Popscicle Therapy

In honor of our first day with no hospital visits from any Greer's, we had our crazy cousins over to play after naptime. We thought after they ran around and got good and hot, we could have some Popscicle therapy. I mean seriously....it isn't natural for a kid to not like popscicles! Well popsicles were enjoyed by everyone but Ethan and Ella.

Yesterday it was rainy, so we went to our old stand by playtime. Cabinets! I think my mom has a picture of me playing in our kitchen cabinets when I was there age. I don't know why we even bother buying toys. A cabinet, mixing bowl, and a wooden spoon are all they need!

TGIF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank GOD it is Friday! I have never meant those words so much. We have just been through the week from you-know-where. Never fear though. In true Greer fashion, it has a happy ending : )

Sunday
I am working in the church nursery for the 8:30 service, so I leave the kids for Eric to get ready for church. He calls me barely 10 minutes after I have left barely able to speak telling me I have to get home ASAP. He is in pain and can't take care of the kids. When I get home, I find him doubled over in pain and the kids going crazy. I was so worried about Eric because he has such a high pain tolerance and he was obviously in a huge amount of pain. I mean this is a man who has broken several bones, set a few himself and will wait a day or 2 to go to the hospital if it interfered with a UT game. Mom and Dad rushed over and we took him to the ER. After 3 different pain killers, a CT scan, a wacky Australian nurse, and 2 hours later we found out it was a kidney stone. Thank goodness there was only one and it wasn't too terribly big. It is amazing how a 3 mm kidney stone can inflict so much pain on a grown man. We took our doped up patient home to pass it there. Mom and Dad were so kind to take the kids to their house for the next couple of days while I cared for Eric. I was really worried that I would have to take him back to the ER to get another pain shot since he was so resistant to the meds. Thankfully, he rested comfortably the rest of the day.

Monday
Most of the day was pretty low key. I am sure Eric was annoyed with me asking him "What is your pain number??" "Do you need more water?" "Anything come out that time?" Finally late afternoon, I decided to leave him alone a couple of hours and take advantage of the kid-free time. Little did I know when I was cleaning the upstairs, his pain meds wore off. When I came downstairs, he was curled up in a ball : ( He went for a few hours in a lot of pain. It was awful. We went back and forth about going back to the ER. Finally after his 2nd dose of his pain meds, he got some relief.

Tuesday
What is your pain #???? Eric is feeling better!! We think he may have passed it in the middle of the night, but we aren't sure. Eric decides to go ahead and still stay home just in case. The pain hits him so suddenly and so strong that I don't want him to risk driving to work. Besides, I have my weekly ultrasound today and he can see Peanut! Little did we know how much God was watching out for us when he allowed Eric to come with me to that appointment.

Peanut's heart looked great. It was back in rhythm and had a nice, strong beat. The tech told us that in can go in and out of rhythm, but that it was a good sign that it was in rhythm today. Next they did my cervix check to see how I was doing there. And here is where Tuesday's drama begins. It shortened nearly 10 mm in less than a week.....2mm away from where I was admitted to the hospital with Ethan and Ella's pregnancy. We were devastated. I knew this was a possibility, but not this early! Immediately my mind started racing......will I have to go on bed rest? When will I have to go to the hospital? How will we get childcare for the rest of my pregnancy?? OMG....I won't get to see my kids. Another preemie? Please no!!!! That poor tech. She just kept apologizing and giving tissues. I was so glad Eric was there with me. He reassured me that we would work everything out. Thank God Nana is here for the next couple of days to give us a hand with the kids!

Wednesday
Dr Blake called me first thing to discuss my ultrasound and our next steps. She wanted me to go to the hospital to monitor for contractions. I told her I couldn't today, but I would first thing Thursday. Today I had very important business to attend to - Ethan's surgery!

Since Ethan was having surgery around 3 pm, he couldn't eat anything after 8. I got him up and made him a big breakfast with waffles and bacon. It was good he ate a good breakfast because he wanted nothing to do with this so called clear diet. The kid has texture issues, so he had no interest in Popsicles and jello!

We were so proud of Ethan. He was such a brave boy. He sat in his bed before the surgery and just played with the toys they brought him. He flirted and made faces with the nurses. And when it was time to go back to the OR, he let a nurse walk him back with no tears. The surgery was a success. Dr Thomas said that it was a good thing we brought him in because his hernia on the right side was HUGE and there was also on on the left side that he repaired. He also mentioned a couple of times what a funny little guy we have. Who knows what in the world that weirdo was doing!

When we went back to recovery he looked so pitiful. Wrapped up in a warm blanket in nothing but a diaper, an IV and monitors hooked up to him. Ethan took his time waking up and when he did he was not happy. He wasn't in pain because they gave him an epidural like pain blocker. He was just POed. He didn't know where he was and everyone was trying to get him to wake up and drink some juice. Finally the nurse let us go home. He perked up as soon as he saw his sissy and drank his whole cup of juice.

