Beach Vaca!

Our summer ended with a wonderful beach vacation that took place in 2 parts. The first part of our trip was in Fripp Island with Poppy and Rozzie and the second part was in Litchfield with the Brosseaus. It was absolute heaven to kick back and relax, enjoy the long days and no schedule and soak up the sun!

Poppy and BG are being silly!

Poppy, Mac and Rozzie

Our beach babe :)

Checking out her toys, first day on the beach

With mommy at sunset :)

Doing our best to capture a family picture..I think the camera was propped up on a shell :)

Happy Girl!

We woke up a little earlier than the Brosseaus, so we would go out on the porch to play so that they house stayed nice and quiet.

Not a bit bothered by the sand!

Making her own waves :)

Philip and his daddy

Sweet Parker, such a trooper!

Each kiddo loved having their own "hole"...us parents were working hard to please!

Free Balloons from the Pig are always a big hit!

Steph and I were determined to get a good shot of the kids before we headed home the Charlotte...this isn't great, but it's the best one that I got. They were so over it!

Bye Bye Beach, we had the best time and can't wait to visit next year!

xoxo

Amazing Grace

Well, Betsy Grace's surgery is behind us and we are so thankful!!! They removed her adenoids and put in tubes and hopefully in a couple of days our sweet girl will be all better. Yesterday was rough but I saw a great improvement today and know that it will continue onward and upward!

God's grace, amazing grace, was very much a part of yesterday. First, it is one of the 3 songs that I sing to Betsy Grace as I am putting her down. It is calming, beautiful (the words, not my voice) and it's just "our thing". Sometimes I hum it, sometimes I sing it and yesterday, when she was falling apart at the glimpse of the nurses, we were humming and rocking away! I have to say that the medicine that they gave her before taking her to the OR really did the trick but Amazing Grace quieted her screams into small wimpers. She knew her mama was there but more importantly that God was there and his presence calmed us all.

Second, the nurses and the doctors that took care of us were full of amazing grace. Their ability to speak plainly amongst the complicated medical terms, their smiles full of reassurance, and their calm and confident nature made our whole experience wonderful. Even when Betsy Grace unexpectedly woke up coming out of the OR and was completely confused and frightened, the nurse stayed with me and talked me through calming her down. I followed her lead and held my baby tightly until she was able to rest again. Dr. Mair had excitement in his eyes as he told us about the surgery outcome and all the differences it was going to make in her quality of life, he breathed care and compassion for Betsy Grace and it was amazing. Not to mention all of the other pure and lovely staff that we came across during our stay...we were in the right place and it was awesome!

And lastly, amazing grace is so fitting to our amazing Betsy Grace. She is a trooper, a warrior and a sport of all sports. She will soon be able to hear better, have better balance and say goodbye to all of those ear infections and constant runny noses. Life is going to be so much better for our sweet pea and we are so excited!

We praise God for his amazing grace in so many forms yesterday! His protection was complete, his peace was abundant and his grace was sufficient. Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful prayers and well wishes, we are so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful family and friends.

Here she is playing at B's before we headed to the hospital. A little confused, a little hungry... "mama, what's going on?!?"

B(my mom) went with us because Mac couldn't come until later and she was an absolute lifesaver. She held BG while I filled out paper work and of course, took pictures :)

We didn't get the camera out until she got her medicine to calm down,

this is right before it kicked in :)

And HELLO! A little stunned, feeling pretty good and ahhhh...much better!

They told me to make sure to hold on to her because she was probably seeing 3 or 4 of whatever was in her sight. Gotta love the baby hospital gown and socks...cutie pie!

By now she is completely out of it and just about to go back. Trust me, it was way harder for my mom and I to see her go than it was for her to leave :(

We didn't take any pics PostOP because she was so out of it

but we got home eventually and did a lot of snuggling :)

xoxo

Bye Bye Ear Infections!!!!

Our prayers were answered yesterday as we scheduled Betsy Grace's surgery for tubes and adenoid removal!!!! The date is September 21st and it could not come any sooner. Poor BG has had a time with ear infections, 7 since March and 4 in this month alone. We have gotten to the point where antibiotics are just a band aid, as the fluid never drains and even though she is the happiest little girl on the block, it has to be painful!

We saw an audiologist 2 days ago who determined that she has some low frequency hearing loss, which is very common in kids who have fluid in their ears. It is described as hearing as if you are under water. She also noticed decreased mobility of her ear drums, meaning that there was fluid behind both ears. I was immediately frustrated and worried...we just treated her for an ear infection less than 2 weeks ago!

But the best thing is that I didn't have to worry for long because the following day, we had an appointment with a ped. ENT specialist, Dr. Mair. I know there are a handful of wonderful ENT's in Charlotte but I am here to tell you that this man is absolutely wonderful!!!!! Dr. Swetenburg said he was the best and he was right, from the minute he walked into the room, I knew we were in the right place.

