McClain Clan

Bye Bye!

2010-12-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

Bye, Bye Baby Food......

Hello Spaghetti!!

Reese is officially on solids and is enjoying peas, carrots, fish, bananas, pineapple, mashed potatoes, pasta, bread, crackers, hummus, cheese, etc. I am so excited to see if the solids help improve the reflux. So far, it has been improving so we shall see. My little baby is all grown up!

Happy Feet!!

2010-12-11T12:03:00.000-08:00

This is the new favorite around our house these days! Grace asks for Happy Feet all day long!!!!

Catching up....

2010-12-11T11:33:00.001-08:00

There is so much going on that life is passing me by way too fast! I can not believe that Christmas is only 2 weeks away. I still feel like it was yesterday we were headed to the beach on the weekends. Now it feels like 10 pm at 5:30 pm because it is pitch black before we even sit down to dinner!

Let me see if I can catch you up on the girls in a few sentences!

After a very long bout of different illnesses (pneumonia, 105 three day fever,& teething) I am very happy that Reese is feeling back to normal. Reese now has 5 teeth, is crawling (army style) all around the house and is getting into everything, has 5 words, waves hi and bye (a different wave for both), can sign "all gone", give kisses, and can hold her own against a very aggressive, hands on bigger sister! I can not believe she is nearly 15 months old. We recently had pictures done and she is a total camera ham! She is our sunshine and we are so excited to watch her grow and meet new milestones every day!

Grace has also had a rough few months. She had strep throat, high fever & cough, this past week dealt with pink eye, and then last night to top it off she fell off the sofa and hit her head on the brick fireplace. She now has a very large cut and bruise on her right temple. She is tough though. Her vocabulary blows me away. I knew Speech was going to pay off and now she repeats everything and speaks in full sentences. She is finally in her big girl bed and every morning comes running in to our room and says "Wake Up Mommy, Wake up Daddy!" If we don't comply she turns on the stereo full blast and starts to dance around to get our attention. What a great way to wake up every morning!!

Baby Adiya will be 2 months old on Dec. 20th. She is super cute with big chipmunk cheeks. She is hanging out at my house as we speak. She was having a rough time with reflux but was recently put on Axid and that seems to be helping. Grace and Reese LOVE her to pieces and I'm so excited that they get to grow up near one another. This will be her 1st Christmas and the 3rd First Christmas in a row for the kids in our family...if that makes sense?

I have been a blog slacker and one of my new years resolution is to get back into it. But for now I hope this has helped to catch you up on the exciting lives of the McClain Clan! :)

Crush

2010-11-27T20:26:00.000-08:00

I do believe my little girl is growing up! Isn't 13 months too soon to have a crush???

Reese thinks to herself: "I just want to touch his hair....

...and give him hugs! But what I really want.......

.....is a big kiss!!!"

Jack is adorable so there is no surprise that Reese loves him so much! Thanks Jack for being such a good sport! It's good you are getting use to it now as I'm sure there will be many more girls over the years who will also share Reese's "crush"! :)

Sisters

2010-10-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

"A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost"
~Marion C. Garretty

Breath Taking

2010-10-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

I love you Grace Brennan! You make me a better person and your strength inspires me! I am so proud to be your mommy! Your beauty is breath taking and your personality is astounding! I can't believe 2 1/2 years ago tonight you were given to me by our gracious Lord!

Adiya Monroe

2010-10-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

My beautiful niece, Adiya Monroe, made her way in to this world on Wed. Oct. 20, 2010. She came 3 1/2 weeks early and she came fast! We are so excited and thrilled to add another baby girl to our family. Bethany did AMAZING. She had a difficult delivery as Adiya was posterior or "sunny side up". She weighed 7 lbs 6 oz and 20 inches long. I had the amazing opportunity to be present at her birth and it is something I will always remember.

Grace and Reese were very excited to meet their cousin. Grace calls her appledye. She was so sweet and giving her kisses. We can't wait for her to come home and love on her some more.

Congrats to Andy and Bethany! May God bless your little family and may you she bring you so much joy, love, and happiness! You guys are awesome parents and she is blessed to have you. God is good!!

My little pumpkins...

2010-10-21T18:57:00.001-07:00

October is National Down Sydrome Awareness Month!!

2010-10-15T10:38:00.001-07:00

I'm not sure why the Lord chose to bless me with such a happy, beautiful little girl and why she was born with an extra chromosome. However, I do feel like there needs to be more awareness to ensure more acceptance for my daughter in this world.

Please take a few moments to watch this heart warming video that gives some pretty amazing facts about Down Syndrome. Pass it along so that we can educate everyone and make this a better world for individuals with Down Syndrome.

October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Method. Click here for more information.

Sweet Tweets from Reese!!!

2010-09-27T17:46:00.001-07:00

My baby girl is going to be 1 year old on September 29, 2010! It's hard to believe that she has grown from this....

to this....in just one year!

She is so beautiful in so many ways. If you are able to be around her for a few minutes, all the cares and worries of the world melt away with just one smile from her. She is our angel and a blessing from God.

I had no idea just a little over a year ago that the Lord would choose me to be the mother to a 2nd child with special needs. We were just adjusting and getting use to learning all about Grace's needs and obstacles. I must say that when I found out that she may have Down Syndrome I thought "Why Me Lord?" And now I am still asking the same question but in a different way. "Why Lord have you chosen to bless me with such an amazing little human being? Why have you given me this easy, very happy, very healthy, bundle of joy?" I don't feel worthy of such a pure love. She is constant reminder that God is real and life is good. She is the perfect picture of unconditional love and compassion. I wish more people were born with an extra chromosome so that there weren't still the stereotypes out there associated with Down Syndrome. I wish there were more awareness and more education. I thank God everyday for the people in Reese's life. They love her and I believe are blessed by her.

Thanks to everyone who came out to her party! We had a great turn out. I think we counted about 57 people at one point! It will be a party I'm sure she will talk about for many years to come. It is already a memory engraved on my heart for the rest of time!

Potty Training Diaries....

2010-09-24T07:38:00.000-07:00

We are now on day 15 of potty training Grace. I must say I didn't really know what to expect going into it. I had a lot of advice and suggestions from mom's who have been through the process successfully and for that I am very thankful.

Day 1

9:00 am- I hear "uh-oh" coming from Grace...guess telling her not to tee-tee on elmo didn't work. Guess we are going the bare butt route!

11:30 am- another "uh-oh" as she sits and watches sissy during her Physical therapy! That's pee #2 mommy has cleaned up....thinking potty training is for the birds by this point!

7:30 pm- Grace pees on potty for the first time!! We clap, jump up and down, she picks out as sticker to put on her elmo potty training chart, we dump, flush, wash our hands and Grace gets two M&M's. Then we call mom-mom and poppy to tell them the good news!!

Day 2

Almost exactly similar to Day #1. Guess she likes to wait till daddy gets home to use the potty!

Day 3

Vast difference from Day 1 & 2. Grace potties four times today on potty! The instant I knew she was getting it is when we were having our nightly snack and she says uh-oh mommy. I pick her up running her to the potty, thinking I'm leaving a trail behind me. Much to my surprise, Grace pee pee's on potty and we go back to the original scene and there is nothing..no puddle, no drops, nothing!! I see the light at the end of the tunnel!!

Day 4

Grace pee pees on the potty several times. Guess the stickers and M&M's are working

Day 5

No accidents and we have now made a game out of going potty. Her dolls have to go too!

Day 6

This is the first day we have to leave the house. We head over to Uncle Andy's and Aunt Bethany's so daddy can finish painting baby Adiya's room. We take the potty, the stickers and a sticker book, and can't forget the M&M's. We have now put on Pull-up's for the first time. She manages to keep it dry and even tells uncle Andy two times that she has to pee pee!! We are very very proud and glad to know we can leave the house with out messing up her schedule.

Day 7

We are on the last day of the first week of potty training so Grace decides to assure us that she is growing up and very ready to use the potty!! Today Grace pee pee'd and poo poo'd on the potty a the same time!!!!

Week 2

Some accidents but for the most part she does really well bare butt or with pull ups! When we put the panties on she must feel a false sense of security because she will pee on herself fast!!

We are now in week 3 and are very pleased with how quickly she has adjusted and grown. I am very happy as I am now down to two diapers a day for her. One for nap time and one for bed time. I have no idea how to break her of that habit when she is sleeping but I'm sure we will figure it out soon enough! Stay tuned for more entries from the potty training diaries!

Road Trip!!

2010-08-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

I am super behind in my blogging these days but wanted to share about our road trip down south last month. We packed up the kids, two pack-n-plays, four suitcases, two bags of diapers & wipes, etc, etc. and drove south to Greenville, SC. We decided to break up our 12 hour trip to TN by stopping in SC to visit Chad, Chadd, and Sommer. This was officially our first real road trip as a family of four and had no idea what to expect. We left around 11:00 Sat. morning and got in around 6 pm. Not a bad trip at all! The kids slept, watched Elmo, and seemed almost as excited as mommy and daddy to be on vacation.

Our reunion with Chadd was an emotional one. We hadn't seen him in over three years so it was the first time he was meeting the girls! We had a good time in Greenville. Chadd and Chad met the girls for the first time and they fell in love!

We went to the most amazing park in downtown. I so wish we had a park like that here in VA Beach, because we would be there every day!

Our time was short but we enjoyed seeing them. Matt even got a free haircut out of it as Sommer is in hair school and needed a willing participant to volunteer. You did a great job Sommer! We love you guys and hope to see ya'll again soon!

Our next destination was Nashville, TN or as some like to call it Nashvegas!! Most of you know already that this is home of my alma mator, Trevecca Nazarene University. It had been over 3 years since we had been to TN and we were excited to see our friends. We stayed with Joy and Ethan in their beautiful new home. The only thing is they live about 20 miles outside of the city in a direction that I wasn't familiar with so we spent a good amount of time driving around lost! The GPS wasn't the best to rely on and by the end of the trip I was ready to throw it out the window! :) Gotta love modern technology!

We went to visit Kristen, Brant, Rylee, and Jackson.....

Trying to kiss the boys already....oh man!

We went to the park.....

We went to the zoo....

We played dress up......

and we all got sick.....that's right...we caught a stomach bug and on our way home Grace and Mommy were making daddy pull over every 30 minutes. Needless to say, we were happy to be headed home and glad we didn't get sick till the end but I will say that a sick toddler and mommy makes for a very LONG trip home!! By the next week I believe our friends we stayed with all caught it as well as Matt and my mom (she had to come over and take care of the baby because I was out of commission for at least 24 hours! However, at a recent Pediatrician visit our Dr told us it has been going around here as well!

Thankfully we made it home safely and it was a great 1st McClain southern Road Trip! We had so much fun and really had some quality time together and with friends!

The Big Move!!!

2010-08-02T09:17:00.000-07:00

My parents are officially residents of VA Beach! We are exhausted but excited to have the entire family here! It's funny how life turns out sometimes. I NEVER thought we would end up all living here but it's good to have everyone within a 20 mile radius!

Currently their stuff is in storage and they are staying with Beth and Andy but we are hoping to find them a house in the next few weeks to a month. So we will be moving them again soon! hahahahaha!

This is mom's first day taking over care of the girls and so far so good! I'm so happy they are going to have a daily relationship!

Sitting on top of the world....

2010-07-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

........is what my Reesie cup is doing. She is so proud of herself! Erin, her Physical Therapist (also Gracie's therapist) said on Monday during her session that she was really showing off and sitting up very well. She said she gives it one to two weeks until she is pretty steady. I believe her too because she has called it almost to the day with all of Grace's big milestones (pulling up, moving to sit, crawling, and walking)! We are sooo excited because we know what a new and wonderful world this will open up for Reese! That and her Gastrologist thinks her reflux will finally improve! (I go through a lot of laundry for her & I)!

So here's to my big girl who amazes me every day! You are my inspiration and my hero!!

Rock-n-Roll!

2010-07-14T11:23:00.001-07:00

Reese is now 9 1/2 months old. She is growing and doing new fun things everyday! Here is a little peak at what her favorite past time has been these past few weeks! Is it possible she may be crawling before sitting up? We shall see......

Happy 234th Birthday America!!

2010-07-04T20:05:00.001-07:00

We are having a wonderful 4th of July weekend. My husband actually took Friday and Monday off. We have been to the pool and the beach all weekend! Here are some pics of our weekend. Hope you and your family had a great day celebrating our country's 234th birthday!

Daddy and his girls! One of my favorites!

Grandma and Reese keeping cool in the shade

Mommy and her big girl!

Aunt Jenn and Reese...finally got her hair in a bow!

My girls and their first 4th of July together!!

Having a Ball!!!

2010-07-04T20:02:00.001-07:00

It's a Girl!!!!

2010-06-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

Before you jump to conclusions...No, I am not pregnant again!!! My sister is and we just got the great news tonight that we are adding another precious girl to our family!! Everyone, pretty much, was convinced they were having a boy but not the case as the ultrasound tech told my sister, "This is textbook-It's a girl!"

