Porter's Baptism

Thank you to all of our family for helping us celebrate Porter's baptism last Sunday. It was a very memorable service with Papa Turner as Assisting Minister and Gram Turner reading the scriptures. Our little man was a champ and made not a peep during his "big moment." Eric's Poppa Murphy said it perfectly when he said, "He went quietly into the faith."

Congratulations Porter William!!

Christmas card

We had really expensive pictures taken for our Christmas card and Porter's 1 month pictures. The photo sitting was a disaster. We had left the house early so we could feed Porter right before the sitting- and we got lost. We were late, but finally made it. Baby fed, check. Hair combed, check. Clothes neat, check. Smile for the camera- not a chance. Our normally happy, mellow baby was extremely fussy. Incredibly the pictures were good-the price tag was worth it. Lots of choices for the Christmas card...but looking at the pictures and looking at Porter- not the same baby. In just a matter of 2 weeks he was no longer newborn, but a more alert baby boy with the sweetest smile.

So we attempted to take our own Christmas card picture, and learned why photographers charge so much. Add that to the list for my next occupation...with some training of course.

Pitiful first attempt. Let's get it together Mom!

Oh, you want me to look at the camera?

Just missed the smile...quicker trigger finger Mom!


Thirteen shots later...it's a keeper!

Simple Blessings

Porter is being baptised this weekend. My great-grandpa Penn would say that he officially becomes Porter on Sunday; he will become the newest member of First Lutheran. Eric and I jokingly say that he is getting the Devil kicked, or in this case, washed out of him. Our little boy is getting the ultimate blessing. Ironic, when he has blessed us in so many ways.

• Smiles in the early hours of the morning that reminds us why we are getting up before the alarm.
• Snuggles when both Porter and Mommy need them.
• Spending all day in comfy clothes because we don't have anywhere to go but stay in our warm home.
• Enjoying the quiet of the Christmas tree in the middle of the night- because of a hungry baby.
• Reading classic children's books- again.
• Excited relatives so happy that you braved the cold and snow to come to the holiday party- and brought the baby!
• Enjoying each and every minute with our sweet boy.
• A heart so filled with love that it is difficult to swallow at times.

2 Months

Where has the last 8 weeks gone?! Our little man in growing and thriving. We had an appointment with Dr. Neuberger, Porter's cardiologist this week. We took it as a good sign when he walked in the room and said, "Well I don't need to ask if he is eating okay." Porter is now 10 pounds and growing. He was a champ during his echo and exam. All looked great- no change from the last appointment, which means that we are cardiologist-free until March. YAY!

Now time to enjoy my last 3 weeks off of work and Porter's first Christmas.


Speaking of Christmas...it has always been my favorite time of year. The tree is up the day after Thanksgiving, listening to Christmas music is no longer forbidden, the calendar starts filling up with family parties and shopping trips, and let's not forget about the baking. The best part of our holiday season this year is our new little man. Holiday movies seem more festive, we have an excuse to send out the really cutesy holiday cards, holiday lights seem brighter, the food more delicious, and the music more beautiful. It is truly amazing how much Porter has changed our lives.

He is our ultimate Christmas gift...a healthy, growing, happy baby boy. The gift that keeps on giving!!

Mommy's Least Favorite Game

I have always been a girl that loves to play games. Perhaps it all started with a nasty game of checkers or HORSE in the driveway against my brother. During my childhood, into adolescence, and adulthood I have never been shy to partake in any sort of competitive game- softball, rock-paper-scissors, mini-golf, and the occasional beer-pong or flippy cup in college.

While pregnant with Porter,Eric and I imagined all the fun games that we would play with him: catch, hide and go seek, and once he is older Daddy will love to teach him all about football and basketball. Although our little boy is "ahead of the game," so to speak, and has created his own night time game called Drop the Pacifier. This has become my very LEAST favorite game.

Here are the rules: Porter gets tucked into his bassinet after his 3:30-4am feeding. Mommy inserts pacifier. Porter starts to drift off to sleep and down goes the pacifier. Mommy, half asleep, searches the bassinet for the pacifier and inserts it into Porter's mouth before he wails and wakes up Daddy. Repeat for the next hour and a half.

