Pumpkin Patch

We headed to Stuckmeyer's Farm Market this year for picking pumpkins. Andrew had an absolute blast with all of the festivities. He is at such a great age and can finally participate in most of the activities for the kiddos. Nathan was content just hanging out in the stroller. It was a great day for fun with the family!!


Our little jockey.


Andrew riding the pony!!


Andrew ready for his tractor barrel ride.

Off to the field.

On their way back.

We couldn't believe how much Andrew enjoyed this ride. Steve and I got a big kick out of the fact that Andrew was by far the youngest and smallest one out there. Seeing his little head from a distance was just precious.

Andrew and all the pumpkins.

Nathan chilling in his own pumpkin seat on the pumpkins :)

It's nearly impossible to get a picture of the two boys, let alone one where they are actually smiling or even looking at the camera!!

Nathan making faces.

Neuro Check-Up

This morning Nathan had a scheduled MRI and check-up with his Neurosurgeon. All signs show that the shunt revision surgery was a success and the size of his ventricles and cyst have decreased. The cyst is still present and causing some blockage, but as long as Nathan stays healthy, we wait until it is absolutely necessary to intervene (going after the cyst is a VERY invasive procedure and one that the doctor rather not do on a newborn). We continue to pray Nathan remains stable and we don't have to visit Children's anytime again soon.

Andrew & Breakfast

Here are a couple pictures of Andrew eating his oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. He is Mr. Independent and wants absolutely no help when eating...


Caught in action.


All smiles :)

We're Home!!

WOW - we can't believe we finally made it home!!

After a very LONG exhaustive day Thursday and into the wee hours of Friday, we couldn't get Nathan to keep his feedings down. The doctors didn't know exactly what to attribute it to, but after some more x-rays, exams and time, Nathan started to turn around for the better. Steve and I were petrified that the surgery may have not worked and we would have to try a different procedure. However, Nathan pulled through and started feeding ok Friday morning. After three solid feedings and consulting with his Neuro and GI team of doctors, it was decided that we could take Nathan home.

We got home Friday evening and Nathan immediately knew he was safe at home and not in the hospital anymore. It was amazing to see his demeanor change so quickly. We had a good evening and Nathan slept through the night. We are just taking it slow and making sure Nathan takes his time getting back to his normal routine.

Please keep Nathan in your prayers that this surgery corrected the issue. We hope and pray this is his last surgery for a while!!

Nathan's Post-Op Status

Thanks everyone for all of the thoughts and prayers. Nathan made it through surgery late last night and was wide awake for us in recovery. He was more active right after waking up from surgery than he had been the last two days which made our night.

We found out that Nathan's shunt had stopped working and there was no drainage at all which led to built up pressure in his head and Nathan getting sick. In surgery, the doctor basically repositioned the shunt. He saw pressure relief immediately and we are hoping this does the trick. Keep the prayers going that this is the answer and no more surgeries are in the near future.

We have been bedside with Nathan all day today. We are working on feedings and some have been better than others. He is still very lethargic and sleeping a lot. When he is awake, he's a bit irritable, but we are still getting a smile every once in a while. We are due to stay in the hospital for observation to make sure that the surgery corrected the problem. Everything depends on how little Nathan is feeling and what he tells us. Things were much better this morning than they are now and we are concerned there may still be an issue. Time will only tell.

We are so very thankful for all of the support. Please continue the prayers that things start to turn around for the better.

If you Pray...say one for us please!

Nathan has been unexpectedly admitted to Children's Hospital to undergo yet another surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain. In the past 24-36 hours he has started vomiting and dropping his heart rate pretty regularly. Our Neurosurgeon had told us awhile back that if his shunt were to malfunction, or if there was any sort of problem with his head, that these would be the symptoms to look for.

We brought him into the doctor this morning not fully knowing what to expect. When the doctor turned to us after viewing his MRI results and asked if we brought another change of clothes with us, we knew that couldn't be good news. He was admitted immediately and we are set to undergo surgery sometime tomorrow.

While we knew another surgery wasn't out of the question, we really didn't expect to have this happen so quickly.

This surgery may be the most difficult to handle so far. Nathan has really been playful lately and all smiles for mommy, daddy, and big brother Andrew. This little setback will be difficult to take after it seemed we've been making such good progress.

If you can, please say some extra prayers for our family, and especially little Nathan

Baxter Vehige

Congratulations Tom and Erin on your new puppy, Baxter!! We were so excited to meet him - he's just a precious little guy. We hope you had a great first night and Baxter was a good boy :)


So playful...

Out for the count.

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!

To celebrate Steve's birthday, we spent the day downtown and were able to enjoy much of St. Louis. The weather actually held out for us and we were able to spend a lot of time outside. It was nice to have a day to ourselves for a change, but we ended up talking about the kiddos and how much we missed them - guess we're older than we think!! A huge thanks to PaPa and Gigi for taking care of the boys ALL day for us!!


The Arch from the Old Cathedral.


Steve and I on the Eades Bridge.

A GREAT view of our skyline.

Sleepy Head

Here are a few pics of Nathan sound asleep from the past couple of days...

Snoozing in his swing.

In his high chair after some sweet potatoes.

Out for the count on his boppy pillow.

Kiddos at Des Peres Park

My girlfriend, Crystal and her family are back in St. Louis visiting for a couple weeks and we all met up for an afternoon at Des Peres Park. All the kids had a GREAT time playing together. Who would have known push-up bars and mulch would keep them entertained for so long ?!?!

Taylor, Reese, Nicholas, Cole, Andrew and Ellie

(Benjamin and Nathan were hanging out in their strollers)