Wheeler Family Blog

January 2011, already?

2011-01-19T09:39:00.000-05:00

Well here we are in 2011! I am so very excited because I found an APP for my IPhone for this blog!! I can now keep it up to date again!! It has been about 8 months since our last post, can't believe it!

Addi had her palate repaired on 9/27/10 and it is amazing to see inside her little mouth to see what they did!! Dr.Meara was amazing and we can't thank him enough! Addi's speech seems a little slower then Tommy was at her age, but it was expected. I have made a call to Early Intervention to get her evaluated!! I can't wait to hear what they have to offer in terms of suggestions to get her on track with speech. She is now saying momma and dadda and we couldn't be more proud to hear her say those words!!

Tommy turned 9 in November, WOW, 9?!?! One of his amazing birthday gifts is a trip to Florida with his Auntie Suzy and Uncle Matt and his two cousins. He leaves on Friday 1/21, which is only a few days away! We have had a day off for MLK day and then a snow day Tuesday and today was a 2 hour delay! Last week we also had a snow day and two hour delay. These kids are so lucky to get all these snow days!

Addi turned ONE on 12/17, and we just can't believe we made it through the first year!! It was a struggle, tough at times, but ever so rewarding!! This journey with her began in August 2009 and we made it so far in the last year and a half! When we first received her diagnosis there was fear, upset, anger and resentment that we were given this deck of cards to deal with BUT now those feelings soon changed to acceptance, happiness and most of all love for a little girl who taught us that we can get through just about anything T-O-G-E-T-H-E-R as a team and as a family.... She is amazing!!

We are truly blessed with TWO amazing kids!!!

Xoxoxo
Jenn, Tim, Tommy & Addison!

Spring oh Spring, where are you??

2010-05-11T20:17:00.000-04:00

Well we are now in May and although we thought Spring was here, it has been too cold for my liking! May is a busy month for our family. There is Mother's Day, lots of Birthdays, our anniversary, Addison's 3rd surgery, and I have to finish preparing for my baby sister's wedding!

Mother's Day was this past Sunday and we spent a relaxing day in Granville at Mammy/Pappy's house. We were able to celebrate Tim's birthday, Pappy's birthday and my birthday the same day as mother's day. My original plans were to have a cook out at our house, but that changed quickly when everyone got sick with a nasty cold here. (there is always next year!!)

We have less then one week until Addison's next surgery. This surgery is for her lip repair and nose reconstruction, which will fix her lip completely. We will be heading to the Boston Childrens Hospital at Waltham facility and we are very excited to be able to see this facility! We will keep everyone updated as Addison goes in for surgery and when she gets out of surgery and during recovery. We know that we will be there at least one night, possibly two nights. Our length of stay will depend on wound care, comfort/pain management and feeding. Please pray that everything goes smooth!

Tim has been doing lots of yard work outside to clean up the front of our house and make it look nice with some beautiful gardens! He has busted his butt and it looks awesome. Here are a few photos to show off all the hard work he has done:

New sidewalk and gardens

See the tree to the left, we chopped it down!

Bye bye tree

Timmmmmbbbbbeerrrrr

Wow, what a difference

Another view of the sidewalk and front of the house

Addison will be five months old on the day of her surgery, can't believe five months already! She is talking like crazy, smiling up a storm and a joy to have around! Tommy is such a wonderful big brother to her, he just loves her so much! Today, since I wasn't feeling good and Tim needed to mow the lawn, Tommy was "babysitting" for us and he did a wonderful job!

If anyone is looking for updates on Addison on Monday 5/17 for her surgery, please feel free to message us on facebook or text us on our cells. We aren't able to have our cell in recovery, but once we are in a room we can and we will have them while we are awaiting news on her coming out of surgery. Thank you all for your love and prayers next week!

Until next week! xoxo

Jenn, Tim, Tommy & Addison!

Welcome Spring!

2010-04-26T21:09:00.000-04:00

It has been nearly 2 months since I have been able to sit down and update my blog!! Addison is now 4 months old and is truly a daddy's girl! Addison is lucky to have her daddy home to take care of her. We have been back to the surgeon since her lip adhesion and they gave us the green light for the full lip repair and nose reconstruction. Our surgery is scheduled for May 17. This time around we will be in Waltham at Children's Hospital Boston at Waltham, which is going to be awesome because we will have a private room and a very new hospital setting. We can't wait to see the hospital and be able to compare it with Boston.

Tommy was on vacation last week from school and he spent the entire week up in Granville with is Mammy/Pappy, Auntie Suzy/Uncle Matt, Tony/Jason, Aidan/Andy and Matty! He had a wonderful time hanging out in the country.

Here are some newer pictures of Addison: (4 months old)

Addison has learned that she can turn over from her belly to her back and she loves that she can do that in her crib when she wakes up from her nap. We are so very lucky to have a little munchkin who loves to go to sleep, wide awake and she falls to sleep all on her own. Tommy was so different as a baby and had to be rocked to sleep each and every night. I love both aspects of those two kids!

