Here are a few recent photos that I thought I would post before going to work. It is hard to pin down three kids for a decent shot!!! I return to work on Dec. 15. I feel so lucky to have been able to spend the past 12 weeks with my new baby boy! I had an enjoyable maternity leave full of visitors, extra time with all the kids, lots of walks in the neighborhood, sleep and relaxed days watching the leaves change from my "feeding post" on the living room couch. Going back to work will definitely put a cramp in our new routine! This maternity leave has been different, to say the least...Eric lost his job in early Nov., Madelyn started staying home all day with us beginning mid-Nov., and Rylie now takes the bus home from school and is home at 3pm. Not exactly the mommy-and-Kai time I thought it would be, but it has been wonderful to spend such valuable time with my family.

Kai discovered his hands this week and is now trying to grab things. He likes to blow bubbles with his slobber, look at himself in the mirror (we call it "hanging out with his best friend"), watch the ceiling fan or mobile and stand up on our lap, but hates tummy time. He doesn't cry very often and it is usually pretty easy to figure out the reason. He is eating every 2 1/2 hours but sleeps all night from about 11-7. WOW! We will introduce formula this week.

Rylie lost her second tooth. Maddie is going through a mini-depression (just my diagnosis) it seems. She is used to having many friends to play with during the day so it is hard being at home, I think. She spends too much time lying on the floor, watching cartoons with her thumb in her mouth and her blankie. Eric has started taking her to the library for story time and she loves that. There's also a few friends that are home during the day that she can play with so he is going to start scheduling play dates.

We wish you a joyous holiday season!!

Happy Halloween!

This month, Rylie started swim classes twice a week and we attended her first parent-teacher conference. She is doing well in school, but we were told that she talks A LOT and sometimes gets lost in her own little world. That sounds like our daughter. I had a job interview today. It is a promotion within my same department and I have a really good chance of getting it!! Kai went for his 1 mo. check up two weeks ago and weighed 9.5 lbs. He is already bursting out of his 0-3 mo. onesies like the Incredible Hulk. I will probably pull out the 3-6 mo. clothes next week. Rylie and Madelyn went to the Renaissance Festival a few weeks ago with Jan and Leon so you'll see some fun pictures on the blog of their adventures. Also, they enjoyed trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood. Rylie was a unicorn and Madelyn was Tinker Bell.

Update on Kai

Kai is two weeks old!! He is certainly a blessing and an amazing little being. He has beautiful long, slender hands and feet, loves to put his hands on his face and in his auburn hair, and is already showing us his strength by trying to hold his head up during tummy time. Sometimes he can be difficult to hold because he sort of bobs his head and moves his torso, traveling around our shoulder and neck area until he finds himself in an awkward position tipped over onto our arm. He is a sweet baby who eats about every 2 hours and, for the most part, is only getting up twice during the night, minus a few nights when he has had belly issues. Eating, sleeping, and pooping--all that a newborn should be concerned about! Originally, I thought he looked like Rylie, but he is looking more and more like Madelyn everyday, especially when his eyes are closed and he is eating.

The girls are IN LOVE. Instead of being happy to see me when they come rushing through the door each afternoon, their focus is on their baby brother. Because Madelyn gets a little rough in her excitement, she has been limited to only kissing his head and rubbing his legs. Rylie loves to hold him and has a knack for putting him to sleep while she holds him in the Boppy. I am told by others that his is smiling, but I haven't seen one yet that cannot be attributed to gas. The rule in our family is if mommy doesn't see the milestone (smiles, laughing, first steps, etc.), it hasn't happened yet!

Pictures include a few I took on his due date (the diaper/bed shots), some with the family, and his first bath.

More pictures, plus Rylie lost her first tooth last week

He has arrived!

Kai Michael Titler made his speedy arrival into the world on Saturday, September 20 at 8:39pm. He weighs 7 lbs, 5 ozs. and is 20 inches long. He is quite handsome with auburn hair, blue eyes, long toes and big hands. He looks a lot like Rylie when she was born. I started contractions at 1pm and we arrived at the hospital about 5pm. As they were assessing me to determine if I was really in labor, my contractions basically stopped completely. We were sure they were going to send me home, but the doctor confirmed that I was 3-4 cm and 90% effaced. I spent quite a bit of time in the jacuzzi which was comforting during contractions. Things started getting pretty hard and fast around 7pm. I pushed maybe twice and I heard his strong cries. I am feeling good, but need lots of naps!

The girls came by this morning to meet their baby bro. Rylie, the consummate big sis, woke up begging to come see him. She was sweet and held him gently, then excitedly did jumping jacks for us in the hospital room. Madelyn is the one who we will need to work on. She showed her love by smacking the top of his head and tickling his face with her too-long fingernails! She is all out in everything she does. They were both so excited that they acted wild for the 30 minutes they were here.

