tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703744940190024442023-06-20T06:58:40.883-07:00Keeping up with the HaysesThe chronicles of our family as we journey through parenthood, the military, and college.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-80347831726658971382012-01-30T18:48:00.000-08:002012-01-30T19:04:26.239-08:00Brandon is 4!!!!!B turned 4 today!!! It's so crazy to think that 4 years have passed already! I remember bringing him home like it was just yesterday, yet so much has changed. Such a strange feeling. <br /><br />He's an awesome kid, really. He is very well mannered, really good natured, a jokester, hilarious and sweet. He is also very smart and has really surprised us with how quickly he has learned at school. It really shouldn't have been a surprise as he always seems to excel academically.<br /><br />His stats are: 50 pounds, 3ft 8 inches. <br /><br />He loves: spaghetti, race cars (hot wheels), playing my iPhone, playing computer or video games, READING, cooking/baking, going for walks, checking the mail, being a helper, bubbles and a million other things.<br /><br />We had a party at the post bowling alley on Saturday. Mimi and PawPaw as well as MeMaw and PaPaw were able to make it. His best friend Elijah was there as well as his friend Jathan from school and our friend Carson and his Mommy Brittany. It was a great time and spiderman cupcakes were enjoyed by all.<br /><br />This morning, Daddy and I woke him up at 5:22am TX time (12:22pm German time) and surprised him with donuts for breakfast. He got to blow out the candle since I had forgotten to take it with me to the birthday party. He loved getting the special attention and also loved getting to help me make cupcakes for his class at 6am. I took the cupcakes to his class this afternoon and he really enjoyed getting to share them with is friends. He kept telling his friends that he made the cupcakes and that they were super yummy. :) When Daddy got home from work we took him out to dinner. He requested spaghetti for dinner so we went to Boston's. He loaded up on carbs and capped the evening with a sugary treat. He even got serenaded by a bunch of girls and got all shy. It was really cute. To add to the excitement, he was given a balloon animal by a clown that was at the restaurant! He was super stoked. <br /><br />All in all, I'd say his birthday was a huge success! He had a great time and there were lots of smiles and hugs of thanks coming my way. <br /><br />In other Brandon related news, his teacher and I were able to speak today. He was recently tested for mid-year testing and he did AMAZING! He only missed 3 questions out of the entire test and is one of the top students in his class! He is successfully completing work that a 4 year old-5 year old should be doing and this testing was done a couple of weeks ago! We are SO PROUD of him!!!! His teacher wants to make sure she is challenging him and is starting him in a reading group as well as making sure the level of work he is doing is appropriate for him. She is very pleased with his skills and we couldn't be happier! Such an awesome kid!!!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-61447159177218145412011-12-30T19:40:00.001-08:002011-12-30T19:42:48.559-08:00Going to start the VERY slow process of updating this blog....So, I've obviously done terrible at updating this blog. Jackson is now almost 10 months and the last time I blogged he was 2 weeks. Ooops. Apparently, having 2 kids, being in school full time, having a husband that is deployed and assisting with the FRG doesn't leave much time for blogging. <br /><br />SO, I am going back to my facebook page and going through my status updates to compile a post of each month so that I can enter the stuff into Jackson's baby book. THEN, my goal is to update at least monthly again in 2012. Fingers crossed that I stick to my plan....LOL <br /><br />Here goes nothing......Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-56851004581563419722011-04-30T19:43:00.000-07:002011-12-30T20:26:34.704-08:00April 2011April was a bit of a hectic month for us. Having a newborn, a 3 year old, a husband that is in Iraq, and being in school full time is a LOT of work! Thank GOODNESS for my Mom!!! She came to stay with me for a week because I was NOT handling the stress of a new baby and everything else well. Moms are great. I highly recommend having one.<br /><br />Anyway, Jackson as a newborn is very involved. He is ALWAYS gassy! After speaking with his doctor, she suspects an allergy to Casin, a protein in milk and recommends switching to soy. After switching, he appears to be doing much better, but is still a very gassy baby. We suspect a touch of colic as it seems that he is very cranky between 4 and 8pm. The other possible condition is acid reflux and so we started prevacid. That medication is TERRIBLE! Jackson HATES taking it, and after tasting it myself, I do NOT blame him!!! It's strong, and NOT pleasant at ALL. He is also on nystatin for thrush and weighed in at 10 pounds on April 6th! Big boy! :) On April 10, he slept from 11pm to 5:45am!!! It was AWESOME, but ended up being a fluke. It didn't last, and was probably just a growth spurt. Little booger. He does seems to favor being swaddled to sleep and actually slept in his crib for the first time on April 22! He's growing quickly!! <br /><br />Brandon is adjusting.....sometimes not so well, to his new little brother. He has some difficulty understanding that he cannot play with Jackson yet, and is often a little rougher than I'd like. We often remind him to use gentle touches, and try to distract him with other things. Occasionally, there have been some aggressive behaviors displayed and we are very quick to correct the problem. In other areas, B is VERY observant and is a little sponge. He is continuing to repeat things that we say, which sometimes comes back to bite us in the butt. He is so intelligent and he often surprises me with his questions. He asked me about the difference between boy/girl private parts, which was NOT a question I was prepared to answer! I DID answer, and managed to use correct medical terminology and keep a straight face and that seemed to suffice. We'll see......I definitely wished that Daddy was home to help field some of that, but he will be back soon enough.<br /><br />Easter was a great time! The boys were spoiled rotten by the Easter bunny and had a great time exploring their Easter baskets. Our wonderful friends the Elix family (well, Sarah and Elijah) came over for a yummy Easter dinner and an Easter egg hunt for the boys. They had a great time and Sarah got some quality Jackson snuggles in. All in all, it was a successful Easter despite having a cranky baby and a deployed husband. :)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-7478262814807776622011-03-25T11:41:00.000-07:002011-03-25T11:54:38.148-07:002 weeks!Jackson is 2 weeks old as of yesterday! Today was his 2 week check up. He weighed in at 8 pounds 10 ounces and is now 21.1 inches long! He has a little cluster of extra blood vessels on his tummy that the doctor said would resolve itself. No other major incidents to report from his check up. <br /><br />He has been SUPER gassy/fussy lately. I suspected the formula to be the culprit, so I asked the WIC office yesterday if I could try a different formula. They switched us over to Similac sensitive, which I checked with the doctor this morning and was given the ok to start. Hopefully that will resolve the problem because I feel SO helpless! He scrunches his whole body up and screams and occasionally will be able to pass gas. Poor little dude. Let me tell you.....dealing with a screaming newborn and a 3 year old that needs juice/snack/attention by yourself is NOT easy! <br /><br />Brian went back to Iraq on Wednesday. I miss him like CRAZY!!!! He will be home in approximately 5 months, which seems like an eternity, but I know will pass by quickly. I just hate doing this by myself. It is one thing when it was just B and me, but I am outnumbered! I need someone else in my corner! <br /><br />Fortunately, my mom is coming to stay for a week the first week of April. Then, when the spring semester is over, I am going to stay with her for 2 weeks in May. I also have a month between the summer semester and the fall semester in July, so I may go stay with her for another 2 weeks. THEN, Brian comes home in August!! So, hopefully my sanity will remain as long as I have these little milestones to look forward to.<br /><br />Anyway, I should be utilizing this quiet time to work on some homework and start studying. Ugh....is it August yet??Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-50908462089751964292011-03-12T19:21:00.001-08:002011-03-12T19:21:33.352-08:00Jackson's Birth StoryOur beautiful baby boy, Jackson was born Thursday March 10, 2011 at 7:03pm. He weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce and was 20.5 inches long. His birth was an amazing experience, and I wanted to put it all down in words so that I would remember all of the details.