**UPDATE**

Jeff and I headed back to see Miles tonight, and we were told that he was really struggling to breathe. Even though he is on the CPAP, they are having to up the amount of Oxygen as well as pressure that he is on. The doc has decided to go ahead and intubate Miles and give him some medicine which will help his immature lungs. I know that this is what is best for Miles, but it is still hard signing the consents and knowing what he will go through. Please keep us in your prayers. The doc is hoping that Miles will be able to rest while on the vent, seeing as he won't be having to focus on breathing. She is hoping that he might be able to be backed down off of the vent tomorrow at some point, but obviously this will be decided after looking at Miles' labs, breathing patterns, xrays, etc.
Thanks again for all of your prayers!

Miles Thomas

Miles Thomas was born Monday, 12/29/08 @ 1358 EST.

He is 8 weeks early and weighed in at 4 lbs 6 oz. He was 43 cm long (about 17"). Has a head full of red hair and looks just like Graham! He's currently in the NICU.

On Saturday, we headed out for a Walmart run, after I took my meds, and I noticed I was having contractions and knew for sure that it was because I needed to use the restroom. When we got home they didn't seem to be settling down so I laid down, hydrated myself and tried to rest. I found myself becoming more uncomfortable and finally told Jeff we should head to the hospital. I threw an overnight bag together "just in case" and Jeff loaded Graham into the car. Mom met us at the hospital and took Graham (thanks again Mimi!) and we headed up to L&D. The monitors confirmed that I was contracting. They gave me a double dose of Cardene, some Brethine, IV fluids and nothing did the trick. I finally won myself some Mag (YUCK!). I sent Jeff home when we felt like it was safe that nothing was going to happen that night. I tried my best to get some sleep, but even the Mag and Brethine combo wasn't keeping the contractions at bay.

Sunday morning, my MD made rounds and we discussed the option of transferring to a higher risk facility in the event that I were to deliver. I didn't want to be recovering from a C/S at one hospital and have my baby shipped to a hospital over an hour away. Once the ball was rolling for me to be transferred, the ambulance showed up 30 min. later and I was on my way. Jeff was in the middle of church, so mom headed to the hospital in her car.

I got settled into the new hospital, was admitted, and saw more residents than I thought I would see! I was doing alright and the plan was to stop the Mag, start me on some oral meds, and hopefully do a test 24 hours later to see if I was within a 2 week window of delivering. In typical Lauren fashion (knowing that things can't usually go the way they are planned!), I used the restroom and started to bleed. This changed the whole perspective. Contractions were harder but were manageable with meds. The rest of the evening was pretty uneventful (good thing b/c I didn't really care for my night nurse!).

On Monday at 4AM I started having an unusual pain in my abdomen. One nurse blew it off, and my day nurse came on and was shocked at how hard my belly was staying. The pain began to intensify and Miles was even moving away from the spot. We were able to get his heartbeat really low on the left side, and he started moving higher onto the right side, making it more difficult to monitor him. The pain became totally unbearable and the docs were in and out. Teaching hospitals are wonderful - but not when you are laying there miserable and you have to wait for the resident to track down his/her boss for any decisions. Finally at 1:15 they decided that the benefits of a 31 weeker delivery outweighed the risks. It was apparent that I was heading for an abruption and they needed to do something about it.
I was prepped and taken to the OR. Miles was born crying immediately, but the docs had to work really hard to get him out. I was told numerous times that they had made the best decision to go ahead and deliver - especially with what everything looked like once I was opened up.

They finished me up and took Miles to the NICU to "tuck him in" (get him admitted to his little tiny isolette).

Miles is on CPAP and doing well. I was able to hold him today skin-to-skin which was amazing!! Jeff also got to hold him today.

It looks like he will be here for a min. of 3-5 weeks. I will be going home on Thursday and then we will have to figure out our new routine. Graham has been a trooper! He's been playing with Pops and Big Nanny. God's timing never ceases to amaze me. My dad's sister & husband just happened to be in town this past week with their daughter and her 3 kids. Graham has jumped in and played with him like he's been surrounded by them his entire life! He's even calling Uncle Frank "Papa" which is what the kids call him! He's also calling the twin boys "Bubba" and he'll occasionally call Samantha Bubba as well!
Please keep us all in your prayers. This is not an easy time for any of us. Who would have ever thought that Miles would be here already???

