All the kids turned a year older in the last month, so, in a futile effort to freeze time, we had our pictures taken again. As far as futile efforts go, these aren't half bad: www.heatherswannerphotography.com/wagner.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
And That's All, Folks
Thanks to a little trip I took to the O.R. last week, it looks like our branch of the Wagner family is complete. Don't worry, it was a planned trip :) As with all decisions that have life-long implications, this one was made and carried out with a mix of emotions. Marcus and I always talked about and assumed that we would have four children. But, because of how physically challenging my first two pregnancies had been, it was very hard for me to even make the decision to try to get pregnant with #3. I'm so glad I made it over that hump, because I am deeply grateful to have been blessed with a beautiful, healthy daughter.
But now, I am so very tired. The transition from two to three has not been as emotionally challenging as one to two, but it has definitely been more challenging physically. Lydia is an easy baby, but she is still a baby, and has lots of needs, day and night, and so do the boys. Between parenting the boys and being pregnant/caring for Lydia, I have felt stretched way too thin since August of 2010. So I've had to accept that, though I love the idea of having four children, it is not the right decision for our family as a whole. Some people have suggested waiting a few years to have a fourth, when Lydia is closer to four and the boys are older. But I personally don't want to take the risks of another pregnancy, in addition to starting the whole baby thing over again, when I am 35 or beyond.
Marcus feels the same way as I do about liking the idea of a fourth, but he is also very tired, and he is even more ready than I am to start enjoying some of the things that a family with a baby has difficulty enjoying: vacations, sports, anything that takes place in the afternoon (naptime), etc. So the decision was made, I lost the coin toss (or was it a poker game?), and off to the hospital we went. The procedure went off very smoothly, with the exception of a nurse who tried to place my IV 3 times before she gave up and solicited the help of someone who "was better at this." Maybe next time we could start with the second guy? I recovered in a few days and was good as new a week later. And now I march forward, enjoying and investing in the three beautiful and amazing children that I have.
I wanted to let you know that I've decided to take a little break from blogging. Don't know if it will be for a month or a year, but I do know that there is too much on my plate right now, and, as things are, time on the computer is time away from my kids. Hopefully, when we get settled in Chattanooga and back into a routine, I may be able to pick up my pen once again. But for now, I bid you, my small circle of faithful readers, a temporary, "Adieu."
But now, I am so very tired. The transition from two to three has not been as emotionally challenging as one to two, but it has definitely been more challenging physically. Lydia is an easy baby, but she is still a baby, and has lots of needs, day and night, and so do the boys. Between parenting the boys and being pregnant/caring for Lydia, I have felt stretched way too thin since August of 2010. So I've had to accept that, though I love the idea of having four children, it is not the right decision for our family as a whole. Some people have suggested waiting a few years to have a fourth, when Lydia is closer to four and the boys are older. But I personally don't want to take the risks of another pregnancy, in addition to starting the whole baby thing over again, when I am 35 or beyond.
Marcus feels the same way as I do about liking the idea of a fourth, but he is also very tired, and he is even more ready than I am to start enjoying some of the things that a family with a baby has difficulty enjoying: vacations, sports, anything that takes place in the afternoon (naptime), etc. So the decision was made, I lost the coin toss (or was it a poker game?), and off to the hospital we went. The procedure went off very smoothly, with the exception of a nurse who tried to place my IV 3 times before she gave up and solicited the help of someone who "was better at this." Maybe next time we could start with the second guy? I recovered in a few days and was good as new a week later. And now I march forward, enjoying and investing in the three beautiful and amazing children that I have.
I wanted to let you know that I've decided to take a little break from blogging. Don't know if it will be for a month or a year, but I do know that there is too much on my plate right now, and, as things are, time on the computer is time away from my kids. Hopefully, when we get settled in Chattanooga and back into a routine, I may be able to pick up my pen once again. But for now, I bid you, my small circle of faithful readers, a temporary, "Adieu."
