Pick A Smith

Phone Call

2012-12-14T22:34:00.001-05:00

Daniel had just gotten home from work and we were doing things in the kitchen. It was a normal Wednesday evening for us and we soon would be having a sitter come so we could go to our Home Group Christmas party at Erin's. I was walking out of the laundry room and into the kitchen when my phone started ringing. Daniel had answered my phone and handed it to me. I looked down at the number but didn't really connect the dots. (919)-966-.... Looks familiar but not sure who it was.

Hello I said. Instantly hearing them say...is this Amanda Smith? the dots connected and my heart sank. I started pacing back and forth by the kitchen table, my arm started shaking and I couldn't stop moving. Daniel instantly walked over reading on my face that I was about to panic. He quickly caught on to who was calling and tried to get me to stop moving so we could both position my cell phone in a way that we could hear what the genetic counselor was about to say.

The words Sally Harris shared with us that day at 5:16 pm on December 14th, 2011 were words I honestly dreaded hearing. They were words I NEVER wanted to hear spoke over the phone to me in my lifetime. They were words I had lost sleep over, worried about, prayed about, shared with friends about.

"We got back Colton's genetic results and he does have the same genetic mutation of OI type IV"

I remember we were standing between our table and buffet in our kitchen. I instantly gave Daniel the phone and just dropped down. My body seemed to go weak and I couldn't even control the sounds that escaped my mouth. I cried so loudly and uncontrollably. I walked right over to Colton and scooped him up out of the pack-n-play where he was sleeping in the living room and held him on the couch. I just starred at him tears dripping down my face as they fell on him. I apologized to him over and over and just continued asking and repeating words of "why, NO, I am so so sorry". I honestly don't remember when Daniel joined me but he graciously finished the conversation with Sally and got the details we needed and sat down on the couch to join me. We both sat starring at our beautiful boy just crying tears of sadness together. We cradled him, kissed him, and loved on him. I just think we were both in shock and disbelief.

I remember EXACTLY where I was and what I was doing when we got the same phone calls from UNC about Brayden and Teagan. But both of those times we heard what we wanted to hear from the other end. We heard "we did not find the same genetic mutation. Your son does not have OI". We cried in those moments together as well but they were happy tears. Tears of relief, happiness, thanking God for what he had done and for answered prayers.

In that moment with Colton I was not thanking God. I was not crying happy tears. I was sad. I was grieving. I was angry. I was frustrated. I did not look at OI as a gift or as something I ever wanted for our family.

1 year later today December 14th... I stand here reflecting on this year with our boy. (well actually I have been reflecting for a few weeks now. I think it all started around Thanksgiving). I can't help but cry again today thanking our Lord for the beautiful little man we have been blessed with. I honestly can say that because of that phone call that day I have been introduced to a whole new world of AMAZING OI families. They are families and stories I would have never been blessed to know if it wasn't for getting that phone call. They are families and stories that have CHANGED me and who I am today. I have not gotten super involved in the OI world just yet but I am a better more compassionate person because of meeting some of these families, learning their stories, and having the opportunity to be praying for them. Did I want Colton to have OI? Of course not! But 1 year later I can start to see how God has been working through me during this difficult diagnosis this year. I feel over this year my perspective is changing. Some days more than others but it IS changing ;)

I am thankful for where Colton is today and for the opportunity to raise such an amazing determined strong little boy. I thank God for his determination and feisty personality. I pray that as he grows up we can offer him opportunities to thrive in this world and live life to the fullest without feeling the need to shelter him too much.

Colton - I know God is going to use you in a BIG WAY. I pray we remember to tell you that daily and we don't hold you back from the BIG PLANS God has in store for you.

CDSA

2012-10-03T22:19:00.000-04:00

Well we had our first official visit from the CDSA on Monday October 1st. I have to say I was a bit nervous and also excited about it all.

When Dr. Jenny and Ms. Dana showed up they got right to interacting with Colton. They were doing different assessments, games, specific play, and even sneaking in some loving from him. He enjoyed playing with their new toys all the while not knowing they were actually testing his receptive and expressive language, his overall communication, fine motor, gross motor, and everything else I am forgetting. :)

I enjoyed answering their questions and getting to brag about my boy a bit! He did surprisingly very well without going down for a nap and I was impressed.

Overall Colton did not show he needed any services just yet from CDSA and hopefully he will not ever. He scored right on target or close to it for every area. Most areas he scored like any other average 10 month old little boy and a couple areas he scored more like an 11 month old boy! Way to go C!! They did agree his hips are "loose/lax" and the way he stands could be concerning in the future, but she is going to send a copy to our orthopedist who we will see in just a couple of weeks. So I plan to discuss those concerns with him during that appointment.

We did enroll him in the program just because he automatically qualifies due to having OI and now I have another resource to contact in case we do we feel we want another professional opinion on how he is doing later on. Yes we have all our Duke doctors to call on but these assessments are free and even if he needed services someday the copay would be cheaper than what we pay right now for private therapy!

I have to say in talking to a friend about it earlier today and sharing our experience, I told them overall I was so glad we did it. It was encouraging to focus on some of the amazing things our little man is doing instead of always just worrying about what he MAY not do and what concerns we DO have. I was encourage to hear how well they think he is doing overall and just to have a couple of hours focused on him and to see him SHINE!

Here's to you little guy! We love you lots and are so proud of you!

4 hours...

2012-10-03T17:24:00.002-04:00

Do you ever feel like you move through your day without actually seeing the people around you?

There are days I feel like I have such a long list of things I want to accomplish that I just move through the day without really noticing the people I interact with at Target, the gym, the people in the grocery lines, the random person walking down our street...

Yesterday was kind of one of those days. We have an incredibly busy next couple of weeks and so my list is long! I dropped our two older boys off at preschool and let me state, I did acknowledge their teachers and and talked to Joye as we walked in. :) But after that Colton and I were in GO mode... I had a list and I intended to accomplish it during the 4 hours I had while the boys were gone to preschool!

Post office - check
Target to buy random things on my list - check
Party City to check out things for B's birthday - check
ATM to deposit money - check
Lunch at Moe's with my sweet Colton - check

and the list went on...

Did I accomplish all that was on my to-do list that morning? Well yes we just about did. I interacted with Colton and sang to him while we shopped. I practiced waving bye bye with him and giving him "fives". But I am not really sure I made eye contact with anyone else while I was living life during those 4 hours!

When I stop and think about it...it is not what Jesus would do. I know Jesus would have stopped and acknowledge the people around him even if they were complete strangers and His list was long. He would have had intentional conversations and made eye contact with them. Everyone has a story that you come into contact with everyday and we are called to love them like Christ would love them. Was I nasty to anyone? NO! But did I intentionally show them love? NO!

With God's help... I am going to work on slowing down a bit when conquering my LIST to stop and breath in the world around me. I want to acknowledge in a deeper way the complete strangers I come into contact with on a daily basis. I want to call people by name more than I do and recognize their presence.

Here's to showing God's love in a more intentional way!

