Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!!!

This was Cole's 1st Halloween!!!  I was BIG time pregnant with him this time last year!  Only 3 more days till he's a ONE year old!  Can't believe it!

We had a GREAT Halloween day and night!  We went to visit a new church this morning, which I really liked :) and did a little shopping and then went home for lunch and football!  The little boys had a nice nap before we got ready for our big Halloween night. 

I really wanted the little boys to be a "pair" for Halloween, so Roy mentioned Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble and I loved it!  I even made their costumes!  It was so fun!!!

Here are the pictures from our night - we went to the Fall Festival at the church we visited today and then went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.



Ryan as Fred and Cole as Barney :)









My good friend DeAnna and her cousin Erica had their girls dress up as Wilma and Betty!  Aren't they the CUTEST?!






Betty (Bella), Barney (Cole), Fred (Ryan), and Wilma (Frankie)


They were the hit at the festival!


Ryan playing some fun games :)



Cole really just relaxed in his stroller most of the night!




Going for the goods!


We had a fantastic time tonight!  This was really the first Halloween - or holiday at all - that Ryan knew what was going on and it made it soooo much more fun!  Sorry no pics of Aidan - he didn't dress up this year :(

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Monday, October 18, 2010

Cole's Almost 1!


Yesterday we met up with Misti at Tonkawa Falls so she could take some pictures of Cole for his first birthday.  He was not thrilled with the idea at first - he HATED the grass!  Ha!  Here are a few of the pictures...







He did better when I sat him on my leg.  I tried to stay out of the pictures as much as possible.


Aidan was behind Misti trying to get him to smile.


He always has is one finger up.  In this picture it looks like he's telling us how old he is going to be!


Awww...there's a pretty smile :)


I just LOVE this picture.  Such a sweet, innocent face.


I think he was over it.




Ooohh...I found a rock!


Thank you Misti for taking Cole's pictures.  I think they turned out amazing!  I can't believe how fast a year has gone by.  Cole will be 1 in a little over two weeks!!! 

Saturday, October 16, 2010

HOT Fair

Last night I took Aidan and Ryan and their cousin Robert to the HOT Fair.  We got there a little after 6pm and stayed until almost midnight!  My feet were tired!  Roy had to work, so he wasn't able to go with us :(  Thankfully Roy's parents came over and watched Cole for me.  DeAnna and Frankie met us up there and we all had such a good time!  



Robert and Aidan with their painted faces.  Robert got an "R" on each cheek and an "A" on his forehead for his initials RAR and Aidan got a baseball on his right cheek.


This is my CUTE necklace I bought inside the exhibit hall.  There are a TON of booths set up in there and I LOVE shopping for a cute new necklace each year!


Ryan and Frankie waiting so patiently on Aidan and Robert to get off their ride.  Aren't they so cute?! :)  We have already arranged their marriage ;)

We really had a fun time!  Wish Roy and Cole could have joined us, but good news is the fair will be back next year!  Ryan was so funny on the way home - he kept saying, "I love the fair so much!" over and over and over!  I know he was pooped because he slept until 11:30 this morning!  Wore his little behind out!

Monday, October 11, 2010

Our Newest Member

The weekend before last we adopted a new member to our ever growing family!  Meet Cooper!!!


He is just the sweetest thing and such a good boy :)  We adopted him from friends of ours in Houston who felt like they just couldn't care for him anymore, but wanted him to go to a good home.  I'm always up for something new!  He's almost 2 and completely potty trained - WHOO HOO!

(Please over look the toy gun next to him!  I do have 3 boys you know!!!  Ha!)


Can you tell where he is on the shag rug???  Ha!


My boys are already in LOVE.  It didn't take long at all.  He is so good with them and I can already tell how much he loves them back and how protective he is getting too.  Dogs really do just amaze me!


Cole and Cooper like to have their bonding time with just the two of them.


I'm almost certain Cole could do just about anything he wanted to Cooper and he would be OK with it!  We are loving him more each day and so happy to have him! 

Welcome home, Cooper! :)

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Alex's Story

Alex is our 2nd son and he was born still...this is his story...