<br /><br /> <br /><br />His birth story begins with the perfect timing of Daddy's arrival from Iraq. Brian flew in for his R&R on March 7. Brandon and I met him in Dallas to avoid an almost 8 hour layover from Dallas to Killeen. We spent the next couple of days as a family of 3 hanging out. We went to the Zoo, went to dinner, played with toys, and of course there was a lot of snuggling. Wednesday evening my parents came in to keep an eye on B and be here for Jackson's birth. <br /><br /> <br /><br />Bright and early Thursday morning (4:30am) Brian and I got up to head to the hospital. We reported for my induction at 6am. After getting all checked in, I was hooked up to monitors and given my IV. When the doctor came in and checked me for the first time that morning, I was at 3.5cm and had thinned out a bit more than on my appointment on Tuesday. I was started on pitocin (at 2) around 8:15 and it was ordered to be turned up every 45 minutes. They said they were going to take it relatively slow since I had a c-section with B and they didn't want to put too much strain on my scar. After the pitocin was started, the contractions began to pick up slowly, but they weren't bad and I barely noticed them. Over the next few hours the contractions started developing a nice pattern of every 4-6 minutes and as the pitocin increased, the pain with them also increased. It wasn't unbearable, but there were definitely times that I had to stop and focus on my breathing when they came. I HATED being stuck in the bed, but because of my c-section they had to keep me monitored as much as possible. Thanks to the WONDERFUL nurses (Hanna and Jessica), I was able to be monitored via a "tube top" looking contraption that allowed me to sit on the birthing ball to relieve the pressure of sitting in bed. After they let me get out of bed, I was golden. At this point, my pitocin had been turned up to 10 (out of 20) and they were waiting on me to feel more pain before they checked me again. I asked at what point my water would be broken and the doctor came in to discuss it with me and check me again. The doctor explained that they could break my water, but that would mean that I was not able to leave the hospital and return for another induction and that if the induction was looking like it wasn't going to work I would be forced to go into a c-section. I was ok with that option and fully expected them to let me labor on the pitocin for awhile longer; however, they decided to go ahead and break my water. I was NOT expecting it to happen at that moment, but after the doctor checked me I was between 4 and 5 cm so I had made good progress and the doctor thought it would be a good idea to break my water around 3pm. After my water was broken, she checked me again to see if it had dilated me anymore and I was at a 5-6 cm dilated. While she was checking me, she noticed that Jackson had his hand on the top of his head, so she tried to move it. He stubbornly left it there and when she grabbed it, he grabbed back! She recommended that I turn on my sides to help move him and get him to move his hand. At this point, I requested the epidural, so the anesthesiologist was called. I was SO worried about getting the epidural because it was SUCH a terrible experience with Brandon's delivery and didn't work anyway. So, I was beyond relieved when the epidural actually worked this time! They had to stick me a few times to get the epidural placed correctly, but once it was in, and the medicine took effect, I was golden. The epidural went in around 4pm and I started having some blood pressure problems due to the epidural medication. They quickly remedied the blood pressure issue by lowering the head portion of my bed. The epi also made me really nauseous, but I will gladly take nausea over terrible contraction pain, so no complaining from me! Around 6 I started pushing. I couldn't really tell that I was pushing, but the nurse kept telling me I was doing well, so I just kept doing what I was doing. At 7:03pm, Jackson made his entrance into the world!! He was placed on my chest immediately after delivery and I cannot even begin to describe the miraculousness of holding your child for the first time. It is a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Jackson scored a 9 on his apgars and the nurses just kept commenting on how pink and alert he was when he was born. It was an amazing experience and I am SO grateful that I was able to successfully have a VBAC.<br /><br /> <br /><br />After Jackson was born I began to hemorrhage. My uterus would not clamp down and firm up. The details of that are kind of sketchy because everything seemed to happen so fast, yet so slow at the same time. The doctors and nurses were pushing and massaging my stomach so hard.....again, thank goodness for the epidural. The doctor that delivered Jackson asked for another doctor to come in and help. That doctor then called for the Staff OB to come in and help. There were a couple of nurses that took turns massaging my uterus along with the doctors that were massaging my uterus internally. They gave me extra pitocin in my IV as well as 2 shots of some medications that I cannot recall at this time. They continued to massage my uterus taking turns when they got tired. Another dose of one of the medications was ordered and they started discussing taking me back to emergency surgery to remove my uterus. Thank GOD my uterus started to firm up and things finally calmed down. I began to shake from the hormones/epidural and the nausea returned with a vengeance. <br /><br /> <br /><br />After things finally calmed down enough, I was able to hold Jackson and feed him for the first time. He latched on and began nursing like a champ. Soon after nursing Jackson, nausea reared her ugly head. Fortunately, my steadfast husband was there to help! Actually, it was MUCH less severe than with Brandon. I threw up every 30 minutes during my entire labor with Brandon and only once with Jackson. So, Brian got off easy this time. :)<br /><br /> <br /><br />All in all, the experience was amazing and I just cannot believe how lucky I am that all of my hoping and planning worked out. It seems like everything fell into place perfectly. Jackson is doing great. Nursing is my nemesis.....as it was last time with Brandon. We'll see how long I can keep it up, but it causes SO much anxiety for me that it may not be worth it. I stress about it a LOT and I'd rather be stress free because Jackson picks up on the tension and it makes it worse. Plus, with school this semester and summer.....aye.....I don't know. It stresses me out just thinking about it. We'll see. I am going to wait until my milk has officially come in before I make that decision.<br /><br /> <br /><br />I am off to get some sleep.....apparently newborns are not fond of sleeping at night, though they sleep for crazy stretches during the day. :)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-32472973402630414792010-10-03T06:18:00.000-07:002011-01-29T06:21:05.584-08:00First Movements!!!Just a quick post:<br /><br /><br />Tonight I felt baby kick for the first time!!!!! I remember what an amazing feeling it is, and am SO glad that I have the opportunity to get to experience the joy of pregnancy again! It makes it so much more real when you start feeling movement! I cannot wait to meet this little one!!!! I absolutely love being pregnant!!!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-79779593732735945582010-09-14T13:01:00.000-07:002010-09-14T13:43:55.473-07:002nd Trimester and a family update.As of today, I am officially in my second trimester!!!! I haven't blogged about this pregnancy until now because it seemed strange at first. This pregnancy has felt extremely surreal.....so, I wanted to wait to blog about it. I did mention it on facebook, but blogger seemed so much more official to me.....I'm not really sure why. It makes no sense, but it made sense in my head....lol<br /><br />SO, I am 13 weeks and 3 days today and am due March 19th. I've been so lucky this time around. I've had minimal nausea and other negative pregnancy symptoms. I've had many food aversions. So far, I cannot really deal with Mexican food, burgers, onions and garlic, Italian food (shocker).......in reality the aversions change depending on my mood. As far as cravings go, they are like the aversions. They change depending on my mood. I've wanted pineapple, mashed potatoes (same as with B), watermelon (which didn't work out so well), and Chinese food, particularly rice. I'm sure there have been more things I've wanted, but that is all I can think of right now.<br /><br />On the baby front- everything is looking great! Baby's heart rate is typically in the 160s. I ~may~ have felt some light kicks, but I am not saying definitively so. All of my appointments have gone well, and at my 3 ultrasounds I have had so far, there has been lots of growth and development! <br /><br />Brian and I are super excited to be bringing another baby into our family! We've tried explaining the concept to Brandon, but he is still not completely grasping it. I assume that is normal behavior for a 31 month old. When we first told him that Mommy has a baby in her tummy, he insisted he had a baby in his tummy too. It was very cute. Now, when I ask him where the baby is, he points to my tummy, so perhaps he is beginning to understand a little better. I plan on reading him a variety of books about the subject, and introducing him to as many experiences with babies as I can before this little one comes along. He's probably the most easy going child on the planet, so I am sure that he will adjust relatively well.<br /><br />Brian deployed in the middle of August, and we have been adjusting to life without him here. We are adapting to the best of our abilities, but we do miss having him around. He will be gone until mid-August 2011....the time can't go by quickly enough. Brandon has responded quite well to him being gone. He asks about him regularly, and we talk about where Daddy is and what he is doing. He seems to be ok with the fact that Daddy is in Iraq working hard. We say Daddy Prayers every night, and kiss Daddy's pictures all the time. He has gotten to talk to Brian a few times and loves it every time. Hopefully, once Brian gets his computer, we will be able to skype with him and they will be able to see each other.<br /><br />Brandon is growing like a little weed and is just the smartest little boy I know! He weighs about 42 pounds and is about 40 inches tall. He wears a size 4T/5T and a size 8-9 shoe. He is known as the "little Einstein" of his class and the education specialists are bringing in higher level (3-4 year) work for him to do because he is bored with what they are learning in class. Every time I hear someone compliment his intelligence, Brian and I are just filled with joy. He's amazing, and everyday he does something else to amaze us. Some cute little quirks he has lately are:<br />-singing the theme songs to his favorite shows<br />-calling himself, "so weird."<br />-telling me, "I told you" when he wants something. For example, "I told you I have to get juice." He gets that from me because when I tell him not to do something because he can hurt himself but he does it anyway, I tell him that I told him he was going to hurt himself.