The Whetzel family times

Whew!

2009-06-05T05:38:00.003-04:00

A successful weeklong vacation under our belt, we are back! We spent the week in Destin, Florida, right on the beautiful gulf coast beaches. A 2-day trip on the way there, the kids did really well in the car, and as far as the week goes, we couldn't have asked for anything better from them. We had a blast! The drive home seemed never-ending, as we elected to do it in one single (long) stretch... 14 1/2 hours later, we were back at our home sweet home. Definitely a feeling of success, now that we know we can take a long road trip and endure a hotel stay like this with two little ones under the age of 4!

More pictures to come, but I think this quick shot of Ava defines the general mood of our vacation - carefree and loving the beach!!

Learning our letters

2009-01-22T14:20:00.002-05:00

Ava has had a new teacher at her preschool for the past few months. Miss Denise has been a great fit at her school, and is incorporating a few new ideas for the 3-year-olds' class to work on learning activities. One of the new things she has started is giving the kids homework, that is due every Wednesday. "A Letter A Week"... starting with the letter "A." On tuesday nights we look through magazines and newspapers, and cut out whatever we can find that starts with that week's given letter, and paste them on a piece of paper and label them, and Ava takes it to school the next day.

Well, so far, we have had successful weeks finding things that start with "A" and with "B." This past week, Ava came down with quite a cold, and started complaining that her ear hurt, and on tuesday night started running a high fever. So she went to bed early, and stayed home from school on Wednesday so that I could take her to the pediatrician to be checked out, and of course to rest up a little and start to feel better.

Imagine my surprise, when we are all getting ready for bed Wednesday night. I went to bed early to read a magazine for a little bit. Ava came upstairs to start getting ready to go to bed herself. She saw what I was doing, and got very excited. She jumped into bed with me, looked over my shoulder, and whispered, "Mommy... are you looking for things that start with 'C'??"

History is Made

2009-01-20T22:00:00.003-05:00

On this day, Tuesday, January 20, 2009, history has been made. For the first time ever, a black man has been elected and inaugurated into office as President of the United States. Barack Obama is now our proud leader, after a long campaign ended with victory for the Democratic party, including his running mate, Senator Joseph Biden.

It is an emotional day, not just because of the amazing impact of our country electing its first black leader, but also because of the road that looms ahead for these brave men who have chosen the daunting task of leading this country. A task that several political cartoonists have all but thrown up their hands at, as if to say "Good luck!" because of the state of our current economic state, a world at war, a healthcare system crumbling, public school systems failing our children, and a financial disaster that has been getting worse with each passing month.

This is a huge job, one that many people say they wouldn't want. But my faith and hope is in this man that I personally cast my own vote for, the one who inspired me almost one entire year ago, and who now has inspired a nation to believe in his own dream of a country with the courage to change, and the vision for a better tomorrow.

He ends his inaugural address, with this:

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have
traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a
small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy
river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The
snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our
revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be
read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when
nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country,
alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our
hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let
us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let
it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let
this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes
fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift
of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

I know I am in good company, as I pray for Barack Obama as he settles in as his new role as Commander In Chief. For every day, there will be new struggles, I hope that he is surrounded with the support and wisdom necessary to carry out the immense responsibilities that lie before him. Best wishes to his beautiful wife, Michelle, and their class-act of a family, as their lives change forever. And we as a nation, put our trust in our new leader today.

Happy Birthday Aidan!

2009-01-17T21:17:00.019-05:00

We had Aidan's 1st Birthday Party this afternoon. Here he is, not sure

what to think about the silly party hat!

Aidan and Mommy!

His Elmo cake!

Getting a better look at Aunt Stacy!

Are all these presents for ME?

Not to be left out of the fun, Grandma and Grandpa Whetzel brought a gift

for the big sister too!

Ava showing Aidan how to

figure out all these new toys!

The great thing about a big sister -

sit back, relax, and let her do the present opening!

Ava and Callie even put on a little "First Birthday

Song" for Aidan that they made up themselves!

The candle is lit - bring

on the bad singing...

Ta-da! Aidan sees his cake, and we all

sing Happy Birthday! He isn't too

sure what to think about all this!

For me?!

He played with it at first...

it was pretty gooey, and he had a look that said

"Oh my word, are they really letting me do this?!"

And it was very BLUE too!

Blue..... everywhere!

Now he was really getting into it,

shoving it in with both hands like a boy should!

By the time the red frosting got mixed in with

the blue, and ended up all over his face, he looked like

he had gotten the best of someone in a back alley!

Ahh.... the sugar coma is kicking in. And we head

straight upstairs for a bath!!

Happy birthday, my handsome boy! I can hardly believe you are a whole year old.

One year of sweet memories made, and many more to come!

Mommy and Daddy love you!

My baby is one year old today!

2009-01-13T05:21:00.008-05:00

Exactly one year ago today, I was in labor with Aidan. At this very hour (5am-ish), I was filled with anxiety about whether or not he would be healthy and fine, eagerness to deliver and finally meet this baby boy, and of course pain - thank you, non-functioning epidural! Over the next few hours of that day that became our little boy's birthday, I had no idea that it would be such a whirlwind of a labor and delivery story!!

The 4 hours I waited, from my recovery from general anesthesia and surgery, until I was able to see you after your time in the NICU seemed like forever, but this first year of life seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye.

It was never completely smooth-sailing, even from our first few days in the hospital. Daily bloodwork, and twice-daily forehead screens for bilirubin levels, due to quite a bit of jaundice, kept things interesting. By the end of day 2, Aidan was put on a bili blanket (the blue lights you see underneath his blankets in the picture above) to attempt to bring his bilirubin levels down.

Finally, we were able to go home! And the next week was rough, as any family with a newborn knows. We were sent home with our own rented bili blanket machine to use, and were told to have him on it as close to 24 hours a day as possible. Luckily, Aidan was a laid-back, happy baby, who didn't seem to mind it at all.

I was totally in denial how yellow he really was, until a few months later I looked back at pictures of him during his first week! And this is where he spent that first couple weeks - in his Moses basket, hooked up to the bili blanket, sitting on the coffee table in the family room!

The week was filled with dr visits, more bloodwork, more bilirubin testing. Supplementing with formula, anxiety that he is not eating enough, pumping, and more dr visits. But luckily after a week of this, he was much improved. His color was so much better, he was eating again like a champ, and was given a clean bill of health. And our bumpy road smoothed out again, just like that.

Such a sweet baby, who could sleep anywhere, and

loved to be held!

And a year later... here you are, my sweet boy. Full of laughter, personality, smiles, babbles, new teeth, new tricks, and so much happiness. You have made our family complete. I can hardly believe you are a year old already, and that you are leaving your baby days behind you. Happy birthday Aidan!

This makes it official, huh?

2009-01-10T05:24:00.004-05:00

Yes, you read that right. Aidan is turning one - in three short days. I am incredibly sad about this. Not just because he's my baby, because that is what babies do... from the day they're born, your job and mission is to help them grow and thrive every single day. I'm sad because of the obvious - he's our last baby. And this marks the end of our "baby days" here in the house.

Little by little, I've been getting rid of things... some clothes here and there, the beloved cradle swing, even the green Bumbo seat that was such a lifesaver I didn't know what I did without it. And unlike me, Aidan is growing up without looking back, and smiling through every moment! He is using sippy cups like a champ, and only takes one or two bottles a day. He eats everything we eat, even pizza, and loves it. He is not only walking, but climbing up stairs, and getting back down them on his own. He babbles a lot, and can say "Yes", "No!", and my favorite... "Mama."

So next Saturday, after his official birthday has come and gone on Tuesday, we will celebrate. An Elmo cake for him to smash and eat. New toys wrapped in Sesame Street paper, just for him. A party to enjoy this first birthday, and the amazing little boy he has become. Just please, pay no attention to me... I may need a Kleenex box nearby!!

Christmas Pictures!

2008-12-27T14:16:00.000-05:00

Ava getting into the spirit, ready to open gifts on Christmas Eve at the grandparents' house!

Aidan is not too sure what to do with all these boxes yet!

Ava and Daddy rip into their gifts - Bounce Back Racers remote-control cars!

Lots of fun additions to the dress-up wardrobe!!

Aidan with his reindeer antlers *and* Santa hat!

Too many sweets + No Nap + Too much holiday excitement =

Christmas Eve Meltdown!!

Christmas Morning! Ava shows off on of her favorites -

The "Dinosaurs In A Rock House"!

Dinosaurs everywhere!!

And we must line them up!

The Whetzel family Christmas tree. Notice the incredible lack of

ornaments on the bottom 1/3 of the tree!!

Ava delivering the goods!

Trying out her very own digital camera. Say Cheese!

