The Wallace Family Blog

2011-12-31T23:08:00.002-05:00

As 2011 comes to a close, it would be cliche to summarize this year's events and meaning. Suffice to say that we had the many small triumphs that come from being the parents of two toddlers and the satisfaction of watching our 21-year-old daughter get ever-closer to true adultdome. Looking forward to a new year. Will try to do a better job at updating this blog for all of our relatives who live far, far away from us.

2011-07-27T22:47:00.002-04:00

Holy cow! We've been just a bit neglectful of the blog, so here's the quick update.

July 2010: Put the house in New Albany up for sale and made plans to move to Florida for Will's new business venture with Coastal Cosmetic.

August 2010: Whirlwind trip to Jacksonville to find a house and meet the new partners and staff

October 2010: Sold the house in New Albany (praise the lord) and moved to Jacksonville

November 2010: Ugh. Are you sure you don't want to go back to Ohio? Found a scorpion in Ethan's room, became intensely depressed about the poor salaries for nurses in the area, and missed my people in Ohio. Not the best of times. But I did apply for anesthesia school.

December 2010: Rhys turned 2 (Mario cake, presents, small family party) Holidays. Family visits. Brief brightening of the mood and negative feelings about Florida...but it doesn't snow here. Drat.

Yada, yada, yada...got accepted into anesthesia school, though.

So, here we are in July. I no longer hate living in Florida. I still miss my people in Ohio. Quit my job (in a CVICU) in May and started taking classes. Full-fledged anesthesia program starts in August.

Will is enjoying private practice. A little stressful and a bit of an adjustment being outside the university setting...but I don't think he misses a single thing about his former department.

Rhys is now 2 1/2 and as big as most 4 year olds. He's amazing. Smart as a whip: reads very well, counts to 100 (forward, backward, by 10s...you name it, he'll oblige), and enjoys playing with his iPhone. Seriously, he puts many adults to shame when it comes to technical aptitude.

Ethan is 14 months old. Super cute and ornery. Has a devilish grin and a strong stubborn streak. He's just starting to talk: mama, dada, cup, dog, truck...the usual. His favorite food is pop-pop (popcorn), but he'll eat just about anything. He's extremely independent; wants to feed himself, climb the stairs, stand on the train table.... I said independent but I guess he is really just a major daredevil. Seems to be as curious as Rhys was at his age. Doing his best to keep up with his brother...and will be giving Rhys a run for his money in the very near future.

It's been quite a year since the last entry. Many opportunities to blog have been lost. Oh well. We promise to do better. For anyone who cares.

Rhys tackles the alphabet

2010-06-05T20:22:00.001-04:00

Pictures of Ethan and of the Reunion are coming this weekend.

Rhys starts out loud then gets quiet... watch at least until he gets to "W"...

Best Friends in the Making?

2010-05-17T19:31:00.004-04:00

Checking out Ethan

Nuzzle #1

Nuzzle #2

Posed Pic

2010-05-14T13:24:00.004-04:00

Another Pic

2010-05-13T23:06:00.003-04:00

still a little swollen around the eyes from the birth trauma.

we're overjoyed with how great he is.

Thank you to all for your comments on here and facebook.

Ethan Kendrick Wallace

2010-05-13T19:58:00.001-04:00

7:50pm

7 lbs 4 oz

20 1/2 inches

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Starting to push

2010-05-13T19:41:00.001-04:00

See above

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Hurry up and wait

2010-05-13T17:28:00.002-04:00

9cm+, but the "anterior lip" of the cervix is "boggy"

Dr. Turner thinks Ethan will meet us by 7pm... note that it's 5:30pm now...

Joy is hanging in there though.

Stay tuned.

Let me know if you're still reading this with your comments.

getting closer

2010-05-13T16:27:00.001-04:00

8cm and Dr. Turner is now here!

Closer!

2010-05-13T15:26:00.001-04:00

7cm!!!

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Update

2010-05-13T15:21:00.001-04:00

Contractions every 2 minutes....

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Update #whatever

2010-05-13T14:54:00.001-04:00

5cm... Ethan has a lot of his brother in him. He is holding fast to the only home he's known...

Update #3

2010-05-13T13:17:00.001-04:00

The doctor just broke Joy's water to help move things along.

Tick tock tick tock...

Update #2

2010-05-13T10:39:00.001-04:00

Epidural in at 8am. Anesthesia did a great job. Oxytocin running. Still at 3cm but contractions getting stronger. Joy is asleep, my surgery is done... Stay tuned.

