Lots of stuff going on!

As I write this, I am currently in Austin, Texas at the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education FORUM. We left Jacksonville at 3:30 am Friday (11/07) to make it to the New Bern airport by 4:30 am for our 5:30 am flight. Then went to Charlotte. There we had a 2 1/2 hour layover. And since we didn't have to be in Austin until Sat. morning, we gave up our seats on our original flight. We didn't have anything better to do. So we then flew to Dallas-Fort Worth and then to Austin. We arrived in Austin right around 3pm Central Time. We were so tired!!! It had been a long day! We got to our hotel put our stuff in the room. Went to the hotel restaurant and when we went to bed, Wheel of Fortune was still on!!! We slept for nearly 11 hours and we are still tired. Of course with this pregnancy, I have been tired at night anyways. I have not been sick at all, just ready to crash at 8 pm every night! We have been learning a lot and meeting lots of interesting people though. So it is all worth it.

My biggest concern is being gone 5 days! I have never left Tyler that long, but he seems to be doing fine. He has gotten caught up on his Daddy time! With Ken working nights, we see him in the mornings as we are getting ready to leave (usually) and on the weekends. Ken told me they have a surprise for me. I asked Tyler about it and he told me they used the drill and screws! I couldn't understand whatelse he told me although he talked for 2-3 minutes about it! He was so excited about whatever it is. Makes me kinda nervous!!! Tyler is staying with grandma tonight since Ken has to work so he will love that. Tomorrow they are meeting me at the airport. I get in at 5:30pm and Ken is suppossed to be at work at 5, so he'll go in late and I'll take Tyler home. I can't wait to see him!!!! I miss my little buddy!

Baby wise, I am 11 weeks now. Everything is going fabulous. My next appointment is on the 18th and I will have a sonogram. It will be too early to see what it is, but I will find that out later. I am too impatent to wait until the end to find out!!! :) Hope all is well with you!

Fist Day of a New School! :-)

Tyler was a bit clingy, but he was fine when I left him. My niece Grace had just arrived so they were happy. He gets there at 7am and there are very few kids then so they all meet in one room until more kids and the regular teachers get there. Since it was his first day, I didn't know this so I went right to his room and there was no one there. Someone is coming from the other end of the hall and she tells me to go to the first room and why.

I told her this was his first day so I needed to put his stuff down. Now, let me make it clear, we were in the 2 year old room, during this conversation. I told her since he didn't have a bin with his name on it, I was putting his stuff in Gracie's bin. Explained that was his cousin and she said that was fine. We go back to the first room and I leave him there.

At 4:15, I am there to pick him up. I needed to pay so I did that before going to get him. I tell them who I am, who I am picking up and that I need to pay for the week. One of the ladies in the office asked me if I brought Tyler any pull-ups or a jacket or anything. I said yes with a rather bewildered look on my face I am sure!

Then the other lady (whom I have know nearly all my life) says, "Are you sure that is the right Tyler." First lady, "Yes, Tyler and it was his first day." I say, "Today is my Tyler's first day." First lady asks, "How old is he?" I say "Two." They both look at me funny and tell me he had been in the 3 year old room all day.

Now, I realize it just opened last week, but how do you get kids confused???? I told the lady I have known forever what went on the morning and she assured me it would be taken care of today. When I went to pick him up, I met the 3 year old teacher and she asked the same questions and I told her why they thought he didn't have any thing with him. She did at least say that he had a great day. They were just a bit concerned because he wasn't potty trained yet thinking he was 3 1/2 not, 2 1/2.

When I dropped him off this morning, I made sure the same lady from yesterday knew he was only 2 and she said ok. We'll see what happens today! :)

Festival of Marriage

This weekend, Ken adn I went with 8 other couples from our church to the Festival of Marriage retreat at Ridgecrest. It was very refreshing and enlightening as well. We got to know the other couples from our church better than we already did, but most importantly, we got to know each other even better.

They had a variety of sessions we could attend on a variety of topics. Everything from your prayer life as a couple to "Celebrating Sex in Your Marriage." Coincidentally, our entire group showed up to the same session on that last topic so that was a running joke the rest of the weekend.

