According to Plan

Do I dare even say things might actually go according to plan? Well, our plan is still evolving, but hopefully we will be able to finalize it very soon. Lucky, baby Hayes has been cooperating very well and I think it is quite possible he will stay put until Monday. We are currently still short a night nurse 3nights/week, and our temporary nurse who has been with us "filling in" since April just accepted a position with another nursing agency. Good news for him...bad timing for us. So, while we currently do not have a nurse scheduled for Monday night, I know we will get things figured out. Obviously, we would not feel comfortable with a nurse we don't know staying in our home with Drake while we are at the hospital. Brian is currently working with our nursing agency to get a schedule in place within the next couple of days. Once Brian gets involved, things start to happen and fall into place. I have no worries. 

After the scare of Poppy's heart attack one week ago today, we had a second scare on Friday. A Good Samaritan called my cell phone and informed me that Brian's grandparents, who live here in East Texas, had been involved in a car accident. The rescue crews were using the "jaws of life" to extract his grandfather & then transporting them to the hospital. I called both Brian and Matt and they met them at the hospital upon arrival. Thankfully, they both checked out ok and were released. Two big scares in the same week complete with 3 huge blessings! 

After a stressful week, we enjoyed a relaxing Saturday of college football on the patio. Daddy smoked meat on his new birthday smoker all day, and everything he cooked turned out fantastic! We were all stuffed! On Sunday we took Kennedy to visit the East Texas State Fair before getting our grocery shopping completed at Sam's. Kennedy was too short for the rides, but she seemed to enjoy riding around in the stroller seeing so many new things. Surely by next year she will be tall enough to ride the rides.  

Drake is continuing to work hard with his therapies and with us! We definitely see improvements with his grip, head control, strength, and vision. These are all areas that take time, but it's nice to see improvements. It's also delightful to see the excitement of his therapist when they, too, are noticing improvements. 

It's crazy to think by this time next week we will be a family of 5! Hopefully our plan will fall into place and we will have smooth sailing; however, even if we encounter yet another bump in the road, I know things will be ok. We are a family of survivors and we are never alone. 

Loving on Drakey!

On the move!

So tired!

Go! Go! Go! Football watching!

East Texas State Fair!

All worn out! 

Dance Class!

Now We Wait...

Hayes attempted to join us a little too early this past Thursday, and my doctor sent me to labor & delivery for monitoring. Poor Mimi had just gone home on Thursday morning & then turned around and headed back once she learned we were headed to the hospital. They gave me medication to slow down contractions and postpone labor, and I was sent home on full bed rest. I was actually given the choice of bedrest in the hospital or bedrest at home. I'm not really sure who would choose bedrest in the hospital, but that is definitely not me! The goal was to make it to 37wks...which we did! On Monday morning I went in for a sono and to see my doctor. She removed my 2nd cerclage and told me I was dilated to a 2; however, that could change at any time. Brian and I were prepared to be sent straight to the hospital, and we were pleasantly surprised to be sent home. We stopped on the way home for our flu shots and a nice "kid free" lunch together! Now we wait for when Hayes decides to come, or we will meet him on my scheduled c-section October 5th.

Drake has been working hard with his therapies showing everyone how amazing he is with his gait trainer! I really think his vision is improving, too! We celebrated Brian's birthday and we actually surprised him with a present! Anyone who knows Brian knows that is almost an impossible feet! Kennedy was so cute! As soon as I told her it was daddy's birthday, she went straight for her chair to help her reach the kitchen drawer. I asked her what she was doing & she told me she was getting a candle for daddy. Then she asked me to "put fire on it." I told her we would have to wait for daddy to get home from work first. She also helped him blow out his candle, too! 

Since Mimi has barely been to her home lately, Poppy came to spend the weekend with us! Kennedy was over the moon excited to see her Poppy! She wanted to show him everything, and she wanted to play every game and toy imaginable! I love how excited she gets when she sees her grandparents! It makes my heart smile! 

