Update on Joy!

So we had the appt. at Scottish Rite yesterday and they said she looked normal!  They said some torsion of the tibial is common in infants because they sit crosslegged in utero for 9 months.  They aren't worried about the length discrepancy either.  If it gets worse as she gets older, then they will gladly see her again.  But as of now, they are calling her completely normal!

Thank you all for your prayers!

Fitting in Three

People always ask "how do you fit 3 kids in 1 room?"
Or they ask "how do you fit in 3 kids in a Ford Escape?"

We fit kinda tight, but we're a snuggly kinda family anyways.  ;)

Baby Joy

We had a doctors appt today for Joy and found that she has LLD: leg length discrepancy. Her left leg is about a quarter inch longer than her right leg.  We had a sonogram of the hip and bilateral leg xrays which showed no hip problems just tibial bowing of both legs (more in the left than the right.) FYI, the tibia is the lower leg bone; and yes, you read right that the bowing is more in the longer leg.

Basically, the doctors don't know what to think of this. We are being referred to Scottish Rite Hospital. I'm not too worried right now, but once 6 months hit most cartilage has turned to bone and there won't be much we can do about it.  Also need to check for mal-absorption of vitamin D (rickets). If the lengthening doesn't even out, then when they are teens they can fix that. We'll just have to watch that the length discrepancy doesn't cause scoliosis and other problems; her left foot has already started turning in.

Interestingly, my Mom told me that my Dad's legs are also alittle bowed, and Beth and Joe (Jake's siblings) are bow-legged as well. There might be a small hereditary factor there.

We would appreciate it if you could all keep Joy in your prayers as we head into this new adventure.
Thank you.

Happy Birthday Jake!

To my Darling Husband.

You are the one that I care for.
More and more each day ....
You are the one that I think of.
In such a loving way ....

You're everything I love Darling ....
You're all my dreams come true.
And as time goes by.
I fall in more love with you ....
anonymous

I thank God everyday that he made such a special man for me to share my life with.
I Love You! Happy Birthday!

Staycation

So Jake and I needed a mini vacation, but didn't have the money for it. So we did a stay-cation in Dallas instead!  My Mom and Dad stayed with the girls Saturday night (thank you Mom and Dad! Sorry about the 3am Madelynn wake up.)  Jake and I stayed at the Belmont Hotel in downtown Dallas. It's a 3 star hotel that is on this awesome hillside with fantastic views of downtown Dallas. It's simply decorated with a modern feel, but very nice and clean. It was too cool to swim, but the pool is backed up against the hill with a fountain that looks like it's coming from the hillside and the uninterrupted view of downtown can be seen 180deg. around the pool (what a great place for a wedding!) There was a local rock band (nobody knew the name) being interviewed at the hotel and looked like they were going to shoot video at the pool. The staff was very nice and courteous and the valet people didn't even roll their eyes when we had them park my car about 3 times during the night (we were coming and going for various events.)
Next door to the hotel is The Smoke Restaurant.  Jake and I ate breakfast there the next morning, and the food was FANTASTIC!  The atmosphere in the restaurant was very cozy with a large fire going. On the menu was some very interesting dishes that I'd love to try (like blueberry pancakes with a vanilla apricot cream sauce,) but I just stuck with the eggs, bacon, and biscuit with a cheesy grits casserole.  The grits were very good and had some spice to it that made it better than most grits I've tasted. The biscuit was large and homemade and came with the chef's homemade pineapple cinnamon jam (he makes a new jam every week). VERY Awesome!  The bacon was the largest slice of meat I'd every seen that had been grilled but left very juicy on the inside. The plate also came asparagus and tomato.  I'm normally not a fan of either vegetable, but these had been brushed with barbecue sauce and grilled.  DELICIOUS! I will never look at asparagus the same way again!  This is my new favorite spot! Jake and I can't wait to try their lunch and dinner menus.  I recommend everyone to try it!
Jake and I also recommend everyone to try a stay-cation of their own! It was a lot of fun and we had a great time with some great friends!

Nicknames

I've never been one for nicknames, yet I seem to have picked up a corny name for each of the girls. Funny how that happens...
We have Miss Madelynn, Anniebells, and JoyJoy. 
Poor Jake has picked up Jake-ie (sprung from his "Corr-ie!" so I'd answer "Jake-ie!")

I change my mind. I love endearing, corny family nicknames!

Happy Valentine's Day!

To me, Valentine's Day is a day to tell everyone who is important to you that you love them. It isn't just for your honey, it's for all your close friends and family too.  I've decided that a new tradition for our family is to make Valentine's Day about showing God's love to our neighbors too. So today the girls and I will be baking cookies and making homemade cards to take to our neighbors.

Essential Valentine FriendThis Valentine is meant to let you know
How much you mean to me, my best friend,
but there aren’t words
warm enough, fond enough,
or deep enough to express my feelings.
You are an essential piece of my life’s puzzle.
You clarify me, enrich me,
energize me, comfort me.
"Fun" would be just another word without you.
As the days of our lives go by,
I fervently hope that I can bring to you
the abundant joy you have brought to me.
Happy Valentine’s Day!By Joanna Fuchs