October

2012-10-01T00:56:00.000-04:00

October is one of my favorite months of the year and always has been! The leaves start to turn colors, the air gets crisp, the windows are open more..and there are pumpkins, bright colors, and beautiful sunshine that fill my days. I feel we always make more trips to the farmer's market, decorate the house for fall, and just enjoy being outside in NC! We attend State football games, visit the pumpkin patch, finish up soccer games for the boys, the State Fair comes to town...just a ton of FUN family events! And on TOP of that list is Brayden's Birthday! Our first born son turns FIVE this month, actually in 9 days! I can't believe it and my eyes swell up with tears of joy every time I think of it. Save those emotions for another post (if I post again anytime soon).

Tonight I just redid our kitchen calendar and this month as I look at our calendar I feel a range of emotions. All that happy stuff is there but along with it this year comes some heavy stuff as well.

On our calendar for this month...

* we have a visit from the CDSA for Colton. Actually this will take place tomorrow morning.
* I go back to Duke for another assessment of my elbow and am pretty sure they are going to say I need outpatient surgery again this month.
* I am getting another Dexascan done again for the first time in years and then meet with my endocrinologist again to make a plan for my health.
* Colton goes back to Duke and we meet with an orthopedist for the first time and he will get more xrays.

But besides all the medical stuff we have going on this month...my brother-in-law is packing his bags and moving to South Korea for 3 years on October 21st. We are excited for his new adventure and know we will get to see him from time to time, but also with the excitement comes lots of sadness. I honestly haven't even begun to process how this will affect our family. I know our boys will miss Uncle Jeremy a ton and so will Daniel. I will miss having him over for dinner, feeding him, and chatting about life.

Part of me just wants time to SLOW down because I am afraid I will miss out on taking in every moment of these joyful and emotional memories we will make this month. I want to be in the moment and savor it all so I don't look back and wonder where the month went.

Lord...help me to live in the moments this month. Help me to not worry about tomorrow but just enjoy the moments you give me each day. Help me to savor the times with family, friends, and our boys! Help us to begin to process Jeremy moving across the world and I pray you watch over him as he moves. Lord help me give all our doctor appointments over to you, knowing you already know the outcome of each and every one of them. Lord I pray you watch over Colton as he begins to move and enjoy all he is learning.

Couponing

2012-08-09T16:25:00.001-04:00

So this week is Super Doubles at Harris Teeter! For those of you who don't know what that means...it means Harris Teeter will double all coupons $2.00 and less! So if you have a $2.00 coupon for something you could save $4.00 on that item! They use to only double coupons $1.99 and less but they have recently changed their rules!

We are on this new budget by Dave Ramsey so honestly the last couple of times Harris Teeter has had triple coupons or super doubles I have barely shopped. It has always fell at the end of a month when our grocery funds were low. I knew we had everything we needed to eat and I would have been going to just stock up on some things we would use later on! But now a few of our stock piles are getting low and some of the deals this week are just TOO good to pass up!

I know some of you would debate with me about other grocery stores being cheaper! And I would never tell you Harris Teeter is the cheapest grocery store around! It is most likely the MOST expensive store around but I think Lowes Foods is pretty darn expensive as well! :) But I got all of these items pictured for $13 and some odd change! THIRTEEN DOLLARS!!!! My bill was $64.00 with my Vic Card and then I gave the lady 18 coupons and my bill was $13.00!!!!!

And I know the next question will be...well will you really use all that stuff? I always here "when I use coupons I have to buy stuff I won't use"! Well guess what then - don't buy it even if it is cheap!! All of this will most definitely get used! The only item I splurged on was the Wholly Guac but come on...they were each 79 cents after coupons and we like it but just don't NEED it. :)

We use laundry detergent, soap, milk, butter, shave gel, feminine products, baby snacks, and baby food now that we have an 8 month old! So YES it will all get used!

* The Gillette body washes - on sale for 3.99 and I had a $2 coupon - so it doubled to $4 so they were fre

* Yogurt Melts for Colton - on sale for $2.00 and I had a $1.00 coupon that doubled so they were free

* All Laundry Detergent - on sale for $3.99 and I had a $1.00 coupon that doubled so they were each $2.00!

* Gillette Shave Gel - on sale for $2.99 and I had a $1.00 coupon that doubles so it was $1.00 for shave gel

So do I ALWAYS shop at Harris Teeter NO! Honestly one of my new favorite places to grocery shop is Kroger in Garner! Their prices lately have been great! But during Super Doubles you bet I will be at Harris Teeter multiple times this week! Ziploc bags, more baby snacks, and other items are on the list to check out!

And all this to say...try couponing at least for weeks like this! I know it takes time and is hard to keep organized at times! But give it a try and then all the money you save use to pay off debt, give to a good cause or use it to do something nice for someone you love!

Wishbone Day

2012-04-30T09:12:00.000-04:00

Colton wearing his Wishbone Day Shirt!

Every year on May 6th the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation (OIF) recognizes and celebrates Wishbone Day. It is a day to raise awareness for OI around the world and help people learn and understand what it is. With awareness emergency doctors will learn how to handle a child with OI. With awareness they will be able to raise more money to do research on OI. With awareness we will be able to diagnosis more kids properly and what treatments to use!

Most of you know what OI is because of our family but OI is still categorized as a very rare genetic disorder. Most doctors in different fields still do not know much about OI or how to care properly for a patient with OI when they come into the ER, need x-rays, or other specific care. When I have to meet with different doctors I still get looks of "what are you talking about?" or I get comments like "I have heard of OI but don't know anything else about it".

So please wear YELLOW on Sunday May 6th in support of Colton, myself, and all others affected with OI. :)

Please if you do wear yellow, send me pictures via email or text messages so I can see your yellow shirts! Thanks for your support.

Some random facts about OI

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a genetic disorder characterized by fragile bones that break easily. It is also known as “brittle bone disease.” A person is born with this disorder and is affected throughout his or her life time.

In addition to fractures people with OI often have muscle weakness, hearing loss, fatigue, joint laxity, curved bones, scoliosis, blue sclerae, dentinogenesis imperfecta (brittle teeth), and short stature. Restrictive pulmonary disease occurs in more severely affected people.
OI is caused by an error called a mutation on a gene that affects the body’s production of the collagen found in bones, and other tissues.
OI is variable with 8 different types described in medical literature.

The types range in severity from a lethal form to a milder form with few visible symptoms.
The specific medical problems a person will encounter will depend on the degree of severity.

A person with mild OI may experience a few fractures while those with the severe forms may have hundreds in a lifetime.
The number of Americans affected with OI is thought to be 25,000-50,000.

The range is so wide because mild OI often goes undiagnosed.

3 Months Already

2012-04-18T23:04:00.003-04:00

3 months has passed so quickly. I remember being at UNC on January 11th and all the feelings those appointments brought. When they said we would have a 3 month follow up appointment I remember thinking that seems like a long time from now. What do we do until then for Colton? Are you sure we just keep doing life and not change anything for him?

Well here we are 3 months later and we found ourselves back at UNC today. BLESSED to say that the past 3 months have been uneventful in our OI world. I have been honored to meet a few other OI moms in the area, keep in touch with some others via technology, and be part of an amazing OI community on Facebook and Yahoo Groups. What a great resource and support system for so many facing the daily challenges, emotions and even blessings that this rare genetic disorder brings to so families.

