3 days and counting

Today was day 3 that Garrett has been gone and is in Africa.  Since we have been married, I think this is the longest time we've been away from one another.  It is awesome to see the pictures that Garrett is taking on his trip and hearing about all that he has been doing in such a little time of being there.  I received a call Thursday morning at 3:00 when they made it to Johannesburg, texts at lunch time on Thursday when they arrived at the missionaries house in Mozambique, as well as another call this morning around 4:45 before my alarm went off.  The boys were able to see Garrett tonight briefly.  

It is still a while before he gets back, but we will make it, as long as no one else gets sick.  Before Garrett left, Mason came home on Tuesday with a slight fever.  He stayed home with me on Wednesday (the day Garrett left) and was fine, no fever all day.  Thursday was a totally different day and he came home with a fever early in the day.  This was enough to make this mom go crazy, and the hormones didn't help that day.  My honors kids knew something was wrong when I received the phone call to go get him.  I was about on my way and my mom said to turn around and she would get him.  This is when things started to turn around.  Both boys stayed home with my mom today and Mason seems to be on the mend, although he has slept a ton today.

The rest of week should be eventful, with a t-ball game (as long as the field isn't too wet), church, baby shower and of course school all next week, then we end with a birthday party.  At the end of the week, Mason will revisit the ear doctor to check his tubes and hearing to make sure everything is alright.  By what his pediatrician has said when he has checked his ears, it seems the tubes may be making their way out his ear drums.  We will know more on Friday.  I'm also working on Jay tying his shoes.  Last night he tied it by himself and I got it on video for Garrett.  We still have a ways to go to get faster at it as well as tying it tighter, but my goal is to make sure he can do it before he goes to school this fall.  That should happen.

Now for the news everyone probably wants to know, when will we find out what we are having:  Friday, May 3rd.  When I went to my doctor's visit last Thursday, he suggested that since Mason had down syndrome, he wanted me seen by the high risk doctor just for precautions instead of the ob's office.  This is the same office I went to several times for them to monitor Mason's heart and such.  They will just do an overall scan to make sure everything is okay and will be able to look at the ultrasound more intensely to see if there is anything wrong or if everything looks good.  Normally they want to see me at 17 weeks (this past week), but with Garrett out of town, it won't be until I'm 19 weeks along.

Spring Break 2013

We've had a great Spring Break thus far. Over the weekend, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus at church and followed that up with visits with each of our families. We have acquired tons of candy, some of which will make its way into classrooms in high schools. We can't have all of that sitting around our house.

This week, Jay has stayed home with me since our daycare allows us to take a free week and they refund your money. Today he finally just told Garrett and a teacher at school he is saving money and that is why he is at home with mommy. I usually use it at Christmas, but Jay won't be there then since he will be in kindergarten. Jay and I have had a very eventful week thus far. We've cleaned house, put out pine needles, played with Nicolette and Lincoln at Discovery Place Kids, and played at the park with the Trent's. We even fit in a grocery run along with Mason's 18 month appointment on Wednesday.

Mason is doing great and has the following stats:

20 pounds 10 ounces (<3%, DS 50%)
28.5 inches (<3%, DS 20%)

Tomorrow he will be evaluated for speech therapy to see if we can do anything right now since he really isn't saying much.

Spring Break comes to an end tomorrow and we he a few things over the weekend, including Jay's first t-ball game. Should be interesting!!

As of 3/26/13 as an Olin

Yep it has been about a month and a half since I've posted anything. The last time, we announced #3 is coming and then everything went down hill from there. Baby #3 is fine, it's just we have been a sick household around here. Mason seems to bring everything into this house from wherever. The beginning of February he came came down with the dreaded hand foot and mouth yuckiness. It only occurred in his mouth and to this day, one part of his tongue has not healed because he keeps biting his it over and over again.

We have had our fair share of colds, ear infections, sinus infections, and of course the most dreaded stomach virus a couple of weeks ago. Let me tell you, being pregnant made it ten times worse for me. We are hopefully all on the mend and hopefully, Spring is around the corner somewhere and we can knock out all of this sickness.

Updates on us all:

Mason, which everyone asks about, is doing very well. He is walking 75-80% of the time. We still have to work on him not spreading his legs when he walks and he is still a little wobbly, but we will take that over crawling all of the time. He continues to do physical therapy once a month. Next week he turns 18 months old. He isn't really saying much besides just grunting and noises and an occasional mama and bye bye. I've requested he be evaluated for speech and see if that will help with developing language. In February, Mason moved up classes to the creepers and crawlers. I think this has and will help in his development.

Jay amazes us each day, he is really getting good at drawing and has an imagination. He really keeps us on our toes with the things he says and how smart he is. I can't believe that next year he will be in kindergarten. Last week we received his official CMS letter stating he will be going to Bain next year. Crazy that he will be going where I went. Also next year there will be a new school building. It will be different walking into there. Jay has also started t-ball this year. Garrett is the coach and Jay is excited about it. Grandpa and Gramps are helping out too which I think he is excited about. He is pretty good and probably won't have to hit off the T. The coach can pitch the ball a couple of times before they try hitting off the T. The first game is in a couple of weeks and it should be interesting.

