadn't exactly looked where we actually keep extras before my trip. If anyone needs big baggies let me know. I can help a sister out.

*I've tried out maybe 30 different backgrounds for my blog since Valentine's Day. I always have ADD with things like this--I really think I just get bored with the same look--but this time has been the hardest to choose. If you are reading this and see one you like in the next week or so, will you let me know? You are who is reading it--is it too bright? Too jumbled? I've asked Sean but that's about like asking him what shirt goes with my new pair of super fly camo pants. I need help from a girl.

*I sent Ty to church last week with only one extra diaper and no extra pants. After two and a half years of knowing the child and his liquid intake, I know better. But when I'm in charge of packing his church bag you just never know what's gonna get in there. Sean may take over this duty. 

Shoot, he may take over all duties for a while so things get done around here. 

We are stable!

Only had time to write the title earlier...now a few details. I had three doctor appointments today--I left my house at 9:45 and just got home. First, I saw my OB for my now twice-monthly checkups. I went there then across the street to the specialist's office for the sonogram. Sean met me there, and he told me just before we started that he thought we were headed to Houston--the first time he has thought that the whole time! About 30 seconds into the sonogram Dr. Brown-Elliot said, "Stable!" We both couldn't believe it. I have thought/expected to have the surgery the whole time, so every time we hear that word it takes a minute to sink in. Then when it does, I am so relieved. I don't think I've slept well in about a week, even though my "I didn't sleep well," criteria is a far cry from most people's. If I wake up multiple times during the night and don't IMMEDIATELY go back to sleep I feel like I didn't sleep well. And if I get less than my usual 10-11 hours. Yes I'm serious.

I learned a ton today from my OB and from the specialist. First, both of them think that if I make it one more week, (28 weeks,) the Houston surgery will not be necessary. On record there haven't been more than a handful of the surgeries done on a fetus older than 28 weeks, because their survival rate outside the womb is quite high. One week??? Oh my that's just not real long. We have always felt more comfortable staying here, obviously for the logistics involved as well as me recovering from another abdominal surgery while trying to take care of the kids. I think in the back of my mind I've planned it out thinking through who would cover what shifts, etc...and to let go of some of that seems HUGE. I might go to sleep tonight and wake up Wednesday. That would be okay since Sean is home :) 

The next step is that on Thursday I will get the first of two steroid shots to help develop Joy's lungs. That way if she does come out early we have done as much as possible to help her survive and thrive so her body can handle surgery to remove the tumor. I'll go again Friday and finish the process. Today when the doctor told me about this step Sean asked her jokingly, "Is Mary going to grow a beard?" Ha ha. My funny husband. She knew he was kidding. She has quite a sense of humor. We told her today that after spending 6 stressful weeks in her office we're thankful that she is very funny and calming with us which I know is not a job requirement for her!

I also went to the endocrinologist's office for my monthly appointment, and I confessed that I hadn't been checking my blood sugar as many times per day as I'm supposed to (6 X) because of the uncertainty of the last few months...got a small lecture--not like I was expecting--and I vowed to do better from now on. Thankfully when I have checked it it has been well within normal range, another relief. Dealing with the insulin shots and finger pricks just don't seem like that big a deal anymore so if it does creep up like it did with Ty and Charlie I feel more than capable of handling it. For those of you who knew to pray for the control of this part of the pregnancy, thank you! 

How deep the Father's love for us!! What a gift this process has been in unexpected ways. There have been people from all over who have contacted me to share their similar story and people from our church whose kids were born prematurely have found me and encouraged me that all will be okay. It reminds me of a quote that I have written in my Bible and I used to look at all the time while I was actually counseling...

"I walked a mile with happiness, she chatted all the way, 

but left me none the wiser with what she had to say.

I walked a mile with sorrow, and never a word said she, 

but oh the things I learned from her when sorrow walked with me."

We are not dealing with a tragedy that I know some of you have faced lately. I do not compare losing a loved one, a child or a parent, with what we are doing. It is a hard process but there is much to be thankful for. Please let me know if I can be returning the favor of praying for you and whatever process you are going through. It is the least I can do!

What I Hope I'll Be Doing at 12:30

Gettin' my drink on at happy hour (or just a bit before,) celebrating the fact that the sonogram showed good news and that we will have a normal week around here. So you don't worry, I'm talking about Sonic happy hour and so you don't worry again this cup was empty. Charlie hasn't had Diet Dr. Pepper yet. I'm sure she'll LOVE it though. 

Purple Baby

Maybe my weirdest post yet??? Yeah maybe. Meet Purple Baby.

Purple Baby was one of Charlie's Christmas gifts from Graham and Ana (brother and sister-in-law). Charlie likes it but this week Ty has developed a little crush on Purple Baby, giving her the name. It started with 'Baby' but since he's proud of his new color skills he added the first name. Purple Baby is the favorite toy right now, much to his Daddy's dismay. I absolutely love it :) My thought is that I'd rather him love the idea of a baby rather than practice throwing it down the stairs. 
This toy watches videos, sits down at the table to eat, and causes a huge tantrum at bath time. See, Purple Baby is not waterproof. And she doesn't know how to swim. Again, if he can grasp this maybe Joy's future looks a little safer.
I sent this to Emmy and Mom asking, "What does it look like she's saying?" Whatever it is it would have been hilarious if we could understand her jabbering. 

