8 Months

Whoa, what a month!!! We have hit many milestones this month and I feel like I have gotten to know a new side of my sweet girl. I have learned that Miss Peyton has a wild side! She is extremely energetic and constantly on the go which I am certain is a trait she got from her father. She is now a proficient crawler and is not happy unless she is on the floor and able to move about freely. She pulls up on everything, stationary or not. Everyday I am finding something new that needs to be childproofed. This month Peyton also got her first tooth, which I have to say is not a fun experience. I feel so bad for her because I know she is in pain and I try to use as many natural soothers as possible.

We got to celebrate Shapell's 21st birthday! We didn't get to see her on her actual birthday but we did get to celebrate when we came to Kentucky a week later. We went to Bone Fish Grill which was so so yummy.  

You can barely see Peyton's little tooth sticking up but it is there.

 

She is sitting up in the cart like a big girl. She loved it! You can obviously tell she isn't feeling well, she had a cold on top of teething :(

First trip to the Pumpkin Patch! 

 

We went to Kelly Farm In Lexington and it was such a beautiful fall day! I'm pretty sure Jordan and I had more fun than she did. I am getting very excited for the holiday season and for Peyton to be apart of all of our family traditions.

 

I am already finding out that long term life lessons start early. There is a delicate balance between letting her find out the hard way about things like gravity and wanting to protect her from every little bump and bruise. She is learning quickly that she can't fling herself backwards, luckily it only took a few episodes of this before she figured that out.

 

 

 

A very rare occurrence when Peyton falls asleep on me. 

 

7 Months

I'm trying to get back on track after not posting anything last month. My girl has turned into a busy busy baby! She is on the move all the time and getting to be so energetic and wild. She constantly wants to know what's going on and be in on the action. Peyton is also pretty much happy all of the time. I get comments on this frequently and I think people don't really believe me. Truly she is happy 98% percent of the time unless she's hungry or uncomfortable. We have started formula and solid foods this month. We had to stop breastfeeding due to the medication I was put on. She has adjusted to both very well and loves her veggies. She is now sitting up all on her own and prefers to be in this position the majority of the time. She has been able to go from laying on her belly to sitting up without assistance at least once. When she does get on her belly, she rolls and rolls and rolls. She can get up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth. I'm fairly certain that next months update will include some crawling action.

This month we started Signing Time which is a video series that helps teach sign language to babies. Ever since we started this I've noticed that she studies her hands and moves them every way possible. I'm not sure if it has to do with the videos or not but I'm hoping that she is absorbing some of the things I'm trying to teach her. She has also started saying "momma", "dada", "bye" and "papa" in that order. The funny thing is I worked so hard with her to say "momma" but she now only says it when she's upset.

This month was sooo much fun! We were able to visit with my cousin Meggan and her family, they live in Hawaii so we only get to see them once or twice a year. We had not seen them since Peyton was born so it was extra exciting knowing that everyone was going to meet our girl. Peyton had her first camping trip which I wish I could say went better. It was a torrential down pour for the majority of the day/night and our tent got totally flooded. Peyton took it like a champ though and was completely content and happy with all of the attention she was getting.

We also made an impromptu trip to the zoo! I hadn't been in at least 10 years so I was super excited. We had a great time and the weather was perfect.

 

Hannah and Peyton meeting for the first time. Hannah gives the sweetest kisses!

 

Peyton meeting another family member, Ava the pig. She didn't quite know what to think about her once she started squealing. She pretty quickly figured out this was not another puppy.

(Check out the belly on that girl!)

Snuggling up with dad while we were out to dinner. She almost never falls asleep on either one of us and especially him so he was quite tickled by this.

 



She always has her feet propped up on the tray when we go on our walks. She is quite a fan of our walks in the morning and then going on walks with Jordan in the evening.

 





 

Looking all spiffy for church!

At the Louisville Zoo

 



 

 

 

Just looking extra cute!

Thanksgiving came early!

I have found over the last many weeks that having a thankful heart makes me very happy and content with life. I don't think I have ever been so thankful in my life for the small victories I am now able to accomplish that I was previously unable to. I recall that shortly after my first infusion I was starting to feel better. I was no longer as weak as I previously was and the strength had pretty much completely returned to my left side. Jordan and Peyton were out for a walk so I was taking advantage of my kid free time. I had sprayed down all of Peyton's diapers and put them in the washing machine, cleaned the kitchen and then vacuumed. As I was vacuuming I was reflecting on all that I had accomplished that night. I was brought to tears of thankfulness that I was back to being able provide for my family the way I had previously been able to. Jordan had to start taking on some of my tasks and I absolutely hated that. After all I'm a stay at home mom so taking care of chores on the home front is my job. Jordan had to start taking on more tasks at home on top of working full time and that was hard for me to stomach. I have continued to get better and better and am so incredibly thankful for my health. At 26 I'm sure most people my age don't think about having major health issues and how thankful we should all be for a healthy, fit and functioning body. Throughout the last several months the Lord has blessed me! I can't think of another event that would have allowed me to have such perspective and to be so thankful for the "small" things in life. Not only that but Jordan and I have done a major overhaul on our diet and we have both lost 11 pounds. There would absolutely be no other event that would have convinced us to change our diets so drastically.