I am still getting used to being a mom to two kids. It still sounds funny to say "kids", but I am loving each and every minute of it all. Tim is wonderful with Addison and as always he is great with Tommy. His daddy skills are top notch and I love him for that!

This coming weekend is my sister's Jack & Jill, so we have been doing lots of planning! Two weeks ago was her wedding shower, which was a surprise and boy did I pull that one off awesomely (if I do say so myself!) I can't believe that in under two months my little baby sister is getting married!! It doesn't seem possible. If anyone is free May 1, please come to the J&J!!

I will keep everyone updated on our upcoming surgery for Addison!! I hope everyone is well. Hugs/Kisses to everyone!

xoxo
Jenn

Back to work!

2010-02-25T09:41:00.000-05:00

Well this week was rather eventful! Tommy went back to school after having a nice winter vacation and I went back to work as well. It sure was tough getting ready for work on Monday morning and having to leave Tim and Addison home. The day was long for me and it was just as long for Tim. Addison refused to take a lengthy nap so when I got home from work Tim was in bed by 6:00 p.m., and didn't wake until 7:00 the next morning.

Tuesday we went to meet with Dr. Meara, who is our plastic surgeon. He said that Addison's lip looks great and we can start planning our next surgery. Next week we go back to Dr. Shusterman (dental Dr.) to have him adjust her elastic again and to find out when the apparatus can come out. Last night we turned the screw and I have a feeling that that may have been our last time turning it because it is so far back in her mouth we almost can't see it anymore! Dr. Meara mentioned that he was going back to Haiti to help with the efforts over there. He'd like to do her lip adhesion prior to leaving, which is March 16th, so it is possible we will have our next surgery soon! If the dental apparatus isn't ready to come out then we will have to wait until April 9th, which is Dr. Meara's next surgery date. I am praying Dr. Shusterman says it can come out on March 11 so we can do the surgery before Dr. Meara leaves!

Prior to Addison's dental surgery we had her photos taken my Melany Anderson of Melany Christine Photography. We wanted to document Addison prior to all her surgeries with some nice photos of her. Melany, as usual, did a WONDERFUL job! Here are some of the photos:

My goal is to update this every Thursday. Addison is 10 weeks old today (where did the time go?). She is smiling at us often and making all kinds of cooing noises that are just too cute for words. She has this little fake 'cough' that she does and we are thinking that will turn into her laugh very very soon.

Tommy was able to enjoy a day off yesterday because of the snow! He is doing well in school and is absolutely in love with his sister!

Until next week.................. Enjoy your day!

xoxo
Jenn, Tim, Tommy and Addi

Back to blogging!

2010-01-31T12:40:00.000-05:00

Ok, well I have officially taken the last 6 weeks to adjust to being a mom to 2 kids! As most of you know, Addison Grace Wheeler made her entrance on 12/17/09 at 2:31 in the morning. Here is a bit about the quick entrance she made into this world!

On Wednesday 12/16, I went to the doctor because I thought I might be in labor. They monitored me (again) and said that I wasn't in full labor but that it would likely be this weekend, they told me to go home and rest. I called work to tell them that I wouldn't be returning that day and I went home to rest! Around 10:00 that night Tim went to bed because he wanted to get some sleep incase the baby came! (Thank god he did go to bed!) I was unable to sleep, spent the night on the couch watching Law & Order reruns, until around midnight I think was when my water broke, but I didn't know it. About one hour later Tim woke up after my repeated trips to the bathroom and he asked me if I needed to go to the hospital. At that point I wasn't sure, but I said we probably should just in case. I called my sister to have her and Mikey come to the house to take care of Tommy for me so we didn't have to wake him, but then all of a sudden I knew labor was really here. It was now 1:15 a.m., and I had contractions every minute to every 30 seconds, back to back, I thought for sure I was having her at home it was so bad!!

(I think once I admitted that it was time to go to the hospital my body just realized it was really time and couldn't wait any longer for me to wait things out!) We got to the hospital around 1:50, met my sister and Mikey there so Mikey could take care of Tommy for me. Christina stayed with us at the hospital to see the birth. When I first arrived at the hospital they brought me into the triage room to "check me" and at this point I couldn't talk or walk because the contractions were so intense. Getting onto the bed to have her check me was just about impossible. Well, she checked me, and boy was I in labor, I was already 7 cm dilated. All I could think was "OMG, 7 CM, that means I only have 1 more CM before they don't allow me to get an epidural, they better move QUICK!". They moved me over to labor and delivery, now it is about 2:10 or so and they checked me again when I got into the room and yup, I was 9-10 CM and ready to push. The dr said "ok, next contraction you are going to push"... I said "But I need an epidural" and she said "I am sorry sweetie, there is NO time for an epidural". I replied "but I need something, can't you just give me a shot of something?" and she again replied "No, it will only effect the baby at this point, there is no time, but we will get through this together I promise!".

It was at this point where I realized, OMG, I am going to do this with no medication, OMG are you kidding me! So I let out a pretty loud scream with the next contraction, but regained my composure and was able to concentrate on pushing and 15 or so minutes later Addison Grace Wheeler made her entrance! She was 7 pounds, 1 ounce, and was 19 inches long.