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Location:King Ave,Columbus,United States

Update #1

2010-05-13T06:04:00.000-04:00

6:04 am and We're checked in and waiting for our nurse to situate us. Rhys needed one more hour or so to spend with his Mommy and Me at around 1am this morning. Needless to say, we're all well rested.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

And so begins the 2nd Blogging marathon

2010-05-12T21:56:00.003-04:00

As we tuck in tonight, Joy and I are both emotionally exhausted, but not as much as Rhys must be. He fought and fought and fought going to sleep tonight. Perhaps it was us setting up the pack-and-play in our bedroom, or maybe the arrival of Joy's mom, or both. Or maybe he's just smarter than we give him credit for... but Rhys knew tonight was a night he didn't want to end... He clung to his mommy and me more than he ever had.

He cried every time we put him in his crib. We took him back out to tire him out twice... The third time he put him in his crib, we closed his door and 2 minutes later we heard a "THUD"... and he had climbed out of his crib and fallen to the floor. He wasn't hurt, he seemed more surprised at what he had done than anything.

He doesn't realize this will be a positive change... Hopefully he will soon enough.

Joy is to report to OSU Labor and Delivery at 6am tomorrow... I'll keep everyone posted through this blog as events develop.

Hopefully Rhys is out for the night.

Tine, our Au Pair, will be watching Rhys tomorrow with Joy's mom present. She has been nothing short of wonderful since she arrived. Very helpful, caring, and kind.

Ok, that's all. Going to bed. Busy day tomorrow.

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T21:37:00.009-04:00

Briefly...

Some pics from outside (mostly)

2010-04-02T11:08:00.005-04:00

He only agreed to come outside if he could bring his motrin and oragel...

He was teething we think (note the drool on the shirt)

Rhys watching in amazement as Cassidy rolls in the grass.

Rhys' attention quickly turns from Cassidy to the ladies...

What'chu lookin' at? Huh?!

Ethan Kendrick Wallace in 3D!!!

2010-03-16T19:43:00.009-04:00

Ethan Kendrick Wallace (Not Rhys although similar!)

Smiling (a little blurry maybe)

Yawning, getting bored I guess

Hiding, like his brother did.

In all, Ethan was MUCH more cooperative than Rhys was for his ultrasound. Very mobile. Ethan is right on target for his due date (May 17) currently measuring 3 pounds 14 oz and about 11 inches long.

For comparison:

Rhys (above) Ethan (below)

Rhys likes his spoon...

2010-03-14T09:24:00.002-04:00

So much so that he doesn't like for it to get dirty...

Rhys fights a bear!

2010-03-13T19:24:00.000-05:00

Rhys on the Piano

2010-02-21T21:11:00.000-05:00

Rhys tickling the ivories last night...

Multimedia message

2010-02-05T17:06:00.000-05:00

Attempt at sledding. Not so much. More balance required

major update coming this weekend

2010-01-29T12:58:00.001-05:00

sorry for the lapse

Rhys dotting the I (rose bowl 2030)

2009-12-31T22:24:00.001-05:00

video removed because I couldn't get it to not autoplay.

Rhys' baby BROTHER!!!

2009-12-16T08:40:00.005-05:00

Yes, confirmed. Another boy. Ultrasound yesterday couldn't have gone much better. This little guy, like his brother, is camera shy, hiding his heart by holding his arm in front of it so we couldn't see it for 2-3 minutes! Enjoy the pix. 18 weeks and 2 days down as of this post.

Profile with hand under chin.

Single foot.

Both feet (from the bottom)

Another profile with arm bent at elbow (hand out of view)

Last profile (no hands in view)

Obligatory junk pic (arrow to junk, as seen from below)

Rhys' First Birthday (Observed)

2009-12-13T21:40:00.008-05:00

Well, as most of you know, Rhys was under the weather on his official first birthday and really didin't get back to his regular self until one week later... Luckily, his birthday cake was slathered in butter-cream icing and was well preserved in the refrigerator. He's such a well mannered kid that he didn't want to perform the traditional "smashing of the cake" so we had to help him along... He did know what to do with the cake once it was effectively "cut".

Enjoy.

Still no purposeful talking yet, although he babbles like it's going out of style... Hopefully not much longer.

Cake for the grown ups.

Rhys' "smash cake" Before................................. and After

Starting to pick at it...

All over... literally.

Rhys with something very important to say

2009-11-30T20:55:00.000-05:00

we just don't have any idea what it is.