6 Months

Well I totally missed Peyton's 6 month update so I'll just provide some pictures. It was a crazy month though and honestly I was just too tired and busy to write anything.

 Beautiful double rainbow!

Getting too big for her rock n' play!

Tuckered out after swimming!

Lola and Peyton having a great time together.

Just looking cute!

Looking super cute in her tutu!

Fun day on the lake.

 

Yummy Toes!

Looking spiffy at a wedding.

Big Blue Eyes!

5 Months

My goodness what a month it has been! If I had to choose one work to describe this month it would be growth. Not only has Peyton continued to grow into a big strong girl but we have grown as a family. We have grown stronger and wiser, we have grown spiritually and we are better for all of it. So much has happened in these last 30 days. We now have a baby that rolls over, we celebrated father’s day and the 4^th of July and I learned that I will forever have an auto immune disease. Peyton has discovered that she loves the pool and swinging and that she has a very strong loud voice that she uses ALL the time, happy or sad. She has become extremely coordinated and is able to use her hands and feet to get anything and everything into her mouth. She has decided that she no longer enjoys sleeping and wakes up at least 2-3 times a night. She has  made many friends who all happen to be boys and has started going to the nursery at church. Peyton still goes to work with me and for the most part is still pretty good.

 

Some of Peyton's favorite things to do right now are looking at a fan, blow raspberries, and playing with her feet. She loves hanging out with Sofie and Lola and luckily Lola tolerates the pulling of her hair pretty well. Sofie still acts like she is scared of her.

 

 

This is the frame that I made for Jordan for Father's Day, of course it has been coated with Line-X.  

 

Our first drive in movie which she was not very cooperate with at first but eventually fell asleep.

 

Peyton and Nonna in her 4th of July outfit.

 

 

Ready to see some fireworks!

 

Hanging out with the sweetest boys at our mom's group.

 

Having a great time swimming.

 

Peyton has enough hair for a bad hair day and her eyebrows are growing like crazy ... yet another trait like her father.

 

This is how Peyton and I hang out most days. I still have to wear the eye patch because of the double vision.

 

Progress has been made on the MS front. After finishing the 5 days of steroids my symptoms greatly improved. The numbness in my leg has been completely resolved and my hand in 90% back to normal. Unfortunately the double vision continues to persist but hopefully the monthly medication regimen that I will be on will help this. I start Tysabri in a few weeks and this is a once monthly infusion that will help with future flare ups as well as help correct the damage that has already been done.  I have been doing a lot of research on alternative ways to help stave off the damage that MS can cause. The Paleo diet has been extremely helpful to many other people who have MS, so Jordan and I plan on trying to implement this life style of eating ... wish us luck. 

 

 

 

 

 

This Momma has MS

As I read the title of this post I still can't believe it. I have to repeat to myself over and over 'I have multiple sclerosis, I have multiple sclerosis, I have MS". It's still sinking in because technically I've just known this for 2 days now and have been having symptoms for a week and a half. These last 10 days feel like months. It truly is amazing how dramatically a life can change from one day to the next, my life has changed from one day to the next. My MS journey started 11 days ago on June 17, 2013. I woke up with double vision and had no idea why. I went to a walk in clinic and they were unable to find any cause of my vision issues and suggested I see an optometrist or neurologist. I saw an optometrist the following day and he suspected I had sixth never palsy and my issue would resolve itself on it's own but wanted to consult a neurologist for an MRI to ensure nothing more serious was going on like a brain tumor. I was able to get in with a neurologist the same afternoon and he sent me for an MRI the following day. Wednesday morning I woke up with numbness in my hand but it was still functional. My follow up appointment to get my MRI results was Tuesday the 25th. I woke up that morning with numbness on the whole right side of my body. Shortly after my hand started acting up I knew my diagnosis wouldn't be as simple as something that would resolve itself on it's own. After doing some research I was fairly certain I had MS. The weekend before getting my DX my Nanny was diagnosed with a brain tumor which will eventually be fatal, I would be lying if I said the thought of being faced with the same outcome didn't cross my mind. As difficult as it was I was fairly  successful pushing my worries of the possible diagosis out of my mind. The verse I countinued to repeat to myself was Matthew 6:34 ^"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." 