She is perfect, sweet, and we love her little cleft lip! We have been back and forth to Boston Children's Hospital quite a few times already. We have met with the surgeon, dental team, genetics team and ultrasound! We have already learned that most of the genetic tests have come back normal and we are awaiting the last batch to come in. Her kidney ultrasound was also very normal. The surgeon was very pleased with how everything looked inside her mouth and her lip and he said that it was a piece of cake to work on! We already have our first surgery date, February 9th, when they insert the Latham Device, which is a device similar to a palate expander that they mount in the top of her mouth and we have a screw that we will have to turn once a day for 4 to 6 weeks. This device will close her gums together so they can start working on her lip once the tension is released from her gums/lip. They will put her under anesthesia to insert the device and we will spend 23 hours in the hospital. Next week is our pre-op appointment. We are nervous and excited all in one breath if that is even possible. Nervous because she is so tiny to be having surgery and going through the pain of it all and exited because this is going to "fix" her lip. I have a feeling we surely will miss that cleft lip just as everyone who has a cleft baby has told us.

Here are a few of our favorite photos:

Until next time....

3, 2, 1!

2009-12-15T08:54:00.000-05:00

We are in the final stretch of pregnancy and I can't believe that there are only 3 weeks left till my due date. The baby room is ready to go and so am I! I am back to that "tired" stage, getting up for work is a challenge, never mind having to get dressed and look somewhat presentable for the office!

Here is my 37 week update:
How your baby's growing:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

This week is the week in my pregnancy that I gave birth to Tommy! My water broke at 37 weeks 3 days and I had Tommy the following morning. We will see how much longer this little girl wants to hang out! I go back to the doctor tomorrow afternoon to see if I have dilated any further, I was dilated to 3 last Wednesday and was 60% effaced.

I hope everyone has a great week! We will keep you all posted as the weeks go on.

xoxo

Snow Day already!

2009-12-10T09:11:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our first taste of what this winter is going to be like! When we went to bed on Tuesday night Tommy was already asking if he was going to have school in the morning. Having listened to the weather, they were only expecting 1-3 inches so I told him YES of course you will have school in the morning because we aren't getting that much snow... Well the following morning Tommy woke up at 6:30 and all I heard was him running from his bedroom into our bedroom saying "OMG Mom, We DEFINITELY have at least a delay today because there is a BUNCH of snow out there"... No sooner that he says that our phone rings and the automated voice mail message from the school says "No school for South Hadley"... And so we began our first official snow day! Here are a few pictures from his first snow day of the year with his best friend, Anthony....

I also had my weekly doctor's appointment yesterday afternoon. I was told that the baby is head down and that the doctor could feel her head, I am now 3 cm dilated and 60% effaced. The doctor said that I could go at any point really. She said that she doubts that I'd make it to my due date seeing how much I have progressed already... So the waiting has begun! (again!)

I am 36 weeks pregnant this week! Here is my update:

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

We have created a name voting page for anyone who might be interested in seeing the names we are tossing around. No name will be picked until we actually meet her to make sure that her name fits her, just like we did with Tommy. Here is the link to the baby name list: http://www.babynames.com/namelist/9743394

We will keep everyone posted on my progression and will try to make as many phone calls when labor actually begins!

Hope everyone has a nice week and stay warm!

xoxo
Jenn, Tim, Tommy and BG Wheeler

What a weekend!

2009-12-01T13:55:00.000-05:00

Back to work after a nice long weekend. We spent Turkey Day in Granville this year and had a wonderful time. There were 35 people who attended between family and friends. It couldn't have gone any better then it did! We enjoyed 2 huge turkeys, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, and lots and lots of desserts.... Mammy actually tried to convince me that there were "too many" desserts on the dessert table and I told her that there is no such thing as too many desserts!

Friday was "black friday" and I, like so many others, decided to head out in the wee early hours of the morning. I met my sister and everyone at Best Buy for 5:00 a.m. and was able to rake in some good deals! I was a very happy camper when I left the store!

Saturday we celebrated Tommy's 8th birthday. We made the trip back up to Granville as Mammy and Pappy so graciously offered to host Tommy's party as our house is undergoing all the construction! The party was a lot of fun and Tommy couldn't have been any happier to have shared his day with so many of his special family members/friends. He has been playing his WII like a champ!

Sunday was a day of rest for all of us. I was exhausted as I have been fighting a cold since last Tuesday and needed some rest. I was able to put the stickers up on the wall in the baby's room and OMG, it was exactly as I pictured it... I am in love with her bedroom!

Here are a few photos:

Tomorrow I head back to the doctor's for my 35 week check up. I will be going to the doctor's once a week from this point forward. I have approximately 5 weeks left till this little girl is born!

