Doctors, doctors, and more doctors...

If I could sum up the last couple of weeks into one word, it would be "doctors."  I'm pretty sure Joshua is at his wits end with people looking at him, and prodding him.  Even a simple listen of his heart with a stethoscope gets him so worked up that he throws up.  I'm already dreading his 15 month well-visit next Friday.  On top of the pre-op appointments, Joshua acquired a viral bug after his procedure, which sent us back to the doctor.  We will probably never know what it was for sure, but one theory is that he experienced a reaction to his antibiotic eye drops.  While all of the doctor stuff has been tough, Andrew and I are praising God for how well Joshua's eye looks following the insertion of the tube into his eye duct.  I haven't had to clean or wipe his eye once since the procedure, and for those of you that have spent any time around our little man, you know that's a miracle in itself.  The difference before and after the procedure is night and day.  While it was no fun putting him through another procedure, we are thrilled with the results, and pray it continues once the tube is removed.  I snapped a few pictures of our boy, with his heart-melting blue eyes (this is the first time I haven't had to Photoshop the eye goop from his eye!)...

In other "doctor" news, my OB appointments are starting to pick up, which means Makayla's arrival is getting closer.  Part of me wants her to stay in there for awhile longer, but the other part of me is ready to be done with the physical aspects of pregnancy.  You forget a lot from one pregnancy to another (which is probably a good thing), so I can't remember how these pregnancy symptoms compare to the first time around.  The hardest part right now is that Makayla is cramming herself into one side of my stomach, which causes a sharp, shooting pain.  Add that to the indigestion, and it's quite uncomfortable.  I'm trying to stay optimistic because I know some women have a much harder time with their pregnancies.  I am very thankful that other than these few things, the baby and I are healthy and progressing normally.  The doctor has ordered an ultrasound for Tuesday, December 20th to see how big Makayla is.  Since Joshua was a big baby (9 lbs, 2 oz), my doctor has been keeping a more watchful eye on the size of Makayla.  I'm not sure how things would change if she was measuring big because my doctor wouldn't want to induce just for that reason.  I guess the doctors and I would at least have a heads up going into the delivery that she was big, and we could plan accordingly.  Let's just say that I'm definitely open to having an epidural this time around ; )  I will get an update out after the ultrasound and appointment, and maybe even have a few pictures of our little girl to show off.

In other Makayla news, the nursery is progressing.  The paint is up, we have her furniture, and we're starting to add some design to the room.  We put up a wall decal above her crib, and I love how it looks with her bedding.  I can't wait to work on some of the other ideas that I have for the room.  I will continue to post pictures as we add more...

Eye Procedure

There's nothing like waking up to a half foot of snow on the morning of your son's eye procedure!  Luckily, the heart of the city was much clearer than around our home, so we made it to the hospital safely.  The procedure was quick, and Joshua did great.  His poor eye is a little swollen and irritated, but beyond that, he is playing with his toys and books as usual.  Below is a picture of him in his little scrubs.  The picture was taken before the procedure, so that's why he's somewhat happy.  Let's just say waking up from anesthesia was harder on the little guy.  Thanks for your prayers; we really appreciate you all keeping us in your thoughts!

Blocked Tear Duct Update

Many of you are aware of Joshua's blocked tear duct that he has had since birth.  We were hoping a simple in-office eye probe would resolve the problem, but two eye probes later, and his poor eye duct is still blocked.  Since the in-office procedures haven't provided a solution, we are moving on to the next step.  Unfortunately, the next step involves Joshua going under anesthesia, so that the doctor can insert a tiny tube into the duct.  The tube will not drain the tears, but rather train the duct to stay open.  After four months, the doctor will then remove the tube in his office.  The procedure is scheduled for Monday morning at 6:30am, and should take no more than 15 minutes.  Please keep our little guy in your prayers as he undergoes this procedure.  I think he's a little sick of doctors at this point, so he can get quite worked up.  I will send out another update on Monday to let you know how everything went.  Thanks, in advance, for your prayers.   

Have ball; will travel...

Joshua's security blanket/toy is a little basketball that always has to be nearby.  He has developed a talent in which he crawls and plays with his toys while holding his ball in between his legs...

Week 32

Wednesday marked week 32 of Makayla's pregnancy.  Below is the latest belly bump pic, as well as a pic of 32 weeks with Joshua.  

Makayla, 32 weeks

Joshua, 32 weeks

Makayla

12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32 weeks

Happy Thanksgiving

Let's just say Joshua is a fan of Thanksgiving dinner...

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family.  We have so much to be thankful for.  Our prayer is that this day would cause each of us to look upon and glorify God, the giver of every good  and perfect gift.

New Photos

Ok, so most of you know I've been studying for the PE for the past few months, and unfortunately this means I've done a bad job importing all the new pictures we've taken during that time.  Well, today your patience has paid off.  There are 6 new album links to the bottom right with about 550 pictures total.  Enjoy!