Joint Hypermobility

I took Sophia to a rheumatologist on tuesday of this week. Because she has been having the joint pain for almost a year, and the orthopedic doctor does not believe it is structual we got referred to the rheumatologist. She was absolutely wonderful. She does not believe that Sophia has arthritis which is such an answer to prayer. There are a few things that are concerning to her though: the fact that she is stiff and the pain is worse in the morning, the fact that she had that undiagnosed eye pain in the same time frame as when the joint pain started (I guess this is very typical presentation of rheum. arthritis in someone her age). But her physical exam looks good in terms of saying that it is not arthritis. She did however say that she has some hypermobility of her joints. And therefore we will be going to physical therapy to see if we can strengthen her core muscles and help stabilize her joints better. We also will be going back to the pedi opthamologist to have a special test that is specific to rheum. arthritis too.
So we will just continue to pray that this heals and she feels better. Swimming this summer has seemed to help so hopefully between swimming and the PT we can strengthen her so much that we can resolve the pain.

Garden

It feels like we haven't seen the sun in a month, but all this rain certainly is helping the garden to grow. We have pole beans, sugar snap peas, tomatoes, zucchini and summer squash plants already growing. And someone from Matt's work gave us a Russian tomato plant, I guess he brought over seeds from Russia and they are now growing the plants. I am excited to see what the difference between their tomatoes and ours are. When there is a break in the rain I will take some pictures:-)
We are all doing well. Sammy has his kindergarden screening this week. It is so hard for me to believe that my baby is growing up and will be in kindergarden in the fall. Sophia is such a talker, we have these amazing conversations with her. We are awaiting a referral to go seea rheumatologist to see if they can figure out the cause of her pain, we are also seeing the head of orthopedics at Boston Children's next week. So please be praying about that.
I am feeling ok. I did have the UTI last week which was absolutely terrible. I can't believe I am 20 weeks along with Baby Surprise. As we get further along I am starting to get nervous but am praying that this pregnancy is the one that has no ambulance trips, no complications, no NICUs, no crisis' situations, no Magnesium, no pre-term labor and need for steroids, no pre-eclampsia or HELLP syndrome. I would be just beyond thrilled to go full term this time, be able to stay home until the end and go into labor like a normal person:-) I have actually started another blog as well. The new one is www.weberfamilylife2.blogspot.com
I was thinking that I would share this new blog once I announced I was pregnant but I haven't shared it until today. At some point I will probably transition over to the other one. Come follow my new one please:-) Leave a comment and let me know you came

Sophia ortho update and the DENTIST

Goodness just realized that I had forgotten to write about Sophia's appointment with the orthopedic doctor. Essentially it was an extremely frustrating appointment. He said that her hips turn in too much (which he said should resolve by age eight) and that the lower part of her legs turn out too much (again this SHOULD resolve by ag

e 4). He was not at all concerned about these issues. The only thing that he was concerned about was that she has been complaining of pain, and he said that that wasn't normal for a three year old. I had mentioned how she cries in the morning and has a lot of difficulty with the stairs and cries that her legs hurt, he said that this was behavioral, which REALLY REALLY bothered me!!! I have a 3 year old who has been a climber since before she could walk, who has never had an issue with stairs, who can skip and hop. Who is super active all the time, and then over the course of this winter has developed pain, difficulty with stairs, increased stumbling and it is BEHAVIORAL??? Really?!?!? Anyways a little annoyed. He essentially said that if she continues to complain then we should call him back and they will do an MRI and bone scan. But he thinks that a lot of it is behavorial in one sentence, and in the next he is really concerned about her pain....So we shall see...
In other news she had her first official trip to the dentist last week as well. She was very excited at first but then got anxious for a couple seconds until the girl actually started counting and checking her teeth, then she would randomly laugh while she was sitting there.:-)

Crazy friday

Tomorrow is certainly going to be an extra busy day. We need to be at the hospital for Sam's IVIG for 07:30. My friend Chris is taking Soph first thing in the morning so that she doesn't have to see them putting Sam's IV in. After his IVIG another friend will take Sam for me as Sophia and I have to go see an orthopedic doctor at Children's. IT certainly is going to be busy. I am anxious to hear what the doctors have to say about Sophia and to see what if anything they can do to help her. Please pray for a good complication free day.