Here is my 35 week update:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that she's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, she isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times she kicks should remain about the same. Her kidneys are fully developed now, and her liver can process some waste products. Most of her basic physical development is now complete — she'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

We also created a "guess the baby's due date poll over Thanksgiving weekend, here are the results:

Mammy - 12/2/09 (paid)

Nicole - 12/12/09 (paid)
Margaux - 12/14/09
Kelly - 12/14/09 (paid)
Mikey - 12/15/09 (paid)
Todd - 12/16/09 (paid)
Xtina - 12/16/09 (paid)
Pappy - 12/19/09 (paid)
Bear - 12/20/09 (paid)
Tony - 12/22/09 (paid)
Matt B - 12/23/09 (paid)
Dad - 12/23/09 (paid)
Nick L - 12/24/09
John D'Angelo - 12/25/09 (paid)
Uncle Rusty - 12/25/09 (paid)
Matt W - 12/27/09
Suzy - 12/28/09
Nicole - 12/29/09 (paid)
Stephanie Q - 12/30/09
Aunt Janet - 12/31/09 (paid)
Jason - 1/1/10 (paid)

If anyone else would like to get in on the fun please email me or comment here and I can add you to the list. You'll have to pay your $2.00 to put in the pot as soon as possible... It'll be fun to see who is right and who was WAY off!!
Our time is dwindling down to a few short weeks and there is still so much to catch up on in the house. I hope to be able to spend the next few weeks organizing and getting ready for this little girl to be born! I hope everyone enjoys their week back to work after the long holiday break... I'll attempt to update everyone tomorrow after I have my doctor's appointment if there is any more news to report...

Have a great day!
xoxo
Jenn, Tim, Tommy and BG Wheeler!

Turkey Time!

2009-11-24T09:05:00.000-05:00

Luckily it is a short work week for most! I am very excited for Thanksgiving as it is my favorite holiday... This year we are heading up to Mammy's house for the day and we will have 35 attendees at our Thanksgiving feast! I am happy to have Thursday AND Friday off this week as it is another busy weekend for us.

Last weekend we began the finishing touches on the baby's room. We have finished all the painting, the floor is in and we have even put together the crib. The room is finally starting to look like a nursery and I am so excited to show you all the photos!

The finished room!

The rocking chair

The finished dresser!

The changing table baskets

More of the dresser

The mobile

Sadie & Tucker's new favorite spot!

With only 6 weeks to go we are starting to finally feel like we are "ready" for her arrival now that the room is almost completed. I am 34 weeks pregnant and here is my update:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

This weekend we are having Tommy's 8th birthday party. I still can't believe that he is going to be 8 years old. The time goes by way too quickly. Today I get to meet with his teacher to find out how he is adjusting to second grade and I am hoping for a great report! Tomorrow I am off to the doctors to have my 2 week check-up... Friday is "Black Friday" and I am thinking about going shopping this year... With Tommy's birthday this weekend we might be able to get some great deals on gifts so I am pretty excited!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with their families and a great long weekend!

xoxo,
Jenn, Tim, Tommy and BG Wheeler!

Baby's room construction weekend!

2009-11-17T10:09:00.000-05:00

Well we have officially begun the task of ripping apart the bedroom to make the baby her own space! I am amazed at how quickly things progressed once we got moving. We had to take out the carpet, take out an old tile flooring that was below the carpet, level out the floor, patch and repair some spots on the walls and then get ready to paint! We are doing a pink and brown theme as most of you know already. I decided that I would do the bottom of the wall chocolate brown, with a chair rail in the middle which will be painted pink, and the top half of the walls are white. So far it looks amazing! A special thank you to my sister, Christina, and Mikey for all your help this weekend!!!

Mikey painting the windows!

Me doing some detail work, painting knobs pink for the dresser and painting the outlet covers pink too!

My sister Christina helping out!

Sadie decided that she didn't want to be chocolate any more so she painted herself with some white.

Chocolate brown on the bottom, amazing!!

Mikey doing some detail work!

Pink knobs for the dresser that Mammy bought us!

The floor getting installed... I'll have to take a picture of the finished product tonight and post another photo with the actual floor in!

So today I am 33 weeks and I have about 7 more weeks to go... We have to get the room finished incase this little girl decides to come early. Last Thursday 11/12 I went to the doctor for my 2 week check up and I was 32 weeks and 2 days but I was already measuring at 35 weeks! She really is growing quickly. I go back to the doctor every two weeks now and once we hit December we will be going every week!

Here is my 33 week update:

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. She's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and her skeleton is hardening. The bones in her skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for her to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as her brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood.

It just amazes me that time has moved so quickly this year. We have Thanksgiving next week, which is my favorite, Aidan's birthday, Tommy's birthday and then we will be into December which starts a new set of birthdays and holidays... It is a bit overwhelming with all this excitement going on in the next month and the possibility of having a new baby in the house within the next month or so...

Have a great week everyone! Don't forget to add yourself as a "follower" on the blog so we can see who is following along.... xoxo,
Jenn, Tim, Tommy and BG Wheeler

And then there was 8 (weeks left, OMG!)

