Farewell, Granddaddy Ivey

For those of you who haven't already heard, David's beloved grandfather passed away on Christmas morning. Samuel and I arrived in Atlanta in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve, and we were able to visit with him during one of his last wakeful periods. He laughed, made jokes and played with the baby, and then he went back to sleep. He died peacefully, in his sleep, between 4 and 5 a.m.

Raymond Rother Ivey was faithful, patriotic, and devoted to his family. He was spirited, sly and quick with a joke. I never heard him raise his voice in anger, and he never let an opportunity pass by to let the people in his life know what they meant to him. He was the anchor of his family, and he loved his wife in a way that we rarely see in this world anymore. As one of the strongest guiding influences in David's life, he showed him what it means to be a man and how to treat a woman. I will always be grateful to him for that.

During his funeral service, there was time set aside for anyone who wanted to say a few words to remember him. I wanted to get up to say something, but grief swelled up in my throat. Had I been able to speak, I would have said that Granddaddy Ivey meant the world to me. He welcomed me into his family with open arms, and I loved him like he was my own grandfather. He inspired me with his devotion to his family, his love of his country, and his unwavering faith in God. I hope and pray that I will be able to live my life and raise my son in a way that would make him proud.

He was a truly great man. I miss him already.

My Skinny Little Man

Samuel has started to seem a little better...his fever is down below 100 degrees, and he doesn't seem as listless anymore. He had another appointment with the doctor this morning...he listened to his lungs and said that the breathing treatments seem to be working. He also said that RSV is a virus that likes to hang around for a long time, so it could be a couple more weeks before Samuel is back to 100 percent. Guess we'll just have to hang in there! Right now, my main concern is that he hasn't really gotten his appetite back. At his appointment today, we found out that he's lost nine ounces since Thanksgiving...it doesn't seem like a lot, but when you only weight 15 lbs, 6 oz to begin with, it is! The doctor doesn't seem concerned...he said it's normal for sick babies to lose their appetite and lose weight, but that Samuel isn't exhibiting any signs of dehydration, so he should be okay. Thanks to everyone for their concern...I'll continue to keep you all in the loop!

Poor Baby...

Quick update -- Samuel is still really sick. I took him to the doctor this morning after his fever spiked overnight, mostly because I was concerned that he wasn't eating and was going to get seriously dehydrated. The doctor listened to his lungs and said that the virus was definitely deep in there...he gave us a nebulizer and we now have to give the poor baby breathing treatments (the same kind they give people with asthma) every four hours for the next week. He wears this little mask (oh boy, does he just LOVE that)...it looks like a little fish, which I guess is supposed to make the whole thing "fun" (it doesn't work). He is also on a decongestant, Tylenol and amoxicillin (for an ear infection...could more stuff go wrong?!). Keeping up with all his dosages has become such a challenge that we're keeping a chart to make sure we don't get mixed up!! His RSV is so contagious that the doctor doesn't want him back in daycare until at least next week, so my mom is going to be staying home with him over the next four days. Thank God for my family...I am still so new at work and so many things have happened that required me to take time off (pregnancy complications, the birth, my recent surgery, etc)...I really don't think I could've asked for any more time off. I can't say it enough -- I just don't know what I would do without my family's help during this time. They are the best...the BEST! I'll keep you all updated...please say a prayer for my little man tonight!

RSV

Just a quick request to ask everyone to keep Samuel in your thoughts and prayers right now...he is very sick with a respiratory virus called RSV ("Respiratory Syncytial Virus"). We spent all day yesterday in the emergency room, where they took X-rays and drew blood (which was a horrible experience...they couldn't get a vein and the whole ordeal ended up taking an hour...poor Samuel screamed and cried the whole time...it was awful). Right now, he is at home, feeling miserable and breaking my heart with his hot, pink cheeks and weak little cries. If his breathing gets any more labored, or his fever gets any higher, we are going to take him to the children's hospital up in Jax. I'll keep you posted...please pray for him to be as comfortable as possible and to recover quickly!!

New Favorite Toy

I have to give a quick shout-out to my sister-in-law, Rebekah, for passing along her daughter Taryn's travel play mat, which has turned into Samuel's very favorite toy. A few photos of him enjoying it are below...look at that smile! Thanks, Rebekah (and Taryn)!!

One Little Indian...

Happy (ridiculously) belated Thanksgiving to everyone out there! This year's holiday was extra special for me, since it was my first one with my little man, who I love more and more with every passing day. Also, David flew in to spend the long weekend with us, and sitting around the table with my husband, my son and the rest of my family made me realize how truly blessed I am. There is nothing that I am more thankful for than all the special people in my life who support me, make me laugh and give me regular reality checks to keep me from going off the deep end. To count my blessings, and to honor the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, a short (and NOT all-inclusive) list of other things I'm grateful for is below:

1. 70 degree weather in December (take that, Omaha!)
2. Bella and Chloe, my crazy dogs...they might be naughty, but they've got spunk (and there are few qualities I value more than spunk!)
3. Luli's, the adorable new cupcake store downtown
4. Being seven pounds away from my pre-pregnancy weight (and thus, 17 pounds away from my goal weight...but let's not focus on that until after Christmas!!)
5. Finally owning a four bedroom home...now our houseguests won't have to sleep in a "guest room/office" (of course, we'll need to get some houseguests first...anyone? anyone?)
6. The new teak armoire I bought last week at an import store...it's one-of-a-kind, people!
7. Big Love...my new favorite show...if you've never watched it, you need to get with the program (pardon the pun). Polygamy has never seemed so quaint!
8. The rights that come with being an American (seriously...enough said)
9. The church bells that ring downtown every day at noon
10. The sound of my son's laugh

So much has happened over the past couple of weeks...I have lots more to catch you all up on, so stay tuned!! But for now, to re-focus on my most precious blessing, here are some photos of Samuel in his Thanksgiving headdress, which he made at daycare (and by "he," I of course mean "his teachers"). Enjoy!