BLOGGER TEMPLATES Funny Pictures

Thursday, April 30, 2009

New pictures

New pictures of Ethan:



Ethan basking in the sun


Ethan in his laundry basket

Baby in a basket

Ethan getting his teeth brushed
Eating the tooth brush

Not sure what's up with this look

He just loves to get his teeth brushed

Checking out the counter
Ethan looks like he's up to something

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

PKU testing

We are taking Ethan today to get his blood drawn for his hyperphe. It will be next week sometime when we get the results which I will post to this blog. We are going to continue to keep doing meat every day so that if the dr says they want to do a 30 day challenge (Based off this current test results) we won't have to start it all over. Of course if the levels are high then we will have to stop giving him meat. I will keep everyone informed as to what we are doing with his diet.

This morning when Ethan got up I brushed his teeth for the very first time. We have been using a special brush for his gums to help with teething but this was the first time I used toothpaste. I bought the Orajel training toothpaste. It has no floride so it is safe to swallow. Also it doesn't foam so there is no need to spit. It is designed for infants up to 24 mos. Ethan thinks the toothbrush is edible so he chews on it. He makes mmmmm sounds at the taste from the toothpaste. It's quite cute.

There is an update on Kayleigh for those that are interested. All her test results have come back & it shows that there is no brain function in the cerebral cortex. There is full function in the brain stem which is what controls organ function, breathing, pain. However she will never learn anything. She'll never speak or crawl or anything like that. They will be taking her home as soon as she is healed from her last surgery. She can open her eyes but she looks beyond her surroundings. She moves but there is no purpose to her movements. She's really only awake to a point. It is very sad what has happened to her. Adam & Aimee will eventually make a decision as to what they will do but right now they just want the chance to take her home & give those who have not had a chance to bond with her the chance. They want family to be able to see her, hold her, lover her before they make a decision on her life. I don't blame them. 10 mos in the hospital is a long time. I would probably do the same thing.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Mr. Grabs A Lot

Now that Ethan is older he has become super curious. If he sees something he goes for it. His favorite thing to do right now I grab things out of our hands. He loves to grab for the computers or food. He's also into opening & closing the gate doors. If we go through a gate he like to follow & try to close the door. He can be such a help. Yesterday I was playing with him & looking some things up on the net for some gift ideas of his b-day. he likes to help me look things up. Suddenly he was all about Carmel so I watched him follow Carmel into the dining room. Usually he comes right back but he was intent on getting the cat so I follow him to the kitchen where he tried to follow Carmel to the basement. He was snagged before he got that far & he was not happy about it either. Ethan loves to terrorize the poor cats. Now that he is more mobile he is all about getting around. He covers every inch of the living room & dining room several times in a few hrs. He's all about getting into whatever his little hands can get. Ethan is a very determined little fella. Once he's walking we're really going to be in trouble HA HA HA. He's been getting up about 9 in the morning takes his nap about 12:30 & another little cat nap about 7 then he goes to bed about 9 at night. He is needing less naps & is now staying awake longer between naps. His meals he eats when he gets up then he eats about 4:30. He gets a snack in between. He was refusing to eat when we wold try to feed him before 4:30 so we just made that a set time. He's eating a lot more now about 20oz of food per meal. We are going to be starting him on reguar food once we are out of the baby food. Since he hasn't gotten all his teeth in yet we'll stick to soft foods (bananas, pears, peaches, ect). He seems to be a little more ready for that now. If you haven't noticed I added a b-day countdown to the side bar. I thought it was something fun to add to his blog.

There is no new update on Kayleigh for those of you who might be wondering. There was a post on her site yesterday from a very close friend of Adam & Aimee's pleading with people to donate to the Freemans. They are in a world of hurt right now & have been for a while. Due to Kayleigh's health issues their insurance has gone up along with all her medical bills. They felt that she was more important than their morgage & other bills. Now their house will be forclosed on at the end of this month. They are in trouble of losing their home & other posessions. On top of that they have lost their daughter too. She has not been given a time limit but nature will eventually take its course & they will have funeral expenses to deal with. There have been several fund raisers done to help this family but not much money is being raised. I'd like to encourage those that read this blog to go to Kayleigh's blog & click on the "Donate" button in the side bar to the right. If everyone who follows her blog would donate $5 they would raise over $10,000. Matt & I have made a donation to them I encourage others to do the same. So please help this family out this is an amazing family who needs a little help. To donate go to www.kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com.

