Go Bengals!

Jared and Katie came up this weekend to hang out and go to the Bengals-Steelers game on Sunday. Chris, Katie, and Jared went to the game (I was working), and I'm pretty sure they had a blast (despite the outcome!).

Chris is a true-blue Cowboys fan, but you know he was not going to support the Steelers (if for no other reason than to razz Jared!)...

This one speaks for itself... haha...

Keep on waving, Jared! I'm afraid it can't change the final score!!

Fun at home

I've ended up with so many cute pictures this week and wanted to post a few. You all know how it is- your super cute kids get more adorable by the day and we, as Mommies, are convinced there will never be anything more precious in all the world, so we take twenty pictures of the same thing and think each one is better than the last! :) I think I've got somewhere around 2000 pictures from just the last few months, but I have such a hard time deleting even one!

Anyways, one of our favorite games these days is peek-a-boo. Cade will get to giggling, then Ella will start in, and it is just such a sweet sound to hear them laughing together. I'm hoping to get a video of it someday soon.
Not going to keep him on his tummy long these days! He likes to show off his rolling skills and always loves the praise it brings. Just look at this face! He knows exactly how to get our attention... :)

Big sis usually grabs her blanket to play, too...

...And it's usually not long before Cade ends up like this! Haha! This is VERY telling of our days around here! Don't let that sweet, innocent smile fool you!

This is more like it- this is SO her! What a rascal!!

Daddy brought home a Smart-Cycle and it's been a wonderful diversion during all these rainy days...

Massive calorie burn...

Then taking a break for donut holes... haha! I love it! (And yes, she wore the same socks for three days and would only take them off for bathing. You've gotta pick your battles, right?) Our sweet, little boy all dressed up like a snow bunny to go out in the cool fall air. He is precious...

And I'm pretty sure he knows it! :)

Five reasons why I love my job...

I don't usually post about my job. It's kind of just a side thing in my life. I work hard, think I'm pretty darn good at what I do, and am proud of it, but don't really think of it as defining me. Lately though, I can't take it. It's getting to me. Not in the emotional way you would expect, though I have those moments, too. No, these days, it's more like What was I thinking when I signed up for this?! Here are just a few reasons why:
1. Rude patients. Yes, I know you're very sick and feeling crummy, but that does not give you the right to cuss at me, spit at me, and call out for your f'in nurse (!!) at the top of your lungs simply because you need your pillow fluffed or can't figure out how to work the TV remote.
2. "Poopers". Yep, that's what we call 'em and it's kind of a bad night when you get one in your assignment. Or three, like this weekend. It's even worse when they weigh 300+ lbs, can't get out of bed, and are in isolation. It takes three people (with stomachs of steel) dressed in hot isolation gowns 20 minutes to clean up the mess that's happening, oh, every hour or so. Multiply that by 12 or 13 hours and you're adding up to lots of fun. And yes, sometimes we start laughing and are slightly hysterical, but really, what else can you do in situations like that?!
3. Confused/ agitated patients. I hear bed alarms in my sleep. Please, Doc, can we have something to calm her down? Yes, I understand you don't want to sedate her... no, it's a very busy night (see above) and we don't have enough staff to watch her one-on-one... What? Just deal with it? Okay, I'll give you a call when she falls out of bed and breaks her hip.... Better yet, why don't you come in and take care of her for twelve hours and then you may change your mind about the medication...
4. The blame game. I love paging a physician multiple times regarding an urgent matter, finally getting a call back after 60-90 minutes of "biding time", and then getting berated for not calling sooner. I also love having a patient with a heart rate in the 180's, emergently calling a doctor for orders, having him tell me, "We'll deal with it in the morning." Excuse me, Bud, did you hear what I just said? Did the phone line cut out? He won't be here in the morning if we don't do something NOW. Calling his chief for orders, then when the first doc gets in hot water, having him claim, "The nurse never told me his HR was 185." Yeah, you're right, I was calling at 3 in the morning just to shoot the breeze.
5. Tight budget. Yes, I know in these difficult times everyone has to work around a tight budget. However, when my hands are breaking out something terribly and starting to scar because I'm allergic to the gloves we use, don't tell me that nitrile gloves "are too expensive". Let me get this straight. You want me to donate $20 of each paycheck to the hospital's Fine Arts Fund, but you won't spend a little extra money to buy me some gloves that don't give me a rash?! Seriously? And when a tight budget also means I'm taking care of an unsafe number of high acuity patients simply because you have to think about budget this weekend and can't afford to call in another nurse, then I think you can throw your budget out the window! It is my nursing license I'm working under, and if I don't have time to do my job, I may miss something important and someone may suffer because of me. Most importantly though, every patient in these beds is someone's father, mother, sister, child... someone's world, and they deserve the best care I can give. Sometimes it's not all that great if I'm stretched to the max with too many patients.
If you took the time to read to the end of this, thanks for letting me rant and rave a little bit. Is this what is meant by blog therapy?!