Rhys walks... Finally the proof.

2009-11-22T21:13:00.002-05:00

A short clip of him attacking me.

Roaming around the house. (I say basement, but mean garage).

Official Boo Boo #1

2009-11-17T20:14:00.004-05:00

Fell and hit head on a door hinge... Not sure if dad over-reacted or not... either way, his first stitches. A family tradition from both his mother's and father's side... (the stitches)

Multimedia message

2009-11-03T09:08:00.000-05:00

12 week ultrasound. More to follow.

Multimedia message

2009-10-18T17:05:00.000-04:00

New shoes & coat

Multimedia message

2009-10-05T21:28:00.000-04:00

New words: MA-MA!!!

We've moved

2009-09-25T19:07:00.002-04:00

Please click link for the latest updates on the blog:

Rhys Patrick Wallace and Siblings

2 Big Updates

2009-09-12T17:25:00.003-04:00

First, Rhys is now mobile. I'm way behind on babyproofing the house! (but I have started!)

And he is FAST!

Second, Rhys is on his way to being a big brother!

Expected arrival: early May 2010!

Purposeful or Coincidence?

2009-08-09T18:34:00.001-04:00

You decide.

More babbling and closeup of cheeto face

Career Day?

2009-08-02T22:07:00.004-04:00

It could be worse, my dad (Will) wanted to be a garbage man when he was older than me even...

Front (hatchet hidden below right arm... and kneepads!)

Rear (note the oxygen tanks)

Glam shot

Dancing the night away

2009-07-20T20:53:00.001-04:00

Part I - Daddy's Perspective

Part II - Mommy's Perspective

Rhys In A Box

2009-07-17T16:04:00.000-04:00

He just fit so nicely into the box... a future drummer maybe?

Tiny Hiney and Thunder Thighs

2009-07-17T10:46:00.005-04:00

Towel to protect daddy (not a toga).
And for the record, Rhys is standing, he holds onto our thumbs for balance.

PIX PIX PIX

2009-07-13T22:25:00.008-04:00

More pix from vacation... 2 more teeth coming in, we're waiting to get some good pictures of his new chompers.

Also, Rhys can roll over, he rather elects not to. He loves to stand up while holding onto your thumbs for support... likely he'll walk before he crawls. He likes to try (key word=try) to drink from our cups instead of his bottle (this usually entails him trying to bite the cup)...

They grow up so fast.

6 month checkup: 97% in height (28 inches) and weight (20 lbs).

Sacked out...

I like to laugh.

I don't like to not laugh.

Mischievous.

The fam... Rhys sees something more exciting than the camera.

Mommy and Rhys at the beach.

Siesta Keys, FL

2009-06-15T16:29:00.003-04:00

Joy, Rhys, and Katt in the pool (Rhys for the first time)

Rhys, Joy, Will out of the pool... silly towels.

Joy and Rhys at the ocean (Rhys' first time)

Katt, Rhys, and Katt's friend George outside the Oyster Bar waiting for a table

New Pics, Vids

2009-05-26T21:23:00.009-04:00

First Tooth

Outdoors in the reserve behind our house

A more accurate portrayal of Rhys

Hey, You, I know you!

My mommy loves me

Rhys reading, and eating, the funnies...

Playing the piano and turning the pages of the music...

OK, OK, we're late...

2009-05-04T21:05:00.004-04:00

new vids and pics

Rhys mastering the art of making noises... He even hits mom but ultimately overdoes it and gets choked up.

Rhys snoring like a cartoon character from the 40's... all he needs is a feather.

Hey, what kinda pose is this?

This kind... I am, I am, I am superman... and I know what's happenin'

2 New Videos

2009-04-16T21:29:00.002-04:00

Notes to all.

Rhys has learned how to "speak" or rather, squeal... and he LOVES it!

He loves hearing himself. This is at the tail end of one of his conversations, and he is starting to get bored with it all, but usually he is beside himself with giggles in between squeals.

Rhys has only recently grown enough for his legs to touch the bottom of an activity center "hand me down" that he was mesmerized with this evening...

Please forgive the jumpy camerawork at the beginning. I did not edit it and it is a result of me moving from the couch to the ground in order to get at his eye level.

Rhys in his Easter duds

2009-04-09T09:01:00.001-04:00

Formal picture to follow... but man he's cute (bias may be held by editor)

Doctor Wallace (the other one) and Action Shots

2009-04-01T22:05:00.009-04:00

One of my patients, one that Joy also happened to take care previously, had some custom scrubs made for Rhys!