Steve and Debbie Wilson were the main speakers Fri and Sat night and Sun morning. They were awesome. Based on their testimonies you can tell God is a BIG part of their marriage. They gave us the 6 Mosquitos of a marriage. They started with an anaology of how mosquitos can get in your house and before you know it they have bitten everyone. These six are the same way - busyness, irritability, drifting, financial debt, inability to be open, and I don't remember the 6th one as I write this, but I know it was good too!

We loved the sessions and being able to get away and get closer to each other. We sure missed Tyler though! My sister Laurie helped my mom keep the kids (Tyler and my two nieces Caroline an Grace) while we all went to the retreat. Sherri and Robert got home about 5 minutes before us. Then Lauire had Tyler outside waiting on us and he was just so excited to see us! It was so cute. He was laughing so hard and just ran up to us. Fortunately, I got a hug first. Otherwise, once he saw Daddy, I wouldn't have gotten any love! They had decorated pumpkins and he grabbed our hands to show it to us. He was so proud of it over something so simple!

Today, Tyler starts a new preschool. It just opened last week and my niece Grace goes there, too. So I am sure you will hear more about that later. He was a bit clingy this morning when I dropped him off. I attribute it to a new place and he hadn't really seen us since Thurs. night.

Hope you all have a GREAT day!

No sick days for Mommy!

I certainly don't like being sick, just as I am sure the next person doesn't. Unfortunately, Tyler doesn't understand when Mommy doesn't feel good. It's my usual change of season, cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon, sinus issues. My nose is stopped up one minute and running the next.

Tyler is so sweet though. He will just come snuggle with me and he just warms my heart. He has a doctor kid for Diego and Baby Jacquar and he'll bring the stethescope and "doctor" me.

I go to the doctor on Tuesday for my first prenatal visit. I hate all these doctors appointments, but I understand they are necessary. Pregnancy wise I have felt great! No morning sickness/nausea at all. With Dylan, I was only sick during the first trimester. With Tyler I was sick the entire 9 months. When the sickness never stopped after he was born, I knew something was wrong and found out my gallbladder had stopped working. It was taken out two years ago.

Now, if we can just get Tyler potty trained and to reset his internal alarm clock so he knows we can sleep in on the weekends! Potty training is getting there. He's great about telling us after the fact! Yesterday, he crawled in our bed at 6am. He went right on to sleep but I was wide awake so I got up and did some school work. It was rather peaceful to be up with no one else up. I usually just get up when Tyler does. If I am up before him, it is only to get dressed for work and then I wake him up and we are out the door.

Well, until next time...

We are adding to the family!

Great news!!!! I can't keep a secret so here it is.....We will be having a little one in May!!!!! We are so excited. We started trying when school got out in June. I was a bit disappointed when we didn't get preggo the first month because we did with Dylan and Tyler. That is why Tyler was a Jan. baby. We never thought it would happen the first time again, so we started a little earlier to plan for an end of the school year baby. But that is ok.

Third times the charm is so true for us. The third time I met my hubby, we started dating. I am his third wife and we got pregnant the 3rd month we were trying. I just wanted an excuse to miss exams and graduation this school year!

When I took the test, I could not get a hold of Ken! He was at work. I called his work phone and his cell phone and sent a text messge. Finally he called me back! He was so excited. I hadn't really been paying attention to the date, but my oldest sister who teaches at the same school was! So she made me realize I was a few days late and I took the test when I got home last Tuesday.

We told Tyler and he says he wants a sister. But the next time you ask, he says brother. If you ask him how to rock a baby, he will go sit in his rocking chair and rock with his arms crossed like he is holding a baby. It is so cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This one will be Peanut until we pick a name. Dylan was Pumpkin because I found out 2 days before Halloween and Tyler was Turtle. I go to the doctor next Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Bubbles in Bed & Family

Today, Tyler came and got in our bed around 6 I think and went right back to sleep. I got up to tinkle at 7 and my husband was laying on his side nearly falling off the bed and Tyler was right up against him laying on his back taking up twice as much space as Ken. It was hillarious. Not long after that Tyler was awake and as on most Sunday's Ken got up with him.

I love my husband, but if he leaves the bedroom door open and the monitor on, it really doesn't matter that he got up with him or not! :) So, I layed there for a while and finally reached over to the monitor and turned if off. Just before 8 I hear little feet coming down the hall and the cutest little boy yelling "Mommies bubbles." Ken and Tyler were bringing me bubbles in bed. "Bubbles" is what Tyler has started calling waffles. I don't know where that came from but it just started in the last week or so.

