Updates!!

I'm now 22 weeks 4 days. Been super busy with moving, working, and holiday stuff. We still haven't decided on a name for Little Miss (we've come close but we are still just going over our options). I've been trying to work as many hours as possible so we can come close to affording everything we have going on at the moment... It hasn't been easy these last few weeks, but we are working on it. This little girl has been giving me fits, and I've been having tons of Braxton Hicks. Devin has been giving us a run for our money, between getting into everything and having SO much energy! But other than all of that, everything is fine!!! We are doing great!!! My next appointment is on December 28th. I fully.expect to hear that everything is as it should be, so i guess ill just keep updating you all from my phone as I get the time!!!

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Last post for awhile....

We have alot going on in our lives right now, and we won't have access to internet too much (other than on our phones), so I just wanted to give everyone a heads up!! I promise I'll post pics of the baby bump, and posts about the other new things that are happening, SOON. But for now, everyone needs to know that our life has taking an exciting turn for the better, but I still continue to accept well-wishes and prayers!!! I'll talk to you all soon!!!!

Baby Names

When I was pregnant with Devin, Matt & I had discussed the name Emmalyn. I love that name. He never had a preference because we already knew we were having a boy.

Well, at the beginning of the pregnancy this time around, I suggested it again. We decided on Emmalyn Elizabeth for a girl, or Jackson Brian for a boy (Elizabeth is my mom's middle name; Brian is my brother's middle name). So, the day we found out, I automatically assumed we were going with Emmalyn Elizabeth. But, Matt & I decided that the name is quite a mouthful, and she's gotta learn to spell it one day, so maybe that's not the best choice. I hadn't told my mom the middle name choice yet, because I didn't want to be locked in to it (since it's her middle name, I assumed she'd be rooting for it). Well, my mother, being the teacher she is, also vetoed the name for the same reasons (ATTENTION, ATTENTION - mark this day on all of your calendars, because my mother & husband NEVER, EVER, EVER agree!!). 

So, we set out to find a new middle name. That's when my bestie, Melody, mentioned Emmalyn Grace. I FELL IN LOVE with the name!! Then , I realized a friend of mine from nursing school (who I still see and talk to, but our kids don't hang out) has a daughter named Aklynn Grace (she goes by Gracie). THEN Melody mentioned that another of our friends is thinking of using Sawyer Grace if she's having a girl (we find out at the first of January - yay!!). Being the paranoid preggo I am, I debated on the name, had long discussions with many different people about the name, if it was "acceptable" to use or if I'd be "stealing" it, etc.... I even went straight to the horse's mouth & asked Amanda (preggo friend) if it would make a difference to her [& I quote "I don't get my panties in a bunch over stupid stuff" - hahaha]. By the time I decided for myself that the name was indeed NOT off limits, I didn't want it any more!!

So Melody, being the inspiration/baby lover she is, mentioned Emmalyn Paige, which I ALSO fell in love with!! I checked with Matt, he's never dated a girl named Paige, has only known 1 Paige with whom he associates only good memories (from 1st grade, no less), and I don't believe I've ever had any problems with a girl by that name; therefore, the name is acceptable (lol, not like there's alot of criteria or anything)!!

But now, Matt isn't sure, simply because we haven't really talked about any other names. Funny thing is, every time I try to talk to him about names, he has no other opinions/interest!! 

So, I guess what I'm saying is, the name thing is still up in the air. But for now, I will refer to my growing belly as "Emmalyn Paige Morris", and we'll see if it sticks :)

(Her little foot!!!)

Baby #2 - IT'S A GIRL!!!

We found out on Tuesday, November 29th (my mom's birthday). We took Devin with us so that he would be the first to know whether we were having a Jackson or an Emmalyn. As the doctor waved his "wand" over my stomach, he stated very nonchalantly, "Looks like a girl." I smile (because I "knew" all along) and look over at Matt just in time to see his excited smile quickly change to a worried, fake-looking smile, and both of his eyes started twitching simultaneously as he just stared at the screen in bewilderment. I quickly spouted off an "I told you so" about the same time that I also commented about Matt's demeanor. Right about then, Devin took it upon himself to laugh the most exaggerated laugh possible (impeccable timing, son), which sent Dr. Stewart, Matt & me into a giggle fit!!

After some more checking around, the doctor confirmed that everything looked great, all of my labs thus far have come back normal, and we are both right on track. In fact, she's already 11oz now!!! We go back on December 28th for another well-checkup.

