Tomorrow is the big day!!!!!!

Tomorrow Oct. 31, 2007 baby Arendale will be here, if Allison doesn't have it tonight. They decided to go ahead and induce tomorrow since today was her due date. And Hunter was I think 15 days late and weighed 9lbs or so. I know she is ready just as the rest of us were at this time. We can hardly wait. I will post pictures ASAP, that is if I can get there. Brooke has her PT and Ben has his Fall Harvest party at school tomorrow. I called Tim's mom today and thought I would play a little joke on her. I ask her if it would be any way possible if she could keep Ben for me tomorrow. Without any hesitation she said sure. Just as I thought she would. I couldn't hold it any longer I of course told her I was kidding. She said I would have just taken him to the hospital with me. JoAnn is the greatest. She never lets us down. Thanks MeMe. See you tomorrow sweet baby Arendale.

Waiting on Baby Arendale

As many of you know Allison is due any day now. We are all so excited and can't wait. Especially not knowing what sex the baby will be. That has been the hardest part for me as for many others. The not knowing. How in the world are you suppose to buy for a baby when you don't know the sex. I guess you can always buy greens and yellows. But how are you suppose to get anything monogrammed. I know it is the wish of the parents but what an inconvenience for the rest of us. Just kidding Allison and Todd. I know you two can hardly wait. Baby Arendale will be here before we know it. JoAnn always wanted grand kids and never thought she would. Now she will have three pretty much under three. Boy is she going to have her hands full. Watch out MeMe and PawPaw. Can't you just hear it now during the holidays. Oh, how much fun will it be. Love you guys and can't wait to see that beautiful baby.

Can you say Werchanowskyj ?

Yesterday we went to Greg and Ashley Werchanowskyj's for the game. They are friends of ours in the neighborhood. They have 2 children Lily Kate (3) and Will (17mths) Lily Kate and Ben are only 6wks apart. They play so great together. They are truely great friend. They ask and talk about each other all the time. Lily Kate told her dad she had to wear her pink bracelet for Ben. Isn't that so cute. Here are a few pics of the day.

Look how sweet they are

Little Will. Isn't he so cute.

Ben and Lily Kate taking a break to pose

Brooke's favorite thing to do these days. Play in her Jumpin' Johnny

Lily Kate, Ben and Will cleaned out the toy box and decided to play in it

BOO At The Zoo

Last night Tim and I took the kids to Boo At The Zoo. We all had a great time. Ben was all about the candy... of course. Brooke took in all the excitement from the stroller. There was alot of great activities. If anyone decides to go make sure you go early and get in line for the train ride. The line was incredible long when we finally made it and it was dark. Ben did not want to go because it was to scary. Here are a few pics of the night.

Our little pirate

Waiting on the backward carousel ride

A big smile from Brooke

Ben's first encounter with a real snake

A final pose before leaving

Shrimp Festival

This passed week/weekend since Tim was still on the mend from his surgery we decided to go to the beach. We left on Wednesday afternoon. We made it to the beach in record time. It usually takes us at least 5 1/2. And it has taken us 8hrs with all the stops for feeding Brooke and Ben saying "mommy I gotta pee pee". We got up on Thursday went for our walk while Ben rode his bicycle. He sure has gotten good. Then we went to the beach. It was so nice. The weather was perfect. Ben then wanted to go to the pool. Since Tim still could not get his incisions wet I had to go with Ben. The water was freezing cold. I stepped in and boy what a chill. I only could make it to my knees. I then sat on the side while Ben played. Later that afternoon MeMe and PawPaw made it down along with our friends Gary and Melinda. We all then headed to the Shrimp Festival before it got to busy. We passed by one of the concert stages and Ben had to stop and listen. He danced a little and clapped alot. He was so much fun to watch. Brooke even got in on the action. She was kicking her feet in the stroller. Ben was attached to Melinda for the majority of the night. For those of you who do not know Ben has many girlfriends. Bethany, Chrissy, Leigh (Tanner's GF), the girl at the pharmacy, and now Melinda. Watch out Melinda.
On Friday we took Ben back to enjoy the kid's activities. Brooke stayed home with MeME. Ben got a face painting of a mahi which matched his shirt. Then he played on the huge inflatable slide for over an hour. He had a blast. Later that night MeMe and PawPaw kept the kids for us so Tim and I could go out to eat for my birthday which was Oct. 11th. Gary and Melinda went with us also. We went to Louisiana Lagniappe. I was absolutely wonderful. It was one of the best meals we had all had in over a year. Thanks you guys for such a great time.
On Saturday MeMe took Ben to the beach while to rest of us got our game faces on. Roll Tide!!! After the game Tim, Ben, Gary and Melinda went to the marina to check on the boat. Mostly to get Ben out so he would take a nap. It worked. When they got back Ben was attached at the hip to Melinda. I am sure she was exhausted when she got back to their place.
Sunday we headed home. We made it back in record time also. The kids were great on the trip. I will post pics later. Uncle Todd and Aunt Allison have our camera and I forgot to download pics before I let them borrow it.