2009-11-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

This past weekend was a busy weekend from start to finish. Saturday morning it all started with a WONDERFUL shower that my sister had been planning for a long time. I had so many wonderful people that joined us for the shower and it was absolutely beautiful. A VERY special thank you to my sister and my dad for planning this shower together and making it so perfect... It was supposed to be a surprise but at the last minute I had to be filled in due to some H1N1 fears! But in the end, it couldn't have been a nicer day. Mammy also did the centerpieces and we had so many people compliment on how beautiful they were! Another very special thank you to Mammy for doing the centerpieces, I loved them! She was able to use the same ribbon from my wedding shower that I fell in love with. It was a pink and brown themed shower and every time I think of that day it just makes me smile.... Thanks to all who helped in the planning! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Well we have officially hit single digits on the countdown! I have 8 weeks to go, maybe less! This week I start going to the doctor every two weeks so it really makes time fly by even quicker because I'll always feel like I have another doctor appointment coming up...

Here is my 32 week update:
How your baby's growing:

By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth.

After the baby shower we had dinner plans with family and then we spent the entire day on Sunday up in Granville to celebrate Margaux's birthday! It was a beautiful day out and we were able to enjoy some fresh air, good food and BIRTHDAY CAKE! Nothing better then birthday cake to end the night.

Tomorrow Tim has the day off of school and luckily he will get to start tearing apart the bedrooms. Tommy is having a special sleep over at his Mammy's house because he has no school either and it will give Tim some time to work on the rooms. There is so much work to be done in the bedrooms so we have to get started! I think the weekend will also be consumed by tearing down and building the rooms back up! I will be sure to post some photos of the rooms as they are under construction!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Halloween Weekend!!

2009-11-04T08:44:00.001-05:00

Halloween weekend was a success! We had lots of company come over this year to join us in our trick-or-treating extravaganza! We started with pizza, chips and drinks and then the kids got dressed and ready to trick-or-treat. Tommy, Aidan, Andy, Matty and Ian all had a great time and they were able to finish before the rain really started to come down. We had such a great time with everyone and were so happy to have so many join us this year!

I am now in week 31, with 9 weeks left to go... Here is my update:

This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. She weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. She can turn her head from side to side, and her arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath her skin. She's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

On Monday I had another ultrasound. Amazingly she is weighing in at a whopping 4 pounds 7 ounces already. Of course this ultrasound can be off a bit because there is no exact science when it comes to guessing the weight. She is in the 85th percentile, which is amazing... We want a nice healthy baby so when surgery time comes we don't have to worry about her weight so much... All of my tests so far have come back normal and show no signs of pre-term labor issues developing... Lets keep it that way!

Last weekend we finished moving our bedroom and we have been sleeping in it ever since. We actually enjoy having a bit more space to spread out in our bedroom. This weekend we will start patching up the baby's room and Tommy's room to prepare to paint. I can't wait to get started on the rooms and to see the transformation like we have seen in the dining/livingroom and our bedroom. I'll post more pictures ASAP!

I hope everyone is enjoying their week! I think I am ready to have a vacation, work is tiring and with the time change the days seem so long. Getting out of work and having it already be dark is a bit depressing... Until next week....................................

30 weeks, let the countdown begin!

2009-10-29T10:14:00.000-04:00

October is nearly over and the leaves are beginning to fall off the trees! Last week Tim, Tommy and I enjoyed having our pictures taken at Forrest Park. I wanted to get some nice photos of my "belly" and I also wanted some nice family photos... I have already been able to review the photos and WOW, did I get exactly what I wanted from that photo shoot!

For anyone who would like to "preview" the photos please use this link and information to access them:
http://www.melanychristine.com/
click on "website"
click on "client"

enter "wheeler" for the password and it will bring you to a slide show of the photos. I will have a copy of the photos on disc shortly and I can not wait to get some of them printed and put up on our newly painted walls at home!

I have to compliment on Melany's work, she was an amazing photographer and was able to capture exactly what I wanted in just an hour... If anyone in Western MA or CT is looking for a photographer, whether it is for a wedding/maternity/children or even newborn photos please give Melany a call... She was wonderful to work with and the end result was breathtaking!

This week I am 30 weeks pregnant (OMG!). Here is my 30 week update:

How your baby's growing:

Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)

This upcoming weekend is already Halloween! Tommy is going to be "super mario"... We host Halloween at our house because Tommy's cousins, Aidan and Andy, do not have trick or treating in Granville. We have some additional guests this year as more "Brown's" have moved to Granville... Welcome Tony, Jason & Matty! Last weekend they arrived from Wisconsin and we all helped unload the huge moving truck! It was quite the experience for all of us! :)

We have finished adding a "clean coat" of paint to our new bedroom and hope to move our bedroom this week. I can't wait to have our old bedroom empty so we can start getting the baby's room together. There is just so much to do in 10 weeks and so little time to get it all done. We have been enjoying our new dining/living room area. My goal is to find a queen size headboard/footboard for our bed that isn't too expensive... If anyone is looking to get rid of one, let me know!! :)

Here is one of the many pictures that Melany Christine took last week.... Looks like we'll have to take some more next year once we have our baby girl to add to the photos!! Enjoy your week!