Today's appointment went well. We only had one appointment with the endocrine department just to do a routine check up on him. They did normal baby checks (height, weight, head circumference, body temp) and then we met with the doctor. Overall we did not find out much new about him and I praise God that it seems like so far he is growing and learning like any other 4 1/2 month old baby boy!

I would say that I am pretty convinced now I plan to get a second opinion for Colton. I think our doctor at UNC is very knowledgeable but I just would feel better seeing another doctor or two in the area or not in the area that specializes in OI care as well. I have seen a lot of specialist in my life for various health related issues and I always lean towards getting second opinions. And so when it comes to our son, I feel no differently. I have been talking about doing this for awhile but honestly at times it is just easier for me to kind of "forget" he has OI. We handle him and treat him no differently right now (even if maybe we are suppose to). So there are times I just ignore the fact that he has it and choose not to deal with the emotions and feelings it brings up and the questions it brings up regarding my faith. I think that is why I have not called any other places to make more appointments to take him. But after today I know deep down in my heart I need to. Daniel is indifferent to it but doesn't seem to think it is a bad idea!

So we will continue to go to UNC for now but I do plan to have some other appointments scheduled in the near future. I am working on some names and referrals.

But for now the plan is as follows...

* Colton will go back to UNC in July for a 3 month follow up. We should expect this appointment to be a longer day again because we will see his Endocrine doctor, he will get spine and femur xrays to check for bowing, fractures and/or compression fractures, and we will be checking his vitamin D levels with blood work.

Pinterest Gone Wild

2012-03-13T22:07:00.007-04:00

So pinterest has become my new favorite place to go and find ideas! Lately several projects I have wanted to do are finally getting completed. This is because FINALLY we are having less doctor appointments and life seems somewhat "normal" for now!

Everyone has been making these. A wipe board with a picture frame.
Thanks to Daniel for this :)

I need to update these clipboards with some new pictures soon! Poor Colton is still in my belly!

We made two of these boards. One is in the boys room and one is our room! Hoping we fill them with ideas of LOVE all the time!

I am hoping to use these scripture cards to help our boys learn more verses and teach them more about the Bible.

I absolutely LOVE this new clipboard area for our boys papers. Their papers use to be all over the fridge, doors, etc of our house. I knew how important it was to showcase their work but it also felt so cluttered to me after awhile! The PERFECT solution!

LOVE these two book displays! I enjoy organization and they are easy for the boys to use!

Reality

2012-01-10T20:36:00.002-05:00

This may surprise some of you but there are times when I don't feel like doing much, even though those times are not very often. :) Tonight was one of them. I was in a "blah" kind of mood again tonight. I think a couple of different things played into this mood.

For one, I attended a funeral today for my dear friend Liz's mom. It was an absolutely beautiful service. It was probably one of the most personal funeral services I have ever been to. Liz and I became friends years ago while teaching at Farmington Woods. We had a unique 1st grade team and we shared a bond like no other team I have ever taught with. We have seen each other through the ups and downs of life. We all don't see each other as often as we would like but there is a deep rooted friendship there that is unspoken. Liz's mom had been battling cancer for over a year and last Thursday she left this world and went to be with the Lord. I honestly have to say I knew she was an amazing woman from meeting her myself and hearing about her through Liz. But listening to the stories told today in the service made me understand the kind of person she was even more. It made me think...what will my friends and family say about me at my funeral service someday? Will they be able to share such amazing stories like I heard today? Will they be able to say I was an amazing woman of God who loved those around me unconditionally? I definitely have been evaluating and thinking about Liz's mom and the story she lived here on earth and the lives she touched. I pray for comfort for Liz and her family and just hope I can live and model a life like she did.

Tonight's mood is also coming from the anxiety I am dealing with in regards to our son's appointments tomorrow. I feel like tomorrow I am going to have to deal with our reality. There is no more sugar coating it. There is no more ignoring it. There is no more thinking oh I will deal with that when it comes. I feel like for the first time since December 14th I am going to have to really face the truth that my son has OI. That he currently has a genetic disease and I can't fix it. Is he still perfect to God...of course. But I still want to fix it and take it away. I want to take away any future pain or hurt he may go through. I want to take away any worry or anxiety him and his future wife will go through. And I can't.

As of 4 pm yesterday, our appointments have changed for tomorrow. We are now attending 3 different appointments for Colton tomorrow at UNC. First he will have a skeletal survey as they call it where he will receive xrays to make sure there are no hidden fractures currently in his little body. Then we will meet with the Genetic Counselor and Geneticist to discuss the OI. Then we will meet with the Endocrinologist that will be following and working with Colton. I am SO very thankful and praising God that we have such amazing genetic counselors that have scheduled these appointments for us and gotten us in to see these doctors so fast. But I would be lying if I said I am not a bit anxious, nervous, and scared for the appointments and the reality I am going to have to face. I will definitely be wearing some water proof mascara!

Updates...

2012-01-06T15:13:00.002-05:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to post again about the updates in our life. I am quickly realizing that going from 2 to 3 children is a blessing but a big change. My free time felt like it went from some to none :) Just keeping up with life and taking care of our 3 boys keeps me busy. And I would honestly say some of the "life part" is behind in my book, but maybe I just need to adjust my thinking.

Arm...

Well I had surgery on December 20th. Surgery went well and I was in a big splint/cast that I could not take off or get wet for a week. Then I got put in a smaller splint that I can take on and off just to shower and do my stretches each day. I got 18 staples removed on Wednesday. That experience was not pleasant at all and happened with lots of tears from me. The status now is for me to continue doing my stretches several times a day and I start OT next week. I have to go twice a week for several weeks and hopefully can move it down to once a week after that. I do not follow back up with the surgeon until the end of January! So hopefully things keep progressing well. I can use my left hand for some things but I am not going to lie, not being able to bend my arm at all is frustrating. I am having to do everything with my right hand and not lift much of anything with my left arm at all. Anything that involves your tricep muscle is suppose to be forbidden. This is very hard if you stop and think of how many times a day you use that muscle! I definitely won't take it for granted again!

Colton...

Colton is doing well! He is growing like a weed and is already 5 weeks old. We have progressed to a pretty good schedule already thanks to really trying to follow Baby Wise for the last few weeks. He is eating every 3-4 hours and the last two nights is going about 6 hours at night between a feeding (we will see if that continues). He does have a pretty fussy time that happens each evening which can be tiring for our family when we are trying to take care of and hang out with brayden and teagan as well. He actually started on some Zantac yesterday because the pediatrician thinks he may have some reflux issues so we will see if that helps. If not he is just having a fussy time each day and nothing we can really do but try to have patience until he outgrows it.

Teagan and Brayden are doing great with him. They absolutely love their baby brother and honestly like to be around him too much at times.

UNC...

We do have our UNC appointment scheduled for next week, January 11th at 12:45 pm. We will be meeting with Dr. Alysworth and Beth Hudson (genetic counselor) to start discussing our questions, where we go from here, and to do an evaluation of Colton. Honestly I am not sure what to expect but I am praying for some more clarity and to gain some wisdom. I am hoping some of our unknowns will be answered. Please be in prayer for us as we attend that appointment. I know it will bring a lot of emotions that day. I pray God comforts us and we feel his presence as we discuss our son and his future.