I have to thank my good friend, Christy. She works at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital and she made sure we had the best of the best attending to us every step of the way. She came and sat with us part of the time while we were waiting. It was a good distraction!

Thursday
Ethan slept relatively well. Part of the night was spent with Daddy on the couch. When he woke up, he was good as new. They told us he would be back to normal the next day and they were not lying! He was playing and acting goofy all day.

I went to the hospital early so I could hopefully get in and out. I wasn't expecting any big improvements because I hadn't had much time to be off my feet. But God did give me a sense of peace and I knew at least that I was coming home that day.

I was immediately put in a room (ironically across the hall from my 1st room last time) They monitored me for contractions - NONE!! Measured my cervix - No change which is better than getting shorter. And gave me a fFE test. This is a test that looks for a protein that can predict if you are going to go into labor within 2 weeks. That came back NEGATIVE! So I was so relieved. I talked to my doctor and my orders are to slow way down. No more long walks with the kids, no more picking them up when I don't absolutely have to, no more running around and I actually have orders to lay down when they take a nap and not clean the house! Not too bad, huh? We are so thankful!

I think this was just a wake up call telling me I need to chill. I really have thought I have been taking it easy, but there is still a lot more I can cut out and obviously have to. We are so lucky we have such a great family that is close that I know will help us as much as they can. This weekend we are going to come up with a game plan on how we can make this work for a long as possible. We know that bed rest is probably in my future. And that a hospital stay is probably there too. But if we can put that off as long as possible, then hopefully it will be a short stay and Peanut will be a full term baby!

Friday
Today is our drama free day. It may be a little early to declare this since it isn't even 7 am and the kids are still sleeping, but I am determined to make it that way!

Ethan and Peanut need a few prayers please : )

A few months ago we noticed a little bulge by Ethan's wee wee after his bath. It went away quickly to our relief. After seeing it off and on for a couple of months, we took him into the pediatrician. Just like at a mechanic, there were no signs of it when we took him in. Thank God our pediatrician knows we aren't over-reacters, are in tune with our kids and took us seriously. He referred us to a pediatric Urologist at Vanderbilt Children's for a consultation. At that appointment, we determined that he definitely has a hernia on one side and could possibly have one on the other that we just can feel yet. We were given the option to either wait until it get bigger and have surgery or to go ahead and have it now. Since it can get to be painful as it grows, we decided to go ahead and have it done.

So on Wednesday the 25th, our precious little boy is have surgery! We actually are quite comfortable with the procedure. Our nephew, Houston, had it a few years back also. It will be an outpatient procedure and should only last about an hour. I don't want to minimize it because of course there are always risks especially when you have anesthesia. So if you could offer a few prayers on Wednesday for him and his nervous parents in the waiting room, I would appreciate it.

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Yesterday was a very long day for our family. I had my "routine" OB visit. It was supposed to be on Tuesday, but my doctor was called into delivery so we rescheduled. Since we didn't have childcare lined up, we just had Eric stay home with the kids. Hey just an hour or so....he can be Mr Mom. It turned out being all morning, but he did great!

When Dr Blake put the doppler on my belly, we found out that Peanut has an irregular heartbeat. She decided to send me to the High Risk OBs for an ultrasound and an Echocardiogram if they felt it necessary. So much for my "normal" pregnancy! It was pretty unnerving sitting in the waiting room by myself trying to push the "what ifs" out of my head. Thankfully after the Ultrasound, Echocardiogram, and a lengthy conversation with the High Risk OB, God gave me some peace of mind. Peanut has Premature Atrial Contractions, but the good news is that structurally everything looks to be good now. They are going to continue doing weekly Ultrasounds and Echocardiograms to monitor the growth and development of the heart. There is a 95% chance that this will resolve itself before Peanut is born or very soon after delivery. It seems as though if there is a problem to have, this is a pretty manageable one.

I had a lot of time to think yesterday as I waited and waited. I had already started the day a little anxious. I have started to worry more about going into preterm labor again. I was all prepared to talk to Dr Blake about this at my appointment. With the scare, we barely even got into that. I really think my anxiety about PTL and the heart scare is just Satan trying to get in our way. God gave Eric and I a huge blessing with Peanut. I feel that Peanut is a little gift from God after all of the stress and heartache we went through with Ethan and Ella's pregnancy. This is just Satan trying to take away from our JOY that God has given us. Well we aren't going to let him. We are only focusing on the positive. I get to see Peanut each week during the ultrasound. Since they are doing the ultrasound already, they are going to monitor my cervix length so that will help ease my anxiety about the preterm labor. Please keep Peanut in your prayers that he/she thrives and that the defect resolves on its own. Also keep Eric and I in your prayers that we keep our heads on straight.

Big Kid Rooms!