Tuesday finally come around and we were able to meet with my neurologist to get the results of the MRI. To say we were dissapointed in the doctor would be a total understatment. After waiting for 30 minutes he finally came to the exam room and doesn't even have my report or results pulled up so we wait another 15 grueling minutes waiting for him to get everything together to deliver our results. He begins by telling us he has good news and bad news. The good news is I don't have a brain tumor but I most certainly have MS. He immediately goes into what we have to do next and is very difficult to understand because english is not his first language. He continued to use very complicated medical terms and despite several requests to help  us understand he was unable to do that. Bottom line he wanted to admit me to the hospital that day for 5 days to start on IV steroids. Of course I was devastated by not only my diagnosis but being away from Peyton for 5 days was out of the question. Jordan and I discussed it and decided we wanted to get a second opinion, not because we thought the diagnosis was incorrect but because we were confused about treatment options and wanted to be closer to home if we were going to have to be in the hospital for five days. The doctor that I used to work for was able to help us tremendously and put me in contact with another doctor that admitted me to Central Baptist the following day. We got another consult with a fabulous neurologist and he was sooo incredibly helpful. He simply explained things and made us feel so much better about the situation and what the future was going to look like for our family. That day I started IV steroids and the great news was I could do the rest of my treatment from home, praise The Lord. 

To say Jordan has been amazing would be a complete understatement! I know many men faced with this predicament would be scared and not step up to the plate. My hubby has been nothing but supportive and loving. He has been to every appointment and advocated on my behalf to ensure I get the best care possible. He has also been super dad and taken such good care of Peyton while I'm not able to do everything I once could. I am so lucky that we found each other and that he decided I was worthy of his love. I'm sure neither on of us thought the vows "of sickness and in health" would be so relevant this early in life but it is and we are getting stronger because of it.

I knew we were surrounded by love and support prior to my diagnosis but now there is no question. Our family and friends, the wonderful family I work for, our church family at Mt. Zion and LINE-X have all be so supportive and flexible during this crazy time. To say we are blessed is truly an understatement, I could come up with a huge list of the crazy amount of blessings we have been privileged to receive. We have felt the prayers people have been praying for us and God's embrace this entire time! Never once have we been afraid or scared or hopeless. I've only felt encouraged, hopeful and loved and that truly is a blessing from above.

So does having multiple sclerosis suck ... heck yes!!! There could be far worse things happen to me though and I know we can deal with this. Don't feel bad for me because I plan on doing anything and everything possible to ensure I live a long healthy life and have all the support anyone could possibly want to achieve this. I'm sure there will be ups and downs during this journey and I will certainly keep you posted about myself as well as how Peyton is growing up! 

4 Months!

Another great month is under out belt! We got to do a ton of fun stuff this month which also included another great trip back to Kentucky. Our girl is continuing to grow, change and achieve new tricks. She is still amazed with her feet and has been able to grab onto them. She still hasn't been able to get them to her mouth but I'm sure that is just around the corner. She is still loving her play mat and is now able to grab a lot of the toys. It's very funny when she gets frustrated because she's grabbed onto a toy and can't figure out how to let go of it. She has absolutely found her voice and loves squealing. She will wake up in the morning and entertain herself for quite sometime just discovering new sounds she can make. 

She still loves to eat but now when she nurses both hands and feet are very very busy. She's always trying to kick whatever seat we're in and grabs at my clothes or anything that's close by. I always know she has gone to sleep because her extremities are still for a change. She has been a pretty good sleeper still but when we travel her schedule gets so off and it takes her a while to get back on track. At least a couple nights out of the week she will sleep through the night, always thankful for those days. 

This month I got to celebrate my first mother's day. Jordan made this day so special for me and it was such a blessing to get to celebrate the best job I've ever had. My mom came down to visit for the weekend and it was wonderful to be able to see my momma for mother's day as well. We got to go on a walk at a new park that we discovered we love and also got to take Peyton hiking for the first time at Monte Sano. She was a champ hiking and we will be doing that more often. 

Jordan and I went on our first "date" since Peyton was born. Shapell watched Peyton for us while we grabbed Penn Station and went to Jordan's parents lot in the country and ate on the tailgate while enjoying the beautiful view (I know real romantic). It's amazing how much more conversation we can back into an hour without our little one distracting us. 

Peyton and I before Zach and Andrea's wedding. We had a blast and she was a hit. It was very funny to see Jordan's unmarried childless friends be entertained by her. I was totally surprised with how great they were with her. 

Us after church on Mother's Day! 