Keep checking back, as this seems to be the easiest way to keep everyone informed of what is going on!
Thanks again for all of your love & support!!

Jeff, Lauren, Graham and Miles

Pregnancy brain takes over...

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I handed Graham CHOCOLATE PUDDING and a spoon. He ate very well for dinner, so I thought a little Calcium couldn't hurt anything...

This was after 10 minutes....TEN MINUTES! The child inhaled the pudding. At some point, when the spoon slipped out of his slippery, little hands, he decided that he could eat with his hands. Who was I to argue?

He promptly won himself a complimentary shower before getting in the bathtub. :) I spent a long time getting the bathtub sparkling clean today....and I didn't want there to be a chocolate haze on it within hours of it being so clean!! :)

Hope you are all doing well! Check back for some more updates!

Life's tough...

We enjoy going to Disney on the weekends. Sometimes we will stop at a nearby gas station for a coke or a snack. Yesterday evening as we were leaving the park we stopped for a coke. Just as Jeff closes the car door, a little voice from the backseat says "dodah dodah" which is doughnut. I tell Graham that daddy went inside to get a coke and he replies "coke peas coke peas". I offer him his juice and he is so tired he turns it down. By this point he has asked for nunu's to go night-night and I obliged. Jeff gets in the car, and of course has 2 Krispy Kreme's in a bag! Graham IMMEDIATELY notices and again asks "dodah peas dodah peas". Jeff hands him half of his doughnut and he inhales it. Graham asks for "oher dodah" (Other donut) and Jeff hands him the other half. Not 2 minutes later this is the view that we see in the backseat...

Yes...life is hard! (Please do not comment on the seat belt clip...we put it up on his chest when we buckle him in and he slides it down.) There is icing EVERYWHERE!!! Thankfully he just took a nap and let us throw him in the bath when we got home. Poor baby was so tired that he didn't get up until 9:35 this morning!!! And we were home by 7:45 last night!

Graham is very observant. He will point out everything to you and if there are 2 of something he will say "pumpkin. Other pumpkin". It's so cute. He was having a BALL identifying all of the pumpkins at the entrance of Magic Kingdom yesterday!!

We are all doing well!! I have sciatica pretty bad so my bum and back hurt most of the time. But that's a small price to pay for the gift of life we've been blessed with! Miles might be an interior designer when he comes out of the womb; currently his internship involves rearranging all of my organs!! He's not a gentle boy - but that might come in handy when he tries to keep up with his big brother!

Love,

Jeff, Lauren, Graham and Miles

The verdict is in...

It's a BOY!!
Miles Thomas should make his debut in February! We are very excited!!! :) He wasn't shy at showing us his male parts but he was NOT going to let us get a profile picture! He is measuring right on schedule - and the midwife told me that "he's going to be a tall one!" Thankfully we will be able to use Graham's clothes (praying that we won't need his preemie outfits though!!).
I'm going to be a mom to 2 boys...it's still sinking in. I know how close (most of the time) my sister and I were growing up and we were 2 1/2 years apart. These boys will be 2 years and 4 months-ish apart and I pray that they are able to share that special bond that Linz & I have!! Ok, ok...and I'm glad that they will be able to share a room eventually so that I can have a sewing room :) HA! Doubt that will happen, but one can dream!
So I'm seeing a future full of the following: forts, tents, balls, fighting (playful of course), balls, dirt, loud music, balls, broken limbs (it's bound to happen), and the list goes on!!
We feel truly blessed with the life that is growing inside of me!!! Thanks for all of the prayers!
Love,
Jeff, Lauren, Graham & Miles :)

Back to work! - pictures are up now!

Well, at 4:01AM the alarm went off and scared me half to death! I got up and got ready for my first day at the Eye Surgery Center. At 4:27 I loaded the car, came in and got Graham out of bed and loaded him into the car and off we went! At 5:15 we arrived at my parents' house and mom met us in the driveway. GRAHAM FREAKED OUT. Mom cut her hair yesterday and G didn't recognize her that early in the morning. :( I walked him in to the house and he saw mom and they were quickly reaquainted! I put Graham in his bed, closed the door, and left for my first day of orientation!
What a FABULOUS group of women that I'm working with! I prayed that Graham would head off to sleep and not decide that it was play time - and he did!! He didn't wake up until 8!!
I was finished at noon and went back to the house where the 3 of us, mom, Graham & I all took naps!
Here are a few pictures of Graham from the day. Mimi took Graham to the library where they sang songs, read books & made "sticker art" (so cute!)! Mom said that he did well! After the library, they got back to the house and Graham played with his food set while mom made lunch.
He's just so stinkin' cute!!! :) I love him so much! When I sat down to eat my lunch after we napped, Graham ate a snack while mom and I talked "baby" stuff. And Graham couldn't be left out of the conversation....all of the sudden he says "Avey. Myes" (Avery and Miles) It was hilarious!!!

