soo...yes..we are still here

I realize that delinquent doesnt come close to covering my latest blogging style. Hehe! Needless to say, we have been busy. We moved to NC on the 15th of April. that means we've been here almost 3 weeks, which seems like a lifetime and a flash all at the same time.
we are slowly getting accustomed to the loveliness of coastal living. Two lizards and one centipede in the house later, i'm thinking the houseguests of IL were much more relaxing to deal with, but i'm sure i'll adjust. YOu have to take the good with the bad. Connor is loving life here. We have family in the area so we have people to love on him all the time. He's quite spoiled. In our short time here, he had his birthday party (finally), has been fishing, and to the beach. And he seems to just love all of the outdoor activities. He is currently learning to run and spends most of his days going up and down the hall way, half running, with his hands behind him like he is flying superman style and usually laughing or squealing, or both... he loves to be chased in this activity. He will also give Sampson kisses on command. We are working on learning more words than "da da" and i think he might actually be calling me "maaam" sometimes...it's a funny sounding version, but i'll take it! He also loves to sit on the couch, the only problem is he can't quite get up by himself..which makes lots of work for mommy.
I am 8 weeks from my due date. I'm pretty much fat and miserable...you know, in the good pregnant way i guess. Having trouble sleeping at night since i can't stay comfortable. Bless TJ's heart for putting up with me..but i guess this is half his fault. heheh. But we are excited to start preparing for Miss Lily's entrance into the world. We have to paint her room...it currently has a bloodstripe on one wall..for those of you non Marine people...that means one wall is painted Navy blue with a red stripe down the center...it is the same as their dress uniform pants, and is a cymbal of the blood that was shed by marines before them...anyway..i think it's not quite right for a little baby girl's bedroom, so we'll have to do some "adjustments" in there...guess we better get started!
Everything else is good...Jelly likes the new house...sampson loves his yard, and is even being friendly with the neighbor's tiny little italian greyhounds. We have met a couple neighbors who are great, and i am happy to report we have found a church that we really really like! It was one of those, you walk in, and feel right at home kind of experiences...and i'm headed to lunch with some of the girls tomorrow, and i'm anxious to get to know them better!

so life is good...i'll put up some pictures soon...well..i'll try...i guess with my track record, i shouldnt make any promises! ok..well love you all!!

Life and Mom update

Hello everybody! it's been a couple weeks since i've written. I wish i could say i've been too busy...but honestly, i havent been busy at all, and that has lulled me into this lazy mode. I have been worthless for the most part. Mom came home the day after they placed her second stint. Straight from the ICU to home. Although i think maybe a day or two in the step down unit could have been good, she was itching to get home, and the hospital wasnt doing anything but watching her. So we could do that at home. We got home and Mom was a little surprised at how exhausted she was. Not sure exactly what she expected, but her body needed some serious recovery. The stints were successful, and despite the doctor's prognosis that she wouldn't regain function of her right arm (which was pretty much useless before the first stint) Mom had regained most of her arm/hand function. She does have some weakness in her grip and hand control, and has a little bit of a shake in her hand in some motions. This is an incredible miracle, in my opinion, but from Mom's point of view, it is a source of frustration. She is going to need time to adjust to what the new "normal" is in her life, and make adjustments for how to live daily life with a partially functioning hand. Being the fiercely independent woman she is, this is a struggle for her, so i pray that she will adjust to things over time and not get too stressed out. Honestly, we are very lucky we didnt lose her all together, let alone lucky that she didnt have a major stroke that was much more severe than what she is dealing with now.
So all in all things are good. We have just been hanging around the house mostly, intermixed with a couple short shopping trips for baby clothes, and even a few maternity items for me (thanks mom!) But just taking it easy i guess. This has been a struggle for me, because in my brain, I have a lot to do! Fortunately, the day mom got out of the hospital, we also got Connor back from our friends who had been watching him. It has been great to have him home with us, and i think he helps mom's spirits greatly. He really loves his grammy and is full of smiles and giggles. Who can be upset around a baby?! hah! He actually has learned how to really walk in the last week...bridged the gap from 4 steps to walking all over. This is exciting and exhausting all at the same time. He is into EVERYTHING!! including chasing mom's dog...who is older and grumpy...she's not too keen on him..but he just wants to love all over her!! haha!
Mom has a check up with her neurosurgeon tomorrow (wed). I'm sure they won't do anything but continue to monitor her for a little while. So, I have booked my flight back to VA for Thursday. I am confident that Mom can do everything she needs to live alone. And i have a husband who i miss terribly, and a house to pack and clean. We will be departing VA on the 14th of April to head to our new home in North Carolina. So we have a busy couple weeks ahead of us filled with boxes that will be great fun for Connor to help us pack...or unpack since that seems to bring him great joy! Mostly i am just grateful to the friends and family that have been praying for us. I really know that through all of this, God has been here with us, making provisions for everything we need, and seeing Mom through this physical battle. He has provided support from multiple family and friends calling and offering help, childcare, encouraging words, even a bottle of Yoohoo left on the step at Moms for me. all of these things have made this a bearable trip, and allowed me to be here without freaking out about all the other things i should be doing. God is good!
So, I probably won't be around too much in the next couple weeks. I do hope to get a video of Connor walking up on Facebook or myspace...or maybe even here..we'll see! But i love you all! thanks for your words of prayer and support! We couldnt do it without you!