That was a perfect start to a very special day, Dylan's 4th Angelversary. I eat my "bubbles" in bed and Ken takes Tyler to eat his in the kitchen. When I am finished, I go in the kitchen and just start bawling when I see Ken. I may be just a bit emotional today. Then Tyler who is very much a community crier (if one person cries, he cries too) starts crying and puts his head down on the table. It was the cutest thing.

We all go to church and of course I cried during one of the songs. It says "God will make a way, where there seems to be no way...." It talks about how God will get you through things no matter how difficult they may be. It is so true! Without God I know Ken and I would not still be together. It would have been so easy to give up and we would have become a statistic. Over 85% of marriages that loose a child end in divorce. Our preacher at the time of Dylan's death told us that and Ken and I immediately said we didn't want to be in the 85%.

After church, my sister Laurie had us over for lunch. It was quite a houseful. Laurie, my sister Sherri and her family (hubby Robert and my nieces Caroline and Grace), Mema (my mom) and MaAnn (my grandmother). It was delicous as it always is. Tyler was fine until it was naptime!

We came home and all took a nice Sunday afternoon nap. Tonight at church, Ken sang his first ever solo. It was Chris Rice's "Come To Jesus." It was a very fitting song. Talks about the stages of life and when we take our last breathe, we "Go to Jesus and Live."

I know Dylan is in Heaven and I know I will see him again one day. I don't know what he will look like, but I know I will recognize him.

God does work in mysterious ways and I am thankful for the 13 weeks we did get with Dylan. I am thankful for my family and friends. I am also thankful for Tyler. I am thankful that through God I had the courage to have another baby. I am thankful for all of the silly, side-ways looks I get from Tyler and even all the times he tells me no!

Now, all you parents - go give your children and extra hug and kiss and tell them you love them every chance you get!

Wow, this blog is some good therapy!

Memories

As September 20th and 21st quickly approach, I can't help to remember the phone call I got just as I returned to work from lunch. It was a Monday in 2004. I answered the phone and the lady on the other end says she is with Wake Co. Sherriff's Dept. My first instinct is "What has Brendan (my step-son) done?" I knew he would call me before he called his dad or his real mom! She continues to say that my son had stopped breathing and was being taken to WakeMed ER. I remember her asking if they needed to send someone to come get me or if I could get to the ER on my own. I remember screaming for Anne whose office was beside my desk. She had been like a mother to me just as the whole office had become family. Of course the rest of the office heard me and came running as well. I remember saying Dylan's not breathing and I guess I got WakeMed out too because Anne drove me there. This was the longest car ride. It was only about 10-15 minutes, but I never thought we would get there.


I say "I remember" a lot, because there are some things I don't personally remember, but I have been given the details from others.


On my way I called my husband who was in Knightdale at work. I had to call the office and they had to go find him in the quarry. I don't remember if I actually talked to Ken or if I just told whoever answered who I was and that he needed to go to WakeMed now. I called my Mom who just left her cart in Target and made it to Raleigh from Jacksonville in 1 1/2 hours instead of 2 without a ticket! I called my twin sister Gina who worked less than 5 minutes from the hopital. She must have been the last one I called because I beat her there.


I walked into the Chilren's ER and got to the closed doors. You know it's going to be bad when the lady at the desk says "Oh" in disbelief when you tell them who you are. Dylan was in the first room on the left and there were nurses and doctors everywhere coming and going, in and out of his room. I think he was the only patient in there at the time. I see someone I recognize, but wasn't sure who he was. I found out later that one of the paramedics was my brother-in-laws first cousin.


One of the doctors meets me as I am walking in and I tell him who I am. He takes me to Dylan where he is already covered in needles and has a tube in his throat. He tells me that he choked after spitting up while drinking a bottle. He aspirated what he had spit-up. I don't remember what all he tells me, but I later found out from the paramedic that the babysitter had started CPR and when they got there, Dylan wasn't breathing and didn't have a heartbeat on his own.


They gave him medicine on the way to the hospital for his heart but they lost his heartbeat twice on the way there. Ken (my hubby) and my twin, Gina arrive at some point. That is when I realize that the paramedic is related to my borther in law because Gina starts talking to him. Dylan eventually gets moved to the PICU with a continous flow of epi for his heart and a ventilator. My son is on life support. That is certainly something no one can ever prepare you for.