We are heading home tomorrow.

Waiting for baby...

We moved into our house on August 15 and have been busy unpacking ever since. This is our dream house so we are thrilled to be here. We are slowing getting things in place and it is starting to feel more like our home. As you might imagine, the first thing that was hung on the wall was Charlie, the deer.

Rylie started kindergarten about a week after we moved in. She has adjusted really well and although she won't tell us what she learns at school (she always says they are learning about birds. They have been learning about birds for 3 weeks, apparently), she seems to be doing well. She has only gotten in trouble twice and both times were for, no surprise, unnecessary talking. She rides the bus everyday and it still shocks me to see my little girl hop on a bus in the morning!!

I am still having circulation issues with this pregnancy and developed a superficial blood clot in my leg last week. According to the docs, the only way to get rid of it is to have the baby and get the weight off my legs. OK, let's do it! I still have two weeks left before my due date, but we are hoping he will come early. We had an ultrasound yesterday to confirm that he has enough fluid since I am only measuring at 33 weeks. Everything is fine, he looks strong, and we were even able to see a little hair on his head. Can't wait to meet our Baby Kai!! Don't be freaked out by my bare belly in these photos. I thought it would be fun to show it off since this is definitely my last pregnancy.

Madelyn is spending her first night in her "big girl bed" tonight. She was so excited and kept saying, "I want to sleep in THAT bed." She was ready to hop in before her PJs were on. I don't remember Rylie looking as little in her new bed as Maddie did tonight...she looked so tiny in her new full size bed.

Rylie's 5th Birthday

Rylie's Birthday Bonanza has finally come to a close. The events commenced about two weeks ago as gifts started arriving by mail. Then, we had a family party on July 3. We celebrated her actual birthday on the 4th of July by going to Lazy 5 Ranch (see pictures), a drive-thru petting zoo. So neat! Madelyn was a little tentative at first, but eventually warmed up and kept calling the baby pigs to the wagon. She even dumped some food into a buffalo's mouth! We ended the day with fireworks which neither girl appreciated. We headed home after only seeing about 5 bursts. Presents were still arriving throughout last week with festivities ending Saturday with a big birthday bash at Noah's Art, a place where they teach art classes to kids (see pictures). Rylie's only birthday wish was to receive a Bible, which Eric and I gave her. Other favorite presents include dresses, a watch, and an umbrella. "Mommy, what time is it?" and "Is it going to rain today?" are now often heard at our house. She informed us that now that she's five, she will be a good listener and won't have to go in time out anymore. That promise made my heart sing, but unfortunately, her birthday resolution didn't last (not even a DAY)!

We still haven't decided on a name for the baby boy. We keep thinking that it is all settled, but then question it. We may need to see his face first, not sure. Big sister Rylie declared with authority, "You can call him whatever you want when he's in your belly, but when he comes out, his name is Kai." (the first name we chose)

Plans are to close on the house on Aug. 19 and kindergarten starts the next day!! Lots of transitions. Madelyn will move to a big-girl-bed once we move which still seems crazy since she's NEVER tried to climb out of her crib. But, we need the crib for a next one...

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! We went to the doctor yesterday for Rylie's hand and, after waiting 1 hour to see him, he told us that she is on a wonderful path to a full recovery and he doesn't need to see her anymore!!! The doctors make no promises regarding scarring, but with the way her hand and leg looks, I can't imagine that any scars will be that noticeable. We are just so thankful that she healed so quickly, doesn't seem traumatized, and has complete use of her hand. We were even cleared for the swimming pool and the beach...necessary activities for a Carolina 4 year old.

Now, we can begin to focus on other activities such as the house and the baby. They installed the countertops and graded the front yard this week. We are trying to get the builder to give us a closer date with little success. I have, however, begun looking into financing options since it seems like the only things left to do on the house are the kitchen backsplash, hardwoods stained, plumbing fixtures installed and yard landscaped (I could be so wrong. Who knows?). This darling baby growing inside me has been very patient during our burn event and hasn't given me much trouble. I have these odd symptoms that will come, stay for about a week, then go. The latest is cramping in my right leg and foot that is a result of poor circulation (thank you for the varicose veins, mom, I love you!). Also, I am beginning to get out of breath occasionally. We thought we had decided on a name, but we are questioning our decision now. We can't see a little Kai (Ky) Titler running around unless he's a surfer and we live at the beach. Rylie informed us that it didn't matter what we named him, she was going to call him Kai; I guess we know what his nickname will be then. Feisty little Madelyn is just as entertaining one minute as she is challenging the next. I guess that is par for the course with a 2 year old. She can really scream when she's mad!! She has picked up on phrases like "That's awesome"and "Oh my goodness". And, she can still eat as much as a grown man. She had a bowl of cereal, cheese, and 1 1/2 PB&J sandwiches tonight for dinner and was then eyeing my pasta (leftover night). She refers to both boys and girls as "her" and thinks that burps and toots are the funniest (that DOES sound like a Warren, doesn't it)!