<br />-when he jumps, he leans over as far as he can, puts his arms behind him and stays in that position for a LONG time, then jumps.<br />-he points out EVERY tractor (and reminds me that they move sand), school bus, big truck, motorcycle (of bike as he calls it), and helicopter (pronounced helitocker) he sees.<br />-his favorite thing to do is watch the dump truck pick up trash.<br />-he loves Thomas the Train, Ni Hao Kai Lan, Yo Gabba Gabba, and Monster's Inc.<br />-he loves to color, play with play dough, lace beads, paint, run, jump, swim, read, and play with his trains.<br /><br />He is an awesome little boy. :)<br /><br />We are all doing quite well, and are looking forward to the new addition to our family!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-23630475826660141402010-05-27T10:36:00.000-07:002010-05-27T11:23:03.691-07:00Our Second AngelI've been meaning to write this post for quite some time now. However, every time I attempt to attack the overwhelming emotions that come with this post, I find myself with nothing to say. Even now, I can't seem to be able to capture how I really feel in words. So, I suppose just simply stating what happened will be the best approach. Some of the specific dates are a little fuzzy, so bear with me.<br /><br />Tuesday April 20th was my first OB appointment. The previous Saturday I had some light brown spotting, but I wasn't worried. Having had a miscarriage before, I knew that brown blood was not necessarily indicative of a miscarriage. It only happened the one time, and was not accompanied by cramps or anything else alarming. I went into my first OB appointment confident that everything was ok. I briefly mentioned it to the nurse taking my information, and she ordered a quantitative hcg and same day appointment with the OB. I went to the lab to have my blood work done and told Brian to go back to work. I was ~that~ confident that everything was ok. I went back to the doctor that afternoon thinking I was going to be given my hcg results and sent on my way. Boy, was I wrong. To my surprise, the wanted to do an ultrasound. My hcg came back as pregnant. The exact number escapes me at the moment, but it was substantial enough to be considered pregnant. During the ultrasound, the doctor did not see any fetal material in the gestational sac. The sac was there, but there was no fetal pole or material that could be discerned. During the pelvic exam, he noted that my cervix was slightly open and determined based on the ultrasound and exam that I was considered a threatened miscarriage. I was told to come back 48 hours later to re-do the hcg and ultrasound. At that point, hope was lost and we started preparing for the worst.<br /><br />Thursday April 22 Brian and I returned to the clinic expecting to hear the worst. The hcg result was borderline acceptable, and the ultrasound was repeated. In the ultrasound, they noticed a small shadow that they thought could be a yolk sac. To our surprise, hope started creeping back in. So much so that we even started to get excited. Brian started talking to my belly and rubbing it telling our baby to grow big and strong. Brandon would point to my belly and say, "Baby!" It was really sweet. We were told to come back on Monday for a repeat hcg check and ultrasound. <br /><br />Monday April 26, we went back to the OB clinic for another check. The hcg results did not perform to their standards, though they did increase close to what they hoped. They went from 3800 to 7000. The ultrasound still do not show much growth, and at that point they were concerned again. So, they requested I have an emergency ultrasound with radiology since they have better equipment. My ultrasound was scheduled for Tuesday, so fortunately I didn't have to wait too long. We were back to worrying.<br /><br />Tuesday April 27 was ultrasound day. Oh my goodness, the having to fill my bladder and not pee was HORRIBLE!!! It hurt SO bad!! After the ultrasound I had to go to the OB clinic to get the results. The radiology ultrasound did not show any fetal material, but they still wanted to wait a few more days to make any conclusive decisions. They requested that I do an hcg repeat and possible repeat ultrasound Friday. The waiting is just beginning to be obnoxious at this point. Brian and I are both mentally exhausted and ready to get off the roller coaster.<br /><br />Friday April 30 was decision day. The hcg did not increase nearly enough, and the decision was made to schedule a D&C. We scheduled the D&C for the following Friday, May 7th. <br /><br />Many tears were shed over the course of all of the appointments. It was devastating.....exactly as devastating as the first time. It is incredibly unfair that these kinds of things happen. We are "ok", if that is even really possible, when losing a baby. We know that early miscarriages indicate a chromosomal abnormality and that it is for the best. It doesn't make it any easier, and doesn't make it any less a loss. I think that hardest part for us is the what now aspect.<br /><br />So, what now? Well, the OBs have requested a fertility work-up for both Brian and I. I'm not sure what my workup entails, but we know that Brian's consists of a blood draw and semen sample. We will go get his labs done when he gets back from NTC (he left May 15th for a month) and hopefully my lab work can be done around the same time if not before. I actually go to the lab next week to check my hcg to see if it has reduced back to 0. If so, then I can begin my testing. I am not entirely sure what tests are going to be done, so I will update on that when I know.<br /><br />We will be trying to get pregnant again over the next couple of months that Brian is home. He deploys to Iraq sometime mid August, so we have a couple of months to try. If it happens, great. If not, then we will just try again when he gets home. <br /><br />So, it is with heavy hearts that we have sent another angel off to be with their sibling in heaven. We will love you and remember you always. <3Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-62262293687070197212010-04-27T20:08:00.000-07:002010-04-27T20:34:56.294-07:00The latest......My radiology ultrasound was at 9am this morning. It was an interesting experience to say the least. I had to have a full bladder, which sucked! The strange part was the fact that neither Brian or I were allowed to see the screen during the ultrasound. Apparently, our appointment was scheduled as an emergency, so hospital policy is that the doctor must be the one to disclose the results. It was quite irritating. <br /><br />After our appointment with radiology, we had to go to the OB clinic to have the results given to us. Surprisingly, we weren't waiting too long. The doctor that we saw today was really nice....another surprise. And, that is where the surprises ended. <br /><br />The ultrasound didn't show any growth. Actually, I am still measuring at 5 weeks 5 days. There doesn't seem to be evidence of a yolk sac within the gestational sac either. That is concerning, but apparently not concerning enough to schedule a D&C.<br /><br />So....what do we do now?<br /><br />We wait. Yep....still waiting.<br /><br />I have another appointment on Friday to recheck my beta levels and have another ultrasound. At that point, if there is no progress we will schedule a D&C. <br /><br />While that may be a terrible result, I feel a huge sense of relief. I feel relief for a number of reasons. While the appointment was ultimately a negative one for the pregnancy, we got a lot of questions answered. If I do in fact have to have a D&C, the next step is a fertility workup for both Brian and I. Just knowing that they are taking my history seriously, and acknowledging that two miscarriages are concerning, helps ease my fears. Brian will have his workup done before he leaves for NTC at the beginning of May. Mine will be done after my hcg levels have returned to a non-pregnant number. The results generally take 2 weeks to come back, so by the time Brian gets back from NTC we should be able to go over the results with a genetic counselor. The doctor did mention that it is rare that anything concerning ever comes back, but it can't hurt to check. Another relief is that if a D&C is done, they will send the tissue off to pathology to have them test. It isn't extremely likely they will find anything other than a chromosomal abnormality as the cause of the miscarriage, but at least they are being proactive. Finally, and perhaps the most comforting aspect of today's appointment, we were told that when I do become pregnant, I will be considered high risk and followed closely in my first trimester. This makes me feel so much better as I was afraid military doctors would just lump me into the category of just another pregnancy. So, knowing they are going to take extra precautions and keep a closer eye on me....well, that makes me feel so much more comfortable.<br /><br />So, while the outcome of this appointment may not have been what we were hoping for, it was productive nonetheless. <br /><br />So, we are back to waiting.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-64979240574800053052010-04-26T17:08:00.000-07:002010-04-26T17:17:42.058-07:00Monday UpdateI had my OB appointment today to check my beta levels and have another ultrasound. I did my blood work at 10am and scheduled the OB appointment for 1:45. So, naturally, at 3:30 we were seen. Ugh. Anyway, my beta level went up from 3800 to over 7000. So, that is looking good. The problem is the ultrasound. There isn't anything showing up in the gestational sac. At this point, we aren't really sure what is going on. The OB recommended that I go to radiology and have an ultrasound because their department has better equipment than the woman's clinic. The ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 9am. I am sick with anxiety. I really cannot stand this back and forth business. I really just want to know what is going to happen.....either way.<br /><br />At this point, there are one of three possibilities. <br />1.) It is just too early for something to show up on the ultrasound. (This is unlikely as I should be at least 6 weeks....but probably further along.)