In January 2005, we decided to start trying to expand our family and have another baby.  Like most women, I just knew it would be an easy process and in 9 months our bundle of joy would be here.  Not quite.  I finally found out I was pregnant in June 2005!  What an amazing day that was!  I was so excited and just couldn't wait to tell Roy.  I stopped by Target on my way home from work and bought him a card and a pair of white baby booties.  I gave them both to him when he came home from work and just sat there watching him with a HUGE smile on my face!  He was in total shock, but was so happy at the same time!  We waited a few weeks before we told family, but then spread the news quickly.  I had my first doctor's appointment at about 6 wks and had an ultrasound to confirm viability.  We saw the baby's heartbeat, and then saw another sac, but couldn't see anything in it.  Dr. Patterson thought there was a STRONG possibility we could be having TWINS!  WHAT?!?!  So she wanted us to wait out the week and see her again on Friday to re-scan.  That was the longest week of my life, but finally it was time.  She did another ultrasound and found no heartbeat at all and still nothing in the second sac.  Miscarriage.  I was in disbelief and so was Roy.  How could this be possible?  We had already seen the first heartbeat.  We were supposed to finding out if indeed there were twins, but instead we were finding out we were not going to be having a baby at all.  My doctor sent me to have another ultrasound at the hospital to confirm her findings.  We went home and broke the news to our friends and family and cried all weekend.  I was devastated.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this would happen.  Not to me.  The following Monday I went in to the hospital for a D&C and then it was over.  I was so sad for weeks, but still longed to try again.  I wanted a baby so bad.  A month later I was pregnant again!  I was so happy, but this time I was nervous and scared.  Luckily, I worked for my OB/GYN, so I got a little bit of special treatment ;)  She again did our first viability scan at about 6 wks, and then spoiled me and did one every week until I was almost out of my first trimester.  Whew!  At 14 wks, Roy came up to the office and Dr. Patterson did a quick little scan to see if we could possibly tell what we were having.  I was so anxious to know!!!  During that scan, she could DEFINITLY tell we were having a BOY!  But, she also saw something that was concerning to her.  She saw some fluid filled cysts on the back of his neck.  She immediately tried to reassure us, but wanted us to be seen right then at the hospital for a more detailed scan.  We went right over to the hospital and waited for the tech to call us back.  We really had no idea what was going on and surely didn't foresee the days and weeks that were ahead of us.  The radiologist confirmed Dr. Patterson's findings, plus found that he had bilateral club feet.  The diagnosis was cystic hygroma, which is fluid filled cysts that form on the back of the neck and head.  It's caused by a malformation in the lymphatic system when it's forming.  We were still confused at that point and unsure of what the next steps were.  We were referred to a maternal fetal medicine specialist in Austin.  Our first appointment was 2 weeks later.  I was 16 weeks.  Roy's parents and my mom went with us.  That first appointment was completely devastating.  Horrible.  Not only were we told that indeed our son did have cystic hygroma, he also had a severe heart condition - hypoplastic right ventricle.  My sweet boy.  The specialist just had more bad news.  He told us that with his condition there was a 100% mortality rate.  100%.  100%?  How is that even possible?  Nothing is 100%.  I balled.  I wailed.  There was no holding back my emotions any longer.  I couldn't do it.  Our parents cried.  Roy and I sat in the room and held each other and just cried.  Everyone left us alone in there and it felt like days had passed.  I was devastated.  We were devastated.  We were then talked to about having an amniocentesis to determine if he had any chromosome abnormalities.  I decided to go ahead and do it, knowing it would take at least two weeks before we would get any results.  The specialist also offered for us to meet with a pediatric cardiologist on our next visit.  We agreed to that.  We had so many questions for him if our boy was to survive.  We were talked to exstensivly about termination.  I finally had to put my foot down and tell them it was not an option for us.  We believe in God and the power of prayer.  And what if they were all wrong.  I just knew they were.  I knew God would show them.  I knew he would save my baby.  I knew I would never really have to face any of the horrible things they were telling us.  I wasn't in denial, I just had to keep strong and still believe that my baby would be healed.  Friends and family rallied around us and prayed over this baby.  But, I never really knew how to talk to anybody about it.  None of my family or friends had ever been through this.  It was awful.  Devastating.  Shocking.  I prayed for him daily.  Every minute actually.  I wanted to believe so bad that everything was going to be ok.  But it wasn't.  Every doctor's appointment was worse.  We saw the doctor every two weeks, my doctor monthy and the specialist in Austin monthly.  The appointments alternated every two weeks.  We never had any good news.  It was the darkest time and I had to stay strong.  I still had Aidan to care for.  He didn't have any idea what was happening.  I tried to shelter him from it all.  Roy and I went to church every Sunday and Roy would pull the pastor to the side after the service and talk to him.  Ask questions.  What were we supposed to do?  How should we be praying?  Surely this will just all go away and our sweet boy will be here healthy.  God didn't listen.  He forgot about us.  He forgot about our precious baby boy.  He let him be sick.  He made him be sick.  Was it because we weren't married?  Why didn't we deserve for him to be healed?  What did we do wrong?  Why us?  I was mad.  I was so hurt.  I was so devastated.  I hated Him.  I was never going to talk to Him again.  That is my son.  That is my baby.  How dare You take him from me.  How dare You make him suffer.  How dare You.  Our sweet baby boy was born still on March 26, 2006.  


