He's nine weeks old today and things have been amazing. I knew this parenting thing was going to be good, but I had no idea how wonderful it was going to be. We had a wonderful week with Daddy here visiting and we can't wait until the next time! It really was the best week ever. Switch did the cutest thing tonight, he giggled in his sleep. The angels must have told him something pretty funny! I heard it and thought it was a cough and when I looked over at him he had a huge smile on his face and then he did again. Priceless!! I need a video camera on him at all times! He has been really gassy though. Poor kid can't catch a break. I've heard that they grow out of it at around the 3 month mark. Here's hoping! He also has a milk allergy, not sure if I posted that in an earlier blog or not. Most kids do grow out of that though. If there is one thing that I have learned from the last year it is to not ask the question "what next?". Seriously, I asked and then I got pregnant, I asked again and then the ER doctor told me I miscarried, I asked again and my OB/GYN tells me I am still pregnant with one of the babies......and so on and so on to present day. LOL!! Don't ask that question...EVER! I guess the real lesson is that there is always going to be something else for you to deal with and it is how you deal with it that makes you who you are. Switch got to meet his Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Tara, and cousin Bryce this past week and we all had a lovely visit. I know Dad misses him terribly an we miss him equally! It's time for medicine and feeding so I am going to get back to "work". Love to all!!

Shelley, Blake, and Matthew/Chase/Switch

Best weekend ever!

This weekend has been so wonderful! Mom and Dad have been trying to adjust to Switch's schedule.... and so far.... we lose! He is so unpredictable in his sleep habits that we can't keep up. Although we're doing our best, we still have a ways to go. His feeding schedule is pretty simple, every 3 hours on the hour, it's just the medicine tht gets confusing! Anyway we've just kinda been relaxing and enjoying sharing our time with him and giving him all the love and kisses he needs! We will unfortunately be apart again after Tuesday so I will keep this short in order to spend all the time I can with them! Thank you to everyone for your continued love, prayers, and support! Until next time...

Blake, Shelley and Switch

Lazy day

We didn't do anything today but sit around the house. There is not much to write about this evening because it was such an uneventful day! Maybe we'll get out do something tomorrow, but this is Columbus and there just isn't much to do around here. He has gotten so much bigger! I will find out his current weight and length at his 2 month check up next week. His neck muscles are getting stronger thanks to the tummy time that he despises! I can't believe that he April is almost over with! His Great Granny, Great Aunt Donna, and Great Great Aunt Deloris will be coming next month for a visit and we can't wait. We are so ready for Summer! I am looking forward to his first beach trip. We have already figured out that he hates the water from the screaming during bath time, but being my kid he's going to have to learn to love the water! Time for another feeding and hopefully he'll be off to bed (probably in his dad's arms again).

Love to all,

Blake, Shelley, and Switch

Reunited

Daddy's here! Yay! I am so glad to be back with Switch! He is already spoiled and it's only been 24 hours! We went shopping and got him some cute little outfits, and we finally got him some Converse! They are the cutest baby shoes ever! Anyway I'm glad I'm able to be here to bond with my son and also help Shelley with getting some sleep and with feeding and everything. The feeling is nothing less than indescribeable. I can honestly say it's the greatest title on the face of the planet to be called a parent! Well... that's all for now gotta change out his feeding tube. Thanks to everyone for all your prayers and support. Love yall.

Blake Shelley and Switch

Tummy Time

The verdict is....he does not like it. Poor thing just lays there face down in the blanket screaming. I hate to make him do it when he doesn't like it, but he needs it. He almost got himself turned over today! He has lots of strength in his legs and bottom, but none in his neck quite yet. He tries to hold it up when I have him on my shoulder, but it's just not there yet. Poor thing just wobbles. I have posted another video on you tube from tummy time. It's a cute one and if you saw him in the hospital you wouldn't even think he was the same kid!
Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/mommy2switch

Love to all,
Shelley, Blake, and Switch

Counting the days

Dad is coming in 3 days and we couldn't be more excited. YAY! Switch reacts to my excitement with a smile;) He is going to be 2 months old on Sunday..Crazy!! He is getting stronger everyday and watching him grow is amazing. He is my heart and probably the only good thing I have to show for my life. I may not always have a house, a car, or even a job, but I will always have a son! Like knowledge, motherhood can't be taken away. I am through gushing over the joys...for now. He is going to get a bath and some medicine so I am cutting this short. Love to all!

Shelley, Blake, and Switch

Little break

I gave Switch a little break from his feeding tube and took the opportunity to take some pictures. It was time to change the tube out anyway. It's been a slow day, I just wanted to post some of the pictures with a clean face :) Love you all!!

