Love this time of year!

Today is one of the greatest days of the year....SNOW DAY! You read correctly. Today is a snow day. Today is one of the greatest perks to being a teacher. I'd be lying if I wasn't just as, or more excited than my students at the possibility of today being a snow day. I am spending today hanging with my two favorite people in the whole world, boxing up our stuff, and searching for the lost ipad :( 

Our big move into our new house is next Saturday! We close on the house Monday. Monday night, you'll find us painting our house. We will not be wasting any time between closing and moving day. So if you find yourself free on Saturday, December 14 and want to do some heavy lifting, let me know. We would love the extra help :) 

We've done lots of shopping for the house for necessities. Ted seems to think this one is a necessity. What do you think? 

Jackson is 9 months old!!! It is absolutely crazy how fast this year has gone. I felt like the first several weeks of his life were the longest weeks of my life. And now here I am, 9 months later. Crazy!! It definitely feels surreal. It feels like it was a dream or someone else was going through it. Anyway, he's 9 months old and on the move! He's crawling (not army crawling) all over the place!! One minute he's in the living room. The next minute, he's stuck in between chairs under the dining room table. He also has two bottom teeth that have popped through. He got teeth much earlier than Lucy. Her teeth did not come in until 11 months. His arrived a few months earlier. 

We spent our Thanksgiving in Athens with my family. We had so much fun! We ate, and played, and ate, and played some more, and shopped, and ate even more. It was more about the quality time with family than anything else. This year has taught us how very precious life is and how very important your loved ones are. We are not taking any of that granted. We are very thankful!! 

Addie, Lucy, & Gaga made a Thanksgiving wreath 

We finally have a kids table for Thanksgiving dinner :) 

Lucy with Aunt Teri and her cousin Quinnie...and of course 

Phil in the background photo-bombing

Addie and Jackson playing

Lucy and Quinnie, with a little photo-bombing Jackson in the background. 

I'm starting to think my family loves doing this :) 

On the way home from Athens, we met my family in Columbus at the zoo for Wild Lights. They were really good. The kids were all bundled up looking at Christmas lights and the animals. Lucy cried on the way out because she wanted to see "more animals". Maybe crying is an understatement. Ok. She screamed all the way out for "MORE ANIMALS!!!" 

Group shot

Hard to believe that Christmas will be here in a few short weeks. I hope you've got all/most of your shopping done. We're trying to get ours finished before we move. Not quite sure that's going to happen. 2013 will come to a close and we'll welcome 2014 with open arms! 

We wish you the Merriest Christmas 

and the Happiest New Year!! 

Lots of Love, 

Ted, Amanda, Lucy, & Jackson Schwieterman

8 months old....yesterday :(

As I was getting ready for work this morning, it dawned on me that Jackson was 8 months old. Yesterday. And I forgot. Wow! This mom needs to take a breath and slow down. Things have been quite hectic lately. I'm afraid that my kids are feeling that too :( 

He is so close to crawling that I feel if I just give him a little nudge, he'll take off! I tried that with Lucy and she fell on her face. So I won't try that with him. I'll let him figure it all out on his own. When he's not attempting to crawl, he's rolling everywhere!!! I think if I rolled as much as does, I'd be super duper dizzy! 

This past month we've been on the go! We've been to Athens several times. Jackson and Lucy experienced their first OU Homecoming. We went to the parade and tailgated for the game. I figured the kids wouldn't be able to handle the game. So we skipped that part (OU won if you're curious). Jackson experienced the Marching 110 on the parade route. He even slept through part of it. Still trying to figure out how that's possible. 

We have visited our house on a weekly basis. It is moving along so fast! Lucy has been through the house a lot. She even knows what room is hers and what room is "baby Jack's". 

Lucy participated in carving her very first pumpkin. She was definitely more interested in the seeds than anything else. Jackson even supervised. 

As most of you know, the weather on Halloween was terrible. It rained...and rained...and rained. Ted's parents neighborhood didn't postpone trick-or-treating. Cinderella braved the storms to get her candy. She was a little shy at first, but quickly got the hang of it. She kept saying, "next house daddy!" And off they would go to get more candy. I had to cut her off after about 30 minutes. She was soaking wet and so was I. I told her trick-or-treat was over. She kept asking why there were still kids outside :) I don't think I'll be able to get away with that again. 