At that moment I felt peace.  I felt comforted.  I had pushed Him away for so many weeks up to that point.  I had stopped praying, but nobody else had.  And He still loved me.  He knew I was hurt and mad and that I hated Him.  But He still loved me.  He still loves me.  He wrapped His arms so tight around me that day.  That dark day.  I felt Him and I knew He was there.  I don't know how may times I said I was done.  I was never going to try and have another baby.  I couldn't go through the heartbreak again.  I didn't want another baby.  I wanted that baby.  Roy Alex Rodriguez, Jr.  I was going to call him Alex.  I loved him so much already.  He was already such a part of my life.  I was 25 wks when I gave birth to him.  I felt him kicking and growing inside me until then.  He was 4lbs. 6oz. and 12 in long.  He was perfect.  He was beautiful.  We held him and kissed him and loved on him for several hours after he was born.  Our families held him and passed him around.  We all loved him.  


He was buried three days later on March 29, 2006.  We had a graveside service for him and were overwhelmed by the grace we were shown.  Family and friends from here and from out of town came to be with us and love on us.  Somehow through God's grace we survived.  I finally had to let go and let God.  Period.  I wasn't in control.  He was.  It was His plan all along.  I don't know why.  But I do know that I can't wait till the day I see my sweet boy again!  What an amazing day that will be!  I find myself wondering and dreaming about what it will be like.  I'm so happy to know he is with Jesus!  I miss him everyday and long to know what life with him would have been like.  I'll never watch him learn how to walk or how to talk.  I'll never take him to his first day of kindergarten.  I'll never watch him play little league baseball.  That part still hurts.  I still long for those days and memories that I will never have.  I don't think that part will ever go away.


4 years later, Roy and I have been blessed with two more boys!  Ryan Alex was born March 24, 2007 and Cole Frances was born November 3, 2009.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined my life to be what it is now.  God took us through unimaginable pain, but He brought us through it.  Just like He promises.


I am praying tonight for each of you who are at a point where there is no hope. No light.  No happy ending.  There is.  Just tell Him to bring the rain.  He will see you through the storm.  I promise.
    

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Waco AZTECS Baseball

Last weekend we traveled to Cleburne for Aidan and his team to play in their first tournament.  It was pouring down when we got there, so we had a 2-hour rain delay.  We decided to head over to Waffle House to get some yummy breakfast :)


Me & the Hubby

Aidan & his teammate Diego
(we think it's funny when we yell for him when he's up to bat - Go Diego Go!)

Bella & Robert supporting their favorite cousin ;)


Unfortunately, that's all the fun we had in Cleburne.  The whole tournament was canceled due to the weather :(

So this weekend they played in a tournament in Waxahachie...they played two games Saturday...




 Let's go 7!!!




And one game Sunday...


 Got walked to 1st...

Waiting on the batter to send him home...

Aidan got to pitch :)

He did so good!

Love this picture :)



Aidan does not normally pitch...he normally plays 1st base or center field.  I was so excited for him!  He was nervous, but he did really good :)  His coaches told him he did GREAT and they plan to start working with him on pitching.  Seeing him up there just makes my heart smile - I almost cried :)

Too bad they lost all three games - bad - real bad - but hey, who's keeping track ;) Ha!

They have a lot of growing to do as a team, but at least they have their first tournament behind them!  Haha!

Each of these boys are GREAT baseball players - it just takes time as a new team to get it all together - but we will keep the FAITH!

GO AZTECS!!!