Monday, April 27, 2009

10 Challenge & Kayleigh Update.

Ethan is doing great on his 10 day challenge. He will be tested on Weds. Hopefully he will not be above his usual 4.0 level. With the warmer weather coming the question is going to come up about ice cream. Right now no he can not have ice cream. I gave him a tiny taste a few weeks ago & his cheeks & chin broke out in a rash. It was the only thing he had had that day that he had never had before. So I need to talk to his dr first before he can have it again. He won't be going to see her til 6/9 for his 1 yr check up.

On the Kayleigh front things are bad. They did a 2nd EEG & it shows no brain activity. Currently she is breathing on her own they just have her on CPAP to keep her broncial tubes open. She does have moments of "awakeness" Shes not really awake though. She clenches her hands & feet like she is in pain & makes motions like she is trying to cry (the trach prevents that). They say it's just muscle spasms that the part of her brain that controls pain is no longer functioning. Adam & Aimee have made the decision to just take her home & let her live out the remainder of her days there. Her older siblings have not been allowed in the NICU since last Aug & they would like to be with their little sister. Pictures have been posted on Kayleigh's blog. She looks so peaceful. My heart broke when I saw those pictures b/c she is so beautiful. Keep this family in your thoughts & prayers they need all they can get especially now.

I have also fixed the issue with the comment section. If you want to leave a comment just click on the link "comments" & a pop up will come up with a text box in it. Follow the instructions to leave a comment. I also want to let everyone know that I will be ordering the bracelets at the end of this week. If you haven't gotten me the money just use the PayPal link in the side bar. After I put in the order I am going to remove the link. It wont be needed anymore after this week. The bracelets are just in honor or Ethan's b-day. Him turning 1 is such a big milestone. Things could have been so much worse for us we just got lucky that he was a healthy preemie.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Ethan's Day at the Zoo

Ethan had a great day at the zoo today. It was the perfect weather for the trip. He got to see most of the animals & took his 1st train ride. It seemed like most of the animals were out & about most of the day. He got up close to the seals & sea lions. He watched the monkeys seing in the trees. And got to see some active snakes in the reptile house. Unfortunately the petting zoo was closed for renovations so we will have to go there next time. Here are a few pictures from the day.


Matt & Ethan in line for the train


Ethan & me in line for the train


Ethan taking his 1st train ride


Ethan & me


Matt & Ethan










An update on Kayleigh

I have posted a few times about Kayleigh Freeman & just wanted to give un update on her. Another EEG was done yesterday & it came back as flat line meaning that she is brain dead. Sometime in the last 12 days she lost oxygen/blood to her brain. She is breathing on her own but that's it. Her parents , Adam & Aimee, feel that she is no longer with them that she has most likely started her journey to heaven. Over the next few days decisions will be made. It's very heartbeaking news that she will never go home. They are asking for all preachers to contact them in this time of uncertainty. They want to do what God thinks is best & they are at a loss. Please give your pastors/preists this e-mail address Adam@TeamFreemanProperties.com & leave their contact information so they can call them. Adam & Aimee don't know what they should be doing at this time & are looking for spiritual help. You can always get updates on Kayleigh at her website www.kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com. I have really come to love Kayleigh & her family over the last 8 mos so I am very sad that this has happened. Now they are only looking for answers as to what happened to their precious little girl.

Ethan is getting ready to go to the zoo today I will have pictures posted sometime this week of him at the zoo. We are going to be taking him to the petting zoo for the 1st time so it's going to be a ton of fun today.

Friday, April 24, 2009

Ahhhh Spring weather at last

With the warmer weather now here Ethan has been hanging outside with us. He has his own little tent to hang out in to help keep him out of the direct sunlight. It was so nice out this morning we took a walk to the Java Mill for drinks. Matt took the day off to work out on the deck. I spent some time with Ethan in the back yard til it was time for him to go down for a nap then was able to tan a bit & get laundry done as well. we are hoping to be able to get out in the morning tomorrow & go to the zoo. Now that Ethan is more observant he will have a great time.

Here are some new pictures that were recently taken:


Ethan plays with Carmel


Just being cute


How do I look Mom?