<br />2.) There is a fetal pole, but the ultrasound machine in the woman's clinic can't see it for whatever reason.<br />3.) I am having a missed miscarriage.<br /><br />Ultimately, I am fine with either possibility. I would be thrilled if it were one of the first two, but if for some reason I am meant to miscarry this pregnancy, I know that it is due to some chromosomal abnormality. I would much rather miscarry than have an unhealthy baby. <br /><br />So, I understand. I just need to know. I need to know if I can celebrate, or if I should start the grieving process.<br /><br />Waiting is killing me.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-12554499781003040552010-04-22T19:13:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:40:13.987-07:00Wow, what a few days it has been!And just think....it isn't over yet.<br /><br />My first OB appointment was this past Tuesday. It was just a routine paperwork, bloodwork, congrats appointment as we were expecting. I mentioned to the nurse that I had some very very minor spotting Saturday night, but wasn't concerned because it was brown blood. The nurse told me to come back that afternoon to get my quantitative hcg results and let the doctor see me. After running to class to take an exam, I went back to the clinic to talk to the doctor. <br /><br />The visit was nothing like I expected. I was prepared for them to give me some beta numbers and tell me to go on my way, or to come back for another quantitative to make sure the numbers were doubling. My beta was 21,000 so within the normal range. The doctor did an ultrasound to take a look at the baby, which I was really excited about. My excitement quickly turned into fear and devastation. After initially having difficulty locating anything in the uterus, an empty gestational sac was found. After the ultrasound, the doctor did a pelvic exam and noticed my cervix was slightly open. Based on the condition of my cervix and the lack of fetal material in the gestational sac, the doctor said miscarriage was imminent. He did reassure me that it could just be too early, and my dates could be off. He also said that he had a difficult time seeing through my bladder into my uterus, so that could have been a problem as well. He requested I return on Monday. I was devastated! I've been down the miscarriage road before, and it is a place I never want to go again. I left the doctor's office not knowing what was going on. I just knew that I was supposed to wait until Monday to figure out what was going on.<br /><br />Only.....I SUCK at waiting. I called the clinic and got permission to have my hcg level rechecked 48 hours later. So, this morning, I went over to the lab, got my blood drawn and scheduled a 2:15 appointment to get my results. It was the LONGEST morning/afternoon of my life! Finally, Brian and I were called back to see the doctor. We saw the same doctor that I saw on Tuesday. Surprisingly, my beta level went up to over 3800. It didn't quite double, but it did go up significantly. Next on the agenda was another ultrasound. As I'm laying on the table, anxiously awaiting any glimmer of home from the doctor, he states again that he cannot see anything in the sac. So, we are back to the miscarriage diagnosis. Damn. Not ideal. He leaves to double check with some other OB doctors (did I mention that he is not an OB, but a resident?) and to also check into getting me some medication to start the miscarriage process. When he left, he didn't turn the ultrasound machine off, and the picture of the sac was still on the screen. I took a good look at it, and thought that I saw something inside of it. I showed Brian, and he saw it too. So, we decided to bring it up to the doctor when he came back into the room.<br /><br />When he returns, he says that it appears that there is some fetal material in the sac, and that it is still possible that I am measuring early. The gestational sac has me measuring at 5 weeks 5 days, and based on the ultrasound I am right where I should be for 5 weeks 5 days. Whew!<br /><br />We aren't out of the woods yet. I have another quantitative hcg check and ultrasound on Monday. For now, we are cautiously optimistic, but optimistic nonetheless. <br /><br />Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. We really do appreciate it!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-3389083588985183842010-04-12T14:38:00.000-07:002010-04-12T14:50:26.906-07:006-ish weeksHello everyone! :)<br /><br />I am approximately 6 weeks along. I say approximately because I don't quite remember if my cycle was to start the last day or two of February or the first day or two of March. My first OB appointment is April 20th. So, 8 days!! I can't wait!! I probably won't get an ultrasound or anything, but just knowing that I have something pregnancy related going on is exciting.<br /><br />No symptoms to speak of really. My girls are a little sore. Sometimes I feel a little queasy, but it never lasts and isn't consistent. No heartburn. Minor tiredness. So, pretty lucky thus far. Although, if I remember correctly, my symptoms didn't really start with B until I was 7-8 weeks. We'll see. I'm torn because I want symptoms, but dread symptoms. I want the symptoms so this all feels a bit more real to me, but dread them for the obvious reasons.<br /><br />I'm still dealing with the shock of this whole thing. I have moments of panic when I think about the fact that Brian will be deployed when this little miracle is due. To think that I will be here, with B and a newborn.....all by myself......for almost 9 months.....well, frankly, it scares the hell out of me. I'm not sure how I'm going to juggle a toddler, a newborn, school, household responsibilities, and dealing with a deployment by myself. It is going to make for an interesting time, I'm sure. Aside from the few moments of panic, I'm thrilled to be experiencing this again. I don't take it for granted for a second, and know how blessed I am to be able to conceive with such ease. My heart aches for those that struggle with fertility. <br /><br />Cute B story- We told him the other day that I had a baby in my tummy. He said, "I have a baby in my tummy too!!!" Heh....he said this as he lifts his shirt and points to his belly. It was so cute!! :) He has NO idea what is in store for him. :)<br /><br />Later, I will post a belly pic. I have to have Brian take it for me. I think I am going to try to do them bi-weekly this time around. It should be a little easier to keep track of and better for blogging purposes. :)<br /><br />That's all for now!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-42530806111675063172010-04-03T13:29:00.000-07:002010-04-03T13:49:55.246-07:00Our Family is Growing!<a href="http://s105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/hayswifey/?action=view¤t=DSC02520-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/hayswifey/DSC02520-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a><br /><br />We are happy to announce that we are now expecting baby number 2 sometime in early December 2010!!! While it was ~kind~ of unexpected, we are thrilled! <br /><br />Originally, we were going to use natural family planning to avoid pregnancy until July/August. This would allow my body to be rid of any hormones in birth control pills, and we were going to start actively trying to conceive in July or August before Brian deploys to Iraq again. After discussing some options and re-evaluating, we were going to put off having a baby until Brian got home from his deployment in August 2011. I saw my OB/GYN and got a prescription for more birth control and was told to wait until my next cycle started before beginning it. Well, my next cycle ~should~ have shown up over the past couple of days. There has been absolutely no sign of the arrival of my cycle, and being the control freak, planning person that I am, I had to take a test. <br /><br />Naturally, my obsession got the best of me at midnight last night. So, like the awesome husband he is, Brian drove to Walmart at midnight to get me a box of pregnancy tests. I requested the box of 3 because, yes....I am OCD like that. So, hubby comes home with said pregnancy tests and I hurry to take one right away. <br /><br />TWO LINES!!! Holy crap!!! Nervous laughter set in at this point, and I called for Brian to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Nope....he saw them both. Clear as day really.<br /><br />An hour later (so if you are keeping track, that would be roughly 1:30ish) I take another. Still 2 lines. Eeeek!!!<br /><br />My thoughts and my heart were racing! I am a planner. How could I let an "unplanned" pregnancy happen? I feel like a huge hypocrite as I have always said I would always plan my babies. While technically, we knew what we were doing at the time and knew what the consequences would be, it wasn't our most organized plan. Ideally, Brian would be home for the entire pregancny and the whole first year. That is not going to be the case. He leaves July/August time frame. So, he will miss the birth and the first 7-8 months of the baby's life. It's sad. I hate knowing that he is going to miss everything again. It sucks. Stupid wars.<br /><br />So, despite some of the unfortunate circumstances, we are thrilled to be welcoming another little miracle to our family! I'd almost say we are more excited now that we know the beauty and wonder a baby brings. We have been SO blessed with Brandon and knowing that we are going to see him in a whole different dynamic is exciting. He is going to make an excellent big brother! Now.....we REALLY need to get him potty trained! HahahaRebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-64409477231792484532009-12-16T19:27:00.000-08:002009-12-16T19:28:42.197-08:00I present to you.....The Hays Family photo shoot!!! :) <br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-3d.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=2377900603278000189&site=widget-3d.