Guess Who???

Guess who's 18 lbs and 11 months old?

He is becoming one little chunk! Just look at those legs!  I love the days where I don't get anything done because I've spent too much time playing, laughing and loving this little guy.

Andrew gets a monthly RSV shot since he is a "high risk baby". Those days are pretty tramatic for him. They give it to him based on his weight. He now weighs so much, that they have to give him TWO shots. One in each leg. A double whammy. With all of his feeding issues, I love that I get a monthly check on how he's gaining weight. No problems in that department lately. The dr. couldn't believe he'd gained a pound and a half in one month That right. This boy LOVES food. And thankfully he hasn't been sick once since we've brought him home from the hospital. Stephen and I have gotten a few colds, but not Andrew. Stephen thinks it's because he got every infection possible the first few months of life that his immune system is rock solid. We'll just keep our fingers crossed that he continues to be healthy the next few months! He is growing way too fast and time is flying by! I can't believe my boy will be one next month!

Andrew has to have a spoon of his own and loves to try to feed himself



One of his goals in therapy was to grab his feet. We love that
he does it all the time now!

XOXOXO

I LOVE my Boys!

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day at the Holden household! I always love this holiday and this year I had TWO valentines to give out to my boys! I love them so much and couldn't ask for more. I am so blessed.

Andrew opening his valentine's day present from mom & dad

Andrew loves to read books! 

The best part of the present...the wrapping paper!

Helping mommy make a valentine's day dinner

Utah

We had a wonderful and long awaited trip to Utah a few weeks ago. We had originally planned to go inJanuary, but had cancelled our flights last minute, due to Andrew's surgery the day before we were to leave. We wanted to get out there and see my parents before they left for their mission. So we didn't wait long to reschedule it and we were crossing our fingers nothing would happen the second time around.

Thankfully we made it there safe and sound. I flew out alone with Andrew and was grateful he did so well on the flight. Last time we were in Utah Andrew was on oxygen and had just come home from the hospital. Back then we really didn't let many people see him, let alone hold him. So his grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles were anxious to see him.

Grandpa & Grandma getting lots of hugs and smiles

My Dad was the best at getting Andrew to smile. Even if he was crying, Andrew would stop and smile when he heard Grandpa's voice.



Andrew was completely spoiled with all the love from counsin, aunts
and uncles.

Everyone getting a turn to hold Andrew

Cousin Lindsey making Andrew laugh

I just love how they're looking at each other. So darling!

My little nieces were so great and loved watching Andrew while my sisters, mom and I went for a little outing one afternoon. One of my sisters ended up taking the day off of work and another took her kids out of school so we could hang out and play. We always have such a great time together. We enjoyed a relaxing afternoon going to lunch, shopping and getting pedicures together. It was very relaxing and much needed get-a-way for everyone. I loved spending the day with my sisters and mom.

Andrew had 5 little girls all taking turns to feed him

I had so much fun showing Andrew to old friends. There were so many people who prayed for him that finally got the chance to meet him. I was lucky enough to steal a few teachers away from school, that I worked with last year. We met up at kneaders for a yummy lunch. It was a lot of fun to catch up and hear all that's going on at school. Then we went back to the school and I convienced Dian to hang out with me and Andrew as we said hello to many other teachers, staff and aides. I even got to see a bunch of my little kiddos that I taught. I loved seeing their darling faces and getting some good hugs. They are the best...although it took them awhile to recoginize me. Do I look that different? My school was so wonderful to me last year when I up and left in the the middle of the year, when the boys were born. It was great to show them how well he is doing. 

Dian and I taught Special Ed together and kept each other from going
insaine. I love this gal she is such an example to me!

Then that night I had a fun evening with some old friends and roommates. These girls are simply amazing. I love and miss them all dearly. We always have a fun time when we get together and could probably talk for hours on end about anything and everything.

Carissa & Jen...I love that Andrew is checking Jen out. ;)



Jacki, Kasey and I enjoying enjoying some delicious Los Hermanos

That night Andrew and I had a sleep over at my sister Allison's house. We used to live about 5 minutes from each other and I taught at the school her girls go to. So needless to say we saw each other all the time. People would sometimes get us mixed up...even our husbands at times. Do we look like sisters or what?  I miss living so close to her and her darling family of six girls.  It was fun to hang out at her house and have a lazy morning in our P.J.'s.

Herewe are changing our babies together. Her youngest always
wanted to do EVERYTHING Andrew was doing... even if it meant changing his diaper.