Another Productive Weekend!

2009-10-20T12:46:00.001-04:00

Today I went to the perinatologist to have my 4 week ultrasound follow-up. The ultrasound tech did her normal measurements, (head, leg bones, arm bones, stomach) in an attempt to see how much weight this little girl has gained. Much to my surprise she went from 2 pounds last week to 3 pounds 5 ounces this week! Apparently she is getting all the nutrients she needs and then some! She is in the 65 percentile, which is awesome because we want her to be strong and healthy when she is born so when it is time for surgery she'll be armed and ready! They also did a non-stress test to check her activity and to see if I have any signs of pre-term labor. So far we are in the clear of pre-term labor signs and Ms. Wheeler is VERY active! I will go back to them in 10 days to have a few more tests to be sure that no signs of pre-term labor are present and then it seems like we might have a peaceful 10 weeks before she enters this world!

Today I am 29 weeks exactly! Here is my 29 week update... I laugh when they say she should be approximately 2.5 pounds, she seems to be a pound bigger then that!

How your baby's growing:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for her developing brain. To meet her increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Tommy has had soccer games every weekend and I'll tell you this year he really seems to be enjoying soccer and has grasped the concept of being a little more aggressive when it comes to going after the ball. We have been so proud of him!

This past weekend Tim and I spent the entire weekend starting our home renovations. We repainted the new "dining/living room area" and what an amazing transformation that room took on! We were so very happy with the end result and what was nice was that we accomplished it together as a team and it felt great! We have started what will be our new bedroom (temporarily) and hope that by the weekend we'll be able to empty out our old bedroom and move all the stuff into the new space.

Tommy and I starting to paint! I was a little nervous that it was too orange, but the end result was AMAZING!

Painting another wall!

The finished product!

The finished product!! (another view)

I will continue to post more pictures as the renovations keep going! I look at the picture above and I am absolutely in love with this new room. When we originally moved into this house (4 years ago, 10/31/09) we didn't have the "bonus" room and this is how we lived, living/dining area together all in one. What a big help to have the tv mounted on the wall and not so much "clutter" hanging around... So warm and cozy feeling, perfect for this time of year! We love it!

Hope everyone is enjoying the start of their work week!

xoxo

Jenn, Tim, Tommy & BG Wheeler... :)

What a weekend!

2009-10-13T10:00:00.000-04:00

Phew, I am so glad that weekend is over! I never thought I would be thankful to go back to work on a Tuesday, but after that mega tag sale weekend I was happy the weekend ended! All in all the weekend turned out to be pleasant, crisp, and we even made a bit of money! Tommy sold some of his toys and he made $56.00 towards his "WII fund" and we made approximately $250.00 to put towards our "bedroom remodel fund"... I am happy with the outcome and to top it all off we were able to get rid of so much junk! The basement is so cleared out and it makes it look so much nicer. Tommy now has his own space downstairs for his toys, which will help keep some of the clutter out of his bedroom!

Starting next weekend we will rip apart the bedrooms and hopfully get the baby's room going!! I can't wait. My plan is a "pink and brown" theme, which was our wedding theme and honestly I am so excited to be able to reuse that theme!! We have lots of work to do, rip down ceilings, rip out carpets, recessed lighting for Tommy's room, closet restructuring, new flooring and the list goes on and on and on!

This week I am 28 weeks and have started my 7th month and third trimester; 12 more weeks to go!! Here is my 28 week update:

How your baby's growing:

By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Next week I have another ultrasound to check her growth! I wonder if she is only 2 and a 1/4 pounds like my update says she should be... Ha ha, yah right, she was two pounds at 25 weeks so I am guessing that there is no way she only gained a 1/4 pound in 3 weeks....

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends as well and I hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Clean up, Clean up!

2009-10-06T09:45:00.000-04:00

Well October is here and boy did it come quick. It seems like yesterday we found out that we were pregnant, which was over 5 months ago now. This past weekend was super busy. I had to bake 3 cakes and attend 2 birthday parties on Saturday. On Sunday we started our clean up. We went into the basement at 10:45 a.m., and didn't come up for a break until 3:00. We were back in the basement at 5:00 and didn't come up again until 8:30! We were able to get rid of so much "junk" and I also accumulated a huge Tag Sale pile for my upcoming tag sale, which starts on Saturday. It looks like the forcast for Saturday is more rain, but Sunday looks promising but chilly... I am crossing my fingers for no rain and a sunny sky!

Once the tag sale is over we will be donating any leftovers that we might have to Good Will or taking it to the dump... Our basement looks amazing, almost as nice as when we first moved in 4 years ago this month. Tommy is very excited about the tag sale because anything that Tommy sells Tommy keeps the money! He said that he is saving for a WII! After this weekend we will be starting lots of inside projects, which includes tearing out the carpet in both bedrooms, moving our bedroom into the living room, moving the living room into 1/2 the dining room, and preparing the baby's room and Tommy's room and organizing the entire house before this little baby girl makes her appearance.