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603278000189&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-3d.slide.com/p1/2377900603278000189/bb_t021_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603278000189&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-3d.slide.com/p2/2377900603278000189/bb_t021_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603278000189&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-3d.slide.com/p4/2377900603278000189/bb_t021_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div><br /><br />Courtesy of Ruth Vasquez Photography.....and TOTALLY AWESOME! :)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-2893980645027088172009-12-09T17:05:00.000-08:002009-12-09T17:09:58.197-08:00A request.....One of my friends in blogger land has recently received some potentially devastating news. Their 2 year old son has been battling cancer (Wilms tumor) for quite a while now. His latest scans have revealed some spots on his liver that may indicate his cancer has spread. They are meeting with their doctors tomorrow and should know more detailed information tomorrow evening. I am desperately hoping that the lesions are merely scar tissue or something less concerning. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. It isn't fair. What their family has had to go through is not fair. Not. At. All.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-20923402296909724722009-09-30T19:14:00.001-07:002009-09-30T19:28:52.009-07:00So, this is what it feels like to breathe.....I must mark today as one of the best days of my life. Brandon had an appointment with an endocrinologist to discuss the potential health problem that we were facing. In an attempt to protect B's privacy, I won't go into great detail other than to say that initially, it was not looking good. Fortunately, as is the case with EVERY medically related issue B has faced in his short little life, it turned out to be a fluke! It is really quite astonishing! Let's recap, shall we?<br /><br />-2 weeks old-ER visit for projectile vomitting-possible pyloric stenosis. Ultrasound of GI tract shows everything is normal.<br /><br />-5 weeks old-hospitalization for virus, and discovery of prominent sacral dimple and told it could potentially be spina bifida. Ultrasound of spine shows that everything is normal.<br /><br />-6 months old- Had markers for Down's Syndrome, pedi ordered karotype/chromosomal testing. 2 weeks later, test comes back normal.<br /><br />-9 months old- Growth of head is faster than normal, so pedi suspects hydrocephalus. Ultrasound shows everything is normal.<br /><br />-9 months old- Weak eye muscles in right eye, pedi refers us to an opthamologist. All exams have been showing marked improvement, but we may need to do patch therapy in the future.<br /><br />-1 year old- The endocrinology issue arises. Today's appointment shows everything is normal and there is no real cause for concern!<br /><br />PHEW!!! Seriously, after today's news, I am finally able to breathe!<br /><br />So, today, officially 20 months old, I am hoping that this is the point where we can finally be done with medical issues for awhile! The occasional cold I can handle, but all of this quasi-major stuff has been STRESSING me out!!!<br /><br />So, here is to a new day, and a new time in our parental adventure! I will say though, all of these health related issues have made an ear infection seem like a walk in the park! :)<br /><br />Yay to Brandon for being a healthy little boy, and for following tradition in proving everyone wrong!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-79505401370383046432009-08-05T11:59:00.001-07:002009-08-05T12:17:06.970-07:00I just don't get it.....Beware-this blog may be slightly offensive, or judgmental. However, this is my blog, and a place for me to vent and share my own feelings, so that is exactly what I am going to do.<br /><br />WHY do people have continue to bring children into the world when they should NOT?!?! I understand that everyone is entitled to have children when they choose, and that is one of the many freedoms we have, but WHY would you KNOWINGLY attempt to get pregnant when you were JUST planning on divorcing your husband? WHY would you KNOWINGLY have unprotected sex with someone when you KNOW that you CANNOT afford another child, or when you can barely afford to take care of the children you already have? WHY would you trap a man by getting pregnant and think that he is required to stay and provide for you and your child? WHY would you have a child when you are making no attempts to be self sufficient? <br /><br />I just don't get it. In my opinion, it is SO easy. <br /><br />1.) Pregnancy is NOT that hard to avoid. It is called being RESPONSIBLE. Protect yourself. I can understand not using protection if you are in a COMMITTED relationship, and are capable of providing for a child. I don't understand "accidental" pregnancies. I'm sure there are cases out there, in fact I know of a few; however, these cases are so few and far between. If you don't want to have a baby, PROTECT yourself. Easy.<br /><br />2.) Babies are not accessories! Just because everyone in Hollywood is having a baby, does NOT mean that you should run out and get one for yourself. Babies are HARD work, and require CONSTANT care. Babies are expensive. Babies DO NOT FIX A RELATIONSHIP!!!!! Omg, I CANNOT stress that last one enough. You should NOT continue to bring children into the world if you are not at least making an attempt to be self sufficient. Yeah, if your husband takes care of you, that is fine well and good. BUT, what happens if he decides to leave you, or you decide to leave, or whatever? At least ATTEMPT to become self sufficient.<br /><br />Ugh, I could go ON and ON, but I won't. I just don't get it.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-16861151635469479182009-07-30T18:30:00.001-07:002009-07-30T19:27:29.452-07:0018 months ALREADY?!?!?!Today B is 18 months old, and I swear it seems like someone hit the fast forward button on our life. At the risk of sounding cliche, everyday he amazes me even more! These past few weeks he has become SO interested in the things around him. Everywhere we go he has to point out various things, and say, "Wow!!!!" His vocabulary is amazing and gets better everyday. He is a little sponge, and picks up on things so quickly. He is turning in to such an amazing little boy and is completely crazy with energy! He certainly keeps me on my toes, and I never forget for a second how blessed Brian and I are to have him in our lives. He has enriched out lives more than we ever could have expected. He's amazing!<br /><br />To keep track of a few of the latest milestones, I am going to list some of the latest and greatest!<br /><br />At 18 months he can say: Mama, Dada, Ball, Car, Juice, Please, That, Hot, Cold, Meow, Ruff, Hi, Wow, Bye, PawPaw, Out, Me, Eat, Water, Yellow, and a ton of letters.<br /><br />He is fascinated with letters. Everywhere we go he points out the letters. HE is particularly attached to the letters "R," "A," "O," "T," "D," "P," and "E." He is good about actually pointing out the letters "R," and "A." <br /><br />He LOVES cars, and especially big trucks. Today, we waited for the dump truck to pick up out trash all while hearing him say "WOW!!" :)<br /><br />He loves cats, and will point them out and say, "Meow" with this cute little scruntched up face. Heh...he gets his love of cats from his Momma. :)<br /><br />His latest is pointing out Momma and Dada in all of the pictures he sees. He's been pointing out Dada for awhile, but added Momma lately. I've always emphasized Dada because Brian has been gone, so it is so nice that he started Momma on his own. Makes me feel special. :)<br /><br />He loves to say hi and bye to himself in the mirror everynight when he brushes his teeth. :)<br /><br />He LOVES to run around naked after his bath! lol He gets THAT from his Daddy. :)<br /><br />He loves watching Barney, Yo Gabba Gabba, and The Backyardigans.<br /><br />He gets in to EVERYTHING...ALL THE TIME!!! Hahaha.<br /><br />He can point out eyes, ears, nose, mouth, teeth, hair, head, feet, toes, belly, hands, and knees.<br /><br />His favorite song is The Itsy Bitsy Spider and the babies and mommies verses of The Wheels on the Bus.<br /><br />He loves when I point out the color of things. He will point to something (especially floors with different colors) and wait for me to say the color.<br /><br />He will not say hello to someone on the phone, but he will say bye. <br /><br />He loves to "read" anything.<br /><br />He goes to bed around 8pm and sleeps until around 8-9am. He takes a nap from around 12:30-4pm.<br /><br />He has 4 molars, 4 bottom teeth, and 4 top teeth.<br /><br />He has the cutest dimples I have ever seen.<br /><br />His eyes are still blue and green.<br /><br />He weighs about 33 pounds and is about 37 inches tall. He wears 3T, and some 4T and a size 6.5/7 shoe.<br /><br />I'm sure there are a ton of other things that I am leaving out. He is a wonderful little boy. Everyday is an adventure, and we are loving every moment of watching him grow and learn.<br /><br />We thank God, or the universe, or the spirits that be everyday for allowing us the opportunity to have him in our lives.<br /><br />Mommy and Daddy love you Brandon!! <br /><br />I leave you with pictures of our little (big) guy and his half birthday cake! Enjoy!<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-e3.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=2377900603277295587&site=widget-e3.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603277295587&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-e3.slide.com/p1/2377900603277295587/bb_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603277295587&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-e3.slide.com/p2/2377900603277295587/bb_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603277295587&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-e3.slide.com/p4/2377900603277295587/bb_t024_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-1743534658446964532009-07-27T19:14:00.001-07:002009-07-27T19:42:57.580-07:00Updates in BulletsThere are so many things going on lately! So, to simplify, and prevent my brain from exploding in an attempt to weave everything together, I am going to update in bullet form. Here goes!