"You hurt my feelings!!!"

So today Sophia was being very naughty. I turned around to her and said "Sophia Grace Weber you need to be quiet and stop your whining. There will be only indoor quiet voices in my van or you will have a time out when we get home."
She immediately starting crying. And continued to cry for a few minutes. She then said "Mommy you hurt my feelings so bad! God doesn't like it when you hurt peoples feelings." Ugghhh, I am so torn with this one, on the one hand she was naughty and does need to be reprimanded, however I also agree that God doesn't like us to be mean and hurt people. I am so thankful that my speaking to my children about our loving God is sticking with them. They have memorized a few bible verses which is so awesome to me. Their favorite right now is "Never stop praying" I Thessalonians 5:17

Well child check up

Sophia had her 3 year well child check up today! I still can't believe my little peanut is growing up. She is 28.7lbs and is 36inches tall, she is just about in the fiftieth percentile!!! Not bad for my little failure to thrive baby:-) She is above and beyond for her age as far as language skills, recognizing shapes/colors etc.
We did have some concerning issues though. I have noticed for a very long time that Sophia has a very strange gait when she is walking, and especially running. I have mentioned it in the past to the doctor, but it has never been thought to be any big deal. I again mentioned it to her while we were there and she had her running up and down the hall of the office. She then saw what has been so concerning to us, and seems to be concerned herself.
We origionally were going to be seen by the head of pediatric orthopedics at Children's on June 3rd but the doctor was adament that she be seen sooner and therefore we will be going to see his colleague April 15th. I am anxious about this appointment but praying that all will go well. I just don't want her to have the frequent stumbling, and more recently she has been complaining that her legs hurt. She is incredibly fast and I don't want whatever this is to hinder her. Please say some prayers for my little princess

Butterflies

We celebrated our little Sophia's third birthday today. It is still so hard to believe that my babies are growing up so fast. We have officially exited the baby stage right now. We had a wonderful day with a butterfly themed birthday party. She was thrilled with so many people coming to celebrate her, and she was tremendously blessed by some wonderful presents.
We had such a great day:-)

The blessing of Sophia Grace

Three years ago today my beautiful precious baby girl was born. It was the most amazing experience of my life. With Sam he didn't cry and had complications at birth, so when Sophia came out screaming it was absolutely incredible. I get so emotional thinking about it even now. Being nearly five weeks early I didn't know how she would be but she was amazing:-) Becoming a mother to a little girl is such a tremendous blessing

In her first year of life, she was this tiny petite little girl who was content to watch and smile at everything around her. She didn't ever really want to crawl, and most of the time scooted on her butt. She didn't have much hair, and therefore I got to put beautiful handmade bows and headbands on her from Auntie Tracy

We celebrated her first birthday at Cushing Academy. So many friends came to love on our precious baby girl. Unfortunately on her actual birthday she was sick and had a temperature of 104! Poor little princess!

Around the time she started walking we started to really notice how adventurous she is. She is absolutely fearless, and loves to try new things. She is fast, and so curious. Almost as soon as she started walking she was running. And there has been no looking back. She LOVES to run! People have said that she should be put in track. Her second birthday was a cupcake theme, although she didn't really eat any. Her two year pictures were so much fun to get. We were in the middle of a rain storm but you would never know...

Today Sophia and Mommy are going out for a birthday breakfast after we bring Sammy to school.:-) Sammy has IVIG today so she gets to go spend some time with Miss Meg, and then tomorrow we are having a butterfly birthday party for her. Wait until you see the AMAZING dress my friend made for her!!!
Happy birthday sweet Princess! I love you to the moon and back

3 years ago today....