Great news!!

Rylie and I went to her first occupational therapy appointment today and after the assessment, the therapist told me the most wonderful news I think I have ever heard...she does not need to attend additional sessions and she will have full range of motion in her left hand!!!!! Praise God who is always good and who loves our little girl more than we could ever imagine. Rylie says that God and His angels come down at night to heal her hand while she sleeps. We are convinced of this given her quick recovery. If you have ever had a sick or really hurt child, you understand that, in one instant, nothing becomes more important than his or her healing. We have been through an extremely rough three weeks and I can't express to you, my family and friends, how much your love and support has meant to us and how much it has helped us. Rylie is SO loved. We are SO loved.

About a week ago, she experienced a reaction to either the latex glove or the bacitracin ointment (the new bandage process requested by our doctor). She had red blisters all over her hand. We struggled with that for a few days and finally decided to leave the bandage off completely as of yesterday. That was the right thing to do, I believe, because it quickly made it easier for her to move and use her hand throughout the day. She is getting more confident each day with her hand. We have another doctor appointment next Wednesday and I am eager to hear what he has to say.

Again, thank you!!
The Titlers

Rylie's progress

Update:

We are having to change the bandage less and less and the new skin on her hand is looking really good (albeit red, new, tender). We've had a couple rough days or nights interspersed with good days. Sometimes, her hand will start hurting her and that's all she can think about. She says it feels like crabs pinching her or bees stinging her. It takes a while to get her calmed down and sometimes we have to change the bandage just to appease her (she is convinced that that will do the trick). Each time we change her bandage, she takes a little time to stretch out her fingers; we have seen great progress there and are very encouraged by that. She is still on the same medication and med schedule. We go to the doctor for a follow-up visit this Wed. and I am really looking forward to hearing his prognosis. As I stated before, she has adapted so quickly to using just one hand. She can dress herself with one hand, go to the bathroom, brush her teeth, and strap herself into her carseat (still the 5-point harness) with minimal assistance. Sometimes she will ask me to be "my other hand", but mostly she doesn't want help. I am going back to work tomorrow and hope that we will both do OK apart from each other (she is going to Miss Tonya's and will be there the rest of the summer). I will probably work from home a couple of days this week though.

Please continue to pray for us as we still have a long journey ahead.

Email from June 3, 2008:

Last weekend, Rylie and Eric went camping at a nearby campground. On Saturday morning (5/31), she fell into a smoldering fire and severely burned her left hand (her dominant hand) and has several other burn spots on the left side of her body. She was rushed to the Children's Emergency room and stayed there Sat. night. We were allowed to come home on Sunday afternoon and now Eric and I are in charge of changing her bandage and giving her the medicine (a narcotic). We feel confident that the rest of the burns will heal with minimal or no scarring, but none of us are sure about the hand yet. It will take about a month of this regimen before we will know more about the range of motion of her left hand and how it will look when it heals. Apparently, burns on hands heal very differently and on other body parts so there is a possibility that her hand may heal, but be constricted which would require plastic surgery or occupational therapy.

She has been amazingly strong and in great spirits. She complained more about the IV in her right hand than the state of her left hand when we were in the hospital. She has been begging to go outside and play, but we need to limit that while her other burns heal as they shouldn't be in direct sunlight. We have watched lots of movies and worked on lots of art projects (she is actually pretty ambidextrous!). And, she is already getting proficient at doing things with one hand and doesn't want much help. The last day of school is Thursday so we are going to her classroom tomorrow so that she can say goodbye to her friends. She made a few of them pictures that say "I am feeling good" so they won't worry. Such an awesome, inspiring little girl.

This is a tough and scary situation, but we are so thankful that it wasn't worse, that the right people were there at the right time, that we live near a Children's ER and Hospital, that we have so many loving hearts around us, and that she'll eventually be OK. We are just taking it all one day at a time. To those of you who already know about the situation, thank you for your calls and your help.

Pictures of Beaufort, SC, house progress and family visit (May '08)

For our anniversary, Eric and I went to Beaufort, SC, one of our favorite southern towns. One of the pictures is of my favorite house in town. We were lucky enough to go inside the last time we visited as it was for sale for over $1M. Another is of my pregnant belly at about 19 weeks. Susan and Leah visited over Memorial Day weekend. We had a great time with them and they got to experience with us the surprising event of Rylie cutting her own hair!!! We have since taken care of that and now she has bangs.