What has really been going on with us?

About 3 weeks ago I was very excited that I was finally going to get to publish a post I'd been waiting a little over a month to share with all my Blog friends.

Those plans were changed after a visit wih my doctor. On July 13 Patrick and I found out we were expecting Baby McLendon #2 ... very exciting stuff for us. I made Will a Big Brother shirt and we shared the news with the people closest to us (and of course took pictures to put on the blog). I decided to wait to blog until after the first appointment when we'd have an ultrasound. That appointment was scheduled for August 5. We saw our little one on the screen, and heard a heartbeat that day. But, the doctor was concerned because the baby was measuring 6 weeks and I was 8 weeks along. They did some bloodwork and my progesterone levels came back low. I was classified as a threatened miscarriage due to some spotting and the low hormone levels. They put me on a progesterone supplement with hopes this would raise my levels and help the baby grow. We then scheduled another ultrasound for August 20 to see what was happening ... and waited for the longest 2 weeks of our lives. August 20 came and we waited patiently all morning for the ultrasound at 2:30 that afternoon. The doctor said that the baby was now measuring 7 to 7.5 weeks (but at this point I was 10 weeks pregnant) ... and after a long pause she informed us there was no longer a heartbeat. Honestly, this was my biggest fear, I said it over and over during our 2 week wait between ultrasounds ... no one ever wants their biggest fear to come true, but it had for us. Dr. Winkelman was able to schedule my D&C for the following day at noon. So last Friday, August 21, Patrick and I said goodbye to our baby....it has been a rough week, a roller coaster of emotions. One minute I feel fine, and the next I feel beyond sad, and so very lonely. I know our baby is in Heaven and we have our own guardian angel watching over us .... but I selfishly would rather have our baby with us. I am so thankful Will is not old enough to understand what has happened, and he has been able to bring lots of smiles to Patrick and I during this tough time. He is an absolute blessing to us both!

I wanted to share our experience because, as sad as it is, it is way more common than I ever realized. Until it happens to you, others don't talk about it.

Please keep our little family in your thoughts and prayers. We are blessed in so many ways, and do trust that the Lord knows best even though right now we don't understand.

With Ms. Ashley

It is back to work time at the McLendon household...it has been nice to get back into a routine. Will has adjusted to going back to Ashley's beautifully this year! It has made life much easier on Momma and Daddy! Here are a few pictures that Ashley has sent me since he has been back with her (I am so lucky she keeps me informed all day when he is there!)

Will and Trey sleeping on the way to visit Trey's gramdma

Will "hiding" ... hey, if he can't see you, how can you see him??

Playing in the water!

Big Day ...

Yesterday (for the first time since we have been potty training) we had an ACCIDENT FREE DAY! We are so proud of Will ... while we know that our progress may be interfered with as he goes back to Ashley and Mother's Day Out, yesterday was huge!

We also took Will to the pool last night and he is really getting much braver in the water. It is fun to see how each time he goes swimming he gets a little more comfortable in the water ... good thing we live in Texas and still have a while to swim this year!

No pictures again. Life has been busy. I promise some soon!

Where have we been??

Enjoying our summer.
We have relaxed, played, slept, ate, and played some more...as summer is beginning to wind down we are just taking each day to enjoy our family time. I am starting a new position this year as a District Literacy Coach so I'll be starting work the first week of August. I will have a day here and there, but summer is close to being over. Since Patrick will also be starting a new job as a PE teacher he goes back to work the second week of August. We have been trying to prepare Will for what is coming, but after being home with both of us ALL summer I am afraid the transition may be a little tough! He will be going back to Ms. Ashley 3 days a week, and Mother's Day Out (thank to YaYa and Nonnie & Poppy) 2 days a week. We think this is the best of both worlds ...
Potty training is going okay. Some days are great, others not so much. But we have made progress! He pretty much hangs out in his big boy undies at home so sorry for the lack of pictures....
Hope everyone else is enjoying summer as much as we are!!!!!!!!!

Cousins

4th of July Celebration(s)

This year Bentwater held fireworks on the 3rd, so we got 2 celebrations! Will and Miler had a great time playing, but Will still is not a fan of fireworks....the kid is fearless usually, but loud noises totally freak him out. He kept saying, "Fireworks berry, berry woud! Too woud!" We tried again on the 4th watching Walden's and he chose watching a DVD in the Tahoe and peering out instead of sitting in the front yard with everyone else. Hopefully next year he will be over this fear!