Only on Christmas morning is it ok to completely devour a Reese's

chocolate peanut butter tree at 8:30am (straight out of the stocking!)

in a total of four huge bites!

Aidan and his new basketball game

It's the Inchworm!!

A new sandbox for Ava!

Whew, all this holiday excitement. Can you

see the tiredness in his little blue eyes??

Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends, near and far! We hope yours was

as joyous and memory-filled as ours was!

Happy Holidays, 2008!

2008-12-21T13:49:00.000-05:00

This year, in an effort to be more financially conscious, we decided to forgo getting our family portraits done at a studio for our holiday cards, and instead made use of our recent investment of an upgraded Nikon camera! Good intentions... yes. Worth it? Hmm, not so much. The end result, after several repositionings of the tripod, several different posed "spots" around the house, setting the timer well over 100 times to run back to said spot in the nick of time for the shutter to go off. Well, let's just say this year, Photoshop editing software was our friend.

Always wanting to help, Ava got in on the action in the kitchen the week before Christmas to help Mom with the cookie baking.

Of course, when you're 3, "help" means taste-test the dough, as often as possible, until the looming sugar high kicks in, and you no longer have the patience to help!

This year's new-recipe winner in the Whetzel house: Red Velvet Christmas Cake Balls!! Golf-ball sized balls of moist red velvet cake, dipped in white chocolate and drizzled with red and green chocolate. One word = Sinful!

The holidays are stressful..

2008-12-20T17:18:00.000-05:00

Apparently it is even starting to affect Aidan. He has been caught hitting the sauce a lot more than normal lately!!

It is a sad day when you get to the bottom of your empty margarita glass...

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-12-01T11:38:00.008-05:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday! Chris and I enjoyed the day at his mom and dad's house this year, with great food and the kids had a good time playing together. We even got Pam and Steve to try out the Wii! (Sorry, no pictures of that!)

Caramel-Pumpkin-Gingersnap cheesecake, courtesy of The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

Mmm.... chocolate cake pops, decorated to look like little Thanksgiving turkeys!

Thank you, Bakerella!

There is no shortage of posing when Ava gets in front of the camera!! And check out how green our grass is? Not bad for the end of November. And now I'm rambling...

Ava in her holiday best, trying SO hard to be good. Can you tell? It is killing her!

Aww, my sweet boy! Look at all those teeth!!

This is Aidan's new favorite thing at Grandma's house - flying through the family room, holding on to his walker.... grinning like crazy and cracking himself up!

Three Cousins!

2008-11-28T17:53:00.002-05:00

Getting all three to look at me at the same time is virtually impossible. Getting Aidan to quit chewing on his hands for even a moment? Not happening! But here they are, Happy Thanksgiving!!

It's the little things that go unnoticed......

2008-10-27T09:23:00.001-04:00

Like the blatantly obvious black and white ad that screams "ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION" on the newspaper, right under where our 3-year-old proudly displays her Halloween pumpkin!

Yes, lesson learned. Next year I will be doing newspaper "screening" before taking pictures that will be forever in our scrapbooks!

A great day at the Pumpkin Patch!

2008-10-21T08:14:00.002-04:00

Sunday was a beautiful October day, so we headed to Stony Creek Farms for our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch with the kids. We had a great day!

Like any day out, this one had no shortage of "Ava-isms". We used the bathrooms at the farm (thank goodness for kids being potty-trained, it is wonderful!). Since it is a rather old farm, there are no modern bathroom facilities, but they've done their best with what they have. They have a glorified "bathroom" that consists of several port-a-potties enclosed in a trailer, with a nice floor, lights, and sinks... so it really seems like a normal bathroom, except it is a little... uh... "rustic". Ava and I squeezed into a stall, and she whispered into my ear "Mommy... is this a little bit dirty?" And I tried to assure her it was fine. She has random episodes at places where the bathrooms are a little scary, and she will protest and not go, thus cutting our day short immediately, and I didn't want that to be the case this day. And then she (loudly) announced to everyone within earshot, "I think this is the horseys' potty!!"

Well, there you go. Kids don't sugar coat it!

Ava loved the haystack mountain!!

LOVED it!

Loved it so much, we could barely get her out of it!

And we caught our wagon for our hayride out to the Pumpkin Patch! Can you believe how big Aidan has gotten? This cool weather really snuck up on me (I'm not sure why... it IS October, but that is beside the point...) so in a pinch, I grabbed one of Ava's hooded sweatshirts for Aidan to wear. It is a size 18 months. And it fit Ava last year (at 2 1/2 years old). And now it fits Aidan.... at 9 months old. What happened to our baby?!

The kids having a very serious discussion on whether this was a good pumpkin to take home...

Looks like they'll take it!

And we're on our way back! How come the kids can never look at the camera at the same time? Never?! I think it is an unwritten law of childhood!

Viva, Las Vegas!!

2008-10-21T07:29:00.003-04:00

We were lucky enough to be able to take a 4-day getaway this October, just the two of us - no kids! We haven't had any time away for the two of us since.... well, before we had Ava! So this was a much-appreciated opportunity for both of us - and we decided to head to Las Vegas!

After a long day of traveling, we finally made it! We stayed in the newly "modernized" West Wing, of the MGM Grand hotel. Very nice! Notice how Chris immediately peruses the room service menu!

Our very mod bathroom. And do you see that black rectangle on the bathroom mirror? Yes, that is a TV. Inside the mirror, paper thin. Yes, a TV. Because apparently while on vacation in Vegas, you must multi-task...

We had a little luck when it came to gambling - Chris scored a $450 win on a slot machine in the Bellagio! (Yes, I know you are not supposed to take pictures in casinos. I was quick about it!)

Friday night we went to see Blue Man Group at the Venetian. It was amazing!! It is indescribable, and a great show. The odd comedy starts as soon as you sit down in your seats... they passed around endless amounts of white tissue and instructed all show-goers to "dress" themselves in it. Here we are in our creations, waiting for the show to start!

A view of the Venetian's "Canal" complete with Gondolas .... Yes, this is all inside!! Beautiful!

Of course, doesn't everyone snap a "self-portrait" in front of the Canal? Here we are!

And we could not forget the kids. No visit to FAO Schwartz is complete without sporadic dancing on the life-size piano!!

We had a wonderful time! It was a whirlwind of a trip, but also just what we needed. A huge Thank you to our parents who helped make it possible!!

Our little gymnast in the making!

2008-09-29T12:16:00.002-04:00

Ava is starting gymnastics classes once a week, beginning October 9th. Since Chris and I will be out of town for her first class, I decided to take Ava to the gym she will be going to one evening, so she could look around and see what the kids were doing. At first, she was a little hesitant, but after a few minutes she got into it, and was saying "Mommy, I wanna do THAT!" so I'm hoping she'll have a great time.

Before we left, I let her pick out her first leotard from the racks they had there. This is her pick!

Politics - Let's keep it light for a minute, shall we?

2008-09-16T08:55:00.001-04:00

A picture shoot with the 3 cousins!!

2008-09-02T21:21:00.002-04:00

We had our first road trip as a family of four over Labor Day weekend! We made the trip up north to see some family, and had some pictures taken with Ava and Aidan, and their cousin, Allyssa. We had a great time! The kids did awesome for the 3+ hour car ride, and the weekend stay in the hotel. It is definitely an adventure traveling with a 3-year-old, and a 7-month-old, but we had low expectations, and were pleasantly surprised!

Ava, Allyssa, and Aidan... their best poses for a great picture for the "Grandmas"!

Ava and Aidan, hamming it up!

Aidan being his cute, smiley self!

Our 2 sweet peas!

A shot of the two girls - precious!

All 3.... and starting to get a little slap-happy!

"Can you believe this??"

"Another beer over here!!"

I love this shot of Aidan.... this is the side of him I see most, now that he is growing so mobile and curious!

Good news today!

2008-07-22T19:50:00.002-04:00

I had my TEE today at the Heart Hospital. It went well... they tell me I required a lot of IV medicine to put me to sleep, but I never said I was a cheap date, did I? Luckily, I don't remember any of it, and I am glad to have that behind me!

The news was good! Luckily, my ASD is not very big, and is located in the middle of the septum, which is fixable with a cath lab procedure using a closure device, and not requiring surgery. Dr Robertson still would like me to have one more diagnostic test, a cardiac MRI, in the next week, to get a better image of the heart and major blood vessels, because of the right-side enlargement of my heart as a result of the ASD, and to make sure there are no other vascular anomalies or anything else that could be causing the problem.

Once the MRI is complete, then we will have a set plan of action, but I am unbelievably calm now just in knowing that surgery is out of my near future. I appreciate all of the kind words, good thoughts, and powerful prayers in the past few weeks - they obviously worked!

Our baby girl turns 3!

