Update on Joy

Joy had her baby, Nathaniel at 4:18pm today. His heart was beating but he never took a breath. He is now in the loving arms of Jesus. Pray that God would be especially close to Joy and Wes and the whole family during this time. Now begins the healing process, physically and emotionally. Their oldest son Darren is taking it very hard. It's not easy for a little boy to lose a Grandpa 3 months ago and now his brother.

I love to play!

Hello again! I thought I'd post a little today because we are leaving tomorrow to go north for a week. Evan is doing much better now that he is taking the medication for reflux. He ate 20 ounce yesterday so we are slowly getting back up to where he should be. He is also much happier and not really crying during his feedings anymore. He spent the day with Grandma and Grandpa White yesterday so I could get the house cleaned and everything packed for our trip. These are some pictures they took. He loves to play on his little Baby Einstein activity mat! He is starting to reach out for the toys that are hanging down. The bottom picture is one where he was so excited he was squealing. That's his version of laughing right now! He smiles so much and I don't think it will be long before he figures out how to laugh. I spoke my Dad earlier today and the latest on my cousin Joy is that she is in labor. They took a liter and a half of amniotic fluid off yesterday and the doctor felt that it would be best just to get the labor process started. We should know later today what is going to happen to the little guy. Pray that the doctors have wisdom and that the family would feel God's peace in this situation. If I find out more later today I will try and give a quick update.

Update on Evan

Hi! I don't know why , but when I published the update on Evan it posted under August 25th. I actually posted it Monday, August 27. You'll have to scroll down to read it. Sorry!

Two months old!

Evan turned two months old yesterday. He weighs exactly 10 lbs now. We're finally in the 0-3 month clothes! He is doing really well with sleeping at night. He takes his last bottle at 10:45pm and sleeps from then until 7am. He had his first cold this past week. Justin and I both had a cold two weeks ago so it finally caught up with Evan. He did pretty good at not being too fussy. It has really affected his appetite though. He has gone from eating 24-26 ounces a day to eating 19-22 ounces. Monday I'll call the pedi and have him take a look. Just to make sure we're not brewing anything else. For the first day or two of it he didn't smile too much and slept a lot. He's now back to smiling at us and squealing at London. He sure does love that toy! August 30 we leave for a trip north. We will be in IN until Sunday visiting with Justin's Dad and his wife. On Sunday we head over to Cincinnati to spend a few days with my sister, her family and my parents. It worked out that my parents could make the trip to OH so we'll all get to be together for a few days! We are looking forward to seeing everyone! The pictures are just some that we took today. I apologize for the fact that the bottom one is blurry. This is a picture of Evan's new favorite way to take his afternoon nap. Grandma White got him this wonderfully soft "swaddler" and he's in his swing. Mommy's not real good at getting a clear picture of a moving object yet!

Update on Evan

Well, we took Evan to the pediatrician this morning and hopefully within a few days he'll be feeling a little better. Almost right away when Dr Harvey heard the symptoms said acid reflux. Thus the reason for Evan fighting us when he's eating. Dr Harvey said this is usually the age when babies develop it and that within a few days of starting the medication he should be feeling much better. We sure hope so as we have a long trip on Thursday! Yesterday we struggled to get Evan to drink even 18 ounces when he had been taking 24-26 ounces a day last week. You can tell the poor thing just isn't feeling well which is really hard when there is nothing you can do!

Update- From my sisiter's blog.

Update on Joy (Keefer) McDonald
I don't have much information but Joy went to the hospital yesterday, was sent home and told to come back this morning. From what I understand she has filled up with amniotic fluid to the point that she's measuring full term even though she's not due until October and they believe the baby is only 1 1/2 lbs. Because of three previous C-sections there is some concern of a rupture. Pray that the Dr's involved are given wisdom to know how to proceed. My aunt and uncle (John and Faithe Keefer) arrived in TN this afternoon and are with her. As soon as I get an update I will post. Thank you for your prayers for Joy, Wes, their children, and the entire family during a very stressful time.

My Favorite Toy!

Grandma White came home the other day with a new toy for Evan. His name is London and he is a white puppy with black spots. Evan is completely fascinated with him. He looks at him and smiles. Yesterday he cooed at him for nearly half an hour! Because he's black and white Evan can see him really well. Evan has also decided he likes Mommy's blanket! That's the blanket that is in both backgrounds. The blanket is a gift from Daddy while Mommy was pregnant. It is incredibly soft and fluffy! He loves to lay on it and play.