Something I have to throw out there is that, as previously mentioned, I "knew" it was a girl from day #1. I was so confident that Matt & I decided to bet on it a few weeks ago at our friend's house (so we'd have witnesses). What did I win, you ask? Well, I'll tell you!!!!

I won 3 back rubs && a complaint-free house cleaning PER WEEK!! This is to last the duration of the pregnancy (amazing, I know!!)!!! In addition, I also get a complaint-free  photo shoot for family maternity photos at the time of my choosing!! I'm pretty excited!!! So, those of you who know my husband, PLEASE, take every opportunity you have to rub it in my dear husband's face that HE WAS WRONG!!!! :) 

(This is my "I told you so" face!!!)

Baby #2 (& Hubby #1)!!!! :)

Well, it's officially a little over 24 hours until we find out the sex of the newest addition to the family!! I'm getting pretty excited!! Matt, on the other hand, is still just kinda "blah" about the whole thing. Now, I know that some of the ladies reading this will get a little upset because "a child is a joyful thing, something to be excited over, and if you're not, you're a bad parent, etc..." But that's not the case, which is what I often have to remind myself of throughout the duration of this pregnancy. In truth, my husband was the same way when I was pregnant with our first. He just doesn't connect to a pregnancy (not that the associated hormones make it easy for him to!). But once that little miracle is about to make it's arrival (such as in the delivery room), THAT is when he gets excited! The previous 9 months is otherwise inconsequential to him.

I do have to admit, this apathy scared the crap out of me with our first. He knows that, I'll admit it. But the first time he held Devin, I **KNEW** he was going to be a great father, and he has continued to exceed my expectations in that department. I know on any given day I can complain about him and every single thing he even thinks about doing, but in reality, he's not such a bad person, and something I've been trying to do these last few months is to give him more credit. He's not perfect, but neither am I (hence, I write this particular post, but haven't really mentioned it to him - whoops).

So anyways, this time around, I haven't freaked out on him (too much) for not touching my belly, not talking to the offspring inside of me, or not treating me like a princess. I know that pregnancy, to Matt, is a one-woman job that he simply has no part of (I said pregnancy, not conceiving). And with Baby #2 fast-approaching, I'm ok with it (now).

But don't tell Matt that : D
(I'm pretty sure that he's already tired of reading my blog, therefore this is a safe zone again!)

My Spin on 16 & Pregnant

I vote that somebody should fund a show called "23, Married, Employed, Educated & Pregnant".

I'm sitting up here at work, got some downtime, and I'm just thinking about how ridiculous "16 & Pregnant" is.... Girls think that is hard?! (Well, of course it is) But they should try being an adult, dealing with all of the same stuff, but not being able to act like spoiled, ENTITLED, little brats who run right back to Mommy and Daddy when the real work bites them in the @$$.

I'm currently working my 2nd shift of Thanksgiving Day. I have barely seen my son today, and I've seen my husband even less. I have had 4.5 hours of sleep after working all night Wednesday and now all night Thursday. I'm starving because I was too exhausted go eat all day. But guess what? Part of me chose to work all these extra hours on a holiday, because I get paid DOUBLE TIME. My income is paying bills. It's paying for my son's birthday (which is just a few days away). It's paying for an awesome Christmas for my family. I'm sacrificing sleep, quality family time, R&R, and food to keep my family comfortable.

So all these ignorant little teenage girls who are jumping on the bandwagon to get pregnant, the girls who are CHOOSING to consent to underage sex, KNOWING THEY STILL DON'T HAVE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS WILL, etc... They can all kiss my butt. I'm busting my butt out in the real world, but nobody tells my tale. Why should we make these girls celebrities????

Rant over :)

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Marriage (It's a short one!)

Marriage is a funny thing. Over the last year & a half that Matt & I have been married, I've learned alot. For instance, each partner usually wants the same thing - they just have different ways of going about getting it. Or, they feel the same exact way about a particular topic, but it usually SEEMS to come across as apples and oranges. Here is what has me thinking.......

Well, my dear husband has officially discovered my blog (I slipped up), and I finally agreed to let him read one of my posts... But I got to thinking - why haven't I let him read it before? Why haven't I even mentioned it?

Here's my conclusion:

My Theory) As I told Matt when he questioned me, I never feel like he listens to me when I speak directly to him, why would I ask him to read what is on my mind?

Matt's Theory) I'm probably just griping about him on here anyways (lol).