I'm very excited to be having a new little niece in just a little over 4 months!! Gracie and Reese are excited as well! More girls to play dress up and tea party! And Bethany is making out pretty good with all the girls clothes....and trust me these are some pretty good hand me downs! ;) A lot better than I ever got growing up!

I am the proud new owner......

2010-06-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

and maybe now that I have my own computer I can catch up with all my blogging! Matt usually is doing work on the computer at night which is my only time to think without a toddler tugging on my leg saying "mommy outside" or an 8 month old who constantly wants to roll over and spit up her entire dinner. So yes, it's been a while but now maybe I can get back on the wagon!

Big Announcement!!!!

2010-05-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

I am going to be an AUNT! I have known this exciting news for 10 weeks now but just got the okay from my sister to announce it to everyone (She had to wait due to some work issues). Bethany is due Nov. 13, 2010!! This will be the third 1st Christmas in a row for babies in this family!

We are super excited to be adding another baby to our family and even more excited that this one comes with out me giving birth again..haha!This will be the third grandchild in three years for my parents so you can imagine their excitement. They are actually planning on moving here the 1st of August to be near all their grandbabies!

We get to find out if Grace and Reese will have a little girl cousin or a boy cousin on June 17th (less than a month away) and are really excited to find out!!

We ask that ya'll remember Beth and Andy and pray for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery of my future niece or nephew!!

CHKD RunWalk for the Kids--Down Syndrome Association Team

2010-05-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Join us, the Down Syndrome Association Team, for this fun event!

CHKD has meant a lot to us as a family and community. They took care of Reese for 7 days in the NICU and for that we want to give back. We formed our own team and are running this race for the kids. Come out and join us if you can. If you can't and want to make a donation you can do so by clicking on the website below!

Here is the info:

*What: An 8K (4.97) run, a 2 mile walk, or a 1 mile FunRun (for the kiddies!) to benefit CHKD.
*When: Saturday, June 19th.
*Starting Times: 8K Jogging Strollers: 7:25 a.m., 8K Run: 7:30 a.m., 2-Mile Walk: 7:32 a.m.,1-Mile Fun Run: 9:00 a.m.
*Where: Begins and ends at Towne Point Park Norfolk. Course goes through downtown Norfolk.
*Cost: $25 for adults who register before May 22, $35 after May 22. Children are $12 before May 22 and $15 after May 22.

***Here's something really cool about this race: Jogging strollers are allowed! So bring the babies along (FYI, the childrens fee is only for children participating in the 8k, 2 mile, or Fun Run. Children in jogging strollers do not have to be registered).
***Activities, awards, refreshments and entertainment will follow the race.
***Invite your friends and family to join us!

To register, click the following link. Be sure to choose our team, Down Syndrome Association, when prompted!

https://www.active.com/register/index.cfm?event_id=1837525&subevent_id=1316014&team_id=823966"

Sleep Deprivation!

2010-05-19T12:29:00.001-07:00

As a mom it is a given that you will have many sleep deprived nights. However, I never imagined to have over 7 months of sleep deprived nights! Grace was a great sleeper and started sleeping through the night by 2 months old. I was also able to nap when she napped as I didn't have another child to care for nor did I work from home till she was around 4 months old.

With Reese, it is a bit different! When we first brought her home from hospital all she did was sleep. The dr's wanted us to wake her every 3-4 hours to feed her as her weight gain was slow in the first month. I believe this is what messed us up. As you can see she has no problem with weight gain now and is a very good eater. We even started solids (carrots are her favorite so far) and cereal. We thought for sure this would help her sleep through the night with a full belly. So far, hasn't happened. She will go maybe 5-6 hours during the first stretch but those nights are few and far between. She averages 3-3 1/2 hours before waking up ready to eat!!

I'm going to celebrate when she starts sleeping through the night with sleep! hahaha! A lot of it has to do with her severe reflux. She likes to roll over and sleep on her stomach and when she does that she usually spits up ALOT and that wakes her up. So until we can get her sitting up on her own (PT is working now with her and she is getting closer) the reflux will continue.

Sleep deprevation isn't the worse thing that could happen to me but it's pretty close. I have been working out a lot more lately to give me energy. It's crazy how our bodies adjust and compensate. But if you ever hear me rambling and not making much sense, please don't think I've lost it...it's just a little sleep deprivation!!

Gracie's New Ride!!

2010-05-03T11:58:00.001-07:00

Terrific 2's!!!

2010-05-03T11:37:00.000-07:00

Grace recently turned 2 years old on April 22nd. This is also Earth Day which is so appropriate for my out-dorsey girl! The first thing she says when she wakes up is "Outside?" I guess after a long, cold, snow-filled winter I don't blame her.

We had a wonderful party, Barney theme, and had a great turn out! Wouldn't you know that about a week before her party she wanted nothing to do with Barney! Everything became Elmo or as Grace calls him "mo-mo"! However, mommy had to order all the plates, balloons, and Barney decor online since none of the party stores carry it so Barney the party was. She was excited still but luckily my friends and family are receptive and she got inundated with Elmo toys, DVD's, books, musical cards, etc! She was a very happy little girl!

The hit of the party, I must say, however was the trampoline. The kids had a blast jumping, flipping, dancing, and yes one even stripped down to her diaper to get down. Grace, despite the fact she didn't nap (she must have known something was up) did great and played on the trampoline till 8:30 at night till we had to drag her off of it to go head home.

Thanks to all my friends and family who helped me pull this off. Especially for the help to make all 60 cupcakes!

Happy Birthday to my little Angel! I can't believe God has blessed me so much by giving you to me! You are beautiful, funny, determined, and strong! I love you sooo much and love watching you grow up before my eyes! Just slow down a bit, I don't want you to grow up too fast! :)

6 months!!!!

2010-04-18T12:57:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe my baby is over a half of a year old! Seems like just yesterday she was born! She is doing great and doing some fun new things! She is ALWAYS smiling and is now enjoying cereal 2x a day. I believe we are going to start some veggies in the next week. I have yet to take her for her 6 month appointment but we have been to the dr's lately and she is topping the scale at 16 lbs. 11 oz. She is a chubby wubby but I wouldn't have her any other way.

Here are some recent pics of my sweet baby!

Play Date!!

2010-04-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

Since Grace was born I have tried to be consistent with getting together with other mom's and babies for play dates. At first this was more for the mom's since the newborns just slept and ate most of the time. However, now that Grace is about to be 2, she is really starting to show her desire to socialize with more kids. She is VERY interested in watching how kids interact and play together. She is not shy for the most part, however I felt it would be beneficial for her and for Mommy's schedule to plan weekly play date with ALL of Gracie's little friends. We have lots of therapies and Dr's appointments between the two girls so I emailed all my mommy friends to see if they would be interested in a group play date. We still enjoy the occasional one on one play date but this gives the kids and the mom's something to look forward too. And as much as I don't like to overwhelm any mom with more "to-dos" this is open to whomever and whenever they can come. No obligations of any sort.

We have kids ranging from 6 months-4 years old. So with those age differences come differences in napping schedules. Not to mention mom's work schedules. So we decided to have a morning play group meet every other Thursday and the afternoon play group meet the alternating Thursdays. So far we have been doing it for a month now and I really think it is going great! I look forward to adding more kids and doing some fun things out doors now that spring has arrived. If you are in the area and would like to join our play group, please let me know! We would love to have you!!

Here are some pics of our recent play dates!! Enjoy!

Easter 2010

2010-04-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter. Grace LOVED hunting for Easter Eggs and Reese had fun playing with all the adults. Here are some pics from the day! Hope you and your family had a great Easter!

Virginia Aquarium 2010

2010-03-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Grace loved the aquarium last year when we took her so we decided to go back. Even Reese

enjoyed the fish, sharks, and other marine life!

5 months (almost 6)

2010-03-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

So I have been slacking in the blogging world. Reese is only going to be a 5 months old for a few more days. The days and months keep going by faster and faster.

Some highlights this month for Reese: gaining weight at a rapid pace (almost 17 lbs, 26 inches long), lots of new noises (the best is her chewbaka noise), lots and lots of big smiles, all good reports at dr's appts (still have to re-do blood platelet count the end of April so pray that goes well), and doing some great things in therapy! Here are some of my favorite pics of her at 5 months old!

Spring is in the Air!!!

2010-03-10T12:18:00.001-08:00

It is in the low 70's here today!! Finally after a winter that seemed would never end! We just had to get the kids out of the house to enjoy it! So we met up with Uncle Andy, Uncle Jeremy, and Lauren to take the girls to 1st Landing park! It's a gorgeous park/hiking trail along the water with beautiful trees and spanish moss!
Here are some pics of our fun morning on the trails! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Matt!

2010-03-09T12:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday my gorgeous hubby turned 31 years old. I remember meeting him shortly after his 24th birthday. We actually met when he and his buddies were out celebrating. Hard to believe that 7 years later we are happily married with two beautiful girls. God is good!

We have come a long way together as a couple but even more so Matt has come a long way and I am very proud of him!. I have watched Matt mature and become the man I knew he would become. He is ambitious, driven, hard-working, loving, funny, my best friend, amazing father, strikingly handsome, compassionate, giving, and my partner for life.

Happy Birthday Baby! I hope this is the best year yet. May God continue to bless you and keep you! We love you so much and are excited to grow older with you!

P.S.
the salt and pepper look is very distinguished looking! ;)

Girl's Night!

2010-03-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

We recently had a girls night to celebrate Lauren's 21st birthday. We got dressed up, did each other's hair and makeup, had some celebratory drinks and went to downtown Norfolk to Time Lounge. Now it's been a while since I've had a night out and after this night I realize it will probably be my last. hahahaha! I'm about to be 32 and I'm just not built to stay out late and deal with a bunch of crazy drunken people.

Thankfully it ended up being low key and us girls were able to hang out most of the night without being approached by some young sailors. Notice how I said '"most". We did a have a group of nice guys sitting next to us but as soon as they saw wedding rings on 3 out of the 4 of us they weren't interested in chatting anymore. All except one nice young guy. We got into talking about radio and broadcasting job ( I use to produce for a woman's talk show and Natalia is on the radio) he does on his ship. He was a baby..21 and what we thought was a pretty nice guy. Well as the night went on it became apparent he was hitting on me! yes, me! Can you believe it...!! I guess I still got it! hahahh! JK! After that realization we decided to make our way out to the very empty dance floor and then called it a night. I am just not as young as I use to be!

Over all it was fun to get out with the girls. However, I do feel as if those days have come and gone and I really don't care if I ever step foot into another club again!

Here are some pics of us before we headed out! Hope you had a wonderful birthday night out Lauren!!

Natalia and the birthday girl!

The guys stayed in with the kids and played some poker!

Lauren and her man...also my little bro!

Me and the birthday girl!! I love ya Lauren!

Bethany and Lauren

4 months old!!!

2010-02-10T11:58:00.001-08:00

Reese is 4 1/2 months old! I can't believe it! She is growing so fast and doing new things every day. She just had her 4 month well visit this morning. She is now 14 lbs 11.5 oz (75th percentile) and 24 1/2 inches long (60th percintile). Here are some of my favorite new pics of her at 4 months old!

Foiled by the snow!

2010-02-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

My parents recently celebrated their 4oth Wedding Anniversary! That is a pretty impressive milestone and one that deserved celebrating. My sister and I have been planning a few surprises since Nov. You see my folks got married on New Years Day 1970 and we wanted to throw them a party. Well we all know how crazy the holidays are and adding one more party to the mix would just not make for a very successful event. So we decided to plan the party for the end of Jan. In the mean time we didn't want them to think we weren't doing anything for their anniversary so we presented them with a weekend get-a-way to Charlottesville, VA. They love History and was very excited to be going away together for the first time in years!

We planned out the menu, ordered the cake, brought the decorations with us and had 50people RSVP. Our excuse to our parents on why we were all coming home was that we wanted to spend Sat. at IKEA and since they only live about an hour from there we would come the evening before and spend the night with them. They had no clue we were up to anything except a day of shopping!

A few days before we left we heard that the DC area would be getting a light dusting of snow. This isn't a big deal because, unlike VA Beach, they have the equipment and salt needed to clear the streets. Well that was not the case! It started snowing sometime early Sat. morning and continued through the evening. The one inch turned into about 6-8 inches.

Bethany and I tried to run out to Costco to pick up the cake and other food when we got stuck on the interstate for over an hour and a half. At this point the calls began to come in. Looked like no one was going to make it the party due to the weather. We finally got off the closest exit and made it to a local grocery store to pick up some things but never did make it to Costco for the cake. We barely made it home before my parents came back from their lunch with friends Dan and Claudette (major kudos to Dan and Claudette for risking their lives to meet my folks for lunch to get them out of the house for a few hours.)

Needless to say...they were surprised and thrilled even though the only ones in attendance were their kids and a handful of family brave enough to brave the snow, we had a great time. They even renewed their vows thanks to Andy.

Gracie and her cousin Rachel playing

Uncle Ron and Reese laughing together

The result of their 40 years of love..hahahah

all partied out...

Grace got to play for the first time in the snow and had a blast.

