28 Weeks

28 Weeks Old

 This is not what Rhett looked like the day he turned 28 weeks old.  He still had some red spots from his allergic reaction to penicillin.  I take his weekly pictures every Friday, but these were taken a few days later when he was all cleared up.  What a scary and horrible week it was!

 On Monday we went to Nanny and Pa's house to spend the day.  Rhett fell asleep in the car, so I layed him down on Nanny's bed when we got there.  Outside, Pa showed Mary Ella his garden.  Isn't it beautiful?  The corn was already coming up!  He also showed us what he had been working on in his wood shop.  He has made me 30 new frames!  Anybody want to place an order? ;) 

 They also had brand new baby kittens, and ME loved playing with those.  This was mid-morning when we were sitting outside on the porch.  This is when I first noticed what looked like a bug bite on Rhett's thigh.  It was a small, red bump.  I didn't see anything biting him, but we decided to go inside and play.

 Nanny had just washed this blanket, so we put it down on the floor so he could play.   

 After lunch time, everyone took naps.  Rhett fell asleep on me, and then I layed him down.  I had noticed a couple more spots that looked like bites before he went to sleep.  I thought they were from when we were outside.

 Nanny was dying to hold the big boy, so I let her when he woke up.  I was afraid he might be too much for her lap to handle!  If you look closely, you can see two red spots by his chin.

 After these pictures were taken all hell broke loose. I changed Rhett's diaper and noticed a few spots on his belly.  Nanny and Mama and ME took a ride on the gator, and Pa layed down for a nap.  I gave Rhett his bottle, and when I changed his diaper again, he had alot more red bumps on his tummy and around his armpit area.  This is when I got worried.  It looked like something had gotten in his shirt and bitten him over and over.  The spots looked like red whelps now.  I stripped his clothes off and rushed down to the bathroom to give him a bath, hoping to get rid of whatever I couldn't see that was biting him.  And then I stopped because I was worried to bathe him in anything different.  I had already used Mama's lotion on him the day before because I had forgotten theirs at home.  I guess I was already thinking he was having an allergic reaction, but I couldn't figure out what it was.  But I still had bug bites in my head because his Daddy whelps up like that when he gets bitten.  And just a few weeks before ME had been bitten by something outside, and we had to give her benadryl because her whole ankle swelled and turned red.  I was kicking myself for leaving the Benadryl at home.  I packed all the kid medicines and thermometer and nose drops just like I always do when we travel, but I looked at the Benadryl and thought, "Surely we won't need that."  Seriously, I looked at it, but decided not to bring it because it didn't fit neatly in the ziplock with the other tylenol and cough medicine.  So, I didn't know what to do.  I knew we had to leave and do something.  We were 20 minutes from even a Walgreens, and I didn't know if he could even have Benadryl.  I didn't wake Pa up, because I didn't want to scare him.  I didn't want to take off and scare everyone else, but I didn't know where they had gone on the gator.  They could be anywhere over 40 acres, or they could have driven over to Cole's house.  I decided that if I didn't see them on my way out, that I would just have to come back for Mama and ME later, but I had to get Rhett out of there.  I didn't see them anywhere, but Cole's house is on the way so I stopped there and found them.  Immediately Mama said that it was an allergic reaction.  I sent them back to Nanny and Pa's and took Rhett inside so Jenn could look at him...she just finished nursing school.  She said it looked like an allergic reaction too.  I called Walgreens, and the pharmacist said I would have to call my pediatrician about giving him Benadryl.  I put Rhett back in the car and called Children's Medical Group on our way back to Nanny and Pa's to get Mama and Mary Ella.  I missed their call as I was putting ME in her carseat.  Crap!  I was starting to get frazzled!  I knew if it wasn't bug bites and it was an allergic reaction that he could stop breathing.  It was between 4:30 and 5:00, so I called back and then the after hours nurse called me back.  I will say, that from the beginning amoxicillin was in the conversation, but it went something like this.  "He's taking amoxicillin for an ear infection, but he was on it about a month ago with no problems.  And he's on day 7 of this round."  Who would have thought it could be that?  So, in my mind I was moving on to the next thing...what could he be allergic too?  I sooo wish that nurse right then and there would have told me not to give him any more amoxicillin because he could be having an allergic reaction to that.  But she didn't.  She said he could have a 1/4 teaspoon of Benadryl.  So, driving to Walgreens all I can think about is how this is why I choose the convenience of living in town.  Walgreens is right there, and Dr. Smith is in our backyard.  If we were home we would have been in his office already.  I felt better after I got the Benadryl in him, and Mama told me to buy some topical cream for the rash.  Cole and Jenn came over for supper, and ME and Rhett were their happy and entertaining selves.  I kept going over in my mind what Rhett could have been exposed to...it could be anything because basically everything was new to him.  Here are a few things going through my mind:

• the cat and dog in my mom's house
• the kittens
• Mama's lotion
• Nanny's bed
• 2 couches in Nanny and Pa's house
• the blanket in the floor
• anything outside on the porch
• Brayden had strep throat and we didn't know it when we were around him on Thursday
• he had gotten another round of vaccinations on Tuesday

I was wracking my brain!  I gave him his bottle and put him to bed like usual.  And before the bottle I gave him another dose of amoxicillin.  I stayed up and visited with Jenn and Cole and waited to give him another dose of Benadryl before I went to bed.  We didn't bring the pack and play, so he was sleeping with me anyway.  I could tell by the light of my cell phone that he didn't look any better.  And that was Monday...