But oh isn't she cute? I know I think she looks like Sean so maybe that's why I think so. For you bargain shoppers, I got this jacket for $1.99 last summer at Carters. Guessed on the size, and it's a little snug but it goes with everything in her closet.
My final picture is something that I saw at Target this week. This was parked next to me when I came out and I thought, "Yeah, I might look into that in the future, once the kids get a little bigger." Oh to be  clear was thinking about it for MAX. Reminds me to post the CPS story soon...it will blow your mind.

Joy Update

Things are stable. There is a little more fluid around her lung but since that is the only place right now we are still ok. This afternoon since Sean was on a trip my parents both came to the appt. with me. We were all, (even the Dr.) thinking it might be time to go to Houston so they didn't want me to be by myself. We were all, (even the Dr.) relieved to see that things are not as bad as we imagined. We are all, (even the Dr.) grateful to God that we have had this many more days for her to grow--regardless of what happens from now on the farther along I am the better. I go back Monday to check again, and will keep going every 2-3 days until further notice. Sean will be home Monday so he will be able to go with me--bless his heart was halfway between Florida and NY today during the appointment time so as hard as it was to not have him there I know it was worse for him! He doesn't like to feel helpless. If you can imagine the feeling of helplessness we have all been feeling you can also imagine how much the Lord has stretched us :) 

Last night, while listening to a CD of hymns made for babies I cried for the first time. Not in my life but for the first time because of the last few weeks. I am trained to tell other people to grieve/feel what they are feeling because it is healthy and beneficial and yet I didn't realize I needed to do it myself. Until I heard those words that have given people comfort for hundreds of years and I recalled specific times when the hymns helped me with all kinds of things. Losing friends, my first real heartache, confusing times during college, the list goes on. He never failed me before and during this time of waiting and fear for my child, He has never felt far from me. I am so thankful.

I'll write more soon--for now I'm gonna unpack the bag...again :)

Update

Right now on TV they are showing a tornado on the ground in Oklahoma City and I'm just really glad I don't live there--We just got home from the appointment so let me fill y'all in. 

First, the good news is that the tumor is still stable in size. It hasn't changed much at all. The bad news is that for the first time, there is fluid around her lung. When there is fluid in/around one of three places in her body they watch it closely. Right now there is only one small pocket of fluid. It could stay the same or increase. If two or more of these pockets develop they call it Hydrops. Hydrops=surgery in Houston. As of right now, I am supposed to go in on Thursday to check for more fluid and monitor what she found today. She said that I'll come "often" until she can figure out if the pocket of fluid is stable. 

Basically, it's going to be a little more waiting. While I'm as impatient as the next person about most things, this is an instance where God has already answered many prayers for Joy and I know He continues to watch over us. This assurance really helps with the waiting process.

Please keep praying for Joy! I'll let you all know what we find out on Thursday!

Airplane!

This picture has nothing to do with anything I'm posting, I just love it. He's looking at an airplane and now that he'll say, "Airplane," it's so fun to imagine telling him about what Daddy does at work. 

Today has felt like labor day. Not as in the holiday but like I'm in labor. Don't worry--I'm sure I'm not. I was in labor once for about an hour before my epidural and LORD I know this isn't it. That was the longest hour of my life. I'm such a tough girl, huh?

I've had contractions all day, (Braxton Hicks, I am positive.) My mom is calling me an ambulance right now reading this--Mom, I'm fine. I'm starting to factor in how much my kids weigh and that maybe, just maybe, that has something to do with the contractions. When one or both of them has a bad day---more needy than usual--I hold them a lot. They weigh 70 lbs. combined and while I don't always hold them both at once I lift them at least 30 times a day. The last few days Charlie has been a peach. She's cruising everywhere so she only wants to be held when she's hungry or needs to be changed. Ty, on the other hand, has been whatever the opposite of a peach is. Lifting him a lot. Sean is home so he's lifting him a lot too. Thankfully he is not pregnant or we'd be in bad shape.

I'll post an update tomorrow afternoon. We have an appt. at 1:00 for the first time in two weeks. We're not feeling as anxious as past appointments because we got to skip a whole week. Hoping we find out the tumor is shrinking or at least stable. What a way for God to show off!

Can I Get You Anything?