I was 35weeks and 2 days pregnant and admitted to the hospital for complications of pre-eclampsia and HELLP Syndrome. I was scared, overwhelmed and very sad that I again was getting so sick. With Sam by the time I realized I was getting sick I was really too sick to understand how bad off I was. But with Sophia I carried that fear throughout the pregnancy that I would again become so deathly ill. I am praising God that I didn't! That I delivered a beautiful healthy baby girl. Do I wish that I could have made it full term? Absolutely! Do I wish that I could have been one of those people who went into labor on my own, when I was full term and have a picture perfect delivery? Definitely! But that was not God's plan for me, and my birth story with Sophia brings such joy and amazement! I am so thankful that this precious baby girl was sent to us. Reminiscing about my precious beauty:-)

My last pregnancy pic, with Sammy the big brother (only 20months old!) kissing my belly

Magic Wings

Last weekend Sophia and I went to "Magic Wings", a butterfly place in western massachusetts. It was amazing. There were hundreds and hundreds of butterflies, many different colors, some exotic birds. It was awesome. Sophia and I had a wonderful time, while Matt and Sam went to a Monster Truck show.

Post-op Day 5

What a week it has been! I am so thankful that God has brought us through this week and so blessed that we are no longer in the hospital. I wish that we could be home as a family and oh how I miss Miss Sophia snuggle time. But we have had a good week. God has protected all of us. It has been tough, but prayers have been answered repeatedly.
Today I am worried as Sam is acting worse today than yesterday. He is eating fair, and drinking not enough. He may be getting sick or something I am not quite sure. Please continue to pray for him as he continues to recover.
I got to see Sophia today. It was so wonderful to see her, but it was terrible when she left. I just feel so sad for her and for myself. The poor girl gets carted off often because of what is going on with Sam, and although we have wonderful family and friends caring for her, it is not the same as mommy and daddy. Please say prayers for her as well.
I got off the phone with my mother a little while ago, and she has said that she is taking my nephew Darius up the hospital. He is a month old now. But last night he started vomiting and today he is continuing to vomit and is lethargic. So please pray for him as well as his mom Doreen. Thank you!!!
God bless!! I will try to post some pics tonight:-)

Sophia's first haircut

I took little Miss Sophia in for her first hair cut today! She was very nervous about it and kept saying "Mommy I want you" but she sat there and stayed still. It came out so so cute! I love it. She smiles so much when she sees herself in the mirror.

Sheer Panic and Fear

Yesterday after working all night I took the kids to a birthday party. It was at this great indoor soccer field, and the kids had a blast. They were running all over the place and just enjoying themselves immensely. I was going back and forth between the two since of course they don't stay together:-) And suddenly I couldn't find Sophia! Immediately there were several people looking for her. One of the men there ran outside, and amazingly there were a group of people from our church right outside who also started looking for her (It is such a GOD thing that these people were there)
I was running around like a lunatic looking for her, and then went into the bathroom and there she was:-) She had asked her auntie to take her to the bathroom. Sure she won't go pee pee on the potty for me without me forcing the issue, but she will ask other people to take her. I can't even begin to explain the terror I felt for those few minutes, and then the sheer elation when I knew she was safe, but that got me thinking....
I wonder as we are "lost" in the world of unbelief it that is how God feels. If His heart is breaking, knowing that HE can't force us to be safe (and found). I continue to think about this over the last day. And I am just so thankful to know that my God just loves and cares so deeply, but so saddened by the fact that I hurt Him and disappoint Him.
In those moments, I was so filled with fear, and anxiety, over the what ifs....and just as quickly those thoughts were stripped away as I held her in my arms. And I can't help but think about how once we have come to Christ, if our slipups and disappearing acts (when we kind of walk our own way instead of His) hurt our Maker that same way. And then the joy that He feels as we choose to follow Him. Gosh, the heartache that He must feel, with the way so many denounce Him.
Being a parent has changed the way I think about my faith and about how I feel about God. I don't think I still can grasp the amazing love that He has for me, but I'm getting closer since He has blessed me so wonderfully with these two precious kiddos. I am just so humbled through this experience, that God chooses to love us, dispite the risk of losing us, or of us rejecting Him. How truly amazing is our God?

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
1 John 4:9

This little lady...

ONLY had ONE ACCIDENT IN HER PANTS TODAY!!!!

Odd Pine Farm

The second time we filled the bucket, after Sophia dumped it out the first time


The munchkins and I


Auntie Deanna with the kiddos



Today we went blue berry picking at Odd Pine Farm. This farm is quite a cool place and has been around for 51 years! They had several varieties of blueberries, and they were pretty tall so there was no bending involved, which was great for my back, which has really been pretty uncomfortable the last few days.
There was a little old lady that was also picking. The kids absolutely loved her and kept talking with her while we were there. She really seemed to enjoy them, and the kids really enjoyed her.
We got quite a few blueberries but I plan to go back one more time to get more.
Potty training has gone well on day 6. Sophia has done well getting to the bathroom multiple times. She did have two accidents and also a stool but we are making progress slow and steady.