I hate this game. Eric hates this game. And I am not sure that Porter is a fan either.

I want to teach him a new game- Find your Thumb When You Drop Your Pacifier.

Good luck to us all...

What Happened to November?!

It's the last day of November...when did that happen? This month has flown by in a blur...Porter's procedure and our stay at Lutheran General, doctor visits to both the cardiologist and pediatrician, snuggle time with both Mommy and Daddy, family parties and Thanksgiving.

Our little man is growing by leaps and bounds. He is now over 9 pounds and is changing every day. He loves his tummy time in the morning and reading books with Mommy. My favorite thing is his HUGE smile that he is starting to show more and more each day.
Thanksgiving was a very special day. I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving (who doesn't?) and have been blessed throughout my life; but nothing compares to this year. This year wasn't about the turkey and fixings, but it was a day to reflect on the blessings that we have been given this past year, especially our Porter William. Eric and I couldn't be happier- we are complete. We have a beautiful, healthy little boy that brings so much joy into our lives each day. We were able to spend the day with our families, sharing our little bundle with them and having Porter showered with love and hugs.

As the holiday season continues with Christmas around the corner, we are looking forward to more family parties and making new memories as a family of 3. I can't think of a better gift this year, than our precious little boy; a healthy, growing baby who gives us more joy and love than I could ever imagine.

Happy Holidays!

Meeting the Simms'

On Saturday night, Porter had the chance to meet some of the Simms' at Gram and Papa's house. Cathy and Art were visiting from California and Lowrie was home from London...what a surprise! Great-great Aunts Betsy and Pat welcomed Porter along with Katie and Steve- and they even got a little snuggle time with our little man!

Sunday was Great-great Uncle Glenn's 90th birthday party. Porter met more of the Simms clan and was surrounded by love from Uncle Glenn. It was amazing to have the oldest and youngest member of the Simms family being celebrated together. We loved sharing our little boy with the family and had a wonderful afternoon.

Quality Time with Dad

Mommy went shopping for the first time since having me. She needed some new jeans to wear out in public, since we can finally go other places than doctor's offices and hospitals (yay!). So, I had the chance to hang out with Daddy all by ourselves. We had a great time! We slept in a little since it was Saturday, then we ate breakfast- he had cereal and I just had milk. After that we played the guitar. Actually Daddy did all the playing and I did the listening. I love music! I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, Mommy was home and I was nice and warm snuggling with Daddy. We had a great morning...maybe Mommy should go shopping more often! :)

Porter's Little Heart- Update

We are so fortunate that the internet has made it so easy to keep all of our friends and family updated about Porter. I am hoping that this will be the last update about his heart condition for a long while...

We were back in Park Ridge today at Lutheran General for a follow-up echo and appointment with his cardiologist. I am SO happy to report that Dr. Neuberger was very happy with the results of the echo. We are still going to be monitored regularly and Porter will be going for weight checks every 2 weeks to make sure that he is gaining and growing as he should, but we will not see the cardiologist for a whole MONTH! We are so thrilled that he is doing so well. Next week will be the first week since he was born that we will not have any doctor appointments...I may not know what to do!

Thank you again for all of your support, notes, kind words, and prayers- they mean the world to us! We will continue to update the blog with pictures and updates regularly, so check back often!

Porter's Little Heart- Homebound!

WE ARE GOING HOME!! :)

I am happy to let all of you know that we are going home tonight. After being told all day that we were going to stay the night and getting ready to move rooms, the cardiologist came in and let us know that the echo looked better than what she expected. So, we are waiting for discharge orders and papers and we are outta here!

We are to follow up with the cardiologist next week. We are so thrilled and excited to be able to sleep in our own beds, take a much needed shower, and get Porter "unhooked" from all the machines. Gram took the day off tomorrow, so we will be getting Porter re-adjusted to home and giving him a much needed bath to wash off all the hospital germs!