Some more creations!

A new friend of mine is due to have her son, Mason, tomorrow - assuming the hospital has a bed for her induction.

Mason's room is done in Winnie-the-Pooh. I've had this fabric for a while and wasn't sure what I was going to do with it - so I made a diaper bag! I'm not big on character fabric, but it worked! Like all of my bags, there are 6 large pockets that line the inside!! VERY functional!! :)

Here is a close up of the embroidery!

Additionally, I did a quick bib with an "M" on it (and yes, it is supposed to be tilted!!)

And I couldn't leave out a "happy" for Big Sister Madison! Here is a shirt that I did for her!

















Let me know what you think!!

Some of my creations!

OK - I'm working on getting a website up for Belles & Beaus .... but I thought that I would post a few pictures here!!

Here is a "ribbon lovey". It is 13"X13" and can be appliqued with a letter or it can be monogrammed!!

You pick!

Here is a set of burp cloths that I made for a customer!! Dad was a pilot so we had to make a girly airplane!!

This was a set of "on the go" burps for another customer!

This is probably one of my favorite diaper bags that I have EVER made!!

There is just something about covered buttons!

So many functional pockets inside!!!

I guess that is it for tonight!!! Just wanted to share a few things!
We are all doing well! Counting down the days until we find out if we will have Avery or Miles joining our family!!

Check back soon for some more family pictures & some of my newest creations!!! Let me know what you think!

Dora & Diego....and a blushing momma!

Dora, Diego & Boots (Map, Swiper & Backpack, too!) are well-loved around the Rogers' home! Graham wakes up in the morning saying "Up, Please. Eat. Diaper. Diego/Dora". He knows what he wants!
To buy Jeff or I a peaceful shower, we will let Graham eat his banana in his chair and watch Dora or Diego.

Please hear me when I say: I HAD NO IDEA HOW INFLUENTIAL THESE 2 CHARACTERS COULD BE!

Yesterday evening, Jeff & I went to the gym to work-out. We told Graham that he was going to play in Playland and then we would be back to get him to go to the pool. Of course, all Graham heard was pool. (he's part fish you know!) We get changed and head to the pool. The 3 of us are playing with some bathtoys made pooltoys and a little boy swims past. Graham says something, but I'm not sure what it was so we go back to playing. Next thing I know, the little boy swims past again (he was tormenting Graham...but that's a different story) and Graham says "Hi Gaygo". I looked at Jeff and thought, whatever. As we are drying off, Graham says "Bye Gaygo. Bye Ora.". Graham thinks that the little boy and his younger sister are Diego & Dora. Why? you may ask? Because they were Hispanic. Jeff & I laughed hysterically when we realized what he had been saying. I know it's not the best parental response but we couldn't help it! After I laughed, I was PRAYING that the mom didn't hear Graham's comment. I was a little pink, and it wasn't sunburn!

So yes, that was our excitement yesterday evening!
We headed off to the gym this morning; we had the same agreement that Graham would play in Playland and we would go to the pool. Graham picks up on "pool" again. We workout, get Graham & head to the pool...well the big pool was open, but the "water area/kiddie pool" is closed during the day - it's open from 4-8 when the big kids are out of school....what about us stay at home moms who like to wear their kids out at the pool, then race home to put them in bed for the LOVELY 2-3 hour nap?? I might have to bring that one up! We had fun in the big pool....and there were some VERY well behaved kids that were interested in playing with Graham('s toys).

Alright, Graham is sleeping and I think I'm going to go do the same!

Don't forget to post your vote on whether Peanut is a boy or girl!!!

Love,
Jeff, Lauren, Graham & Peanut

Bloglift & Recent Pictures

I'm so proud of myself...after, what will remain an undisclosed amount of time, I am happy to show off my Blog-lift!! I am very pleased with how it turned out!!! :) Let me know what you guys think!

