First trimester down!

We are so surprised by our wonderful news! Josh and I had tried for about a year to have another baby and we told in November that it wouldn't likely happen without some intervention. We decided that we had two wonderful children and that we didn't need to go through IVF, IUI or AI when we were already blessed with two babies. Instead we decided to get a puppy. Jasper was born in December and came home in February. He had been home for a week when I realized I was "late" and peed on a stick.

I was shocked and walked into the bedroom and told Josh that he must of needed a challenge and then showed him the test. It took a lot not to let the secret slip. In fact my sister was the first to call me out and I asked her not to tell anyone. And then I suffered some major pregnancy brain and forgot to tell my brother about bridging some childcare for us and told him and my sister in law as well. I really wanted to wait until after my sister in law had her baby, but I started showing way early so we told family before Easter.

8 weeks

10 weeks

12 weeks

14 weeks 

Surprise!

Guess what?! 

The Willinghams are growing another two feet! 

Hambone number 3 due in mid to late October. 

Home owners!

We bought a house! Well, we bought the house we were renting, so we don't have to move! Andi and John have graciously let us rent from them for the last 6 years and today we bought the house from them! 

And now we renovate! 

Meeting Jasper

So it's been a while since anyone has posted! Much has changed with us in almost two years. I will post a proper update soon, but in the meantime... meet Jasper, our newest family member!



*disclaimer* we did not buy him from a puppy store. We adopted him through a family friend.

Where has the time gone?

I have not posted an update in eight months!

I owe at the very least picture entries for the following important milestones in the last few months:

• Declan's 1st birthday (There is SO MUCH GUILT for not posting these pictures!)

• Trick or Treating 2014

• Happy Holidays 2014 (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years)

• Davis Family Photoshoot

• Dad's minor stroke 

• Easter

• Watching the boys grow

On a more serious note, within the last eight months I've been undergoing some serious medical issues. Symptoms include extreme headache (especially with coughing, climbing stairs, bending over, sneezing, etc) extreme neck pain; shoulder pain; weakness in right hand and leg, balance problems;  ringing in ears; hoarseness/voice fluctuation, trouble finding the right words (brain knew what to say, but voice didn't listen); trouble swallowing; periods of vertigo, face tingling/numbness, seeing flashes of light in my vision, and light and sound sensitivity. 


After I started experiencing extreme the headaches (or rather one extreme headache that wouldn't go away) in November I started seeking help from pain management. A head CT had shown nothing and the caffeine/pain pills were not helping. I had to do something. I received an occipital nerve block which helped reduce the headache, but the symptoms were becoming more intense and more had started to appear. I started a plan for medial branch blocks working up to radiofrequency ablations. In the meantime receiving trigger point injections and chiropractic care.
I will have some time on my hands soon, so I should be able to add and backdate these entries.


After an MRI in December I was diagnosed with a Type I Chiari Malformation. I didn't realize that some of the things I were experiencing months before hand were symptoms until after I was diagnosed. I started physical therapy and started seeing a neurologist. Between all the different specialist I was going to the doctor almost daily. Each therapy would help for a few hour to a about a two days before it weakened and the same level of pain and discomfort came back. My neurologist suggested another type of MRI to look at the flow of CSF and it showed a block. She suggested I see a neurosurgeon.

Between the CINE MRI in January and the consultation with the Neurosurgeon at the end of March, I had a particularly bad fair up while at work and according to my work mates, I passed out. I had another MRI ordered because of the weakness in my limbs and the tingling/numbness in my face had started to become increasingly worse. The scan showed that the Chiari herniation was measuring larger than it had been in December.

After a very tearful meeting with the neurosurgeon we decided to go forth with surgery and that pretty much catches us up to now.

I'm having surgery tomorrow, or rather today, since it's after midnight. The link below gives a good description of what will happen. It's not a cure for Chiari, but it should help bring relief from some of the symptoms (if not all of them). I was extremely healthy before so I have hope.

 http://www.mayfieldchiaricenter.com/chiari_surgery.php

My faith is with God and I pray that he guides the surgeon's hands tomorrow as well as all of the staff that will be looking after me, including nursing, residents, anesthesiologist and anyone else that helps along the way and after!