Monday, January 23, 2012
New Job & Girls' Weekend
Marcus is nearing the end of nine years of post-graduate medical training. This coming summer, on June 30th, he will complete his residency in radiation oncology. This past summer and fall, Marcus spent a good amount of time researching job opportunities and interviewed for several positions. From the very first interview in June of 2011, one oncology group stood out among the others. He called me just hours after that interview and I could hear the big smile in his voice when he said, "Well, Rach, it looks like we are moving to ___________." He had nothing but good to say about the group, his potential co-workers, and the town. Through the rest of the summer and fall, he continued to explore positions here in Birmingham and in his hometown of Melbourne, but no matter how hard he tried to "make them work," he just kept coming back to this job. Though I love our lives here in Birmingham, and I will miss our friends and church here tremendously, I knew Marcus needed to go for the job that he felt so drawn to.
So (drum roll time), in about six months, we will be opening a new chapter of our lives in Chattanooga, TN!!! Marcus signed his contract just a couple of weeks before Christmas, and we have been busy getting this house ready to sell, as well as doing some looking around for a new place in Chattanooga. In fact, Marcus gave me the most wonderful gift of a couple of days house-shopping with my BFF in Chattanooga. We drove up on Saturday morning, looked at about five houses, ate dinner at the hopping Blue Water Grill, hung out in our hotel's hot tub, and then talked until we fell asleep! Sunday morning, we visited Clear Creek Church together and spent a couple more hours driving around and exploring the northern Chattanooga area. Q discovered this great little neighborhood that I love. I have a feeling we are going to end up living in one of those houses :) We met up with our realtor one more time to look inside a few more houses, and then headed back to Birmingham to resume our lives as wives and mothers. This was the first night that I have spent away from my kids in 2.5 years, and I was ready for it! Thanks, honey, for a perfect gift!
Friday, January 20, 2012
A Season of Sickness
This has been a rough month for Ethan & Lydia, healthwise, and therefore it's been a hard month for me as well. (Caleb has cruised through it all unscathed, like he usually does, though he did lose his second tooth in his sleep last Friday night!)
It seems like we've been to the pediatrician every week for more than a month! Ethan has had bronchitis, pink eye and two ear infections, in addition to the general yuckiness of congestion. On top of that, it took several weeks for the fluid to drain off his ears after his ear infection cleared up, so he was having a lot of trouble hearing for several weeks. Ethan can be challenging enough when he is fully-functioning, but non-hearing Ethan has really reset the bar. At school this past Monday, he threw a toy that collided with another boys' head and split the little boy's head open! He didn't mean for that to happen, but it's just a result of him losing his temper.
After I got that delightful report, I piled all the kids back in the van and headed straight back to the pediatrician. I'd been told 3 weeks in a row that we just needed to wait for the fluid to drain and then he would be able to hear again, but I needed something better than that. After waiting in the little room with all three of my tired and hungry children for NINETY MINUTES, the doctor finally came in. This week's diagnosis for Ethan was: yes, he has a lot of fluid on his ears, no he still can't hear very well, but, yes, we will try something else other than waiting now. The doctor put him on another round of antibiotics and steroids, as well as setting us up for an ENT consult to see about getting tubes again. I was very happy to have some answers, and even happier when, the next day, Ethan could finally hear normally again. He has been a happy, cooperative little boy for the past two days. (Now all I need to do is get him to write his apology note to his classmate, and make my own phone call of apology as well.)
During this same pediatrician visit, Lydia was diagnosed with another double ear infection, her second in 2 weeks. (The only reason we're sure this one is a new infection is because we were in the previous Monday and her ears were pronounced clear.) This is her 3rd ear infection in 3 months, so she may end up being a candidate for tubes as well. I'm not as resistant to the idea as I was with Ethan, since they worked so well for him and it was so much better than having him on antibiotics every couple of weeks.