Gracie's annual EVAL

2010-02-02T12:23:00.000-08:00

I'm very behind on my blogging these days so please bare with me. Last week was a very crazy week. What was suppose to be an hour long OT turned out to be Gracie's annual evaluation with the VA Beach Early Intervention Program. It's hard to believe she has been receiving these services for a year already. The basically take a look at her past goals and compare them to where she is now. She is also tested Cognitive, Speech, Fine Motor, and Gross Motor skills. They score these against the ELAP, which I have forgotten what that stands for. Basically it is the standard testing for babies/toddlers/kids across the board. Typically and non-typically developing.

Here are Gracie's scores! Can I get a drum roll please..

Gross Motor- 21 months
Fine Motor- 18 months (this is based on her right side, the weaker side, but is a big improvement)
Receptive speech- 30 months
Projected speech-21 months
Cognitive- 24 months

Praise God!!! She is right on track and a head in every area with the exception of Fine Motor with her right side! If it weren't for her automatic qualification (because of her diagnosis) she would not even qualify for these services due to her scores! We are soooo proud of her!

During Gracie's evaluation we had them take a look at Reese as well. She currently has an educator come out once a month to work on basic things because she is so young still. However, they were so impressed with her development that we decided to move up her start date for PT so we can continue with this forward progression. Reese started rolling over at 3 months, which the therapist said is 6 month skill. She is also reaching for and transferring toys from one hand to another which is a 5 month skill. She too is a head of the game and we couldn't be happier!

Even if our kids weren't doing as well as they are we would still be just as proud and love them just as much. They are overcoming all odds and doing what other "typically" developing children do at the same rate if not faster. We have very determined little girls and are so excited to see them accomplish each milestone. Thank you all for your support and prayers over the past year with Grace and now with the past four months with Reese! We know your prayers were heard! God has blessed us more than we ever imagined possible!

I love you...you love me..we're one big happy Family!

2010-01-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

Before being a parent I didn't know much except from what I had observed and seen while being a nanny. I took care of several different kids over the years while in high school, college, and even grad school. So I wasn't oblivious to the popular kids shows such as The Wiggles, Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorer, and let's not forget about every kids favorite purple dinosaur, Barney! Out of these I thought I knew exactly which ones I would allow my kids to watch and which ones were forbidden! Boy was I so wrong!!!

On a outing to Target a while back, Matt wanted to buy a DVD for the car for Grace. He grabbed a Veggie Tales and a Barney video. Both had lots of music and singing so we knew there was a good chance she would be entertained. However, we didn't know the obsession that would soon take place with Barney!!

Now every morning she comes down stairs and picks up the remote and brings it to me and says "Barney!" She even says please so how can I resist?! Please..someone tell me how do I resist because I'm to the point now where I want to strangle Barney and the little over dramatic kids in the videos!!! I go to bed with all the songs stuck in my head ...."I can do it...there's nothing to it..I can do it by myself." or "It's a bright sunshiny day!" over and over and over again!

Has any other parents out there come across this? I would try to hide them but she is a smart cookie and would probably follow me around for hours asking for Barney! I guess this is my fate until some other dancing animal grabs her attention! Matt has perfected his voice so we are thinking of dressing him up for her 2nd birthday as Barney to entertain the kids!! I'll make sure to post pictures of that!

3 months old!!!

2010-01-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

Reese is now 3 months old and I can barely believe it! I don't remember Gracie's first three months going by this fast but I also didn't have another toddler to chase after. Reese is doing some pretty amazing new things. She is determined to sit up on her own. She is usually a pretty laid back baby unless she is determined to sit up. She grunts and yelps until we sit her up. Then her little head wobbles in concentration as she smiles so proudly when she is able to lift her head all the way.

Speaking of her smile, it just lights up the entire room! She has really began to start smiling and laughing ALL the time. She has the sweetest little personality. She has also been sleeping through the night!!! Can I get an AMEN! One morning I woke up after sleeping 7 full hours and to my surprise she was still sleeping. I believe it had been about 8-9 hours since her last feeding. But she is not hurting in the weight department. Just today she a repeat hearing exam (she passed again with flying colors!!) and she is now 12 lbs 7.5 oz. She is up 5 lbs since birth! They have a different chart to measure percentiles with children with DS but on the typical chart she is up there with the other kids at 50% percentile. I don't think this girl is going to be on the petite side.

We have lots of dr's appointments in the next month. The end of Jan we go back for a follow up in the NICU. I know they are going to be impressed with her progress. Then we go to see the Ophthalmologist and the Genetisist in Feb.

She is my little ray of sunshine and I thank God for my little miracle child everyday! I couldn't imagine my life with out her.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

Road Trip!

2009-12-18T19:00:00.000-08:00

We officially had our first road trip as a family of four. How does this differ from a road trip with just three? Tremendously! A trip that normally takes four hours driving (went to Mom and Dad's) with the occasional stop became a 6 hour trip with many long stops. Stops to eat, get out of car seat, nurse, change diapers, walk the dog, etc. etc. We decided to leave close to Gracie's bed time, gave her her milk, let her watch a little TV, and off the dream land we hoped she would go. No such luck. She LOVES her some Veggie Tales so she refused to fall asleep. She may have slept for an hour tops but was wide awake when we finally pulled in to mom and dad's around 1 am. Reese was great and slept the entire way!

Packing and the amount of stuff needed for two babies is unreal. Keep in mind that no toys were packed but a few books and a baby doll. Mom and Dad have an entire room full of toys which Grace likes to play with cause they are all new to her. We took the pack-n-play for Grace to sleep in and Reese slept in bed with us. It actually went better than expected. Grace was able to sleep the entire night without waking when I would be up with Reese and she actually slept in every morning till 9 am. This is something I wish she would do at home.

Needless to say, it was a little chaotic getting there but we had a great weekend. Matt and I attended my annual work Christmas Party in Gaithersburg, MD on Friday. Then we spent the evening with the family. Beth and Andy drove up as well as Jeremy and Lauren. We did our Christmas with Beth and Andy as they will be in GA to visit his family over the holidays.

Below are some of the pics from our weekend. It's funny to see how much more Grace is into Christmas lights, and presents, and bows, and all the fun Christmas stuff. She was so cute just staring at the tree in amazement!

Littlest Santa's helper!

2009-12-07T19:16:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday we had the pleasure and honor of attending our first large Down Syndrome Association event. The Christmas party was for all ages and their families. They had a DJ, karaoke, face painting, elfs making animals out of balloons, games, and Santa even made an appearance as well.

We had a lot of fun. We were sad Grace couldn't be there cause she would have LOVED it but she was home recovering from her weekend illness! Reese slept through most of it but she woke up in time to meet Santa. She must get her "dancing" from her sister cause she was wiggling so much I thought she was going to wiggle right out of my arms. I warned Santa before I handed her to him and after a few pics he looked at me and said "You weren't kidding..she is a mover and a shaker." Guess she liked the music selection the DJ chose. ;)

Reese was the littlest one there and she was a huge hit! All the kids and parents wanted to see her and thought she was the cutest thing ever. Of course we agreed with them! She is a McClain! hahahahha! That totally sounded like something Matt would have said! Doesn't it?

We met a lot of great people and look forward to more events in the future. Here are some pics of our cute little Santa's helper! Enjoy!

Ignorance!

2009-12-05T12:02:00.000-08:00

I mostly blog about our family and positive things but something happened this morning that really irritated me and I knew I needed to blog about it. I took Grace to the Pediatrician this morning because she has really been struggling with a cough and congestion the past few days. Well when I went to get her out of the crib this morning her face was swollen and she just looked miserable. Thankfully our pediatrician has Sat. hours.

While we were waiting in the waiting room a very sweet young girl came over to talk to Grace and I. I learned her name was Brittney and she was 14 years old. She asked lots of questions about Grace and offered her toys to Grace. Brittney is different from other 14 years girls. I'm not sure exactly what her diagnosis is but one of her legs is shorter than the other. She wore a special shoe and she spoke differently. She wasn't a "typically developing" child and this I can very much relate to. After talking to us for a while she walked over to a woman with her little girl not much older than Grace and asked how old the little girl was. Next thing you know the nurse was calling Brittney's name and off she went. We waved bye and started to play with the etch-a-sketch. Next thing I know the woman beside me leaned over and in a not so quiet voice and said "Her Grandmother needs to keep her over there and under control." I just looked at her in shock and didn't say anything. As I sat there realizing what she just said I became so angry. Angry at her ignorance and angry that my children might go through the same ridicule one day. I want to protect my children but I know that there will always be ignorant people out there judging those different than themselves. (this woman's little girl had HUGE ears but did you hear me saying..wow..your kid has some big ears, have you thought about getting them fixed? NO, I would never say something like that because it's not important and it doesn't define who she is!)

I went from being angry to feeling bad for this woman. She probably doesn't have the pleasure of knowing a child with a disability or felt pride by watching a loved one accomplish a milestone that others take for granite. I also realized that I want to do everything I can to educate those around me so that there is less ignorance. But I know it's not going to be easy and there will always be those people who will get under my skin and upset me. I just pray for patience and for wisdom on how to respond.

2 months old!

2009-12-04T12:02:00.001-08:00

Reese turned 2 months old on Nov. 29th. I still can't believe how fast time is going. I remember by mid Aug. I was so over being pregnant and very excited to meet our little girl. Fast forward three months and our little girl is here and growing more and more everyday.

We had her 2 month check up on Tuesday and much to my surprise and the dr's, Reese gained 2 lbs and 13 oz and grew 2 inches in one month!!! She is now 10 lbs 13 oz and 22 1/2 inches long. She is doing sooo well, especially since they said she may gain weight slower than other children! I don't think Grace ever gained almost three lbs in one month. She is filling out nicely! Don't you think?

Welcome to Holland!!!

2009-11-20T17:22:00.000-08:00

Grace had her check-up with the Neurologist yesterday. We were excited for him to see the progress she has made since her last visit in March. He had to look at his chart to see which side was her "weaker" side. He couldn't tell!!! Amazing!!

He also said that if he had predicted this kind of progress 10 months ago he would have been stretching it!! We couldn't have been happier or more proud of Grace than we are today! She has overcome so much and we love her so much.

I recently came across a short article that really touched me and I'm sure will be a comfort for many years to come. I feel honored and excited to be both Grace and Reese's mother. I have no idea what the future holds but I can't worry about tomorrow or I might miss out on all the wonderful things today!

Welcome to Holland- by Emily Perl Kingsley

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like this...

When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans. The coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's all very exciting.

After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome To Holland".

"Holland?!?" you say, "What do you mean "Holland"??? I signed up for Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going to Italy"

But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in Holland and there you must stay.

The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease. It's just a different place.

So you must go and buy new guide books. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met.

It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around…and you begin to notice that Holland has windmills...Holland has tulips. Holland even has Rembrandts.

But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy...and they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes that's where I was supposed to go. That's what I had planned".

And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away...because the loss of that dream is a very significant loss.

But...if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things...about Holland.

Post c-section recovery!

2009-11-16T11:47:00.000-08:00

I can not believe how quickly these past 6 (7 weeks tomorrow) have flown by. Not only is Reese nearly two months old but I am over the worst part of a c-section. The long recovery. I was dreading it weeks before I had it because I knew that my life would change drastically.

Here are a few of the post surgery restrictions and situations I faced these past 6 weeks.

1. No lifting anything over 10 lbs (Grace weighs in currently at 25 lbs 13 oz) How do you explain to a 18 month old that Mommy can't pick her up?? Broke my heart!

2. One trip up and down stairs for first two weeks and then limited trips for following four weeks. I would have to make sure to shower and have everything I needed for the day to take with me downstairs each day. This is difficult when I had to carry Reese at the same time.

3. No exercise of any sort

4. Blow drying the incision after shower to make sure it was completely dry!

5. Lots of pain meds. I tried to stop taking them early but soon realized that if I was in pain I was of no good to either of my children. Oh yeah..and found out I'm allergic to perkasets. Had really bad rash develop on my stomach, butt, and upper legs. NOT FUN!

6. Clothing was interesting as I couldn't wear anything that sat near my bikini area incision. Lots of PJ's and elastic waisted shorts pulled up to my belly button. I couldn't be stylish if I wanted to be.

However, as bad as I'm making this seem it really wasn't that bad at all. No perinatal stitches and less bleeding are both perks. Not to mention God protected Reese by keeping her breech so that I had to have a c-section due to her low blood platelets. So overall, I'm very happy about having a c-section and the recovery went by faster than I had initially anticipated.

So if you have to have a c-section or you deliver naturally (as I have done both) neither are better than the other. Ultimately it is what is best for you and your baby!

DSAHR

2009-11-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

Today Matt and I attended our first meeting for new parents with the DSAHR (Down Syndrome Association of Hampton Roads). We were both excited to meet other parents and to gain some sort of wisdom and insight to what it means to have a child with Down Syndrome. We decided to keep Reese home with Grace and Aunt Jenn just because she isn't quite 6 weeks old yet and the H1N1 epidemic. However, we were fortunate to meet a little girl named Tori. Tori is 2 years old and a complete cutie. Her mother Karen was very candid in sharing her experiences, emotions, hopes, and love for her daughter. I think both Matt and I were amazed by this and especially with this little girl!

