Ben & Joanna's Online Journal

We received confirmation today at my third ultrasound that we are definitely having another boy. I am 32 weeks today and my Doctor wanted to check on the baby’s growth progress. Our newest baby boy is doing well and according to the ultrasound tech’s prediction he is right on track to be about 7 – 7 1/2 lbs when he is born. I have never had an ultrasound this far along – it was a different but good experience. Poor little guy looks so cramped in there! The ultrasound pictures and video never represent clearly what we get to see during the ultrasound, but the tech did manage to capture this gem:

Those lips are identical to Jonah’s when he is stretching his out to give kisses. In many of the pictures I could see the baby’s strong resemblance to both Elijah and Jonah. Just 8 more weeks and we will be able to see and hold our newest, precious, little boy…we can’t wait!!

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Today is Jonah’s birthday. He is 3 years old!! It’s hard to believe 3 years have gone by already. He is getting so tall and looking so mature- losing his baby look. I am sure when the new baby comes Jonah will seem so big, but for now we can still treat him like our little goo-goo! I am not ready to let that go just yet.

This morning Elijah asked Jonah what he wants for his birthday, to which Jonah replied -three cakes. So three cakes it will be (or rather just a bunch of cupcakes) – my boys are easy to please ; ).

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Earlier today Elijah keep himself very busy with drawing on the whiteboard. He finished with this little gem. Here is his drawing of the cast of

SpongeBob SquarePants

(From Left to Right: Plankton, SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs)

I thought he did a pretty good job!!

Family

Last Friday Elijah came home from school looking like this…

(A few days before this the boys were playing a fun game of holding hands while alternating who got to jump up while the other dropped down, and Jonah knocked Elijah’s front tooth loose when his head hit Elijah’s mouth during mid-jump)

Before going to a Fall Festival later that evening Jonah assisted his big brother with knocking the tooth out. He accidentally kicked Elijah in the face while they were both sitting on the couch watching their favorite cartoon, Sponge Bob-Square Pants. So, Elijah now looks like this…

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Today I met with Elijah’s 1st grade teacher for the anticipated Parent/Teacher conference to discuss his progress in school so far. It went very well! I am very proud of our boy! He is doing great in all areas, especially reading and writing. A momma likes to hear all the good things her baby is accomplishing.

I am glad I got to meet with his teacher, because my impression of her has now changed. In the beginning she seemed to be extremely hard on the children. Too hard. Some days Elijah would be very nervous to go to school for fear he was going to get in trouble for not doing or saying things right. Not too long ago he was in tears since he could not find a little apple book he made out of cut paper. He thought he had to return it to class and he was frantic searching the house. We never found the book, so I wrote his teacher a note hoping that would soften his punishment. He never got in trouble…but as any protective parent watching their son crying because he was scared what his teacher would do, I wasn’t sure if I liked his teacher very much.

Mrs. Perry admitted she was harder on the children in the beginning of the school year to establish the “rules”, but I think things are more relaxed now. Turns out she is very sweet and from her comments today, I can tell she is a very caring teacher.

Family

Last week I received positive confirmation via ultrasound that I am indeed pregnant. Our new addition should be arriving in mid-March 2010. I was in my 12th week when the ultrasound pictures shown below were captured. I am now currently in my 13th week and still have not gained the energy I once had and took for granted.

I must admit I have known for several weeks now and both Ben and I were stunned by this completely unexpected “development”. However, there was no denying it after many, many pregnancy tests, bouts of morning sickness, unpredictable moodiness, and complete lack of ability to complete normal daily functions without having to sit down (or lay down) and rest.

Elijah is beyond excited for another baby in the family. He is hoping for a baby sister. So far Jonah is indifferent, but we are sure he is not ready to give up the benefits of still being the “baby”. Though, he does kiss my belly when we ask him where the baby is. In turn he wants us to kiss his belly, because he thinks he has a baby in his belly too. We can’t fault a two year old for not knowing how things really work.

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Yesterday marked the last day of Elijah’s first week of 1st grade. I’m sure as with most schools the Elementary school he is attending has been going pretty easy on the children for the first week; the workload in class is very light and he hasn’t had homework so far. So Elijah is thinking 1st grade is a breeze. However, we parents know it will only get harder as the year progresses. Only slightly harder I think since it is still only 1st grade, but for a 6 year old it may get challenging at times.

He was very happy to have a few of his kindergarten classmates join him in his 1st grade class. And he really likes his teacher Mrs. Perry. He said she talks calmly like Mrs. Young. I give Elementary teachers a lot of credit. They sure have an abundance of patience!

Here are some pictures of Elijah on the first day of 1st grade.

I'm leaving, on a school bus, don't know when I'll be back again!

Raiding mothers gum......always!

