Did you know...

Ok... Since I have been TERRIBLE at blogging lately, I figured it was about time to get started again! A few of my friends have done this and I thought it would be neat to do it too... I wonder how many you already knew?!?!?

1. My mom was told the whole time that I was a boy... SURPRISE!!! Andrew turned into Emily!

2. I was supposed to have a speaking part in the Cinderella play that we did in preschool, but the thought of that scared me to tears!!! I enjoy being the wall flower!

3. I can't stand to hear parents complain about their children. I wish they could put their-selves in my shoes for a day. (Not really. I wouldn't wish this upon anyone!)

4. I have lots of friends, but my only best friends are my husband, Mom and Sister.

5. When I was little, I had a problem with my Achilles being too tight. Since I wasn't going to be a runner or gymnast, mom decided on no surgery. Thank you mom!!! : )

6. I love to go out to eat with my husband because he is a GREAT tipper. I love to make servers feel good when we leave them a very nice tip!!! I remember one time leaving someone over $30 tip for Derek and I!

7. The hardest thing for me to come to grips on is that I can't become a mommy like everyone else. It can't just happen for us and us be surprised and happy. I still wish on a star for a miracle!

8. I still laugh to this day, when I think of a certain adult sticking her tongue out at me!! HA!!! Grow up!!!

9. I have a fear of bridges... When I was in the band on a trip to march in the parade in Mobile, I got in the floor board of the charter bus because we went across a bridge and the driver was terrible!!!

10. Thinks that it is neat to have Baker's nurse be a good friend! And even cooler that her daughter and my niece are good friends!!!

11. I am a terrible back seat driver... Ask my husband! : )

12. I still struggle being around kids Baker's age, or pregnant people. I know that is crazy, but that is me.

13. I am a Christian, but I also speak my mind. Especially when you talk about my family. Recently, people need to get their facts straight before opening their mouths.

14. The last one leads me to say that I can't stand when adults talk about children. Grow up... no wonder kids are the way they are these days!!!

15. I have never broken a bone! Several sprained ankles and tendons. I remember thinking how cool my friend Kristen was cause she had a pink cast and a purple cast!! Ha!!

16. I was at church camp one time when Elba flooded and we lost all power and the boys cabins flooded. One of the boys feel off the top bunk when lightning went through the cabin and he had a huge goose egg on his head! I think Meredith was with me.

17. I used to have a two toned purple room with silver swirls and marbles hot glued to my walls! Also about 25 cardboard framed pictures on my wall!!! I thought my mom was going to kill me and Leigh!!

18. Used to have a dog named Mick-Dog. He was the family dog. I think everyone of the aunts and uncles and grandparents ownded him at one point or another!

19. I have to get on facebook everyday!!! If not, I feel like I don't know what is going on in the world!!

20. I often daydream... Usually that I have lots of money and I am thinking of the perfect charity to donate to! (Maybe one day!!!)

21. I have designed a t-shirt to sale to raise money for my son Baker, But haven't had them made yet...

22. I used to stay at my grandparents house when I was younger instead of going to daycare, and one time Jenny Linton, Drew Mims, and I were climbing in a tree and got stuck there for hours cause a "big, mean" dog was barking up the tree at us. We all thought my Grandfather was an angel when he came walking up to the tree to get us!!!

23. I like to write- poems, stories, letters- whatever it is, I enjoy being creative!

24. I can honestly admit that I can not cook. Well I can cook, but only by recipe! My husband is a much better chef than me!!!

25. And last but not least... I enjoy my life. Sure there are things that I wish I could change... but then again, would I? I have grown and matured over the last 2 years more than I ever expected. God has allowed me and Derek to grow together in a way that most will never understand. We have been faced with challenges and very dark days, but we have over come those valleys and are much better because of them. I remember begging and pleading with God in those first few months of Baker's life. Praying that I could be the mommy that Baker needed to help keep him home and healthy. God has allowed me feel the depression but he has also allowed me to feel the compassion of my family! I can remember talking to Gordon- pastoral at Children's Hospital- about how people deal with pain and sickness alone. I am so glad to know that no matter what- God has blessed me with such a wonderful family- and church family!!!

I hope that you enjoyed reading these!! I have enjoyed doing this and reminiscing over my life! If you are my friend or family- thank you for all the memories that we created!!! There were so many more things that I could have talked about- from slumber parties, to dances, and skating rink trips!!! HA!!! Fun times!!!

Need Ideas!!!

I need some help from my blogger friends and facebook friends!! I need to think of a cute slogan to use on Baker's shirts!!! I want to get shirts made pretty soon, but all I got is "Baker's Buddies" or "Bobcat's Love Baker" But then I am limiting it to Opp fans... and my Brother and his family are Kinston fans!! Just think about it and let me know!!! : )

I wanted to give an update on Baker too, most of you know that he has been sick with bronchitis and apparently strep and an ear infection! But he is doing so much better. He still has a rattle in his chest, but it is getting better with breathing treatments and cough assist. We made a video of him dancing to "The Fresh Beat Band" his new favorite show!!! If I can ever figure out to put it on here I will. I can tell that music is going to be important to him just like it is to Derek and I! That makes me very happy!!! We are going to get him a keyboard for his birthday in May. Gotta start 'em early!! Derek wants him to learn to play the drums... but they will have to win me over on that one! : )

I know this is a short post. I will be back later to update you one some more exciting things (hopefully) I need to be better about my blogs!!! : )

Growing too Fast!!!

I never realized how fast time seems to go by when you are a mother. Seems like just last month when he could fit in my lap no problem... now I have to open my legs so that he will at least have support on his neck! He is growing like a weed! He is so big! He looks much older than his age! At least that is what EVERYONE tells me! These are a few pictures from his new chair! It looks alot the same but has a nice head rest on it... and it is fitted to him more!