Prayer Request

I am copying a post that my sister put up on her blog for those of you who don't see her blog. I apologize to those of you who also read her blog. This has been heavy on my heart though and I felt it was important. Our cousin Joy needs special prayer right now.


"To those of you who "stop by" and know my cousin, Joy (Keefer) McDonald from your Hobe Sound days. She was/is expecting a little boy this October. In April she began having some complications and through testing found that the little guy has a fatal type of skeletal dysplasia. His little chest cavity hasn't grown much at all causing the lungs to be underdeveloped. This is just one of many problems have developed. As long as he's getting oxygen from the umbilical cord he's doing pretty good. The problem is babies don't stay put forever. The update from my aunt and mom today is that the doctors believe that Joy is going to deliver within the next two weeks. Barring a miracle the child will not survive delivery and if he does will only live a short time. To those of you who are mother's you know how heart wrenching it would be to prepare for the birth of a child at the same time you are preparing for that child's death. Joy and her family need a lot of prayer. Some of you know that her father- in- law was killed in a tragic accident in March and Joy's husband (Wes) has stepped into the place his father had filled as the pastor of their church. They will need God's sustaining grace to help them through the next few weeks and months. While very thankful for the three healthy children they do have, the loss will still be great. Please keep them in your prayers."


I spoke with my mom earlier today and she said that Joy would like to have the baby naturally so she can at least hold her son for awhile.

Smile!

Evan has started smiling a lot! In fact, he has learned that when you smile you can get some really great reactions! It is so cute the way he'll look at you and then slowly get a grin that goes from ear to ear! If he could laugh I think he would. Instead he has taken to squealing!:) He has also discovered his fist! He likes to suck/chew on it while watching his DVD. It's amazing how fast he is learning new things! Mommy is still trying to figure out how to teach him to nap. He will have one day a week where he will take three naps. The rest of the week we are lucky if he sleeps for a total of 3 hours during the day! I'm sure he will catch on eventually.

Trouble Posting!

Hello everyone! I'm having trouble posting anything let alone with pictures! I apologize that's it's been so long! I'm trying to get it straightened out. As soon as I do I will post!

Our little gangster!

Evan has really started responding to us this past week. Smiling and cooing with a few squeals added for good measure! He is starting to sleep 6-7 hours a night before needing a bottle. It amazes us how quickly he is changing! The picture on the top is of Evan "talking " to Grandma Slagenweit. He likes to hear people talk even if he can't see them. The second picture is just one I snapped while he was napping yesterday. The shirt says "Dad thinks he's in charge". My Aunt Faye got him that shirt. The bottom picture is the reason for the title. Justin had Evan in our room yesterday and I suddenly heard Justin laughing and Evan squealing. I, of course, came running to see what the commotion was about! Justin had his hat on Evan and apparently they both got a kick out of it!:) We are definitely having fun with him. It's so nice that he has started to enjoy music and toys. Thanks Marianne for the Sunday School Songs CD! He really seems fascinated with it.

Five Weeks Old!

It's hard to believe how quickly time goes by! Evan turned five weeks old this past Sunday. We had an appointment with the pediatrician yesterday and the latest stats are: weight 9lbs 6ozs and 22 inches long. The doctor is pleased with his growth so far. His advice to us was to keep doing what we're doing. He also said that we can let Evan sleep as long as he wants to at night now. Music to Mommy's ears!:) He is now taking his last bottle at 11pm and sleeping until 4:30-5:00am. He eats every 3 hours during the day. He is a little fussy today from the shot he got yesterday, but for the most part he is an extremely content little boy. The top picture is of Evan's new favorite sleeping position. Exactly how his cousin Allan slept as a baby! The bottom picture is just a recent picture that we took. The shirt says, "Daddy's got my back".

Meeting the Family!

While my parents were here we went to Hobe Sound to visit family. My brother Jonathan and his wife Tonya, as well as two of my aunts and their families. The top picture is my brother and his wife. The bottom picture is Janelle and Janette with Evan . They are my Aunt Faye's girls.

Pappy and Grandma Slagenweit's Visit

We were blessed to have my parents come when Evan was two weeks old and stay for 12 days. They kept him at night so Mommy and Daddy could get caught up on sleep. During the time they were here we tried to establish a good night time schedule even though Evan was already somewhat on a schedule. I think Pappy and Grandma both had to catch up on their sleep when they went home! The bottom two pictures are how Evan took his afternoon nap while they were here. I think he still misses those cuddle times! It was such a huge blessing to have them here and I know that I felt very rested when they left. Thanks Mom and Dad! We love you!