Allergy update

Declan had a consultation with the allergist on the 15th and we scheduled an appointment for a scratch test on the 22nd. They tested for peanuts, tree nuts, seeds, soy, cranberry, coconut, and eggs. Everything came back negative. While I'm relieved that there is no allergy, it makes me concerned for what happened three weeks ago.

The allergist had us get labs drawn to test his blood for the above allergens. The scratch test has a 4% margin of error, so this is the next step. She will call when the results are in. If they are still negative then we will move forward with caution and test again at age two. If it's negative again, then we'll slowly introduce nuts with caution.

The NP we saw said that it might have been a viral infection with impeccable timing. We may never know. This is good news over all though.

Allergies

Yesterday Declan picked up a piece of a nut-cluster that Josh and Grammy were eating. It was either a cashew or an almond. Grammy tried to do the reach and sweep, but didn't manage to get it before he swallowed it.

I watched him closely and about ten minutes later a pin point rash started showing up on his chest, back, arms and scalp. Declan was pulling on his hair and I didn't understand why until I realized how broken out it was. Josh called the nurses line and she said if he was having breathing problems that we should call 911. He wasn't showing any signs of breathing distress so we got him in the car to go to the  Pediatric Urgent Care up the road.

We reported a possible nut allergic reaction and they got us back there quickly to check his airways and pulse ox. It was 99% so they were not concerned his airways were being blocked. We waited for what seemed like forever to been seen, even though it wasn't long. The doctor came in and said she thought it was likely a mild nut allergy and gave him an oral steroid and Benadryl. We have to call our regular doctor on Monday and see if she has an recommendation for an allergist. We'll have to have a panel done to see if it was the nuts and which ones and how sever it is.

Declan was a good sport most of the time. Eventually he had his limit and just wanted to go home. We did too! He has an oral steroid to take for the next few days and a script for an epi pen jr. in case it happens again and it's worse. Those things are so expensive, but I'm glad we'll have one on hand. 

Right now I'm just thinking about having to monitor everything he eats and keep things away from him. I'm trying not to freak out until we have more answers, but it's hard not to! 

11 months!

Declan is 11 months old! He is thinking the same thing I am; "How is this even a possibility!?"

This month Declan has been working on cruising around the furniture and experimenting more with letting go while standing. He is fast and I don't think it will be long before he starts trying to walk. His longest standing time has been about 30 seconds before toppling over. He gets very upset that he doesn't have the balance yet. 

He is looking so much like a toddler now and less like a little baby! He and Silas look very similar with their chubby cheeks and deep set Willingham eyes. Declan's dark looks are so different from Silas' lighter ones. One thing is certain, Declan is in need of a haircut, just as much as Silas did at this age. That will come next month though! 

We took a trip up to Bearizona at the beginning of the month and Declan got car sick for the first time. I have to remind myself that when we go on road trips that I need to pack everyone a change of clothes. Unfortunately I learned the hard way, that if I hold a sick baby, that baby will puke on me. Even though it was messy, I think we all had a good time. 

Declan also got his first yeast rash, which resulted in a sick visit to the doctor and extended period time in disposable diapers while we cleared it up. This coincided with his first extended stay away from mom and dad while Josh and I went on our first solo out of town trip since before Declan was born. He did great by the way! Grammy took care of Declan while Bubby and Honey took care of Silas. It was a nice trip away, although we missed both the boys greatly! 

The rest of July was spent getting ready to go back to work and spending as much time as we could hanging out at the children's museum and other indoor play places. It was a short summer, but with Declan being so close to a year it was spend having a good time!

Silas goes to preschool!

Silas started preschool today! My first baby is getting so big! 

First day of preschool! July 28th, 2014

"When I grow up, I want to... Dive the trains." 

Josh and I drove him together on the first day. Silas really didn't want to take many pictures and he walked right in and got involved right away with an activity! He didn't shed a single tear, and I'm proud to say that "Monny" didn't either. 

Outside the center.

Outside his classroom "Pre-K B"

Joining friends at the manipulative table. 

I told him that we were leaving and he said "Bye, Monny. You'll pick me up later? Okay, bye!" 

He had a really good first day too. He said he played. I believe it! He went to bed early and slept through the night! 

Family is my favorite!

I truly love our family photos! I'm very lucky to have my three guys!