Updates

I think it's been a while since I've given a good set of updates...so here goes.

Baby #2: It's going good. Honestly, I forget I'm pregnant a lot of the time. I'm so preoccupied with everything else that we have going on that I don't get to think about it. I'm feeling pretty good...my morning sickness is mostly gone and I'm in the good parts. We do our Quad-Screen on August 29th...which tests for genetic issues, oddly that doesn't stress me out at all. We will find out gender on September 17th...which is also Joe's 31st birthday. I'm going to be adding a poll to the blog so everyone can guess what they think the gender will be...for fun.

House Buying/Selling: Our house is still on the market (anyone want a house?). It's been on for about 2 months now, we've had a LOT of people look at the house, but no offers...yet. We have still been looking at a lot of houses in the Murphy/Plano/Richardson area. We've found a couple, but nothing has worked out yet. We are relying on the sovereignty of God.

Ella: Can you believe she's 15 months old now?! We missed our appointment on Monday because of our trip so I'll give you pediatrician stats at the end of the month when we get to see Dr. Nale. We have been weighed and measured by a doctor and a therapist in the last week and both came up with the fact that she's a little overweight for her length. She's weighing at about 25.5 lbs and 31 inches. Her weight is around the 90th % and length around 50th %. They are worried about this so we have cut back her calories again to try and just maintain the weight over the next month. If we can get to around 25 lbs and 31.5 inches then we'll be in better shape. The concern with the weight is that it makes everything so much harder when she's having to lug around extra pounds. We visited her Developmental Pediatrician last week and learned some things. I'll give you what I wrote down and then when we get the write-up in the mail I'll give you more details. In languages she is scoring at a 6.5 month level on expressive language and an 8 month level for receptive language. In her visual/eye-hand levels she is around a 5.5 month level. Her gross motor skills are slightly improving, we went from a 4.5 month to 5 month level...I think I'm the most concerned about this. She isn't gaining any real steps towards sitting up or standing...and that's a huge concern for the doctors and for me. We have been referred to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Ella's spine. She has a "c-curve" in her back when she sits because of her muscles pulling more on the right side. They are concerned that she could develop a permanent curve in her spine, which would delay her development even more. The doctor prepared us for not being accepted because Ella is so far behind developmentally that TSR might believe that they can't help her enough for it to be "worth it". I'll tell you, my heart broke. How could anyone think that ANY help they could offer her wouldn't be profitable in development?!?! She's laughing more and becoming a lot more responsive in conversations. She really is so much fun and so wonderful in spirit. We have so many people comment about her personality...it really is by the grace of God that she is so joy-filled. Joe always says it's because she's has seen the face of God and we know she has been held in those arms more than a few times. I have also decided that when it seems she is talking to herself, that she is really talking to her guardian angel...busy guy.