Another exciting week at the Greer household. We took a major step on Wednesday when we put Ethan and Ella in their Big Boy and Big Girl rooms. They are still in their cribs, but they are now in their very own rooms across the hall from each other. The transition has been flawless thankfully! I have had they sleeping in seperate rooms at nap time for the last few months so I think that has helped. It is so sweet in the morning they can't wait to see each other. Their faces light up and they run to each other crying "Sissy Sissy!" and "Diddy! Diddy" (Buddy : ) I am so glad it has gone so well. It was important for us to get each of the kids in their own rooms before Peanut comes home. That way we can hopefully avoid having 2 or 3 babies awake in the middle of the night if possible. Ethan and Ella sleep through the night about 98% of the time, but that 2% will be really tough when we have Peanut!

Their development over the last few months has been amazing. I remember reading that the number of words a toddler learns from 18 - 24 months is staggering. Well Ella is case and point for that. She is a little parrot. She hears a word, she says it and she remembers it. Oh oh - we better be on our best behavior now! One of her favorite words now is happy. She says it with the hugest smile on your face and it can't help but make you happy too! She also has started putting together 2 and 3 words. We are so proud of our smart girl!

Ethan is quite vocal too. Not as much as Ella, but still is talking a lot. He is our future little engineer. He loves to sit and play with a toy (or anything else) and figure out how it works. Unfortunatly, it also makes baby proofing a little more challenging. How, for instance, do you baby proof your air conditioner vent that he has learned out to open to get to the filter??? I mean I had to call Amy to find out how to do that?? I tell you he is an absolute genius! He also loves to play with his blocks and legos to build things. We are pleased that he is starting to gravitate to more "manly" activities, but he still loves to carry around Mommy's gold sequin purse : )

One of Ethan and Ella's favorite past times is dancing. I have to get a video of it because it really is one of the funniest things you will ever see. They stamp their feet, wiggle their booties, flap their arms and laugh hysterically. Not sure where they got their dancing skills, but I am glad that they enjoy it. They are also really enjoying the warm weather. They love to go "side" and blow bubbles. Ethan has conquered his fear of the grass so our fears of him not being able to play ball have been eased. Ella loves to just run in circles in the grass barefoot. The girl has no fear and her poor little legs have the bruises and scratches to prove it. Don't be surprised if you see her and the first things she asks for is a kiss for her boo-boo.

We had a great Father's Day with Eric. He got his day off from his long "Honey-Do List" and went to relax at the pool. Later we went to eat and did a little Targeting. The kids got him some a Jacck Bauer t-shirt and some good clothes for fishing. Hopefully he can make a couple of trips back home to fish before the end of the summer. We went last weekend and he and his dad had a great time.

I am doing well. I feel pretty good. I have been trying to go on regular walks with the kids to try to stay somewhat in shape. I really took little things like walking for granted last go round, so not this time! By the end of the day I am pretty beat and am ready for a good ole soak in the tub. I have an appointment with the OB tomorrow and am excited about that. Any day I can hear Peanut's heartbeat is a good one for me! I also want to discuss a test I have read about that can help predict if you will go into pre-term labor in the next 2 weeks. I need to have a good conversation with her about the likelyhood of me going into pre-term labor again to help put my mind at ease. I feel pretty good about things. But you don't go through 3 months of bedrest in the hospital and it not enter your mind. Especially if you have 2 adorable kids that you have to take care of each day! But by 22 weeks last time I had been on bedrest for 3 weeks and in the hospital for 2. Our daily conversations were about getting me another couple of weeks so that Ethan and Ella were viable. Pretty scary and I praise God that we are not in that boat this go round! So here is my shameless plug for prayers from friends and family. Please just keep me and Peanut in your prayers so that we have a nice, smooth pregnancy. ( By the way, my Ella just said "Jesus" if that doesn't help I don't know what will!! ; )

Our First Beach Trip - Myrtle Beach 2008

We weren't going to go on a family vacation this year. . . . a lot going on with a baby on the way and all. God knew we needed a break though, so he had a nice lady from the Marriott call us with a great deal on a 4 day/3 night package to Myrtle Beach. It didn't take much of an arm twist for us to book the trip!

It wasn't an ideal trip, but we will look back on it with fondness.....someday. First of all, we underestimated the 10 hour drive. How short our memory is from our trip to Texas. Our kids (namely Ethan) just don't travel well. Unlike most kids, they don't sleep in the car for more than a few minutes ALL DAY! To top that off, we were all sick. Nothing like a good old fashioned summer cold times four for your beach trip! And sadly, 3 out of the 4 could have nothing but Tylenol for relief : )

Another thing we underestimated was the unpredictability of Spring. One week could be 90 and the next could be 60. One guess what it was when we were there! Actually, it warmed up enough for us to get out a little bit and have some fun in the sun. The main problem was the wind and the water temperature. On Tuesday morning, we went to the Aquarium while it was still pretty chilly. That was a lot of fun. The kids absolutely loved looking at the fishys.

When we went to the beach, I was pretty impressed with how the kids reacted. They both went right up to the water to check it out. It only took a little to touch Ethan's toe for him to head for the hills and Ella to climb up my legs. As long as they had a hold of us though, they were fine. I was surprised that the sand didn't bother them a bit. Hopefully, they don't have my issues with sand as they grow up.

