Friday, March 16, 2012

BIG Catch Up

I have some more exciting news in gigantic blob-like fashion since updates are few and far between for me these days. For those of you who are still hanging in here with me and have sent emails wondering what is going on at our house:

1) Brynn is doing well post surgery. Since the procedure, she still had a lot of puking but she didn't need her meds for constipation. A few months later, we were able to wean her off amitriptyline (a big whew!). Afterwards, we started her on a new smoothie diet via the G-tube (courtesy of GreenSmoothieGirl.com) and we are pleased to report that she is going on 4 weeks of being completely puke free! Double yay for good health as a result of good nutrition! Due to this upturn, we've also been weaning her off of her Zantac (she's been on this since shortly after coming home from the NICU) and in a couple weeks we expect her to be completely med free for the first time ever! HOORAY!

2) Heidi is 16.5 months old and has a vocabulary of somewhere around 150 words including "bakugan ball" and "basketball" as clear as a bell. I imagine she's not far from speaking in true sentences, but I'm still hesitant to accept, "It's a BABY!" as a real sentence since I don't think she really knows she's saying three separate words. Either way, she's a chatter box. But for wherever she may be "ahead" in language, she is surely "behind" in walking. Our little squirt is more than capable, but is absolutely too cautious to want to walk indepedently. She prefers knee walking (which she knows isn't as fast as crawling, but her thumb is free for sucking, you see). Silly girl...if I ever get the motivation, I'll upload the video of her first independent walk--some 2 minutes of walking all over the upstairs bedrooms, turning corners, stopping, starting, etc., with no balance problems whatsoever. But would she do it again the next day (or anytime since for that matter)? Nope.

3) My pregnancy is going well; but it always does until 24 weeks so I'm not getting my hopes up just yet. I'm currently 21 weeks and counting down until April 5th when I reach that nail-biting milestone. However, I'm doing everything I can to do better this time--including doing greensmoothiegirl.com myself. I'm optimistic it's helping my pregnancy because after adjusting to the better nutrition, I started sleeping like a log (I'm an especially bad insomniac when pregnant), had WAY more energy (used to need a nap every day with the girls, but now I never need one), completely stopped getting migraines (also a pregnancy gift for me), and--best of all--noticed far fewer contractions. Maybe, just maybe, I can help my body do what my body needs to do by feeding it really, really well. Combining the diet changes with the weekly shots in the rear, the cerclage, and making sure I don't overdo it, really gives me hope that I can have a "normal" pregnancy. Oh yes...did I mention? IT'S A BOY! The Hunsaker name WILL GO ON (for those of you who don't know, Matt is the only boy with 7 sisters)!

4) My first Isaiah painting got accepted into the LDS Church's 9th International Art Show--one of under 200 accepted with over 1100 entries. I was delighted to see my own piece hanging in a real live gallery (who would have thought?). I was doubly delighted to see it right next to Walter Rane's piece. I love Walter Rane. So I officially feel like a Big Whig, even though by every measure of the word, I am still a total no-name! Ha! Yay for my first glimpse of real exposure.

More coming later. Some day. No promises on a timeline here. We are in the process of buying a house, managing a bunch of new diet routines, raising two great little hoodlums, planning the next painting, staying pregnant, and getting ready to move. I still have really high intentions of doing some sort of political rant, but the more I write and try to hunt down my sources, the more I realize I know very little and am only parroting other people. I am mostly investing a great deal of time educating myself before I open my fat mouth via the computer keyboard for the whole world to read. Or maybe I'm just being a chicken and stalling...

7 comments:

Alyson said...

I'm so happy about Brynn's progress! I'm sure you're all ecstatic. And I have all my fingers and toes crossed that this pregnancy sticks all by itself, and that you won't be in the hospital and away from your family for a long time. Congratulations on the painting! I hope we see i in a future Ensign!

Jenn Ross said...

YAY A BOYYYY!!!!!! Sending good thoughts your way for a long and healthy pregnancy. Good to hear how well Brynn is doing! I am interested in your smoothies, can you post about what you put in them? My son didn't walk until nearly 17 months, and now he does somersaults off the couch and climbs everything. He is a "talker" like Heidi. Congrats on your painting!

Kate said...

I'm so glad the bakugan ball has such a happy home at your house.

Tamera Westhoff said...

Hurray for boys! (I'm having one too, I think we're due about the same time!) It sounds like green smoothies are the way to go! I'm so glad all is going well with the craziness that is doing all that you do! You're amazing!

TiAnn said...

So glad to hear that Brynn is doing so well, couldn't be happier for her! And congrats on expecting a boy, that's fantastic that he'll carry on the Hunsaker name. We'll hope & pray with you that your pregnancy is quite boring & uneventful. Love you all & wish you the best.

Unknown said...

Natalie! This is such great news all around!! I am so happy to read about all of these blessings. And I voted for your painting today. All of the submissions were amazing. That is such a huge accomplishment. And hooray for baby boys! Prayers for a continued healthy pregnancy. :)

pepper said...

Natalie your painting is FANTASTIC!!! That is something I would hang in Eleanor's bedroom. Congratulations! - on everything!!