Garrett is preparing to go to Mozambique from the middle of April to the end of the month. This should be interesting because we both have not been out of the country, much less to Africa. I think he is excited and seems to have a great group of people he is going with. I just may need some sanity when he is gone. Hopefully the kids and I will make it by ourselves.

As for me, I'm feeling good most days. I do feel nauseous at times, but just deal with for the most part. As of today, I am 14 weeks along. Yes we will find out what we are having, but we probably won't until after Garrett comes back from Africa.

We keep on trucking here and look forward to Easter this weekend. We hope you guys are doing well and have a Happy Easter!!

Big changes

I guess it is time to announce that we will be becoming a family of 5 in September. Yep, you read it right. A couple of years ago, we would have said just two kids and we were done. Mason changed all that and now we sit expecting our 3rd child. As of now, we are 9 weeks this coming Tuesday.

I know we will get a few questions after that so I'm just going to answer all of them right now.

1. Yes we are done after 3 unless God has a surprise for us later on.

2. I've already had two ultrasounds and no it isn't ectopic and we are not having twins. Garrett kept saying it would be.

3. No, we will not become a minivan family. Sorry to all those who are, but minivans are not our thing.

4. Will we get tested for Down syndrome? No, I declined all of those tests. If God wants to show us like he did at our 18 week ultrasound, He will. There is no use to up our doctor bill for less than 100% results and worry.

5. Am I more at risk at having another special needs kid? I guess so, but we all are at risk. Only a few are chosen. The doctor does plan to send me to the high risk doctor to get the ultrasound done of the baby.

6. Do we want a girl? It doesn't matter. It would be great, but honestly it would be cheaper to have a boy since we have all the boy stuff.

7. We don't know what we will do about rooms or cribs. Maybe Jay and Mason will end up sharing a room for a bit. We will see.


We are excited to see where this next chapter will lead us.

Our Saturdays

Our Saturdays, since we have entered January have been filled with basketball games. That means we are cheering on Garrett's 13/14 year old team. Garrett has also been helping with the 15/16 year olds and coaches one or two of those teams as well. During the games, Jay finds things to do like cheer on the team (that only lasts a minute or two), play with his action figures, and play with my phone. Today he started to take pictures as the game. Here are a couple of his shots.. Next he will be making silly faces of himself and I'll have those to show.

Welcome 2013

So today starts a new day, new month and a new year.  2012 brought us new challenges, new friends, and a lot of growing up.

Mason has developed well throughout the year.  He began crawling and doing that very fast.  He really has developed his personality and seems to be hungry all of the time and smiles a lot.  He can give you a high five and I believe even can say mama in these last few days.  In 2013, we expect him to walk in the coming weeks, making him the smallest walking kid in the area.  He is still rather small compared to others his age, but we will take him large or small.

Jay turned four this past year and surprises us everyday with what he says.  He seems fairly smart and ready to start school this coming August.  I can't believe we will have a kindergartner.  He is excited and tells everyone he will be going to Bain School next year.  We will see come August how excited he will be when the time comes.  He continues to love superheroes, and has a new found love of Ninja Turtles.  It's crazy how all of the old toys from when Garrett and I were younger are now coming back around and Garrett can explain what all of them are.

As for Garrett and I, we continue to work at the same places that we have worked since we have been married.  Garrett is an architect and I'm a math teacher.  This month Garrett will be ordained as a Deacon on January 13th at our church.  This past year I ran in my first 5k, running a total of 3 in call.  My hope is to continue that do more this year.  Other than that, we do not know what 2013 will bring, but we do know there will be excitement, surprises, heartbreak, and fun with whatever is to come.

Happy New Year!!

Christmas Break 2012

As we welcome in a new year, want to finish out 2012 with a couple of pictures from our Christmas Break.  We traveled to Garrett's grandmother's in Loris, SC the weekend before Christmas to see his cousins and aunts and uncles and open gifts.  

Mason and Garrett found themselves resting in his Grandmother's lounge chair fast asleep.

Christmas Eve we spent time at the Wagoner's and went the Christmas Eve service at church.

Of course a little bit of time was spent on iphones this year since we all have them.

Everyone opened some gifts and had fun.

Christmas day, we opened gifts from Santa.  They included some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle gear and superheroes.

Mason wanted in on some of the action.

Midmorning, we traveld to the Olin's to spend some time there.  Mason had fun crawling everywhere and opening gifts.

Yes, Jay is playing with his Ninja Turtles in the packages.  We eventually opened them.

Christmas just wore us out and Mason one day fell asleep in my lap.

We spent an evening with friends and had some Kona Ice.

New Year's Eve we spent at the Deal's house.  Here are all the kids minus one who went to bed early.

Tomorrow we go back to work and school.  Can't wait until next Christmas to see how we have all changed.