Cute Ryan Photos

We all took a nap last Sunday. This is what I woke up to. Aren't they cute?

He plays hard, but knows when to take a real break.

He has learned how to blow bubbles. It's really fun to watch.

And he thinks he can play the same games daddy plays. We posed him for this photo.

An update on Ryan

We went to the doctor yesterday to find out how Ryan's bloodwork turned out and to see if he gained more weight. The bloodwork was fine and he's gained two pounds! Yay! I know it's not much, but it puts him back in the 5th percentile, which is so much better than below that mark. We're happy with that result. We go back in four months for his 24 month check up and we're praying he keeps gaining. We really don't want to go back to the hematologist.

Homesick

I've been feeling homesick lately... for two places. I know it's weird, but it's true.

The first bit of homesick feeling started on Saturday when I talked with mum. As she talked about dinner I had that urge to be at the dining room table eating fish, peas 'n rice and cole slaw and enjoying my family's company. I'd also like a game of dominos... not the mexican train one, but real dominos and a game of spades to be played after the dinner. I'm homesick for the sunshine and the beach and for so many friends, who, over the years, have become like family.

I usually get these feelings around Christmastime. Who doesn't want to be with their family and their traditions around the holidays? I miss different things at Christmas in the Bahamas, though. I miss going to bed at night and hearing faint sounds of Junkanoo music playing in some nearby shack where the costumes are being prepared. I miss the smell of cookies baking the way only mum can make. I miss many a church event, too.

In addition to missing home, I've had a longing for Illinois. Mainly, I long for dear friends still there and some who aren't just because of the closeness we had while at GC. We just don't have the same sort of friends here that we had there and ones I had made here who I thought were just right also moved away. I miss dinners with these friends and guys playing card games. I miss us playing Pit and Dutch Blitz. If you've never played either, you should. Both games are really fun.

I also miss my old job in Illinois. I loved working at the LU. People there were like family. It wasn't like the weird place I worked here where people were out for their own success. It was truly a family that wanted the entire paper to succeed. Mind you, I'm not sure I'd want to go back to work now that I've been at home with Ry for almost two. Working at WM doesn't really count since I only work there two days a week.

I also miss things like the St. Louis Zoo, the Science Museum, Ted Drews, the arch and its museum, Cards baseball and the many concerts we saw at the Kiel Center. Life felt full there and that's what I truly miss.

Of course, it' s the firendships I miss most. We have friends here, but it's not quite the same. I miss those real deep conversations about faith and the other ones about politics that didn't matter what you thought because we all thought differently and that was okay. You weren't weird for whatever it was you were thinking. We were just accepted.

Some day we'll have that togetherness again. I sure feel far away from others as they have babies and search for new jobs and new avenues in life. I wish we never had to leave, but I do enjoy Maine. I've grown to like it here also. Sometimes I just miss the midwest.

More medical updates

Ryan and I had doctor visits today. Since his last visit after the ER fever incident, he's lost two pounds. So he's put on less than a pound in a month. Funny thing is, he's eating better than ever before. In two weeks we go back for another evaluation and before that we have more blood work to get done. I'm not looking forward to it. I just don't see anything wrong with the kid. He looks normal to me.

I'm measuring right at 17 weeks, which is good. Let's not discuss pounds gained by this mommy. Let's just say it's kind of mean to put a pregnant lady on the scale right after lunch.

After about 15 minutes of trying to find Little McGee II's heartbeat, we ended up being sent to the hospital for yet another ultra sound. And baby is fine. He/She just had their back/butt to us so the heartbeat was hard to find. We found it and it was a wonderful 146 beats per minute. The ultra sound tech almost told us what we were having. Glad we stopped that in its tracks. I prefer just prefer not to know.

On a completly different note, if we didn't have car insurance that deer run-in would have cost us more than $3,000 to fix. Thank you insurance! We only owe $250.