Ethan really liked sitting in his float at the pool. He has got chillin down pat. Ella warmed up to it, but she would much rather be in Mommy or Daddy's arms. It was pretty funny at the pool. When we got out one day, she kept turning around and checking the water to make sure it wasn't coming after her. I guess she remembered the surf from the beach!

All in all, it was a pretty good trip. It was a long drive for a short stay, but it was a nice change of pace for a little bit. In fact, we are already thinking about another trip next year with Peanut.

When we were on the way home, we were just ready to get there. This last picture was off the kids in their booster seats eating at a Rest Area in our seats. Oh did they think they were cool. By the way....we are still finding sand and Goldfish everywhere in the GMV!

One healthy Peanut : )

I have been lucky that I have been blessed with a number of things that often we just expect to happen in life. I like to call them "Gimmes." Meet my Prince Charming, fall in love, and get married. Check. Have a happy marriage (with a little work) Check. Have a Family - - - a long, hard road but a big CHECK! And to be blessed with healthy children. Check! We are so thankful that we found out yesterday that we received another blessing. A healthy baby growing in my belly. We are so thankful that God has been watching over Peanut the last 20 weeks and know that He will for the rest of his/her life. Again something that many people take for granted as a gimme, but we know it is not. Really the only Gimme that we have in this life is God's Love. Ironically, it was when I discovered that having a child wasn't a gimme for us that I felt God's love the most.

Peanut was quite the acrobat during the ultrasound. It took a little concentration from our chatty Ultrasound tech to keep the wand where she needed to measure. With a little work, we got to see the 4 chambers of the heart, the brain, and many other organs. Of course we didn't know what in the world we were looking at!



I have to give Eric and I a big HUGE pat on the back. We stayed strong and didn't find out the sex of the baby! And believe me, we had plenty of chances to take a peek and see. I even have a picture of the baby's "parts" in a sealed envelope. I plan on getting Eric to put it under a heavy piece of furniture for safe keeping for the next 17 - 18 weeks or so ; ) By the way---------------->
those are Peanut's totsies. 10 toes!



I have been reminded that I have yet to do our vacation post. Sadly, someone left our USB cord to our digital camera somewhere between here, South Carolina, and Missouri. So it will be another week or so until I get the new one I ordered. Then I will download our oh-so-cute pictures and give a full update. Here is a preview though......Biker Week in Mytle Beach.....60 degree weather.....high wind advisory.....fevers......lots of snots.....and some dancing to Jimmy Buffett. Don't you wish you were there? : )

Goodbye Uncle Gary......

On the morning of Monday, May 12th our family lost my Uncle Gary. Uncle Gary fought a long hard battle with Melanoma for the last few years. We are so saddened that he is no longer with us, but are glad that he his no longer suffering.

The whole family traveled to Jackson, MO this weekend for his memorial on Saturday. The service was beautiful. There was a lot of tears but also a lot of laughter....very fitting for a man like him. Kara and Clint put together a wonderful slide show of pictures of his life set to music. It was nice to see his beautiful smile over and over again. Like the pastor said at the end, we didn't "lose" Uncle Gary because we know where he is. He is with our Heavenly Father, and I know that beautiful smile is shining down on us.

Please keep my family in your prayers as we grieve for this wonderful man.

Chaos! Chaos Everywhere!!

Well the only word to describe the last couple of weeks is absolute chaos! At the beginning of April we decided to take our house off the market and do some renovations to our house. My old home office just needed some drywall, door, framing and some paint and Voila! Instant Baby Peanut nursery! (And no moving truck, realtor fees and other headaches)


After calling around and getting quotes we found a contractor that could start the work immediately. Once again I was extremely thankful that Mimi and Papa live so close. We all packed up and moved in to their house for a week and a half while the work was done. The only thing that is left to do is to paint the nursery. We decided to do that ourselves since we don't know what color to go with yet. We may just wait to see if it is a Mr or Miss Peanut before we do it.


We had such a great time at Mimi and Papa's. It was so nice for me to have help with the kids during the day. I think my injured back finally got a chance to heal. The kids absolutely LOVED being with their Mimi and Papa so much. Papa left to go to Missouri a few days before we left. Ethan kept looking at his chair and asking "Papa?? Papa??" Now that we are at home now I think they are a little bored with little old me all day.


We are leaving to go to Myrtle Beach on Sunday. I can't decide if I am looking forward to it or dreading it. We are already prepared that it won't be the relaxing beach trip that we are used to. I am pretty sure that we will have to have one hand on Ella at all times to keep her from doing a swan dive into the pool. Ethan, on the other hand, will probably be permanately attached to my hip. I will most likely have an Ethan tan line on one side! At any rate, I am sure it will make for an entertaining and guaranteed cutie patootie pictures next entry : )

We're getting oh so big!