Today I am 27 weeks pregnant and only have 13 more weeks to go. Here is my update for the week!

How your baby's growing:

This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

Please pray for some good weather for this weekend's tag sale so we can have a good turn out! I am looking forward to having this tag sale and being able to purge some of our "stuff"... It will be a good feeling to start fresh!! Have a great day everyone, thanks for reading and following along on our journey!

26 weeks!

2009-09-29T08:54:00.000-04:00

Another week down, can't believe it. We have already begun pulling out the fall clothes because the temps are cooling off some days. It is hard to believe that October begins this week. I am preparing for a tag sale that I will do the weekend of Columbus Day in an effort to purge some of our "stuff" to make room for our baby girl... We have LOTS of renovating to do before her arrival and before we know it she is going to be here so we better get moving! I am in the "get rid of it" mode part of my pregnancy, meaning if I haven't used it in the 4 years we have lived on Lawn Street then GET RID OF IT!

26 weeks are already passed, wow.... Here is my 26 week update:

The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. She may now be able to hear both your voice and your husband's as you chat with each other. She's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of her lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when she's born and takes that first gulp of air. And she's continuing to put on baby fat. She now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. (although according to my ultrasound she is well over two pounds now!)

This weekend is busy, as usual... 3 birthday parties to attend and most likely 3 birthday cakes to make. I'll be making another Transformer cake for my girlfriend's son, Ian. I enjoy making the cakes for the parties! Tommy has another soccer game, last weekend he scored TWO of the three goals during his game, he was VERY proud of himself and so weren't we. I can't wait to see how he does this weekend!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

September is nearly over!

2009-09-22T16:13:00.000-04:00

This morning I went to visit Dr. O'Grady at Mercy Family Life Center for my ultrasound. I was hoping that I'd be able to get a nice 3D shot of her face today without hands in the way but boy was I wrong. She had her hands up AND she was facing my back. The tech did an anatomy scan and measured everything and we found out the baby is already weighing in at 2 POUNDS! She is in the 70 percentile, OMG! Even though they didn't officially "change" my due date based on my measurements they calculated my due date at December 28, 2009... The doctor said that everything looked great measurement wise and that he didn't need to see me back for another 4 weeks to re-scan growth and check my cervix to be sure there are no signs of pre-term labor. So far, so good! My next appointment with them isn't until October 20.

Today I am 25 weeks pregnant and we have approximately 15 weeks to go, maybe less!! My second trimester is almost over, two more weeks to go! Here is my 25 week update from Baby Center:

How your baby is growing

Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

Tommy has been adjusting to second grade very well. We went to open house and were able to meet his teacher, she was very nice. He is learning lots of math, reading and spelling. He has homework 4 nights per week, which is a BIG difference from last year. I am very excited to see all that he learns this year and to watch him grow!

Another week down!

2009-09-15T09:01:00.000-04:00

After a pretty uneventful weekend we are moving into week 24 for our pregnancy! School is back in full swing and we are starting to get our routine down in the mornings. Tommy has discovered the use of an "alarm clock" to wake himself up in the mornings so he can watch a few minutes of TV before it is time to get ready for school. This morning was the first alarm clock wake-up and it seemed to go well! At 6:30 I heard his little feet running across the kitchen floor so he could get to the couch quickly. It amazes me each day to see how "big" he really is getting...

We have another ultrasound on 9/22 at Mercy Family Life Center with Dr. O'Grady, who is a perinatologist. Since we do not go back to Children's Hospital until one week after the birth of our little girl I believe Dr. O'Grady will follow us through the end of the pregancy to watch for any complications as I did have pre-term labor with Tommy.

Here is my 24 Week update:

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts her at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

It is hard to believe that there are "technically" only 16 weeks left to my pregnancy. Between planning my sister's wedding, having a huge tag sale to get rid of all the leftover "boy" clothes, Halloween, Turkey-Day (My Favorite!!), November & December Birthday's, Christmas, New Years, I have a feeling that those 16 weeks are just going to fly by!

Tommy starts his first day of soccer practice this evening. He was so excited that he had to prepare all of his "stuff" last night. I can't wait to see some of his practices and his games!

Please be sure to add yourself as a "follower" on the blog. I believe it sends you a little reminder when it is updated. It is nice to see who is reading and following along on our journey!

Hope everyone has a great week!

xoxo

We're back!

2009-09-09T20:56:00.000-04:00

Well today was a LONG day to say the least. I must say that the office staff/doctors/nurses were all really amazing, comforting and informational. We started our morning with our ultrasound, we were able to see our baby girl in 2D and 3D, which was amazing! She is weighing in around 1 pound 6 ounces, which is in the 65 percentile for her gestational age!! They said that all of her anatomy is measuring just as it should be, which is music to our ears. Here are a few photos from the ultrasound:

(3D Photo of her face & hand (hands have been in her mouth every ultrasound so far!)