Brooke's Hearing Update

Today Brooke had her 3mth hearing test. It went rather well. She passed with flying colors in the sound proof booth. It was funny because when she would look to the left she would see the audiologist behind the window and start smiling and laughing. Then they did the OAE test. She passed in her left ear but failed in her right ear. She said that was more than likely due to Brooke having tubes and she was surprised that she had passed on her left. We will continue to monitor her and be screened again in 3mths.

At Home At Last

Tim was able to come home today from the hospital. He has done so well with his recovery. He has a F/U appt on Monday. He will continue to be on strong antibiotics while at home. He has a F/U appt on Monday. After that he will know when he can go back to work. I don't imagine it will be until the following week. I know it is going to be tough on him. He will not be able to hold or pick-up Ben or Brooke for a while. I will keep everyone posted on how things go over the next week or so.

On the Mend

For those of you who did not know Tim had acute appendicitis with an appendectomy on Saturday. He is doing much better now and we are in hopes he gets to come home today. Now backing up to tell the story. He started feeling a little bad on the prior Monday. We both thought it was from the wonderful supper Granna had cooked. She and ChopChop brought us supper on Sunday. It was a good ol' country meal. Everything cooked in lard, fat, butter, etc.... you get the picture. It was absolutely wonderful. We knew we would pay the price for eating it later because Tim and I are not used to eating like that. Anyway on Monday both of our stomachs did not feel the best. On Tuesday I was better and Tim still had a little upset stomach. We thought he was getting a little stomach bug or something. Thursday he started visiting the bathroom a little more. On Friday he did not feel good at all. He had N/V/D. But he still had to go to work and do a case at DCH. When I got home from picking Ben up from Mom's morning out Tim was in the bed. That is very unusual for Tim. I knew he was sick then. It had gotten so bad a good friend of ours gave us some IV fluids and medicine for him. I gave him 2 liters of fluid and the medicine without any relief. Friday night was a very long night. Then Saturday morning he said he needed to go to the hospital. So I packed everyone a bag and out the door we went at 5am. We headed to Tuscaloosa to drop the kids off at MeMe's and PawPaw's. Then to DCH we went. The ER did all the normal lab and x-rays. His WBC was 16.0 so they decided to do a ABD CT. That's when we found out. Not only did he had acute appendicitis but that is appendix had ruptured and he had a paralytic ilius. Oh boy, I thought to myself. But I knew I had to strong for Tim. This could be a very difficult and long recovery. But Dr. Gross thank goodness, was able to do the procedure laproscopic. He has 2 trocar sites and about a 2inch incision under his belly button. He also had to have a drain for all the pus in his gut. He is on 3 major IV antibiotics. Strong enough to kill anything. He is on a Morphine pump for the pain. He made it out of surgery in time to watch over half of the Alabama game not that is was anything to brag about. Now we had to focus on the recovery and letting his gut rest and start waking up from the paralytic ilius. That was one of our worries along with the possibility of becoming septic. On Monday night his bowels started rumbling. He looked at me and said "I think my bowels are waking up go get a stethoscope". And sure enough they were. Prayers answered. He has been walking the halls several times a day building up his strength. Trying not to have to use his pain pump. On Tuesday when Dr. Gross made rounds he said if your bowels will move and everything else goes okay you can go home tomorrow. Well with the help of some magnesium that has happened and then some. So we are just waiting on rounds today and the word go.
His parents will be bringing him home because Brooke had her biweekly PT today. So I had to come home. She is doing absolutely wonderful. PT thinks she should be sitting independently in the next month. Her hamstrings are much more loose. Good job Brooke. I will post some pictures later.She was 7mths old on Friday. My how time flys. Got to go she is waking up from her nap after therapy. Thanks to everyone for all your thoughts and prayers. All the visits and phone calls. Thanks to the grandparents for keeping the kids. You guys are a lifesaver.