<br /><br />-Brandon is almost 18 months old! OMG!!! Where has the time gone?? He is getting SO big, and is learning SO much everyday! He knows SO many words, and loves exploring EVERYTHING....including things he should NOT. I'll update more on him on the 30th when I post a big 18 month update on him. He's wonderful though, and everyday I spend with him is a blessing and a gift that I am forever grateful for. Words cannot express how much I love being a Mommy! :)<br /><br />-Brian started Warriors Leader Course (WLC) today! He enjoyed his first day and is excited to be learning things new and old. He is counting down the days until he is here! He should be here sometime around mid-September. I am hoping he will be here for our anniversary. It will be the first one that we get to spend together in 3 years. He has been either in the field or deployed for the past two. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!<br /><br />-Speaking of Brian and his job- we found out that the unit he is slated to be stationed with here at Fort Hood is not deploying again until October 2010! So, we are looking at being able to spend a whole year together as a family before he has to leave again. The optimist in me is hoping that by then, everything will be settled and he will not have to deploy again, but I am not going to hold my breath.<br /><br />-Things at the house are great! B and I are LOVING our space and have adjusted quite well. Our household goods were delivered the week before last, so I have been a busy bee unpacking stuff. There are a number of things that I have had to sell on Craigslist because we have no need for it, or it won't fit in this house. I'm almost done unpacking, but it would be great for me to be able to get rid of our dining set and hutch because it is taking up a ton of room. I am getting rid of the coffee table, desk and a twin mattress and box spring this weekend. So that should free up a lot of space. It will be nice to have my garage back again! :)<br /><br />-Speaking of the house, the blinds and alarm system were installed last week. The blinds are SO nice! They are wood and have a valance as well. So, that saves me the hassle of having to put up curtains! Hahaha The security system is a great thing, especially with Brian gone all the time. The other sort of update we have done is paint! I painted the living room and hallway a khaki/brown color and it is gorgeous! We have a ton of plans for the house and they will come to fruition as soon as we get the $8000 tax credit for purchasing a house this year. We will be putting in wood floors and ceramic tile to replace the carper and vinyl. Also, crown molding will be installed in the living room. We are also going to get new flat screen tvs mounted to the walls in the living room and B's playroom. The possibilities are endless with a house, and we are loving every minute of it! :) We have a ton more plans that will be accomplished as the funds allow. We're pretty stoked.<br /><br />-I chose my classes for next semester and will be able to register for them on August 3rd when registration opens up. I start classes on August 31, and cannot WAIT! The only hesitation I have is B starting daycare. I am just so nervous about it. We are still waiting on paperwork from the doctor to be completed before he can be officially registered. Once he is originally registered I will begin transitioning him slowly. Well, that is the plan at least. Depending on when the paperwork is completed, and the registration is completed, he may have to be transitioned a little quicker than I would like. I guess naptime is one of my biggest concerns. I highly doubt that he is going to go to sleep for a stranger...especially on a mat instead of in a crib. We'll see. He always reacts to things way better than I think he will, so let's hope that trend continues!<br /><br />-Brian and I are going to be Aunt and Uncle for the second time! Beth is expecting her first little one! She finds out her due date on Friday, so that is exciting!<br /><br />Well, that is about all I can think of for now. I'm sure there is more, but it's getting late and I am sleeeeepy! So, goodnight world! :)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-68543862805385763802009-07-09T19:27:00.000-07:002009-07-09T19:44:38.270-07:00We're HOME!! (and anyone know anything about sod?)Brandon and I moved into the new house on Sunday! Yay!!! Too bad Brian left to go back to Germany on Sunday as well. :(<br /><br />Brandon and I are adjusting to life in the new house quite well. I was worried about him having a hard time with the new surroundings, and not having his extended family around, but he has exceeded my expectations. As always. He LOVES his new playroom. Since our house hold goods aren't here until Saturday, he has been enjoying running around a mostly empty house. He is so cute. His bedroom is all set up, and is looking GREAT! We ordered a new glider, and it will be here tomorrow. One I have that set up, I will take pictures of his room and post them. <br /><br />As I mentioned, the rest of our house hold goods get here on Saturday. When I get everything unpacked, I will take pictures of the house and post them for you all to see. I cannot WAIT to see all of our stuff again. It has been in storage for almost 18 months. So, it will be like Christmas unpacking everything!! :) Can't WAIT!!<br /><br />Now on to the sod. We had sod put down on Monday. I have been watering it like a maniac, but it still has spots that are brown. Anyone have any suggestions? I will continue watering like crazy, but since it has decided NEVER to rain in TX, I am SO afraid that our sod is going to die. <br /><br />Well, I am sure there are a number of other things I could talk about, but I need to go move the sprinkler, and then clean the house a bit. Thanks in advance for any advice on the lawn! :)Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-84805911928870349462009-06-18T12:10:00.000-07:002009-06-18T12:56:58.535-07:00June 2009This month, or more accurately, summer 2009, has been our family's driving force since the spring of 2008. From the time we found out Brian was deploying, every decision we made, and every move we made was in preparation for summer 2009. When we made it to this summer, we knew that the deployment would be over, that we would soon be together again as a family, and that we would finally be debt free! The last accomplishment was mostly an after-thought, but is exciting nonetheless. Now that the time has arrived, we couldn't be happier. Granted, there have been a few minor changes to the "plan," but we're adjusting nicely.<br /><br />On June 6th, Brian flew in from Germany to spend a month with us. It has been so great having him home, even if only for a month. Watching Brian and Brandon together is wonderful. The two of them are so silly, and watching them interact and play is amazing. Watching Brian learn all of B's little quirks, and discover how truly amazing B is has been a blessing. We are both falling more and more in love with our son everyday. The dynamic of our family, when we are together, is perfect. We make due when we are apart, but having us all together is such a wonderful feeling. Indescribably really.<br /><br />In other Hays Family news, we bought our first house!!! We are SO excited to move in!!! It is a brand new, 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house in Killeen, TX. It is way small (only 1350 square feet) but it will work for us. We are already making plans for improvements, and can't wait to make our house a home! Our closing date is scheduled for June 30th, but we are hoping to close by the 26th so we have the weekend of the 27th-28th to move in. As of now, the only thing left to do in the house is the electrical and appliance install, the sod in the front and back yard, and the fence installation. We are waiting on the VA Appraisal, which can take place as soon as the house is mostly complete. Actually, the VA Appraisal can take place as soon as the electrical and appliances are installed, and the fence posts are put in. So, hopefully, our 26th closing date is possible. We were going to have wood laminate floors installed before we moved in, but the quote we got was WAY out of our price range. So, we are going to keep looking. There are a number of projects that we are planning to do with out tax return. For example, we are going to change out the vinyl in the bathrooms and kitchen to ceramic tile, change out the formica countertops to stone, and add a glass tile back splash. If we aren't able to get the laminate installed before we move in, we are also going to do that with our tax return. We cannot wait to make our house a home, and add our personal touch. In the meantime, I will leave you with the pictures we took of the house the day our offer was accepted.<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-3e.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=2377900603277030206&site=widget-3e.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603277030206&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-3e.slide.com/p1/2377900603277030206/bb_t046_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603277030206&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-3e.slide.com/p2/2377900603277030206/bb_t046_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603277030206&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-3e.slide.com/p4/2377900603277030206/bb_t046_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-39172071057032547652009-05-27T12:33:00.000-07:002009-05-27T13:47:12.574-07:00BEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!So, I know this is a "family" blog, and this next post has little to do with our family, BUT I'm telling myself that Brandon will want to know about his Mom's love of music, namely Bush and Gavin Rossdale when he grows up. So, please allow me to gloat a little, and revel in the beauty that was Sunday night!!!