After a week of playing, Stephen flew in and we wanted to take Andrew back up to Primary Children's Hosptial to see the dr's. Stephen's plane ended up coming in late and by the time we drove up there, the day shift of dr.'s had just left. We were sad to have missed them. But did get to see some nurses and staff who remembered our boys and couldn't believe how big Andrew was. It was a little sureal to make that all too familiar drive up to the hospital. Then walking through those doors, the sights, smells and sounds took me back to the three months we practically lived there.

The timing of our trip actually ended up being better than if we'd come in January. We were able to be there when my parents spoke in church before they left on their mission. Because of this we saw lots of family. My brother flew in for a quick weekend trip from New Jersey to see my parents too. I was so glad we could be there at the same time.

We also saw many of my aunts uncles and cousins who made the drive to hear them speak. Some of which I haven't seen in years. I loved hearing them speak and share their spirit of missionary work. Hearing them always strengthens my own testimony. I'm so pround of them for being willing to serve, learn the German language, leave the comforts of their home and all the grandkids and family. I know they will be blessed with all the sacrifices they will be making the next year and a half. They are going to be amazing missionaries!

My mom and I

Hailey & Jaron waving the flags with Grandpa

We had such a wonderful trip to Utah. It was so great to spend time with family and friends! We wished we could have stayed longer and seen more people.

Just look at that face. Andrew was sad to leave Utah too!

Rockford

After a long Saturday morning a few weeks ago, Stephen and I needed to get out if the house. So we decided to venture out west and visit the little town of Rockford, Illinois. Most people would remember it from the 90's baseball movie with Tom Hanks "A League of their Own". Do you remember the Rockford Peaches?

Well, earlier that week I'd been doing some reading up on this quaint little town. So we thought we'd take an afternoon and see the place.  The last weekend in January they were having the State of Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition. Who knew there was such a thing?  This wasn't any small snow sculpting competition, either. Apperantly there were people who came from all over the state to compete. These scuplutes were huge, about 6-8 feet wide and some over 10 feet tall.  They were in a large park where we could drive through and see them. It was a good thing we got to stay in our car, as it was a windy and cold day. So all of our pictures were taken from the car.

This one was titled "Couch Potato"

I couldn't believe how huge this one was towering over the trees. 

This was one of my favorites...done by a high school team

Rockford was settled by a large swedish community. We saw a lot of beautiful houses.

The Famous Coronado Theatre
(Appereantly Frank Santra sang his first solo performance here)

After the park, we took a drive through town and had an early dinner. It was so fun to go exploring. We love to be spontaneous and with Andrew it's been a long time since we've just jumped in the car like this. We need to do this more often.

10 MONTHS

Weight: 16lbs 8oz

Length: 26 1/2 inches

Dear Andrew...
You melt my heart with your smile. You are such an easy going baby as we rush off to therapy twice a week and don't get in good naps those days. You're always willing to work hard at therapy and you always seem to light up the room with that smile.

You've started loving your tummy and play all the time there these days. Reaching for toys and turning to find them. You continue to get stronger and stronger and amaze us all. We are so proud of you!
You are a good little sleeper. But it's funny how you get yourself to sleep these days. For a little boy who was on oxygen for a month and a half after coming home from the hospital and then on the monitors for another three months after that, you sure like to keep your face covered.

A new favorite game you LOVE to play is peek-a-boo and you are the tickleish little baby I've ever known. You sometimes get in silly moods. Which is hilarious. Your dad and I love to hear you laugh.

You continue to be a rock star at eating solids foods. Bottles were such a struggle and sometimes still are hard for you. You definitely prefer eating from a spoon these days. You'll gobble up anything and everything, although I would say that peas are not your favorite, as I seem to come away wearing them each time you try them. I'm so glad to see that finally there is something in the area of eating that you can be successful at. We're now just working on taking different textures and introducing the sippy cup to you. I couldn't believe my eyes when your feeding therapist suggested that. What a big boy you are!

We love you so much Andrew!

Monday of all Mondays

It was just one of those days.
Really no excuses.
My Monday's are usually busy, but this Monday...we had a few extra things on the calendar.
Our morning started out as most mornings do around our house. Andrew (a.k.a. our alarm clock) was up at his usual 6:00 am, took a bottle and we went about his morning routines. Then down for his morning nap around 8am, so he can catch an hour or so of sleep before we head out the door to his therapy appointment. I got him all packed up and in the car. We were actually on time and ready to go. I start the car and realize that the combination of recent snow storms, salty roads, bad windshield wipers and no wiper fluid was a bad combo to drive the 30 minutes each way to and from the appointment. So as a quick fix, I decide to hop out and grab an old rag and windex. Surely this will help and we can make it safely to our destination. As I go to get back in the car, my heart drops....really? I didn't...oh my goodness...I did.