Speaking of hearts...Poppy gave us quite a scare today! My sister told me yesterday afternoon that Poppy was not feeling right and would be having an EKG run after work. Before we even had results, Brian and I sent Mimi home to be with Poppy. His EKG showed a blockage, and Poppy was supposed to see a Cardiologist today. However, this morning while getting ready for work, he told Mimi that he needed her to take him to the hospital. He called work to let them know he wouldn't be coming in, and he called the ER to let them know his symptoms and that they were on their way. They quickly decided to care-flight him from Presby Allen to Presby Plano. As soon as he arrived at Presby Plano they immediately did a procedure to place a stint. His artery that was blocked due to a clot is known as a "widow maker" because it happens so quickly! I am beyond thankful for the chain of events that took place allowing this life threatening problem to be resolved! My daddy certainly had a guardian angel looking out for him! 

Even though the past week has not been ideal, we are thankful for all of the good that has taken place. Thankful Poppy got to the hospital in time and the doctors were able to repair his heart, thankful my labor was delayed giving Hayes more time for his lungs to mature, and thankful both Drake and Kennedy have remained healthy! 

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

Gait trainer fun! 

Our little pirate!

Loving her "kid size" chair!

Therapy!

Look at that head control! 

Bedtime stories!

Baby Hayes!

The best part of bedrest...my sweet buddy! 

Growing Up

Drake's new big boy "Sleep Safe" bed was delivered and set up this week! He's been in his crib for the past 3 years, and it was starting to look a little small for our growing boy. Now that he has moved up to his very own twin size bed, he looks so small all tucked in at night! His expression night one is his bed was priceless! He knew that he was in his brand new bed! His bed is much higher than a regular twin bed, which makes it easier for his nurses and us to do his treatments and care during the night. The head and foot of his bed are adjustable to allow for better positioning. 

Kennedy is busy keeping us entertained on a daily basis. We are with her every day and somehow she still manages to surprise us with the funny things that she says! She had two special lunches over the weekend. One out with daddy on Saturday and then I took her out to lunch on Sunday. Speaking of special treats...on Friday I took her for her very 1st pedicure! Brian had given me a gift certificate for a pedicure and I wanted to go before baby Hayes arrives. Kennedy did great and had so much fun! She actually ended up getting her toenails and fingernails painted. I've learned my lesson on the fingernails being painted. By the time we made it home, her right thumb was completely paint-less! As of today, 4 days later, none of her nails so any remnants of every being painted. Oh well...she loved it while it lasted!

Yesterday evening we had a wonderful dinner over at Brian's dad's (Papa's) house with Brian's grandparents! Being able to see Kennedy spend time and give hugs to her great-grandparents is such a blessing! I love seeing the joy on their faces as they watch her play! I wish my own grandparents were still alive to see their great-grandbabies! I know that even though I am not able to witness it, Drake, Kennedy, Jacob, Elizabeth, Chase, and soon Hayes, too, will be making them smile up in heaven! 

We are definitely getting ready for baby Hayes to make his debut! I'm scheduled for delivery on Oct 5th; however, even my doctor told me yesterday that she doesn't think that is going to happen. Brian's prediction is next Tuesday, September 22nd. I guess only time will tell! I am experiencing quite a bit of back pain, and after being hooked up to monitors yesterday, it was determined that my back pain is indeed uterine activity (contractions). During my weekly biophysical profile, Hayes decided to open his eyes which was pretty amazing to see in a sono! Our entire family is excited to meet our new little guy whenever he decides to join us! 

He clearly loves his new Big Boy bed! 

All set up for our Big Boy!

Pedicures with mommy!

She had so much fun!

Riot just protecting his boy!

I love how sweet he is with both of our kiddos! 

Lunch with daddy! 

Riot is a wonderful dog but sometimes he makes puppy mistakes. Baby doll's foot was an unfortunate casualty of having a puppy :(

Kennedy with her Great-Grandpa who is in his 90's! 

Little man moving in his gait trainer! 

Best part of every day!

Our tiny dancer!

Playing video games with Uncle Matt! 

He's getting ready to see the world!

Getting Prepared...and a Hurdle

On Friday, Drake handled the group assessing him from the school very well. I was apprehensive about how he would react to so many people, but he did better than I anticipated. They took turns working with him and the noise level stayed calm and quiet. I know this played a big part in him feeling comfortable and being willing to work with new people. 