Paging Dr. Wallace... we need you immediately, come in from your horse ranch and report to the O.R.

Dr. Rhys Wallace to the rescue... OK so he brought his horse...

You saved the day!!! (Note the angelic glow)

Rhys in his swing...

What Rhys probably sees from the swing...

Quick Update

2009-03-24T21:28:00.005-04:00

This is pretty much the face we get to see every morning... Rhys is really a morning person!

Rhys was always so captivated by mommy's hair towel he wanted one for his own.

Rhys and Mommy in matching turbins...

3 New Movies

2009-03-08T20:58:00.003-04:00

1st: In the bath

2nd: In the kitchen

3rd: On the bed

Quick Update

2009-03-06T15:20:00.000-05:00

Yes, he is that big

Rhys' latest stats

2009-02-19T18:17:00.002-05:00

We had another appointment with the pediatrician on Monday. So, at 11 weeks he is 15lbs 10 oz and 25 inches long which lands him in the 97th percentile again. Then he was introduced to the cruel reality of the world when, as he smiled and cooed at the doctor, she stuck him in the thigh...and then stuck him 3 more times to complete his first round of vaccinations. His face went from sweet to puzzled to unbelieving to completely devastated; it was like watching the Kubler-Ross stages of grief happen in less than 2 seconds time. Luckily, all was forgotten by the time we left her office. Rhys is a very forgiving character...and it probably helps that he is very easily distracted.

2009-02-18T22:15:00.004-05:00

Trying something new...

Joy filmed a mega-cute video of Rhys kicking a noisemaking mat toy thingy

Because the video is so big, I uploaded it to youtube.

I'm going to try to embed the video here, if it doesn't work I included the link directly to it below.

Link below:

Rhys Kicking making sweet Music

Long Delay...

2009-02-15T21:40:00.002-05:00

Son of a plastic surgeon... what can I say?

Finishing off the Grandparent tour

2009-01-25T19:27:00.004-05:00

Although Rhys met his "Gammy" early on in his life, we never could remember to take a picture of them together

Rhys got to meet "Bull" over the weekend too! The grandparent tour is now complete! (bonus: Joy's finger in the upper left corner!)

Here's some other pics...

The generations of Wallace men...

While Rhys' pose was natural, Dad's was posed (I SWEAR!!!)

I have no idea what I'm talking about, so here's a picture of a baby with a pancake on his head!

(for reference to the pic/quote above, see original viral internet pic below)

Meeting GREAT-Grandma!

2009-01-17T23:08:00.006-05:00

HEY EVERYONE!

To the right, we added a "Rhys' Followers" widget.

-Will

and now, the pix!!!

First photo of smile (red eye corrected for Katt's sake)

Rhys and Gerry... his Granny! (Great Grandma!)

Rhys and "Papaw"

Rhys and Loretta (no pet name determined yet)

Just like his mom... sleeps with his feet sticking out the side of the covers!

one month peds visit

2009-01-12T17:26:00.000-05:00

one month peds visit length 23 1/4 inches
weight 12 lbs 8 oz
both 95th %ile!

Catching Up...

2009-01-08T22:06:00.005-05:00

Ok, I'm way behind...
(ps: 1 year tomorrow...)(think Vegas)

BOOMER!!! (watching the National Championship Game... hoping for an Oklahoma win!)

My new sweatshirt!

Cassidy, Rhys, & Katt hanging out...

Hanging out in my car seat...

At the pool...

Look! Not even 5 weeks old and he can feed himself (well, sort of)

Quick Update

2008-12-25T17:01:00.005-05:00

Rhys and his awesome robe!

Rhys and Mommy

Rhys, Santa, and yummy diet pepsi!

Joy and her babies!

More Pics, and the end of Paternity leave

2008-12-21T22:02:00.004-05:00

Well, I can't believe 3 weeks of paternity leave (2 weeks 3 days actually spent with Rhys) have come to a close... Back to work tomorrow morning!

The reality is that the blog will only (at best) be updated weekly from here on.

In the meantime, some new pics:

Wha' happen?!?

Rhys' first "tub" bath... His umbilical cord remnant only fell off this week... sponge baths up to that point.

Rhys making sure my office staff stay in line... He comes by managerial skill naturally as his paternal grandfather was credit manager of the Oklahoma City newspaper for 30+ years.

Oooh... your compliments are too sweet... Don't stop...