You will also notice that I've put up a poll to see what you guys think we are having! We'll find out on Sept. 29!!

Last weekend we went to Homosassa Springs with my parents & my brother. We saw manatees (which Graham can say pretty well!) which are being raised in a protected environment. Graham was fascinated...but NOT impressed with the Manatee Statue in the lobby...

There were lots of wildlife there and we really had a wonderful time, despite the rain. There were bald eagles, spoon-billed birds, hippos, alligators, snakes, bears, and the list goes on! Graham enjoyed telling us what each animal was, along with the noise that they make. I was especially fond of the snakes that go "ssssssssssssssss".....but it's not the "ssssssssss" that get me...it's the full body shake that he does EVERY time he tells you what a snake says. Not sure where he picked up on that!

Well, that's about all I have for tonight.

Here are a few more pictures to enjoy: Hopefully I will have some more recent pictures up in a day or so!!!

We pray that you all are doing well!!!

Love,

Jeff, Lauren, Graham & Peanut

Proud Aunt!!!

I am proud to announce, that my dog-niece, Sadie, was named Dog of the Week at her Doggie Daycare!!!

My sister has talks with Sadie every morning before being dropped off, and I understand the conversation to go something like this:

"Sadie, you be a good girl today, ok? Give all of your friends kisses, share your toys, and be respectful of the staff. If you misbehave then you won't become Dog of the Week. Mommy loves you!"

Yeah -- it's crazy!!
I talked to my BIL last night, and he said that he has strict instructions to take pictures of Sadie today when he drops her off. Apparently they make a big deal of the Dog of the Week, and her name will be written on a bulletin board and decorated. For the staff at Happy Tails, they should count their blessings that Linz is out of town this week! I'm sure she would find a way to bring in Dog Cupcakes for all of Sadie's friends - so that they all could partake in this event!!

Hop on over to Happy Tails and check out the Dog of the Week column, on the left hand side of the page, where you can read all about Sadie!!

Sadie, we are proud of you girl!!!

Love,
Jeff, Lauren, Graham & peanut

Micralite Toro/Trevi Twin Stroller

OK - I'm new to these blog-contests. And I want a new stroller (free of course!) so badly that I'm entering all over the place! You can hop on over to Micralite and check out their super cool, strollers -- specifically the Micralite Toro Stroller. MomDot is the site hosting this contest.

You can also check MomDot out for a cool chance to win this awesome Chicco Trevi Twin Stroller!! Good luck!!

Hurricane Gustav

I am writing with the plea to please, please join in prayer for Louisiana, and the surrounding areas which will be effected by Gustav.

Jeff & I are so grateful to have moved to FL just 8 weeks ago -- putting us out of the path of Gustav. However, we still have friends and family in the area and we know that their lives will be impacted. We are so blessed to be in the comfort of our own home, with my parents 20 miles down the road. I cannot imagine the stress and pain that families are facing at this moment; for some Katrina has been put behind them while others are reminded of Katrina everyday. Some have recovered from Katrina & others are still struggling...and are now faced with Gustav.

As we sit and watch the storm from afar, we are reminded of God's everlasting love. While we have no idea what He has in store for the storm, we know that it is in His hands.

Jeff & I both have LA cell phone numbers -- if you have a hard time getting in touch with us - feel free to text us and we will do our best to call from our home phone.

For those of you reading that live in LA know that we will do all that we can for you from where we are. While it might be difficult to come and do physical labor, we will try our best to help in any way that we can! We love you guys and are praying that you are spared from the storm.

Please, please keep us updated on your location, travel plans, and of course, your status as you return home.

In the arms of a loving Savior -
Jeff, Lauren, Graham & Peanut

Micralite FastFold Stroller Giveaway

Ok, my friend Erika has been running an online blog support for mommies and is having this AWESOME giveaway!

She and Micralite have joined together to give one lucky momma a free ($329 value) stroller! Feel free to hop over to her site to enter your chance to win!!! The winner will be selected by random.org on August 30. Giveaway entries will no longer be accepted as of 11:59 PM on Aug. 29.

Good luck!!!

Where has August gone??