While running errands on Saturday with Brian & Kennedy, we went into PetSmart to look for a new collar for Riot. Somehow we walked out without a dog collar, but instead we had a beta fish and small aquarium! Kennedy is now obsessed with watching her fish! The only problem is that she wants to feed it ALL of the time! Needless to say the fish food is not accessible to Kennedy. 

Allergies have been reeking havoc on our sweet kiddos! Breathing treatments & allergy medicine have been needed for both Drake and Kennedy for at least the last week. Why are season changes so difficult on our little ones? Poor little babies! I am thankful that it hasn't slowed them down! 

Baby Hayes had a good check today at his weekly biophysical profile sonogram! My doctor is very excited that I am in my 35wk and still pregnant...we're pretty excited about it, too! Our goal is to bring this baby home without a stay in the NICU, if at all possible. 

In preparation for bringing home our baby boy, we were doing some cleaning and Brian was moving some furniture around this weekend. Unfortunately, he had a freak accident when a glass fell and shattered. He was wearing shorts and the glass cut both of his legs. This resulted in a trip to the emergency room and some stitches. Luckily, my mom came in town on the same day to help us out! With me on restrictions and Brian injured with stitches, we clearly need the help...and are thankful for family! 

I'm excited that I have earned a car through the Dream Car program with my company Kyani! I locked arms with the company in April of this year and I have already reach the position of Dream Car! To meet our growing families needs, we decided on a suburban. I'm thrilled that it has been ordered and I'm counting down the weeks until it arrives!!! Everything about this company has been a blessing for our family! I can't wait to see what the future holds as I continue to grow with this amazing company!!! 

Watching Finding Nemo with her buba! 

Making sure his head is up to see the movie!

Mr excitement!

Here he was concentrating on every step!

She loves watching her fish! 

Poor daddy's leg! :( Both legs were cut, but this was the worst! They were not able to remove all of the glass. If there are problems during the healing process, he will have to see an orthopedic surgeon. 

We turned the area where Drake's crib used to be in the living room into a play area for Kennedy! 

Fun with Yea-Yea!

Brian's mom came to visited over the weekend and we always love spending time with her! She is wonderful with her grandbabies! She came baring gifts for Drake, Kennedy & baby Hayes! Drake's favorite is definitely the musical giraffe toy, and Kennedy loves her bubbles & play-doh...we already need a refill on bubbles! Yea-Yea also did a make over on a hundred year old family heirloom for baby Hayes! She is a talented artist so I knew the bassinet would look amazing...and it does! 

Drake is continuing to improve with his ability to be off of the vent for longer periods of time. He is so much happier in his gait trainer without being attached to his vent! On Thursday our nursing agency is sending out a possible new night nurse. While I am excited that they finally have someone for us to meet, I just don't see how I could possibly feel comfortable with a new nurse taking care of him while I'm in the hospital with baby Hayes. Thank goodness for our regular nurses who have all volunteered to pick up extra shifts and help out during that time. Our little man is anywhere from 2-5wks from making his debut! 

Kennedy is improving in both dance class and gymnastics! I found out that her first dance performance will be in November at Mistletoe and Magic! Watching this group of 3 year olds during dance class makes it really difficult to imagine them prepared for a performance in 2 months; however, I'm sure they will look adorable! 

On Friday we will have a team from the school district out to our home to do an assessment of Drake. I'm a little anxious about this because he is doing so well and any exposer to new people is a potential for germs. I know they will all take this very seriously and be washing and sanitizing upon arrival. Drake has also never been evaluated by a full team all at once. He's a pretty easy going kid, but he takes a little time to warm up to new people and voices. 

Even though we know that he needs the support and help from all of these therapist, these evaluations are something we will have to deal with and get used to in order to ensure he gets the best care and quality of life. 

Bubbles!

Playing with Drake!

Smiles!

Love this boy!

Daddy's little helper in the kitchen!

This one just makes me laugh!

Ready for dance class!

Heirloom bassinet ready for Hayes!