I'm out... Goodnight (taken 20 minutes prior to this posting)

-ww

Pics and Vids

2008-12-15T20:41:00.010-05:00

silly stuff mostly

Sometimes he prefers to sleep sideways in his bassinet...

He's a pretty sound sleeper too.

For some reason I cannot get this picture to zoom when clicked... too bad, Rhys' expression is priceless!

Videos:

Wow

2008-12-10T13:18:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Rhys = Mellow Fellow

2008-12-09T20:47:00.006-05:00

Alright, well with the exception of a busy first night at home... Rhys has settled in quite nicely... Too nicely? He LOVES to sleep... and I know I hate to jinx it by saying that, I just want to spend some more awake time with him (and I think mom would agree.)
Anyway, as promised, more pics.
I'm gonna try to upload a video too, but it is a big size and it may not work, bear with me.
ALSO,
We are going to make a conscious effort to upload pictures of Rhys in various outfits...
I got this idea from Ken and Beth Bryan who admitted they couldn't always remember which outfit was from whom... (this is true at least for me, probably not for Joy, who is awesome with that stuff).
ww

Doing what he does best...

A rare "action shot" (taken just now 12/9/2008)

I peed on this outfit when dad was changing me (shoulda bought the pee-pee tee-pees!)

I like to fold my hands (there are better examples, just not on film... yet)

Katt and Rhys (and Joy's hand)

okay... gonna try the video now...

New Pictures (video too?) tomorrow

2008-12-08T21:14:00.001-05:00

Thanks bookmonkey.

Settling In

2008-12-07T05:59:00.002-05:00

Well, Rhys is getting used to life after uterus... While he slept pretty much the first 24 hours (as expected) we were worried he wasn't going to take to breastfeeding...

But, after the trauma of spending the night in a nursery, getting circumcised (he was numbed first), and receiving his first vaccination series wore off...

he awoke around 2am this morning and figured out breastfeeding and never looked back!

Joy's been cleared to go home, we're now just waiting on Rhys' pediatrician to say he can go.

Once we're settled in at home, I'll update more... although I'm betting our readership will be dropping off considerably now that he's out...

-Will

More Pics!

2008-12-06T16:21:00.005-05:00

For anyone not following along from the beginning...

(click on the image to make it bigger!)

Born in Buckeye country, but a Sooner at heart!

Stats

2008-12-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

Born December 5, 2008 5:29pm

Weight: 7 lbs, 1.2 oz

Length: 20 1/4"

Pics

2008-12-05T19:41:00.004-05:00

Father and son...

Rhys' First Pic (tall head)

Beautiful...

Mom, Dad, Rhys

Kinda looks like he has a sailor hat on...

Rhys' Debut!!!

2008-12-05T19:39:00.001-05:00

THIS IS A VIDEO... Press the arrow to play!

PICS TO FOLLOW

2008-12-05T19:14:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the delay in updating... we've been selfish with our time.
Rhys is nothing short of wonderful!
We were not progressing the way our OB liked in the birthing suites, so we were taken to the formal delivery room... He and Joy did great there and he was born at 5:29 pm
Wt: 7 lbs, 1 oz
Apgars were 7 and 9
STILL waiting on length though!

He was still kindof sleepy (too tired to nurse even) so we didn't get to spend as much time with him as we wanted (do you ever?)...
So right now he's off getting all his bloodwork done.
We're hoping to be able to go home Sunday afternoon.
We'll call each of you as we get reorganized into a real room (we're still in a recovery room...)
We love each and every one of you and can't wait to share our baby boy with you!
Joy, Will, Katt, and Rhys!

Rhys Patrick Wallace

2008-12-05T17:55:00.000-05:00

17:29 7lb 1oz (don't have length yet) PERFECT!

3:00

2008-12-05T14:58:00.001-05:00

9cm!
now we just need Rhys to drop down a little more, then the pushing begins.
Dr. Artman (our OB) will be joining us in about 30mins!
ww

1:21pm

2008-12-05T13:20:00.002-05:00

Well, napping is easier said than done...
Rhys is sensitive to the induction drug (Pitocin), and we've had to turn it down/off several times...
But he's doing well...
5cm... slow and steady...
Thank you all for all your supportive comments... and your patience... pics as soon as we have them I promise!