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Friday May 22nd was Elijah’s last day of Kindergarten. Yay!!  Unfortunately, he was unable to go to school to celebrate.

On Tuesday night Elijah started complaining about a sore throat and on Wednesday morning he woke up with a high fever.  He continued to have a fever (low-grade and high) on and off, however he was getting a lot of rest on Wednesday and Thursday and we hoped that he would be able to go to school on Friday.  I am such a worrier, but I figured he probably had a cold (or flu) so of course I gave him Motrin and Tylenol every 3 to 6 hours, kept him sipping water, gave him lots of hugs, and applied the necessary cool wash clothes to comfort him and bring his temperature down.  By Thursday afternoon Elijah was acting like he felt SO much better and he told me his throat wasn’t hurting that much.  I had even called his teacher Thursday night and told her Elijah was feeling much better and we couldn’t wait for us all to attend his Kindergarten graduation celebration Friday morning.  Sadly his sore throat persisted and by Friday morning around 6 am he had a 103.2 temperature. 

Later on that afternoon I stopped by Elijah’s school to pick up his things and drop off a present for Elijah’s teacher (an apron we made that says # 1 Teacher with an apple logo made in vinyl). After briefly speaking with a school administrator I found out strep throat was going around the school.  Of course I immediately called his Pediatrician’s office and managed to get him in right away.  Surprisingly he protested and insisted he was fine.  He really did not want to go to see Dr. Hodson.  He was so apprehensive. —I am not sure where this started from, but Elijah gets so worried when he has to go to see a Doctor.  For some reason he is afraid we will have to leave him there.  (It may be related to Jonah’s stay in the hospital).—

SURE ENOUGH he has strep.  AND we found out Saturday morning after discovering hives and a red rash on his hands and feet – Elijah is allergic to Amoxicillin.  He is now on another antibiotic and he is doing so much better.

I feel so bad he had to miss the last few days of Kindergarten.  Thankfully his WONDERFUL teacher Mrs. Young provided him with a Kindergarten Memory book chalked full of pictures and special memories from the school year.  She even gave him a CD full of pictures of his classmates. There is no wonder why she was name TEACHER OF THE YEAR.  I only wish she could be his 1st grade teacher too!

Here’s to a fun and HEALTHY summer!!!

Family

Elijah has been enjoying his time off from school this week.  Today marks the last day of his spring break…tomorrow we are back to early rising, 8 pm bedtime, and working on homework. On Thursday and Friday I took time off from work and planned some “getting out of the house” fun.

Thursday afternoon Jill, Caleb, My parents, Ben, Elijah, Jonah, and I all went to the Indianapolis Zoo.  We arrived at the Zoo around 2:15 pm which gave us about 2 hours to walk around and take in the Zoo sights before it closed and before Ben had to leave to get to work on time.  I think I was more excited than the kids!

This Zoo visit was special for many reasons:  1. It was one of the first nice days this year (70 degrees and sunny).  2.  I am normally working and Elijah is normally in school, so we cannot go during the week.  3.  My Dad had never been to the Indianapolis Zoo, this was his first time experience.  4. We usually don’t have this large of a group going to and enjoying the zoo together.

When we pulled into the parking lot we were amazed at how many cars were there.  True to Indiana life, the first nice days draws the Indiana residents out in droves. From the looks of how full the parking lot was, we thought the Zoo would be crammed full of people.  Much to our surprise it was not bad at all.  There is a lot of spread-out space once you get in there.  There were a few occasions when we had to squeeze by people to see an animal or two, but for the most part we did not have trouble viewing and enjoying the animals and beautiful surroundings.

We walked our normal route. First seeing the sea lions, seals, penguins, and petting the sharks.

Next we checked out the polar bear and walruses.  Then, we went into the “Desert Pavilion” to look at the lizards, meerkats, turtles, and snakes.

We took a small break at the playground area so the boys could run off some energy and enjoy a snack. After which we entered the “Plains” exhibits to see the giraffes, lions, rhinoceroses, baboons (with a cute little baby baboon showing off for the crowd), and elephants.

As always the visit felt rushed. Every time we go to the Zoo we wish we had more time to check out all the exhibits.  There is always next TIME!  We had a very enjoyable time.  Good exercise, great sights, and GREAT company!

Later on that evening Elijah, Jonah, My parents and I enjoyed a delectable pizza/pasta/salad bar/desert buffet at Cici’s Pizza. I was surprised at how good the food was and how reasonably priced it is. The Manager was very nice and said he would make any pizza upon request. We will definitely go back and enjoy some family outings there in the near future. Next time I am going to think up a crazy concoction for the pizza chef to make!