The car is running and all the doors are LOCKED! There was Andrew happy as can be and thank goodness oblivious to the whole situation. We of course only had one other set of keys to the car and they were with Stephen at work. I quickly rushed to the phone to see if he could rescue us. Thankfully he wasn't in a meeting and could get away. How grateful I am his work is only 15 minutes away from our house. Those were some long, helpless 15 minutes. All I could do was pace around the car helplessly and play a little peek-a-boo to keep Andrew happy.
Frazzled that I had just locked my baby in the car and now no longer on time. I kissed Stephen goodbye and headed out. As soon as I got on the interstate, I looked down and saw that the gas needle was pointing directly at empty. Uuuggghhh! I didn't have time for this! Knowing that Andrew's therapy was about 20 miles away, I knew I could make it there, but would need to fill up before heading home.

After therapy we found a gas station close by. I grab the diaper bag and search for my wallet. It was nowhere to be found and I realize it's sitting at home upstairs on our desk. Once again I called Stephen. "How far can I go when the gas light is on empty?". His reply..."oh Emily". I could just see the look on his face by the tone in his voice. I had no choice. I surely didn't want to run out of gas along the freeway. I also was hoping I wouldn't have to call Stephen again needing another rescue, because he had meetings scheduled for all afternoon. With a little prayer in my heart I started out for home and luckily we made it home safe and sound.

To top it all off, that evening we were having some friends over for dinner and a little FHE. Rushing to get dinner ready with a baby who's whining and really needing to be entertained. I sliced my finger open pretty badly cutting up some chicken. Ouch! Then, as we were waiting for everybody to come, one of our called friends us with car trouble and was stranded about a mile away from our home. Poor thing she was so frazzled and didn't know what to do. I felt terrible and had to get her car towed. Once again Stephen to the rescue!

I was soooo glad to get to bed that night. What a day! Lessons learned... 1. Never take a full tank of gas for granted. There is a feeling of safety and security by having a car full of gas. Never let it get down to empty!!!
2. Always turn your car off and take the keys with you when you get out. Just incase it has automatic locks. It will save you more time in the end.

Five Years

Five Years
I say it out loud and really can't believe it.
Stephen and I just celebrated our 5th Anniversary last week. We were lucky enough to have some wonderful friends watch Andrew for an evening, so we could get out and celebrate a bit. It was so nice to have an evening just to ourselves and we realized that we need to do that more often. Yet, we  had to laugh that even though we were by ourselves, it was hard not to have every conversation revolve around Andrew.

We certainly have been through so much together these last five years and I wouldn't have wanted anybody else by my side. Here's to many more happy years!

January 13th, 2007

May 2008

July 2009

February 2010

June 2011

Starting the Year off Right

What a week it's been....Can I just say that again? What an incredibly emotional, busy, not-enough-time in the day, exciting turn of events, want to hold and kiss my baby kind of week it's been!
Let me back up just a bit. I love this time of year...reflecting on the old and looking forward to the new a fresh start and outlook on life. Last year was quite the year in our family. One we will continue to learn from the rest of our lives, as we look back and reflect upon the things that happened in our family. The year 2011 will always be ingrained in my heart. But I will honestly say, after the holidays I was ready for the new year and positive that great things will come in 2012.

This week started out...just like any other. It was nice to have Stephen home for the new years holiday on Monday and we worked like mad to get all of Christmas decorations down and packed away and the house cleaned. I was looking forward to a long-awaited trip to see my family and hopping on an airplane later this week to go and visit. We squeezed in Andrew's therapy appointments, knowing that we'd be gone and missing a few times. Then Wednesday morning came. Andrew woke up after sleeping through the entire night. (Something I'd been waiting for, for a very long time). After his morning feeding, he was throwing up and very drowsy. What wonderful timing, I was hoping to finish up the laundry and pack the suitcases. But my little boy was sick...or so I thought.
All of the signs and symptoms of having the flu are the same signs and symptoms of a shunt malfunction. So after throwing up again and having no fever, I got on the phone called the dr. This little boy would only sleep if he was in my arms and then even when he was awake he was not himself. We rushed right into the dr.'s office and after her exam she called his neurosurgeon. She immediately sent us to the hospital. So Stephen got off work and met me and we drove downtown Chicago to the children's hospital. They got us right in and did all sorts of CT scans and X-ray's. After an hour in the emergency room his neurosurgeon (who just happened to be the doctor on call--thank goodness) came to talk to us. She had looked at all of his images and knew that surgery was an emergency. Within minutes he had an IV and we were being wheeled up to the OR and met with the Anesthesiologist. Most shunts typically last 2-3 years, Andrews however decided 7 months was good enough. We knew we'd be making out insurance deductible every year for the next few years, but January 4th? Really? We went three whole days? Stephen and I just have to laugh. How GRATEFUL we are for insurances.