Jackson was a bat. I wanted him to be a shark (because of my fascination and obsession with sharks). The shark costume was expensive, compared to the bat. The cheaper one won out. He was a super cute bat though :) He didn't participate in the trick-or-treating. He stayed in with Aunt Jill. 

Thanksgiving is one of my very favorite holiday's. I get to sit around the table with my whole family. We are a loud group. But we are a fun group! We laugh, cry, tell stories, and count our blessings. This year there is one more little blessing that I am so very thankful for :)

My loves...

Happy Thanksgiving All! 

Rockin & Rollin

Jackson is 7 months old today! I feel like I just posted his 6th month blog entry. This first year is going so fast! He was a whopping 21.5 pounds at his last doctor's visit. He placed 90th percentile in head and weight and 97th percentile in length. We've got a big boy! 

He has quickly moved out of his infant carrier and into the "big" car seat, facing backwards of course. Lucy had to be moved into her "big girl" seat so he could be in the car seat. He loves it. He has so much more room now than before. 

This boy is seriously on the move. He is going places and he will get there even if there are things in his way. He is rolling from literally one room to the other. It cracks me up to put him down in one spot, walk into another room, and come back to find that he has rolled far away from where I originally put him down. 

He has started on real food. He's not very fond of sweet potatoes. He sort of likes green beans. Today he started squash. According to Ted, he's a fan :) And he sometimes falls asleep in his high chair. 

The Congenital Heart Walk was a huge success!! Thanks again to all who donated, walked, or both! I've already started planning for next years! 

Following up from one of the previous entries (lots of changes), we are currently living in Ted's parents basement. We decided since we couldn't find a house out there that fit us, we would build one. Ground was broken September 19 and today we have windows! Things are progressing quite rapidly. We are beyond excited to move in. Lucy loves going out there and "playing in the dirt". She puts on her rain boots and walks around in the dirt and mud. I think it sunk in today that this house is soon going to be ours! It is on track to be finished sometime in December. 

I (hope) I can officially say that Lucy is potty trained!! She is telling us whenever she has to go and she's even pooping on the potty!! I had to buy a portable toilet for our trips to Athens. I was too afraid of stopping at a gas station and having to cart both kids in for her to go on a random potty. I know I'm slightly crazy. Anyway, I purchased a $12 toilet that sits in the car. Hands down - best $12 I have ever spent!!! Please take my advice - if you travel any distance, invest in a portable toilet to keep in the car. You will not be sorry. 

I so look forward to Halloween. It is my very favorite holiday! Costumes have already been purchased for both kids. I can't wait to dress them up and walk from house to house getting candy. Truth be told, we probably won't make it very far. Lucy has become very shy and will probably balk at walking up to a stranger's house. I think I'm ok with that though. 

Jackson loves our sitter Tina! Who wouldn't! She's so sweet and treats my kids like her own. I thought it was just Tina that he wanted to go there to see...until now. He has a little girlfriend there! Seriously cute! 

Happy (almost) Halloween! 

Thank You!

THANK YOU...from the bottom of my heart, thank you! 

Yesterday was such a fabulous day! It was the Congenital Heart Walk. You showed up in the cool temps, drizzly conditions, and walked for Jack's Pack. It was amazing. I teared up a few (or several) times. I was so amazed at all the support we've received throughout this journey. I set a goal in June to raise $250 for the walk. I also had a goal of getting 10 members to walk for Jack's Pack. I am proud to announce that we not only met our goal, we exceeded it! By a lot!! In the end, Jack's Pack raised $650 and recruited 16 members!! 

The Congenital Heart Walk in Greater Cincinnati raised a whopping $27,347.00! We are so proud to be part of this group. 

Thank you so much for all your support, donations, kind words, and your walking. All of this means the world to our family!! 

Here are some pictures from our fabulous day!  

And we're off! 

Jackson and me with our friends, Brooke and Tyson.Cutie-pie Tyson is also a CHD baby.  

Schwieterman Family :)

Jackson's uncle Charlie and cousin Addison. 

An adorable Jack's Pack supporter. 

Stare down time...

Ricky & Lucy :)

My favorite picture from the day...