I hope to soon get into a good routine to start updating our blog more often. First - we need to update the look of this blog. Joye Mullis that is where you come in. Let's meet for lessons!!

Life Happens

2011-12-20T21:34:00.004-05:00

Many of you got this in an email from us but just wanted to post it here to document it.

As many of you know with each pregnancy Daniel and I take a 50/50 chance that I will pass along my genetic disorder of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) Type 4. And as all of you know, Brayden and Teagan did not inherit my gene and so they do not even have a chance to carry it on in our family. Well on Wednesday December 14th we got a phone call at 5:15 pm from UNC that Colton did in fact inherit my gene. So Colton does have OI - type 4. We were not expecting the results to come back so soon because with Brayden it took 6 weeks and Teagan about 3 1/2 weeks. This time we find out just shy of two weeks.

Daniel and I haven't told many people yet and even typing this email is hard for me. I think telling people makes it seem more real and makes me have to deal with it more, so I have just avoided it. We didn't even tell our families for 2 days just not knowing what to say to them and needing some time to process it ourselves before sharing with others. Of course we have a HUGE range of emotions we are going through and there has been a lot of tears. Emotions ranging from grief, anger, sadness, guilt, fear, and many more. Not all positive emotions for sure.

But we are telling all of you to ask you to just be praying with us and for our sweet Colton. There are still a lot of unknowns and that may be the hardest part. We don't have any answers or other specific things to tell you about it right now. All we have been told is that I have to call on Monday to schedule an appointment with a pediatric genetic counselor and we will go from there I guess.

Some specific prayer requests...

* Pray that we get in to see the pediatric genetic counselor sooner than later. I was told it can take months

* You can begin to pray that Daniel and I deal with all our emotions and not let them stay bottled up. And that we try to deal with them in a somewhat healthy way

* You can pray for Colton...that the OI would present itself in a minor way in his body and lifetime as it has for me. Yes I have broken several bones but overall have been able to live a pretty normal life but there are relatives I have that have the same type of OI that I have who have had A LOT more issues related to the OI and have not had such a mild case of it. To my understanding we will not know how it will affect him right away...

Also as many of you know I fell almost two months ago and hurt my left arm pretty badly. Well also last week, we found out I have to undergo outpatient surgery this Tuesday Dec. 20th. I found out recently from an MRI I have torn my tendon/tricep muscle area. I have broken this arm several times in the past, so hurting it again is just a frustrating thing for me having to deal with another OI related issue. So you could just be praying that my surgery goes well on Tuesday. :) WHAT a week huh?

This year has been an emotional one for our family...from the tornado, having to move out of our house for 6 weeks, falling/surgery, Colton's diagnosis. Really hoping 2012 comes with a lot less emotions :)

Thanks for living life with us!

2011-12-20T21:34:00.001-05:00

As many of you know with each pregnancy Daniel and I take a 50/50 chance that I will pass along my genetic disorder of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) Type 4. And as all of you know, Brayden and Teagan did not inherit my gene and so they do not even have a chance to carry it on in our family. Well on Wednesday December 14th we got a phone call at 5:15 pm from UNC that Colton did in fact inherit my gene. So Colton does have OI - type 4. We were not expecting the results to come back so soon because with Brayden it took 6 weeks and Teagan about 3 1/2 weeks. This time we find out just shy of two weeks.

Daniel and I haven't told many people yet and even typing this email is hard for me. I think telling people makes it seem more real and makes me have to deal with it more, so I have just avoided it. We didn't even tell our families for 2 days just not knowing what to say to them and needing some time to process it ourselves before sharing with others. Of course we have a HUGE range of emotions we are going through and there has been a lot of tears. Emotions ranging from grief, anger, sadness, guilt, fear, and many more. Not all positive emotions for sure.

But we are telling all of you to ask you to just be praying with us and for our sweet Colton. There are still a lot of unknowns and that may be the hardest part. We don't have any answers or other specific things to tell you about it right now. All we have been told is that I have to call on Monday to schedule an appointment with a pediatric genetic counselor and we will go from there I guess.

Some specific prayer requests...

* Pray that we get in to see the pediatric genetic counselor sooner than later. I was told it can take months

* You can begin to pray that Daniel and I deal with all our emotions and not let them stay bottled up. And that we try to deal with them in a somewhat healthy way

* You can pray for Colton...that the OI would present itself in a minor way in his body and lifetime as it has for me. Yes I have broken several bones but overall have been able to live a pretty normal life but there are relatives I have that have the same type of OI that I have who have had A LOT more issues related to the OI and have not had such a mild case of it. To my understanding we will not know how it will affect him right away...

Also as many of you know I fell almost two months ago and hurt my left arm pretty badly. Well also last week, we found out I have to undergo outpatient surgery this Tuesday Dec. 20th. I found out recently from an MRI I have torn my tendon/tricep muscle area. I have broken this arm several times in the past, so hurting it again is just a frustrating thing for me having to deal with another OI related issue. So you could just be praying that my surgery goes well on Tuesday. :) WHAT a week huh?

This year has been an emotional one for our family...from the tornado, having to move out of our house for 6 weeks, falling/surgery, Colton's diagnosis. Really hoping 2012 comes with a lot less emotions :)

Thanks for living life with us!

Broken Arm Story

2011-11-04T08:35:00.009-04:00

First of all, thanks to all of you for caring and for doing what you could to help Daniel and I out this week. Even though there wasn't too much everyone could do, your calls and prayers were very much appreciated! what a week :)

So for those of you who don't know the exact story. On Halloween night towards the end of our trick or treating experience we were leaving a house and I picked up Teagan because he was getting fussy. As we were walking down their sidewalk I forgot I had to take a small step up (it was a random little change in the pavement) and I tripped over it. Instead of dropping Teagan or letting my hands catch me, I held on to him and let my knees and left elbow hit the cement first. Teagan and my belly hit the ground but after the other parts of me did! I instantly picked him up because he was crying and made sure he was okay then realized "wow my arm is really hurting". Daniel turned around and came right over freaking out because his back was to us when it happened and all he saw and heard was Teagan screaming and his pregnant wife on the face down on the ground. Yes as some of you know...he used a choice word or two during this time. :) Don't worry I scolded him in the van afterwards.. haha

I got up and walked to the van holding my arm and we went home. I instantly sat on the couch and started poking around on my belly to see if the baby would move for me. I drank some juice and waited a few more minutes. Nothing..so we decided if for anything else we needed to head to the ER to get the baby checked out. I then took off my sweatshirt to take a look at my arm and my elbow area was starting to swell quite a bit already. It has become hard to bend my arm because of the swelling and it was starting to throb. From past experiences...I knew this wasn't the best sign!

We called Shannon and asked him to come over and stay with our boys and get them to bed and we headed off to the ER. They checked out the baby's heartbeat and it all sounded great. He also started to move around a bit as well and by the end of our ER stay was pushing and moving more back to normal. So I felt much better!