She's growing up

Our sweet, little girl is growing up so quickly right before our eyes. I'm reminded every single day that she's not a baby girl anymore, but my three year old daughter with
a wild streak of
independence and a mind of her own.
She decides what she will wear,
what she will eat, what she will do.
Occasionally she asks for my input,
but for the most part,
she knows what she likes and that's that.

I'm sure I'm not alone in this sentiment, but I feel like it's such a difficult
balancing act, trying to be supportive and encouraging enough to allow Ella to spread her wings, so to speak, while also being loving and involved enough that she realizes she doesn't have to do everything for herself. Sure, she still cries for Mommy when she's hurt (or getting in trouble with Daddy) and she still wants to cuddle at bedtime. I cherish those opportunities to mother her, but more than once lately, I've heard her calling me Mom, not Mommy, and I don't know if I'm ready for that.

My little guy

Have I mentioned lately that I love, love, LOVE my little guy?! He just gets sweeter and sweeter everyday! He loves talking to his momma; his favorite word is "a-boo" (I'm pretty sure that means "Mommy, you're awesome! :).
Lovin' on Momma...

Isn't he the cutest?! I am such a lucky Mommy!!!

Bootsy

Move over Dora shoes- there are new boots in town!!

Ella got some new boots last week and has barely taken them off since they came home from the store. We've started calling her "Bootsy". haha! Some of the outfits she has put together have been pretty outrageous. I love it! And she keeps asking me if there's snow on the ground, because she wants to wear her boots out in the snow. :)

Fun with Pappaw and Grammy

Pappaw tagged along with Grammy last weekend and we had lots of fun having them both here. The kids got extra spoiled and Chris and I got a little extra time to breathe. :)
Pappaw teaching Cade some of his silly tricks...
Ella was so excited to take them to the playground!

Tire swing with Mommy...

Aww, love this one. He's so precious!

Biggest Loser

Check out "The Biggest Loser" 8/7c tonight on NBC. Sean Algaier, an old friend of mine from York College, is a contestant this season. Tune in and help us cheer him on! Go, Sean!!

Ella's favorite song

Watch our little soldier singing her favorite song, "The Lord's Army". So cute! :)

Update on sweet baby Cade

First of all, thank you so much to all of you who are praying so hard over our sweet, little boy. It's been a roller coaster ride of emotions these last two weeks, and it helps so much knowing that we have so many people supporting us. I sometimes feel funny about posting very personal things on here, as though people may read it and wonder why I would put such a private thing up for the world to see. In this case though, I feel like only good things can come from so many people praying for Cade, so the more people who know, the better.

We had an appt with a craniofacial/ plastic surgeon at Cincinnati Children's on Tuesday. He does not seem to think Cade's "problem" is related to the craniosynostosis. Only the front (metopic) sutures are closed, all others remain open, and yet his head is still not growing. Therefore, he thinks his "problem" could be neurological. I refer to the "problem" as such because the doctor kept indicating that Cade has a "problem"; however, nothing about him indicates any kind of developmental delay to us. He stated there was "obvious concern" mostly for three reasons: 1) Cade's height and weight continue to increase while his head circumference does not. If it was just a matter of him being small, he would expect to see his height and weight also below the chart. 2) Chris, Ella, and I have considerably large heads according to the growth scale, so he does not think it is just something inherited. 3) Cade was so much smaller than Ella at birth (only 5 lbs 7 oz compared to her 8 lbs 3 oz), which, once again, brings up questions such as IUGR. I guess IUGR and small head size are risk factors for other things. So because of all this, we are now being referred to a neurologist for evaluation.

There were two things we found positive about this visit. The first being that Cade doesn't appear to need major surgery, which is usually done if the child has major facial deformity or has multiple sutures closed. Cade has a small ridge in his forehead that the doctor thinks will smooth out over time. The second hopeful thing he said is that sometimes it takes a baby about six months before they "decide" what kind of brain growth pattern they are going to follow. He said that because Cade has not yet reached that six month mark, he may start to take off here in the next month or so, and everything could correct itself. Obviously, that is the hope we are clinging to. He seems absolutely perfect to us, and will remain that way no matter what. Thanks again for keeping us in your prayers. Please keep them coming!!

Green beans, Anyone?

Cade had his first foray into the world of vegetables last night. He was pretty excited about it at first...
Hmmm, not so sure... "You've got to be kidding me! I can't believe I've been looking forward to this!"

I LOVE these faces!!!

By the end, I think he had decided it wasn't so bad afterall, and he did pretty good with the spoon. Doesn't he look so proud of himself? I just love this little guy!!