2008-07-17T21:41:00.000-04:00

Our sweet baby girl, Ava Riley Whetzel, born July 13, 2008, at 8:08 am. 7lbs, 15oz, 21 inches long. Here she is, just about an hour old!

Ava's first birthday!

Ava's 2nd birthday!

And here she is - on her 3rd birthday! It has been an adventurous 3 years, but we have enjoyed every minute of watching you grow up, Ava. The new things you learn every day, the funny phrases we hear you say, and watching you discover and learn to love your baby brother melts our hearts. Happy birthday to our beautiful daughter!

Happy 6 months Aidan!

2008-07-17T21:18:00.000-04:00

Wow, how time flies! Aidan is growing so fast, it is hard to keep up. He is now rolling over both ways, trying SO hard to sit up unassisted (he can do it for less than a minute, but always ends up toppling over or falling forward!), he is eating every type of fruit and veggie, loves his oatmeal, and his new favorite - banana yogurt! He loves to splash in the pool and jump in his "jumperoo"!

At his 6 month appointment, he was 17 lbs, 10 oz in weight (52nd percentile), 27 1/2 inches tall (80th percentile!) and his head was around the 44cm mark - not that anyone ever pays attention to head measurements!

Way to grow, my sweet baby boy!

Ava's 3rd birthday party!

2008-07-16T19:18:00.000-04:00

We had Ava's birthday party on Saturday - and we lucked out and got great weather! Early in the morning, it was dark, and storming hard. But by 10am, the sun was shining just for us, and it turned out to be a perfect day for a pool party!

She was very into opening gifts this year, even though her attention span still wasn't long enough to get through the whole pile of presents in one sitting! She'd open a few, check them out, say "Thank you!" to the gift-givers, and head back to the pool to swim.

We had a great turnout - lots of family and friends got to enjoy the summer day by the pool!

Ava's pink birthday cake - made with love by Mommy!

This is Ava's new "big girl" swimming style - swimming with only a noodle! She is getting more independent every day.

Our big boy, Aidan, enjoying the party with Grandma!

Ava and her cousin Allyssa, who is much better at posing for pictures!

All in all, it was a great day! Thank you to all of the family and friends that

came to share this day with us!

A pothole in the road of life...

2008-07-06T09:02:00.003-04:00

I debated whether or not to even blog about this topic. This blog is about my family, and although life with a toddler and a baby has its obvious ups and downs, for the most part this blog is extremely positive, showing the happiness and good times in our family. But for those family and friends that read this blog, I want to keep you all "in the loop" so to speak, because I got some bad news last week personally, but I can't imagine moving forward without the support from all of you who chose to offer it.

I saw my family doctor over a week ago, due to having a few episodes of chest pain, which was pretty alarming considering I'm only 27! Well, my doctor assured me she was "85% sure" it was just bad acid reflux, but also did an EKG in her office. Unfortunately, my EKG was abnormal, and she heard what sounded like a murmur when she listened to my heart, so she referred me to a cardiologist for some testing.

This past Tuesday, I went in for a cardiac echo (ultrasound of the heart) and a stress treadmill test. The good news is - the pain I was having WAS reflux, because after starting some meds for that, it has gone away, and my treadmill test was completely negative.

The bad news is, my resting echo showed my heart was abnormal. After another diagnostic test, the cardiologist told me I had an atrial septal defect which essentially is a hole in my heart, in between the 2 upper chambers. He is concerned because already, my heart is showing early signs of heart failure, because the right side of my heart is starting to enlarge (which happens because the heart muscle has to work harder to pump the blood that is being shunted the wrong way in the circulation of the heart), and once that happens, it can lead to pulmonary hypertension = high blood pressure in the vessels between the heart and lungs.

The good news (yes there is some!) is that I am very lucky to have this diagnosed now, considering my initial symptoms that led me to the cardiologist are not related to this defect. He told me a lot of people that have this start to have major problems once they reach their 40s and 50s, and by that time, the heart failure is very advanced and they can be very ill.

So the plan now includes a few things. Chris and I are meeting with Dr Robertson, the cardiologist who diagnosed me, this Thursday in his office, and then we will be scheduling a few additional tests. The first will be a TEE or transesophageal echo, to get a better look at the hole in my heart and see how big it is. The second will be a right heart catheterization to assess the level of heart failure by looking at the blood pressure on both sides of the heart, and looks for pulmonary hypertension by placing a catheter in the pulmonary artery in between the heart and lungs.

Once we have those 2 tests out of the way, we can decide which way would be the best option for closure of the defect. Luckily, there is a pretty new procedure that is FDA-approved, which involves placing a closure device in a cath lab procedure, similar to the process of a balloon angioplasty or a cardiac stent. And unfortunately, if that procedure is not an option for us, then we are faced with needing to do open heart surgery to patch the hole directly. Several things will determine which route we will take - the size of the hole, primarily, as well as how much damage there is to my heart and blood vessels.

So now, we wait. One appointment at a time, one procedure at a time. Obviously this news came as a huge shock to me, and our family too, but it is out of my hands. I am trusting that I am in excellent, capable hands of a great cardiologist who will fix this, and I know that I am lucky to have this diagnosed now before further complications came up. All I can ask is that you keep me, and my family, in your thoughts and prayers, and I will keep you updated.

Teething sucks!

2008-06-22T21:39:00.003-04:00

Poor Aidan! He really is a trooper through it all. But wow, teething is really a pain. He has had a shadow of the outline of his 2 bottom teeth very visible for the past month now. He drools like a faucet and chews on anything he can get his hands on. His favorite, of course, are my fingers... ouch! That boy has some strong jaws. He's almost 5 1/2 months, and is approaching the same time Ava got her first tooth, so if genetics repeats itself, it won't be long before those pearly whites finally make their appearance.

It's not a green thumb... it's a green pinkie

2008-06-20T04:30:00.000-04:00

If anyone remembers, last year I spent a lot of time working on these flower beds out by the pool. When we had the patio designed, we purposely had them make 2 empty spaces, one on either side of the pool, in the cement to give us a place for landscaping and flowers. Last year the flowers looked great, but I had decided to do rock in the beds, instead of mulch, for fear that the mulch would fly into the pool with too much wind. However, something worse happened, which did not depend on the weather - Ava developed a bad habit of amusing herself while throwing the rocks into the pool. This did not make either of us happy, so finally I decided the beds needed a complete overhaul.

I should have started taking pictures from the very beginning, to document what I was starting with. But let me just tell you... it was a mess, and a lot of work. This "before" picture was actually after several long hours of pulling out dead foliage from last year, and scooping several wagon loads of rock, along with some dirt, out of the beds. Aagghh... I think my back is still recovering.

So new dirt was laid, new plants were planted, new mulch was... well, mulched. And here you have it... the finished product. And with all the rain we have had lately (thank you, Midwestern flooding for sparing us more than our fair share) they have really spread out more than in these pictures and look really good.

And the best part is... Ava hasn't bothered to touch the mulch one bit. And none of it has ended up in the pool yet. The cutest thing is Ava likes to "pick flowers for Mommy" and brings me snippets of leaves and a few blooms inside the house and lays them in my hands. So cute!

Our little fish!

2008-06-16T15:10:00.000-04:00

Ava is loving the pool again this year, and hasn't lost one ounce of her courage she gained last year. She is such a fish - she loves the water! She probably has more confidence in her ability than she really should... with her little swim ring around her waist, she is invincible, or so she thinks! She jumps off the edge, swims in the deep end, and just generally shows off.

5 months old

2008-06-13T21:19:00.000-04:00

Wow - time is flying by! How did Aidan get to be 5 months already - didn't I just go back to work, and start buying 3-6 month onesies? Nope... I guess not. I just can't keep up!

Aidan is such a great baby, we are so blessed to have such a sweet little guy in our family. He is so happy, and watching him reach all these milestones just melts my heart every time. He is rolling over both ways now, though the rolling from tummy to back needs quite a bit more practice. He is eating all sorts of fruits and veggies, and loves almost all of them, except he is a little slow to warm up to the green beans. He also had his first bites of homemade mashed potatoes the other day (loved it!) and homemade whipped cream (hated it!).

His 6-9 month onesies and 6 month size summer clothes are all getting snug... looks like we will me making a 2nd round of shopping for more summer clothes since it is still only June, and we have a long stretch of hot weather ahead of us.

Another first!

2008-06-01T20:11:00.000-04:00

Since Aidan has been really working on his bottom two teeth that are trying to come in, and he has been eating baby food with no issues for a few weeks now, we decided to try the infamous Gerber biter biscuits! Of course, no stretch of babyhood is complete without the experience of one of these brown, gooey, messy concoctions!