<br /><br /><br />My 26th birthday present from Brian was tickets for Heather and myself to go see Gavin Rossdale!!!!!!!! ACK!!!!! Heather was going mostly just to go, and I was going because it is GAVIN FREAKING ROSSDALE!!!!!!!!! Haha. <br /><br />A little background- I *LOVE* Gavin Rossdale. Love him. I fell in love with him during the infamous 1997 MTV Spring Break performance of Glycerine. From that moment on, he was it. Like any other teeny-bopper in love with an artist, I had a picture of him above my bed, surrounded by glow in the dark stars. Throughout my adolescence, he was always the favorite. Any new artist that came along never compared to Gavin. Heh. To this day, Gavin is always mentioned as my "it" guy. My celebrity crush. I <3 him!!! lol <br /><br />Ok, I'm done gushing about him. <br /><br />Anyway, rewind to a few weeks ago. I was driving home from somewhere, and heard that he was going to be at the House of Blues in May. So, I looked it up, and decided that I was going. I didn't care if I went alone, or if someone wanted to go with me. I was going. Brian decided to buy the tickets for me and Heather as my birthday gift, and the deal was done. <br /><br />Sunday around 4, we pull up next to House of Blues and notice a bus. I joked that it was Gavin's bus, but didn't believe that it was. Heather and I had the valet park the car and we went to find the venue. We expected there to be a long line of people waiting for the concert since it started 3 hours later, but there was nobody there! So, we went down to the House of Blues restaurant to have dinner. After dinner, we went back up to the concert area, and there were 3 people in line. We sat down and held our place in line for the next 2 hours. While in line, we discovered that the bus WAS Gavin's and that he had come out of the bus and some of the people sitting next to us were able to get autographs and pictures with him! I was SOOOO jealous!!! Haha Once they opened the doors, Heather and I were able to get FRONT AND CENTER!!!!! The microphone was literally RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!! It was perfect!!!! The opening band, Nico Vega, came onstage around 8-ish. They were really good! I was pleasantly surprised. Then, after Nico Vega's performance, they took a few minutes to set up the stage for Gavin. I swear it seemed like it took an eternity. Finally, the curtain opened, and Gavin came on stage. It was an AMAZING concert! He played a great variety of songs including Bush songs, solo songs, and songs from Institute. During the performance, he climbed onto the railing RIGHT next to Heather and I and - yes, I did the typical teeny-bopper thing, and touched him! Awesome! Can I just say that Gavin has the hottest abs imaginable?!?! Heather noticed that his wristband (that he had thrown on the stage when it started to fall off) was stuck to his shoe. So, she grabbed it, and gave it to me. How awesome is my sister?!?! :) There were many times during the concert that he made eye contact with me, and at one point focused and was singing....ack!!! It was awesome!!!! After the show, Heather and I ran out to be near the bus in case he was able to sign autographs and take pictures. Heather was convinced that he wouldn't be out for at least an hour, but he came out shortly after we got there! He walked RIGHT PAST ME!!! As he walked past, I asked if I could have a picture, and he said (something along these lines), "Yeah, just a second. I have to go get something really fast." ACK!!!!!!! Gavin Rossdale TALKED TO ME!!!!!!! Hahahaha. His manager came out and told us all to wait along the wall and that Gavin would give everyone an autograph and picture. So, obviously, we waited! :) I was able to get TWO pictures with Gavin and an autograph. I made sure to tell him that it was my very first concert experience, ever, and that it was a birthday present from my husband who was in Iraq. (Ok, so that was a shameless use of Brian's service, but whatever.) Then, we proceeded to have a small conversation. Here's the breakdown:<br /><br />Me: "This is my first concert ever, and is a gift from my husband who is in Iraq."<br />Gavin: "Oh really? When is he coming home?"<br />Me: "Two weeks!"<br />Gavin: "Oh, and then he will be home for good?"<br />Me: "No, he has to go back to Germany in a month because that is where his unit is stationed at."<br />Gavin: "You know, I never understood that. Why are there bases in Germany?"<br />Me: "I don't know. Leftover from WWII I assume."<br />Gavin: "Yeah, I know, but why are they still there?"<br />Me: "I don't know."<br />Gavin: "Yeah, I just don't get it."<br />Me: "Me either, but they are closing a lot of them."<br />Gavin: "Good."<br /><br />Hahahahaha.....I am such a nerd. There was a little more conversation, but I can't recall what was said. I got 2 pictures and an autograph! It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br /><br />Here is a slideshow of pics from the concert. Please excuse my hair. It is a hot mess thanks to Houston humidity. I swear it was cuter before the show! Hahaha<br /><br /><div><embed src="http://widget-a0.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=2377900603276874144&site=widget-a0.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603276874144&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-a0.slide.com/p1/2377900603276874144/bb_t015_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603276874144&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-a0.slide.com/p2/2377900603276874144/bb_t015_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=2377900603276874144&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-a0.slide.com/p4/2377900603276874144/bb_t015_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div>Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-27082953015813244822009-05-15T19:02:00.001-07:002009-05-15T20:19:43.849-07:00Parenting Technique vs. LuckI must preface this post with a disclaimer stating that I do not intend to judge anyone on their parenting style, beliefs, or opinions. I am NOT an expert, and in no way, shape, or form is this post intended to suggest as such. This post is merely a means for me to take stock of myself, and note things that work and don't work for my son and my family. I understand that every child is different, and responds to situations based on their own unique personalities. I am basing this entire post off of my "vast" 15 month experience with motherhood (please note obvious sarcasm) and the things I have learned along the way. So, again, please try not to take offense to this post, and feel free to comment.<br /><br />This evening, I was blown away by my son's willingness to follow instruction with little prompting. Yet again. From Brandon's birth, I have always voiced how Brian and I "hit the baby jackpot." He has always taken to every change so well, and has just generally been an easy going kid. Even despite my fears of whatever transition we are faced with, Brandon always exceeds my expectations. I am always so worried that he is going to not take well to whatever changes he has to adapt to, and am always so pleasantly surprised by his adaptability. Brian and I claim to be "lucky" and "lottery winners," but I question how much is luck, and how much is parenting technique. Granted, as I mentioned above, every child is different, and I am aware of this. However, I do believe that there are basics that, if in place, can help deflect some of the stress associated with parenting. <br /><br />I believe that predictability and schedule are essential to parenting. Not only do I believe they are essential, I believe they are really the foundation of parenting and without them, it is quite easy to get "lost" for lack of a better term. From my own personal experience in parenting, and assisting with parenting some friend's children, I have learned that getting a child on a schedule they are familiar with and WORKS for THEM is vital. I believe that children thrive on predictability and routine. Now, obviously, some people take this to the extreme and do not allow any flexibility in the schedule and that is counterproductive. Brandon has had the same basic schedule since about a month old. It took that long to figure out what he was comfortable with, and what worked best for him. There have been changes to this schedule, obviously, as he has grown and developed. I believe that since he KNOWS his routine and knows what to expect, it has paid off. For example, this evening went as follows:<br /><br />-dinner, bath, nightly hygiene, snuggle time in the rocking chair with his milk and a story. <br /><br />After which, he was able to put his own cup in the sink, give Grandma and Grandpa a hug and kiss night-night, go to his room where he stood by his crib while I turned on his lullaby CD and then reached for me to put him in his crib but not without Mommy's hug and kiss goodnight. All of that is with very little prompting. I simply ask him if he is ready to put his cup in the sink and say night-night. The rest is all him. Furthermore, this is not the first night that he has done this. He has been doing this for weeks, and every night I am filled with pride for him and his great behavior. Again, I do believe that his willingness to follow the schedule is because he KNOWS what to expect. Now, the luck aspect may be that I have never had to "drill" any of this in to him. I simply started the schedule before he was mobile, and he just kept with the same schedule now that he is running around like a crazy toddler. I am aware that he IS in fact a crazy toddler, and he is not perfect (well, to me he is...haha) and he does typical toddler things....like running around the house naked because he figured out how to take his diaper off. I just think that the predictability of our routine has directly influenced his ability to start initiating some of the items on our regularly scheduled agenda. <br /><br />Another basic I believe is essential is consistency. I've recently made changes to his routine that I thought were going to throw him off, and cause a tantrum, but was pleasantly surprised when it took very little if any transition. I started taking him with me to the gym daycare and it was a disaster the first day. The gym daycare was my precursor to when he has to start daycare full time in July. I geared up for a long, hard road to a peaceful daycare schedule. I began going to