11:30am

2008-12-05T11:40:00.003-05:00

So, I guess we're not updating fast enough...
(I thought we were doing pretty well.)
Up to 4cm now, 90% effaced (that's good!)
Still anticipating an afternoon delivery.
Joy is very comfortable with her epidural working.
Time for a nap (for all of us)
-WW

9:30am

2008-12-05T09:29:00.002-05:00

Epidural in... Joy is feeling MUCH better...
Although currently the right side is taking much better than the left, we're doing some "maneuvers" to try to even it out.
Awaiting our next cervical exam.
As I am but a useless bystander, I did sneak down to the gift shop and buy copies of Today's papers (all the important ones if you're reading this Gov. Palin)

8am update

2008-12-05T08:03:00.003-05:00

cervix 3cm, 70% effaced, -1 in pelvis (that's good forward progress)
a couple hiccoughs along the way... trying to get Dr. Artman's approval prior to inserting the epidural (our word that she's ok with it isn't good enough) (that's the biggest one)
We've switched to the Pitocin, which is the main induction agent (stage 2)

6:44am

2008-12-05T07:02:00.001-05:00

Joy's water broke. She's feeling contractions regularly now.
We're waiting on:
1) her next cervical exam to see how the induction is going,
2) EPIDURAL!!!

12:45

2008-12-05T00:44:00.001-05:00

Joy is asleep, and I will be soon.
She thinks her contractions are becoming regular, albeit far apart.
Goodnight.

10pm

2008-12-04T22:00:00.003-05:00

Things are looking up. The waiting was worthwhile, as we have the biggest room.
Our resident (Dr. D) just arrived so the first part of the induction is about to begin...
Joy is so beautiful... I love her so much. We are both so excited to meet Rhys.
Now, wait for 4 hours to re-check...

Curious if not moreso...

2008-12-04T20:30:00.002-05:00

Attached below is the FIRST email I sent to Joy EVER!!!
Please note the time and date of the message sent...
Now recall our induction is scheduled for Dec, 4, 2008 at 8pm!!!
WOW!!!

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: William
Date: Dec 4, 2007 8:10 PM

Your friend tells me we should get a coffee sometime... saturday perhaps? i hear your working... probably will need a warm-up?
Interested?
-Bill

test

2008-12-04T17:35:00.000-05:00

this is a test to see if updating the blog from my phone works. if so, i'll try to keep everyone current throughout the night. thank you all again for your thoughts and prayers... we can't wait to introduce Rhys to you all!

Due Date???

2008-11-29T21:50:00.002-05:00

First and foremost, thank you so much to everyone inquiring about the upcoming arrival of Rhys...

Here's what we know:

Due date: December 2, 2008

but... Rhys has decided to "dig in" and does not want to drop...

we appreciate all your advice and have tried many of your suggestions...

however,

if Rhys' stubbornness persists, we have an induction date scheduled...

December 4, 2008; 8pm.

Dr. Artman feels a successful induction may take up to 20 (twenty!?) hours, hence the 8pm start time...

so...

should fate deal us this hand, more than likely Rhys will be born ONE year to the day that Joy and I first made formal introductions online!

Stay tuned!

-WW

2008-10-29T12:41:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone. We're getting so close to Rhys' arrival and the excitement is building every day. I am, of course, looking forward to meeting our little sweetheart...but also to being a normal-sized person again! The little things we all take for granted like being able to bend forward from the waist or being able to climb a flight of stairs without becoming terribly short of breath, those are the things I look forward to reclaiming. BUT I wouldn't give up a single moment of this pregnancy just because I've not been able shave the outer aspect of my left ankle for several weeks. Truly. Carrying our son has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

I had all but given up on being a new mommy along with (or probably because I had also given up on) the idea of ever being a bride. No, no...I didn't feel sorry for myself; on the contrary, I had accepted my fate and felt grateful that I had one spectacular daughter and a peaceful life with good friends and family. How could I ever have imagined that Fate had something else, something even better in store for me? An introduction to the perfect man, a romantic courtship, a fantastic elopement...as sickening as it is to all of you, we are actually the couple who met and never wanted to be apart. And, now, not only do I have the privilege of being Will's wife, I am also the mother of his son. Sometimes it is still hard to believe...that all this change has taken place in such a short time. But, I consider every day a blessing. This baby, the one who shields his face and sticks out his tongue during his ultrasound, is a blessing. Will and I look forward to meeting him, loving him, nurturing him, watching him become his own person. Parenthood is an amazing, amazing journey. One I'm glad to be taking again...and I can't think of a better person with whom to share this journey. Will is going to be an incredible father...or at the very least he'll be able to relate since he's really just an 8-year-old boy anyway.

Thanks to everyone for being interested, supportive, generous, and caring. We'll keep you all "posted" as this glorious event gets closer and closer.

