Trip to Dallas

As I laid Tristan down at 12:30 Thursday morning, I wondered if I should even attempt sleep myself.  I decided to finish up some work and start getting ready.  It wasn't worth it to stress about sleeping through the alarm and I was NOT missing this appointment.  We managed to get everything packed (yes I over packed, but hey, I'm a little OCD so what did you expect?) excluding the stroller, which we quickly realized we definitely needed.  Got on the road and Tristan started screaming.  Not going to lie.  I thought it was going to be a sign of the day...just for a split second!  I couldn't allow that to happen.  I have been so hopeful about this appointment and it was going to remain that way.  We get to the hospital almost an hour early.  (My Dad would probably fall out of his chair if he knew this was the 2nd time in two weeks I was early for an appointment.)  We were checked in and had to go here, then there, then back to here...it was a lot of shuffling.  (Hence the need for the stroller.)  Can I just tell you how much more shuffling I would do?  The physician we saw was just amazing.  Before he even ordered x-rays, he told us what was wrong.  The x-rays simply confirmed it.  Once he had the x-rays, we went over every bone in Tristan's hand and he explained what we were looking at for surgery options.  We are looking at two different options for surgery, however we will need to go back in 6 months for additional x-rays to determine the path for surgery.  The great news is, with either surgery we are quite happy.  Such a huge difference than the last surgeon.

After the hustle and bustle of the morning, we were able to spend the afternoon with Brent's Aunt Nancy.  She was such a pleasure to be with.  We went to lunch and were able to spend some time at her house.  She lovingly played hostess to my friend (of many many years) Rachel and her daughter, Madison.  Tristan and Madison had their first play date.  It was so cute and I'm not sure who took more photos.

Needless to say, our trip to Dallas was quite eventful, but also relaxing.  We loved our family and friend time.

Thank you again, Nancy, for being our hostess.  We truly appreciate it.

Entertaining babies can wear a man out!

Tummy time?  Yep, I got this!

Madison and Tristan being entertained by Brent.

Patience please!

Please have a little patience.  I started my post about our trip to Dallas, but I'm falling asleep at the computer.  This Mommy (and Daddy) needs some sleep.  I will definitely finish it tomorrow.

Good Night!

Then there were 3!

Alright, so I didn't quite keep up with the pregnancy like I was hoping to. (What was I honestly thinking with two jobs?!?) I am making every effort from this point forward to blog more in order to update everyone with our family. 

Tristan was born July 24th. We had our fair share of scares, including the NICU, but I don't think I would have traded it for the world. We met the most amazing nurse and had a handful of other wonderful nurses as well. Kassie is the most wonderful young lady we could have ever hoped for. 

One of Tristan's complications is his right hand missing two fingers and the thumb and pointer are webbed together. We have seen one specialist here in Austin, however we are heading to Dallas Thursday to get a 2nd opinion. Praying the surgeon we see in Dallas gives us more optimistic options. 

Now on to the fun!  Our bundle of amazing joy is growing so incredibly fast. Everyone tells you to enjoy every moment but you don't realize just how precious every second with them truly is. I sit and stare in amazement. Brent and I are still beside ourselves. Even tonight, after Tristan was asleep, we both talked about how he is so gorgeous and we couldn't have asked for a better baby. Yes, we have had our share of colic, but all in all...he is an angel. Everyone talks about how alert he always is and how he is so content. Him being our first, we really have nothing to compare to. All I know is we are blessed and we know it. He has been sleeping through the night, and by that I mean a minimum of 7 hours sleep, since the day prior to 6 weeks!!  Again, can we tell you how blessed we are?

This weekend Tristan began "whooing" like an owl. We wonder if he has heard the owl outside our window. (he usually talks all night.). When he gets going, there is no stopping him. He loves when you repeat him. We get nothing but smiles during who time.

Tonight Tristan learned he could kick in his bath, which he proceeded to do. He smiled and enjoyed soaking Mommy dearest.  We loved it though. 

Again, I promise to keep up with the blog more. Maybe some day Tristan will read it. 

 

What do two Nickells make?

You get a baby Nickell!!  We were able to see Dr. Cowan last Thursday.  Things are progressing incredibly well, per the doctor and nurse.  Baby Nickell is already so active we could see kicking, stretching and rolling over during the ultrasound.

We go back on the 19th for the 2nd ultrasound.  Stay tuned for more pictures and changes.