He is continuing to eat, poop, pee, and sleep wonderfully. He is a very popular guy around the PICU and we are very proud at how brave and tough our little man has been. Thank you again for all of your prayers and well wishes. We are blessed to have such wonderful family and friends!

Porter's Little Heart- Update Thurs. Morning

We are happy to update all of you that Porter had a great evening and night. He started to wake up around 4pm yesterday afternoon. Mommy and Daddy were able to go to the cafe for lunch (just the 2 of them) and then get a much needed nap- no one should function on 2 hours of sleep! Once Porter started stirring, they were able to take out the breathing tube. I can't tell you how happy I was to hear his little cry and be able to hold and snuggle with him. He was VERY hungry; the last time he ate was at 6pm Tuesday night before he headed to the hospital. He was given 2 ounces of Pedialyte and was able to keep that down, so by 8pm he was feasting on a bottle of Mommy's milk and has been eating every 2-3 hours since. We were all able to get some sleep last night, in between vitals checks and feedings. Since he is eating so well he was able to be unhooked from the IV fluids at 2am and got rid of the pesky oxygen tube at 5am...more room on his little face for kisses from Mommy! :)

Daddy unfortunately left the hospital this morning at 5am to go to work- he was not a happy camper! But we were joined by Gram and Papa Turner this morning after they had a good night's sleep at home. Porter was just seen by one of the cardiologists (along with 2 med. students), but we did not get any more information at this time. She was going to go check out the echo pictures and get back to us. We were told to expect to be staying until tomorrow morning, but would be moving to "the floor" and out of intensive care. Mommy was really hoping to be at home by tonight, but maybe another night of observation and healing for Porter is the best- even if Mommy has been in the same clothes since Tuesday and not showered!

We will continue to keep all of you updated. Thank you to all that have sent notes back to us- your kind words and prayers have kept us going and gives us a nice break from the beeps, whistles and constant hum-drums of the hospital.

Porter's Little Heart- Update

Some of you have already been notified, but Porter's procedure went well. We are back on the 2nd floor- peds. intensive care unit and waiting for our little man to wake up. Gram has been talking with him in hopes that he will open his eyes but I think that he got both Eric and my stubborn streak. The nurses cannot take out his breathing tube until he is awake, and we cannot hold him until the breathing tube is out. Momma is getting impatient!!

Both the Director of the Peds. Cardiology dept. and the doctor that did the procedure came out to talk with us after Porter was in recovery. The balloon procedure was a success- they were able to open up the sticky valve and the pressure in his heart was balanced. They were very encouraging about how well it went, for how bad the situation was before the procedure. They are still concerned and will continue to monitor the valve itself. It is underdeveloped and mis-shaped. We have been warned that we may be back here in the near future for another balloon procedure as the stickiness may redevelop.

As for now, we are looking to be here for the next 24 to 48 hours for observation. They are going to do an echo on him tomorrow morning and possibly a second one tomorrow night or Friday morning. Porter's cardiologist called not too long after he heard from the surgeon to check on us- he knew that Porter was fine, but wanted to make sure that Mom and Dad were doing okay- tells you just how wonderful he is. We will continue to keep you updated and let you know how the rest of his tests go tomorrow and possibly Friday. Thank you all for your encouraging words and prayers, we love you all!

Porter's Special Little Heart

Porter had another echo at Rush Copley yesterday afternoon. This is becoming a routine procedure for him and us...and the nurses are becoming quite attached to our cute little man! :) The echo was done at 2pm and by 6pm our WONDERFUL peds. cardiologist Dr. Neuberger was calling us at home, from his home. He had the pictures sent to him at home as he was out of the office yesterday. He called to tell us that the echo images were concerning because the pressure had increased in his heart, which makes his heart work that much harder than it already is. Dr. Neuberger had already contacted the Director of peds. cardiology and the surgeon that is operating on Porter as we speak and they both agreed that the procedure should not wait. So unfortunately, our dinner that was being prepared was thrown in the garbage, we packed all three of us up, and headed up to Park Ridge to Lutheran General Children's Hospital.