In conclusion, I guess I'm gonna go ahead and give him the URL.... I figure that this way, he'll know I really do think more of him than he gives me credit for, and just maybe, I'll give him more credit for paying attention to what's going on in my mind :)

Baby #2 - 18 weeks!

How far along? 18 weeks 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: +/- 0lbs

Maternity clothes?: Still in regular jeans for now, but I'm loving the looks of maternity tops on my ever-growing bump!

Stretch marks? Still nothing!! (the left boob scare was a false alarm!!!)

Sleep: Slept REALLY well last night after a long day at work. Woke up at 3:45am feeling SO refreshed, so fantastic, not sore/hurting..... Then I went back to sleep and woke up about 10am with a crick in my neck =/

Best moment this week: (last week) I finally started working, and I LOVE IT!! So far this week, nothing!! **BUT** Thanksgiving is just 3 days away so I'm excited for every pregnant girl's favorite holiday!!

Miss Anything?: I miss my friends!! Hanging out, having a margarita, not having to chase down a screaming toddler!!

Movement: Matt finally got to feel Baby Bean do a flip (although he's still weirded out/not positive I'm not carrying an alien in there)

Food cravings: Anything Thanksgiving

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not this week!!

Gender: *I GUESS* we're gonna find out in 1 week!!! (Like anybody really needed to twist my arm alot lol)

Labor Signs: Tons of Braxton Hicks!

Symptoms: Growing belly

Belly Button in or out? in

Wedding rings on or off?: On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Frequently finding myself yelling at people for no good reason! (Poor Matt!!!)

Looking forward to: Gender scan next Tuesday!

Here's the Verdict

So, we went to Cook's. We saw Dr. Honeycutt. He was a very intelligent, very personable, and very respectful doctor. He broke the news to us as gently as possible.................

DEVIN DOESN'T NEED SURGERY!

Yes, he has "true Chiari". The cerebellar tonsillar herniation is about 9mm (Devin's brain pokes through the foramen magnum about 9mm, or almost 1 centimeter). But according to Dr. Honeycutt, Devin *is asymptomatic* as far as his Chiari goes. This means that the Chiari DOES NOT cause seizures. Therefore, we still have to follow up with the neurologist (on January 24th) to determine the cause of Devin's seizures.

BUT FOR NOW, WE ARE IN THE CLEAR!!

As far as the Chiari goes, we do a follow up MRI in 1 year. Then, if that's normal/unchanged, we do another in 2 years! Basically, we'll just be monitoring it to make sure the growth of the brain doesn't place any pressure on anything it doesn't need to....

SO THIS WAS THE **BEST** POSSIBLE OUTCOME!!!

Thank you all for your prayers.

Today is the day....

Well, it's finally come. Tuesday, November 15th. Today is the day we meet with Devin's newly assigned neurosurgeon to discuss treatment options for his condition. Matt's in the shower, Devin's still sleeping, and I've been up for hours, so now that I'm fully ready to go (before my alarm was even supposed to go off), I'm just gonna touch bases with my readers.


Matt and I have decided that we are no longer going to get a second opinion from another children's hospital. The one we were interested in going to (Dell Children's Center, Austin) will be at least a 6-8 week wait to do a new patient appointment, then we still have to wait for the appointment to discuss treatment and whether that doctor feels surgery is necessary. So scratch that. Instead, if they tell us today that yes, we do need surgery, I am going to stage a sit-in until they bring one of the other neurosurgeons doing appointments today (they have like 8 on staff so it's not too much to think there might be another one handy) into the room to tell us his(her) opinion.

But here's the way I see today. There's 2 possible outcomes.....

A.) They say no surgery is necessary. It "may be" later on, but they just want to monitor him for "x" amount of time.
                            Outcome --> We come home.

B.) They say surgery is necessary. We can do it asap or we can put it off a few weeks/months/years, but it's necessary nonetheless.
                            Outcome --> We schedule surgery for as soon as possible. I'm expecting another child in a          few months, which is going to make scheduling a surgery for then even harder, let alone traveling with a sick toddler and an infant, and then caring for a sick toddler after... not to mention the prolonged hospital stay..... So I say we do it asap.

                           Plus, the earlier we do it, the better Devin will adjust. Especially if he loses any of his skills (walking, talking, eating, etc), then that's more time before he goes to school that we'll have to "retrain" him, so to speak. And therefore less time behind his peers.