Potty Training Chronicles Day Five and Heywood IVIG

Sammy and Carol (at his birthday party)

Today was NOT a good potty day! Sam had his IVIG today at Heywood, and therefore Sophia was with a friend. She didn't go on the potty once while there.:-( I am disappointed but oh well.
Sammy did well today with the IVIG. Nurse Carol was there and he just loves her. He went running down the hall and jumped into her arms, it made me so nervous, since her due date with baby number 3 is tomorrow, and I was afraid that she would get knocked over. She got the IV in on the first try, the labs were drawn easily. Sam complained all day that he didn't feel well, and actually stayed in the bed all day. He said he was so sick everywhere. He had a period where both his temp and heart rate increased but then they normalized again. I am not sure what will happen with the IVIG, if we will end up switching brands or something else.
Poor little guy stayed in the bed all afternoon, but when my sister Deanna got there he totally perked up and climbed all over her for a few minutes. Hoping that whatever is brewing will be averted since we got the IVIG today.

Potty Training Chronicles Day Four

Number of Accidents today= 3
Number of trips to the potty= 14!
Frequnecy= every 20-30 minutes

She did well today, and even made a couple of trips without me telling her to go. She is starting to catch on, although she certainly complains when I make her get up from playing to go to the bathroom.

Potty Training Chronicles Day Three

Number of Accidents: 3
Number of Times she peed in the potty: 6
Frequency: I asked her about every 25-30minutes

She woke up dry this morning! We didn't make it to the potty completely but I am still so happy with a dry night, she just couldn't make it all the way there. But is doing well. Today was certainly a better potty training day then yesterday. And hopefully tomorrow will be even better.

Potty Training Chronicles Day Two

Number of Accidents= every time she peed:-(
Number of dirty outfits= a whole laundry load

Today was not a good day on the potty training front. Unfortunately Miss Sophia woke up last night complaining of eye pain, and it was very difficult to console her. She has complained of eye pain off and on for most of the summer but it has always been when we were outside playing in the wind, or other random situations where I really felt like her eye could feel dry, or there could be an eye lash or something like that. I didn't really worry about it before last night, but since she had woken up from sleeping it became a bit more concerning.
I called the doctors office first thing this morning and they wanted me to bring her in first thing. Dr V looked as well as she could and couldn't see anything. She was concerned about some thing about refractory something or other, and wanted us to see a pedi opthamologist. When the doctors office called the eye doc they were concerned enough to get us seen today. Dr V said that if the eye doctor proved to be uneventful then they would look into other avenues to see if they can figure this out. She talked about doing a Head CT, so I guess we shall see....
They dilated her pupils and didn't see anything but some type of inflammatory response, he said that this could indicate a multitude of things but there wasn't anything that was jumping out at him as too concerning. So for now I am just supposed to notify him if she continues to complain.

Potty Training Chronicles Day One

Number of Accidents= 3 (two were just in process of getting to the potty and not
quick enough, one was just a true accident)
Length between Attempts= 20minutes
# of stickers and M&M's= 6
Number of times I attempted the potty dance= too numerous to count

Sophia cried when I put her panties on this AM, but she quickly became okay. We sat on the potty as soon as she got up and she peed! She acted shocked. Sammy jumped up and down and clapped for her. I shouted and clapped. She then got to pick her sticker and an M & M. I then set the timer to go off every twenty minutes throughout the morning. She had one accident, in the attempt to get to the potty.
Then we drove to the playground and played for about 30-45minutes, I offered her to go potty here but she didn't go. She made it all the way home from the playground without an accident and went when we got home. I was so impressed. Sammy ran around the house yelling "Go Sophie Go Sophie!!!"
WE played outside and she did have a little accident while we were out but still did well. She also came with me to the chiropractors office and didn't have an accident that trip either! She did have an accident while eating supper, but not during nap. All in all day one was a success!!!