He is such a Happy Baby!!! I thank God for that! Even though he has all these challenges in his life that he has faced or is going to face, I hope that he can maintain his good attitude about life.

It has a nice foot rest for him. The other chair that we were borrowing had straps for his feet and I never liked the idea of strapping him down!!

His chair even has a really cool tray that just slides into place and he can use it like a desk. We put his toys up there right now but soon we are going to get him into coloring and finger painting! I can't wait!!! He is getting crayons (along with many other things) for Valentine's Day.

This is his toy that has a little bit of everything on it... but he thinks he is too big for it now cause he throws it as soon as you give it to him!!! But the bottle is one of his favorite toys right now... it has a few blocks in it and he can shake it and hear the noise!!!

We love to hold him and try to get him to sit on his butt since he isn't used to sitting up. But recently he has been such a wiggle worm that we have to sit on the floor and let him lean against us. I know this is a good thing and I am very thankful but I also worry about the future... will I be able to handle him then?? I hope so!!!

This picture really should be at the end cause I layed him down last, but he was rolling his legs and butt so much last night. He had an itch on his back and would kick off the couch and roll over on his side!! Mommy was so SO proud!!!

Here he is in my lap. I know it is hard to tell but he is... He has grown so much and he doesn't fit anymore! : (

And here is my Big 21 month old little boy! He sure did do alot for his Daddy and I! He made us grow up A LOT!!! And never have I had so many emotions about one person...We have had lots of good time, few bad times, and many scary times, but all-in-all, This is the love of my life! There will never be another one like him!

On a side note, not many people know how depressed I am. I really try to hide it! I am not depressed all the time, just when I let things get to me! The other night, I was in the shower and just a crying... Derek asked if I was ok later that night and I just broke down... All I ever wanted to be in life was a mommy... and I never wanted just one child (of my own)... and Baker was such an easy delivery. So being around people that have little babies or are pregnant is just hard on me sometime. I always dreamed of my little red headed children being filthy after picking them up at Becky's and not caring cause I knew that they were having a blast... and Baker can't even be around sand. We picked out the name Baker cause we thought it would sound good over the loud speaker when he was up to bat or was involved in the winning play of the game. Now it is a chore to get him to the games. I guess what I am saying is please pray for me... I know that God has bigger and better things in our lives other than having children. And I know that Baker is here in our lives for a reason... Just pray that God continue to bless Baker! And pray that we, as Baker's parents, are doing what we need to do to raise Baker the best way possible!!

I am trying to plan an Annual Batting with Baker Hit-a-thon for later this year to raise money for us to go meet other families of affected children and the extra will go to the Myotubular Myopathy research that is going on. But I am not good at getting things together. I have it in my head but actually doing it is going to be hard!!!

Pictures...Part one

Ok... I know that I have been away from my blog for some time now... and I have to upload some pictures... but I don't have my card here at work to load them, so I am having to steal them from FaceBook! : ) I even need to upload pictures to Facebook too!!

These are pictures from our Hospital trip at the beginning of the year when we had to do a sleep study. And that ended up being a Nightmare... We had gone earlier that morning for a regular Home Vent Clinic. We do that every 6 months or so. Just to check that the vent is working correctly. But we were scheduled for a sleep study that night.

This is before the sleep study started.

Poor Baby... This is after the hooked all the wires to him. We had to wrap his head cause he loves to play with his hair while he sleeps. I was really worried that he would pull one loose and have to start over. It was a long process getting him all hooked up.

He was really tired cause it was pushing 10 oclock. But he was so uncomfortable. I finally turned out the lights and he sorta slept. It was different though cause I couldn't read the pulse ox machine. They could read it in the observation room but I couldn't.
Derek was really worried about having to stay at the hospital and be watched while he slept so I told him that it was fine with me if he went to his Uncle Don's house to sleep if we could get back early... so I was all alone... I should have NEVER offered that to him. I got NO sleep. The tech people were in and out of the room all night with their bright flashlights. They had to tweek his vent and I had to do it cause they aren't respritory therapist. I was up and down all night trying to understand what they were doing to my baby. At one point they put a piece of tape over his nose to try to get a more accurate reading on his vent. I knew that he breathes some out of his mouth and nose but I didn't know that he did as much as he did cause as soon as they blocked his upper airway, his stats dropped low! And they put him on oxygen and did a blood gas. I never realized it was because of the nose...

Anyways, the doctor was worried about changing his vent setting so much so we had to stay over night for them to watch him. As SOON as they took that piece off his nose, his stats came up to 99, 98ish and I took him off the oxygen. He was happy. Tired as all get out, but still happy!!

This is him watching a movie on the DVD player that goes in the car. A LIFE SAVER!!


It was so crazy being moved from one place to another and having to have all those people come in to get him hooked up to all his equipment cause they have to change it from our home stuff to the hospital stuff. We had 4 Doctors/Practicioners come in and the charge nurse, our CNA, Respitory therapist, Case worker, Derek, Me and Baker all in that itty bitty room!!! UGH!!! By the time everyone left and it calmed down... Baker was SO tired!!! He took a good long nap... as did I!

This was taken right before we left to go HOME!!!
I am reminded that This was our first hospitalization since we were sent home at 5 months... PRAISE GOD!!!


This is more recent... but not a great picture... Derek took a picture (on his phone) of Baker's new head rest... It is so nice!!!

Hope everyone is having a GREAT 2010... I will be back later with another Post!!!

New Year... New look!

I have a new look to my blog page, but I need some help from my blogger friends. How can I change the terrible brown color that is behind my blogs? I have tried and tried, but I can't figure out where to go to change it! Help please!!!

Thanks! I promise to get back on here and post more blogs, but things have been crazy!