The antler

Adam took an unusually long time getting home from work last night. His first stop was the pharmacy, where they had to sort out new rules about my prescription for my thyroid. It used to be that I could get a one month and five day supply, but now I can only get a one month supply. Really, it's not a big deal to me. We both work in a place where we can pick up my prescription whenever. It took the pharmancy 45 minutes to figure this all out.

Then Adam headed home. For you Mainers, he was just about to cross the Arundel and Kennebunk town lines when a deer ran into the passenger side of our car.

Back in the day I remember Adam telling me how a similar thing happened to Adam G. It seemed funny then.

Anyway, the deer managed to put two large dents into the passenger side of the car and completly wipe out the side-view mirror. So, Adam got out of the car to pick up the mirror. While he was doing so, a guy in a truck stopped, not to find out how he was doing, rather to pick up the antler the deer left behind before limping off into the... well it's not really woods... brush? Too shocked for words at the time, Adam wishes he'd said something like, "Hey that's mine since he hit me!" Oh well.

I'm really glad we don't have a high deductible and that this whole thing will be fixed soon. I'm also glad I wasn't driving. And I'm really glad the car is still driveable.

Hyper

Well, my thyroid is anyway. My blood tests revealed that my thyroid is working overtime to not produce its hormones. So, more meds for me (and for those of you wondering, they're perfectly safe to take during pregnancy. Ryan turned out just fine). Hopefully, I'll feel rested soon and I hope that my one day a week morning sickness will go away too.

Finally!

I've finally finished Ryan's scrapbook. It's the one that documents his first year of life. It was supposed to be done in time for his first birthday, but I was very much behind. I'm just glad it's done before LM 2 will arrive. Now to work on scrapbooking 2007! Like I said, I am really behind. Adam has promised to help, so we'll see if that actually comes about.

Ryan and I have doctor's appointments next week. Me for my four month check up and Ryan for a follow up on his lack of weight gain over the past half year. Since we started the PediaSure he's gained five pounds according to our scale. There is hope!

As for me, I am plain tired. I so don't remember being this tired at this stage of pregnancy with Ryan. I still go to bed with him and nap with him just as if this were my first trimester. However, the morning sickness is mainly once a week sickness, which I can totally handle. But headaches have started to appear, oh, about every three days. It really stinks. I bumped into my doctor after my bloodwork on Tuesday and she kindly told me some women suffer from migranes during pregnancy. I think I'd rather the morning sickness. She and I plan to discuss this more next week.

I've already had some serious headaches early on in this pregnancy, but the drug I was taking isn't approved for long term use in pregnancy. So it's back to Tylenol. I also had horrible headaches with Ryan, but it was just days before delivery and Tylenol with codine was wonderful.

As with my last pregnancy, I am huge for four months. I haven't gained any more weight since the day my doctor told me I'd gained 14 pounds in the first trimester. I think those pounds were due to the need to eat in order to not throw up. As long as I was full the puking stopped. Now that I'm not sick I don't need to eat ALL THE TIME.

Ryan is starting to get the idea that mommy will have a baby. He points to my stomach when we ask where is baby? If you ask if he wants a sister, most times he shakes his head "no."

Oh and we think we've narrowed down the boy names. Yay! We still have our girl name from last time.

Now just to wait for June!

Happy 2008

I'm late in posting Christmas photos, but they're finally here. We drove home yesterday from Vin and Kris' home in New Hampshire in a snow storm. I wasn't happy (knowing about the storm ahead of time I tried to vito Adam's rule, which didn't work) but we arrived home safely. Yay! My knuckles were white and I'm sure my blood pressure was twice what it should have been, but we're okay and ready to enjoy 2008.




The Family photo.

Ryan loves his new "car."
He isn't too sure of the new sled, but I'm sure he'll like it after a few more tries.

He discovered he can feed a baby. He also knows there's a baby in mummy's tummy, though I think he thinks it's a joke.