The School buses are EVERYWHERE! It doesn't seem like the summer should be over...but alas, it flew by. I'm sure it didn't fly by as fast as it did when I was in school, but it feels like last week I was packing to move, and that was towards the beginning of the summer. The house is put together and Graham is MORE than comfortable in our humble abode. He's such a little chatterbox and I love it! He talks ALL DAY LONG (wonder where he gets that from? His Nanny or Mimi I'm sure). Did I mention that I love it? He's so playful and fun. He's discovered his imagination and will pretend to eat his play food. He'll dip his spoon into an empty bowl and say "mummy" for yummy. He would love to spend the day outside but it is way to hot for that! Praying for cooler weather soon. His memory is scary good - we can pull up to Target and he wants to "yide" in a "bubby" and "eat peya" (that was ride in a buggy and eat pizza). We've done that twice - that's it...and yet the little guy remembers that there is pizza at the snack bar.
Last week when we were at Target (enjoying a pizza before naptime) we met 2 ladies who have boys that are 20 mo and almost 3 and Graham had a BALL with them! They both have babies (6 weeks - with the 20 mo & 6 mo - with the 3 year old) and we started talking mom talk - doctors, baby #2 and how life changed/es. I've wanted to get involved in a playgroup for Graham and my sake but didn't know where to turn. MOPS is full for the year and is not taking new applicants, the wait list is insane - probably large enough to start another group. Well, Jenn gave me her email & phone # and asked if I would be interested in joining their play group. :) I'm pretty excited to get involved with some other moms!!
Our Covenant Group kicks off tomorrow night so that will be nice to get plugged in with other families at the church as well. Poor Graham hasn't adjusted to the nursery yet and has a hard time....and being in the nursery from 6:30-8:30 is not his idea of ideal.....especially since he tells you he is ready for "night night" at 7:30ish. So keep us in your prayers as we deal with an unhappy, tired little guy while mom & dad are getting spiritually fed.
Jeff continues to LOVE his job and that is such a blessing. He enjoys getting up in the morning & heading into work & has an awesome staff that he is a part of. The new ministers are a God-send and view the staff as family. Jeff comes home for lunch most days which he and Graham both love (ok we ALL love it!). Fridays & Saturdays are his days off and we really enjoy spending those as a family -- whether it is doing something around Ocala, heading out to Disney, staying at home, or spending time with my family, we truly are cherishing these moments.
Only 5 weeks and counting until we find out if our new addition is a boy or girl! Exciting times for sure. This pregnancy has been such a blessing compared to how sick I was with Graham. I hope and pray that it continues to go this way!
That's about all that is going on with us right now. We'd love to hear what you are all up to - feel free to leave us a message to let us know that you stopped by!!
In Him-
Lauren, Jeff, Graham & Peanut

Settled In

Well, we are finally getting settled into our house! It's been a crazy month, with lots of changes, but we are SOOO excited to be here. God's hand has been on this whole move, and surprisingly the chaos of it all has been incredibly peaceful and easy! I know it sounds strange, but it's so true! Graham has had a little time adjusting and we are happy to report that he is sleeping in a big boy bed! :) He is also becoming very vocal when he goes to the bathroom.......so hopefully potty-training (early stages) will start soon. It would be sooo nice to have to only buy diapers for the baby once Feb. gets here.
We have gone to visit Mickey 5 times in the last week and a half and Graham quickly acquainted himself with the silly mouse. When the phone rings, Graham holds up anything to his ear and says "Heh-yo. Hi Mim-y. ok. bye". This weekend he found a new love for Nemo! He was playing in his room with his phone and I asked if he was talking to Nemo and he responded "NO NO NO. Mim-y". He told me!!!
Graham's absolute newest phase is screeching/screaming. It's soooo annoying. I'll be thrilled when this phase passes.
I'm having a hard time putting up pics right now, so check back soon. I PROMISE that we are really getting back into blogging.
Hope you all are doing well! We would love to have you visit!!
In God's Gracious Grip -
Lauren, Jeff, Graham, and the little peanut! (mom has named the peanut....but that's a blog all in itself!)

Back on the Wagon...

Well, after much hassle with Blogspot, I am finally back on the blog!!! So excited!
There is so much to fill you in on -- Graham is walking, running, talking non stop, growing teeth, and LOVING the pool!!!
I'll have to upload some more recent pics at another time -- but for now I'm just THRILLED that I have a password and a username again!!!
Praise God for small miracles!!!
Come back soon...we'll have lots and lots of pictures for you to ooo and ahhhhh over.
We love you all!
Laur, Jeff & Graham