Life Is Good: It's About Time For A Real Update

Monday, November 9, 2009

It's About Time For A Real Update

We've been doing some playing outside (but not nearly enough)

We've been playing in cabinets...

We've been playing in things like this...

We've even been wearing hats backwards while playing.

Actually we haven't been doing a whole lot of playing. We're still working on the house. We're probably about 1/2 way from being finished. Ryan would rather his Mommy be playing with him more, but that time will once again arrive. The weather has been nice enough though that he and Myndi and Bosco have enjoyed countless hours making mud, eating leaves, and digging in the sand in the front of the house.

Ryan is talking like crazy. We've finally reached that point where at times (only on the rare occasion) we find ourselves thinking 'I wish he'd just quit talking'. I never thought we would ever feel that way. I guess all parents do. Most of the time I can understand everything he is talking about. Other times I just nod and act like I do.

Ryan is taking a great interest in colors these days. He has the right idea...just the wrong colors. It kind of depends on the day as to what color something is. Today it might be geen (green), tomorrow it might be lellow (yellow). At least he's starting to recognize colors and the interest is there...we just need to work on the application.

Ryan's eating habits are the same. He might eat great today. He might eat nothing much tomorrow. With all the work being done on the new house I haven't been cooking very nutritious meals. Ryan has been spending a lot of time with his Nana and Nana's rules aren't quite the same as mine. Needless to say...Ryan's appetite for veggies and other healthy things has changed to honeybuns and hot-dogs-on-a-stick (corndogs). We'll be working on that as soon as we get moved.

And the biggest changes/news of the Stanfill family is this...

Yep! Ryan is going to be a big brother. *Baby* is due to arrive July 10th. We're super excited, yet very nervous too. I went to the doctor today for bloodwork. Everything came back normal...Hcg levels, progresterone levels, etc. I will be returning to the office next Tuesday for another set of labs to make sure all is continuing to go well. I will hopefully see the doctor on the 20th and will have the opportunity to discuss the plans for this precious little baby. We're praying for 36 weeks!

1 comment:

Hilary said...: I noticed the ticker 1st!! Congratulations!!!!! I understand being scared but so excited...praying for 36 weeks for you :) So excited for you guys :) Yeah a baby and Ryan's going to be a big brother :); November 10, 2009 at 11:50 AM

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Brandy Danielle

Brandy is our firstborn, our precious angel baby girl. Her entry into this world wasn't without excitement. At 26 weeks I started preterm labor with contractions 5 minutes apart. With 10 weeks of strict bedrest, most of which were in the hospital, she made it to 36 weeks.
Brandy was diagnosed with "possible/probable" heart defect around 28-30 weeks gestation. After her birth she was whisked away to the NICU for monitoring and after a few days her defect was formally diagnosed and labeled...atrial septal defect and a cleft mitral valve.
Brandy, upon indications of failure to thrive and pulmonary hypertension, underwent her first of 2 open-heart surgeries at 4 months of age. A week after her surgery on the day of her anticipated discharge home Brandy coded for 13 minutes...a stoke.
From that point on Brandy's life was full of doctor's visits, endless crying, pain and suffering. She underwent another heart surgery, fundoplication and g-tube surgery, treatment for infantile spasms, and a mountain of tests and procedures. Her brain damage was extensive.
Upon counseling of our wonderful, most amazing heart surgeon, Dr. Christopher Knott-Craig, and many hours of prayer, we finally called in hospice and called off all of the extensive medical interventions and surgery needs that would prolong her suffering while possibly prolonging her life. Brandy, our precious baby girl...our angel...passed out of our arms and into the arms of her Saviour, Jesus at the tender age of 17 months.

Ryan Andrew

Ryan, our micro-preemie miracle, is a ball of life. After nearly a year of trying to conceive imagine our delight when we finally knew he was on the way. My pregnancy with Ryan was uneventful at first. It seemed perfect and with all of the precautions for preterm labor being taken and monitored we entered this pregnancy with cautious anticipation covered over by a whole love of naive excitement.
At 20 weeks we discovered our "Baby Peanut" was going to be a little boy. We began to make plans and began dreaming about the day we would meet our son.
Almost 2 weeks later everything changed in our lives. It wa a whirlwind of fear and emtions as I began to bleed, was sent for monitoring in L&D and eventually had an appointment with my OB only to find out that it was serious. I had incompetent cervix with hourglassing membranes. The doctor admitted me to the hospital immediately and an emergency cerclage was placed. The statistics were grim, but the hope was to keep our son inside for at least 10 more weeks. We only made it 10 more days.
Early in the evening of February 11, 2007 our son, Ryan, came into this world in emergency fashion at only 23 weeks 5 days gestation. He weighed 1 pound 8 ounces and was 12 ½ inches long. He was so tiny. All I could think of was “oh my goodness is he really that tiny? And is there any way he could actually make it?” I tried to hold on to hope, but in all honesty I had never met anyone with a baby born that early and that small that ever made it.
Ryan did make it! It was a long, hard road, but in the end he spent 90 days in the NICU. He was on a ventilator for 2 months. Finally on one fine glorious day in May we bundled up our 4 pound 4 ounce baby boy and went home...May 11, 2007.
Ryan is now a spunky, lively, strong-willed little boy. His laughter is contagious and his spirit is compelling. He is our miracle. There are no words strong enough to share our delight and joy that God has blessed us with this little boy.

Evan Alexander