On Friday we had our 18 month visit to the doctor. Of course they both got A+s and gold stars for being great, healthy kids. Our little monkeys are now slightly bigger monkeys. Ethan came in at a whopping 21 lbs and 31", where Ella came in at a staggering 21 lbs 6 oz and 31.5" : ) That puts Ethan in the 2nd percentile and Ella in the 10th. The doctor isn't concerned about their small size because they are growing at the same steady rate they have been. I guess when you start at 4 pounds, it just takes a little while to catch up!

Dr Betts was very please with their development physically and socially. They both showed off their walking skills for him. He was super impressed with their verbal skills....Ella in particular. She now has 30 + words! Every day it seems that they learn a new one. It is amazing to see how quickly they learn and just love to soak it all up. I guess there is an advantage to having a crazy Mama who talks all day! Now I may reconsider that when they hit that stage where they constantly talk about anything, everything and absolutely nothing!

I had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. Fortunately I too got a gold star. It was kind of weird. I was at the OB for all of 5 - 10 minutes. In and out - everything was peachy keen! This a is new and very nice experience for Eric and I! When the doctor put the doppler on my belly to find Peanut's heartbeat, she immediately picked up a strong 150 bpm. That never happened with Ethan and Ella! Even with 2 heartbeats, they could never find them and would have to send me for an ultrasound.

Dr Blake said I don't have to come back until I am 19 weeks. I will have the big growth Ultrasound then too. IF we were going to find the sex, then we would find out then. But we are staying strong and letting it be a surprise. As Eric and I were laying in bed that night, we both just marveled about how unreal this is. Normal....so this is what it is like, huh? I think I kind of like it!

I've been Bad.....

I apologize, I have been bad and not updated for a while. Life has been hectic for the Greer and Faries family. I will start out today's blog with a request for prayers for my Grandma and Papatch. A couple of weeks ago, my Papatch suffered a devastating stroke and has been in the hospital since then. Dad rushed there and has been there ever since. Mom and I have gone back and forth to Missouri a couple of times to visit. Thankfully, he is making some good progress. We are hoping today or tomorrow he will be moved from the hospital into a skilled nursing home. The great news is that Grandma can go and stay with him! We are sure that Grandma will get a good card game going with some of the residents and maybe even hustle a few of them : )

The kids are doing fantastic. They are getting cuter and smarter every day. They both have built quite the vocabulary. Last week Ella was looking at her shape book and said "Octagon!" I kid you not - I have several witnesses that have heard her say it. I kind of sounds more like Octadiggity, but hey she is 18 months! Ethan can look at his color book and say "purple." How did he know Mommy's favorite color? I need to write down their words so I can count them up for their dr appointment on Friday. It will be hard because the list has grown so much!

They are also really enjoying the warm weather. They just stand at the sliding glass door waiting to go outside each day. We have had a cold snap, so the last couple of days have been tough. They don't understand the unpredictability of Tennessee Springs yet! Ethan still has a bit of a phobia of the grass. I am continuing to do a little "therapy" with him each day so he can play tee ball and football when he gets older : )

Eric and I are doing well too. Eric's busy season has finally come to a close. We are excited to have him home earlier at night and especially on the weekends! I am getting a little more energy and little more belly. I guess the pregnancy is starting to sink in with me. I go to the doctor again next Tuesday. I am anxious to hear little Peanut's heartbeat again : )

Hoppy Easter!!!

We had a fantastic Easter this year. We went to Nana and Papa's house in Paris, TN. Aunt Amy, Uncle Jamie, Houston, Madeline and Elizabeth were all there too. It is always so much fun when we all get together.....a little loud and crazy but good fun. At one point Ella was running in circles laughing hysterically because she thought she was being chased by the kids. We had to pick her up every once in a while so she could just catch her breathe.

On Saturday night, Eric and I decided it was time to tell our nieces and nephew about Baby Peanut. Eric showed them our latest Ultrasound picture and asked them what they thought it was. "A Monkey!" "An Ear!" "A Possum!" "Ethan & Ella" Oh so close!!! With a few hints, they finally got that Aunt Teppie was having another baby. Soon after that Houston said "How are you going to take care of three kids?" To which I replied "That's a good question!" And Madeline answered, "I don't know, but my mommy has enough with 3!" Oh out of the mouths of babes : ) Houston has also decided that Peanut is a boy and his name is Sam. I guess he figures he and Ethan have some evening up they need to do in the family!

Spring Break with the McCollums!

Last week my nieces Emily and Meg were on Spring Break. Amy loaded them up and they came to visit us in Tennessee! We had a great time visiting and playing. Here is a quick review of the highlights in pictures......

Going to the Playground! Our original plan was to go to the zoo in the late afternoon. I called on the way to check when they closed and found out they were closing in an hour. We made a quick turn and went to the park instead. It was a lot of fun. Ethan has a wierd phobia of the grass, so it was a good time to get in some therapy : )

We finally made it to the zoo! We had such a fantastic time. Emily and Meg wrote down the animals that they saw in their journals. I was so impressed with how smart my nieces are! Ethan and Ella did so good. I am not sure that they really looked at many of the animals, but they sure enjoyed the whole atmosphere. The place they like the best was the aquarium. I think we are going to plan a trip to the Chattanooga aquarium this summer.

