SPIT HAPPENS

I went to CHOC LA with Hayden today. My appointment was at 1:40. I did not truly get seen until close to 3:40. Why do doctors have you come if they KNOW you will not truly be seen at your appointed time? SOOOO frustrating. Anyways, Hayden had started spitting up again around 9 months. So the doc today wants stool cultures (hayden used to have blood in it...nice.) In september Hayden has to drink some chalky stuff and have an x-ray taken just to make sure everything inside is working great -no kinks-literally- or nothing. Until then she has to take a anti-acid medicine to keep erosion of her esophagus at a minimum. It's one thing after the next with this girl. If her recent stool samples come back with microscopic traces of blood in them then she has to go in for an edoscopy. Great. I HATE thinking something could be more seriously wrong. I would just ask for people, as they remember her, just to pray for healing for her, and God's hand to protect her and her well-being.

Also, does anyone know anyone who is pregnant or just had a baby? I'm REALLy into photography and have taken some prego photos before and would love to do it for free for anyone local who would want some free photos.. I'll post a couple of ones I've taken.

A Day at the Beach.. Kinda

So, my mom is here and wanted to go to the beach yesterday. I was excited, so we loaded up myself, mom, hayden and John to go. I made the mistake of suggesting that Hayden's nap time could be on the ride down to the beach instead of her taking a nap at home and then driving down to the beach. BAD MISTAKE. She cried the whole way to the beach, and while taking pictures she did not want to be put down for a while.. or smile. We also had planned to eat at Ruby's on the pier, we ended up eating at jack n the box. nice. We got some cute photos though.

The Party

.......................................So... Hayden is Officially 1 as of Saturday. It went by SOOOOO fast! (her 1st year that is). However, there were days I thought were NEVER going to end. Her party was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed sitting/eating and talking with family and friends. Hayden was adorable-she decided to stick her finger up her nose while we all sang happy birthday to her....classic. The kids enjoyed playing in the pool. Hayden did NOT want to get out! Life is good.

Hayden has decided to continue to get up at 5:30 am -ish every day since last Friday. what the heck! I can't figure it out! the only difference is that we put a black out shade in her room to help her sleep longer? I don't know if when it wasn't there the light in her room helped her know when morning time is and now she just doensn't know when that is because its so dark in her rom? Any suggestions? I'm not sure how much more longer I can take of this.

On a side note, I've started weaning her of nursing. Weird how there was a part of me excited to be done because that meant I wasn't "tied" down at times. However, as I gave her her first bottle of milk last night (she wouldn't take it from a cup :0( I was a bit saddened. Nursing is such a bonding element in a relationship between mother and child and as it starts to leave I feel as though I'm depriving her or something.. nurtrients? I don't know. I'm sure deep down its more of just an emotional loss for me, because she had the bottle and went to bed JUST FINE. (maybe now John will get up with her early in the morning to give her a bottle instead of me having to be the first one up every day to nurse!)

blogspot help!

K.. how do you add your favorite people's blogs on the left side of the page.. and how do you add a permanent photo at the top of the page. when I tried putting a photo for my page it made it HUGE!!!!!!! someone help!

Mystery Solved!

So after realizing that every time I came around Hayden her hives got worse I began to THINK and THINK and THINK about what the culprit could be causing her hives.....I then remembered I bought and used new dryer sheets (that had scents in them). I put myself and Hayden in new clothes untouched by the dryer sheets and the hives are disappearing!!! yeah! She won't be a spotted girl on her birthday!

My mom came into town yesterday. It's been almost 9 months since she saw us last. Going well so far! Hayden had a hard night of sleeping (and it makes it that much more hard on us when we have a guest in the house-makes us feel bad that she wakes mom up). But mom kept telling me that she would take care of her and I could go back to bed. I finally took her up on it at 6:30am. Got to sleep til 8:30!!!!!!!! WOOO HOOO! So much planning and work to do today for her party. I can't believe she will be 1 tomorrow. Pretty soon I'll be catching her making out with boyfriends and banning them from our house! ha!

The pictures are: 1. Debbi Mitchell-my ANGEL from Dallas. When we were caught in the whole American Airlines fiasco in Dallas, this woman drove me from the airport, got me set up at a hotel, got diapers, etc. she did not leave Hayden's and my side until she knew we were safe and all taken care of at a hotel there. She was in LA last week and came to see us! What a blessing she IS to us!

2. Fourth of July with Meagan, baby Ethan and mommy and Hayden

3. Hayden and her hives (kind of a far away pic so can't see them all that well, but they were EVERYWHERE!)

4. Just my precious baby girl!

Does it EVER end?

So, I believe the last time I wrote Hayden had the fever, which was Roseola...well-that's JUST the beginning! Her rash went away and then her urine started to smell...possible Urinary tract infection! Had to attempt to get a urine sample from her by placing a sticky bag on her "girl parts".. NOT FUN! finally got that into the lab when Tuesday morning she woke up with spots on her legs which got seemingly progressively worse as the day went on. Today she woke up and was COVERED in them! i mean COVERED! We went to the doc who explained they were hives! Poor baby girl! When will this end?! The doc explained it had something to do with something she is allergic to and we had to figure it out! Great. From talking with a few friends in the medical field she is most likely allergic to the amoxicilin she was on. Poor child looks like a spotted puppy...or something. I hope it goes away by her first birthday this sat-especially since her party is out doors!

Sick Baby...and Adoption

This week has been ROUGH. Hayden started having a temperature on Monday, which turned into a 3am waking with a 102 degree temp. By the next afternoon is was 103. Stayed that way until tonight (Friday night). Poor baby literally felt like she had been taken out of the oven when she layed on me. As a parent its as if your heart is outside of you and is controlled by your children. You hurt so much for them. Sometimes you almost wish you couldn't feel so much for someone because you end up feeling so much hurt for them and you feel helpless. I love that little girl beyond words! Glad she is feeling better. Not to mention I was husbandless for a few days. But Thank God-literally- she slept in today..til 7:45am! She never does that..and I prayed SOOO hard that God would give me some grace while John was gone and let her sleep ( might sound like a silly prayer to non-parents..but wait til you have kids!) Here are a couple pictures John took one morning of her. She had the 103 fever so john got her to let a cool washcloth sit on her head during breakfast.. CUTEST thing ever. She looked like a little puppy dog!

ON a different note, lets talk adoption. So I was really interested in it a few months back, I ran it by John-who told me to look into it more so I could have all the info before we talked about it anymore. And of course, I lagged and didn't really look into. However, I have been watching "Adoption Stories" on Discovery Health channel, and find myself bawling at the end of everyone. What an amazing act of love to take in a child who has no other parents to love them. I could not imagine Hayden being just left in an orphanage somewhere to grow up. Even better, to bring a kid into a home where they can learn about the love of God, where as they might not have experienced it else where. John is out of town..when he gets home.. there will be a discussion :-) I'll have to finish this post later-after our talk!

Changes

I was just thinking, after having spent the day with some old high school friends I hadn't seen in a while, HOW FAST TIME GOES. It seems like just yesterday we were worrying about tests and teachers and how peers thought about us. Now we're changing diapers and dealing with everyday life of marriage and careers. Sometimes I see people who are from high school and think "Oh my goodness! They have a kid!" and then I'm suddenly thrustback into reality that we're at that age where this is normal! crazy!

On a side note, John has been gone for a week to Jamaica-on a missions trip. So glad he's there, but MISS him like crazy. can't wait to pick him up tomorrow...it's true: absence makes the heart grow fonder!