For the first time I saw past the diagnosis and saw the potential for my daughter. There are so many rescources, programs, and support out there for children with Down Syndrome and their families. It was strange how we had an instant connection with these parents. I'm very excited to get involved and educated. We know we have much to learn but it's nice to know we don't have to walk this path alone. We can look to those who have and are walking it now. What a blessing and an encouragement.

Trick-or-Treat!!

2009-11-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe Halloween has come and gone already. This year was a lot of fun as Grace was old enough to go trick-or-treating for the first time. Grace was a sweet little strawberry and Reese was a little daisy. We had record high's of 84 degrees here in VA Beach. So we didn't stay in our costumes long cause the girls would have overheated.

Grace had an entourage following her around the neighborhood. She was having a blast!! She didn't understand the concept of going to someone's door and not going in but after a few houses she caught on and started grabbing a handful of candy and putting it in her bucket.

Here are some pictures. Enjoy!

Here is Grace ready to get going.....

and she's off!!

first house....

A movie star and her Strawberry...

our little daisy's first Halloween...

18 Months!!!

2009-10-29T12:26:00.000-07:00

So I'm a bit behind for this post. So much time and energy goes into a newborn because they are so dependent on you. However, I don't want to miss a very monumental occasion. My little Gracie is 18 months old as of Oct. 22nd. However, she reminds me more of a 2 1/2 year old. She is so BIG! She has been doing some great things over the past month. She is practically running now and into everything. Her vocabulary has grown tremendously and is mimicking everything we do. Her latest thing is to smell her feet on command and wave around her hand like it smells and pinches her nose saying ewww... So hilarious! She is also carrying around her baby doll and putting her in the swing,pack-n-play, and feeding her a bottle.

Some of her other favorite past times is going running with dad, dancing, playing with shoes, playing with her buddies, going to the park and just being outside, and watching the occaisional "Wonder Pets" and "Backyardigans" with Daddy when he gets home from work!

I was very nervous about how Grace would adjust to having a new baby sister at home. She has pleasantly surprised me. She is always loving on her and every time the baby makes a noise, it doesn't matter where she is in the room, she runs to her side to check on her. When people come by to visit she is very verbal and seems like she is trying to introduce them to her or telling them that that is HER baby sister. Very cute!

My baby is growing up too fast. Here is a picture of her this time last year and a recent one. We are so proud of her and all her accomplishments. She surprises us every day. Even though she isn't the baby anymore she is still my baby!

Enjoy your kids! They grow up too fast!

Pumpkin Patch 09'

2009-10-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

This is our 2nd year to take Grace to the pumpkin patch. They have a really great one here called Hunt Club Farm. The difference from this year and last is Grace's mobility. Last year she was just sitting up so we could prop her up and pose her for all kinds of fun pictures. This year, we were lucky to grab a few. The girl was all over the place! The weather was incredibly warm, upper 70's. It was a great day to get out of the house (and believe me we all needed that).

Grace rode her first kiddie ride. She went on it with Aunt Jenn and cousin Alex. She was all smiles before the ride but as you can see that changed quickly once the ride began. Bless her heart.

She also kept pointing to the Ferris Wheel so Aunt Bethany and Lauren decided to take her on it. Again, excited to get on but not so excited once the ride began.

We also attempted the pony ride but as soon as we put her on she was not having it. I think also, it was too close to nap time. Maybe next year.

As you can see Reese slept through most of it but still came up in her pumpkin best!

Some of my favorite pics....

2009-10-16T18:48:00.001-07:00

Our Baby Girl is Home!!

2009-10-08T10:34:00.000-07:00

We brought our precious baby girl home yesterday. Her platelet levels have stabilized and are at an all time high of 167,000 (they were at a dangerous low at only 23,000 before her transfusion last Thursday). Her jaundice is much better and she is still feeding like a champ. We were able to "room in" with her Tuesday night at the hospital. She did great. I actually had to wake her up every three hours to feed her.

She met her big sister, Grace for the first time yesterday. The meeting went better than expected. Grace was very interested in Reese, touching her toes and even giving her kisses. It was a precious moment and one that I will forever cherish. And seeing them together made it real..I have two beautiful daughters! What a blessing!

With this past week behind us, there are a lot of emotions and things we are still trying to process. We have kept one significant detail to ourselves mainly because we were awaiting the results of one test. However, we knew pretty much after a few hours of life what the diagnosis would probably be. We got the results yesterday before she was discharged.

Reese has Trisomy 21, better known as Down Syndrome. Even as I type this it is hard for me to comprehend. We were so concerned with the possibility of Reese having a stroke in utero like her sister, that this never crossed our minds. Also, me being only 31 years old, we were ignorant to the fact that it does occur in 1 out of 877 births for woman my age. The statistical probability I believe is 1-2%. So although the odds seem unlikely, my children fall within the these small statistics.

We do however believe Reese is a gift and a miracle. My OB told me that if we had delivered naturally that Reese most likely wouldn't have survived or would have most definitely bled internally (in brain or intestines) due to her blood platelets being so low. We know God protected her by not allowing her to flip which in turn caused me to have a c-section. I thought maybe there was a cord around her neck but the low blood platelet was something I couldn't see and was much more severe. So thank you Lord!!

I know that many of you are feeling bad or even sorry for us. Please don't feel that way. We may not understand and may never will but we are so blessed and so thankful that God chose us to raise these special children. Good news is that her ECHO cardiogram came back clean..no heart defects or problems. That is great news as many children with Downs have heart problems. She also passed her hearing test and her CT Scan and many more important tests. She is healthy and we are going to be meeting with a genetic counselor soon to ask our questions and get more information about how to make her quality of life the best we can.

We love you and all can't express in words how much we appreciate your prayers and all you have done for our family. We are so blessed to have you all in our lives. We couldn't have gone through this with out you and we know you are there with us on our journey as parents to both Grace and Reese.

Our newest addition....

2009-10-05T20:42:00.001-07:00

Reese Taylor McClain came into this world Sept. 29th, 2009 at 10:57 am. She was 7 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches long. The c-section wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected and I'm trying my best to take care of myself and recover quickly so that I can be at my best for both of my girls. Many of you know the complications that Reese faced at birth. Her breathing was the first concern and because of this she spent the first 24 hours of birth in the level 2 nursery at Chesapeake General Hospital. I wasn't even able to hold her! You can imagine my panic and emotional state especially after going through a similar situation with Grace after she was born. It wears me out to even relive this and type it all out. I just don't have the strength tonight. However, I know so many of you are praying and thinking of us and I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate it. We feel the prayers and I know Reese does.

Her currant status is she is at CHKD (one of the best children's hospital on the east coast) and has been doing great. Her platelet levels are stabilizing and she is feeding very good! Now the issue of concern is her jaundice. She is under the photo therapy lights with the cool sunglasses! We thought we were going to get to "room in" (stay in a room with her in the hospital) tonight and take her home tomorrow but that isn't the case. They want to keep her a little longer to get her billy ribbon (not sure if that is how you spell it) levels down before we take her home. So now we are looking at either Wed. or Thursday.

She has had several tests and they have all come back good! We are still awaiting one test which will determine a lot concerning her future. That is all we are saying for now until we know for sure. But this we do know..she is a precious gift and we love her so much! We can't wait for her to meet everyone of our dear friends and family who have been praying for her since she entered this world almost one week ago!

Grace is Walking!!!!

2009-09-23T19:01:00.001-07:00

It's official! Our little Gracie is walking. We are so proud of her. She has been doing so good and just in the past few weeks she has really gotten the confidence to take steps without holding onto our hand. Her therapist said she is doing great. Her new SMO brace is fitting great and she is pretty much wearing it all day. The AFO (larger brace) is a no go right now but the therapist said she is doing so good without it that she may never have to wear it. Praise God!! We'll see how it goes as she grows.

God has done so many amazing things in Grace's life since her diagnosis of Hemi-peligia Cerebral Pasley back in Jan. We had no idea what that meant and we still have lots of questions but she is doing so well that we know there is nothing in life that she won't be able to accomplish if she puts her mind to it. She has such a determined and strong-willed personality which I believe will help her face any obstacle in life. Her OT also has CP and she said that Grace is going to be just fine and her personality alone will take her far.

Cognitively she is right on track and even a head verbally. She is a talker that is for sure. We just praise God every day. That stroke could have taken her life and although her right motor skills may never be equal to her left, she is doing her best and continues to amaze everyone that knows her and sees her progress.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers, your encouragement, and investing so much into our little Gracie. We couldn't have come this far without you all!

Reese Update!

2009-09-18T17:28:00.000-07:00

I'm currently writing this blog with speakers taped to the lower part of my abdomen. I hope Reese likes Diana Krall and Nat King Cole. I'm trying everything out there to get this little girl to flip. The ultrasound tech said to try music cause sometimes they try to follow the music.

I had my weekly check up this morning along with an ultrasound to check on the status of little Ms. Reese. Good news is that she is gaining weight at a good pace now and is around 6 lbs 9 oz. at nearly 38 weeks. She is still breech but there is plenty of amniotic fluid so she has a good chance of turning this late in the game. That explains why my stomach seems so much larger with this baby. I have lots of fluid!

So what's next you might ask? Where do we go from here? That is exactly what I asked my dr. She was just as bummed about it as I was. She knows how important it is to me to deliver naturally. However, we both want what is best for the baby. The problem with attempting to deliver a breech baby is the risk of head entrapment which can cut off oxygen to the baby. This also makes it more difficult to get the baby out with an emergency C-section.

We are going to give it another week and when I go back on Thursday for my weekly visit and check her position again, we will go from there. More than likely if she doesn't flip we will schedule a c-section for either Sept. 28th or Sept. 29th. And if she does flip my dr. will most likely schedule an induction. They don't want me to go too long becasue of what happened with Grace. They don't want to take any chances and have her in there longer than 40 weeks.

Looks like in 10 days or less (if she decides to come on her own before that) we will be welcoming our little girl into this world. I'm excited but nervous too. Not nervous about how she gets here but nervous because I'm not sure how Gracie will respond. I pray she isn't too jealous and that I'm still able to spend quality time with her while taking care of a newborn.

Thankfully we have lots of family and friends supporting us and willing to help out how ever they can. I know I will take them up on it, especially if I have to have a c-section as it is a long recovery. But until then I'm asking everyone prays for God's will with this labor and delivery. If Reese shouldn't flip due to danger to her then of course I want a c-section but if there is no risk and she's just enjoying hanging out under my ribs, closest to my heart, then I pray she flips around in time to be born naturally.

I'll try my best to update you as we learn more.

Wedding Traditions!

2009-09-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

This past Friday morning Matt, Bethany, Andy and I headed to Chesapeake City, MD (about an hour north of Baltimore) for Jessica Curran's wedding. Jess and her family are good family friends. We have known each other since 7th grade. We were on the same church district and went to camps and district events all throughout high school and Beth and I use to drive my 89 Chevy Citation to Baltimore on the weekends to visit her and her sisters! We have lots of great memories and traditions including singing in all of their weddings. First was her mom's wedding in 2000, then Jenn's wedding (Jess's older sister) June 2003, Katie's wedding (Jess's younger sister) Sept 08, and now Jess's wedding Sept 09. Even 9 months pregnant I wasn't going to miss her wedding. Of course I went to the Dr. the day before we left to make sure everything was okay. That was a great visit actually. I lost 1 lb and my blood pressure was great. She just advised that I make sure I knew where the closest Labor and Delivery Hospital was. Thankfully we didn't have to worry about that.

Our trip there was rather long due to the GPS taking us the wrong way around DC, thus getting stuck in rush hour traffic. We ended up missing the rehearsal but made it to the rehearsal dinner. What I love about Jess and the rest of the Curran's is their love for crabs! They introduced Bethany and I to crabs probably in early high school. We grew up in MD but for some reason never got into them till we started hanging out with them. So it was to be expected that we would get to chow down on some yummy MD crabs at the rehearsal dinner! Good times!

Later that night, we checked into our hotel. We were suppose to be staying in a one bedroom suite at the Hilton, Non-smoking, with two queen size beds. Well we walked in to the room and it obviously wasn't non-smoking so I called the front desk and they upgraded us to a two bedroom suite free of charge! We had three tv's!! It was great! We decided to go for a nigh swim and hang out with some old friends.

Now all along, I am missing Grace like crazy. This is only the third time I've been away from her and probably the furthest distance I've been away from her ever! But she was staying home and her Aunt Jenn and cousin Alex were watching her so I knew she would be in good hands and would have a blast. However, Jenn called me later that afternoon and Grace was beginning to get a fever and not feeling well. Her nose was constantly running..so much that they went through an entire box of Puffs plus in less than 24 hours. So not only am I missing her but I'm feeling guilty that she is sick and I'm not there to comfort her. Long story short, she didn't sleep well at all for her Aunt Jenn that night and her temp got up to 102.

