Happy Birthday, Cayson!

Today my little boy turns 2 years old. It is so hard to believe that his infancy is completely gone. He's a full-fledged toddler now. It seems like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital, scared to death and wondering how we were going to keep this little baby alive! We've seen him go through so many milestones and stages. Each one met with complete awe from us. And every stage has been my favorite! He has taught me so many things, without even realizing it. And he's learned a lot, too! It seems like he learns a new word every minute! And he's learning really important things, like how to pray and how to say "Thank you" and "Please" and "Yes Sir". (We're still working on "Yes Ma'am".) And most of the time he says these things without us having to tell him to. He's learned how to count to fifteen, and we're still working on the alphabet. His favorite color is blue...he thinks everything is blue! Although, he's added red and green to his vocabulary. He just doesn't always get them right. He knows all of his body parts and the names of a lot of animals...and what sounds they make. He loves to sing and dance! His favorite songs are "Zaccheaus", "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Jesus Loves Me", the Veggie Tales theme song, and "Lord I'm Amazed by You". He just loves to sing these songs and dance and just ham it up! He also loves to pretend to play different instruments, like the guitar, flute, saxophone, harmonica, piano, and drums. It's so cute because he'll "play" his instrument and pat his foot at the same time! I think his absolute favorite thing to do, though, is to play some sort of ball. Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, it doesn't matter. He loves them all. And, boy, does he have an arm! He loves to pitch a baseball to you and do the wind-up. In football, he loves to throw the ball to you and then tackle you after you catch it! And when he has the ball, he's learned how to stiff arm! He loves to say "Set, hut!"

We haven't started potty training yet; I didn't want to force the issue before the baby came. We'll start soon, though. I'm working with him right now to make sure he can pull his own pants up and down. He already tells us when he needs a diaper and if he's peed or pooped. Usually, anyway. I'm just waiting for a two week stretch that we don't have to go anywhere and we can hit it hard without having to worry about traveling.

He's sleeping most of the night in his big boy bed; he gets up around 5 and comes in our bed and goes back to sleep.

Behavior wise, he's mostly pretty good. Like every toddler, he has his meltdowns, but they usually don't last long and don't happen too often. He loves to help around the house and with Bryce. Especially throwing things in the trash, doing laundry, and loading the dishwasher. In fact, when he's having a meltdown, I can usually tell him I need help doing something and he will immediately cheer up. He does pretty well with Bryce, except for when he's wanting cuddle time with me. If Shaun's home and I'm nursing Bryce, Cayson will often tell me to "give Bryce [to] Daddy". He still loves to play with my hair. Now we'll be buying groceries and he'll start saying "hair, hair". I love that he still wants to cuddle with me.

I have so many great memories so far of Cayson's first 2 years. I'm looking forward to making many more!

Fed up!

Guess what? I have an iPod Touch. It's been fine since I got it. Well today I decided to finally upgrade to the newest software. And guess what? Now my iPod won't come on AT ALL! I'm not sure what happened. I don't have the technical vocabulary to really explain it. All I know is when I tried to download the update it kept saying there was an error. I tried to install it 3 times and after the 3rd time it didn't even recognize that my iPod was plugged into the computer. Shaun tried to call for technical support and, after waiting 10 minutes to talk to someone, right when the guy was starting to tell him what to do, they got cut off. Not sure what happened; Shaun was calling from our house phone. Anyway, by this time it was time for Shaun to head back to work. Has anyone had this problem? Or can someone give us an idea how to fix it?

Sweetness

My Precious Baby

My Sweet Little Boy

The Cover Up

This summer I've had the privilege of teaching a teenage girls Bible study. I started this last year and we all had a blast. This year, because I had a baby in the middle of the summer, we took the month of July off. So now we're trying to play catch up to get done. The study I'm leading is called "His Girl". It covers issues such as self-esteem, purity, dating, girl politics, etc. Tonight's lesson was on modesty. This is a tough one for teenage girls. For one thing, it's hard to find fashionable clothes that are also modest these days. Especially for their size. Another, there's so much pressure from the world to reveal more than they should.

To start our study tonight, I had them make 2 giant paper dolls. Then one team had to make 2 outfits for the doll that were modest. The other team had to make 2 immodest outfits. For their first outfit, the immodest team made the extreme. A tube top with extremely short shorts. I then had them create an outfit that was closer to what they might see one of their classmates wear. After they were done, we had a "fashion show" of sorts. We talked about what made the clothes inappropriate and how you might make the outfit more modest by adding another piece of clothing. However, we all agreed that the only way to make the first outfit more modest was to just put clothes on top of it!