(2D ultrasound photo of her profile)

(2D foot shot)

The second appointment we went to was the fetal MRI. I had never been in an MRI machine so I was not sure what to expect. It was 25 minutes of beeping, banging, clicking and vibrating. They ended up taking over 435 photos and we were able to view quite a few of them and it made all the banging and loud noises worth it to see a real image of our little girls entire body, inside my body... They used the photos to measure her and to get a better picture of her palate. Here is a photo that they gave me to take home:

(MRI photo of her whole body)

We met with Dr. Meara who was just as informational as the other individuals we met throughout the course of our morning. He answered questions about breastfeeding, time-lines and pain management/recovery. We learned that we are dealing with a cleft lip/cleft palate and it is possible that the lip is "complete", which means it may go up to her nose but he did say that it was still hard to tell and that upon delivery we'll be able to see if it is "complete" or "incomplete".

The time-line we are looking at is as follows:
1st surgery: between 3 and 5 months old to fix the lip
2nd surgery: possible insertion of the Latham device (the reverse of a palate expander)
3rd surgery: between 9 and 11 months old to fix the palate and possibly tubes in her ears

While all this information seems very overwhelming we are grateful to have this as a prenatal diagnosis and not a surprise at delivery time. We were able to get into Children's Hospital quickly and we now have one place to go to for any other questions we might have. They mentioned that they receive 2 to 3 new patients with cleft issues every week, over 200 per year, so we are very confident that they know what they are doing! We can now breathe a sigh of relief and prepare for what is to come in a few short months, the birth of our daughter...

If anyone has any questions, let us know, as we are happy to enlighten others with the information we have received thus far!

23 Weeks and counting!

2009-09-08T11:47:00.000-04:00

We made it through the first week of second grade! Not without a few tears in the morning but we made it. This morning was much more smooth, thankfully!!

Well we have made it to week 23 already! I can't believe it... Tomorrow is a big day for us. We are going to Children's Hospital in Boston at 8:50 a.m. for our appointment. I can't wait to see how much she has grown since our last ultrasound, 2 weeks ago. We will be having an ultrasound, fetal MRI (can't wait to see this) and then we will meet with the surgeon to see what he has to say and hopefully he can answer some of our questions and also put some of our fears to rest! I am very excited to go to this appointment tomorrow. I'll be sure to update everyone once we know more!

For now, here is my 23 Week pregnancy update:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking (Thank god she'll be use to the sound of a barking dog, cause we have TWO of them!!) or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

Everyone has asked if this little girl has a name yet and unfortunately the answer is no... We are still trying to decide on a name but we'll announce it once we have something more definite. I had a big old list when I was pregnant with Tommy and guess what, Tommy wasn't on that list, it just came to us that morning after he was delivered.... Boy does Tommy fit him just perfect! Thanks Pappy for letting us use your name!

Hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend for Labor Day!

Xoxo!

Weekly update!

2009-08-31T11:41:00.000-04:00

Well this is the first time I have ever ventured into the "blogging" sensation! I figured this would be a great way to update everyone on what is going on in our family, pregnancy updates, Tommy updates, and all that fun stuff! So here it goes -

Tommy starts his first day of second grade tomorrow, OMG where does the time go? He is starting a new school, which is very exciting for him and for us! I think he is a bit nervous though... He is with his Mammy today getting a haircut for his first day of school and I can't wait to see his smiling face when I get home from work...

I am officially 22 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Here is my 22 week update:

------ At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. Her lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and she's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath her gums. Her eyes have formed, but her irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas, essential for the production of some important hormones, is developing steadily. ------

As many of you might already know, our little girl will be born with a cleft lip and a cleft palate issue. We were made aware of this at our 18 week ultrasound on August 5, 2009. We have been to a Perinatologist at Family Life Center at Mercy Hospital in Springfield and have had two ultrasounds to better diagnose her situation. I have since spoken with Children's Hospital in Boston and we have set up an initial appointment to meet with a surgeon on September 9, 2009. I will have a fetal MRI and another ultrasound done that morning and then in the afternoon we meet with the surgeon who will be following our case.

Here is a link to Children's Hospital for anyone who wants to read up a bit more on the condition we are dealing with:

http://www.childrenshospital.org/clinicalservices/Site1858/mainpageS1858P0.html

The doctor we will be seeing is Dr. Meara and we have heard wonderful things about his treatment of cleft lip and cleft palate. Here is another link to his resume, which is pretty amazing if you ask me!

http://specialists.childrenshospital.org/directory/profile.asp?dbase=main&setsize=5&service=83&shellid=304&view=program&department=&classification_deptview=Faculty&pict_id=5927850

We are trying to get as much of the leg work done before she is born so we can have a game plan all set up! I can't wait till she gets here...

For those of you who'd like more information on cleft palate here are a few links I have found helpful:

http://www.cleftline.org/

http://www.cleftadvocate.org/

Our weekend was busy, as usual and now it is back to the grind! Tim starts full time school at UMASS for one semester starting next week... He has been taking some online summer courses and was able to achieve an amazing 3.3 grade point average for his summer session! We were all very proud of him!

Until next time........ enjoy your day!