Time flies when life gives you lemons

So....this week has been crazy!! I left Stafford, VA Monday morning with my friend and fellow marine wife, Roxxann. We were enroute to the Camp lejeune, NC area on a house hunting trip.Fun times. Our hubbies left early the next day for 3 weeks of training in CA before graduation from IOC...which also means limited contact from them! Now, being 6 hours from home and having two kids around a year old, and a lot of houses to look at is a pretty daunting task...but amidst much stress and some strategically placed (and awesome) baby sitting, we managed to cram in finding a rental for us, and putting a contract together for Rox and fam to purchase a home. it was CRAZY!
meanwhile, in hometown leb, IL...Mama shake decided to spice things up and create some excitement. Adam came down to join her for a doc's appt to address a new issue with her right hand/arm...stroke like symptoms similar to what happened 2 years ago. well this time around it warranted an MRI and what has become a week in the hospital. What they have decided is that her history of radiation treatment and brain tumor has compromised her internal carotid artery. Her tumor actually surrounds this artery, and the artery itself has narrowed due to some plaque buildup and some deterioration as a side effect of radiation. SO...yesterday they placed a stint in the artery just under the tumor in hopes that it would help to restore bloodflow to the brain above it. Although they didn't hold out much hope for her to regain control over her right arm, this morning her arm function is much improved. The surgery did leave her with a blood clot in the artery, just above the tumor...so they are battling with blood thinners and hoping that the clot will dissolve before it causes anymore issues. They also have decided that she has had a series of TIAs or small strokes over the last couple months, that have been undetectable until the most recent MRI.
so, they are keeping her here at Barnes Jewish hospital in StL for at least another week. Hopefully she can be moved from ICU to a regular room in the next couple days. they will then repeat the angiogram to see if this stint is working they will then decide whether they will place another stint in the artery within the tumor. That would be a bit more risky especially with the clots that are there now. So, we will wait and see.
Me...i'm in for the long run. Took a one way flight in with Connor yesterday. While Mom is in ICU, Connor can't be here, so Adam's friends have taken him to their house to stay. Last night was my first night without my little guy, and although it's hard to be away from him i know he is much happier in a place where he can run and play, and they will bring him to visit soon! hehe! once mom breaks outta here, we'll bring him back home to mommy!
so that's the most of it for now...i'll try to keep updates coming as i can! thank you for all the prayers!! keep em coming!!

Connor's first hospital stay!

Hopefully we don't have to make a "second" post EVER!! haha! Hello everybody! I thought i would update you on what our week has been like! Connor managed to pick up the flu...somewhere...who knows, they're kids right?! So anyway..the puking commenced 2 AM Tuesday morning. This is especially challenging for a pregnant mom due to the wonderful smells that accompany this action, but, as is par for the course, TJ is in the field this week, so it's all on me! hah! anywho...the puking continued all day. I commenced to feeding him pedialite by syringe since that was the only way he could keep anything down, but it was a LONG day! By that night, i got him to hold down about 4 oz of formula (he was starving, at by that time, i figured, what's more puke at this point) well, he kept it down and slept ALL NIGHT. I had so hoped we were over the hump, but Wed morning was more of the same regurgitation practice. Well, we took him to his regular pediatrician who said i was doing all the right things, but that he was dehydrated and if he hadnt produced some urine (sign that i was getting him enough fluids) in a couple hours, that i was to take him to the ER for IV fluids. We returned home to where we started throwing up EVERYTHING, INCLUDING the syringe-fulls of pedialite. So we went to the ER...Poor Connor was so drained and sick, he was pitiful...he didnt have the energy to flirt with the nurses or anything.

