Carson's Photo Shoot

Joe and I had a routine ultrasound this week to check on Carson. I get them every 4 weeks to keep an eye on this little man. They check for heart issues (none to report so far, so that is fantastic), they check his growth, and they also check on me a bit too!

We were hoping to get some really good 3-D ultrasound pictures this time around because around 33 weeks is the perfect time to see a baby in 3-D. Carson did not disappoint and we got some amazing shots of him. Joe and I could see everything! He is definitely another good looking Knight Boy! He had his knee on is nose the whole time so he is definitely getting cramped in my belly! I will admit I teared up a bit...it was just so amazing to watch! We are so excited to meet this guy!

My Silly Boys!

Seriously, they are so darn cute! These boys make me laugh more than anyone should be allowed to!

Holter Monitor Results

We got a letter in the mail today from Eli's cardiologist. We usually get one after every visit, but this one was pretty exciting to read. The letter always starts with the same old words. "Eli Knight was seen in the office for follow-up evaluation of aberrantly-conducted Supraventricular Tachycardia". There are a few more long words like, precordial activity is normal, low-frequency systolic ejection murmur remains unchanged, he has no hepatosplenomegaly, and his profusion is excellent. Isn't it weird that Joe and I pretty much understand what all that means? I feel like I must have been a cardiologist in a past life, either that or Joe and I  have a child with a heart condition.
Anyways, according to the letter from Dr. C, the Holter monitor showed Eli was in perfect sinus rhythm for all of the 24 hours. There were no PAC's or PVC's (premature atrial contractions and premature ventricular contractions), which is all good news. The letter also said that in one month, when we go to his next cardiologist appointment his Flecainide dose will be "significantly reduced". Of course, we have no clue what that really means, but that is definitely the first time we have ever heard the words "significantly" and "reduced" used consecutively like that before. Joe and I have been smiling ever since. He will remain on a regular dose of Digoxin for at least the next year, but according to Dr. Cummings (his cardiologist) and Dr. Kaltman (the EP doctor at Children's Hospital) Digoxin is used like water in the world of cardiology. So, we are actually ecstatic at the prospect of Eli only being on Digoxin in the near future. I am on cloud 9!
Like I said, this was big news and Joe and I can't stop smiling!

Fall Fun!

Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons! I love living in a place where we get four seasons, and the leaves changing colors in the fall has to be one of the most beautiful things to see. Fall also means Halloween, Pumpkins, Thanksgiving, and of course caramel apples! We made some caramel apples the other day with the boys, and they turned out delicious. I probably only eat one a year, but I really look forward to it in the fall. The boys had a blast making them and eating them.

 Another project the boys took on was making Owls out of moon pies, candy corn, oreo cookies, and sprinkles. They made these with their Nonny on our recent trip to North Carolina. They were a big hit, and even though Eli can't eat the chocolate, he had a blast making them. As soon as he would get the eyes on the owl, he would turn to Nonny and say, "Perfect!". Ben, who is not a big fan of doing crafts made one and then wanted to eat it right away. It is so funny to see the difference between my boys. Eli will sit for at least an hour at a time if I put arts and crafty things in front of him, but to get Ben to do anything that requires paint, crayons, markers, scissors, or glitter is like torture to the boy. He would much rather be playing football with his friends, or working on his school book.

Ladies Man

As I wrote in a previous post, Ben is is preschool 5 days a week this year. He absolutely loves it and has made some really great friends. His teachers are FANTASTIC and he is learning so much, all while having fun.
When we pick Ben up from school, we will usually stay and play on the playground for about 20-30 minutes before we head home for lunch. Ben and Eli love it, and I enjoy talking with all the moms about mom stuff, husband stories, dinner ideas, and everything else under the sun. It is during these conversations that I get to hear some pretty funny stories about Ben. Apparently Ben is the talk of all the girls in preschool. Granted, the girls far surpass the boys in numbers, I believe there are 7 boys to 13 girls in his class. One mom told me that her daughter asked her this morning is she thought Ben would think her dress is pretty. It has also been brought to my attention that one girl likes when Ben plays tag with her because he will tackle her. I know I don't have girls, but are they really this boy crazy in preschool? I know Ben is ridiculously adorable and friendly and outgoing and sweet and wonderful and....ok, sorry about that ramble...but, I don't think I was interested in boys until at least 1st grade when my best friend and I shared the same boyfriend for about a month.

 Ben also is a hit with his teachers, which made me so proud of him. His teacher approached me one day last week after school to let me know that Ben is "a complete joy" to have in class. Miss Jen stated he is extremely helpful and friendly with his classmates and has also befriended a special needs child in the class. This boy is autistic and Ben is his special buddy and watches out for him according to his teacher. As a mom, I could not be more proud. It takes a rare and special child to recognize in preschool that a child is having a hard time. Ben truly is one of a kind!

Eli's cardiologist appointment

I try to update this blog as much as possible...I know, I know, I am kind of terrible at it. However, I do like to share Eli news whenever we have it because I know people think of his progress often. This is a much easier way to keep everyone up to date on his SVT.
Today we had his regular cardiologist check up. It consists of an EKG, height and weight check, and a complete heart physical by Dr. C. Today was his first physical as a two year old, so Joe and I were both excited to see what the doctor had to say. His EKG was perfect, his rhythms and rates are pristine, and he is one healthy two year old. After talking with the doctor for a while, a Holter Monitor was placed on him which will record his every heartbeat for 24 hours. After we take it off at 9:30 tomorrow morning, we mail it in to the hospital where they will read the report and call us with results. Dr. C said as long as everything looks good on the Holter, she is going to lower his medicine doses. I know it might not sound like much, but it is a huge step in getting Eli off of the Digoxin and Flecainide that he has been on since he was 5 weeks old. We have only ever lowered one of the meds one other time and that was about 8 months ago, so for Joe and I this is BIG! We are so excited for the day when he is no longer dependent on medicine, but we are perfectly happy taking baby steps to get there.
Eli was such a big brave boy today at the doctor. He thought for sure he was going to have to get a shot, and kept saying, NO boo boo! Luckily no shots were necessary and he sat perfectly still on the exam table while the EKG was going. He even helped the nurse attach the stickers to his chest and hook the leads on. It was just like routine to Eli. Kind of funny that he knows how to give himself an EKG (well, almost).

Dinsey in Maryland???

Even though we didn't jump on an airplane, we got a little taste of Disney right here in Maryland tonight. We headed to Disney on Ice tonight with some friends and enjoyed 2 hours of Disney Magic. This picture, although I look super scary, is the reaction from Ben & Eli when Buzz & Woody made their entrance. The video is of Eli dancing in his seat to the Lilo & Stitch piece. What can I say? We are definitely a Disney family!