Taking a snack break

Waiting for the parade to start

Good family friends, Pam and Donnie with their grandchildren

The boys playing YaYa and Pa's

Baby Stewart News....

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get to be at my sister's BIG ultrasound for baby #2! We are super excited to be welcoming a little girl in December .... and you better believe she is going to be spoiled rotten!
It had been so long (when I was in labor with Will) since I had heard that sweet sound of a baby's heartbeat in the womb. She was moving around like crazy, so she may turn out to be the wild one of two Stewart kiddos! Baby girl Stewart is measuring right on track to be due December 3. We will have a new baby at Christmas time! Congratulations on the news of a baby girl on the way Josh, Amy, and Miler (who I know will be a great big brother!)

I'll keep everyone updated!

Just Like Daddy...

Patrick had his bicycle in the house making some adjustments last night (I told him to bring it in because it is SO HOT in the garage) and Will thought he needed to do the same. Priceless!





Please excuse all the pictures of Will in his underwear/diaper/pull-up lately ... we are really working hard on potty training and getting undressed quickly helps!

Busy Summer Days...

Last day of swim lessons - we got to play today!

He is a great kicker - lots of splashes!!


Practicing Reach n Pull with Ms. Darcy



Reading books in his new "reading corner" in his bedroom

Cleaning his animals

Playing the "horn" ... such a great imagination!

This is what happens when he dresses himself



And my favorite thing about summer days...

Will's Latest Sayings...

And the majority of them are questions ... gotta love an inquisitive child!

*What's (insert name/object) doing? -- This is usually repeated over and over.
*Where's (insert name/object) going? -- Again repeated over and over.
*Hey, what's that noise?
*Where are we?
*Look at that! -- sounds more like wook at dat!
*Watch out!

Other cute things he is doing:
*When he wakes up, he comes stumbling out of his room, still half asleep saying, "Good morning." Doesn't matter if it is in the middles of the afternoon!
AND if we are not up when he wakes up in the morning, he comes in our room and says, "I wake, I hungy, I firsty!"
*He is constantly hungry ... he walks around saying, "I'm hungy!" and rubs his tummy.

And sadly there are some not-so-cute things happening in the McLendon house - Will screams LOUD for no reason sometimes, other times when he is mad. If I thought we had entered the terrible 2's eariler I was very wrong....hopefully this will pass quickly (right!).

On another note we have started potty training. It is going okay, sometimes he is ready to sit on the potty, and other times you'd think we were asking him to torture himself in some way. It is an interesting experience to say the least, and very time consuming. He does not like to be wet or dirty and lets us know right away - for example in the middle of the night if he has a wet diaper, he will stand at the end of his hall, and yell across the house, "POOPOO, POOPOO!" until one of us gets to him. He has also removed a few dirty diapers in the last 2 weeks - gross. We need to knock out this potty training thing quick....

Galveston

We spent this past week in Galveston with my parents, and sister's family. We had a great time ... went to the beach, the Strand, ate at Rainforest Cafe, and rode the ferry. Will loved it all! He thought the ocean was great, loved playing in the sand, and all around enjoyed himself!
We ended our trip driving through Crystal Beach/Bolivar which was very sad. A year later the place still looks like a ghost town, and the homes that are being rebuilt are so high they have porches underneath them. Although there are very few atually being rebuilt.

Here are some pictures from the week:
Playing at the beach


Rainforest Cafe

He LOVED dessert...

Miler

New sunglasses

The boys playing

At the ferry







This is a pier on the Sea Wall ... it was crazy! Apparently 2 people rode out the storm on top of that building, scary.

Fun with Friends

This weekend our very dear friends, The Lloyds (they have a blog link on our page) came and spent the entire weekend with us! They currently live in Austin, and we do not get to see them as often as we'd like. Their little girl, Peyton, is about 10 months younger than Will, and they played great together. We were also blessed with the Novosads presence Saturday evening ... they brought their 2 sweet girls, and I got to give their newborn Parker her very first bottle!! Once Malley settled in the 3 kids had a blast (as did the adults!!!) We fed the ducks, played, and enjoyed great company.
Here are some pictures from the weekend ... in no particular order!