More Pictures!

2008-10-27T22:17:00.003-04:00

This is not all inclusive, but here are the highlights of this session...

More face shots...

Clenched hand only. (no face)

More hiding (this pic is leftover from last time)

Rhys' junk

Sticking out his tongue!

And his name shall be...

2008-09-25T15:23:00.001-04:00

Rhys Patrick Wallace

Nursery - mostly done

2008-09-16T18:31:00.002-04:00

An upclose view of the wall coloring/trim

Almond above, white chair rail, "Essence" blue below

Crib and tall dresser

Crib and rocking chair
(although we'll probably get a glider b/c this rocker CREAKS too loudly)

Low dresser, bedding seen in crib

So far, our only wall art
(with the exception of his name in wooden letters, not shown...)

1st Set of 3D Pictures!!!

2008-09-07T19:51:00.007-04:00

Ok, so I guess our son is going to be stubborn... kinda like his mother and father... and decided that he didn't want to cooperate today for picture day!
So, since he hasn't made his downward turn (still head up), they weren't able to get a good, unobstructed pic of his face... But they said we could reschedule in a couple weeks and try again!
Anyway, here's what we DO have:
(Please note if you click on the pictures you can see larger copies!!!)

Our Son (stuff over left eye is umbilical cord)

(Umbilical cord over left eye)

More of a profile shot

Better profile with Left arm and hand in view

He's starting to pout... I think he's tired of getting pictures taken.

We were right... now he's hiding!

At this point he actually turned over and hid his head!!!

We had to stop here. The Ultrasound Tech said we could come back in a few weeks and try again!!!
In the meantime, we think he's pretty cute (granted we might be biased!).
Stay Tuned!

3d Ultrasound

2008-09-04T09:41:00.001-04:00

Scheduled for this Sunday, Sept 7, 2008! Pictures (video?) to follow

Some of you don't feel like we're updating enough...

2008-07-30T14:35:00.006-04:00

Recap:
Sometime in 2007 - brief work related encounter
Dec 4, 2007 - Official first introductions via internet
Dec 8, 2007 - 1st date
Jan 9, 2008 - Married
March 2008 - Pregnant
May 28, 2008 - Risk of Downs, Trisomy 18 dropped way down (killer nasal bone)
July 2, 2008 - It's a Boy confirmed (suspected in May)
July (later) 2008 - Baby boy Wallace starts to move... turning around at first, now kinda kicking... although I'll have to take Joy's word for it, as he freezes up when I put my hand on Joy's belly...
Left to do: Nursery, baby items, learn to be a dad, have Joy/my parents meet!!!, 3D ultrasound scheduling...
Nov 27, 2008: Thanksgiving
Dec 2, 2008: Due date... (Joy's hoping for right after Thanksgiving dinner, I think it'd be neat (maybe a little creepy too) if he came on Dec 8, 2008... exactly one year later... stay tuned!

Our OB is bored with us

2008-07-10T23:20:00.002-04:00

She told us today that Joy's pregnancy is completely normal... (kind of what we were hoping for)
Our next post won't be for several weeks... we've yet to schedule our 3D ultrasound (vanitysound as Dr. Artman calls it) but once we do, plan on buckets of pics...
-WW

20-ish week photos

2008-07-02T20:30:00.005-04:00

Posted in no particular order or significance...

Profile of head (face up)

Another Profile of head (face up)

Full body shot (sans legs, hand on head)!

Legs (crossed... feet on left, belly on right)

Feetsies

Footsy

Check out that small finger middle bone!

Arrow pointing to his "junk"
(orientation: butt on right, legs on left, looking up from bottom)

Hand floating in space...

20-ish Week Ultrasound

2008-07-02T12:51:00.002-04:00

Well it's official, we're having a BOY! (Photos to follow as soon as I'm close to a scanner.)
Everything is going great. Our baby has all his finger bones (that's another way to eval for Down's, if he didn't), and his heart chambers are all developed nicely...

He was moving his jaw and his arms when we were watching. Joy can't feel him moving yet because his placenta is located in front so it acts like a pillow... but everything is awesome!

We are all very excited!

Everything seems easy (for now...)

2008-05-30T10:36:00.005-04:00

The reality of having a baby is starting to be actuallized... Particularly with all that comes along with it... This weeks drama is... DAYCARE... We haven't decided exactly who will look after our kid (his/her name for the record will not be Carlton) once born, but we went ahead and filled out a waiting list application today for the OSU employee child care program... Luckily, the wait is only 12-18 MONTHS!!!
Wow!