Lydia has also been dealing with a major eczema outbreak. Just like the fluid in Ethan's ears, I kept showing the excema to the pediatrician whenever we were in (which was frequently), and I was told to use hypo-allergenic lotion twice a day. I did that, but over a period of a couple of months, it has continued to get worse. It finally got bad enough that the pediatrician prescribed Alclometasone Dipropionate Cream, which cleared all of it right up in just a few days. One day, her back, bottom, elbows & thighs were covered in raw, patchy skin. The next, it was smooth again and you could just see the outline of the eczema.
So, at the moment, Lydia and Ethan are ear-infection, virus & eczema free, and Caleb is healthy. But it has been a ride!
After I got that delightful report, I piled all the kids back in the van and headed straight back to the pediatrician. I'd been told 3 weeks in a row that we just needed to wait for the fluid to drain and then he would be able to hear again, but I needed something better than that. After waiting in the little room with all three of my tired and hungry children for NINETY MINUTES, the doctor finally came in. This week's diagnosis for Ethan was: yes, he has a lot of fluid on his ears, no he still can't hear very well, but, yes, we will try something else other than waiting now. The doctor put him on another round of antibiotics and steroids, as well as setting us up for an ENT consult to see about getting tubes again. I was very happy to have some answers, and even happier when, the next day, Ethan could finally hear normally again. He has been a happy, cooperative little boy for the past two days. (Now all I need to do is get him to write his apology note to his classmate, and make my own phone call of apology as well.)
During this same pediatrician visit, Lydia was diagnosed with another double ear infection, her second in 2 weeks. (The only reason we're sure this one is a new infection is because we were in the previous Monday and her ears were pronounced clear.) This is her 3rd ear infection in 3 months, so she may end up being a candidate for tubes as well. I'm not as resistant to the idea as I was with Ethan, since they worked so well for him and it was so much better than having him on antibiotics every couple of weeks.
Lydia has also been dealing with a major eczema outbreak. Just like the fluid in Ethan's ears, I kept showing the excema to the pediatrician whenever we were in (which was frequently), and I was told to use hypo-allergenic lotion twice a day. I did that, but over a period of a couple of months, it has continued to get worse. It finally got bad enough that the pediatrician prescribed Alclometasone Dipropionate Cream, which cleared all of it right up in just a few days. One day, her back, bottom, elbows & thighs were covered in raw, patchy skin. The next, it was smooth again and you could just see the outline of the eczema.
So, at the moment, Lydia and Ethan are ear-infection, virus & eczema free, and Caleb is healthy. But it has been a ride!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Magic Kingdom
One of the best parts of our week in Florida at Christmas time was getting to go to Disney as a family for the first time. Marcus & Mike have taken Caleb & Chase a couple of times before, but I had never been with any of the kids and Ethan & Lydia haven't been at all.
One of the coolest parts is that the whole day was completely free (except food) for the five of us! My parents had four park hopper passes from back in 1988 when our whole family went to Disney for a week, and we only used 3 of the 4 days on the pass. Mom kept those tickets in an envelope for 23 years, and they got our whole family into the Magic Kingdom for a day. I don't know the exact cost, but I'm pretty sure that saved us more than $400 in admission. Thanks so much, Mom & Dad!
Another really cool thing about this trip to Disney is that Marcus used an iPhone app to help us pick which rides to do next (it gave us up-to-date wait times on all the rides). Because of this, even though it was December 26th and a very crowded day at Disney, Marcus said that we were able to ride more rides in one day than he ever had before. And I thought it was really cool that we had such a smooth, enjoyable day, despite the crowds and the fact that our own group numbered 13, with more children than adults. Everyone agreed the day was a huge success, and we look forward to doing it again soon!
First glimpse of the Disney Castle from the ferry.
Marcus was laughing at how intent I looked on this Buzz Lightyear Shoot-em-up Ride
Mimi kindly lent us her double-stroller for the day, and it turned out to be very useful.
Lydia enjoying the tunnel on Tom Sawyer island (one of the only times she got the get out of the stroller the whole day!)
Ethan & Daddy love :)
Mimi and her newest grandbabies, Lydia & Dallen
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