He was really into it! Except he kept dropping it, because after a few minutes these things become really slimy and slippery. He totally enjoyed it - and the very thorough bath that he obviously needed afterwards!

[UN]swaddling success!

2008-05-27T13:22:00.003-04:00

I can safely say it, now that it has been a full week - we are free of the swaddle habit! At over 4 months, it was really time to quit, but it has been our safety net, our key to a full nights' sleep, not to mention great naps in his crib during the days. But Aidan is a big boy now - I was beginning to worry about what else I could use to swaddle him, because one by one, he kept growing out of the latest swaddle blankets I'd been relying on to wrap him up tight. It took a few nights of getting up at 2 or 3am, and a few nights of letting him fuss for about 20 minutes before falling asleep, but he's great now. We're using the soft, snuggly cotton Sleep Sacks, so he stays warm, and can move his arms and legs freely. Naps aren't quite as long as they used to be, but he seems happy most all of the day, so I think he's getting plenty of rest. Now I can take a deep breath, and quit searching the Internet for extra large cotton and velcro swaddling contraptions... whew!

Come on in, the water's fine!

2008-05-18T10:04:00.002-04:00

Summer seems like it should be right around the corner... but lately the weather has been acting otherwise. Even though the days are pretty nice, and sunny for the most part, the temperature has still only been in the 60s and 70s. Nothing to complain about, but not exactly swimming pool weather either!

Now that the pool is open, we are all so ready to get in it and let the summer days begin. But the thought of turning the heater on to heat the entire pool (which is currently 66 degrees - brrr!) wasn't exactly seeming cost-effective. So we compromised, and turned on only the hot tub, and brought Aidan in for his first time in the water!

He seemed to like splashing around in the water, but I'm sure it seemed like just one big bath tub to him - except that he was wearing swim trunks! We got in when Ava was napping, so I'm sure next time his big sister will be excited to show off her swimming skills. Hopefully it will warm up here soon so we can all enjoy it!

Aidan's 4 month appt.

2008-05-16T12:58:00.000-04:00

He weighed in at 14 lbs, 14 oz, and was 25 inches long. 50th percentile for both! No problems to speak of, and he is right on track developmentally. Our only hurdle to jump now is to wean him off the swaddling at night when he sleeps, since he will probably start attempting to roll over here soon. That will be difficult... swaddling him for sleep, is like the blue blankie that Linus carries around in the Peanuts cartoons. Except it is OUR security blanket - when Aidan's not swaddled, no one gets any sleep in this house!

Pass the peas, please!

2008-05-15T17:52:00.000-04:00

We've started a whole new phase in this babyhood thing.... welcome to the world of solid foods! We decided to start a little earlier than the recommended 4 months of age, just because we'd sit Aidan in his seat on the kitchen table during our meals together as a family, and he would watch in amazement (or jealousy, maybe!) as we ate, and would even start to move his mouth, making eating motions! It was so funny to watch, we thought maybe he was ready to be an active participant at the dinner table, so we decided to give it a try.

We started with a little cereal, but anyone who's ever had kids knows how bland and boring that is, so we've moved on to veggies and fruits. This is a nightly scene at the Whetzel house - Aidan covered in whatever was on the menu for the night! But he LOVES it - he opens up big for the spoon, and sometimes he'll just gulp it down and want more immediately, other times he'll smile his big gummy grin, and whatever he's eating will dribble down his chin. Either way, he's loving it!

So far his favorites seem to be bananas and sweet potatoes. But on the night these were taken, the theme was peas.... everywhere. He has a habit of sucking on his fingers and fists (teething is our guess right now), even in the middle of the meal. So this means, peas everywhere! Our laundry, and our diaper changes have gotten a bit more interesting lately, but he's happy and growing, so we must be doing something right!

Happy 4 months!

2008-05-13T13:45:00.000-04:00

Soooo big! Our baby is 4 months old already. Sleeping through the night (for the most part!), eating cereal, fruits, and veggies, smiling and giggling, and loving to stand with us holding his hands. Just another great baby phase, and we are loving every minute of it!

His 4 month checkup is friday. I'm curious to see how much he weighs. All I know now is that the infant carseat is getting mighty heavy to lug around when he is in it!! I've resorted to "wearing" him in the baby Bjorn for trips to the store, because he loves to look around and see the sights, plus it is easier to wear him than to lug the heavy carseat in with me and hoist it into the carts.

Who is this growing boy?

2008-05-04T18:21:00.000-04:00

And what happened to my baby?! Aidan has grown so much, he has definitely left the wrinkly newborn stages behind and is learning new things almost every day. We are working with him to try and sit on his own... he is making slow progress, but he has great head control so hopefully he'll be able to sit unassisted soon. He still hates the tummy time, but I think most kids do at this age! And we've started a few solids - he loves bananas and sweet potatoes so far. He sits with us in his Bumbo seat at mealtimes and sometimes he'll take just a few bites, other times he'll devour whatever I have in his little bowl for him. Oh, and we're moving up to size 3 diapers. Size 3... really? I don't think Ava wore size 3's until she was 9 months old!

Brother and Sister

2008-05-04T17:53:00.001-04:00

Ava is finally starting to play a little bit with Aidan. Now that he is alert, happy (for the most part!) and able to smile and coo in her direction, she is much more interested in him than when he was a baby who just laid there. It is so funny to watch her - she'll grab a few DVDs off the bookshelf, and she'll notice some of the Baby Einstein series, and she'll ask me what they are. When I say "Those are baby Aidan's movies" she'll say "Oh. Ok!" and then proceed to take the DVDs and pile them on top of Aidan, wherever he might be! She means well, and it is cute to watch her share!

All clear!

2008-04-22T16:23:00.003-04:00

We made the trip to see the pediatric surgeon on friday. Drove across town, nervously watching the clock to make sure we were on time for the appointment. Navigated the Clarian North Hospital parking lot, professional office building, and of course - the elevators, with a big bulky stroller. Waited in the Riley Children's office waiting room for over an hour (thank you Aidan, for deciding to have a nice big poopy diaper, and making the nurse skip us to the next waiting family, since Mommy was in the restroom changing your diaper when our name was called!).

And we find out.... it is NOTHING! Dr. Rouse was so nice, with a soft voice and a great bedside manner. And he explained the possibilities that would require surgery, but assured us Aidan has none of those. His belly button is just taking longer than normal to heal, but it looks just fine. A few small dabs of silver nitrate, and we were out the door. No surgery needed! Of course we are relieved. And his belly button is almost completely healed - apparently Dr. Rouse had the magic touch. We are so glad this scare was only that and nothing more, thanks for all the good luck wishes, they worked!

Belly button woes

2008-04-15T12:05:00.002-04:00

We got some surprising news last week at the doctor's office. We took Aidan to be seen, because he is still having some drainage out of his belly button. His umbilical cord had fallen off without incident, but at his 2 month appt. was not completely healed. At that time, Dr. Moore did a silver nitrate application on it, in hopes of getting it to heal completely and end the "leakiness" it had. That worked for about a week, and then it started draining again, worse than before. Now, at 3 months, the dr. has decided there may be an issue internally that needs to be corrected. We've been referred to a pediatric urologist, and we see him on friday for a surgery consult.

Obviously, surgery is the last thing we expected out of an issue like this, so we are a bit overwhelemed at that possibility. All we can do is think good thoughts, and have confidence that he is in excellent, capable hands, and we hope to get through this. If surgery is the route we need to take, we'll keep you updated on our plans.

The first boy in the family...

2008-04-15T12:01:00.002-04:00

There are good things and bad things about being the first boy born into a family in quite a long time. After several granddaughters, of course the grandparents were overjoyed to hear we were expecting a little boy when we found out last fall. Finally - someone to buy cool "boy toys" for (those were Dad's thoughts!) and someone to go fishing with Grandpa.

However, there is one major drawback to being the first boy, after a few girls have grown up in the family. Grandma can't part with pink, ruffly socks.

Yes, this is a picture of Aidan's feet. After spending the day with Grandma.... sigh. He will never live this one down.

Welcome Spring!

2008-04-14T22:54:00.000-04:00

We were able to get outside for a little while, since it is finally starting to warm up! Here is Aidan, feeling the wind in his face for the first time ever - he wasn't too sure if he liked it or not!

Look at me sitting up in the Bumbo! And still rockin' the double chin, of course!

Aidan has been growing so much, it is amazing. He is sleeping longer stretches now at night - 8-9 hours, taking a quick bottle, then going back down for another 3-4 hours. He's also been smiling and cooing, and is starting to reach for toys now. His favorite is his play mat with the bird that flies overhead and plays music - he tries to grab the bird, he is just not quick enough yet!

Happy Easter!