But what could I do, I was over 5 hours away and still had the wedding to get through. So I just prayed for her and talked to her on the phone and told her mommy would be home soon! We had a relaxing morning and afternoon, went and discovered the little college town (University of Delaware) that we were staying in, and ate a really good cupcake from a little shop that was recently featured on the Food Network. Then we got ready and headed to the wedding. It was a gorgeous day, couldn't have ordered a more perfect day for the wedding. Jess looked beautiful and Matt cried when she walked down the isle. I could barely look at him during our song. She picked the song "Kind and Generous" by Natalie Merchant. At first I was like, okay..not your average wedding song but after I really started looking at the words and hearing Jess's reasoning for picking it I realized how it was thanking God for bringing them together. Andy played acoustic guitar and we slowed it down some! They were pleased so I guess that is all that matters.

The reception was fun and the food was amazing. The thing about being 9 months pregnant is you think you can eat a lot more than you really can. So I was quite miserable by the time we climbed in the car at 10 pm to drive home. Yep, that's right. We drove straight home. We didn't get in till 4 am but it was worth it. I wanted to see my little girl and Andy needed to get back for church. Overall it was a great trip and a nice get a way for Matt and I before Reese gets here.

Grace had a rough time on Sunday and ended up sleeping on me during her nap but she is feeling much better today. I think we are almost over this nasty little cold.

Here are some pics of the wedding! Don't be alarmed when you see the size of my stomach because I was shocked! I knew my stomach was big but didn't realize how big till I saw it in these pictures! hahahahah!

Twilight Stroll on the Beach with Dad!

2009-09-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

There are some perks to living at the beach despite the outrageous price in the housing market and the traffic from all the military. That is the beach is always here and it's always free!

One night Grace and I went with Matt on an estimate (to paint a beach house in Sandbridge) and we decided to take a stroll along the beach. Here are a few photos of my two favorite people. I'm excited that Gracie will grow up living at the beach. She will always have special moments like this to look back at. I hope she still wants to take twilight strolls with us when she is 15 years old and not be embarrassed to be seen with her mom and dad at the beach! :)

Reese Taylor- less than 6 weeks and counting!

2009-08-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm very behind in my blogging these days. Seems like the closer we get to baby's arrival date the busier I become. I still need to blog about the beautiful shower my friends and family threw for me over the weekend. As soon as I get the pictures from my friend (the only one who brought a camera) I will post them.

But for now I want to give a quick update on Reese. I had my 34 week check up yesterday with my OB. At first my blood pressure was elevated but after laying on my left side for 20 minutes and a re-check my blood pressure became normal again. I have some swelling but that is normal at this stage in the game and I'm thankful that it's not as bad as it was with Gracie. She said we will be able to determine a lot from my next ultrasound. Meaning if we need to deliver early or let her come naturally! Of course I want her to come naturally.

So I had my ultrasound this morning and everything is looking good. While they still can't predict a stroke in utero they can look for brain bleeding or abnormal tissue in the brain. Both of which they did not see. Praise God! She is still on the small side with an estimated weight of 4 lbs 14 oz. which is considered in the 20th percentile. Again, the dr said anything between 10%-90% is considered normal. She just maybe smaller than Grace if delivered at full term. Another interesting thing we saw during the ultrasound is that she has flipped and is now breach. Meaning what I thought was her little bum under my ribs is actually her head. I'm telling her to flip back so mommy can have a natural labor and not a c-section. There is still plenty of time for her to flip back around. But if you got a moment and are thinking about it can you say a quick prayer that Reese will find her way back down to my pelvic area! hahah...such a strange prayer request.

That's about all I have for now. I start going every week at my next appt. So we shall see when and how little Ms. Reese Taylor will arrive! Thanks again for all your prayers and thoughts.

The above picture is the best 3-D the tech could get. She wasn't being very cooperative. She wants it to be a surprise with what she is going to look like I guess. In this pic you can see her profile and her little hand up at her mouth. We also saw one of her grabbing her feet and putting them up to her mouth. Guess she learned that one from Gracie! :)

Visiting the Folks!

2009-08-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

The great thing about living in VA is being closer to my parents. It's a four-five hour trip vs. the ten hour trip from Nashville. We've been blessed to be able to see them a lot since Grace has been born but that is because they have traveled here most of the times to see her. Can you blame them? New Grandparents and loving every minute of it. Sometimes I feel guilty that we don't live in the same area. I know they would love to see her every day if they could.

So lately, Matt has been working a ton of hours to build up his business! And while I'm thankful, I get a little stir crazy being in the house all the time. I get out but I don't travel like I'm use to. I use to love me a good road trip!

So, I decided to take Grace to go see my parents while I could still sit comfortably behind the wheel of my car. Lauren, our friend (& roommate) had some time off and after some bribing about spending an afternoon in DC going to the museums, she was happy to accompany us on the trip. I'm not that crazy to travel 5 hours alone at 31 weeks pregnant with a 15 month old. So we head out Sat. morning and came back late Tuesday night. We had a great time. We visited with my parents, did some shopping, spent an afternoon going to the Smithsonian museums, and even got to head into Williamsport, MD to spend the afternoon at the pool with some old friends and their kids.

As much as I love going away, I love coming home even more! Poor Gracie got off her schedule due to our busy itinerary but luckily was able to get right back on it Wed. I know she was happy to see her daddy too!

Here are some pics of our trip.

Gracie's 15 Month Checkup!

2009-07-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Today was Gracie's 15 month check up. She weighed in at 23 lbs 6 oz. and 30 1/2 inches long which is average height and a little heavier than average. The Dr said this will even out once she starts walking. Dr. Karp was very pleased with her development and how far she has come in just three months. She agrees with Gracie's therapists that she will be walking, if not running very soon. We anticipate this day with much joy and celebration!

Gracie has been on a alternative vaccine schedule since birth. This is important to us and we have stuck to it diligently. We are not anti-vaccines but we don't believe that she needs 4-5 shots at one time either. Our pediatrician has worked with us and we are very happy about this. I did learn something very interesting this past weekend while talking to a good friend, who's husband is a Dr. It got brought up that Gracie had recently had a high fever and her 15 month appointment was coming up. She then proceeded to tell me that you are suppose to take your child's temp. 30 days prior to any vaccines and if they have even a low grade temp. it's best to hold off on the shots. Most Dr's are aware of this recommendation but sadly don't share it with the parents. It's even stated in small print on most vaccine handouts that they will give you if you request them. So needless to say, this spurred me into a online research frenzie. I found some of the most horrible stories of real life babies who were given vaccines when having had or experiencing high temperatures. It was unbelievable the pain and agony they went through, many of them even dying. And the Dr's still denying it had anything to do with the vaccines or the failure to tell the parents it would be best to wait. When they are obviously fighting off another illness, why on earth would they inject them with any kind of vaccine???

So I just thought I would share that with anyone who didn't know like myself. Obviously the decision is yours and what ever you feel is best for your child. But I am so thankful that I discovered this valuable piece of information. Even if 30 days isn't what my ped. recommended...for my piece of mind, it's what I needed. When she's been fever free for 30 days we will go back and get her two scheduled shots. She won't be behind at all.

30 Week Ultrasound!

2009-07-27T10:59:00.001-07:00

That's the most recent pic of our baby girl. We had an extensive ultrasound this morning at the Tidewater Perinatal Dr's. They measured her growth, her blood flow, her heart, and everything else. It was great to see her so much larger than at our 19 week ultrasound. She is doing good and as far as they can tell the blood flow in her brain looks good.

She is around 3 lbs 5 oz. which is considered on the smaller side. They say she falls in the 16% percentile but they really start gaining weight around 36 weeks ( about 1/2 lb per week) so it's really too early to say if she will be a petite baby. One thing is for sure, she will be taking after her sister with some chubby thighs. The Dr could see fat around them! Poor girl!

We are just so excited and can't wait to meet her. They want us to go back around 36 weeks for a follow up ultrasound just to make sure she is still growing and developing good. It's kind of hard because they have no way of predicting a stroke in utero. They are just doing this to keep us informed and I guess give us a piece of mind. I'm still anxious but I know that God has her in the palm of His hand and that she will be just fine, no matter what happens.

Thanks for all your prayers. We do have a name that we are about 85% sure of but don't want to say just yet in case we change our minds. But the ultrasound did confirm that she indeed is a little girl so that is a relief to know since I've already ordered and picked out her bedding and am ready to get started on the nursery!

Yummy Blueberries!

2009-07-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Today we went to pick blueberries and blackberries with Uncle Andy and Aunt Bethany. We tried to get out there early in the morning but didn't end up getting there till 1pm. It's been a mild summer here in VA Beach (thank God says the pregnant woman) but today it was pretty hot! It was close to 95 degrees but we were deteremined to get us some blueberries. We've recently discovered that Gracie LOVES blueberries. She eats them a handful at a time. Which make for interesting dirty diapers, you can only imagine.

We also were able to pick some blackberries, although, they are about to be out of season and there weren't as many left to be picked. Gracie seems to love Blackberries too!

Here are some pics of our day at the blueberry farm.

Our new routine!

2009-07-21T06:07:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that tomorrow our little angel will be 15 months old. It seems like just yesterday she was only a few months old. No one can prepare you for being a parent and all the joy that brings to your life. It also brings routines that are constantly changing as they grow older and experience new things. We have recently had to change our routine but it is for the better.

As many of you know Gracie was diagnosed with Hemi-peligia Cerebral Palsy in Jan. This was caused by a stroke in utero that damaged a part of the left side of her brain. This in turn has affected her right motor skills (look for detailed explanation in my Jan. posting). It has been a learning experience for us over the past 6 months but an encouraging journey. She is doing VERY well. She has seen many specialist and they are all amazed at what she is able to accomplish. She started crawling at 12 months which was a huge milestone. She has since been pulling herself up on everything and cruising. Her newest feat is crawling all 14 steps in our home. Her therapists say she will probably be walking very soon.

She has PT and OT once a week and has met almost all of her current goals. She was recently casted/fitted for an AFO (ankle foot osolater) for her right foot (the weak side) and an SMO (not sure what this stands for) for her left foot. The AFO comes halfway up the back of her calve and helps her keep her ankle locked down. She tends to want to stand on her toes on her right side. One of the purposes for this splint is to keep her heel locked down to make it easier for her to walk. The left SMO is much smaller and fits primarily in her shoe. This is to help her keep her left foot turned out...she tends to turn it in and support most of her weight. After her left foot gets stronger and use to supporting its weight correctly, we will no longer need this splint.

So yesterday, Matt and I went to the Splint Clinic for some adjustments. The AFO and SMO weren't fitting right according to her Physical Therapist. They were able to make the adjustments to the AFO but needed to re-order the SMO in a side bigger. Gracie has some wide feet and fat ankles. But the great thing is we are able to let her start wearing and getting use to the AFO. They have a wear schedule where she wears it for an hour then we take it off to see if there is any redness or irritation and then if not she goes up to two hours and then to four hours. So far we have done the one hour and there was some redness but nothing too bad and it went away within the time they said it should. So now after her morning nap we are going for round two and see how her foot/ankle looks then. I'm praying we don't have to keep going back for adjustments and that this will work because the faster she gets use to it the more she will be able to do.

I must admit it is going to take some time to get use to. Our daily routine will change. Gracie has never liked to wear shoes but now with these splints she has to wear shoes at all times. So we went out last night shoe shopping. The therapist and splint specialist all said don't invest a lot of money is shoes because the brace is what is doing all the supporting and the work. So we looked at Target and at Payless and it's very hard to find a place that makes "wide" shoes. We finally found a little pair of white and pink champion tennis shoes and guess the size?? We had to go up to a size 6 wide. This is twice the size she would be in if she wasn't wearing the splints. Too funny. And I was only able to find one pair of shoes that would fit for now. So, if anyone is out and looking in the kids shoes section and sees a size 6 wide please, please let me know where. A girl has got to have more than one pair of shoes, right? hahahaha!

I promise to post pics of Gracie sporting her new AFO soon. It's quite cute. We got to pick out the colors and the design on the strap. We went with purple and the strap has green polk-a-dots.
At least they make them fun. I'm just so thankful that the Lord is working out all the details. It was really emotional and hard for me at first because I didn't want her to have to wear them. I didn't want her to feel different or struggle with getting use to them. But so far so good and I don't believe she is going to let them hold her back. If anything, I believe she will be able to do more of what she wants now with them.

Thanks again for all your prayers, concerns, and thoughts. We are daily learning more and more and just praising the Lord for blessing us with such a wonderful child.

I hear alt east once a week when we are out and about that she looks like the Gerber baby so I'm thinking of sending her pic into Gerber and asking if they want a new spokes model! :)

Comment section???

2009-07-18T08:31:00.001-07:00

I've had several people tell me that they can't post comments on this blog. I've checked my settings and as far as I can tell everything is set up correctly but I could be wrong. Has anyone else had this problem and how did you fix it???

The Fever!!!

2009-07-17T13:08:00.000-07:00

Nothing is worse than to watch your child battling a cold or not feeling themselves. But this past week we experienced a first with our little girl. It started with her crying in the middle of the night...which is not like her at all. I didn't think much about it the first night because she went back to sleep. The next morning she got up early and was very cranky. When I took her temp it was 101 which isn't extremely high for her age but still I could tell she wasn't feeling well. Then after her afternoon nap, her temp read 103.2. I immediately called the nurse and they told me to give her some Tylenol and if it didn't go down in an hour and a half to call her back. Well thankfully it went down to about 100.5.