Mother's Day 2012

I decided at the last minute to go to my mom's for Mother's Day.  So after the birthday party on Saturday, the kids and I packed up and headed west.  We got there in time to meet Cole and Jenn for supper in Hope, and then we unloaded for what I thought would be a few fun-filled days in the country.  I had to be back to host a shower at my house on Sunday, and then Rhett had his 6 month portraits scheduled the following Monday.  Well, none of the next few days went as planned.  But the actual Sunday of Mother's Day was really special.  I got to worship at the Patmos Church of Christ with Cole, Jenn, Mama, Nanny, and Pa, and the two sweetest babies that made me the luckiest mom in the world! 


These pictures were taken outside of the church in Patmos.  I think the population sign says maybe 82 for that town, but the church is still thriving there.  I like to claim it as one of my home churches because I spent so much time there when I was growing up.

After church we all went to Stamps and ate fish at the Get n Go.  I thought it was a pretty unique idea until we showed up and saw how crowded it was.  We actually had to wait for a table!  The fish was good, but I have to say the best thing about the meal was dessert...fried chocolate and fried blackberry pies.  Yum!

Dear God,

Thank you so much for all the moms you have blessed me with in this life to learn from.  From my mom to Brad's mom, from grandmothers to aunts, from sisters-in-law to sisters-in-Christ, from friends to friends' moms.  I would like to give You the glory and them some of the thanks in showing me what it means to be a Christian mother.  And thank You most of all for entrusting me with these two beautiful and pure and precious souls for a little while.  I truly take this job as a privilege and honor, as my purpose in life.  If I succeed in any other area, but fail as a mother, what good have I done?  Please don't let me fail them.  Please don't let me fail You or fail to show You to them.  I feel closer to You because of them.  As I serve them, I feel like I'm serving You more than I ever have...and their children and their children.  It is the only way I know to leave a worthy piece of myself behind on this Earth.  Please help me impact the outcome of their souls.  Being a mom is such a humbling experience.  I am constantly second-guessing and feeling insecurity and guilt because of choices I make as a mom.  But, please help me make the big ones count...the ones that really matter.  And please keep me humble.  It reminds me that I don't have all the answers, but You do.  Help me to seek and find those answers.  Please help me to teach the way You would have me to teach, discipline the way You would have me to discipline, give the way You give, forgive the way You forgive.  And please, please let me love them like You have loved me. 

In Jesus's name,

Amen 

27 Weeks

27 Weeks Old



This is his "I'm looking through you and trying not to smile" face.

This week was a busy week at home.  We finished another week of swim lessons, had Rhett's 6 month check-up (where we found out he had another ear infection), played outside alot, and went to the Canton Flea Market with Susan, Brayden, and Carson.  Crazy taking 2 double strollers, I know, but I think Susan got a good feel for what it's all about.  And I found exactly what I was looking for, 2 blue frames for my kids' newborn pictures for my kitchen.  I love everything Rustic Creations makes!  I'll post pictures of them once they're filled and hung!



I love all of Rhett's silly faces!  They way he bites and drools I keep looking and looking for teeth, but he's still all gums! 

Wednesday, we were supposed to have a picnic at the park after swim lessons, but it had been raining, so we came home and took lunch out on the patio.

Please excuse our ghetto fabulous hot tub cover.  Ours is leaking and needs to be replaced, but instead we covered it with a tarp.  Those things are expensive!  And no, we didn't buy the hot tub to begin with...we negotiated it into the contract.  The people living here before us bought it brand new and never even used it.  Who spends $7,000 on a fancy hot tub, and never even hooks it up?  We enjoy it being on our back patio, but I think it may be more trouble than it's worth.  I think Brad has spent more time draining and cleaning and treating it than he actually has spent IN it!  Anyway, the steps are useful for picnic-ing too!



More funny faces

After lunch that day, I decided it was time for a Mother's Day art project!



Why are we painting our hands?



To make a Mother's Day flowers, of course!



The finished product, one for Gigi and one for Mia



And look who can read "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" to her baby brother!

These pictures make Mommy's heart melt!  Seriously, my mommy/teacher heart could die happy!

On Saturday, I took ME to Addison's 3rd birthday party at Pump it Up.  She finally got the courage to climb up and go down the big slides by herself.  You can see much fun was had by her sweaty, sweaty head!


Miles, Kayleigh Mae, and Addison

Can't believe our babies are turning 3!!!

Rhett and Rice Cereal



I think you can tell how Rhett felt about his first taste of food.

Actually Rhett's first taste of food was a while back....Papa gave him a bite of gravy at Cracker Barrel.  Ha!  And Daddy did give him a bite of mashed potatoes one night at supper.  I'm more of a stick to the rules and only introduce a new food every few days kind of mom.  Especially after what we have been through recently.  I know I'm all behind on the blog, and I'll just fill you in on the details of our life I'm sure you're anxiously waiting to hear in chronological order ;)  But we had some major drama almost 2 weeks ago when Rhett had a severe allergic reaction to penicillin.  It was seriously scary.  So I will be on pins and needles for a while as we introduce any new substance of any kind to this little guy!

Poor thing got more on him than he did in his tummy.  These were taken right after he turned 6 months old.  It has taken him a while to catch on, despite the fact that it would appear as if he is a little piggy, but he is liking it much better now.