Love,

Shelley, Blake, and Switch

My big man in his sweet little crib! Kelsie holding her self proclaimed cousin.Caden has also claimed Chase as his cousin

We had a tough one last night! He was not happy and did not sleep for more that 30 minutes at a time and when he woke up he'd stay awake for 2 hours. Needless to say, we slept all day today. I really need to get him on a sleep schedule!! We really have not been doing much. He has had a couple of visitors and we went to the mall and wal-mart yesterday. I want to take him for walks out at the lake, but our allergies can't take it right now. Poor guy's eyes were so red and were pouring tears on Sunday just taking pictures outside. He is such a little blessing! Thanks to all for the thoughts and prayers, texts, e-mails, and phone calls. We love you all very much

Love,

Shelley, Blake, and Switch

We had a slow day! I was not feeling well at all so my mom stepped in with help. I hated just passing the baby over, but being really sick on top of the exhaustion I was already experiencing, I didn't have a choice. I slept most of the day and I am feeling much better. He loves his swing that his Great Aunt Donna got for him. He is very lucky to have so many people that love him so much. He can't wait to see her when they come up for memorial day and I know the feeling is mutual for Aunt Donna and Granny. I am posting more videos on you tube so make sure you visit to see those. Switch is sleeping so I should be doing the same. Much love to all and we can't wait to be feeling better so we can make our rounds to come visit everyone.

Love,

Shelley, Blake, and Switch

Chase in church on Easter Sunday!

yes, we sleep whenever and wherever!Sweet Danielle wanted to hold him so bad. She did a wonderful job.

This was the 3rd sucessful tube removal that happened sometime that night, he did it again the next night too!! It no longer suprises me.

Chase and hid Great Great Uncle Gene taking a nap.PawPaw giving Hold'em lessons or shooting lessons.

We made it to Mississippi in one piece, but not before the Atlanta pollen claimed one more victim! Just what I needed, to be sick. My little man did very well in church and on he 6 hour trip from Atlanta today! He has changed and grown so much. Everyday he does something new. He responds to voices very well and he smiled in response to something his Uncle Danny Secrest did yesterday. He won't let me put him down right now because he spent most of the day in his car seat. He just wants to be snuggled and I don't mind. He is falling asleep in my arms as I type. He smiles when he is dozing off, his MiMi Taffer says the Angels are talking to him and I believe her! I am posting some pictures from a few days ago up til present time since I got a little behind. I am going to bed in hopes that I will wake up feeling better! Love to all. Hope everyone had an amazing Easter like we did.

Love,

Shelley, Blake, and Switch

It's been a minute since I last posted anything. Things have been pretty great! He has been back tot he pediatrician a few times. Once for a cold and once with blood in his poopie. Neither turned out to be anything major. His formula that I was supplementing with irritated his colon to the point it bled a little, but all that is done with. I joked with his nurses that he was just a hypochondriac, or I was turning him into him one. Some things are ok to just "wait it out", but with my special little guy I am not taking any chances!! We are headed back to Mississippi after church in the morning. I got him the sweetest little outfit for Easter, thanks to Daddy for leading me to Dillard's! I looked everywhere and finally went to look for the outfit that Blake suggested, but it wasn't in his size. I am going to spend time with Aunt Katrina before I have to leave out tomorrow. Love to all!!! We will see you soon!!!

Happy Easter to all!!
Shelley, Blake, and Switch

His x-ray this morning looked good as well as his echo cardiogram. Dr.Kanter says that as long as we stay off the oxygen then we can go home tomorrow. He has been off his oxygen for about 14 hours now and his saturation levels are looking good. He got sick from one his feeds this evening. It happened right before I gave him his bath and then again right after I finished giving him the bath. He was not happy when I had to give him the second bath. The doctors still have no clue as to what could have caused his lung to collapse (or they do know and they are not admitting that it was caused from the surgery). It's hard to question something that saved his life, but at this point I think its worth going to another doctor/surgeon at another hospital to get another opinion. It's late and this is probably my last night with "glorified babysitters" that are our nurses so I am going to get at least 6 hours of sleep before I have to have him down in radiology in the morning. Thanks for everyone that has taken time to read the blog. We love you all! Also, thanks for the thoughts and prayers. If you don't mind please pray for my friend Michelle Cochran Nicholson and her family, she is pregnant and has to have an emergency cervical cerclage (stitching the cervix closed to prevent preterm labor) done today.

Love to all,
Shelley

Encore

We made a trip up to the hospital today for Switches post-op follow up with his surgeon. They told me to first go to x-ray and have a chest x-ray done and then go up stairs to the cardiology outpatient services. Once we arrived up there he had an EKG that came out really good. The nurse practitioner asked me a bunch of questions and then Dr. Kanter came in and said his left lung had collapsed......I was numb. I didn't know what to say or think and I was honestly waiting to hear "APRIL FOOLS" after he told me that. Unfortunately, he was admitted and had a catheter inserted to release the air that was around his lung. I am now completely scared to death because he was breathing fine all week and I have no idea when it could have happened. I feel horrible, but everyone has tried to reassure me that there was no way of me knowing. I was, however, not at all reassured! I spend every waking second with this kid taking temperatures, checking blood pressure, giving medicine, and making sure his feeding schedule is on track. I am doing all I can do. Now I feel as if I won't get any rest unless I have a home x-ray machine to make sure that it gets caught as soon as possible. I know that the reality of that happening is non-existent!!!
I have not taken any pictures today because it's been quite crazy. Chase is sleeping really good right now and I am not going to wake him with lights and camera flashes. Maybe tomorrow will be better. I am , once again, asking for prayers for our little guy. He has been through so much and it breaks my heart to stick tubes down his nose and hold him down for an x-ray. Please pray that he gets, and stays, healthy. I know this is part of the Lords plan, but I can't help but to question it sometimes.

Love to all
Shelley