That night we woke up at 4:30 am to a screaming baby. We both rushed in to find a very, very hot little girl. Her temp was the highest I've ever seen any one's at 104.5. I immediately freaked out and thought we should rush her to the ER but Matt said to give her some Tylenol and water and let her come in bed with us. That morning her temp was down to 101 but I called the Dr's and we went in first thing. They did a strep test, flu test, blood work, and put a bag on her in her diaper for a urning sample (not easy with a baby).

We went back to the Dr's the next morning and everything came back negative. Looks like she just had a virus. She had one more day of high temps but I can say happily that the fever is completely gone and she is her happy, playful self again. Thank God. I couldn't even sit her down to get her bottle without her screaming. That makes for a long day! But now I guess I am prepared for when this happens with her again or with her little sister. I just pray it doesn't happen again for a long, long, long time! :)

4th of July!

2009-07-12T15:18:00.000-07:00

I can not believe 4th of July came and went so quickly. We had a great time. We went to Kim's house to swim in the morning and then went to a cookout at Beth and Andy's that afternoon. We had a great turnout with lots of yummy food. You should have seen the size of the slip-n-slide Andy had set up in the back yard. The kids AND the adults had a great time slipin' and slidin'. We ended the evening watching the fireworks on the beach. It was a memorable independence day.

Here are just a few of my favorite pics from that day.

Summer Guests!

2009-07-12T14:42:00.000-07:00

Summer is a time to travel and go visit friends and family. We haven't done as much of this this summer as years in the past due to Matt's very busy work schedule. But we have been blessed with loved ones coming to visit us. Over the past few weeks we have had summer guests at the McClain household. It's been nice because now we actually have the room for everyone.

First to come visit was the Pelton's. Joy (one of my best friends since High School), her husband Ethan, and their two boys, Anon (11), and Jayden (1). We did a lot of fun things while they were here. We ate seafood on the boardwalk, went to the beach, rode the Norfolk Ferry across to Portsmouth to eat a great German restaurant, and just hung out. It was nice to have them here and nice for Gracie to have a little playmate.

Also, in town that week was The Gilstraps. Rylee and Avery haven't seen Grace since she was 3 1/2 months old so they were very excited to be able to play with her. Grace got lots of loving with them around.

Last but certainly not least, Grandma and Grandpap Turnock came to see Gracie. They even went to the beach with her and my mom is not a beach person.

We had a lot of fun with everyone and we miss them already!

Genetic Consult

2009-06-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

So today I went to see a genetic counselor for a consult. She was very nice and basically we went over mine and Matt's complete family medical history. I explained Gracie's diagnosis and told her that we had blood work done and everything came back normal. No traces of a blood clotting disorder or strokes in our family history. She had me speak to the Dr who also concluded that I'm doing everything preventative that I can and he didn't recommend any baby aspirin or blood thinners.

He did however agree with my OB that we would do more in depth ultrasounds to monitor the baby and brain activity. Which I'm more than happy with. Not only does this relieve further stress from me but I also get a sneak peak at our little girl a few more times before we get to meet her face to face.

On a lighter note, I feel this baby is going to be MUCH bigger than Gracie was at just 7 lbs. It seems like overnight my stomach has popped and while my weight gain in on track...my stomach is definitely feeling bigger at 6 months that it was with Gracie at 6 months. I guess we shall see when she gets here.

The name selection is coming pretty close. We are about 80% sure of her first name. I'll make sure to let you know when we are closer to 100%. We still want to pray about it and make sure it's the "right" name.

Well time for Gracie's bottle and bed time. I at least got to update this quickly. Until next time.....

Gracie update

2009-06-06T10:37:00.001-07:00

So as many of you know Gracie has been crawling now for over a month. And let me tell you, the girl never wants to sit still. She worked on cruising with her therapist on Tuesday and she said how quickly she is improving and said she will be walking in two to three months. And she said she won't be walking for long..she'll be running. Just in time for her baby sister to arrive.

I have no idea how I'm going to manage a running toddler and a newborn. Each day my anxiety grows, but I am also getting very excited to meet this little girl. We are slowly narrowing down the name selection. I'm sure by the time she arrives we will figure this out. I just think girls names are harder than boys and we care about the meaning of the name as well so we take that into consideration when picking out the names.

Gracie recently got her Bennick glove, which is made of neoprene, and helps to keep her hand slightly opened and her thumb out. She is suppose to wear it during the day but sometimes I forget. She has a purple one and a black one because everyone knows that black goes with just about any thing! :) We have an appt. next week to get fitted for her AFO (leg brace). This one I'm not so thrilled about but it will help her walk and since she is always on her feet these days, it is important to get her in it asap. The therapist explained the feeling of it like a ski boot. I know she isn't going to like it at first but with time hopefully she will get use to it.

I was in the bank yesterday and the teller asked why she had a brace on her hand. It's hard to know exactly how to explain to a stranger why she needs it. I'm sure some days I'll just say something generic and some days I might feel the need to explain. And in time, Grace will decide what she wants to tell people. Gracie's OT is a hemi-peligia and she says she appreciates when people would ask instead of just stare! At the end of the day, I hope that Grace doesn't care what people think of her, and that she can be confindent in herself and her differences. I don't want her to ever feel like she has limitations in life.

I believe her perserverance and her determination (she displays those qualities now) will take her far in life. Everyone that meets her and gets the chance to know her believes she is special, and it's not because of what happened to her brain, it's because of the little person she is today and will be tomorrow.

Here is a short video I took of her when she first started crawling. Her PT and OT said it's not common for a baby with hemi to crawl bilaterally on all fours. We couldn't be more proud!

Memorial Day Weekend!

2009-06-06T10:19:00.000-07:00

I'm behind and out of order with my blogs these days but it's hard to find 10 minutes of alone time when I don't have to work or do chores around the house. But I had to blog about our memorial day weekend because it was soooo much fun!

We started the weekend out by headed to the Strawberry Festival in Pungo! I've always heard of this famous strawberry festival but never attended till this year. They had a HUGE parade, strawberry everything..daiquiri's, shortcake, ice-cream, etc. They had a fair, entertainment, rides. It was a big deal. We went with our friends Amy, Kevin, and Gracie's boyfriend Peyton! We were super excited to be able to pick the strawberry's from the fields but by the time we got there was a "All Picked Out" sign up. So we did what many new parents would do, we bought some strawberries and put the kids in the field for a photo op of course. Little did we know there were still some stray strawberries left and the kids found them quickly.

After the strawberry festival we headed home for much needed naps (all of us). Then we headed over to Beth and Andy's for a cookout.

Then on Memorial Day we went to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens with our buddies again. We got some really great pics in the kid's water area and in the beautiful rose gardens.

Overall it was a fun-filled, memorable day. Gracie also had her first grilled cheese sandwhich and strawberries. She loves them both!

Weekend Get-a-way!

2009-06-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

Matt and I recently went away for the weekend to celebrate our 4th anniversary. This was our first weekend away from Grace so we didn't want to go far. We ended up at a beautiful B&B in Nags Head, NC. It was great but we really missed Grace a lot!

Before Grace and baby girl to be we traveled a lot. We have been to Mexico twice (once on our honeymoon and loved it so much went back 6 months later) and then celebrated our 2nd anniversary in Punta Cana, DR. We had been planning our third anniversary trip to Italy when we found out that we were pregnant with Grace. But who can compare the two..obviously Italy can wait...we were so thrilled with the news of Grace's birth.

Now with Grace getting older and traveling even better than she did last summer, we just want to take her everywhere with us. She is the queen of road trips. At just three and half months old we took her to GA, TN, and AL for a 10 day adventure. I couldn't believe how well she did! I think she is going to love road trips like her mom and dad. :)

Now with baby girl #2 on her way, we new if we didn't get away now just the two of us, it might not happen for a very long time. It was nice to get away with no agenda or schedules. We went to a late movie, slept in, ate good food, and layed on the beach and relaxed all day. However, the topic of many a conversation was GRACE! We were at dinner one night when I saw the cutest little girl...a few months older than Grace....laughing and hugging her Grandpap...when all of a sudden...I started crying! At that moment, Matt and I realized that as much as we needed our time away that we wanted to take Grace everywhere we went. We wanted to experience all our vacations and get-a-ways with her. So as much fun as we did have I don't know that we'll do again anytime soon.

The McClain Clan isn't just the two of us anymore..it's the four of us!!! That is still so crazy to think about. In less than two years we are going from two to four! And we couldn't imagine life any other way!!

Happy 4th Anniversary to the Love of my Life!

2009-05-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

I often blog about Grace and being a mom but today I want to talk about my husband, Matt! Grace and baby girl to be wouldn't even exist if it weren't for my wonderful husband who, despite my crazy quirks and lack of common sense, decided to marry me four years ago today!

It's crazy to look back on your life and all the mins, hours, days, weeks,months, and years that led you to where you are today! I remember praying for my husband to be and just praying period that the Lord would bring the right man into my life to be my husband and the father of my children. I remember days where it seemed like that day might never happen. I had to slay a lot of dragons to get to my prince! But on March 21st, 2003, in a very unlikely place ( if you don't know the story of how we met you'll have to ask me later..that's another story) God brought us together. We weren't even ready for each other at the time but after much time, struggles,joys, and hurts....He took two messed up individuals and made something wonderful out of them..husband and wife! I can't even fathom my life with out Matthew McClain! He has brought out the best in me and has made me want to be a better woman, mother, and wife.

Here are some pics of us throughout the past four years!!

I love you honey! I can't wait to spend many many more years with you and our kids! Thank you for choosing me and for putting up with all my imperfections. You are an amazing man and father and I couldn't be more blessed to have you in my life. I am so proud of you! Happy Anniversary!

A Big Day!!!

2009-05-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

Gracie started crawling today!! This is a huge accomplishment for any baby but especially for Grace as the strength and mobility on her right side isn't equal to that on her left side. Her Physical Therapist and her Occupational Therapist both said she would be crawling very soon and they were right. She is only 12 months old ( well 13 months next week) and we are just soooo proud of her. She has the best personality and is such a joy to be around. We really are so optimistic about her future and know there is no obstacle in life that she won't be able to overcome and accomplish.

She has started a lot of firsts this week. She has a new face and if I was fast enough with the camera to catch it I would put it on here. It's kind of a pouty, mean, faker face. It is sooo funny. She has learned to high five, clap her hands (which we've been working on for months now), standing up in her crib, and now crawling. It's amazing how fast she is growing and changing. She isn't a baby anymore! It's sad but exciting to witness!

Last weekend Grace had a full day of Weddings. We went to Jennifer and Matt's wedding in Newport News, VA in the morning! My parents were at this wedding so you could imagine their excitement to get to see Grace too.

Then we spent the evening at Joe and Natalia's wedding. Grace love the live band and danced with half of the wedding party and guests. She was a huge hit. Despite the long day she didn't cry one time. It was a fun filled day and we are so happy for both couples as they start their lives together!!

It's another Girl!!

2009-05-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

We found out that we are going to have another little girl!! We are so excited and can't wait to meet her. Gracie and baby girl #2 are going to be 18 months apart!! We hope that they will be great friends. We don't have a name yet but I'm sure we'll have one by the time she is born.

We are expecting her arrival around Oct. 3rd. I'm 20 weeks so we are halfway there. Can't wait to meet you baby girl!!

12 Month Check-up

2009-05-06T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today Gracie had her 12 month check up. We have had a crazy few weeks and this was the first we could get in to see her Dr. She now weighs 22 lbs 2 oz. and is 29 and a quarter inches. She has grown so much. She is also speaking at a 15 month old level which is excellent. The Dr. was very impressed with her. She also had to have two shots which weren't fun but Daddy left work to meet us so I think having us both there calmed her more than if just one of us had been there.

Grace has come leaps and bounds in Physical Therapy! She is really really close to crawling. She is also pulling her self up. She gets to where she wants to be and has very unique ways of doing so. She is still a very happy baby but has definitely developed a little bit of a attitude when she doesn't get what she wants. She gives kisses on command and still sleeping through the night despite the teething. She now has 8 teeth and I believe her back teeth are coming in.

It's amazing how you can look back over the past year and see how much she has changed. She no longer looks like a baby but more like a little girl. Tomorrow we find out if she is going to have a little brother or a little sister. Hard to tell at this point but either way we are excited about the closeness between them and the relationship they will develop. She will still be my baby no matter what! She just brightens my day and gives me hope for the future.

Gracie is 1!!

2009-05-05T18:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little girl is 1 years old! Her birthday was April 22nd (also known as earth day)! We had a great day. We played, ate, and had a great Physical Therapy appt with Erin, and had lots of visitors come by the house to wish her a happy birthday.

Aunt Jenn and cousin Alex even came by to take a nap with Grace!

Gracie loves her Uncle Andy and Aunt Bethany!
They came by the night before to be the first to wish her a happy birthday!