So, now you all know what has been going through our minds. We really don't see any other outcomes to this situation. We are prepared for the worst, because it'd be dumb not to be. But we are still hoping for the best. So any prayers, well-wishes, positive energy, etc, would be greatly appreciated. Keep us in your thoughts around 2:30pm today.




Thanks in advance,

The Morris Family

Baby #2 - 17 weeks!!!!

Ok, so this week, I'm gonna do something a little different than I have been in the last couple of weeks. This week, I wanna talk about my (tentative) birth plan. 

With Devin, I went to the hospital at 9pm on Monday, November 30th, with contractions at 7 minutes apart. I had my membranes swept that morning about 10am (4cm dilated and 50% effaced), and contractions started almost immediately at 10 minutes apart. When I went in that night, I was told I was staying! I chose pain meds first, in an attempt to prevent getting the epidural. Well, I was DRUNK for hours and I hated it. Finally around 3am, I got the epidural. 7am, we broke my water. Then the doctor had to keep stopping my labor (4 or 5 different times) because contractions were lasting too long, were too close together and too strong. Finally at 5:23pm, December 1st, I gave birth!!! But not without almost having to have a C-section, not without several "complications", etc.

Since that day, I knew that my next birthing experience would be different.

This time, I don't want pain meds, I don't want an epidural, I don't want pitocin.I DO want to be able to walk around, change positions, or take a shower if I want to. I do want intermittent fetal monitoring instead of continuous monitoring so that I do have the freedom to move around. I want the baby to come when he or she is ready. and I *DO* want my iPod playing this time lol!!! I also want to stay at home until my contractions are 3 minutes apart (less time locked down in a bed, less time for doctors or nurses to try to convince me to have interventions, etc).

What brings all of this up? I'm watching The Business of Being Born, and it just confirms my wishes. My dear husband doesn't think this time around will go like I want it to. As he says, I'm a wimp and couldn't handle the pain of the contractions last time, so why this time? I'll admit, he has a good point (don't tell him I said that!). But I want to try it, at least. IF I don't succeed, then fine. BUT I WANT TO TRY. I think being more educated about the things I want this time will help me make better, informed decisions. 

I encourage all of my pregnant friends to RESEARCH your birth options! KNOW what you want! Whether you want to do it naturally, or if you want every medical intervention possible, KNOW WHAT YOU WANT AND WHY, so that no one can talk you out of YOUR birth plan!!!

Baby #2 - 16 weeks!

Here's the update for this week!! And while I'm at it, I just entered myself in a blog giveaway that's going on over at my dear friend Amanda's page - take a look!!! http://missamandafaith.blogspot.com/
(I really want the black & white polka dot bandana with the red bow, but I don't have anything to match it, so I guess that means if I win, I need to go shopping!!!)

How far along? 16 weeks 1 day

Total weight gain/loss: Back to prepregnancy weight, so +/- 0lbs

Maternity clothes?: Decided to swear off the maternity jeans this week until I absolutely can't wear my regular ones!

Stretch marks? May have noticed the start of one on my left boob?! =/

Sleep: Still not long enough, not often enough, and not well enough....

Best moment this week: Technically this was last week, but just to keep you all updated.... I got the Prius I wanted!!!! And heard baby's heartbeat today at my check up (155bpm and going strong!!)

Miss Anything?: Sleep

Movement: Feeling the flips from the outside already!!! Matt's mom felt kicks on Saturday!

Food cravings: Anything I don't have to cook myself :)

Anything making you queasy or sick: Not this week!!

Gender: Still thinking about waiting to find out the gender (gender scan November 29th!!), but now I feel like A.) nothing is gonna make delivery day any more special than it's already gonna be, so what does it matter? And B.) We can take Devin to the next appointment, so if we find out, we can make it more real to him by preparing him for his "little brother" or "baby sister".... any opinions??

Labor Signs: Negative, Ghost Rider.

Symptoms: Rounding belly :) Leaking colostrum already =/  

Belly Button in or out? in!

Wedding rings on or off?: On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Trying just to chill out... hoping it means I've been happier?

Looking forward to: T minus 8 days until we meet Devin's neurosurgeon; gender scan; 

Baby #2

So, I saw this on a friend's blog and decided I'd steal it from her!!! If I knew how to tag her on here, I would, because her blog is pretty interesting, but since I don't, I'm gonna go ahead and give Amanda a shout out!! Here's the link to her blog : http://missamandafaith.blogspot.com/

How far along? 15 weeks 3 days

Total weight gain/loss: +5 pounds

Maternity clothes?: I have a few different pairs of maternity jeans, and while they are comfortable, they still don't stay up in the stomach, so I'm still just in regular jeans most of the time!

