Easter 2011

Our Lord is risen! Rejoice! We kicked off Easter this year with 8am mass at Holy Cross; a great service as always. Then home for our traditional Easter breakfast (hard boiled eggs, turkey kielbasa and homemade cinnamon rolls) and an egg hunt. We decided not to do the 'Easter Bunny' thing, but to still enjoy an egg hunt. Later we headed to Grandma and Grandpa's where we were joined by the rest of the 'Doug' Faulkner crew and cousin Jena. The girls got to enjoy a second egg hunt and had fun playing with everyone. It was a nice afternoon. Hope everyone's Easter was just as lovely!

Dying Easter eggs on Friday afternoon.

Reagan was much more interested in eating candy then finding eggs. Her sister was sweet to share some of the eggs she found.

Katya was VERY into the hunt! She didn't eat much candy til later in the day.

Waiting for the egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa's!

Cousins enjoying Easter together.

Reagan found one!

The 3 year olds.

Addison looking cute.

Great Grandpa Al and baby Paige.

30 weeks

I am into the third trimester now and excited to be in this last stretch of pregnancy.  I am having lots of discomforts that come along with this stage but I am feeling pretty positive overall (especially since my uterus has not been so irritable lately:-)).  I know that in hindsight, 10 weeks will go by fast, and I am excited to start the 'waiting' game of anticipating labor.  My midwife asked at my last appointment if I have thought about my hopes for labor and delivery and I told her I very much want a water birth.  I regret not having them set up the tub when I was laboring with Reagan, though I was more ambivalent about the water birth then.  Now having experienced a drug free childbirth I really want the same, but in the water for delivery.  I know that every labor can be different so I am not counting on things to go as fast and smooth as with Reagan, but one can hope:-)  I was happy to learn that they have streamlined the water birth set up and they should have a room ready for me with a tub already set up when we get to the hospital.  All they will have to do is fill the tub which takes about 20-30mins (the nurse will need to monitor baby's heart rate during that time anyways).

It feels harder to breath these days with this growing baby pressing against my diaphragm and rib cage.  She is definitely getting stronger!  Her movements are noticeably stronger and hurt at times.  I have heartburn when I lay down, mild insomnia and I'm getting up 2-3x a night to pee.  I have been having a pain in my right glute for a while now but on Tuesday it was much worse.  It radiates up to my lower back and down my leg, hurting worse when I lay or turn a certain way.  I got my exercises ball out a few weeks ago and I am starting to stretch at least once a day.  I was really good about stretching prior to Reagan's birth (20-30 mins a day for 2 months).  I like having something to do that is actively preparing my body for the big event. 

The girls and I all woke up with bad head colds Monday morning.  The girls have had it for a while but have taken a turn for the worse.  No fun.  I am anticipating Reagan's MRI next Wednesday.  I am trying to plan out our morning, full of distractions since she cannot have any food or drink before the test.  Katya is excited to spend the morning with the Godfrey's and I am so thankful that they can help me out.  We have a follow up with the Pediatric Orthopedic doctor on Thursday the 5th, after which we should have some news on her leg.  We will be seeing the same physician who took care of Katya's broken leg and we really liked him.

Easter photos coming tomorrow!  Lots of love, Brenda    

Reagan's leg

At Reagan's 2yr well child check I asked our new Pediatrician about the mass on her left lower leg.  It has been there, seemingly unchanged for well over a year.  We thought it was a weird calf muscle that would adjust as her legs straighten out once she got to walking.  Not so.  The Dr thought it felt cystic (fluid filled) and after having another Dr look at it, and consulting with Radiology, she ordered an ultrasound.  The ultrasound was on Tuesday and showed a 4x6cm mass, with some fluid and some tissue.  It is not attached to the bone and has some, but not a ton of blood flow.  This was fairly inconclusive and so our Dr consulted with a Pediatric Orthopedic specialist and they want a MRI.  The MRI will give them a much better idea of what they are dealing with and if a biopsy is necessary.  It sounds like if it is to be surgically removed, the Orth guys/gals will be the ones to do it.  Her MRI is scheduled for May 4th.  It will be done under sedation, obviously you can't get a 2 year old to stay still long enough for the test. 

So far, none of the people we talked to are overly concerned because it has been there for so long.  Dr. Burk said that it would be very unusual for a malignant tumor to be hanging out unchanged on her leg for so long.  But of course Craig and I are a freaked out with the possibility.  No one has mentioned the 'C' word but us, being the worst thing we can imagine.  Since we know very little at this point we are trying not to worry too much, though that is not always easy.  My fears creep in at random times during the day, like when I was tucking my baby into to bed last night.  Even surgical removal of a benign mass seems kind of awful to me.  I don't want her to have to go through any of this.  Please keep Reagan in your prayers.  Love, Brenda 

Happy Birthday Grant!!

Oops!  I thought today was the 17th, but that was yesterday!  Well my darling nephew Grant is 3 years old now!  Wow how time flies.  We love you Grant!!

Addison's 3 year old photo shoot

Too many cute pictures! Enjoy!

These next three are my favorites!

Mystery Solved??!!

Some readers already know that I have been suffering from some sort of 'bites' for several months now.  At first I suspected fleas, though we have never seen any physical evidence of fleas.  After getting Levi on a flea and tick medication and treating some carpet with Borax, the extremely itchy bites did not go away.  I thought maybe bed bugs (gross) or dust mites (gross) but nothing quite fit and measures I have taken to eliminate these possibilities have not worked.  The itching can be pretty bad at times, usually worse at night, and even wakes me up sometimes.  I have wondered if it could have something to do with my pregnancy (a couple of surface Google searches turned up nothing), but they seem much more like bug bites.  Well.  A few nights ago I was reading my Maternity & Women's Health text book and low and behold, in a table listing discomforts of pregnancy was the term "pruritis" (itching).  Next to it described 'papular and non-papular, pruuitis rash.'  So back to Google I went and this time I found something plausable.  What I kept seeing was an uncommon (less than 1% of pregnant women) rash shortened to PUPPP but the decription did not quite fit.  Then, as I continued reading an article on babycenter.com, I found this: "Even more rare than PUPPP is a skin condition called prurigo of pregnancy (or papular eruptions of pregnancy), which is characterized by many tiny bumps that may look like bug bites."  This fits!  I am now pretty convinced that this is what it is.  I will ask my midwives about it next time I am in.  It is such a relief to have finally figured it out!  I always wondered in the back of my mind if it would go away after I have this baby.

Today marks 28 weeks and the beginning of the 3rd trimester.  Still a long ways to go but the light seems a bit brighter, and the tunnel not quite so long:-)  Thanks for all the love and support! 

Reagan's photo shoot continued

Welcome Baby Paige!!

After a VERY long and difficult labor, Eryn delived a healthy baby girl this afternoon!  Paige was born at 2:42pm; weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and 20.5 inches long.  I don't have a lot of details but it sounds like mom and baby are doing fine.  Congratulations to the proud parents!!

Reagan's 2 yr photo shoot

I am pretty happy with Reagan's 2 year photos! The problem is there are so many cute ones! Here is the first batch. Yes, there are some more to come. I will be printing favorites for our sybllings, parents and grandparents so start thinking about what pose you would like.