We also went to a bounce place then Pizza Hut for lunch. Yummy! Ella loved the bouncy place. She was so ready for is to let her down and go play. Maybe in a couple of years! We did let them bounce on the side of some of them and they really liked that. The girls also went to the movies and Miss Mable's Tea Room. They had a great time. The girls also played dress up in the dresses their Mimi made them. They loved how they swirled around. We are so glad they came to see us for Spring Break! I guess we will enjoy it while it lasts.....I am sure someday coming to Tennesse for Spring Break won't be near as cool.

February 8, 2008 SURPRISE!!!!!

Ah I woke up just like the day before. I had no idea that this morning would change all our lives so much! Eric was getting ready for work and I was lying in bed watching Sports Center (his choice not mine). I remembered that I needed to call in a prescription that day. Before I could get it, I had to take a pregnancy test just in case because of its awful side effects. So off I went to do that. Unloaded the dishwasher, sat down and watched TV for a minute. Should I get the kids up? Oh no wait….better go check the test and get that out of the way.

I walked into the guest bath and looked at the test on the sink. Double take…..was that TWO lines? Huh? I must be seeing things. I hear Eric say something, so I thrown the hand towel over the test and jump back in bed. Eric says “Why do you look so weird?” I am still in shock so I say “just tired.” He goes back to the closet to finish getting dressed and I run back to the bathroom for a second look. Yes. Definitely 2 lines. How did this happen??? I mean I know how it happens for most, but no us! We were told that we couldn’t get pregnant on our own. Holy cow. Eric’s birthday is tomorrow. Boy can I have fun with this!!! I run upstairs to get the babies up and whisper my secret in their ears and they smile.

Thankfully Eric leaves shortly after that. (I am told later that I am in MAJOR trouble for letting him go to work because he would have called in sick. Whoops) I quickly call my mom, my sister, and Kristen. I know exactly what people mean when they say that they are about to pop. Kristen, my personal OB nurse, reassures me that the home tests are pretty accurate. Even so, I have my mom come over so I can get an official blood test at the doctor’s office. I still don’t believe it. I go to the bathroom and look at the test, then throw the towel over it again. When I call the doctor’s office to get the test they act like I am crazy. “Mrs. Greer, we usually don’t do blood tests if you have a positive home test.” I reply “I know, but I don’t believe it. When can I come in?” I go in immediately, get my blood drawn, and pay to have the results to me stat.
All day I am avoiding calls from Eric and his sister, Amy. How in the world could I play this one off? I can’t even sit down I am so excited! I finally get the “official positive” test results from the doctor. Hallelujah! Praise God!! I check the home test one more time and throw it in the trash.

Now how in the world do I give Eric the total shock of his lifetime??? I decided when I was at the doctor I would get the kids Big Brother and Big Sister T shirts, take their pictures in it, frame it, and give it to Eric for his birthday and let him figure it out. Well I am not sure how many of you have tried to get a16 month old kid to stand still so you can get a good picture of them and then throw in a second child??? It isn’t possible. Just take it from me. So I decided the next best thing was to just wrap up the shirts and let Eric open those.

We waited on pins and needles until Eric got home. Of course since we were anxiously awaiting him, he didn’t get home until after 7. After the kids bath, Eric read them a story and they just had to give their Daddy an early birthday present. He didn’t know it, but I was recording the whole thing : )


I was told later that Eric was thinking “Why in the world did she give me some shirts for the kids for my birthday?” Apparently what I thought was pretty plain isn’t plain to a man.

Words can’t express how eternally grateful we are for God to bless us again with a child. Every child is a miracle straight from God. We can't help to feel "extra blessed" given our history with trying to get pregnant....and stay pregnant. I firmly believe that God is watching over us and little Peanut and will keep us safe. I do ask for your prayers during my pregnancy. Of course, my experience with the 12 weeks of hospital bedrest is always in the back of my mind. I am hoping that was because I was pregnant with 2 and this time will be completely different. Please pray for us to have a uneventful, boring, run of the mill pregnancy : )

Snow Day!!!

On Saturday we had our first official snow day! The meteoroliogists talked about it all week and finally they didn't let us down. We woke up on Saturday morning to 3 beautiful inches of SNOW! That is the most snow we have gotten in Nashville in years.

After we had a hearty pancake breakfast, we began to suit up to go play. Aunt Amy had saved her kids' snowsuits, so we were all set. They looked hilarious when we held them up to Ethan and Ella. Although they were 12 and 18 month sizes, they were HUGE! We were able to fold up the legs several inches and they worked well. And do you know my smart little boy went right up to his suit and pointed and the belt and said "Buckle" clear as day? Proud mommy : )

We were only out for about 15 minutes, but it was fun. They weren't really too sure what to think of it at first. They walked real cautious down the sidewalk. Ella barrelled right into the snow, took 2 steps, fell, then cried. Ethan had to be picked up and placed into the snow. They were much happier when Eric and I just carried them around. It was a lot of fun. Now we are ready for SPRING!!