Playing in his tent


Playing in his tent

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Only Ethan

Only Ethan can leave little surprises for me. This morning I went to check on him to see if he was awake yet. If he wasn't I was going to go workout then get him up. I peeked in his room & he was lying in his bed completely buck naked, no diaper. Further inspection showed he ripped his siaper off then poo'd in the bed. My jaw dropped. It was everywhere. On the wall, the railings, the sheets, caked on his hands & feet, & he managed to get it all over his nose too. I had to soak him in the bath tub before I could scrub it off. I laughed the whole time. Granted it was definately a big mess to clean up but it was quite a funny sight at the same time. For some reason though it seems to have upset Ethan. He has been crying most of the morning. Once I got him bathed & ripped the sheets off the bed & brought him & the bedding downstairs. I plunked him in his high chair to eat then ran the bedding to the washing machine to soak while I fed him. After I got him fed I ran back downstairs & ran 1/2 the bedding in the wash (it was too much to wash at a time) & then ran upstairs to get a quick workout in. By the time I was ready for a shower I had to run the washer again cause it hadn't all come off it did after the second washing. So now I have his sheet & comforter in the wash going through it's first cycle. It will need a second. After that I took Ethan to his room with me so he could be with me while I cleaned the wall & the railings. He was not a happy camper about this. I keep telling him it's not a big deal dont worry mommy thinks its funny. I don't think he gets that though. So funny yet so not funny. Someday I will tell this story to Ethan & he's going to give me this look that says "Mo-om that is so not cool."

If you read my last post about Kayleigh there's an update on her. She's not doing well at all. Yesterday she did finally open her eyes & start to move around but it's all involuntary movement. She has a blank stare, doesn't respond to touch or sound, her arms & legs just move in all directions. There's no purpose to her movement. CT-scan shows that either during surgery or shortly after surgery she lost oxygen/bloodflow to her brain. Dr's are baffled b/c her BP never went low. All her sats were good. But the scan does show that there is damage to her brain. They aren't sure if it is permanent & how severe. There are more tests to be done & there is still the posibility of brain death. I heard about this little baby through a story on a website I visit & I read her story. She was never supposed to survive the pregnancy then was not supposed to survive the delivery. Yet over the last 10 mos she has survived against all the odds. She is really a miracle baby & a true inspiration. Her survival is slim but there is always hope. I am so sad for this family. They have lost so much in their fight to bring her home. I want things to turn around for them b/c they truly deserve it. If you are interested in reading her story you can go to www.kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com.

I haven't heard from anyone about the Ethan bracelets. I wish we could afford to buy the bracelets for everyone but we have so many projects that need to be done around the house that we just can't do it. I still need to know by next weekend & will need the money by then. They are only $5/bracelet & there is a link in the sidebar for PayPal to pay for them. It's just easier to do it that way. Please let me know you can just leave a comment in the comment section of the blog.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Please keep Kayleigh in your thoughts & prayers

I have been following Kayleighs blog for the last 9 mos. She is 10 mos old & has been through so much. As I read her blog today my heart broke. After all these mons of fighting to survive it looks as though Kayleigh is losing her battle. Initial tests that have been done are showing that she is possibly brain dead. Kayleigh is only 20 days younger than Ethan. She has never been home. Please keep this family in mind & hope that she will survive. You can visit her site @ www.kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com to read her story.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Ethan Bracelets

I had this really cute idea of getting silicone bracelets that say "Ethan 6/3/08" in honor of his 1st b-day. They are $5/bracelet. If I order in bulk then I can get a discount on the S&H. If I order them by the end of this month I will have them in time to pass out by his b-day party. I can get them in 2 different sizes (Adult & Youth). If anyone is interested in them click on the link in the side bar that says PayPal. You do not have to have a paypal acct to pay for the bracelet. PayPal is just how I pay for them. Please leave in the comment section the number of bracelets you paid for. To leave a comment simply click on the title of this post & leave your comment. If you don't have a google acct you can leave a anonymous post just sign your name so I know who you are. I also need to know how many adult & how many youth size bracelets are wanted so I order correctly. I will be putting the order in at the end of the month. I have already put in the order for my bracelet that's when I came up with this idea. I thought it would be a fun thing to do for Ethan's b-day.

10 Day Challenge Back On

We have re-started Ethan's 10 day challenge for his hyperphe. The results were ruined when he got sick last week so we stopped the challenge. Today is day 1 he will be tested again next Weds. We are still keeping track of what Ethan eats each day to help us keep count of how much intake he was taking in between tests. This will help us determine what is a safe amt of protein & what isn't if his results were to change as his food intake increases. Let's hope this challenge doesn't get ruined as well. It's very hard having to wait all this time for results.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

My little devil

My sweet little Ethan has turned into a little monster. He is finally over the whole virus thing but for some reason it has left him clingy. He has been giving us a hard time over his food. He seems to want to throw a tantrum over meals. We are not really sure what is causing this. He has also been really clingy to me during the day like he thinks that I am leaving him. He may just be going through separation anxiety but what would bring that on is a mystery. I would expect that is I were leaving him a few times a week but that is just not the case. I am hoping that this is going to be a short phase like the stranger awareness was. He makes it pretty hard to go to the bathroom or get food. He starts to scream if I even stand up. He only seems to be happy when he's got both of us home. I just have to remind myself that it's just a phase & will go away.