the gym regularly, with the intent to work out for a minimum of an hour; however, prepared to leave if he couldn't calm down. Imagine my surprise when after the third time he went, he didn't cry. He didn't shed a single tear, and when I checked in on him halfway through the workout, he was LAUGHING and PLAYING with the other kids!!! It was amazing to me. I was so proud of him, as was Brian when I told him. Again, I attribute this behavior to consistency. However, as important as I belive consistency is, I struggle with it in terms of discipline. I am unsure as to how to discipline Brandon. Brian and I know that we are anti-spank. (that may be controversial, please refer to disclaimer again) While we are anti-spank, we are not COMPLETELY against spanking if it is the only thing that Brandon responds to. We haven't really gotten that far yet. We haven't really gotten to any "hard" part of discipline yet. Everything he does is age appropriate, and we don't see a point in spanking him for acting his age. He is exploring the world that he lives in, and while we don't allow him to run rampant and destroy everything, we do allow him the independence to safely learn cause and effect. Even if that means we have a mess to clean up. Messes are not a big deal to us. It is more important for him to explore and learn things then it is for us to have to spend an extra 10 minutes cleaning something up. Now, that being said, we don't give him crayons and let him run around the house. The result of that behavior is crayons on walls, furniture, and anything else within toddler reach. Instead, we give him crayons in his high chair for now, and as he learns the concept of crayons (as we just introduced them) we will allow him a bit more SUPERVISED freedom. As precaution, the crayons are washable, so that helps too. :) Brandon does get the occasional swat on the hand if he is deliberately misbehaving (touching something he KNOWS he isn't supposed to while STARING at my as I warn him not to touch). We just don't feel comfortable spanking Brandon, yet telling him that he is not allowed to hit. It just doesn't sit well with us. There has to be a better, less degrading way. Again, I reiterate that we have not experienced much "hard" behavior yet, so I am not claiming to be an expert in this field. I have admitted to struggling in the consistency department as sometimes I will use redirection, and other times I will take something away without redirecting, and others I will smack his hand. I use my "Stern Mommy Voice" and sometimes I feel as if it comes across as too harsh. Sometimes I feel like my stern voice is more of a yell than a calm stern voice. I am contributing that to the fact that I was raised with yelling, so it is natural to me. I work on this, and do feel guilty when I raise my voice to him and he cries. I don't want him to be afraid of my punishment. Obviously, I believe a healthy level of fear is necessary in parenting; however, I don't believe that fear should be based on fear of punishment. I believe the fear should be of dissappointment, and understanding their own lack of responsibility. How to balance on this fine line, I am not sure. I just know that I always want Brandon to know that he can come to us when he has made a mistake and not be afraid that he are going to physically or mentally hurt him. We never want to hurt him. We want to instill values and morals that provide the compass for him to make his decisions, and when he falls short of his responsibilities (as we KNOW he will) he is aware of how his actions affect others as well as himself. We want him to be self-motivated and make his decisions as to not let HIMSELF down, as well as us as parents. Now, all of this sounds great, but like I mentioned before, I am NOT sure how to GET to this place. I suppose trial and error is in order.<br /><br />I am sure that there are more basics that I believe are essential, but I am REALLY tired and if I go on any further I am sure I will stop making much sense. Not to mention, this post is already rather long, and I doubt that many will read the entire thing anyway. Before I close this post, I want to restate my intentions. Again, this blog was NOT AT ALL meant to point fingers or judge anyone on their parenting techniques. Obviously, there are differences of opinion and that is what makes our jobs as parents so wonderful and confusing. I have many friends that do things completely different from how I would do them. I know many people that co-sleep with their child. Brian and I are against co-sleeping in the sense that we wanted to establish a solid ability for Brandon to sleep in his own room, by himself. This example is particularly important to me because as happy as I am that Brandon can sleep 12+ hours in his crib every night, I am a little saddened by the fact that I can't put him in bed with me and have either of us sleep well. He tosses and turns too much to sleep with us, and sometimes I just want to snuggle him. :) So, while I am happy with my decision, I am jealous of the snuggle time you co-sleepers get! Haha. Perhaps when he is a little older, I can let him sleep with us on occasion. I am also all for co-sleeping when they are sick. Luckily, Brandon hasn't really been sick to where he has symptoms that make him so uncomfortable it hinders his sleep. So, I do think that if he gets sick and wants to sleep with us, we will let him. I guess the point of giving this example is that nothing is ever cut and dry, and that the ability for a variety of view points is one of the beauties of parenting. <br /><br />Anyway...my eyelids are getting heavy. So, I am off to bed! Goodnight!Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-30046069771907617982009-05-06T19:50:00.000-07:002009-05-06T19:52:52.056-07:00Funny Brandon VideoHahaha, he is SO funny! Who knew that kids could make you laugh so much. :)
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<br /><embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i105.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid105.photobucket.com/albums/m217/hayswifey/Default_19.flv">Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1070374494019002444.post-31161716435996949852009-04-22T14:12:00.000-07:002009-04-22T14:50:59.260-07:00Our Family Earth Day ResolutionsI was thinking about Earth Day yesterday, and how I should have Brandon and I celebrate this day. I thought of the stereotypical things that we could do to better our planet, like plant a tree, and recycle. While these actions are monumentally beneficial, they are not practical for our situation right now, as we live with my parents and cannot force them to recycle, or plant a tree in their yard without permission. So, as a tribute to Earth day, and in an effort to make the world a better place, I am compiling a list of resolutions that we, the Hays family will begin to do to better our planet. I realize that the small steps that we take as a family will not drastically change the world, but it is my hope that we can raise Brandon and our future children to be aware that every little bit helps. Perhaps educating our children about the reality of pollution, and the impact that it has on our planet will bring them up to make smarter decisions and do their best to become part of a generation that aims to better the treatment of our globe. As a family, we will implement these resolutions when we move this Summer, and hope to continue to take steps to learn everything we can to be environmentally conscious. So, here are the steps that we vow to take in order to help better our environment.<br /><br />1. Start recycling when we move to Killeen.<br />2. Plant a tree (or a few) in the yard at our new home.<br />3. Use our cloth bags EVERY time we go shopping. (We always forget we have them.)<br />4. Use all CFL lightbulbs in our home.<br />5. Buy each of us a reusable mug/thermos/water bottle instead of using styrofoam or plastic bottles.<br />6. Learn about and use cleaning products that do not contain chemicals. <br />7. Buy a water aerator to conserve water.<br />8. Buy a water filter or pitcher instead of buying bottled water.<br />9. Buy all Energy Star appliances for our new home, evenutally of course.<br />10. Use cloth towels instead of paper napkins.<br />11. Buy a water heater insulator to reduce the amount of electricity used to heat our water.<br />12. When we paint the new house, we will use no VOC paints.<br />13. Buy low-flow shower heads for all of the showers in our home.<br />14. Try to be aware of the amount that we drive and attempt to combine outings.<br />15. Reduce our junk mail by joining www.41pounds.org.<br />16. Use reusable plastic containers for food storage instead of buying pre-packaged foods/snacks.<br />17. Start having a "Meatless Monday" in order to reduce the amount we contribute to the processing of animals and the energy that it consumes.<br />18. Try to eat/buy foods that are the least processed to reduce the amount of energy that is put into the processing of foods.<br />19. Start a small vegetable garden at the new house to reduce our carbon footprint and to eat healthy produce. This activity will also bring our family together and allow us to have a common interest.<br />20. Put all of our appliances on Smart Strip Power Strips and turn them off when we are not home.<br />21. Install a programmable thermostat in the new house.<br />22. Look into obaining electricity from a 100% renewable Electric company.<br />23. Become more aware of the amount of electricty that we use by making sure that we turn off lights when we are not in the room.<br />24. Keep our cars tuned and well maintained to reduce their emissions as much as possible.<br />25. Regularly change our filter in our air conditioner.<br />26. Weather strip any window or door in the new house to ensure there is no air leak.<br /><br />These are steps that our family is vowing to do to reduce our carbon footprint on the environment. We hope that by taking these steps, we can help create a better, healthier world for the future generations of our family and yours.Rebeccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03152284044525845209noreply@blogger.com1