After the fashion show, we watched the video portion of our study. Then we discussed some Scripture and talked about how what we wear should glorify God. Then we made a list of modesty standards for them to keep in their purse for when they go shopping. Finally, I challenged them to go home and go through their closets and see if their clothes fit the modesty standards. If they don't, they should get rid of them.

This was a tough lesson to teach, but we had a lot of fun! I just pray that the concepts we discussed made an impact. Here's the pictures of our paper dolls:

The extremely immodest outfit and the modest counterpart.

And the "more modest immodest outfit" and the modest counterpart. Notice she made jewelry and flip flops for both modest models!

Writer's Block

Why is it that when I finally get a chance to sit down and blog, I can't think of a thing to write about? During the day and especially at night I think about all kinds of things and the minute I sit down to write about something it completely leaves me. I guess I should write them down, huh? Oh well, maybe something will come later.

Not sure what to say

Today I've spent the whole day by myself, with the kids of course. Shaun took the students to Magic Springs and since I'm 4 weeks post partum and I now have a baby that is dependent on me for food I couldn't go. I couldn't take him because it would just be too hot and too much for a little baby. So I'm stuck at home. This is new for me because I ALWAYS go with Shaun on the youth trips. And I'm not used to spending more than 8 hours home alone with the kids. Mandy, I really have new respect for you! So It's now been almost 12 hours since he's been gone and I'm really stir crazy and lonely. Not to mention a little envious because right now Shaun's listening to Steven Curtis Chapman in concert (at Magic Springs) and I'm not. He called me to try to let me listen a little bit, but Cayson thought I was talking to his daddy and he kept saying he wanted to talk so I didn't really get to hear much.

Ya know, comparing taking care of Bryce right now to taking care of Cayson right now, I really don't remember what was so hard about taking care of a newborn by himself. It's a breeze compared to keeping up with a busy toddler. Bryce hardly ever cries. When he's hungry he grunts. Or if he needs a diaper he grunts. The only time he halfway cries is when I put him in his car seat.

Well, it will be Cayson's bedtime in about 15 minutes so I guess I better get off here.

So Here's the Story

We traveled to Little Rock to Children's Hospital early on Tuesday morning. We got there a little after 8 and met up with Shaun's parents and my mom and brother. Needless to say, we had plenty of moral support! (And babysitters!) We really had no idea where to go. Someone helped us find where we were supposed to go. Once we got there and filled out the necessary paperwork, the sweat test soon got underway. Basically, they held 2 electrodes to Bryce's arm for 5 minutes. This is supposed to make him sweat. Then, they taped a plastic thing with gauze underneath to his arm in order to catch the sweat. He had to leave that on for 30 minutes. And since he was a newborn and newborns don't sweat enough, they did both arms to make sure they had enough sweat. He did pretty good. The only time he cried was when they took the tape off after the test was over.

Then, they took us to the pediatric clinic. I think we were supposed to go here first, so he could get weighed and examined, but we didn't. It worked out better this way, though, because they weighed and examined him while we were waiting for the results. It made the wait go by a lot faster. While we were waiting, they brought in a genetics counselor. This was scary. It was like they were convinced that he had cystic fibrosis. In fact, it made me wonder if they already knew the results of the test and just hadn't told us yet. We learned all about cf and why they started testing newborns and what happens if the sweat test came out positive. We would have to come back the next day and get another test and then go from there. I was getting a little upset by this point. Finally, the counselor left and a pediatrician came in and did an exam. She said everything looked good. And he actually gained a little over a pound since his 2 week checkup.

Anyway, she left and a little later the attending pediatrician came in and talked to us. He was really nice, but I was still wondering why we needed all of this. Finally, after spending about an hour in the clinic, it seemed like longer, the counselor came back in and told us the results were negative. I wanted to break down on the spot. She wanted to bring our family in and explain everything to them, but I told her we could handle it. I just wanted to get out of there!

This whole experience has taught me to not take anything for granted. It was hard walking around that hospital seeing all those sick children. My heart broke for them and their families. And knowing how close we were to being in the same position. There were so many prayers going up for our baby. We are so thankful for each and every one of them. I just want to give God the glory for this whole situation. He is so good.

Thanks for your prayers!