Great holiday weekend

Mark and Cheryl came to spend the holiday weekend with us and we had a wonderful time together. Saturday night, Chris and I got to go out all by ourselves (!!), something that hasn't happened since before Cade was born. It was great and we are so thankful for that time together. Sunday we went to King's Island and closed the place down. We had a lot of fun. Ella was so excited to show Mamaw and Papaw around. :) Plus, the weather couldn't have been better.
Papaw and Ella "pouting" on the way to the park. ha! I have to admit I was a little worried at this point, because Ella was acting so tired, but she perked up and was really so good!
The "little merry-go-round"...

The "BIG merry-go-round"...

Taking a break for lunch...

Daddy and his silly girl...

Me and my baby...

Riding the "BIG choo-choo train". (Yes, most things are categorized as big or little by Ella, because there are miniature versions of a lot of things in the kiddie area. :)
"Daddy, this is SO cool!"

Lot of great memories!

Thanks for such a fun weekend, Papaw and Mamaw! We love you!

Boiler up!

Cade's first Purdue t-shirt!
Like father, like son!

Things I love...

Things I love about being a Mommy...
- Cade's big, toothless smile when he sees me walk into the room.
- Ella's prayers in which she never forgets to thank God for Mommy, Daddy, and Baby Brother.
- All the little bouquets of flowers Ella picks for me and says, "These are for you, because I love you so much."
- Watching Cade sleep peacefully in my arms, because it's just too hard to put him down.
- Ella dropping whatever she's doing to run and give me hugs and kisses when I leave the house, and running to greet me with open arms when I return.

Here's the scoop...

So it's been a rough few days around the Davidson house. I'll give you the highlights of a long story- at Cade's four month check-up, his head circumference had not changed since his two month check-up. The feeling was that someone had measured wrong at two months, so we went back at five months for a head check. At this check, his head measured just 1/2 cm larger than it had previously, indicating that his head had only grown 1/2 cm in three months, and had progressively fallen off the growth chart (FYI: a baby's head is supposed to grow about 1/2 inch per month with the most rapid growth occurring in the first four months of life). This obviously raised some concerns, so they sent us for an xray to see if his sutures had closed prematurely. The xray came back normal, so they decided to send us for an ultrasound of the brain to make sure all parts of his brain were there. Needless to say, we were nervous wrecks over the weekend, worrying about all the possible things that could be wrong. When we went for the ultrasound on Tuesday, they were not able to find his "soft spot" and could not do the test, so a CT scan was ordered instead. The CT scan ended up showing what the xray did not, that his fontanel (which is supposed to stay open until 18 months) has already closed and the sutures along the front of his skull have already hardened. The medical jargon for this condition is "metopic craniosynostosis". If left untreated, this could possibly restrict brain growth or, if the brain continues to grow normally while the head does not, the pressure inside the head will continue to increase and potentially cause an array of serious problems. SO.... we have been referred to a neurosurgeon and a plastic surgeon to decide where to go from here. Best case scenario is that his head will start to grow, just abnormally-shaped, and he may have to have it remolded via a helmet or something of the sort. Worst case scenario is major surgery to remove and reshape part of the skull to allow for proper growth. Neither is something that we look forward to, but we are obviously hoping for the best case scenario.

PLEASE, please pray for Cade, that his little head will begin to grow and there will be no long-term effects on his brain development. Please pray for guidance and wisdom for the doctors, that they may make the right decisions regarding his case. And please pray for Chris and me, for strength and faith and that our hearts can be at peace with the situation. We'll keep you posted...

"I will bless the Lord who strengthens me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for He is right beside me." Psalms 16: 7-8

So much alike!

I took this picture of our sweet baby boy sleeping and then happened upon a picture of Ella in pretty much the same position. Their faces look so much alike (except in Ella's picture, she is a little younger and quite a bit chunkier!)...

Grammy's birthday

My mom's birthday was last week, so we celebrated with her when she was here this weekend. She takes such good care of the kids (and us!) when she comes every other weekend, so we thought it was only right to spoil her a little bit.
I love this picture of Grammy and the kids- look at Cade! He looks like he's cheering! So cute!
Lots of fun with trick candles. Ella got to blow to her heart's content! Sweet picture...
Happy birthday, Grammy! Hope it's a wonderful year!!

Cute story

Ella and I have been talking a lot lately about when she was a baby and where she lived before she was born. We have told her that she and Cade used to live with Jesus in Heaven, and when Mommy and Daddy prayed for a baby, God put her in my tummy and she grew bigger there. She believes it all whole-heartedly. The other day, she was telling the story in her own words and this is what she said to me:
"Ella and Cade used to live in Heavensville. One day, Mommy and Daddy wanted a little baby, so God sent Ella here to live with you at your house. He said, 'Ella, you go live with your Mommy at her house', so Ella and Cade jumped in the car, and came all the way here from Heavensville." I said, "You drove here from Heaven?" and she said, "Yeah, Mommy, we drove here, in my pink Jeep!" :)