2008-04-13T09:21:00.000-04:00

We spent Saturday morning coloring Easter eggs - this was a first for Ava, and she LOVED it! It was a little tricky for her to figure out how to get the eggs into the cups of dye without a big *kaplunk!* and some splashing, but by the end she had mastered it!

She was very focused, putting stickers on her eggs "just so"!!

Then of course, we all had to have an egg! Ava tried one and loved it. When she took a few more bites and got to the middle yolk part, she yelled "Yay - cheese!" (She was pretty disappointed and decided eggs were not so yummy once she figured out that on the inside, it was not really cheese!)

Showing off her Easter outfit, complete with new pink shoes, and a sure sign of spring - no socks!!

We headed outside on Easter morning to go hunt for some eggs that Mom had hidden around the front yard!

There's one!

Looking cute, with her Easter basket full of eggs!

Grandpa Whetzel, with Aidan, on Easter sunday.

Aidan's 2-month checkup

2008-03-19T14:07:00.003-04:00

He weighed in at 11lbs, 8 oz, which put him in the 40th percentile for weight. He was 22 1/2 inches long, which put him in the 28th percentile for length, and his head was 39.5 cm - 33rd percentile. He is growing beautifully, especially considering he was 2 weeks early and was a little on the small side at birth!

He had to get 5 vaccinations... no fun! He got 4 shots and the oral rotavirus vaccine, which he gobbled up! He cried his eyes out after the shots (can you blame him!?) but he calmed down quickly and came home to take a nap. He got a clean bill of health, and hopefully we won't be in the dr's office again until his next checkup at 4 months.

Happy 2 months!

2008-03-18T16:38:00.002-04:00

Just a quick cute pic of my happy guy - Aidan is two months old already! We go to the doctor tomorrow for his checkup, (and unfortunately, his shots). He's not so stingy with the smiles anymore - if only this picture came with sound, you could hear his cute "ooohs" and "aaahs" that he is cooing now. So sweet!

Big sister on duty!

2008-03-16T19:05:00.000-04:00

Ava (and Daddy!) decided it would be a great idea to take Aidan for a ride around the house in her doll stroller. Sounds silly - but hey, he fits!

Aidan, on the other hand, doesn't look so enthused. And hey - isn't this a girls' stroller??

Ava's first official haircut

2008-03-15T16:32:00.001-04:00

Over the past couple years, anyone that knows Ava knows she has not been blessed in the hair department! At her first birthday, she was still pretty much a baldie. Last summer, she got just enough for a couple short pigtails. And now, it is finally growing out a bit. Mom has given her a couple tiny "trims" since then, but it was time for her first big-girl haircut!

We took her to Cookie Cutters, a haircut place for kids. Autumn, her hairstylist that day, got Ava settled in the pink car, and let her pick out her cape - Ava chose the one with the fish on it. She wasn't too sure about the whole process (as you can tell in the picture!) but it turned out adorable!

The finished product!

Finally, a nice day!

2008-03-08T22:26:00.002-05:00

It has been a rough winter - it has been staying pretty cold, even though it is March already, but this weekend we got a reprieve! It was in the 60's this weekend, perfect "sweatshirt" weather and it called for at trip to the playground!

Ava checking things out

Down the slide she goes!

Getting a push from Daddy

My happy chunky monkey!

2008-03-02T07:18:00.000-05:00

Aidan is getting so big, so fast! He is 7 weeks old today. Time seems to stand still when you're up in the middle of the night for a feeding, or juggling both kids when one needs a nap and the other wants to play. But then you realize how far you've come, and it really has flown by!

I weighed him at home with me the other day, he is already over 10 pounds. Check out that double chin! This is the only time in his life that will ever be considered adorable!

That elusive baby smile....

2008-02-22T09:24:00.000-05:00

It is so funny, when small babies first start to smile. It is the sweetest thing in the world, yet if you blink, you'll miss it! I've tried to get a few shots of Aidan smiling, and of course he is usually too fast for me! This is the best I can do.

Here he is, right before he starts to give it up and smile at Mommy!

And this is right afterwards... of course I missed the best part in between shots, but you get the idea!

There's nothing worse...

2008-02-15T15:04:00.000-05:00

... than a sick baby! Poor Aidan has been battling a cold all week now, and it is really wearing him out. Lil' guy slept most of the night last night, hasn't been eating a whole lot, and just generally looks pouty and miserable! He probably would like to never see the horrible blue snot-sucker ever again, his poor nose is still red. Feel better soon, my sweet baby boy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T22:26:00.000-05:00

Today is Valentine's day! Ava took "treats" to her class that Mommy put together for her friends - little heart bags with Play-Doh, lollipops, and candy hearts. We shared a yummy strawberry cake for dessert for the occasion. And Daddy brought home red roses for Mommy - they are beautiful! What a great day to be around those that you love, and share a sweet treat too!

Way to Grow!

2008-02-13T16:21:00.000-05:00

Aidan had his one-month well baby checkup today at the pediatrician's office. He is growing so well! He is now 9lbs, 3oz, up from 6lbs, 9oz at birth! He measured in at 20 3/4 inches long. He is battling a little bit of a cold and stuffy nose right now, but otherwise "he looks perfect" they say. Hard to believe our little guy is a whole month old already!

Toddler times...

2008-02-05T11:42:00.000-05:00

We had a bunch of friends over for a Superbowl party on sunday - GO Giants!!

Ava had a great time entertaining her friends. Considering it was her "home turf" she did get a little bossy... This is Ava telling Dominic what to do, in a not so nice way! (And he is a year younger than she is!)

However, she did finally play nicely. This is her sharing her tricycle with her best buddy Avery!

Big sister!

2008-02-04T05:40:00.000-05:00

Ava is adjusting well to her newest family member in the house. She loves her little brother, even though he isn't very exciting yet! Her favorite part of it all is when I bring Aidan with me to school to pick her up - she loves showing all her friends "My Baby Aidan"!

Baby faces...

2008-01-31T16:37:00.000-05:00

Our little guy is getting bigger every day!

Just a few of the cute faces he makes that never cease to bring a smile to my face...

A tight swaddle is a good swaddle...

2008-01-28T10:31:00.000-05:00

We have started putting Aidan to bed in his crib, in his own room, every night now. He sleeps *so* much better, and so do we! Not listening to every rustle and sigh benefits all of us, really - he is waking up to eat twice per night, between 10pm and 9am, so we think it is a pretty good schedule for a little guy who isn't even 3 weeks old yet!

The key to a good sleep, which we found out when Ava was a baby too - the swaddle! The idea behind it is that babies are snuggled very tightly in the womb, so they are used to it. Aidan instantly calms when we swaddle him tightly. The key I have found - the Halo SleepSack Swaddle wearable blanket! It comes with a stretchy wrap with velcro on the end, to wrap him like a little burrito, and it is snug!!

The only problem - the cream color I got makes it look oh-so-slightly like a straightjacket!! Here is Aidan doing his best psychiatric ward pose...

I'm wrinkly!

2008-01-26T19:53:00.001-05:00

I love those first newborn weeks... when they seem almost too small for their skin!

Our first week at home

2008-01-23T15:05:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it - the first 48 hours were rough. But not in a usual, sleep-deprived-with-an-infant kind of way. Aidan had to go to the pediatrician's office last Thursday for a weight check and a bilirubin screen, less than 24 hours after being discharged from the hospital. His weight was down even more, and his bili levels were more elevated - despite being on a home bili blanket machine for jaundice. However - a week later, all of that has changed! He is off the bili blanket completely, his bilirubin levels are now back down, almost to normal, and he is eating like a champ!

I hate to jinx myself here, but he is so much easier than Ava was at this age. He rarely cries or fusses unless he is wet or hungry. He sleeps very well - now doing 3 1/2 to 4 hour stretches at night. He is just a very easygoing baby (for now!). Hopefully this will continue for a long time, but right now I'm enjoying every minute of it. He already seems to be growing, his little cheeks look a tiny bit more pudgy, his legs look just a little less skinny. Day by day, I see changes.

Ava is doing well with him. At school, her teachers report she is a little whiny and clingy, but we're hoping she is just adjusting slowly. This is definitely overwhelming for her, but she is doing her best, and that is all we can ask for. She seems to love the baby, she kisses him on the forehead and watches him sleep.

More pictures, coming soon!

New pictures!

2008-01-20T12:35:00.000-05:00

Our little glo-worm!! Aidan on his bili light blanket in the hospital.

Finally heading home!! Aidan and Mommy.

All swaddled in his Moses basket.

Aidan's first bath!

Squeaky clean... and not too sure about this bath stuff!

A few pictures of our newest addition!

2008-01-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

Aidan being monitored in the NICU, shortly after delivery

All bundled up!

Mommy, 2 hours post c-section, waiting to meet her little guy!

A big sister meets her baby brother for the first time!