So they admitted us for IV fluids, and we spent Wed night in he pediatric ward of the hospital. They took wonderful care of us, and the fluids began to work quickly. Wed night was tough though, Connor screamed for over two hours straight. Finally we got him to hold down some fluids in his tummy on top of the IV fluids and he fell asleep. The nurses praised me for how calm i was, but I tell you, it was only the grace of God that kept me that way. I had spent quite a bit of time the night before on my face praying for his health, and my ability to deal with whatever he needed. Let me tell you, God answers prayers! Amidst all of the craziness...i never felt panic, and i never felt sorry that i spent my entire birthday in the hospital (it was thursday!!) I was just grateful that we were where we needed to be to get help for Connnor, and that he was able to give me a smile and a giggle. It was the best present i could have gotten. So after more labs and no vomit on thursday, they released us Thursday evening to our own recognizance.

Connor is doing much better this morning, got good rest last night, had some applesauce and formula this morning and played until he wiped out. We'll follow up with our regular doctor today, but it looks like we're over the hump now. We even had a normal poo this morning...I told mom, i never knew how excited i could get over pee and poo...but Connor's first pee after 36 hours plus of major dehydration spawned phone calls and happy dances!! and it is certainly good to see some poo with a shape! so i tell you..simple pleasures for us moms.

TJ will be home from the field tonight. I did get to speak with him a couple times while we were i the hospital, but i assured him that all was well and he didnt need to come stare at the IV bag with me. I'm sure it was hard for him not to come, so i wont yell if he grabs him out of the bed tonight when he gets home (it will be well after bedtime before he gets here) I just feel so overwhelmed sometimes by the love of my family and friends. Thanks to all who helped by visiting, bringing food, or helping me remember i had a dog at home that needed care! hah! We are truly blessed by the "family" that God has blessed us with!

I realize i havent posted any pictures recently..i'll get on that, i promise! love you all!

10 short months...

Today, Connor is 10 months old! I can't hardly believe the time has gone by this fast. Especially noting how close 10 months is to 12...it's highly disturbing to me! We celebrated today by taking advantage of the beautiful springlike weather. Our friend Roxxann who has an 11 month old, Christopher, and I picked up subway and took our sons to the playground at the local Marine Corps Museum. Nice place, great weather...the boys loved the swing and the slide!! Connor now has learned the "classic" crawl on hands and knees..but still chooses to do the combat crawl when speed is necessary - as in trying to get out the gate! Actually most of the time he crawls to the gate and stops, to fulfill his obsession with opening and closing anything that resembles a door. He is also currently in love with music and has learned how to clap. He spends lots of time playing his little piano and bobbing up and down and clapping to the music. He still walks back and forth (and over the dog or cat if necessary) on his walker, and even took a couple unassisted steps last week. He is trying to stand on his own, and can get a good 5 or 6 seconds before he crashes! He is entirely too smart already, although he has started to try to chew on everything.including me and other children, so we're big into dealing with learning not to bite.
This past monday we had to go to the doctor. Connor had flared up with a BAD case of eczema. We got some steroid cream which seems to have really cleared it up very well!! We also found out that day that our "little" boy has managed to gain another pound and a half in the last month! He now weighs in at a whopping 24 lbs and 14 oz. He's huge! but he's healthy!
All in all, I really can't complain, this little boy is the most precious and loving thing!! he is starting to give kisses on his own, and I think he's starting to use some signs. We started a couple months ago teaching him basic signs for Mama and Dada, etc. I think he's trying to say Dada - He gets the hand up and stretched, but won't touch it to his forehead yet. But he repeats it after you do...and says "dada" with his tongue sticking out sometimes! Everything is currently done with his tongue hanging out. I think we're gonna get another tooth! hah!
anyway..i'm rambling! My baby is such a big boy now, and i am so proud of him! Will take a few pictures and try to get them posted soon!!