THANK YOU!! 

Lots of changes!

Today finds us celebrating Jackson's 6 month birthday. I really am amazed at how fast these past 6 months have gone. 

This week found me starting back to school. I have been off work since the end of February, before my little "big" man arrived. As I walked into my classroom on Tuesday, I was flooded with memories of arriving back to school after finding out about Jackson's heart defect. I teared up recalling how much he was going to have to go through upon being born. I was so nervous, scared, anxious, and I wanted time to stop. I was not looking forward to him being born. He had so much up against him. However, they were happy tears :) They were happy tears because we are on the other side of this thing. Jackson is doing wonderfully and growing like a weed! He continues to fly off the charts for everything! He is doing better than we ever expected. My mom told me that one day I would look back at all this and I would smile because we survived it. My mom was right (don't tell her I said that).

Jackson saw his cardiologist in August and got a good report. He still has his soft murmur. He also has a leaky valve. The doctors assured us that it's nothing to get excited about. It could go away, it could stay the same, or it could get worse. The bad news is that he could be put on medicine (way down the road) to reduce or fix the leakiness or worst case, he could need surgery (waaaaay down the road) to fix it. The good news is that they're going to watch it closely. They will know if it goes away, starts to get worse, or stays the same. They're on top of it! 

This past month has brought about a lot of changes. Not only did I go back to work, but we moved. We decided to rent our condo(since we couldn't sell it) and find a bigger house for our family. Four people in a two-bedroom condo just wasn't making much sense, not to mention the 3-flight climb with a toddler and a big infant! We are temporarily living with Ted's parents until our next step is determined. 

Jackson had his circumcision. It was an outpatient procedure at Children's. They did put him completely under for the procedure. This scared me quite a bit. It would be the first time he was put under since his major surgery. By the time we were settled in the waiting room at Children's, the surgery was over, and he was headed to recovery. The surgery went very well. The biggest drawback to him having the procedure at 5 months old is his activity is limited. He's a very active infant, and he can't be as active as he's used to. His activity is limited to two weeks. Tomorrow is the two week mark. We are very much looking forward to him returning to his normal activity. 

Let's summarize our crazy, change-filled month: Jackson was circumcised, Lucy was potty-trained, Jackson started cereal, mom went back to work, and we moved! It's been one hectic month! Hoping the next few months find us slowing down a bit. 

I am so looking forward to beginning the holiday season with Jackson. This crazy momma is obsessed with Halloween! I actually bought Lucy's Halloween costume last year in July :) So naturally, I've already started planning Jackson's. You'll have to stay tuned to see what he will be! 

Happy back to school everyone! 

Here are some adventures from the past month. 

Jackson on the day of his circumcision. He was such a happy boy! I really felt bad about what was coming :( 

Enjoying his first taste of cereal. 

My little All Star learned how to start spitting and seriously drooling. Me thinks some teeth are coming! 

P.S. The Congenital Heart Walk is coming up in 2 weeks!! Jack's Pack is super excited to represent in the walk. It's not too late to register to walk and/or donate. Check out the link here for the Heart Walk. Hope to see everyone there! Jack's Pack was featured on Facebook on the official Congenital Heart Walk Page. Here's a picture of their first Team Tuesday. 

Congenital Heart Walk

As many of you know, on January 29, 2013, Jackson, was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect (Transposition of the Great Arteries). That was months ago and despite some very challenging times, he is doing great! To recognize this important time in our lives, we have started Jack's Pack to benefit the Congenital Heart Walk. I would like to ask for your support by either joining the team or sending in your tax-deductible donation today! 

The Congenital Heart Walk is Saturday, September 21, 2013 at Eden Park at 10:00 am. Please feel free to come and walk for Jackson and for others with congenital heart defects. 

We'll even have fun "Jack's Pack" shirts :)

Here are just some of the facts: Nearly two million children and adults are living with a congenital heart defect (CHD) in the United States. Each year approximately 40,000 babies are born with a CHD, making it the country’s #1 birth defect. At least 10% of all congenital heart defects are first found in adulthood. Thanks to increases in survival rates, the number of adults living with a CHD rises by 5% a year and adults with CHDs are living longer, fuller lives than ever before.  Your support will continue our progress.