Sound asleep....

Aidan's Birth Story (very long!)

2008-01-15T10:04:00.001-05:00

The beginning of it all - Thursday, January 10 I started having some pre-labor symptoms at
home, really thought nothing of it, but decided to call my OB's office just to let them know.

The OB nurse called me back Thursday evening telling me since it was after 5pm and the office was closed, she'd like me to go in to the hospital's Labor & Delivery triage dept. just to get checked out and make sure everything was ok.

Thinking I would only be gone an hour or two, I had Chris stay home with Ava, and I drove myself to L&D. Was I ever in for a surprise!

Once in the triage area, they hooked me up to a fetal monitor and a contraction monitor and examined me. After the exam I started having very strong contractions, 4-5 minutes apart. Also, my blood pressure was pretty high. So the OB that was on-call that evening said she couldn't very well send me back home given the circumstances, so she wanted me to stay overnight for monitoring. So much for a quick check! I called Chris to let him know, and they moved me to a L&D suite to be monitored, with hopes that my BP would be back to normal the next day and they'd let me come home.

Over the next 2 days, my BP stayed elevated, and they drew lots of blood work and sent urine labs. I spent thursday night and friday night in L&D, and saturday morning another OB physician came in and said with how everything was going, and the fact that I was already 38 weeks, it was recommended just to induce me and have this baby instead of just continuing to monitor the situation. So Saturday, we were told, it was time to get this baby delivered!

Saturday, January 12th, they started my IV, had me sign a ton of consents and paperwork, and started Pitocin around noon.

By 6pm, the RN checked me again, and after 6 hours on the Pitocin, and having regular, strong contractions, I wasn't making much progress. The OB came in to see me around 7pm, and decided to go ahead and break my water.

In the next hour, after she broke my water, contractions became much more intense! I got my epidural around 8:30 - heaven!! I could watch my contractions on the monitor and not feel them at all. Life was good!

Through the night I made slow progress, and towards morning, baby's head was very low, and things started to speed up all of a sudden. The nurse checked me at 6am - I was 5 cm. At 6:45am, after having a lot more pressure and bad contractions she checked me again and I was 6-7 cm. 15 minutes later, as the nurses were giving report at shift change in my room, I told them I felt like I needed to push. The oncoming RN checked me and laughed and said "That's because you do - you're 10cm!"

I started pushing at around 7:15am, they had the baby warmer in the room waiting for Aidan, and the delivery table all ready to go. That is when it all got interesting!!

After a few minutes of pushing, the OB and the RNs present noticed that Aidan's heartrate was dropping every time I pushed. They had me turn on one side and push, and then the other side - no luck. His heartrate continued to drop each time. Finally the OB told me to quit pushing altogether, and I breathed through a few contractions while she watched the monitor. Aidan's heart rate was dropping with every contraction at this point.

She talked to me, and I knew what was coming - it was time to do a c-section, because he was in distress, and we had to move quickly. They had placed a heartrate monitor on Aidan's scalp so they could get an accurate heartrate, and it was hooked up to a machine in the room that beeped with every beat. It was terrifying to hear it slow down with every contraction! They took Chris out to get some scrubs to wear into the operating room, prepped me, and wheeled me out the door down the hall to the OR. The tears started, I couldn't help it!

Once in the OR, I was shaking uncontrollably. Freezing cold, they crucified me to the skinny operating table with my arms stretched out to either side. I was still having contractions every 90 seconds at this point, and my epidural was not working at all.

The anesthesiologist bolused me several times in attempts to get me numb to do the c-section, but I wasn't feeling any relief. He did the "pinprick" skin test on my abdomen, and I felt every needle prick - the epidural was not working.

They told me they had no choice but to put a breathing tube down my throat and sedate me under general anesthesia. Because of this, and the fact that it was an emergency, Chris was not able to be in the room to see the delivery. I laid on the table saying "Oh my god, oh my god...." This was not exactly how I had planned on having this baby!

I was terrified beyond belief. I could feel them pushing some strong drugs into my IV... and the next thing I know, I'm seeing the bright lights of the OR, everything is a little hazy, I'm not in any pain, and they are telling me "Karin, we're all done!"

They wheeled me back to my room, Chris was there waiting for me. He had been able to see Aidan right after he was born, and he'd gone up with the NICU team with them and took a few pictures. Aidan was perfectly fine, and they were keeping him for 4 hours to monitor him. They also told me there was a reason behind why Aidan's heartrate kept dropping during delivery... he was delievered in the OR, and found to have his umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck! A c-section was inevitable, and we are very lucky to have been monitored so closely.

Finally, around 1pm, I finally got to see my baby boy when they brought him to my room. It was the longest wait, but it was worth it. He is absolutely perfect! Tiny, but perfect!

Aidan is HERE!

2008-01-13T16:53:00.000-05:00

A very quick update -
Aidan Lory Whetzel arrived Sunday, January 13, 2008 at 8:22am via emergency c-section after quite a whirlwind of a labor and delivery! He weighed in at 6 lbs, 9 oz and was 20 inches long. He had to go to the NICU for observation for 4 hours, but is perfectly fine and healthy, and I am recovering well also. More updates and pictures will be posted soon!

37+ week OB appt. update

2008-01-07T21:49:00.000-05:00

Well, I am officially full term - this little boy is healthy and fully developed, so he can safely arrive any day now.

The appt. was fine - baby's HR was in the 140s as always, my bp was a little higher than normal, but not terrible. Group B strep screen came back negative from last week.

And I figured out why I feel huge - I AM huge! My belly is measuring 39, almost 40 cm, so about 3 weeks ahead. Whoa!

Nothing else to report - from here on out it is just a waiting game to see when this little boy wants to make his grand entrance!

36+ week OB appt.

2007-12-31T11:58:00.000-05:00

Great news! This kiddo has decided to cooperate after all! Sometime over the weekend, he flipped completely - and at my appointment today the NP confirmed he is definitely head-down. Hopefully he will figure out that is the way out and stay that way!

Overall, everything looks fine. BP was 120/70, and I didnt even look at the number on the scale (since it is after Christmas, that is probably a good thing!). Aidan's HR was a healthy 145, and I'm still measuring about a week ahead, like always.

They did my GBS test (group B strep) and I should have the results next week. NP confirmed I am starting to dilate already, close to 1cm, 50% effaced.

Back again in a week, the countdown has begun!

34+ week appointment update

2007-12-17T18:35:00.000-05:00

Well, I have good news and bad news.

First the good news. BP is great, and no weight gain this past 2 weeks - YAY!

And now the bad news. The NP examined me, and said she is 99% sure this stubborn little boy is in the breech position. Obviously the only way to know for sure is to do an ultrasound, but that is her guess right now.

So we have a plan. At my next appointment I'll be 36 1/2 weeks, and if he still "feels" breech on exam, we will do an ultrasound then. If it confirms him as breech position, she will give me the option of either doing an external version http://www.aafp.org/afp/980901ap/coco.html or just going ahead and scheduling a c-section delivery. She said the reason for this is that by 36-37 weeks, the baby is usually big enough to settle into his "final position" and that he won't have room to turn head-down on his own by this time.

For any of you not in the medical profession, or who don't know what a version entails - it is a very painful, manual attempt by the MD to turn the baby into a head-down position by forcefully moving the baby on the outside of the Mom's abdomen. Not fun! And doesn't always prove successful, either. So we'll see what happens! I'm trying to stay positive and not worry until they give me something definite to worry about.

In the meantime, all of your good wishes can be directed into some "Flip over Aidan!" vibes, that would be great!!

Holiday Photos!

2007-12-16T15:49:00.001-05:00

A quick shameless plug...

2007-12-16T15:43:00.000-05:00

We braved the photo studio mayhem that is December with a 2-year-old to get our family pictures taken for our Christmas cards, as well as a few photo gifts for family members. We decided to try a new place that came highly recommended to us from a few friends - Portrait Innovations. Forgive me as I devote a quick paragraph as kudos for their amazing facility and service, but this was the best experience we have had with a portrait studio EVER! A huge, spacious waiting area, complete with comfy sofas and chairs, toys for the kids, bathrooms, and drinking fountains. The photographers were wonderful, considering Ava is a tough cookie in the smiling for strangers department. And the best part - the speed at which your photos are ready! If we had been willing to wait, our photos - from 3x5s to a 10x13 that we ordered - would be ready within an hour! And photo greeting cards, ready within 3 hours! That is service you just can't argue with. I highly, highly recommend them to anyone looking for a pleasant experience with family photos that doesn't want to spend a fortune. Their locations can be found at www.portraitinnovations.com Ok - my commercial is over! Carry on.

Our first big snowfall!