Since it was so nice outside yesterday Ethan got to go play in the backyard. We got him a sundome to help protect him from the sun. But it allows a good breeze to flow through it. Unfortunately he was not happy to use it unless I sat in it with him holding him in my lap. At least he was able to get some fresh air. Maybe a few more nice days like that will help his mood.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Doing Better

Ethan seems to be doing much better. Yesterday he woke up about 3 in the morning & kept down a 5oz bottle. Then he got up around 10 took a 2oz bottle & squash (3.5oz). With each meal I have been gradually increasing by .5oz so as not to get his reflux started up. Every time he keeps it down then it gets increased. As of lunch today he was up to 3.5oz formula & 3.5oz baby food. So far he has managed to keep everything down. Although he was a regualr crab all day until his daddy came home from work. He just isn't back to his normal self but he is playing a little more with his toys & crawling around more. It will probably be the end of the week till he feels more like himself.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Post Easter

Ethan enjoyed his Easter as best as he could for not feeling very well. His morning started out good. He woke up in a good mood around 9 & opened his basket that the Easter Bunny left for him. He got a couple outfits, a stuffed Snoopy, a talking Cookie Monster, & some teething biscuits. After that we decided to keep him in his jammys until we had to leave to avoid him throwing up all over his Easter clothes. So I got him dressed while Matt packed up his diaper bag. I got him downstairs & while I was putting his shoes on he threw up all over his little overalls. I rinsed them off & ran them through the dryer for 30 mins so that he could wear his new outfit I bought him for Easter. Matt got the dining room all cleaned up & we finally got out the door w/no more incidents by 11:30 to head to Matt's dad's house. Ethan was miserable. He just was out of it. He would get these little bursts of energy but they would only last a short time. Later we went over to my parents house & fortunately had no incident. When we got back home we gave Ethan a bottle & got him ready for bed. Unfortunately Matt no more than got him dressed & Ethan threw up all over his clean jammy's. He must have something against clothes seems like it's the only time he throws up. LOL.

Ethan got me up at 3 this morning for a bottle then didn't get up til after 10. He had a small bottle & only 1 container of food for breakfast. So far so good. Now he's sleeping. Poor Ethan his 1st Easter & he had to be sick. At least he's getting over it fairly fast. Of course Ethan missed all the excitement while he was sleeping. I was finishing vacuuming & was picking up some trash from the gifts yesterday when I walked into the kitched to find Peek a boo caught a mouse! I startled her & she let it run into the pantry then she ran to the basement. I ran & got her & chased the mouse out of the pantry where Carmel let it run under the fridge! So I pulled the fridge out where Carmel let it run under the dishwasher! At least that is where I think it ran. When it ran from the fridge I expected it to come out from one direction it came from another side & ran over my bare feet scaring the crap out of me. I don't mind mice but I just didn't predict it coming from the other side of the fridge. Aren't cats supposed to catch mice? I know carmel can he caught one a few years ago & brought it to us. I'm hoping it ran to the basement where the cats have been stalking for it. I know they saw it so hopefully one of my 2 lazy cats will catch it. I worry b/c field mice carry disease & we have an infant. We do have glue traps set but we are going to put fresh ones down in hopes of catching it before it runs a muck in the house. When Ethan wakes up I'll tell him all about it.

Here are some pictures from Easter:

Ethan with his Cookie Monster

Ethan getting into the grass in his basket
Ethan eating the grass from his basket

Ethan, Me, & Matt on Easter morning


Ethan & I at Grandpa Pauls & Gramma Nett's


Ethan opening his basket at Grandpa Franks's & Gramma Judy's


Matt & Ethan at Grandpa Franks & Gramma Judy's

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Doing a little better

Ethan is doing a little better today. This morning he had some carrots & peaches & was able to keep that down. This afternoon he was given a 5oz bottle of juice then about an hour later he has carrots & pears. Unfortunately he ended up throwing lunch back up. Fortunately that happened in the kitchen instead of in the living room. He has managed to pretty much cover the whole living room carpet over the last 3 days. We have also designated the la z boy the puke chair since that seems to be where he tosses his cookies the most. He seems to be a little more alert today but still not up to his usual self. He has also had a few diaper explosions today. We'll keep him on Pedialyte until that is done. He has been playing with his toys a little bit today. It just doesn't last long before he tires out. His appetite is no where near what it normally is. It's going to be a while before that is back to normal. We are going to wait to restart the PKU challenge when he is eating his usual amounts. Hopefully by tomorrow he will be feeling better than he was today. He has to the Easter Bunny is bringing him a basket full of goodies.