Quick Update

ok I have been horrible. I think it has been 3 weeks since I have updated. I can blame it on a number of things....sickness, laziness, craziness, ya da ya da ya da : )

We have been really busy. Mid February we had a real treat. My Aunt Sharon, her husband Gene, and my Uncle Lynn came to visit Mom and Dad. They have officially all seen more of Nashville than I have. We got to join them for a wonderful breakfast at The Loveless Cafe one morning and catch up a bit. It was so good to see them and we look forward to seeing them again soon!

So much growing up has happened in the last few weeks too. Ethan is now RUNNING everywhere. After dinner every night, he just runs lap after lap around the couch. If I could just have an ounce of that energy I would post every day to this blog! He is also cutting 3 molars. He is such a champ. Besides the gallon of drool that comes out of his mouth, you wouldn't know he was teething. He isn't the least bit fussy. He is also talking with a lot of words now as opposed to just his own very cute language. His favorite is acting like his is talking on his cell phone. He loves to say "Hello!" I swear it is one of the cutest things you ever will hear. His other favorite new toy is Mommy's gold sequin purse that she gave to Ella. I think it is hilarious to watch him carry it around.....Eric....not so much!

Ella is growing a lot too. In the last few weeks she has taken her first few steps to being a full out walker! She still has a bit of a Frankenstein stagger, but she is really coming along very quickly. Ella loves to play with her Buddy. She has this full bellied giggle anytime she thinks he is chasing after her. I could listen to it all day! Ella's favorite past time is reading. She would sit in my lap all day and read books. I think she gets that from her Mimi and Mommy.

We have been working on naming body parts with them for the past few weeks. The 2 we have down pat are: belly and eye. They are both very proud of their Boodha Bellies and pat them loudly anytime you ask. Be careful if you ask them where their eye is. They are just as excited about them and will poke your eye! I am trying to get them to point next to their eye, but no they like to go straight in full force. I can't even say "I Love you" to them without a little finger jabbing my eye! Every day gets more fun with them. They are developing such great little personalities and have so much fun together.

Eric and I have been extremely busy too. Eric continues to work long, hard days. We are both anxious for his busy time to be over. It is hard to have him gone all day then have to rush into the bedtime routine as soon as he gets home. We are ready for Spring time when he gets home earlier and we can enjoy each other a bit before bed.

We also decided to put our house on the market and look for a larger home. (I hear the collective sigh) I know it isn't the ideal time to sell, but it is a great time to buy so hopefully it will all come out in the wash. We are in a good position. We don't have to move, so we don't have to do anything if we don't feel like it is the right move for us. So now you know why instead of blogging during nap time I was decluttering and cleaning! Wish us luck!

Our first Tornado & Daddy turns the Big 3-0!!

We have had another very exciting week. On Tuesday we went to stay with Mimi because we were supposed to have some pretty rough weather that night. Mom and I got our storm shelter stocked with all the essentials.....diapers, wipes, Cheerios, and juice.









I stayed up after everyone went to bed to watch the storm. At midnight, it was time for us to hunker down. Ethan and Ella were so confused when we whisked in the room and carried them down to the hall closet. Ethan stayed semi asleep for a little bit in my lap. Ella was ready to play. Who knew a coat closet could be much fun? I took the pictures above with my camera phone trying to keep them entertained. We stayed in the closet for about 30 minutes until we got the all clear from the weather people. Thank goodness we had no damage.


On Saturday Eric celebrated his 30th brithday. Finally he can't hold my age over my head! To celebrate, we had Nana, Papa, Amy, Jamie, Houston, Elizabeth, Madeline, Mimi and Papa over for dinner. We had some wonderful ribs that Eric grilled and topped it off with some of Nana's famous ice cream dessert.

A trip to the Beauty/Barber shop!

I finally had to admit that my children's hair was beyond what I could do with my scrapbooking scissors. (Nevermind that the last time I tried to trim the back of Ethan's hairI was completely crooked.....) Friday Mimi and I packed the kids up and went to get their haircuts by a professional.

before


They were so intrigued when we got to the place that the wait flew by. You see there are some advantages to keeping your kids in a bubble ; ) They just looked around. So many new things to see and hear.


I was a little nervous when they pulled out a booster seat and asked me if they would sit in it. I was sure that they would try to dive out of it, but we gave it a try. They both did so well! They sat there semi-patiently and wore their little doggie smock like big kids.

I didn't want to cut Ella's much, so she just got a bang trim. I couldn't risk my crookedness on the front of her head! She was all about being pampered. She just grinned in the mirror and at the lady cutting her hair. She knew that she was looking C-U-T-E. Isn't that what we have been telling her all this time?

Ethan was a little more hesitant. Every time he saw a piece of hair fall he said "Uh Oh!" Instead of grinning at the hairdresser, he just looked at her like "What in the world are you doing? And why does my nose itch so much???" When it was all done, my baby boy was gone and he officially looked like a toddler.