Big Announcement!!

Hello everybody! I wanted to update you all on our newest addition to the family. I had my 20 week ultrasound on Wednesday. Yes, that means I'm halfway to being a mother of two! eek! anyway, The baby is growing well and healthy. NO apparent problems. Heart rate was 147. The tech made several comments about how "beautiful" the anatomy of our baby was! I saw lots of wiggling fingers and toes..and good solid leg and arm bones!! We did decide to find out the sex this time - since we needed to know whether we needed to restock, or just pull out the baby boys stuff we own! TJ wasnt able to make the appointment, so I had the tech seal the gender in an envelope, and then i waited (too long) for him to come home Thursday evening so we could find out together.. Here are the results:::





Her name will be Lily Della Coots. Lily is a name I have always loved, and Della is TJ's grandmothers name. She was very special to him, and it means a lot to him to have our daughter carry on her spirit!! We are very excited, and feeling overly blessed with everything. We are definitely aware that this having a baby thing is more complicated that it sometimes seems and we are grateful that God has blessed us already with one AMAZING and WONDERFUL child, and we are looking forward to meeting our new little squirt in June!

Connor is 9 months old! already!

so...his 9 month birthday of sorts was Sunday! I cannot believe how old he is already! We had his check up today...he is 23 lbs 8 oz, 29.5 inches long, 19 inch head.. as my OB said it yesterday morning..he is STURDY! But he's got big shoes to fill..and he's well on his way. The doc is quite impressed at his social skills..as he was talking to and flirting will all the nurses and the doc herself. And of course, he HAD to grab everything she put near him...makes listening to his heart fun. She said he is the picture of health..other than that stubborn runny nose, but still no sign of ear infections...so maybe it's the fact that he cut his 7th and 8th tooth in the last week and a half..that means 4 on top and 4 on bottom...and he thinks he can and MUST eat everything you are eating! But now that he's figured out how to chew..more foods are on his horizon!!

Connor accompanied me to my 16 week check up at the OB yesterday. She said all is well..Heart rate in the mid 150s...sounds familiar..but i am still hoping for a girl. we have decided to find out the sex this time so we know whether to buy a bunch of pink, or just load up on diapers and a double stroller! hah! The big ultrasound will be Feb 4th. I just wish TJ could go, but that is highly unlikely..you all can help by praying for a miracle day off for him..!!

other news...well..there's not a whole lot! we should find out in the next couple weeks where our next duty station is. We are excited to know..yet hoping we dont end up in the desert of California..although that is where our best friends just left for, so they would be our saving grace if that happens! haha! But i know God's got it all worked out however he wants it! so i'm looking forward to the adventure. Mostly i'm just spending my days in awe of my little boy, who looks at the world with new eyes, and seems to be loving every second of it. And dreaming about a new little pair of eyes that we get to do this all over again with!! Life is surely exciting..and here in the world of the Coots, there is NEVER a dull moment!

finally have a chance..

hey everybody! incase you were wondering...we made it back to VA just fine! it was a long haul..and a long time to be gone, but we were very glad we got to see so many people. To those of you we may have missed, we'll try to catch you next time! Since we've been home, things havent slowed down. Connor has already figured out how to walk with the push along walker that he got for Christmas...so he is tearing up the house..and of course, falling and bumping various body parts..but he's having a great time. We used all of our Christmas gift money to purchase a video camera..and are already enjoying documenting some of Connor's typical fun things to do..i'll see if i can figure out how to post some of them here! Our best friends here at Quantico are moving this weekend...so it begins, this life of making and leaving friends, but I wouldnt change it for the world...we will miss the babysitting..but mostly we'll miss the friendship we've created with them! Good luck to Trista and Andy as they head to 29 Palms in CA, by way of Ft.Knox for tank school on the way! in other news..for those of you who havent heard...TJ and I are expecting our second child in June. We have kept it a secret for a while - i'm already 15 weeks (out of 40) - because we wanted to suprise his family for Christmas..and boy did we do just that! it was great! This baby was a suprise to us...at least the timing, but sometimes I guess God just can't wait to send more blessings...so we are looking forward to this child with excitement! ok..here's my favorite pics from our trip..and maybe a video..i'll try it out! haha..