First, he does not wear a white coat, which was awesome because after our numerous appointments and shots this month, Betsy Grace is now terrified of doctors. She immediately cries the minute we step foot in the hall...wouldn't you if you got a shot every time you went?!?

Second, he had the most amazing bedside manor. He looked at BG and said "We are going to check Mommy's ears" and he looked inside my ears, as I smiled, putting BG at ease. Now, the appointment did not go with out tears but I really think it was best case scenario. My mom was there with us, which was so helpful, I could not have done either appointment without her! She held BG as I listened to Dr. Mair, who explained what was going on. He sees a lot of children with specialties and a handful of children with achondroplasia, so nothing about her anatomy was foreign or surprising. He suggested without hesitation that we put in tubes ASAP and it was probable that he would also remove her adenoids at the same time. This was music to my ears, as we have prayed for a remedy and end to this. God is so good and Dr. Mair was our angel yesterday.

Despite the fact that Betsy Grace had another ear infection and had to get another shot at his office, I left feeling so relieved. There is an end in sight!!! I know that tubes are done every day and it is the second most common surgery in children but Dr. Mair explained that children with achondroplasia sometimes have respiratory issues post op, so we will have the surgery done at Levine. With God's protection and an amazing hospital, I know that we are in good hands, and if Betsy Grace does have to stay the night (which is a possibility), we will be in the right place. I know that God will be right in there, guiding Dr. Mair and providing comfort and peace to our sweet girl. I can hardly wait to see what life is like for her, post surgery!!!

We head to the beach for 10 days on Saturday and then surgery is the day after we get back. This is a MUCH needed vacation for our family and we are super excited to put our toes in the sand and breath the ocean air!

Please keep Betsy Grace in your prayers, we will keep you posted!

xoxo

First Day at School!

Today was Betsy Grace's first day of school and she LOVED it!!! Her teachers are the best and they said she only cried one time when someone picked her up....probably because she was playing and didn't want to stop :) They played in the sandbox, ate cheerios for snack, found treasures in the room...the life of a 1 year old could not get any better!

Here she is reading up before her big day :)

Daddy didn't go to school with us for drop off but stayed at home with us until we left, so that we could capture the milestone with pics.

The tote is bigger than she is and will be for many years :)

Big Girl!

"This is how I am going to raise my hand!"

The most hilarious thing is that while we were taking these pictures at home, school was starting. I thought school started at 9:15 but turns out it's at 9:00...great job reading the handbook mom!

Can't wait to go back on Thursday!

xoxo

Hoodie Girl

We got a taste of fall this weekend and it was delightful! Those crisp, clear mornings are pure heaven and you can be sure that we were out to make the most of the gorgeous weather! It was so chilly this morning that Betsy Grace had to sport her new hoodie that B and SanSan brought back from Martha's Vineyard (yes, they vacationed with the Obamas :) It is a perfect fit and a perfect color, thanks B and SanSan!

If I could count the miles we have gone up and down our street...

BG with her doggies, or as she calls them "DOE"

Strike a pose :)

Realizing that there is mulch on her blanket, it looks so yummy!

xoxo

Fascination with the Fireplace

I have no clue what it so enticing about the fireplace and it's tools and screen but Betsy Grace is fascinated...I swear, it's as if it calls out her name. We have 2 in our house and she gets to them in a skinny minute. Of course, they are MAJORLY off limits, which might just be why she can't get enough :)

She has no clue that I have snuck up on her with the camera...BUSTED!

"What Mom?!? Am I not supposed to play in the fireplace?"

Then she gets told a stern "NO" and gets a little tap on her hand. Which is hilarious, according to her and she laughs. I quickly turn my head because I can't help but laugh too. hmmmm....guess Mac will have to be the disciplinarian :)

xoxo

New Toy Obsessed!

This is Betsy Grace's new toy and she is obsessed. After mastering walking sideways by "cruising" the furniture, we thought that this would be a great way to learn how to start walking forward. She gets so excited as she pushes it back and forth through the kitchen.

Here she goes, from one end to the other.

Bye Mom!

Off to the next room...

and back again!

The coolest thing is that this push toy also has a set of blocks, double the fun!

I stack the blocks and then she carefully takes off each one.

And you have to lick each one, of course!

xoxo

Cutie Patooties!

Look at these sweet little bugs! Betsy Grace, Van and Margaret Blount had a blast last Saturday night...they played and played and played some more. Even though their ages span about 9 months difference, these 3 don't miss a beat and get along so well! You should have seen us mommies trying to get all 3 of them to sit still and smile...no easy task!