Snots, Jailbreak, Nana & Papa, and Ducking Hunting

Snots

I have fallen short of my weekly goal of updates. The main culprit of my tardiness is 2 very adorble, but very snotty kids. Last week we got a very nasty cold. The first few days were pretty miserable with lots of drool, snot, and fevers. I swear they slimed every single thing in the playroom! Thank God it hit when Eric was home for the weekend. Nana was even kind enough to come at the first of the week to help us get over the hump. We are all better now except the lingering cough. I took all yesterday to douse the house in Clorox and Wet Ones to get the germies outta here!

Jailbreak

They are gaining up on us now. I thought we had a little more time before we got to this point, but I was sorely mistaken. Last week they made a jail break from the pin. After lunch I brought them upstairs to their playroom that is blocked off with their pin. I ran back downstairs to get my lunch and bring it back up like I do every day. As I was pouring my Diet Coke, I heard giggling and footsteps overhead. My heart skipped a beat and I ran upstairs. They had broken down the pin and ran straight for their room and had all the books pulled off the shelves. (Mind you this has been no more than a minute!) I swear they must have been plotting this all along and just waiting for the right time to break free. I was just so thankful that they did not go further down the hall to the stairs!

As soon as Eric got home, we broke down the pin and pulled out our big steel gate to put in the hallway. Now we have part of the pin around our new TV. I considered putting the other part around me and the computer armoire so I could get on line while they were awake. Then I realized that would be a bit too ironic to go from kids in the pin to Mommy in it. They are thoroughly enjoying have free reign upstairs now. They just run up and down the hall. The laundry room also has a strange draw for them. I hope that means they will want to help me with it soon!

Nana & Papa and Duck Hunting

On Friday we went to see Nana and Papa in Paris, TN. They were kind enough to watch the kids for the weekend. Eric and I went on a trip to Dyersburg, TN to see our friends Pat and Brandi and their beautiful daughter, Elizabeth. Before we left, we went to visit Papa at his office so he could show off his grand babies. We got to meet some of the very nice people that he works with. Everyone Ohhed and Ahhed appropriately :) Believe it or not, but they have read the Greer Family Blog too! Hello Ladies!

Ethan and Ella did so well at Nana and Papa's this weekend. But I mean honestly....how hard can it be to be loved on all weekend and get to eat Nana's cooking? When Eric and I left on Friday night, they barely gave us another look. I must admit though, it made me happy when Ella gave us a big ole grin and hug when we came in on Sunday!

We had a great time visiting with our friends. This trip was my Christmas present for Eric. A weekend duck hunting trip with Pat. Unfortunately since it was so cold, it wasn't the best time to duck hunt. Most of the water was all frozen over. But that didn't stop them from getting up a 3, layering on all the camo, and going and sitting in the cold. I, on the other hand, rolled to the center of the bed at 3, slept until 8:30, visited with Brandi and Elizabeth, and was lazy all day. I am not sure who had the better time : )

So big?????

We had our 15 month appointment this morning with Dr Betts. We got gold stars all around, but of course I wasn't surprised one bit! Here are their stats:

Ethan
Height 30 inches 15th percentile
Weight 19 lb 13 oz 2nd persentile (little peanut as Dr Betts calls him!)
Head 45.5 cm 10th percentile

Ella
Height 29.5 inches 19th percentile
Weight 20 lb 8 oz 14th percentile
Head 46 cm 54% percentile (Big Headed Sissy Monster as Daddy calls her!)

The doctor was very please with their development. They are ahead of the curve with their language. He wasn't concerned, but did ask me to call if Ella wasn't walking in a month. She demonstrated how strong she was by standing on the examining table by herself. He suspects that it is more her just being hesitant, not necessarily that she can't do it. Overall a good report!

ps - I get brownie points for 3 posts in one week
pps - Welcome to the World of the Internet Nana : )

Our First Art Class

For Christmas, Nana and Papa got the kiddos some beginner crayons. Today is a rainy, yucky day so I thought it was a perfect day to have our first coloring lesson. (Of course Aunt Amy will have to come over and do a guest lecture on the importance of staying in the lines, shading, etc :)

When they went down for their nap, I immediately started to get ready. Booster Seats at Kitchen Table? Check. Vinyl Table cloth to save the table? Check. Crayons? Check. coloring sheets? Check. Tape to keep them on the table? Check. Ok - I am ready, right? I have thought about just about everything.......


So we sit down to color and they look at the crayons as if to say "What in the world do you expect me to do with this? Then Ella immediately started tearing up her sheet and threw her crayon on the floor and broke it. Leaving Ethan a little confused.....












Since Ella tore up her sheet and broke her crayon, she decided to play Peek a boo instead.



Ah - ha! Ethan has it all figured out. This is what you do with crayons. I guess he has gotten his greens for the day : )



So in short, the crayons have made their way back to the closet where they will stay another few months. Apparently the person who works at Crayola who wrote 12 + months on the box hasn't met one.