Year in review

Alright, I'm a few days late...story of my life it seems, but I wanted to recap the moments (both good and bad) of the year. I've seen everyone else doing it and just wanted to for my own memory's sake as well, because Lord knows that part of my body is already failing. (example - went to grab food at Moe's Southwest Grill yesterday evening...forgot to grab food for William!)Oops...
Here's our choatic life in 2008, full of extremes (happiness, sadness, fear and celebration)

January -
We headed back to Wilmington NC after getting our offer for a new house accepted. Begin repacking for yet another move. My dearest friend Audrey learns that her pregnancy had stopped progressing and is scheduled for a D & C. I was informed that "something" was "off" in my ultrasound. We would need to get it re-checked at 16 weeks. Ian, William and I make a goal of visiting all the small/non-chain restaurants in Wilmington that we can't eat at anywhere else. Say our good-byes to all of our mommy and coastie friends with sniffs and hugs.

February -
Ian's last day of work is this month and he takes off 10 days to help with the packing and sorting since I'm preggo. William and I come down to Atlanta a week early with Downey dog, while Ian stays to drive the u-haul and do the heavy moving with his dad and cousin. I start planning William's second birthday party with my mom. We spend our first night in our new home on February 17th. February 18th Ian and I head out to our first appointment with our OB in Cartersville. We recieve the shock of our life! This was followed by a week of tears, uncertainty, specialists telling us to abort and finally acceptance that the decision wasn't in anyone's hand other than God's. We had our first tap to drain off the accumulated fluid. We celebrated William's second birthday, Lighting McQueen style. William saw his first snow flurries.

March -
We got the karyotype back for our second baby and found out we were having a "genetically" healthy baby boy! We named him Matthew. We had two stents put in place. Those didn't feel so good, but the fluid and baby movements afterward felt GREAT! William had SO much fun hunting eggs for Easter. Last year he didn't get it, but this year...he was very competitive about it! He wanted the most eggs, especially since candy was inside. ;) Ian turned down the job we moved back to GA for. It required 75% travel and we just couldn't do that with my on bedrest during the high risk pregnancy. I became REALLY thankful of my penny pinching ways from before I was married. We used my "emergency backup" bank account. Allowing Ian to stay home the duration of the pregnancy and through the NICU stay too.

April -
Two more stents are placed, I was getting less amused and more bruised on my belly. I finally feel confident enough to order Matthew's nursery set. Moo Moo baby from Amazon if you want to look at it. We change William over to a toddler/day bed. He changes with no problems from the transition. We breathe a sign of relief that one son is cooperating. ;)

May -
The docs say it is too risky for me to continue with all the fetal surgeries since my uterus is growing "irritable"...so was my personality too. ;) We commence with abdomen taps to drain off fluid from Matthew once a week and do amnio-infusions once a week for me for the first part of the month. With the surgeries on hold, I'm finally allowed out of bed for a total of two days each week, at the beginning of the month at least. We go to the zoo (me being pushed in a wheel chair...which is the WAY to see a zoo!) with my parents for Mother's day and I cook for both sets of moms. William LOVED the Atlanta zoo! After mother's day we head to the high risk docs for a tap and infusion. NO fluid pockets, I have a four night stay over at Northside with wonderful nightly steriod shots in the hip. Ouch! My surgeon works a miracle and manages to make his own pocket, I get dischared!! I snuggle a whole bunch with William to make up for the four nights with out him. My brother and his wife announce their pregnancy. We meet with the urologist that will do Matthew's PUV. I loose my mucus plus and scare the $hit right out of my mother...ok...and me too. ;)

June -
Matthew arrives and we are told he is in complete renal failure. Here's the link for his birth story (and entire pregnancy actually)http://www.babycrowd.com/jr/online/krfm2003/
My friend Audrey announces she is pregnant again. We get to become pro's at the NICU and I make it my mission to welcome the "new" parents of our next door neighbor babies. After many talks, Ian and I decide it is time to start the job hunt for him again. He decides to give teaching a try, since I LOVED it and it is flexible with holidays, sick leave and he can do his reserve duty in the summer. I have two bouts of mastitis...that makes pumping even more fun for me! We have a very low key Father's day, Ian spends the day with William and the evening with Matthew. Ian's birthday is celebrated at Olive Garden with the family.

