sleepy...

Someone has been a little sleepy lately.... Like I always say: "the higher the booty, the longer the nap!"

big yawn's after naptime

napping on mommy and daddy's bed

line marks on my face...

17 months....

We have officially dropped the morning nap for an afternoon one. We have to stay very busy in the morning, but it pays off when we are happy come 5 pm. Ethan has become very into climbing and standing on things. We also had a very big first this week...Ethan "used the potty" for the first time! I had no intentions of starting potty training this soon. However, he wanted to sit on the potty as I was drawing his bath water one night and attempted to pull his pants down for the big event. So, I decided to go with it and bought him a potty seat that goes on top of the toilet. The next day while at work, daddy got the first tinkle while the bath water ran! I have no intentions of fully pushing the toilet training so early, but I will encourage him when he shows interest. I guess next is toilet targets!

first time on the potty

climbing and standing on everything....and yes, with a golf club

silly boy!

playdough for the first time on a rainy day

sweet eli...

Eli and his lovie duck those first few weeks

You all have heard me speak a little of what it is I do everyday I go to work. Basically, everyday is different because every baby is very different even at 700 grams. I feel so blessed to have found my calling as a neonatal nurse. It is a far from glamorous career, but very rewarding. I don't think I could walk out the door and be gone from Ethan so long if I didn't love my job.

My close family and friends knew I recently had a primary patient I cared for over 5 months, Eli. A "primary" as we call it, is when you follow a patient until discharge and care for that baby every day you work. I am not sure what calls me to primary certain patients and not others. It is almost like a bond you have when you first meet them. Eli's blond hair simply reminded me of Ethan, then I met his family and found them to be wonderful. In the NICU, we know what general paths lay ahead for our patients. I knew Eli's road would be very, bumpy and long. Little did I know the mountains and valleys that little man would climb and fall into. Eli was lesson in faith every time I walked in the door at work. I can honestly say, I have never worked so hard day after day, week after week as I did with him. I have come to realize pediatric nurses hold their own children a little longer and tighter after rough shifts. As nurse, my head was telling me of the challenges he faced. As a new mommy my heart was pleading with God to push him through to the next shift, next day, next week, and sometimes....the next hour. Then something happened. Eli decided it was time to catch up with his twin Issac. Eli was born at half the birth weight of Issac and had been the sicker of the two. Eli, who had been on a high frequency ventilator for months, pulled out his tube that connected him to the vent himself. One of his other primary nurses pleaded with doctors to let him "try" to stay off the vent with the help of something less invasive. He did. His progress over the two weeks was amazing. Soon, the little boy whose outcome was once described as "the sickest patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center" was going home after 5 1/2 months at Vanderbilt. Eli has become our success story. When things look dim for a patient, I always will remember Eli's story and the odds he overcame. That amazing family of Eli's I mentioned, I am certain their prayers are what healed him. Medicine can only do so much.

Eli before getting his g-tube

My absolute favorite part of my job is not watching babies go home. It is reaching into the incubator and handing a tiny baby to his mommy for the very first time. Our mommy's wait a long time to be able to do something as simple as hold their baby. I was able to hand Eli to his mom for the first time. Eli was recently in the hospital getting a g-tube (feeding tube) placed to help him with his feedings. I was able to see how much he and his brother have grown and thrived while at home. Now, they are home and looking forward to their first Christmas. Amazing---just amazing. Thank you Bekah and Chris for letting me share Eli's story of faith and hope. You can check Issac and Eli's blog by clicking on "Gannon Gang" under my daily reads on the right side of my blog or go to: http://thegannongang.blogspot.com

Eli at 9 Months

Eli (left) and Isaac (right)

push fast forward....

Now, that Halloween has come and gone, I keep wanting to fast forward through thanksgiving so we can break out the Christmas lights and music! I am trying to get into the mindset of Thanksgiving, but I am having trouble. I guess it doesn't help that I am working this Thanksgiving so I know the holiday will be a little "off" anyhow. I can't wait this year to see what Ethan thinks of Santa, Christmas music, the lights.... My December magazines are rolling in everyday with photos of garland, trees, gift ideas. Do you feel like this? I wish I were one of those women who said she had 65% of her shopping done already. The truth is, I am just starting to make out my list! Oh well, I hope those UPS men eat well this Thanksgiving, this last-minute-momma will be doing some rush delivery shopping this year!

Mom's new favorite song....

Okay moms, have you heard Taylor Swift's new song "Never Grow Up?" I just love it! Take a listen if you haven't heard it.

Halloween 2010....

Whew.....Halloween this year was so much fun, I think this Mommy needs a day of sleep. The weekend kicked off with 11 toddlers coming over for Halloween Playdate. Grandpa and Grandma Anderson also spent the weekend with us. Ethan was thrilled to wake up on Saturday morning and find his Grandma and Grandpa. We checked out Pumpkinfest in downtown Franklin where we found this scarecrow walking about. Grandma made these ghost candies while Ethan took a long, much needed nap! How cute are they? Nana came over Halloween night and made us a very yummy soup while we took our little puppy Dalmatian trick-or-treating. The first house we came to, Ethan rang the door bell and was peering in the door. He was startled when someone came to the door so much that he tumbled backwards! No worries, he soon figured it out and by the end was picking out his own candy and waving bye. On the wagon ride home he treated himself to Hersey Bar for the first time. Love at first bite:) After the chocolate wore off and our puppy was snoozing, David, Nana, and I found ourselves indulging in some smores by the fire pit outside.

Ethan eating a Halloween Treat

at Pumpkinfest in Franklin

Big boy walking in downtown Franklin

Grandpa and Ethan checking out some costumes

Ethan with Grandma and Grandpa Anderson

Daddy and Ethan carving our jack-o-lantern

Mommy's little pumpkin

Ethan watching Alex eat the pumpkin carvings. Alex loved them...Is this normal?

David showing off his scary jack-o-lantern

Nana getting into some Halloween spirit

With our little puppy

tail wagging

Notice his chin? Someone took a fall into the coffee table

Whose been eating candy?

Trick-or-treating

Ethan after his first Hersey Bar after trick-or-treating! Wild Man!