Friday Elijah and I met up with Taryn (my neighbor and good friend) and her 3 year old daughter Kendyl to go see “Monsters vs. Aliens”. Before heading to the theater we stopped at Walmart to pick up some candy to sneak into the theater. I can’t bare to pay $4-plus at the movie theater for the same box of candy you can get at Walmart for $1-$2. Taryn and I spent about $20 dollars between the two of us in candy, gum, wheat/cheese crackers, and bottled water. We stashed all our goodies in Taryn’s tote and laughed at how heavy it was. We arrived in time to see the 2 pm showing, but due to distractions from our children we both mistakenly purchased tickets for the 2:30 pm showing. I guess we were too busy enjoying a good conversation and shoving candy and popcorn into our mouths to notice we purchased the wrong tickets only right when the previews/trailers started.

The movie was really cute. Elijah enjoyed it a lot. Kendyl seemed to like the movie up to about 15 minutes before it ended, to which she loudly yells, “Mom, is the movie over yet? Can we go home?” Perhaps the movie was a little too long for a 3 year old.

I am very grateful to have this special time with Elijah and enjoy the special time on Thursday at the Zoo with all the family!!!

Family

In an effort to rule out food and environmental allergies as possible triggers for Jonah’s seizures, his Doctor ordered allergy testing via blood tests.

Last Monday I took Jonah to a nearby lab to get his blood drawn. The lab techs were very kind and gentle. They tried their hardest to find a vein on Jonah’s arms and hands to draw blood from. After one unsuccessful try his vein rolled. The ladies asked me to bring him back the next day.

On Tuesday, soon after finishing work, I brought Jonah back to the lab and let the ladies try again. This time they searched and searched for a vein, all the while Jonah was helping them by squeezing his fists and poking his arm (the inside bends) with his index fingers extended; mimicking what the lab techs were doing. The ladies were smitten by him and did not want to poke him with the needle unless they were absolutely sure they would be successful. After 20 minutes or so, they apologized profusely and told me they could not find a good enough vein. They suggested I take him over to a sister lab at the Community South hospital where they were equipped with smaller needles, and if necessary a Pediatric nurse could help draw his blood.

Later on that evening I headed over to the hospital lab with Jonah, Elijah, and my mother in tow. We got called back and two older women (their name tags read Beth and Shirley) surrounded Jonah and I, and they started surveying his arms and hands. After finding a slight indication of a vein, they too pricked him with a needle and again his vein moved. DANG!

The lab tech said she did not want to try anymore and told me to come back on Wednesday. After a quick call, the Pediatrics department said they were too busy to help and she was giving up. Though I did not want my baby to have to endure any more of this, I explained to her my insurance coverage dictations, and asked that they try again. Reluctantly Beth left the room and after 5 minutes time she returned with a not so happy Shirley.

Beth held Jonah’s arm and Shirley poked around until she found a semi-suitable vein. With one fell swoop she DID IT, she found the vein and started to draw blood. The relief I felt was quickly squashed when Beth and Shirley start tsking. The blood flow had slowed to a drip and they were making comments quietly to each other that this vial would not be enough. As Shirley removed the needle she directs her comment to me. In a pessimistic inflection she said, “Well, I guess we will submit this and see if this will be enough”. The skepticism in her voice said otherwise.

While I was consoling my sobbing baby, I was taken aback by her tone and disgruntled look on her face. All I could muster was a thank you to the women for trying. Sympathetically Beth replies by saying something like “You’re welcome” and “I hope it will be enough”. Bluntly Shirley replies, “Mom – I am not going to poke him again, you really need to let him have a break”. WOW! I really did not know what to make of her comments. She was NOT treating me with the kindness and understanding normally shown by medical professionals.

My mind was screaming out, “I REALLY do not want my baby to go through this. REALLY! I was shocked, and instead I could not mutter anything in my defense. I just stood up, grabbed my things and ushered my crew out the door.

My mother wouldn’t let it go and immediately started asking me over and over again, “Do you think it will be enough?” Almost in tears, I replied with frustration, “I don’t know”. I was not going to have them try again and would rather scrap having the allergy tests done than make Jonah go through this all over again. As we headed out the door, my mother went back to confirm if they got a successful draw. In a far off voice I hear Beth say in a reassuring tone that they did get enough, not to worry.

As I breathe out I feel relief and I released my hurt caused just moments before from the unkind technician. She may have had a bad day and didn’t realize she was being uncaring. Or she wanted the last draw for the day to be simple, not for an unsuspecting, smiling, 2 year old boy with elusive veins.

I hope these tests do what they are intended for and rule out more things that would and could cause Jonah’s seizures.

On the way home we stopped and picked up four shiny Mylar balloons. (Jonah’s most FAVORITE things.) Balloons and some candy from Grandma returned his smile!

Look I'm Smiling Mom

Family