Waiting in the Emergency Room with a sick little boy

Wheeling us up to the operating room

Waiting in the empty parent room that night at 11:00pm, those where the longest two hours.  But as I sat there, I reflected on the last few days or weeks and wondered how long this shunt had not worked.  All that pressure in his head made sense. He has been more whiny than usual and the previous day during OT his therapist pointed out how he wasn't really using his left side as much and turning his hand the wrong way to grab things. Stephen noticed the same after work.  All the little pieces to the puzzle seemed to come together. How grateful I was that I didn't hesitate a bit in taking him into the doctor and that she sent us to the hospital to get everything checked out. Also, I am so grateful that his neurosurgeon was the doctor on call. She knows his background and has been a key support in getting all of his doctors and therapist set up out here in Chicago. Had we gotten on a plane and flown to Utah, who knows what would haven happened. Yes, I am sad that we had to cancel our trip to Utah and am very anxious to get out there soon.

Andrew right after surgery...a little drugged up on Morphine

Andrew is doing incredibly well. Back to his happy little self. What an amazing difference it made. They sent us home the next day less then 24 hours after the surgery. Stephen and I are playing nurse trying to keep his stitches covered, clean and little hands away until his incisions are healed.

Stephen has more of a stomach then I do and is willing to help take the bandages off for the first time. THANKS Daddy! 

Hopefully 2012 can be less eventful in our family.  So what a way to ring in the new year. huh?  Life is full of lots of unknown surprises! Happy New Year!

Our Holiday Happenings

We had a great Christmas holiday! Can't believe how fast it came and went. It was full of lots of late nights, delicious food, surprises, games games and more games, treats galore, lots of laughter, anticipation of gift giving and most of all lots and lots of wonderful family time. 

Stephen's sister and her husband deserve a medal of honor for hosting Christmas this year. They had quite the houseful and were wonderful hosts. We had Stephen's entire family, except Jeremy & Ashley and their two kiddos whom we missed. But that being said...that's a total of 10 adults and 4 grandkids....plus Stephen's Aunt Janet, Aunt PJ and Uncle Chuck who flew in from Texas and spent a few days.....oh and then his Uncle Don & Aunt Deana and cousin Valerie drove up from Ohio and spent some time with everyone. Needless to say we had a houseful, but it was SO much fun to be together as family. And yup that's my favorite part about Christmas. Being with Family. 

Hopefully I won't bore you with too many details. But here's a few of the highlights.

Opening our Stockings early before church. Santa brought Andrew lots of baby food, yet he is clearly more interested in the wrapping paper. Much more exciting of course!

I simply love it when Christmas lands on a Sunday. It truly helps me focus on the true meaning of Christmas and reflect on my Saviors life. (It also helps that we only had one hour of church too!) After opening our stockings and then rushing to get out the door for church, we left all the gifts under the tree to be opened after.

Andrew looking pretty tired after church before we dived into all of the presents

Enjoying opening our presents while Andrew was taking his nap.

Stephen was pretty excited about his radio control airplane kit. He now just has to build it and is excited to have a fun project to keep him busy.

Andrew opening his gifts after his long nap!

Cousin Austin showing Andrew how to play with his new toy from Santa

Uncle Don with Andrew and I

Andrew got to meet lots of Stephen's Aunts and Uncles for the first time and me as well. It was great to hang out and get to know them. Wish we lived closer and could see them more often.

Stephen's sister Meghan is super crafty. She taught us how to make these really neat ornaments with glitter. I had someone tell me about this idea to make a memento of Andrew's first Christmas and wanted to try it. She was so sweet to help me. We embossed Andrew's hand print on the outside of the ornament. I loved how it turned out.

Stephen and His mom watching the boys while Ice Skating

Grandpa and Erin helping Benny learn to ice skate.

Austin Helping the Andrew to be Happy

I think these two are going to be great friends. Cute little Austin was such a good helper around baby Andrew. I loved seeing them interact.

Singing around the piano

James decided to surprise us and drive 20 plus hours from Utah to be able to spend Christmas with the family. He was 'supposed' to work on Christmas Eve and after Christmas. Well he found a new job and his schedule suddenly 'cleared up'.  We all couldn't believe our eyes when he walked through the door late on Christmas Eve. What a fun Christmas surprise!

Grandma Holden getting some Andrew hugs before they head back to Michigan