My arm continued to swell. They took xrays and we got checked into a room in the ER. They started an IV on me and gave me two doses of morphine. Boy was that an experience. We were told at first they thought I had broken my arm in 3 spots. The radius, humerus, and the olecranon (the tip of my elbow). They said the good news it wasn't displaced but they were having an orthopedic surgeon take a look at my scans from home. they came back later and said after having 3 doctors look at it in the ER they think the two bone fractures were old breaks. But they continued to tell us at least twice throughout the night I would need some type of procedure (meaning surgery) to fix the olecranon. Of course I cried some just knowing what that might entail. I had broke that same bone in 5th grade and had surgery and wires put in my arm so I was just relating it back to that experience. And of course I had broken this arm again after that just due to my OI and having brittle bones. So this was the 3rd time.

They put on a splint/cast, wrapped it and sent me home with codeine and a HUGE cast type thing that they said not to take off until I see the surgeon this week. So that is what I did. No bending or my arm or use of my hand for 2 1/2 days which was definitely frustrating and overwhelming at times. Tears definitely came on Wednesday and Thursdya morning the more I realized the things I couldn't do on my own or how long they took me to do with only one hand. Daniel stayed home with us and helped with the boys and to just to keep our house running. I did what I could one handed for sure because we all know I am not one to just sit around. I would go crazy :) Daniel learned how to curl my hair and put it in a pony tail! what a great guy :)

Yesterday (thursday) we went to see the Dr. Summers and ortho doctor in Cary. He had looked at my scans from home the night I was in the ER and the more he looked at them yesterday he said he does not think I need surgery at least right now. He did say there are two pieces of bone in my arm that really shouldn't be there and not sure exactly where they came from. They could have formed from a previous injury or what not but it is hard to tell since they don't have xrays of my arm pre-falling this week. And my arm bones don't look exactly normal anyway since I have broken it 2 times already and fallen on it once (not breaking it) but injured it badly as a kid. He said those two bones could come out but it is nothing he would do right now especially being pregnant. But it may be good to do later on to try and give my arm more mobility and less sensitivity. So it is more of an "elective surgery". Check out the xrays.. you can see the bones :)

see those two extra pieces of bone by my elbow..interesting!!

So we were definitely thinking surgery when we walked into the office and thought it was just a matter of "when" but were elated to find out that may not be the case. I am in a smaller cast/splint that I can take off to shower now YAY but must wear the rest of the day. I still can't bend my arm but have use of my fingers and hand. My hand and wrist are swollen but usable but I do need to watch how much I use it, but it was definitely sore and more swollen last night after doing more with it yesterday. My arm is continuing to get more dark purple by the hour but hoping that means it is at least healing.

We are going for a 2nd opinion on Monday to Triangle Orthopedics to see their hand, wrist, and elbow specialist. I have gone there before and really enjoyed that practice. I just want to make sure waiting on the elective surgery will not cause any future problems for me and that this doctor also agrees with the prognosis and treatment this doctor has me doing right now. I really would like to get at least the mobility that I had before back to be able to use my arm as "normally" as I can..well what has been normal for me for almost 20 years.

I would have to say 2011 has given us some emotional moments.. finding out we were pregnant (not super stressful but more like whoa that was quick!), tornado hitting our house, moving out, some other family stuff that has been going on, and now a broken arm. I am confident it ending with a new precious baby boy in our lives will be great but MAN am I ready for 2012 to start and hopefully be less crazy :) I may have set a new record this year with how many days I have cried total!!!

You could continue to pray that my arm heals well and that the doctor on Monday agrees with the treatment plan. I do think if he agrees on the elective surgery we will probably do that next year sometime. So just pray for wisdom and discernment on that for us and the doctors. And did I mention I am 35 weeks pregnant and we will have a baby in about a month! So crazy...

6 years and 2 1/2 babies later

2011-07-10T22:28:00.004-04:00

Well Daniel and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary today (well we celebrated yesterday but it was today)! I can't believe we have been married 6 years already. It is crazy how fast time goes. We were talking last night about what we will do on our 10 year anniversary because it will be here before we know it. The last 6 years have had their ups and downs but it has been a wonderful ride. I look forward to what God has in store for the next 5, 10, 20 30+ years ahead. I am sure it is more than we can imagine!

As the title states we are also working on growing baby #3! We are 18 weeks pregnant! We find out tomorrow if we will be raising 3 precious boys or adding some pink/purple to our family! Thinking about being a family of 5 is kind of like..whoa what are we thinking? Our two boys are overwhelming enough sometimes and keep us busy all the time. Soon we will definitely be outnumbered! As most of you know I have always wanted to raise a big family and I could honestly say I would probably want more children. But overall I firmly believe every child is a gift from God but I believe that more for this baby than anything else (I need to post the story behind this feeling soon). For various reasons, it was very hard for Daniel and I to decide to have a third child. But after lots of praying on our end, God basically said this decision is not up to you, and here we are 18 1/2 weeks later! We are a family of 5 already in more ways than one. Our boys (especially Teagan) kiss the baby daily and pray for "mommy's baby" nightly! It is so amazing to see God working through them to be gentle and caring to the baby already. Let's just see if that caring and compassion continues once this little bundle of JOY arrives ;)

2nd Annual Preemie Onesie Drive

2009-11-30T22:13:00.003-05:00

Yes so I haven't posted in over 4 months. But this is an awesome thing that I wanted to repost and let everyone know about, in case they want to get involved. I still follow this little girl Kayleigh's blog and her mom just posted this a week or so ago. I do not know Rachel and Ryan but I think this seems like an awesome event to get involved with.

I will update with family/life updates sometime soon... I promise!

Hello Everyone!!! We are holding the 2nd annual preemie onesie drive being held by me (Rachel) and Ryan. We are collecting preemie onesies and other preemie clothing to donate to the babies that are staying in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit).

Ryan and I had our first daughter Carly in the NICU for 4 months before passing away from a heart defect. I know as well as other preemie parents of children in the NICU know that it's hard for your child to be there. It's hard in many ways. It's hard as far as gas is concerned because of the many daily trips to the hospital. Most of the time having a child in the NICU comes as a surprise. Parents are normally not prepared for such an early delivery. With not being prepared comes not having clothing to fit a child who is so small. A lot of times one of the parents (usually the moms) quit working to be at the hospital with their child as much as possible. This makes funds tight. Paying bills can become a struggle, and it makes it hard to buy your new little one the cute outfits that moms want to see their child in.

So, this is why I'm having this preemie onesie drive. To give to those parents who's world has been turned upside down. To help them along their way in their struggle. To help parents enjoy seeing their little boy or girl dressed in a cute outfit. Carly got a cute outfit while she was in the NICU as a anonymous donation. It made me feel completely blessed. It was nice for someone to do this for her. Being in the NICU is a very stressful time. Some are only there for days while others are there for months and even over a year. Simple acts of kindness fills peoples hearts with happiness. I'm doing this donation in memory of Carly who passed away on 3/9/08. I will deliver the donated onesies on 3/9/10.

When I started this drive last year I had a goal of 200. As March got closer and closer I realized I was going to go over my goal. By 3/9/09 I had collected OVER 2,000 items! This drive was truly blessed. We not only were able to donate to Levine Children's Hospital on the 9th of March, we were also able to donate to 5 other NICU's in NC. Every 3 months after March 9th I have donated MORE clothing to Levine Children's Hospital. I have one last donation to make this year in December. Let's come together in prayer and support and make this up coming year as big of a success as this past year. Please tell everyone you know to help spread the word as far as possible.