While we (me, Ken, Gina, and Anne) are in a waiting room while they are moving Dylan to the PICU, we all get on the phone. Ken calls his parents, we call our pastor, my aunt in Chapel Hill, etc. I don't remember calling my mom at all, but she showed up too! I know I did, but like I said I don't remember a lot of details.


At some point, other people from my work showed up, my mom, sisters, dad, and a lot of people from church came. Ken's family came from VA. When Dylan finally got a room, Ken and I went in there first. I remember they had a size 1 diaper on him to begin with. One of the nurses told me "they said a 13 week old was coming. Most kids are still small. Dylan was 9 lbs 8 oz. when he was born. 15 pounds at his 2 month check-up. I am pretty sure he was already in size three by now!

Long sotry short, they did several brain activity tests to no avail on Dylan. Even when I was in the room and called his name and talked to him, there was no response. That broke my heart to see my son who would always smile when I talked to him just lay there motionless.

Overnight, we had family (by blood and by friendship) camp out at the hospital with us. I think they did three brain activity tests on Dylan. About noon on Tuesday, they told us the results of the last one and they said if he ever did regain consciousness, he would be a vegetable. Ken and I discussed things and decided it would be best to let Dylan go (in body only). We spoke with a lady about donating his organs. As they tested him to see who he could donate to, it made me feel a little better knowing we could help another set of parents not go through what we were going through. However, later we were informed that "they" wanted to do an autopsy on Dylan because his death was very sudden and his accident happened at the babysitters house. Please don't get me wrong, I do not blame the babysitter in any way.

It was rather disturbing to know that my little boy would be cut on. When they got all that situated, they allowed everyone (probably 25 people) into his small PICU room to pray over him. We sang Jesus Loves Me and anyone that wanted to say something could. After our friends and family said their goodbyes to Dylan, just Ken and I were left in the room with him. I got to hold him in my arms and rock him to sleep just as I had most nights. Ken was sitting beside me. The nurses turned off all the alarms and disconnected as much as they could. Then they turned off the epi and breathing tube. The doctor quietly told us the machines were off and it seemed like just seconds later (I have no idea how long it really was, but I know it wasn't long) he gently said "He's gone." Ken and I sat there holding our son one last time. One nurse stayed with us.

They said we could stay as long as we needed, but we didn't stay long at all. We gave him a few more kisses and told him we loved him. I gently placed him back on his bed. We tearfully walked away leaving our baby boy behind. We walked out of the secure doors to our waiting friends and family. They embraced us with open arms and open hearts.

The rest of that week is a bit of a blur. I remember the funeral, but I couldn't tell you what was said. I have never listened to the tape we have of it. I remember lots of food at the house. I remember my friend Allyson sitting in the living room floor with me crying as soon as I got home from the hospital. She had just gotten off work and met us at the house. She just let me cry. I rember my niece Caroline and her sweet hugs asking where Dylan was. Still today, she'll point to a cloud and tell me which one is Dylan's. She had just turned 2 when he passed away. I remember lots of beautiful flowers at both the funeral home and our house. Roses, carnations, mums, house plants, lilies, anything you could imagine. I remember the stacks of cards that wouldn't fit in the mailbox from friends and some from complete strangers. I remember the burial in Jacksonville on a Satruday morning. I had never seen so many people at a funeral. I remember some of the faces, but I don't remember a lot of them. I remember the long car ride from Zebulon (where we lived) to Jacksonville (where I am from and where Dylan was buried) after the funeral on Friday. I remember the phone calls. Especially the one from a reporter. I remember the look on my mom's face when she heard me fussing at the reporter for the nerve to call.


Most of all I remember the peace I felt knowing that my little boy will be waiting on me one day when I get to Heaven. I still feel that peace. I know that he will never get a scraped knee. He will never get his heart broken. He will never have to worry about all the things we have to worry about here on Earth.

Welcome to The Blessings of Motherhood

Hello and Welcome to my blog!!!! :-) I am a mom of some sort to four boys. I have two stepsons and two sons of my own who range in age from 2 1/2 to nearly 19. I hope you enjoy my blog about the blessings of motherhood and that you learn a little something. Remember to tell your babies you love them every chance you get because you never know when it will be your last chance.

Watch this video for a brief introduction....