The Congenital Heart Walk is an exciting joint effort between the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA) and the Children’s Heart Foundation (CHF)! This effort will raise funds to help both organizations continue their missions to address the needs of both the newly diagnosed and long-term survivors of congenital heart defects, in a truly inspirational day of sharing, caring and fun. 

As you know, fighting congenital heart defects for our family is personal. Please support our efforts by joining Jack's Pack for the walk on September 21, making a donation, or BOTH! 

Jackson after his open heart surgery to fix the congenital heart defect. 

Jackson today, thanks to advances in technology. These advances in technology allowed Jackson to be diagnosed in utero, which saved his life. 

Thank you for all your support! 

Love,

Ted, Amanda, Lucy, & Jackson Schwieterman

5 months!

Jackson turned 5 months old today! I can't believe how fast 5 months has gone! He had his 4 month check-up last week and weighed in at 19.5 pounds. He is quickly pushing out of his 9 month clothing and into 12 month clothing. Ted and I looked back at Lucy's info from when she was an infant. He is 3.5 pounds bigger than Lucy was at his age. 

A lot has happened since the last post. He had an appointment with the Neurodevelopmental Clinic. At this 4 hour appointment, he saw a plethora of specialities:  cardiologists, developmental pediatricians, nutrition, physical therapy, social work, etc. He came out doing very well. He's right on track for his age group. They said he did have a flat spot on his head, but that's pretty normal since infants spend so much time on their backs. They said it'll round out the more he's on his tummy and upright. 

He had his consultation for his circumcision. The doctor saw us for a total of about 5 minutes. He said Jackson has to get the okay from his cardiologist first, and then we'll schedule it. It's an outpatient procedure. They will put him under for the procedure. As long as cardiology doesn't want him to spend the night, he'll go home that day. I'm hoping we can get it scheduled this month since school starts next month. 

On Thursday, he has his big cardiology appointment. He will get an echocardiogram, an EKG, and see his cardiologist. This will be his first echo since leaving the hospital. I have to say, I'm a little nervous. I know Jackson is doing well, but I'm still nervous. I think there will always be a part of me that will hold my breath when this test comes hoping nothing shows up. 

Jackson has started rolling over. He does things his own way, he has made that perfectly clear. He started rolling from his back to his stomach. Most infants roll from their stomach to their back first. Not Jackson. He rolls from back to stomach and then back again. He has also started sleeping on his side. It looks rather uncomfortable. So we try to straighten him out and put him on his back, and he goes right back to his side. 

We've also been given the green light on starting solids. It's quite bittersweet. I'm anxious to get him started and sad at the same time. He's growing up so fast! 

Jackson made his first big trip to Folly Beach, South Carolina a couple weeks ago. He did awesome during the trip! Both the kids did great! We ended up leaving on a Saturday night at 9pm and arrived at Folly Beach about 7:30 the next morning. Driving through the night is better for kids, but it's torture for the parents. Fortunately, we were able to get some naps in since my mom was there to help. Jackson had such a great time on the beach. He ended up getting sand EVERYWHERE! We had to give him a bath after he was on the beach every single time. He loved the pool. Most of all, he loved being spoiled by his aunt, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. 

Beach Babe!  

Hanging out in the pool with his cousin Addison

Meanwhile in the Schwieterman household, we are preparing to potty train Lucy, preparing to go back to school for me, and to the sitter for Lucy and Jackson. By the time school starts, I will have been off for 6 whole months! Going back to school is not going to be easy!  

Just a reminder that the walk for Congenital Heart Defects is coming up soon! I'm a bit shy of my fundraising goal. Hoping to get some more donations by the time of the walk to at least meet my goal. If you'd like to donate, please feel free to donate to Jack's Pack. If you'd like to join Jack's Pack and walk with us on September 21, please feel free to join. The more the merrier! 

Tyson update: Tyson had his surgery on July 22. It was a successful surgery. He is now home and showing his personality off! Thank you for your prayers for him. Please continue to pray for his recovery. Like Jackson, he has a long road ahead of him. 

Some pictures from the past month...

Hanging out in his jumper

Smiley Jack :)

Ready for his mom's favorite week of the year - shark week! 

Happy Shark Week everyone!