Last night starting around 9pm Porter was given a medicine to open a different valve in his heart that would allow for the procedure to be easier for all involved, Porter and the surgeon. This medication does have a serious side effect of limiting his ability to breathe. Eric and I were both able to hold him as the medication was being given, until they put in a breathing tube at about 2am. Momma and Daddy were happy to have snuggle time with their boy, as he is an excellent snuggle-bug! He was sedated for the rest of the night and monitored very closely. Porter went into the cath-lab at about 9:15 and will undergo a 2 hour procedure to open the "sticky" valve. We are hoping that within 4 to 5 hours after he is done with the procedure the breathing tube will be taken out and we will again be able to hold and snuggle our little man. We are expecting to stay for the next couple days, where our little Porter will be spoiled by nurses who all think that he is just the cutest!

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers...we have been praying over-time since last night. We will send another update when Porter is out of surgery and we are settled once again on the way to recovery.

Week 2 and Porter's First Halloween

Porter's second week has come and gone too quickly. He had his 2 week appointment with Dr. Dantzer, his pediatrician, and passed with flying colors! He is back to his birth weight and has grown half an inch. Porter has started to be awake more during the day and is still sleeping well at night- for 4 to 5 hour stretches...way to go!

Porter's first Halloween did not involve trick or treating, but his cousins Riley and Calli stopped by to see him dressed as a Jack-o-lantern (thanks Gram and Papa). He was subject to lots of pictures taken by Mommy and Daddy, but slept through most of them.

This week we have another Echo on Tuesday and then back to Chicago to see the cardiologist on Thursday. Friday we go to the pediatrician for another weight check. Busy week, but it just makes Mommy enjoy the quiet days and nights at home even more!

First Week Pictures

Getting ready to leave the hospital

First car ride

Talking to Daddy

He likes to suck his fingers and thumb

Porter's First Week

We watched the clock last night and celebrated with our new little family as the clock turned 8:08pm and Porter became officially one week old. For the past couple weeks leading up to Porter's arrival, Eric and I have been talking about what to expect when the baby came- poopy diapers, sleep-less nights, around the clock feedings, and more love than we could imagine. We have experienced all of those things this past week (with an abundance of poopy diapers) plus the worry that comes with being new parents.

My mom has thankfully been keeping close family and friends updated on the events of this week, but some may have not received those emails. At birth, Porter was diagnosed with a heart murmur. He was given an echocardiogram on Friday morning and was then diagnosed with a heart condition called pulmonary stenosis. There was a repeat echo done on Sunday followed by a conference call from the pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Newberger out of Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. We were given a run down of what pulmonary stenosis is, and set up appointments for Porter to see both his pediatrician, Dr. Dantzer and Dr. Newberger. We are blessed to have such great doctors working with us, and we were pleasantly surprised to find out that Dantzer and Newberger have worked together for the last 10 years.

So what now? There are still a lot of "ifs". We will be seeing the pediatrician each week for weigh-ins to assure that he is gaining and growing as he should be. Every 2 weeks we will be traveling to Park Ridge (a 2 hour commute in good traffic) to see Dr. Newberger for repeat echocardiograms and monitoring. As for right now, we are aware that Porter will need to have a "balloon" procedure within the next year- but most likely within the next couple of months. This procedure is similar to an angioplasty where they will insert a catheter with a balloon on the end into the valve to clear out the stickiness. This may fix the problem, or make the valve leak, which would eventually lead to a valve replacement. As for right now, we are waiting and watching to see what Porter's little heart will do.

He is doing great otherwise. He is a very mellow baby and likes to snuggle and "talk" to Daddy. We are loving each and every sigh, coo, squeak, and even the poopy diapers. We will continue to keep you updated as we know more. Keep checking back and we will keep posting pictures often.

Love,
Stephanie, Eric, and Porter

Porter William

Porter William Snider is here!

Born on October 15th at 8:08pm. He weighed 7lbs 2oz. and is 20.5in long. Here are some pictures, but also check out his newborn photos at:

bellababyphotography.com, password: 1015sniderporter

We will be updating soon!