On a good note Ethan has said his first word. There are times where it sound like he says "I got it" or "I did good". But the one that really stands out is "Kitty". It is very distinct so we have officially deemed his first word "Kitty". We'll ask him to say kitty & he pretty much does. I'll ask him where's carmel & he will look right at him. I'll aks him where's Peek a boo & he'll look for her but she's normally not in the same room as him when he's on the loose.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Still Sick

Ethan is still not feeling well. His fever was down to 99.1 all day today which is great. But he is just content to sleep in his playpen for the most part. I gave him 4oz of Pedialyte this morning & when he was able to keep that down I gave him applesauce. He kept that down with no problems. Around 1 I gave him some more applesauce & 4oz of formula a half hour later. He kept it down until 3:45. I was really hoping that he was done with the throwing up part. Unfortunately on top of that he now has it coming out his poor little rear end too. At least it's not constant only 2x so far today.

As far as Easter goes we are not sure what we are going to do. We hate to disappoint everyone by not bringing him but his health is more important. If he is doing well tomorrow then we'll bring him with us. We'll just try to keep him as calm & quiet possible.

Now onto the whole issue of his Hyperphe. The challenge was ruined by him getting sick. So we are going to have to start it all over again when he is back to his normal self & normal eating patterns. For now no meats. As far as Easter goes no foods from the table. He hasn't eaten much of anything in the last 3 days. It's going to take time to get him back to eating normally again. For now I am just sticking to his formula & a few fruits of his baby food. Much easier on his tummy.

Matt told me that there have been problems reading the blog with the blue text on the black background. I can not change the background. All I can do is try to be better on changing the color of the text. If I change the background then I have to change the whole blog skin. It takes too long to go through all the different skins & find something fitting for Ethan. There are thousands to go through. I will try to remember to be more contientious of the text color.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Sick Baby pt 2

Ethan did go to the dr this afternoon. She said that it's nothing more than some kind of viral infection. Over the last 2 days she has seen 15-20 infants coming in with high fevers & vomiting. I was told to give Ethan the pedialyte via medicine dropper instead of letting him drink from a bottle. By having him drink from a bottle he'll just chug then throw it right back up. He has been running a fever about 102 all day today. I've done everything to get him cooled down. I wrapped him in a light blanket with ice packs around him, gave him a cool bath, put a cool washcloth on his head, the pedialyte is kept in the fridge, we have just let him run around in a diaper since he's been so pukey it's pointless to get him dressed. As long as he's producing tears & giving us a wet diaper 2x a day there is no cause for concern. If the fever persists more than 3 days she wants us to bring him back in. Poor Ethan all he wants to do is snuggle. It seems like its the only way he'll sleep. Hopefully he'll get a good nights sleep tonight & will start to feel better in the morning.

Unfortunately this ruins the PKU challenge we were doing. He was almost done only 2 more days to go. So we are going to have to start it all over again when he's all better. So for now we are not giving him any meat. As of today he doesn't want to eat anything so it might be a week before we can start the challenge again. Hopefully he'll be feeling better by Sunday. The Easter Bunny is bringing him some goodies in a basket.

Sick Baby

Yesterday Ethan started throwing up. Around 3 this morning he woke us up with a fever of 102.7. We gave him some Tylenol & some Pedialyte. By 4:30 his fever had broken. Unfortunatel this morning it was back @ about 101.9. The dr was called they said to give him the Tylenol & the pedialyte if the fever doesn't break by this afternoon to give them a call & they will have us bring him in. I put some ice packs around him while he was sleeping in his playpen. Hopefully the fever will break soon. I will post later when we know more of what is going on with him.

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Ethan & the Easter Bunny

Today Ethan went & met the Easter Bunny for the first time. He did so good. He gave us this look that said "What the heck is this!" At least he didn't cry. Later on he was playing on the floor with my Steelers hat & he put it on his head. It was too cute we couldn't resist taking a few pictures.


Ethan in my Steelers hat


What do you want me to do with this mom?


Ethan meets the Easter Bunny

Friday, April 3, 2009

Happy 10 mos!!!

Ethan is 10 mos old today! Here are a few pictures I took this morning.


Taking a quick nap











Loves to sleep with his butt sticking up


Crawling around
Showing off his cuteness

I want to help fold laundry

What a good little helper