2007-12-10T13:40:00.000-05:00

Ava and Daddy made several "snow people" out in the front yard this past weekend after we got several inches of good heavy snow!

It's that time of year

2007-12-09T15:35:00.000-05:00

Time for decorating the Christmas tree, wrapping gifts, and baking holiday cookies. Ava has been enjoying every minute of it lately. She is Mommy's little helper, taking the wrapped presents and putting them under the tree. And of course, taste-testing the sugar cookies, to make sure everything is "just right"! Just a few pictures of our little ham from the past few weeks...

32+ week appointment update!

2007-12-05T01:48:00.000-05:00

Yawn.... nothing new or exciting. A pound or two heavier, BP was fine, baby's HR was 141. Still measuring about a week ahead. I must have looked tired today, because 3 separate office staff people asked me the same question "Are you feeling okay?" with a very concerned look!

Where's Ava??

2007-12-03T01:43:00.000-05:00

On most mornings, after a long peaceful sleep, this is the scene I find when walking in to Ava's room to get her ready for school. Sound asleep, snoozing underneath a pile of her stuffed animals, blankies, books, and other things. Sometimes she is *so* determined to stay snuggled in her bed, she plays the part of a teenager on a school day... completely ignoring me, maybe opening one eye to look at me and then roll over. On those days, the only thing that gets her moving is "Ava, if you hurry and get dressed we can watch a few minutes of SpongeBob!" and with that, she is usually up!!

30+ week Dr's appt. update

2007-11-20T20:50:00.000-05:00

Wow, over 30 weeks already!? Time is flying by! All looks well with this little soccer player in there. Not much too exciting to report. Measuring more closely on schedule now, only 1 week ahead instead of over 2. BP 116/60. Yawn... Oh and those contractions that are happening on a daily basis? Perfectly normal, as long as they subside with some rest, which they always do. Other than that, just 10 weeks to go to meet this little one!

Ava is SO vocal lately, she tells anyone that will listen "I'm a big sister!" She also knows baby's name now too, so she talks to the belly and says hi once in a while. We're not sure how much of this she really understands though - I'm sure she has no idea what is going to happen when we actually bring this baby home with us!

All Bundled Up!

2007-11-14T08:27:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again in the midwest - time to get out the warm winter coats, the hats, the mittens. Luckily Ava doesn't mind getting bundled up - as long as everything is *pink*!!

School pictures.... Memories to remember!

2007-11-10T17:09:00.000-05:00

That time of year again... fall backgrounds, long sleeves, apples and pumpkins. I know in several years I'll look back on these pictures and laugh. At Ava's pale blond hair in its awkward in-between stage (and her refusal to wear any sort of ponytail or clips in it!), the way her left arm is sticking out the wrong way of her sleeve, and of course the class picture, where it looks like my child rides the "short bus". That's my girl. But pictures preserve what time takes away... and these pictures really captured my little girl the way she is, the stubborn goofball that melts my heart daily.

a quick update...

2007-11-10T17:01:00.000-05:00

No gestational diabetes!! YAY! My OB's nurse called me last night, at 8:30pm on a friday night, to give me my test results, and I was terrified to call her back for fear it was bad news, but it really wasn't.

The update is that I am (still) anemic. She started to say "Well, we just need you to start taking an iron supplement..." and I stopped her and said "I was anemic at the very beginning. I've been taking an iron supplement since May." She paushed, said "Oh." and all was quiet! I guess I'm just not "responding" to it. No problem, she is calling in a prescription supplement that is supposed to be better. We'll see - anything with the potential to give a girl more energy is a godsend when they're 7+ months pregnant, and chasing around a 2-year-old daily!!

28+ week Dr's Appointment Update

2007-11-07T21:53:00.000-05:00

I had my 28-week checkup today seeing Dr. Box, my OB. On the agenda was my glucose-tolerance test to screen for gestational diabetes, and bloodwork to check for anemia.

First of all, I'm no newbie to this - I remember it when I was pregnant with Ava not too long ago. And I remembered hearing moms around me warning me about the dreaded glucose test (which, for those of you who arent familiar, involves drinking a very sugary drink pretty quickly, then getting blood drawn an hour later to check your blood glucose levels to determine your reaction to the sugar). Everyone said "Oh gawd, that stuff you have to drink was awful!" And then I had the test - and I thought "Maybe I'm crazy, or I just have one hell of a sweet tooth!" The drink really wasn't that bad... like an icy cold orange Crush soda. Yum!

But this time around... holy moly, what happened to my orange soda?? The lab tech has me sit down, and she runs to get the sugary drink and comes back and hands me a very medical-looking 10 oz. plastic bottle, which I soon discover is not-quite-cold-enough fruit punch flavored CRAP. It tastes very sweet, very medicine-y... it took all of my "I-just-fasted-for-8-hours" grit to choke it down. Blech. I miss my orange soda. Sigh...

My OB did my checkup... I gained back the few pounds I lost at my last appointment (damn Halloween candy!!) but my weight gain is still on the low side, which is great for me. My BP was on the higher side for me, 130s/80s, so she just said we will keep an eye on it. Baby is still measuring several weeks ahead, so maybe that is just how he is going to be! And I've been having contractions already, which I never had with my first pregnancy. After some quick instructions to take it easy, and stay hydrated, I got a clean bill of health and I'm free for another 2 weeks.

Oh yeah... and a blood draw. Really not bad at all, thank goodness I have decent veins! So cross your fingers for decent blood counts and NO gestational diabetes!! I should have results by early next week.

The crib is done!

2007-10-26T14:04:00.000-04:00

Finally, no more cardboard box in the corner of the room, no more packages of bedding in the drawers just waiting to be washed... the crib is put together and done! It really wasn't much work at all, in all honesty - getting the pieces out of the gigantic box they came in was the hardest part!

So the final piece of the puzzle is complete... a comfy bed just waiting for Aidan to join our family! Hopefully he will love his sailboats themed room as much as we do!

And an update!! We took down Ava's crib in her room yesterday and she slept in her full-size big girl bed last night for the first time! She did wonderful, after the inital shock of walking into her room at bedtime and shrieking "My crib?! My crib!?!" She wasn't crazy about the idea of sleeping in her big bed, until we showed her that all of her animals, blankies, pillows and favorite toys were there with her, and then she was ok with the idea. She snuggled in, and we didnt hear a peep out of her all night! SUCCESS!!

26+ week dr's appointment update

2007-10-24T21:12:00.000-04:00

Today was Karin's 26 1/2 week dr's appt. All is well, luckily the migraine headaches have subsided!! BP was perfect - in the 110s/60s range. Aidan is still measuring about 2 weeks ahead, as he has been for the past several visits. If this continues later on into the pregnancy, the dr. suggested we may do an ultrasound to check out his growth more closely, and possibly move our due date up, depending on those results. But besides that, no news is good news! And here starts the every-two-weeks appointments from here on out... the joy of the 3rd trimester. Next appointment is Nov. 7, for some blood work and a gestational diabetes screen.

Our day at the Children's Museum!

2007-10-23T09:07:00.000-04:00

All dressed, with her backpack, and ready to go!
Exploring at the water table.

Playing with the dinosaurs.

Checking out the underwater coral reef exhibit.

Looking at the trains.

Watching the trains go by.
Making a new friend!

Digging in the "rocks".

Good to know she has a career to fall back on as an excavator!

Building a giant Mr. Potato Head in the games area.

Checking out the cool dinosaurs with Daddy.

Through the tunnel she goes....

There she is!

More dinosaurs!

Oooh robots!!

Awaiting our baby boy...

2007-10-18T10:41:00.000-04:00

We are making progress - Aidan's room is all painted, and the border is up! We've also got the valance up and the furniture in... in these pictures you can see his dresser, chest of drawers, and rocking chair. All that is left to do is put the crib together - And of course, start filling those drawers with tiny little boy clothes. That should be no problem, considering Karin has started shopping for Aidan already!

A room fit for a princess!

2007-10-17T17:35:00.000-04:00

Ava's bedroom is coming together! Karin got the room all painted, and the border put up, and then we moved in Ava's big-girl bed. We kept the same "surfer girl" theme that she's had, so that we could keep all of her room decor like her lamps, rug, valances, etc. Not much left to do except to put up her pictures and wall hangings! We've decided to wait to do that until she is in her bed and we've taken the crib out of the room, so that we can arrange the furniture they way we want to keep it for a while.

Ava's beautiful big-girl bed... that she is completely boycotting for now! She did nap in it once, for about an hour, before getting up and asking to sleep in her crib instead! Now she sleeps in her crib that is converted into a toddler daybed... we're hoping to just let her take her time, and transition when she is ready.

The kids' bathroom is finished!