Love,

Eric, Stephanie and Porter

Change in Plans...

I found out this week that I am no longer in control. I knew this would happen after the baby came with feeding schedules, napping, and doting on the baby's every need. He or she would dictate for the first few weeks when Mom and Dad would eat and sleep too, but I wasn't ready for the turn of events that have happened recently...
Yesterday I had a midwife appointment. Mom and I had a full day of shopping at Babies R Us and Target planned for after the appointment. Unfortunately, we never did get to go shopping. My blood pressure was a little high and concerning to my midwife. I was instructed to go home and rest for the remainder of the day and night and report back to have my b.p. checked again this morning. I was really bummed and thinking about all the things that we needed to buy before Baby Snider made his/her appearance--which I am sure didn't help the elevated blood pressure!
So, I rested all yesterday and let Eric dote on me (very difficult for me) and found out this morning that my blood pressure had gone up again. So, after a non-stress test and ultrasound we determined that Baby is healthy as can be, but Momma is done working and on complete bed rest until Baby is delivered. I have daily appointments this week with labs and a lovely jug that I get to pee into (may be TMI), but it is only the beginning of a long list of the not-so-glamorous-ness that is motherhood.
Worse case scenario is that I will have a scheduled induction as soon as the end of the week. Wasn't my ideal way to give birth because of all the horror stories I have heard of inductions, but we will be more than happy to have our little one enter the world healthy. We will keep everyone updated on our little adventure that is pregnancy-induced hypertension and I must thank Gram and Papa Turner for all the shopping, cooking, and playing chauffeur back and forth to the hospital!!

Love to all.

36 and 37 Weeks and Family Baby Shower

36 Weeks

37 Weeks

We are anxiously awaiting for the arrival of Baby Snider. We have made it to 37 weeks and still counting. Eric and I have a few last minute things to buy, but otherwise we are ready to become a new Mommy and Daddy! Last Sunday I had my family baby shower given by Leslie and Aunt Jeri Lynn. It was a great day and beautiful shower. We received some beautiful gifts from family and friends and our nursery is now complete. My best friend Tami was even able to travel from Arkansas for the weekend. We are so blessed to have so many people that already love our baby.
This weekend we have our express childbirth class on Saturday. I am seeing my midwives every week now and time is flying by. I am quickly preparing for my maternity leave and trying to wrap up last minute meetings and paperwork at school...even though it seems like preparations are never-ending!
We will continue to post until Baby Snider arrives and will update soon after he/she makes an appearance. Wish us luck!

The Nursery...complete!

Snider Baby Shower

My sisters-in-law Nicole and Shannon threw Eric and I our first baby shower last Sunday. It was a beautiful shower with baby gifts galore and a HUGE spread of sweets! Eric and I had a great time opening gifts from close friends and family. We would like to thank everyone that attended and all that were involved for such a great day. The nursery is coming along nicely and we are feeling more and more prepared for our little arrival. Baby Snider is a very blessed baby already!

On Tuesday we had our tour of the maternity ward at Rush Copley. It was really informative and we learned where we are supposed to go when...let's just hope that we can remember in all the excitement of labor! We were able to have many questions answered as well, and are feeling more prepared each day...but also more anxious. The count-down has begun with only 5 more weeks. Each week seems to go by quick than the last and I just hope that keeps up. We have posted some pictures from the shower. Hope you enjoy!

33 Weeks

I can't believe that we only have 7 more weeks....how exciting!!

I had an appointment with my midwife today. Everything is great with Baby Snider and on track, but I am being monitored for preeclampsia. It seems that I have gained 6 lbs. in 2 weeks...most of the weight being in my feet!! Going back to school has kept me more active and I have been snacking less than I did when I was at home, so they are going to keep an eye on my blood pressure and any other warning signs. Besides being tired at the end of the day (and sometimes in the middle) I am feeling great still!

My first baby shower is this weekend, given by my sisters-in-law Nicole and Shannon. I am very excited. Eric and I have been putting the finishing touches on the nursery with a bookshelf and toy chest. Eric even hung another bar in the closet for the baby's clothes...we are learning "creative" ways to make our limited space work.