First let me get the news out of the way: Bryce is fine! The test came out negative! Praise God!
I'll post the details of our trip later. Right now I'm tired--emotionally and physically--and I need to rest. Thank you so much for praying!

Reassurances

God just never ceases to amaze me. Yesterday during worship at church he gave me so many reassurances that things are going to be ok. With Bryce, I mean. Now I'm not saying that He's telling me that Bryce won't have CF, but He's telling me it's going to be ok. For example, Gary Meggs and Ezekial 3:18 were at our church yesterday morning. During our welcome time, they sang "He's got the whole world in His hands." I didn't pay much attention to it at first because I was walking around shaking hands and greeting people. And a lot of people wanted to see Bryce and tell us that they were praying for us. As I walked back to my seat I realized what verse they were singing: "He's got the little bitty baby in His hands." I almost lost it right there. It was such a good reminder that God love my little one more than I do (hard to imagine!) and He's going to take care of him.

Also, Russ's sermon was about facing trials and tribulations and there were so many Scripture references that had already been running through my head all morning. I'm so thankful for a God who loves me enough just to reassure me and calm my fears. And I'm so thankful for a praying church family. And I'm so thankful for my little blogging community for letting me share with you. And for your prayers. Just keep 'em coming. We might go up tonight and spend the night tonight, but we haven't decided. Our appointment is at 9 am tomorrow. Thanks again and please remember us tomorrow!

Needed a change

Hey folks...I needed a new look. I'm not completely satisfied with this template, but it's something different. Bear with me as I figure all this stuff out! And when I find what I'm looking for, I'll put my links and stuff back up.

Prayer Request

Our doctor called tonight and said that Bryce's pre-screening test for cystic fibrosis came back positive. He said not to worry, that more than likely it's a false positive. Apparently they've changed the way they do the test or something and he's had several false positives lately. However, Bryce now has to have another test done to see. I'm not sure when the test will be yet; the health department is supposed to call us to set something up. Please keep us in your prayers during this time.

***UPDATE***
7.31.2008

Our doctor's office called this morning and said that we are scheduled for August 5 at 10:00 am at Children's Hospital in LR. And if Bryce has diarrhea or vomits this weekend to call and reschedule. So please pray that he doesn't do that. I want to get this over with as soon as possible. And of course, please pray for the results of the test. More than likely, everything is ok. It's a hereditary disease and there's no family history on either side. But it's still scary to have to go through this.

Well, Bryce is getting hungry so I have to get off here. Thanks in advance for the prayers!

Bryce's Birth Story, FAQ's, and Some Pics!

Finally, I'm able to share the story of Bryce's birth and show y'all some pictures. When we got home, our internet wasn't working properly. Shaun was able to fix it last night.

As you know, I was scheduled to have a c-section on July 15. At my next-to-last appointment, the doctor moved it to the 18th so he would be born as close to the due date as possible (July 27). So when we went down to Warren for my last appointment (July10th), I was prepared for Cayson and I to stay with my parents until the c-section. Shaun was going to have to go back to Fort Smith that Saturday the 12th, however. He would then take his vacation and come back down on the following Wednesday night. Bryce had other plans, however!

We had planned to go shopping in Little Rock on the 12th so my brother could buy some clothes for his upcoming trip to Panama City. He'd been trying to go shopping for the past month or so and something had always come up. So we were going to follow Shaun as far as Little Rock and shop. Early that morning, I was having trouble sleeping. In fact, I don't think I slept from about 3:30 on. My mom has a handheld Phase 10 game so I was playing it and listening to my Ipod trying to get to sleep. At about 6 am, I felt a rush of water! I knew that my water had broken. I never experienced that with Cayson, but there was no doubt in my mind that that's what had happened. I woke Shaun up and headed to wake my parents up. I cleaned up the best I could, grabbed my bag (thankfully it's been packed for a while!), and we headed to the hospital. The funny thing is, all I could think about was that my brother wouldn't get to go shopping yet again!
We got to the hospital and they confirmed that my water did break. They called the doc and prepped me for surgery! With Cayson, I never got to experience real labor pains. However, I got to with Bryce! I had been kind of upset that I never got to experience it with Cayson, so I guess God said, "Here ya go!" After about an hour or two I told Shaun that I was completely over the need to experience any more pains! But I am very grateful that I did get to experience it a little bit. I have new respect for moms who go naturally without any pain meds! I couldn't do it!