Gracie had a lady bug themed birthday party. The reason we chose that is because we called her our little luv bug while she was in my belly. We had so much fun planning the party and finding various lady bug decorations. Here are some pics of the birthday girl and her party. We had over 50 people there and she did soooo great! She didn't cry at all even with so many people clapping and singing happy birthday to her. She did seem to wonder why everyone was staring at her when the cake came out but as you will see in the pics below she got pretty wrapped up in her cake. The reason for the pink lady bug cake is because I was told that red icing can really stain there skin. But pretty much everything else stayed true to lady bugs with red and black decorations. She got a TON of presents-toys and clothes! We had so much fun and are so thankful to everyone who came out and made this such a special day.

My sister made over 50 individual lady bug cupcakes. They were a huge hit and very
YUMMY!

April catchup!

2009-04-16T18:57:00.000-07:00

Well we are finally in our new house. We moved the majority of our stuff last Sat. We still have some odds and ends at the condo but we have till the end of the month to get out of there. Right now my priority is to get my house in order by Gracie's 1st birthday party on the 25th! That's right! My baby is going to be 1 year old in 6 days! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by.

She started cutting four teeth about a week ago and then another two in the past few days! But she's sleeping better than ever and it doesn't seem to bother her. She also is looking less and less like a baby and more and more like a little girl! Here is one of my recent favorites! Her eyes just mesmerize me!

Gracie is going to spend the weekend with her Aunt Bethany, Uncle Jeremy, and Grandma and Grandpap Turnock. My mom turned 60 on Easter so we are going to good old Winchester, VA to celebrate. We are also going to celebrate Gracie's 1st with friends and family up there on Sunday.
However, Mommy is getting a break and is going to a much needed girls weekend to celebrate good friend, Natalia's bachelorette party! I'm headed to DC area tonight with 5 other girls and we are going to have a fabulous time. Tonight we are having wine tastings from different countries. I, of course, will have some wonderful sparkling cider. Then we have some fun things planned tomorrow and a catered dinner tomorrow night. From there I will say my goodbyes and head back to Winchester to mom and dad's. The girls will head out in a limo to down town DC for an evening of fun and dancing. I didn't think a 4 1/2 month pregnant chick would like right breaking it down plus I don't think I'm ready yet for two nights away from my little pumpkin. So that is the latest. I'm all packed and ready to go! I will post pics of our get-a-way in my next blog!

Moving!

2009-03-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

Matt and I are moving into our new home next weekend. We are so excited and ready for a change. The house is double the size of the condo we currently are in. Matt has been working hard on weekends, evenings, and any spare time he has to get the house ready. The most impressive is his handy work in the kitchen. He took an outdated, ugly kitchen and turned into a new, modern kitchen. Of course I picked out the colors but he did the hard work by refinishing the cabinets and painting it all.

I started packing but there is much to do. I'm excited to get rid of a lot of things that we haven't used in forever! Fresh start!! And even though it will take some time to fill all the extra space, I'm looking forward to less clutter due to more storage and space.

Picking out colors has been fun but sometimes frustrating. I never realized how difficult it can be to pick out a beige or tan color. I finally decided on one and am pleased with how it looks on the walls. I still have to pick out colors for the kids room, our room, and 3 bathrooms. But I have some ideas. I just know I can't do white walls!

We have a pretty crazy month. Not only are we moving but Bethany and Andy just bought a house and are closing next week. We are both going to be moving in the same week! Then we are having Gracie's 1st birthday at the new house on the 25th so that will be my motivation to get unpacked and settled. I'll post more pics as Matt gets more done.

Week of the Dr visits!

2009-03-27T05:14:00.000-07:00

Just a quick review for all of you who have been waiting for the highlights of the 5 dr's appt's Grace and I had the past few weeks. Sorry this has taken me a while to update. It's just been one of the crazy busy weeks.

1st appt. on Wed 3/18/09 with Dr. Werran with Children's Hematology at Children's Hospital of the Kings Daughters in Norfolk, VA:

Grace had several blood tests run to see if she had any blood clotting disorders that might have caused or could cause a blood clot (stroke) in the future. She was found to have low Protein S but from what I could understand (and this was the most confusing of the tests run) that she does not need to have any medical treatment for this. The chances of her bleeding from a blood thinner are greater than those of a stroke. So, all in all this is very good news. Her Dr. was curious to see the results of my blood test, however, to know if there was anything else he should be testing her for. This is an ever changing and growing diagnostic with the type of testing changing every day. She will go back in 6 months for another follow up. This is the best I can do in explaining this. We just know it is good news and are praising God it isn't something that requires medication!

2nd appt on Thursday with Dr. Lewis, Head Paediatric Neurologist at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughter in Norfolk, VA:

This was a follow up with Dr. Lewis to go over different tests we had done. He still concludes that we may never find what caused the stroke in utero. Most likely it was caused by a blood clot in the placenta. He also assured me that the chances of it happening with this next child is 1-3%. So that was reassuring to say the least. He reminded us that the risk of seizures with children who have experienced a stroke are higher and went over what to do if she does have a seizure. He also went over the importance of stretching her right leg and arm because the spacticity and tone are what cause the muscles to be so tight. By stretching them daily you are relaxing them and preventing them from getting tighter or worsening. Other than that he seemed very pleased with her cognitively. She is speaking at an age level above her 11 months. We go back to see him in 6 months. Overall a very encouraging appt. A lot more so than the first time we saw him and got her original diagnosis.

3rd appt with Dr. Ferebbe, OB ( this appt was for me and baby surprise)

I had an ultrasound and saw the baby. His/Her heartbeat was strong at 155 bpm. It's so amazing to see how fast they grow in just four short weeks. Baby surprise went from looking like a peanut to an actual baby with arms, legs, and moving all around. It's truly a miracle. Matt and I are anxiously waiting to see if baby is a little brother or a little sister. Either way we are praying for a healthy, happy baby. If we could have another little Grace life would be wonderful!
I did get the results of my blood work but I have to go back on April 1st for clarification. My OB was away so I saw the nurse practitioner who consulted with another on duty OB and concluded that I was not a High Risk Pregnancy! PRAISE GOD! But I will find out more details at the next visit with my OB.

4th appt with Dr. Shelton, Dr. of Rehabilitation

We were referred to Dr. Shelton by our pediatrician. She was great! They basically make sure you are receiving all the resources available to you including PT, OT, equipment such as braces, or whatever the child might need. She was very impressed with Grace and said she is a very mild case and will do wonderful with her assigned treatment plan. She went over the importance of stretching, told us about botox injections that helps with the tightness in the muscles. It's also a less invasive treatment as opposed to surgery. Basically if we decide this would work for Grace, she would get injections every 4-6 months. Can't believe Gracie will get botox before me! hahahah!
She did say Gracie will need a special glove (made from the same material of a wet suit) and an AFO (ankle foot osulator). The glove she will wear during the day (this helps her keep her thumb out and her hand more relaxed). The AFO she will only have to wear when she is putting weight on her legs. I was able to see both from her PT. This is hard to hear but if it will help her then of course we are on board. We are also starting OT very soon. Lots to learn but everyone is very optimistic and wants nothing but the best for Grace. It's just overwhelming sometimes because I still feel so new at being a parent let alone being a parent of a child with a special need. But God is good and He promises not to give us more than we can handle.

5th appt. suppose to be hearing test but ended up at the Pediatrician

Gracie had an extremely high temp. and wasn't eating or sleeping much at all for a few days. The did a flu and strep test, blood work to look for a bacterial infection, and checked her ears. All came back negative. They attempted to collect a urine sample (impossible if you ask me for anyone who is still in diapers). Luckily her temp. broke the next day and she is sleeping longer and eating more than ever. She has even transitioned into one nap a day which helps me get alot more done and allows me more time to play and focus on her when she is awake cause I'm not wondering when she is going to go back to sleep. My little girl is growing up!

That's all the dr's appt's for now. THANK GOD! I am worn out! Thanks for all your prayers and continue to pray for wisdom and guidance for Matt and I as we are on this journey with Grace and are trying to make sure we are doing everything possible to give her everything she needs!

Gracie's first Hair cut!

2009-03-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

1st Haircut!!!

So I am about a month past when this haircut occurred but I just got the pics from my friend who is also our hairdresser. Gracie's hair grows like her mothers so she needed her first hair cut at 10 months. She had some hair trimmed around the ears and she did good for the most part. Here are the pics of her first hair cut. I have her first locks saved in a plastic baggy and will put in her scrapbook (once I get around to putting it together)!

Catch up!

2009-03-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine recently told me I need to update my blog! I forget sometimes that I have this! I'm blaming it on pregnancy brain!! We have had some really great things going on in our lives this past month. First, we found a great home that has plenty of space and a play ground at the end of our culdisac. We are in the middle of picking out colors now (it pays to be married to a custom painter) and are planning on moving in mid April.

Gracie's had three PT sessions so far and her therapist, Erin is great! She said Gracie is going to sail through therapy and is already doing things far beyond what she should be able to do. We just feel so blessed to have her in our lives and every little thing she does makes us so proud. She is going to be able to overcome any trial in her life, that is evident by seeing her so determined now.

Matty celebrated his 30th birthday on March 8th. We had the best weather over the weekend..it was in the high 70's, low 80's. I threw a surprise birthday party for him on Sat. night at one of his favorite Mexican restaurants. We had a great turn out and he was truly surprised. It was a very memorable night.

Then Sunday after church we went to the Virginia Aquarium which we had never been to before in all the years we have lived here. It was a lot of fun! Gracie loved all the fish, especially the sharks! As you can see they really liked her too!

I am currently awaiting the return of my husband. My birthday gift to him is a new tattoo. He's getting a sleeve done on his right forearm. Don't worry..pics are coming soon! I think that is about it to catch you up with the McClain Clan. I will try harder to keep up with this! I'm just glad someone is actually reading this! Thanks April! ;)

Bad Week!

2009-02-28T09:00:00.001-08:00

You ever have one of those weeks that starts out bad and continues to get worse? They say when it rains it pours. Well this past week was one of those.

First, after having our hopes set on buying a house this year, we realize that it is not the right timing. We need to work on getting some debt (two car notes and school loans) knocked out to be able to get the kind of home we need. Now for those of you who aren't familiar with Virginia Beach real estate, it is astoundingly high! I often wish we lived further down south so that we could build a brand new home for what they want for a 'starter' home here. It's very discouraging. However, the prices have recently been going down slightly. So we have decided to find a single family home to rent for the next year or two and really work on knocking out some debt. Needless to say, we are moving in the next month and a half (we have outgrown our condo) but don't have a place as of yet. So if you think about us please say a prayer that we'll find a great space that will work for our growing family.

Then on Tuesday I get a call from Matt early am. Someone had broken into his work trailor and cleaned it out. They stole over $5,000 of equipment. They must have worked for a long time to pry open the lock because it was the kind of lock you can't cut with bolt cutters and there was some damage to the clasp. He was mad but we thought it would be covered by insurance. He called the company he has his business insurance through only to find out that his policy covered literally everything except theft! Unbelievable! So I decide to call our renter's insurance. No luck there either. Because the trailer was parked on the job site and not on our property the best they could do was send Matt a check for $250!!! Talk about being really mad. We pay alot of money to these insurance places just to find out that if they had taken a few minutes to go over the specifics of coverage, we would have been properly covered, but we aren't so we are screwed! So basically Matt has to start over and build up what took him almost four years to acquire! Thankfully he has been able to replace two paint sprayers for very good price and the rest will come with time.

We know this is an attack and we are just going to keep pressing forward. We have too many things in our life that are good and too many blessings to let this get us down. God is in control but sometimes we have to go through the valley's to get to the mountain top!

Waiting rooms

2009-02-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

I've fallen off the blog wagon. These past few weeks have been crazy. We've spent a lot of time in waiting rooms at the Dr's office. First we went to the Children's Cancer and Blood Disorder at the Children's Hospital on Feb. 13th. All the Dr's and nurses loved her! She was so good even though she was obviously exhausted as we were there during her nap time. The nurse had to wake her up to "find a vein" and she didn't even cry. Finally she found a plump vein in her right foot. She only cried for a sec but the was soon distracted by her daddy who had taken a surgical glove, blew it up like a balloon, and was dancing around. Leave it to daddy to put a smile on Gracie face. She loves her daddy. They had to take A LOT of blood but we should know something in the next few weeks. The Dr also gave me a list of blood work that he wanted my OB to test me for.

The next Dr's appt was for Momma. We took Gracie with us so Dr. Ferebee could see her now. The last time she saw Grace she was delivering her. She loved her and said she should be on the cover of a magazine. I ended up getting an ultrasound (I'll post the pic of the little peanut soon) and we saw the heartbeat. According to the size of the baby I'm due Oct. 3rd. I think seeing baby surprise made it more real. I think I was in denial up until that point. It also made me and Matt excited at the thought of new life and a new addition to our little family. For those of you that don't know, this baby came a HUGE surprise to us both. We had planned on taking a few years to focus on Grace but the Lord had a different plan and we all know his plans are much better than any plan we could have for our lives. Anyways, back to the Dr's appt, they had to take 12 viles of blood from me. They let me go get something to eat first so I wouldn't be queasy. I go back on March 19th.