July -
Audrey finds out she is having twins! William finds out how much fun it is to swim at Aunt Jennifer's pool. Ian and I are able to finally have a free moment alone together at the Woodstock 4th of July fireworks. Matthew has his first infection, group B strep late onset. I have my third case of mastitis, finally throwing in the towel with breastfeeding, but not until I get to nurse Matthew a few times at the NICU. We start our training for home peritoneal dialysis (PD) for Matthew. Matthew is discharged from the NICU and transported to Egleston. The promised NICU rollercoaster rears it's head...at Egleston's 6th floor transplant and dialysis floor.

August -
My due date and birthday are the same day and I have Matthew home with me! We show Matthew off to the family that didn't make it to the NICU or Egleston. William LOVES having his brother home and dotes over him all the time. Back into the hospital a few times and finally get a vesicostomy and our electrolytes back to "normal" or at least more manageable. Matthew comes off PD, switching from dialysis clinic to chronic kidney clinic. We grow to love "Aunt Mary" our nurse. William rushes to get me every time Matthew cries and learns the fine art of giving a pacifier as the bottle warms up. :)

September-
Football season starts! I'm there on opening day at Bobby Dodd Stadium for the Yellow Jacket kickoff...the first time in four years. It was good to be back! Matthew is hospitalized some more for electrolyte imbalances, mainly potassium issues. We have many impromptu clinic visits due to his rising creatinine. Everytime we are told...well, he doesn't look/act sick huh? NOPE! I got a stomach bug that was SO violent I just knew it was food poisoning, until Matthew came down with it too. William helped his cousin celebrate her third birthday.

October-
Hell month! We spent 21 out of 31 days in the hospital. Matthew had to go back on PD. We had two revision surgeries for his clotted catheter, with no luck and many boo boo's on his belly. Later that month we our back for our third surgery with a port placed (after mommy demands one) and a g-tube placed (also mommy's request). On the day of discharge, the tube gets pulled out...prolonging Matthew's arrival home and fraying my already frazzled nerves. William got excited about Halloween and picked out his costume while on a shopping trip with grandma. He went as Nemo, and it was so cute seeing his little tail fin wiggle. :) Matthew was dressed in a candy corn outfit. I went as a tired mother and didn't need to pay for a costume. ;)

November -
Relatively mild month all in all. With PD not being an option and Matthew too little for hemo yet, it was just a wait and see as his levels kept getting higher and higher. He tolerated it well through out! My previous thoughts on food poisoning finally rang true...no more Zaxby's friend chicken salad for me! It tasted funny and yet I kept on eating...how stupid was that? Matthew started RSV shots for cold and flu season. I journeyed 10 hours to Shreveport LA to stay with my "sister" Audrey and help her out before the twins arrived. We got the nursery unpacked and rearranged and went a bought the necessities that you don't get from friends at showers. We also managed to find time to eat out and go to the movies too. I arrived home just in time to get ready for our three Thanksgiving dinners. Of course the highlight came when Tech beat up on UGA. :)William learned that he now has "chores" in the evenings.

December-
Got the news that with a creatinine of 7.1, BUN of 110 and only the age of 6 months...it was time to start hemo. In for another surgery.Matthew got lots of presents from Egleston Santa! Got the house all decked out for Christmas. Documented Ian putting lights up on the roof...for life insurance purposes if something happened. ;) Enjoyed four Christmas celebrations, including the brunch at our house. William was hilarious. After every gift, he wanted to open and play with that one...nevermind that he still had presents to open. It prolonged Christmas morning which was nice. We had Christmases( is that a word?) in one day...whew! Audrey welcomed her two sons, my nephews into the world!! YAY! My dear husband (of five years) planned a wonderful night away for us. We went to dinner at Blackstone's fine dining (different from where we originally planned because you just can't take kids to fine dining!) and then a night at the Sheraton Suites at the Cobb Galleria. We slept!! AWESOME! We spent most of our free time with family and just hanging out together.

It was definitely a year of extreme highs and lows, but through it all I feel very blessed. I have an awesome, healthy (and quite cute if I may add) nearly three year old little boy. He learns so much, so fast and just amazes me daily. I have another awesome, cute (yet not so healthy) little baby boy that amazes everyone daily. I'm so thankful to have been given the chance to be both of their mother's...though somedays I'm more thankful than others. ;)