So please lets come together and help me to gather the needed onesies to donate to the NICU that my sweet Carly was at (Levine Children's Hospital). We will be having collections at my church and other local churches. If you would rather donate monetary donations you can do so at the top of my blog. The funds received will go toward the purchase of preemie onesies. The NICU houses nearly 100 babies. This fluctuates from time to time. Also they have an NPCN (neonatal progressive care nursery). And this unit holds about 60 babies maybe more. I hope to raise enough to donate to both the NICU and NPCN. So tell everyone you know to help me reach my goal by 3/9/10.

Ways you can become involved.....

1. You can mail donated preemie onesies

2. You can donate money to go toward the purchase of new preemie onesies. Just click on the donate button at the top of my blog. http://preemieonesiedrive.blogspot.com

3. You can place a flyer in your church, staff break room at your job, or local businesses with a box to help gather donations and mail them to the PO Box. (If you gather a large donation I will gladly pay for shipping).

**I will make a flyer and send it to your email to print if you would like to help in that way.

I will keep updated post on onesies received.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask.
You can reach me at carlynicoleelliotte@gmail.com

Thanks for your help and participation,

Rachel and Ryan

Look Alike or Not?

2009-07-15T09:02:00.009-04:00

So of course one of the many questions that everyone continues to ask me is if Teagan looks like Brayden. So here you go. You judge for yourself. I tried to get pictures that were similar.

Brayden 1 Day Old

Teagan 1 Day Old

Brayden 4 Days Old

Teagan 4 Days Old

Brayden 6 Days Old

Teagan 6 Days Old

12 Days Old - who is who ? :)

1 Week Today

2009-06-30T16:52:00.005-04:00

Well it is hard to believe that 1 week has already passed. Teagan is a week old today!

1 week ago at this very time we were getting ready to have a new baby boy entire the world. We have truly been blessed with another sweet little boy to love.

Our hospital stay seemed easier than with Brayden. We were not there as long because of the timing of when Teagan was born. So some family just came up on Tuesday night and then on Wednesday we had lots and lots of friends come meet Teagan. It was a great day of visiting. To see all who could make it up go check out our flickr site. Thanks to all who came up to see us. Then on Thursday we get discharged. So it was a much shorter stay in the hospital.

Teagan did great in the hospital. We sent him to the nursery both nights in between feedings. YES I sent my baby to the nursery the first night he was born. I always feel like a bad mom for telling people that but one of the nurses told me "I was a smart mom to try and get some rest" so I am going to remember that and not care if others think I am crazy. :) That is what the nurses are there for... to take care of babies! So we just gave them one more to take care of!

Once we got home Brayden and Shelley were here to greet us. Then on Friday we went to Teagan's first weight check and dr. appt. He only weighed 7 lbs 3 ounces. My friends Kiley and Bob happened to be in town from Knoxville for a wedding and so we hung out with them for the afternoon and went out to dinner. We ended our Friday night with a family walk around the neighborhood. On Saturday my parents arrived from Michigan and that allowed us the flexibility to go on a date night that evening.

So all in all things seem to be going well. Yes I have had an extra set of hands here to help since getting home so that does make a difference. Once my parents leave and Daniel is at work I will truly see what it is like being a mom to two little boys!

Teagan seems to be doing well. He already seems to be getting on a 3-4 hour schedule which is great. If he doesn't wake up during the day I go and wake him up to eat. He does better in the afternoon and evenings with eat, wake, and sleep times. Brayden seems to also be adjusting well. He loves to "help". Brayden got lots of new books as gifts from others and a new guitar to play with from Teagan! He loved them all!

Teagan Glenn Smith

2009-06-24T02:39:00.005-04:00

Teagan Glenn Smith

June 23rd at 5:06 pm
7 lbs and 14 ounces
21 inches long

We FINALLY got a call from Rex to come on in at 6:00 am Tuesday morning. So we got up, freshened up a bit, and out the door we went. It was the last time we would leave our house being parents of only 1 little boy! We got to the hospital after a couple of stops (Red Box and McDonalds) and we only waited for a few minutes before they took us back to a Labor and Delivery Room. By 9:00 am I was all hooked up, questions answered, the doctor had come, and we were ready to start pitocin. I was only 2 cm but they decided not to do the first round of medicine I was suppose to get the night before!

As the day went on Daniel and I watched a movie on my laptop, talked on the phone, updated twitter, and he took a short nap as well as went and got lunch.

I just continued to progress. This time I actually got an epidural before they broke my water which I did it the opposite way with Brayden. It was easier to sit through the epidural because my contractions were intense but not so bad that I couldn't sit STILL. :)

After that the doctor came in and broke my water and from there things progressed mighty quickly. I was 4 1/2 cm in no time. As the contractions became 2 minutes apart I began feeling them but only on the left side. The epidural wasn't really working well at that side. So they tried to give me some more medicine but it never helped. I was in quite a bit of pain when they decided to check me first to see if I still had a ways to go or if I was close to getting ready to push. When they did this it was 4:35 and I was 6 cm and basically 90% effaced. At this time the nurse began QUICKLY getting everything around because she said you are going to be ready real soon! I was like really...you only said 6 cm and I know from experience I need to get to 10 cm first! Then at 4:53 they checked me again and I was 100% and 10 cm! She was right! WHOA my body went into fast mode!!

Time to have a BABY!

My doctor was paged immediately and nurse started quickly finishing everything so we could have a baby! The doctor got there and 4 contractions later our little boy was born! It was much quicker this time because with Brayden I pushed for over an hour.

My induction was much shorter than the first time and it seemed much easier which we were very thankful about.

After everything was done for his cord blood sampling, nursery checking him out, bath time, and I was ready...we got to our postpartum room around 7:00 pm. I was very hungry because I hadn't eaten since dinner time the night before. Daniel's family came up and met our little boy and brought us dinner. They stayed until about 9:15 and then we were ready to try and
rest a bit. We opted for no other visitors tonight just so we could spend some time with our son and rest a little. But we are up for visitors tomorrow! So come meet our little guy if you want!

It was WONDERFUL to see Brayden tonight and show him his new baby brother. He didn't want much to do with him or ME at first but he warmed up quite quickly!

Waiting Game....

2009-06-23T02:42:00.003-04:00

So as most of you know we were scheduled last Tuesday at the doctor's office to be induced. They thought why not go ahead and induce me and we were ok with it.

So today was the day! I got up this morning and just started trying to be productive and keep my mind busy. I did school work, children's ministry emails, cleaning, etc. Then I went to lunch with Liz and Laura at Panera Bread which was awesome to spend some time with them. Then I ran errands and came back home. Daniel and Brayden were back home from their errands as well. So we put Brayden down for a nap and I proceeded to do more things around the house - cleaning, changing sheets, doing dishes, and YES finishing report cards. Daniel decided to play some Halo and burn some DVD's to our laptop for the hospital stay. Overall it was a good day!

I had been anxiously waiting to get a phone call after 7:00 pm tonight to find out when we were going into the hospital. So at about 6:00 pm I went and finished packing my last minute things! We took some pictures of my belly and us with Brayden. Last pictures with only 1 son. :) And waited and waited. We played with Brayden but I just couldn't just sit still so I broke out my laptop again and did some more work and checked my blogs.