2007-10-16T15:09:00.000-04:00

Finally - the bathroom is finished! We wanted to wait and find out the gender of baby Whetzel on the way, in order to pick out a theme that would be most appropriate for two kids sharing the same bathroom. The jungle animals have been a hit with Ava so far - she loves pointing out all the animals, and she loves to make monkey noises!!

Define "Spoiled".....

2007-10-12T23:06:00.000-04:00

Here is Ava in Toys 'R Us.... checking her list to make sure we got everything! Life doesn't get much better than this now, does it?

A perfect day for a zoo trip!

2007-10-01T10:28:00.000-04:00

We took Ava to the zoo this weekend for the first time - she LOVED it! The weather was perfect, and she was so excited pointing out all the different animals. It was a great day all around.

Checking out the polar bears

Ava loved the meerkats! She kept banging on the glass, waving to them, and having her own little cute conversation with them!

Ava attempting to climb in and join the zebras and the ostrich - good save Dad!

Saying hello to the llamas!

The cool underwater shark exhibit.

Ava pointing out the sharks in the "hands-on" tank where you can pet them.

Lil' Miss Independent....

2007-09-27T08:19:00.000-04:00

Ava has decided she no longer needs Mommy or Daddy's help in the pool - she can do it ALL herself! She has embraced the idea of floating in a swim ring, so that she can go wherever she wants, including jumping off the side over and over again all by herself!! It is so cute to watch, but sad to admit, there goes one more thing she can do without help. What happened to our baby?!!

We are trying our best to squeeze every last little bit out of the summer before we close up the pool for good this fall. It has definitely been fun spending the weekends lounging in the sun and enjoying the water. This is the joy that is the midwest though - the four seasons! But I'll gladly close the pool, with hopes of a crisp fall, leaves turning, and a snowy White Christmas too - I wouldn't trade that for anything!

A "womb" with a view....

2007-09-26T15:27:00.000-04:00

And so the planning, and purchasing has begun!

Baby Aidan got a major delivery today - his entire bedroom set of furniture was delivered! How something so little can provoke purses and wallets to open (and empty) so quickly, I will never know, but it is SO beautiful and I'm happy it is all finally here!

We had a fairly easy decision to make - what color wood, and what style in general - and that was it. We learned after several months of nursery furniture shopping when expecting Ava, exactly what we wanted out of childrens' furniture.... something durable, well-built, classic styling, and "non-babyish" design that will grow with them for several years.

My pet peeve among ALL pet peeves about baby products (and trust me, I have a lot!) is the furniture that is sold with a "convertible" crib, that turns into a full size bed, but the matching dresser has a telltale raised side that screams "CHANGING PAD GOES HERE!" Sooooo babyish! I can't stand that. Once they are to the point of sleeping in a full size bed, I surely hope the need for a changing pad is no longer. Hence my furniture dilemma.

This furniture met all of our high expectations - the dresser looks like a normal dresser, the chest of drawers looks like a normal chest of drawers. And best of all, it also does turn into a full size bed. Perfect! I'm hoping the next furniture item I'm buying for Aidan is his dorm room loft for college! Seriously.

It is a black wood, sort of "antique-y" with rubbed, distressed edges, smooth lines, and simple hardware. Very "boy" to me as well, which I love. And we are doing the room in a nautical theme... sailboats and shades of navy and slate blue. I can't wait until the hard work is over, and I'm posting pictures of the finished product!

Snotty noses and lizzard tails...

2007-09-13T17:08:00.000-04:00

Have you noticed how attached toddlers get to certain things? I never realized the magnitude of this, but at two years old, children latch on to some things that adults would never expect them to! Take bedtime, for example. Ava is getting to be so much of a packrat when it is time for bed, I'm afraid there will barely be any room left in her crib for her to sleep! You never know what it is she may ask for, but when a good nights' sleep is what is up for consideration, it is much easier to make the princess happy than to deny her sleeping with a few toys!

Lately, her favorites are becoming more predictable. The normal ones - Moe (an increasingly-ragged stuffed monkey she adores!), Blankie (her soft yellow blanket with the satin trim), and an Elmo story book or two. But then there are the not-so-normal favorites - Shrek and Nemo (two empty Pez dispensers), a small yellow duck keychain that quacks when you push a button, and every night, at least one pair of Crocs shoes!

Being the sleep-deprived working parents we are, we don't put up a fight, and she rewards us with a blissful night of sound sleep. Its just funny to see her asleep in that crib, surrounded by all these things that are so important to her, but so comical to us!

Our beach bum!

2007-09-06T17:05:00.000-04:00

Just a quick picture of Ava from "Water Day" taken at her school!

It's A BOY!!

2007-08-28T21:55:00.000-04:00

We are thrilled to announce that Baby Whetzel is a boy! We found out this afternoon, after a nervous hour-long ultrasound, finally the tech was able to get "the money shot!"

Aidan will be joining our family in late January 2008! We are also excited to say that he (and Mommy too) are both healthy and well, after a challenging first 19 weeks of this pregnancy. Thank you for all of your prayers and good wishes over the past few months!

Our Baby Turns TWO!

2007-07-25T16:03:00.000-04:00

This weekend we celebrated Ava's birthday with a party in the theme of her beloved cartoon character..... Sponge Bob Squarepants!

We had beautiful weather for an outdoor party, and family and friends got to enjoy the pool, good food, and of course a delicioius cake!

Daddy even dressed up as Sponge Bob himself to deliver the birthday cake!!

Ava wasn't exactly sure what she thought about that....

But the cake was Y-U-M-M-Y!! She was shoveling it in using both hands!

With careful supervision from her cousin Callie, Ava opens up all of her birthday gifts! She got lots of fun stuff - thank you everyone!

Ava loves anything with Dora on it - this play tent was a huge hit!

The next day, Ava and Daddy played in the new sandbox!! Thank you Grandma and Pat!

The most adorable part of the whole weekend, sunday night getting in her pjs after her bath. The guests were all gone, and the party was over, only a few stray balloons floating around. And Ava sitting on the couch, completely exhausted from the weekend festivities saying "More BuhBob party pleeeeeease?!?"

Thank you to all friends and family who were able to spend this special day with Ava!

Exactly Two Years Ago....

2007-07-13T08:08:00.000-04:00

Our lives changed forever. Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 8:08 in the morning, Ava Riley Whetzel made her appearance into this world, after an eventful evening at the Community Hospital North labor & delivery unit. Karin was admitted the night before to be induced, and not a moment too soon - considering she was a week overdue!

2 days later, we were sent home. Like a baby bird being shooed out of the nest, we left the hospital and were on our way to the fairytale beginning that is life with a new baby. Or so we thought! And here we are, two years later. The rollercoaster that is life with a newborn finally let us off the ride, only to discover that life with a toddler is just a whole new obstacle course! It is amazing to look back and see how tiny Ava used to be, considering she is now in a world where she wants to do everything herself, and she has the vocabulary to tell us so as well!

Happy Birthday, our beautiful girl!

The new house

2007-07-09T16:32:00.000-04:00

As some of you already know, we were lucky enough to move into our brand new home this April. It was quite an interesting process to build a home from the very beginning, and it was exciting to pick out all of the details that make it more personal to us.

Packing up and saying goodbye to the house we had called home for several years was hard. Luckily Ava was still too young to realize what we were leaving behind, but for me and Chris, there were many memories revisiting us as we packed up boxes and shut the doors for the last time. But we know our future is in this new home, and we intend to be here for quite a while!

The best part about our new home came a few weeks after we moved in - Our new pool was completed! Chris and I joke that we now feel like we are on vacation every day, because it is so relaxing to be outside and take a swim whenever we feel like it. Ava *loves* the pool and has become quite a little fish in

the short time we have lived here. She now doesn't let us sit on the side and watch anymore, she prompts us with "Jump! Jump??" because she loves jumping off the edge into our arms and making a big splash.

So, about this blog thing

2007-07-09T11:50:00.000-04:00

I finally decided to join the ranks of many others in the 21st century and start a blog. I used to think to myself, "I don't need a blog. Blogs are for people that have tons of time, and even more to say, and that's not me", but the more I think about it, it is me. I also realized the great parts of blogging (as witnessed by other friends and bloggers) - you can post tons of pictures in your blogs! For the family and friends that know me well, you remember my website for Ava, which started before she was even born (http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/w/whetzel76) but that site has its disadvantages. I know a lot of people only come for the pictures (which is great), but now and again, there are more updates to give than are possible without words. And also, your picture input on the site is limited. Here, the possibilites are endless, and because of the continuation, I don't have to erase older pictures in order to post new ones - they will all just post in order, newer ones first!

So be patient with me, I am still learning to navigate this new world called Blogger. But if it can connect any of my family in friends better to my wonderful little corner of life, than it will be a success. Lots of new news for everyone - I better get moving!