They finally took me back to surgery and at 11:01 am Bryce was born. I remember with Cayson, I just cried a single tear when I heard him cry for the first time. But with Bryce I was a bit more emotional for some reason. He weighed 8 lbs 8 oz and was 22.5 inches long. Cayson was 9 lbs 10 oz so Bryce is small for us!

Now here are the answers to some frequently asked questions:

How are you doing?
I'm doing great. I went home the next day and the soreness is completely gone, with the exception of around the incision.

How is Cayson reacting to having a little brother?
He is doing so well! Better than I ever expected. He loves to help out and he is very proud of him. He wants to hold him all the time! He only gets just a teensy bit jealous when I'm nursing him.

Speaking of nursing, how's that going?
Great! He latched on immediately. There was a little bump in the road when he became a little jaundiced and the doctor made me quit nursing until it started getting better. But I pumped and he was able to start nursing again in a couple of days. I was really scared that he wouldn't want to after having a bottle, but he's doing great!

Who does he look like?
I've heard everything, but I think the general consensus is he looks mostly like Cayson.

How's he sleeping?
He's doing pretty well. He hasn't been getting up to nurse as much as Cayson did. He likes sleeping with us though. Which isn't bad, except for when Cayson crawls in there at 2 am. Then it gets crowded. Last night I made Cayson go back to bed, but I had to lay down with him for a little while. I actually fell asleep and Shaun woke me up at 4:30 because Bryce needed to nurse.

I think that's all the questions I've gotten so far. If you can think any more, just comment!

Bryce David Martin

He's here! On Saturday morning, July 12, at about 6:00 am, my water broke! My family rushed me to the hospital and at 11:01 am Bryce was delivered by cesarean section! He weighed 8 pounds and 8 ounces and was 22.5 inches long. I went home from the hospital yesterday, but we're staying in Warren until Friday. I'll post pictures later!

It's almost time!

Just to let everyone know, I'm leaving today for Warren for my doctors appointment. I will probably be staying down there, just in case. As of right now, my c-section is still set for next Friday, July 18. I don't know what time yet, but if anyone would like to come visit me, come on! I have no idea if I'll be able to update my blog or not. My parents don't have internet at home. Shaun is coming back Saturday, unless something happens, so he might can give y'all an update for me. Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers this week, especially that Bryce will just stay put until the c-section! We've got a lot of people that are coming in town for this. Including my husband! I don't want him having to drive like a maniac to try and make it, in case Bryce decides to come early. Thanks for all the comments the last couple of weeks and maybe the next time you hear from me, I'll have a new baby!

Remembering

Tonight I've been doing a lot of reminiscing. I looked back and read a lot of my old blog posts from when I was pregnant with Cayson. Also, I went through a lot of pictures on my Facebook account. It's been an incredible journey, me becoming a mother. And now I'm about to experience it again. It's so hard to believe that the three of us will very soon become four. I've been trying to spend as much time with Cayson as possible, because I know that it will never be the same again. It's a little bit sad, but more so, it's exciting. My biggest fear is not being able to love them equally. I know this sounds silly, but I guess I'm not the most rational person right now.

Well, I guess I better get off of here. It's midnight and I think my husband has fallen asleep in Cayson's bed.

Some July 4th Pictures

Attacking a cupcake!

Look at that form!

I see bubbles!

I love this face!

Sharing the bubble mower with his cousin, Logan.

A small baby update

I went to the doctor last Thursday so I thought I'd update everyone on Bryce. (By the way, it's so frustrating to wait 2 hours in the waiting room for a 15 minute appointment.) Doc said everything looks good. He did, however, want to move my c-section back to July 18. I was a little disappointed because I thought if anything he'd move it up. But he did want another ultrasound, which I had to get done at the hospital since it was after hours, and I was measuring a couple weeks big. Bryce is somewhere between 7 and 8 pounds now. And I am 37 weeks as of yesterday. I had Cayson at 37.5 weeks by c-section and he was 9 pounds 10 ounces. So I hope Bryce stays put and maybe is a little smaller. I'd be nice if he stayed in his newborn clothes a little longer! I have to go back this Friday so maybe I'll know a little more.

Now about Bryce

Just a short post to update everyone on my pregnancy. I am now 36 weeks! Where has the time gone?? We're having a c-section in Warren on July 15. I go back to the doctor on July 3, so that could change, I suppose. I have been doing really great. No swelling, or high blood pressure or anything. Just keep praying that everything continues to go well and we'll have a happy, healthy baby boy really soon!