Baby's arrival is coming quick and we still have a lot to do:

• Tour of the hospital and birthing suites next Tuesday
• appointment with Midwife Karen the following Tuesday
• baby shower given by Leslie October 4th
• Prepared Childbirth Class October 10th

We hope the baby can find time to be delivered within our busy schedule!! :)

Papa turns 60!

My dad turned 60 on August 27th. All summer Mom and I had discussed what to do...throw a party, have a quiet dinner out with just immediate family...take Dad to Vegas?? In the end, we compromised on all of those and spent a Saturday night at Jumer Casino and Hotel in Rock Island, IL. With a stop at a winery and lunch at a brew-pub in Rock Island all 5 of us traveled to Jumer's without Dad knowing what the plans were...SURPRISE!!

We had a great time as a family...no one came back richer than they arrived, but we had a wonderful dinner at the steakhouse in Jumer's and enjoyed a band that played in one of the clubs outside of the casino. Dad had a great birthday and we all had fun helping him celebrate!!

31 Weeks and Pregnancy Pictures

School started last week and so did my nightly 3am wake up calls. I am up frequently at night to use the bathroom and change sleeping positions, but by 3 am my body (and the baby) think that it is time to wake up and be active.
The beginning of the school year is always busy and stressful, but this week it has really set in for both Eric and I that our little one will be arriving in 2 months or less. We have showers planned, but our nursery is a little scarce still which makes me a little nervous. I know when the time comes we will be prepared...and if we aren't then the baby won't know the difference!

Last week we had pregnancy pictures taken- we posted a couple of our favorites!

29 Weeks

I had my 7 month appointment with Karen, one of my midwives this past week. All is well. The baby is growing at the correct rate, which means the belly is continuing to grow too! I measured 28.5 inches and the baby's heart rate was 130, which is a new number because all previous appointments the rate has been around 150.
At the appointment I also had the glucose tolerance test. No news was good news, which means my sugars are good and nothing to worry about.

School is starting next week and I am already tired just thinking about it. I have started to work in my classroom a couple hours today and came home to take a nap. I am hoping I can make it a full school day!! I am sure the next 11 weeks will fly by once the school year gets in full swing.

28 Weeks...only 3 months to go!!

Here is an updated picture of the baby bump....it seems like the past couple weeks I have really grown. I am nervous for my 28 week appointment this week and to see how much I currently weigh...yikes! At the appointment I will also have the glucose test for gestational diabetes and the first of a possible two Rho-Gam shots because I am RH-negative. All tests are routine, but will make for a long appointment. This month I also start seeing the midwives every 2 weeks. I am sure the time will go quickly from here on out!

As you can see from the other picture posted, Eric is already a proud papa. We have had this doe and fawn in our backyard regularly all spring and summer. Our neighbor has been feeding them apples and Eric is constantly on the look-out for Momma and baby. Last night, around 8pm Eric was finishing up mowing the lawn when felt like he was being watched. And he was....by our forest friends! They politely stood and posed for this and many other pictures. I love to watch the fawn follow the doe and the doe take care of her little baby. Nature is a beautiful thing and we are lucky to be able to enjoy it in our own back yard.

27 Weeks and Eagle River, WI

We had a great trip to the north woods of Eagle River, Wisconsin. On Thursday we had the annual mini-golf Battle of the Sexes, with the ladies team claiming the championship! We had a picnic lunch on the deck of our hotel and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Friday was our boat day. The weather cooperated and the boys had a good time tubing and skiing. Unfortunately, I was not able to join in on the festivities as I usually do, but it was an enjoyable day! Saturday was a rainy day in the north woods, so we toured a winery, went out to lunch, and did some shopping downtown Eagle River. We even found a cute duck outfit that the baby can wear for Halloween! Sunday was early church and breakfast with our group of 15, then time to hit the road for the journey home. We had a great time, but as always it was nice to get home to our own bed...especially with all my difficulty sleeping lately!