At about 8:15 I decided to call the after hours number to find out if the doctor on call could call us back and give us any udpates on when we should hear from the hospital. He did call back about 8:40 pm and said we should hear from them at some point tonight but it could be 9:00, 10:00, or even midnight. I know from being induced with Brayden we are not a high priority when other women who go to the hospital in active labor show up. But I just thought with having to start the induction process over night and them wanting me to sleep while it was going on it wouldn't be so late this time. Well I guess I was wrong. Here I sit at 2:50 am and still haven't heard from the hospital. Of course I fell asleep for a few hours but I keep waking up, tossing, and turning. I just called the after hours number again and talked to a lady who is suppose to have someone call me back again to let me know what the deal is. Need less to say...I am pretty frustrated and annoyed right now. We took our son to the Smith's tonight after talking to the doctor the 1st time but it seems like now he could have just stayed here.

I have been having painful contractions off and on since Thursday night. They have hurt more in my back it seems but the closest they have been are 12 minutes apart and they only last for about 2 hours consistently.

Well the Dr. just called me back...and again more waiting! He says he did speak with the nurses and we are on the list to come in but Rex just hasn't had any labor/delivery rooms open for folks being induced. He also stated we are not the only ones that he knows at home waiting. Honestly this sucks! Sometimes I wish I didn't have to be so concerned about my son's weight and his bones and could just wait and go into labor on my own. But because we don't know about his health I get scheduled to be induced and here I sit waiting, waiting, waiting.... maybe I should try and go back to sleep. Daniel isn't seeming to have a problem sleeping at 3:00 am but for some reason I am...

Well it looks like maybe my son's birthday will not be tomorrow! It may be Wednesday June 24th at the rate we are going. Who knows...I sure know nothing right now. I know it doesn't matter when his birthday is because all I want is to have a safe delivery and healthy baby boy. It is just I had different expectations about what was suppose to happen tonight.

The doctor did say if I haven't heard anything by 8:00 am to call the office when they open. Great at least...5 more hours of waiting. I think I will go back upstairs and try to go to sleep again. Lord - help my brain to turn off so I can get some good rest and peaceful sleep right now! I know I will need it soon! Night...

Ultrasound Today

2009-06-16T20:16:00.005-04:00

Our appointments went well today. We had an ultrasound at the doctors office. Our boy was measuring on target. A little small they thought actually. His abdomen and bones were measuring closer to his due date but his head was measuring small. My fluid levels, his heartbeat, and everything else looked good. We got a few more pictures (here is one) but they are pretty blurry. It makes me thankful for all my ultrasounds at UNC.

Then we met with the doctor. We discussed the results of the ultrasound and she said she is not concerned that his head was measuring small because it is probably just because he is lower in my pelvic area and it was hard to get a good measurement. If he had stopped growing or something was wrong she said usually we would see the body area measuring small but that was not the case. I am still at about the same progress I was last week so not much new there. I guess all these braxton hicks I am having are not doing much to put me in labor. I have like 5-6 in an hour...and yes I have started counting them).

So I mentioned I would love to go into labor on my own but just in case I don't could we go ahead and schedule me to be induced closer to my due date just so I could be on the books at the hospital. I don't want to go over my due date too far and I know with Brayden it was hard to get an appointment. The doctor then proceeded to tell us she was thinking of trying to get us in at 39 weeks instead of waiting until 40 weeks if that was ok with us. She said since we don't know about his bones or size that every baby is usually fully developed at 39 weeks so she does not see why we would wait any longer. So after she called the hospital we are scheduled to be induced on Tuesday June 23rd! We will actually go in on Monday night the 22nd to start some things but will not start pitocin until first thing Tuesday morning. So it sounds like we will have a baby on Tuesday. Crazy, exciting, YAY!

We left the doctor's office and my eyes filled up with tears. Daniel asked "Are those happy tears or sad tears?". I said "This means I have to be away from Brayden for 3 nights now and it will be next week." All these thoughts are going through my head... how can I love another kid as much as I do Brayden? How will I share my time? Will Brayden feel neglected or unloved? I am sure most of these questions are silly but I am sad to leave him for 3 days/nights. I am sure I will be quite busy once this new little guy arrives but these are all my thoughts for now! Of course...I haven't been able to concentrate on much since my appointment today.

And even though I have been through having a baby already, I am still anxious about not knowing what to expect since every delivery is different. The shock is still setting in that if not this week we WILL have a baby on Tuesday.

So all this to say...

...Friday will be my last day at Carpenter Elementary

...Friday will be my last day watching Olivia and Brennan

...Friday I officially become a stay at home mom for a few months

...Tuesday (if not before) I will have another precious baby boy in my arms!!!!

Thank you Lord for all the upcoming changes in my life and for the GIFT of life!!!

Pregnancy Update - 38 1/2 weeks and counting

2009-06-15T16:37:00.012-04:00

So YES I am still pregnant! I have had many phone calls and emails from friends a far wondering how things are going, how I am feeling, and if I have had this little boy yet! I figured it was time to update then.

I am going to the doctor every week now. At 36 1/2 weeks I was effaced but not dilated yet. The doctor told me he had dropped and was very low into my pelvis but did not give me a station location number. I figured he had dropped because that same week my tailbone area started to hurt when sitting, standing, bending over, etc. This also happened with Brayden as well when he dropped so I thought it could be the same thing. I also had several people at work look at me and ask me if I had dropped or was it just the clothes I was wearing? :)

When I went to the doctor at 37 1/2 weeks I was still effaced (of course...not sure you can go backwards on that) but again not dilated. His heartbeat was in the 140's and I was measuring right on target.

Now I am 38 1/2 weeks and I go back to the doctor tomorrow. They actually scheduled just a normal ultrasound at their office to check his weight and growth. I asked for one just to get an idea of how big he is. I am not as worried this time about my bones during labor even though I know anything can happen but I still feel the need to worry about his bones during delivery so I want to make sure he isn't TOO Big.

Everyone keeps saying your belly is so big! I feel like I am not any smaller than I was with Brayden but who knows. I went back and looked at some pictures and I feel I am carrying just about exactly the same. I have gained less weight and am much less swollen with this pregnancy which is a good thing but I do think my belly looks bigger. I have thought my due date has been off by 1 week the entire pregnancy so who knows.. maybe I am 39 1/2 weeks instead today! :)

Below are some pictures to compare!


34 1/2 weeks this time	37 weeks this time

37 weeks with Brayden	Brayden's Birthday

I will try and update after tomorrow if I find out any news or information about when this new little Smith Boy will arrive. Until then I am really busy finishing up school and watching Brennan, Olivia, and Brayden. My last day is this Friday but my students are in school until June 30th. I am excited and sad all at once. Sad in a way that I won't be teaching anymore but excited to be a mom and see what other opportunities God has waiting for me and our family. More and more every day I am looking forward to my change in careers! Who knows.. maybe my next post will have pictures of our new little boy! By the way...we are closer to a name but still haven't quite decided yet. We are two very indecisive people! :)

Ultrasound

2009-05-11T19:11:00.004-04:00

A week ago we went for another ultrasound. I was 32 weeks and 2 days. Our little boy was all squished and it was hard to get many good pictures of him. The ultrasound tech did manage to get a few.