Hiking! 

Lola hanging out with Peyton while she is playing in her exersaucer 

We went to dinner at Coba Concina for mom's birthday and got all dressed up. We had a great time and loved checking out the jelly fish tank. 

We went to the park with Laura and Harper and Peyton got to swing for the first time. She needed a little extra cushion with a blanket but she seemed to enjoy herself. She easily could have fallen asleep in there. 

Thursday Night Live with Jack and Anna. 

One of my favorite things about Lexington is the farmers market and Peyton loved it as well. 

Ellis and Peyton checking each other out. 

This cutie hanging out with Peyton is Jack. We have gotten to hang out with several moms from our church that also recently had babies. Jack was born exactly one week after Peyton. It is been a huge blessing to get together with fellow God loving momma's to discuss what were all experiencing and share advice. I really could not be more thankful for these wonderful women! 

All the rest of the cuties. 

The day before her four month birthday Miss Peyton rolled over from belly to back. Hopefully it just wasn't a fluke and she will continue to perfect this new move. 

3 Months

This month has been so much fun! We are getting lots of smiles, laughs and more personality. Our sweet little girl is growing so big and it’s been wonderful getting to see her achieve new milestones and discover new things. At the same time though it’s a little heartbreaking to realize how quickly she moves from one baby stage to the next. She went for her 9 week checkup and got 3 shots which was horrible to endure for this momma. She is in the 90^th percentile for weight and 60^th for height … guess that means she is taking after her mom, poor thing. I feel like we are in such a wonderful phase right now because she is happy pretty much all of the time, she takes wonderful naps and is sleeping through the night. She will go to sleep somewhere between 8:30 – 10 and wakes up around 5:30, dream feeds and then will usually sleep until somewhere around 8:30. I know I should count my blessings on this one!

Peyton is getting such good head/neck control and we have been able to do more activities. She loves sitting up now and we’ve tried using the bumbo a few times. She really likes to sit in it but can’t stay for very long because she gets tired. She still hates tummy time … oh well. She also has discovered her feet and it is hilarious to watch her watch her feet. She gets so tickled when she realizes they belong to her and she can move them herself. I painted her toenails so that there is a little bit more of a visual interest for her, which was no easy task. I’m sure there is some women’s right group out there that would like to chop my head off for doing that but she digs it. Her favorite toy right now is her mobile, she gets sooo tickled when she can kick it and it makes different noises for her. She still is a huge fan of bath time but unfortunately has out grown the sink. I still really wanted to use her flower in the bathtub so I decided to get a laundry basket and put it in there, this has worked out wonderfully and she is loving all of the leg room to kick around.

Surprise surprise we made another trip back to Kentucky this month for two whole weeks which as always was wonderful. Peyton and I were able to attend Chase’s t-ball game and Jack’s soccer game, both were rock stars. One of the most difficult things for me when we moved was not getting to be as involved in my nieces and nephews activities, so it was very nice to have the time to watch some of their events. Peyton and I have started taking lots of walks which she is usually a huge fan of. I’ve recovered enough to be able to be pretty active and not be sore the next day which has been absolutely wonderful, I finally feel like myself again.

I’ve also gone back to work which consists of working 2 days a week and Peyton goes with me. The owner and his family have been absolutely wonderful to me and it is such a blessing to be able to get out of the house a bit but not have to leave my sweet girl. Everyone has been asking me how cloth diapering has been going. Honestly I love it! It’s not difficult to do at all and is so much more comfortable for her. It has especially been nice since it has gotten warmer because then I can dry all the diapers outside.

Jordan was in a wedding this month so Peyton got to hang out with her Nonna (my mom) and her Cookie (Shapell) while we were at the rehearsal dinner. I was a little bit worried about leaving her because she has not been very good about taking a bottle. I was so relieved when I got a text saying that she took a bottle like a champ though. Now that I know she is willing to take a bottle I see more dates for Jordan and I and also some daddy daughter dates in the future.

Before having Peyton I had an idea of how I wanted things to go and everyone always says never say never when it comes to raising your children. I should have listened when I got this advice because I said we would never co-sleep. Somewhere along the way Peyton and I ended up sharing our bed one night and she slept great. Since then it has somewhat became a habit, especially early in the morning and naps. Sometimes in the evening she’ll fall asleep with us snuggling in bed and then I’ll transition her to her own bed when she is good and asleep. I guess in the future I just need to keep an open mind and see what works best for us as a family regardless of the preconceived notions I had.

On to the next month to see what adventures await us!

Hanging out in the bumbo.

On our way to Chase's T-ball game

Checking out her feet

Before church

 

 

Finally taking a Paci

 

 Matching Toes!