Stretch marks?  No new ones yet lol... and I only got a few from being pregnant with my son so I can only hope it stays the same!!

Sleep: I wish. When I can sleep, I don't sleep well. I wake up earlier all the time, and go to bed later. But I could probably take 2 naps a day if I had the luxury :)

Best moment this week: Finding out I can still get the Prius I want on Friday!!! 

Miss Anything?: Margaritas =/

Movement: Been having flutters since about 12 weeks, but now I can feel it from the outside (a little here and there) so it's becoming more real...

Food cravings: Caffeine, alcohol (I promise I'm not an alcoholic), anything sour, salty... 

Anything making you queasy or sick: Been having alot of motion sickness with this pregnancy, but it's finally dissipating so I think I'm good.

Gender: My husband will find out in November. I am going to try to hold off (but I think his face will be a dead give away) on finding out as long as possible!

Labor Signs: Negative, Ghost Rider.

Symptoms: Flat, stringy hair; acne; dry skin; itchiness everywhere; 

Belly Button in or out? in!
Publish Post
Wedding rings on or off?: Depends on if I remember to put my wedding ring on after I do dishes, put on my makeup, etc...

Happy or Moody most of the time: Apparently I was really psychotic with my first. This time around, I'm still pretty b*tchy but it's at least manageable.

Looking forward to: Meeting with my son's neurosurgeon in 2 weeks, and then meeting with the OBGYN specialist about the baking bean in 4 weeks.

Background Story

Alright. So I've never done this before. Haven't quite been sure where to start, so I just figure I'll start at the beginning (Ok, maybe not the VERY beginning, but I am gonna touch on the highlights).

Dec. 7th, 1996 - My dad died after 7 heart attacks in 3 days. He was 48, I was 12 days away from my 8th birthday. He was rendered a quadriplegic after a nearly fatal car wreck on March 20th, 1996, just a few days after his birthday. I still find myself grieving over his death years later because I only have 3 - 5 actual memories of him.

September 2003 - met the love of my life, Matt. Told my mom that December I "loved" him and wanted to marry him one day. She thought it was a phase, and I was forbidden to be with him.

December 2005 (16 years old) - I moved out of my mom's house, hated her husband at the time, got my own place. Had 2 full time jobs, and was a full time student trying to finish my junior year of high school.

January 7th, 2006 - fell at work (Skating Rink - job #1); fractured my spine, dislocated my right knee, and got a concussion.

July 2006 - joined the United States Army after I was told in May that my back was healed, and I would "never have another problem with it again".

September 2006 - had malignant cancer removed from my face (right under my left eye).

December 7th, 2006 - Officially discharged (honorable, medical) from the Army. Came home from Fort Leonardwood, Missouri with my spine now fractured in 3 places because it never healed.

May 2007 - had reconstructive back surgery (360-degree fusion, with the addition of 2 plates, 4 pins and 6 screws).

October 2008 - Matt is gets sick and can't work anymore (but isn't diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis until almost exactly 1 year later).

December 2009 -  After a long, hard labor with many complications, Matt and I welcomed our first-born son, Devin William, into the world. This was also when Matt FINALLY proposed lol!!

March 2010 - Devin had his first set of seizures.

March 2011 - Devin's seizures get worse. He has 6 before the end of the month. We finally start him on antivonvulsant medication and do his first 2 EEG's.

July 2011 - Devin is officially diagnosed with "epilepsy", but we still aren't that worried at this point.

August 2011 - WE'RE EXPECTING AGAIN!!! As it turns out, I was already pregnant before I even finished nursing school (LVN/LPN)!! We find out close to Thanksgiving what we're having!!

October 2011 - We get the results of Devin's recent brain MRI. It's not good news. Although they did find the cause of his seizures, they determined he has Chiari Malformation 1. This means his brain is too low-lying in his skull, and we now have an appointment with the neurosurgeons at Cook Children's Hospital in just 2 weeks. That's when we'll determine whether or not he needs surgery, and if we'll go through with it.



Well, that about has you all up to date. So there you go. I know I've left out a lot of important facts/details, but I feel like you've got the most important information for now :) And I promise, these next posts won't be soooooo long!!