We did confirm AGAIN that he is still a Boy! They measured all of his major bones and organs and so far everything looks good. His bones are measuring on target and he currently weighs a little over 4 lbs. or so which is only 35% for weight at this stage. He was breached a few weeks ago the doctors told me but at this ultrasound he was head down. So that is wonderful! I am thankful that right now everything looks good and there is nothing to worry about. I know we still won't know anything for sure until we do the cord blood sampling but I am going to rest on the fact that right now there is nothing for me to worry about besides the "unknown". And I am going to try and ignore the "unknown" for now! I want to try and take each present day and enjoy it. I will try not to worry about what the future holds since I have no control over it. Thank you for for your prayers and for asking about our ultrasound.

I had another regular doctor's appointment today and his heartbeat was still in the 150's and I was measuring right on target. The doctor said he still believes he is head down but he could still turn around if he wants. In a few more weeks is when they would say he probably won't turn anymore. So I am just going to keep hoping he stays the way he is right now! I am currently 33 weeks and 2 days. So only about 7 weeks to go. He did say I may have another ultrasound at their office just to check his weight as I get closer to my due date if necessary. So I will not complain if I get to see my little boy again! We go every two weeks now.

Baby Boy Smith (who still has no name) is still moving quite a bit and he gets the hiccups all the time now. We have basically moved all of Brayden's things out of the nursery and into his new room. He has taken 2 naps and slept 1 night in his new bed. He has done so well and exceeded my expectations so far. I know it is still new but I hope he continues to do well. I have gotten out all our baby stuff again and have washed and cleaned just about everything we will need. So we are slowly but surely getting ready for a newborn again!

Playing in his bed with dad after his nap!

Update on Pregnancy and Life

2009-04-27T12:29:00.001-04:00

Well this pregnancy is going by much faster than the first one. I am already 31 weeks, in my 3rd trimester, and only 9 weeks or less to go! I am still feeling great! My belly is definitely growing these days but I am still not very limited to what I can do yet. I feel him move a lot now and so has Daniel so that is always fun. We have another ultrasound at the UNC office on May 4th. We had a regular appointment last week. His heartbeat was still in the 150's and I was measuring right on target. The doctor did say he felt like he was breached right now but he still had room to turn around. So we will just hope and pray he does. Other than that nothing else is new with the pregnancy. We continue to pray that his bones are growing just like they should be and that we don't find anything to worry about during or after this pregnancy. But we know we are not in control of the situation so all we can do is enjoy every minute of life right now and take each day as it comes.

25 weeks and 3 days ....... 29 weeks and 1 day

Over track out Brayden and I just flew up to Michigan to visit with my family and friends for a week. It was a wonderful visit but being back in our house is always nice. And of course we missed "daddy". :) I tracked back in on April 20th and so this is my last quarter teaching 2nd grade. I have already started moving some of my files and things home to a file cabinet I got free from Amanda. YAY! It is bittersweet but I am excited to take a break and try something different for awhile. I think this decision will hopefully help strength my faith in many areas of my life.

Brayden is doing well. He is now 18 months and is learning new words and things everyday. This age is so much fun and I am loving every minute of it. He is still a finky eater but even that seems to be improving day by day. He loves to play outside, pick up sticks, his wagon, and all animals. He is learning more and more animals and their sounds and enjoys pointing them out in books, on TV, or where ever else he sees them. He also loves to point out your eyes, nose, ears, hair, teeth, and mouth. He is laughing and smiling still most of the time and is just overall a very happy kid. He is starting to throw temper tantrums when he doesn't always get what he wants but I guess that is normal toddler behavior. We just ignore him and he seems to get over it.

We have painted Brayden's new "big boy room" and have his bedding so it is slowly coming together. I would say in about a week we will to start having him sleep in his bed. We will see how that goes. :)

I have included a few pictures of course but I continue to upload lots of pictures to flickr so if you want...go check them out!

Information on SUV vs. Mini Van

2009-04-06T11:22:00.002-04:00

Thanks for all the comments on my previous post on the pro's and con's of a SUV vs. a mini van.

I also posted my questions on a parent list serve at Daniel's work. I got a lot of responses so I compiled them into a Google document that can be viewed here if you are interested.

There is a lot of feedback and opinions of course, but most of them tend to favor the same answer.

We went and looked at suv's and mini vans on Saturday and even test drove a few. It was very helpful. I don't think we will make a decision this week but we need to make one soon.

I just turned 30 in December and who knows I may be getting a min-van as well...WOW! crazy

Normal ?

2009-04-04T22:57:00.001-04:00

Well as I think everyone knows we are expecting Baby #2. He is due June 27th. Along with all the joys of being pregnant and the fun things that surround the idea of having another baby for Daniel and I come the emotions of the fact this baby may have OI. Do we try to dwell on the fact that something may be wrong with our baby - no. Do we think about it daily and let it take away from the happy times of having a baby - no. But it is something I probably cry about or think about at least once a week while being pregnant. I try to ask myself why does it matter if we have a baby with OI? It will not change the love we have for this kid or the responsibility we have of raising this child to know and love God. We will not have any less love for him and we won't even know how severe the OI will present itself until he grows and develops over the years. I have been thinking a lot about this and wondering if it is because of what I consider "normal" may be interrupted by this genetic disorder OI. I think I am scared of not being able to handle the responsibilities. I am scared of failing. I am scared of what it may due to our marriage and/or finances. I am scared of having to change our lives or our way of living. I am scared I will have let my son down in some way. I am scared of feeling guilty that it is my fault. I am scared of the unknown.

I subscribe to this blog. This lady has a terminally ill daughter...and she posted this awhile back about being "normal".

Our lives are not “normal.” Letting go of that normal has been very, very hard. I often wish that life was easier. I wish that my two little girls were running around, laughing and playing together. I wish that Lauren and Carmen would grow up together.

For some reason, God chose us for a not-so-normal life. We took the first step by adopting internationally but we had no idea that road would lead us to a terminally ill child. Letting go of my own desire for a normal life has been a painful process and one I continue to struggle with.

I keep going back to Hebrews 11, the faith chapter. Normal is not spending a year in an Ark. Talk about life on hold! Normal is not waiting until you are 90 and 100 years old for a child. Most of us don’t like waiting one day for what we want. Normal is not hiding your child for 3 months from a king intent on killing all baby boys. Normal is not giving that baby boy to the very people enslaving and mistreating your people. I doubt Moses’ mom envisioned this life for her son.

I can’t think of anyone in the Bible who lived a normal life. And yet their lives are awe-inspiring. So perhaps normal is over-rated. I do know that this past year with Carmen has changed us forever. I don’t think we will ever be normal again and I am not sure we would want to be. I hope and pray that for the rest of our lives, we let go of normal. And that we are willing to take the big “risks” that are both painful and rewarding.

I have gone back and reread this post several times over the last several months. Even though if my son is born with OI he will not be terminally ill we may have to give up what some call "normal" depending on the severity of the genetic disorder. I know all of this is the "what if's" of my life right now and I have no clue what the future holds for us. But if they become a reality at some point whether with this baby or if we choose to have more children later on, I hope and pray to our Heavenly Father that I am able to give up what some call "normal" and embrace and enjoy everything God will have to offer us through that journey.