Lastly, we went to see the cardiologist on Feb. 24th. They did and EKG and some other heart test. Grace did great for both and the best part is that there is nothing wrong with her heart. It is perfectly fine. So we can scratch that off the list and be assured that her heart didn't cause the stroke in utero. Praise God!!

Surprise!!!

2009-02-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

My best Valentine!

2009-02-16T19:06:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Valentines Day weekend. We left Friday after Matt got off work and made our way to Winchester, VA to visit my parents. They hadn't seen Grace since Christmas and were missing her very much. Matt originally wanted to stay at a Bed-and-Breakfast near there but wouldn't you know, they don't take kids!

We had a great day with Mom and Dad. We took them to the Picture People where they got their picture taken with Grace. They were having some sort of Valentine event at the mall where they handed out these heart headbands. We got one of the last ones. Gracie kept it on her head most of the day. Look how adorable she is!!

Next we took Mom and Dad to Red Lobster (their choice) for a late lunch. Gracie was so excited and having a great time that she didn't nap the entire day! We had a wonderful 1st Valentines Day with Grace and my parents. It wasn't the traditional "romantic" day Matt and I had shared in the past but it was a special family day that I wouldn't have changed for the world.

Tis the season for sickness, colds, and the flu!

2009-02-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

We are finally getting over our weekend of runny noses, coughing, and other things I will spare you the details of. Being sick is really a humbling experience as a mom. You can't just lay around and be waited on by your mom (unless you are blessed to have your mom live close by..wish you were closer mommy!) My husband tries his hardest but it just will never compare to my mom.

Now that I am a mom I know how it feels when your child isn't feeling good and there is nothing you can do but hold them, sing to them and just love them. I'm so glad Gracie didn't get the worst part of it. She was a little out of it for a day but even with a runny nose and some congestion she is just the best baby ever! I am amazed and humbled by her everyday. Especially when I am the one breaking down crying cause I feel so awful..she just looks at me and puts her little hand on my arm to comfort me and then everything is okay. It's hard to be miserable around her.

Hope everyone who is under the weather feels better soon and to those who haven't been bitten by the flu bug or cold bug yet, I hope it stays that way! Be blessed!

Proud Parents!

2009-02-04T12:29:00.000-08:00

So as many of you know, Gracie's evaluation was this morning. Her service coordinator, an Occupational, and a Physical Therapist came to the house to meet Grace. She did SOOOO GREAT! She excelled in most areas tested both cognitively and physically. She even tested older (in the 10 and 11 month range) in some areas which they seemed very pleased with. They said they were very impressed with her and that she would be any therapists dream come true.

We worked on some short term and long term goals that we would like to work on through PT. Their recommendation for now is PT once a week for 45-60 minutes! PRAISE GOD! I asked about OT and they said that at this age they overlap and that if the PT thinks she needs it then she will recommend it and we can get that started too.

Overall it was just very encouraging. Of course we think Gracie is wonderful and can do anything because we are her proud parents, but it's so nice to hear it come from trained professionals who work with kids for a living. She was a ham..just like her daddy!

I just want to thank all of you for prayers and for continued prayers for Gracie. We have her blood work and her EKG this month and then we meet with the neurologist in March to go over all of it. We are just so thankful and praising God for her progress and for everything she IS able to do. We are sooo proud of her!

Good Week!

2009-01-30T07:10:00.000-08:00

This has been an encouraging week all around. Gracie has shown a lot of improvement and her pleasant disposition makes it hard to feel anything but optimistic about her diagnosis. She has made great strides to crawl and is moving around and rolling a lot more than before. It's like she knows what the Dr's said and are trying to prove them wrong. She just AMAZES us everyday!

We took her to her 9 month check up on Thursday and her pediatrician spent some time going over the neurologist report with us and was just very pleased with her development. She seems to be on point with every thing other than the delay with her motor skills on her right side. Gracie weighs 18 lbs 4 oz. and is 27 inches long. So she is in the 50th percentile for babies her age. We just are very encouraged by that Dr's visit and are looking forward to getting her started in PT. Her evaluation is this Wed. so I am guessing we'll have a better course of action on when and how much PT & OT she will need.

Gracie had a great reunion with her buddies Sophia and Jack. Sophia and Grace are just one week apart and Jack is a little firecracker who was born on the 4th of July. Their mommy's and I enjoyed being pregnant together and have had the pleasure of having play dates since they were newborns. Sophia and her mommy moved to NY recently so this is the first time seeing her in a few months. They grow so fast! As you can tell it is hard to get three babies to all look at the same camera. Here are just a few of them.

I love this one with Jack trying to stick his finger in Gracie's ear. I don't blame the fella. He was put between two little girls! Aren't they just precious??

Here is my favorite video of the week. She has been saying different words like MaMa, NaNa, Dog, but this word is by far her favorite and most spoken! Enjoy! Hope it brightens your day like it does ours!

My Baby is 9 Months old today!

2009-01-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

HAPPY 9 MONTHS GRACIE!

I can't believe Grace is 9 months old. I can remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. She is so amazing. She is our joy! And the news that we received one week ago doesn't change that in the least bit. She is still our perfect little girl. Her smile lights up our world!

We've been dealing with so many emotions this week and it still feels very surreal to say that our daughter had a stroke. However, God has given us strength and continues to. We've been able to find some great resources and actually have been able to speak to some parents who are walking through what we are. We can't say enough how much we appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers. We know how loved Gracie is and I know she feels that too!

Here is a picture of her and her daddy. She was the only girl allowed during the NFC championship with all the guys.

Here is Gracie in her cousin Ricky's hat trying to eat his phone! I can give her any chew toy out there and she prefers the cell phone. Hopefully by the time she is ready for a cell phone she will outgrow this habit. :)

She wants to crawl so bad. This was her attempt to get Ellie Mae's toys. She stayed up on all fours for a few minutes before she toppled over. We are so proud of her and her determination. She surprises everyday with the new things she is doing.

Tomorrow we have to take her to get a bunch of blood work done. We are also meeting with the VA Beach early intervention group to set up her consultation and hopefully get her PT & OT started soon. She has a EKG scheduled on Feb. 24th. That is the latest for now.

Our little Miracle!

2009-01-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

This is a very hard and emotional blog for me but I know how much all of you love our little girl and have prayed and are praying for her. First let me say that God's strength and love is so amazing. We prayed and prayed for a baby and he gave us the most special, most beautiful little girl. We are so blessed to have Grace in our lives.

As many of you know we met with the Neurologist today. He was great. He spent over an hour with us explaing the MRI and all the technical terminology in a way that we would understand it. Although it is not what we were expecting, we are very thankful to have such a caring, knowledable Dr. And for those of you that don't know, my sister is a Neurological Psychologist so I asked her to come with us and I am so glad we did. Halfway through the appt. both Matt and I shut down. Me mainly out of shock and trying not to break down and Matt out of anger and denial. She was able to ask some questions and explain to me and Matt alot of what he was saying. So here goes:

The MRI showed that she had a stroke, most likely before she was born. Unfortunately, there was damage to the left side of the brain permenantly affecting her motor functioning. She was given a diagnosis of hemipalegia cerebral palsy which means that she will have some motoric problems on the right side of her body. The good thing is this is not something that will get worse and fortunately it typically responds well to physical and occupational therapies and we will know with time how much of an impact this will have. Given that she has some movement in her right side and is able to stand and put weight down, it is likely that she will be able to walk, it just may take longer for her first steps.

We believe God is the ultimate physician and healer. We are praying that God's will be done in Grace's life. We believe he has a GREAT plan in store for her. It is a miracle she even survived a stroke of this magnatude. She is our little MIRACLE and we know now why God wanted us to name her Grace. Thank you all for your prayers. We pray that you continue to pray for her and for Matt and I as we are still trying to process it all.

We love you all and thank you so much for your love, prayer, and support!

Our little Trooper!

2009-01-12T16:26:00.000-08:00

Today was Gracie's MRI. It went very well! Praise God!! They gave us an option of an oral or IV sedative and of course we chose the oral to avoid the painful IV. She had to drink this nasty stuff which was the worst part. She DID NOT like having her face held and the medicine being administered. She was screaming and crying for a few minutes but then I held her and she fell asleep in less than five minutes. They wheeled her away and told us she would be done in about 30 minutes.

We went to the cafeteria and grabbed a snack and by the time we came back she was awake. Bless her heart she was sooo out of it and "drunk" acting. They tried to give her some pedialite and Juice but she wasn't having that. So they let me nurse her. When Matt took her from me to burp her, she threw up all over him (I mean exorcist style) but they said that was normal. They gave her an anti-nausea medicine and she went back into a deep sleep. Then the nurse tried to awake her with a cold washcloth and she was still not waking up but responding by moving and making faces which was a good thing. All the nurses loved her and said what a happy, beautiful baby she is. It was funny because they wouldn't let me feed her past 9:45 this morning so every time she would look at me she would do her little hunger grunt. I couldn't even hold her without her trying to "latch on".

Overall we were there for about three and a half hours and Mommy held it together, surprisingly enough. They gave us some paperwork for things to watch out for but overall the side-effects aren't as bad as I thought they might be. She has been asleep pretty much since we got home. They said she might sleep good tonight and she might not. I guess we'll see.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We are continuing to pray that the tests come back showing nothing more than muscle weakness and all she will have is physical therapy. We have to wait a few days and then we are going to see the Neurologist.

Here is a picture of her knocked out after being awake for only a short while. I couldn't resist. I love the little hospital gown (which she only had to wear because mommy forgot a change of clothes) She is so precious when she is sleeping...like a little angel!

MRI scheduled

2009-01-09T09:51:00.001-08:00

The nurse called to let us know that Gracie's MRI is scheduled for this coming Monday at 1:45 pm at CHKD. She went over her medical history and gave me the schedule for when she can eat and have fluids. My biggest concern now is the sedation and the risks. Thankfully it's a mild sedation and not anisthesia. There are risks but apparently they will go over all that in detail before we sign the waiver. They said the entire process from when we walk in to when we leave is about 4 hours. The sedation requires an IV which will be tough but Gracie has had a few of them in her lifetime. I just don't like the fact that she will be drugged. The nurse said she will be very "drunk" after she wakes up and depending on her reaction she could be extra fussy or could be happy. She is a very happy baby so I'm going to claim that she will be happy! Either way Monday is going to be a hard day..probably more so for us than for her.

I've had so many people offer up prayer for her and for Matt and I and I just want you all to know how much that means to us. We believe in prayers and we know Grace is God's child and he has her in the palm of his hands.

No matter the outcome we are so thankful and blessed to be given such a wonderful gift. We are just in awe every day that God trusted us with Grace. We feel so humbled by his generous gifts and His "Grace" in our lives.

New Year..New Goals!

2009-01-08T09:43:00.000-08:00

I have decided to join the cyber-world of blogging. I feel it will be a good outlet for me to express myself and also a great way to keep everyone informed about what is going on in our lives. New Year...new goals! One of those is to keep in better contact with all my friends and loved ones. I really value my relationships but it's hard as a new mom to really keep in touch with everyone like I use to. So please see this as my attempt to connect.

So with that I'll touch on some recent events in our lives:

Gracie's first Christmas was a very memorable one. We had all our family come here so she could spend her first Christmas in her own house. Christmas has always been special to me but I believe from now on it will be even more special as I am seeing it through the eyes of my child.

Matt's business has been booming despite our economy and we are very thankful to God. He worked very hard and long hours over the past few months so it was nice to have him take a few days off and spend it with Gracie and I.

We've noticed for the past few months that Gracie favors her left hand, which to us didn't seem to warrant any concern. However as she is developing quickly in all other areas (talking, laughing, interacting). We noticed her right hand stays balled up and it appears as if she doesn't even know she has it or use of it. We've had her on her belly more too to encourage her to crawl and have recently noticed her right leg not moving or bending like her left one. So just to be safe we took her to the Dr's.

The Dr said it could be a number of things from muscle weakness in her right side to something neurological. So they have ordered her a MRI and she is going too see a Neurologist either tomorrow or early next week. They are also setting up physical therapy to strengthen her right side. The Dr isn't too concerned because she does have definite movement and control it's just not up to par with her left side.

Many of you remember that Gracie had some breathing issues when she was born and had to stay in the hospital for 10 days to receive antibiotics for an infection that they never found the cause for. She had a spinal tap at 10 hours old and numerous other tests. They determined she had reflux but that wasn't what had caused her breathing episodes. The Dr is now saying that she may have experienced some kind of shock in utero and that we are now seeing the results of that 8 months later with the weakness on her right side. The believe that is probably caused the mysterious episodes after she was born.

Either way, we are thankful to have Dr's on top of things and she is going to see the best pediatric neurologist in the state. We know God has her in His hands and she is going to be fine. We are just a little uneasy about them having to sedate her for the MRI as there can be complications from that. So I would just ask that you keep her in your thoughts and prayers and I will keep you updated.