And this is what I found when I got out of the shower. She did it all by herself and her brother was FUMING standing beside her. It used to be HIS chair!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

I'm bracing myself for the cuteness that is to come in the next few years. And also for the terror. The embarrassment, teacher conferences, and nursery boot-outs. It's all good being a parent, and whether I'm making fun of my inabilities or my kids' outbursts, I am loving it. I can't honestly say I've felt this way since day one--it is an answer to prayer and the result of God showing me the last few years and months the beauty of watching a little person grow. Some of my current favorites:

TY
*After he hears clapping, in person or on a video he says, "Yay Ty."
*He can count to 20 and he just learned to count to 10 in Spanish.
*He says, "Bye Bye" when anyone comes in the door. Don't take it personally if he says it to you when you come visit. We thought at first it was a sign he wanted the person to leave but he thinks "Hi" is "Bye." At least that's what we're telling you! :)
*He says, "Mmmm," after every bite and after a sip of drink he smiles and says, "Ahhhhh."
I've been told by his Daddy that I do this after every drink too but I think he's making it up.
*He jumps in his crib for at least 10 minutes before he goes to sleep. The boy loves his bed. If he's still in a crib when he is 5 I won't care as long as he sleeps as much as he does now in it.
*He finds letters everywhere we go and yells them until we acknowledge his find.
*He still runs to find me when he wakes up from his nap or in the morning. However, when Sean is on a trip and I am the one who gets him, he looks past me for his Daddy like, "Are YOU IT?"
*When he is due a spanking and he is told so, he slaps his hands together and says, "Bye Bye" to whoever is about to spank him. Like that's his way of talking his way out of it.
*He makes up songs and plays them on his little keyboards. He says every word he knows in the songs and also counts the keys as he's winding down...His big finish is always, "Yay Ty!"
*He is sharing more and more with "Cauggy," as he calls her. You can guess what he says when he obeys. "Yay Ty."

CHARLIE
*Is cruising!! From nothing to crawling, eating, and cruising in a month! Go little girl!
*Says Dadda, Bye Bye, Yay, (wonder where she heard that,) Momma, Popeye, Ty, and Hi.
*When you walk into her room and turn her fan on, she instantly throws her arms around your neck and lays her head on your shoulder. Then she pats your back. It is my favorite thing.
*Immediately following the last one, she cries like her heart is broken you're putting her down. Every time. She is over a year old and still cries when she goes to sleep. Not my favorite thing.
*She feeds herself almost anything and now only likes green beans and macaroni and cheese baby food. Saves a TON on monthly groceries. The girl eats a lot!
*She's still clueless about cups. Can't drink out of any sippy cup we've tried. She just holds them in her mouth and then you see her smile break through from behind it. This is our focus now because I have visions of her stealing Joy's bottles.
*She is not happy in a dirty diaper. The second she goes she starts whining wanting someone to change her. I've heard this will help with potty training. Let's hope so!
*She wants her brother to like her so much that she thinks it's funny when he yells, "Cauggy!!" when he is mad at her for stealing something. She BEAMS. He usually has good reason to be mad at her but we make him share and he can do it. He doesn't like it but he's plenty capable. You should see her face when he hands her something he's been playing with. TREASURE.
*She has caught up to her brother in diaper size. We have one more size to go before we're gonna have to buy adult diapers for my kids. Pray for success in potty training this Summer!
*She reaches for Sean when anyone else is holding her. Including me. Love that she loves her Daddy that much!

Update

Monday morning I went to my regular OB appointment and it's wild how different it seems now after going to many other "serious" appointments. My doctor and I cut up the whole time, talked about a mutual friend that we have through my church, and predicted (jokingly, kind of) that Joy will weigh 13-14 pounds at birth. I kept asking him, "How big am I measuring since I'm already answering the, 'Are you close?' question," and he kept saying, "BIG." He finally told me 28 cm, which means I'm three weeks ahead of where I should be. Ha! He gave me some info that I'd been wanting as a follow-up to a comment the specialist made that helped me. He said that by 32-34 weeks we'll know what to expect, meet with surgeons at my hospital if needed, and plan her delivery with confidence. I was excited to hear that he's 90% sure they can handle whatever surgery she will need right there without having to transport her or have me switch hospitals...a great thing since it's close to our house and I'm so comfortable there.  I've spent the last three years with those nurses!! I don't remember their names because when I'm there I'm HEAVILY MEDICATED THANK YOU JESUS but I know their faces. I also learned where we would go if they couldn't perform the surgery and I've been there to visit my friend Jamie when she had her little fireball, Lizzie. They took great care of them and it is not as foreign as having to travel to Houston. Not that Houston is foreign land but can you imagine transporting kids, family, friends and Sonic drinks to and from a hospital you're not familiar with? Me neither. And not only is there a Sonic close by, there's a Whataburger. Glory. 

Can I take a minute to tell you how important it is to get along with and trust your doctor? He's "The Man," second to Sean, in my book and I've always known he could handle whatever happened to me or my weird body.  Now, facing what may or may not involve outside doctors telling me what to do, I'm so glad he'll be there too, telling THEM what to do! 

I get to skip a whole week before going back to the specialist, which gave us great confidence in the situation. She seems relaxed about what's happening and she either has the gift of lying to patients or the whole thing is starting to look more and more positive. What a difference a week can make! The tumor is still comprised of three separate cysts and appears stable. We are still praying it will shrink and go away so that the issue will become a non-issue. We are pinching ourselves that things have leveled off the way they have in our house and we are filled with hope. God has been so good and continues to bring people to us with similar stories and positive outcomes. Right now we are just soaking up time with Ty and Charlie, knowing that they are truly the best things God has given us. They are both cutting teeth right now so it helps keep things in perspective :)