Here are some more pics from Wednesday, including two of his AWESOME nasal bone... the sonographer couldn't stop going on about it... Hopefully it won't be as "distinguished" as mine (dad)...

The small white piece of "rice" in his nose is his nasal bone.

Better seen here...

More thumb sucking? or just hand near face...

Ultrascreen: Ultra-awesome Results

2008-05-28T15:49:00.004-04:00

So, Joy and I just returned from our Ultra-screen ultrasound results which as you may have read below, screens those parents who are at higher risk for Down's Syndrome and Trisomy 18/13

The results, shown below, basically state Joy has the same risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome as a 20 year old, and the risk of having a baby with Trisomy 18/13 as a 28 year old...

(basically the top horizontal bar for each subheading shows the pre-screening risk, and the bottom bar shows our risk now based on what our bloodwork/ultrasound shows)

All of a sudden I feel like a cradle robber!!!

And now, pictures of the peanut:

full body shot... banana floating in air is an arm

sucking thumb shot?

Kickin' back #1

Kickin' back #2

Creepy I'm lookin' at you alien pic... But we love our baby regardless!!!

They also went on and on about how AWESOME our baby's Nasal Bone is, but I don't have the pics to scan in yet because Joy was so proud she wanted to take them home to show Katt... (more to follow)

2008-05-20T17:40:00.002-04:00

So, today I called to schedule an Ultra-Screen which is part of the recommended testing due to my age. While on the phone I am told that I am AMA. Now, I'm in the medical field but that acronym wasn't ringing any bells. So, the lady on the other end of the phone, sensing my confusion, spells it out for me. "AMA stands for advanced maternal age. dearie," or something like that. ADVANCED! ADVANCED? Like I'm 70 or something. I know that most 38-year-olds don't go around having babies, but I'd prefer a more delicate title like OTU (older than usual) or even NYM (not yet menopausal). It's just insensitive to hit us old gals with such a slam when we're already feeling guilty about a potentially genetically defective baby. My grandmother was 44 when she had her last (perfectly healthy I might add) baby and she'd have socked someone for labeling her advanced maternal age! My sense of self-preservation will help me bounce back from this little episode, but I'm tempted to arrive for my ultrasound wearing support stockings and using a walker, maybe ask them all to speak into my good ear.

For the record, this AMA mommy is feeling great...so far it's all been every bit as easy as it was 18 years ago. I shouldn't boast...there's still the little matter of getting the results from the aforementioned ultra-screen. Stay tuned....

2008-05-06T16:43:00.001-04:00

2008-05-05T12:35:00.001-04:00

Countdown Clocks at WishAFriend.com

12-2-2008!!

2008-05-02T13:33:00.012-04:00

Save the Date!

So This will be the first blog that the public has seen, so let me sum up...
Joy Jones and William Wallace:
Met December 4, 2007 (Joy: technically we just emailed on this date and met December 8th)
Married January 9, 2008
Conceived on or around March 14, 2008 (Joy: this is TMI!!! Sorry, people)
Move in together on or around June 8, 2008
Expect the arrival of a baby December 2, 2008

What an incredible, wonderful year 2008 is turning out to be!!!

So, we just got back from our first OB peri-natal (not-PRE) visit and got our more accurate dates and first ultrasound...

We are approximately 66 days pregnant per calculations
Our "peanut" as everyone seems to call it when they see the ultrasound is one inch long today...

The ultrasound we used looked like this:
(Joy: again...TMI. No one needs to focus in on the nature of this machine and think about what that ultrasound entailed. My apologies, folks)

I am attempting to upload a video of the ultrasound screen that will show the baby's heart (hopefully seen below):

You can see the heart beating as the little blurry squiggle in the middle of what, I must concede, looks like a peanut.

First Post

2008-04-29T18:44:00.007-04:00

Okay, first post. Where to begin?

Joy and I were married January 9, 2008 in Las Vegas after a brief but perfect period of dating/knowing each other.

Joy has an awesome daughter (Katt) who, luckily, seems to put up with me.
Joy had always envisioned having more children, and I had always envisioned having children...
A few weeks ago, we realized those dreams were (hopefully) going to become a reality.

When?... well, we don't really know... yet.
Our first OB appointment is this Friday, so stay tuned....
(quite honestly, nobody reading this will have even known we were pregnant until after the OB appointment, so this entry is merely for historical purposes, so humor me).

We decided to "let nature take its course" near the end of February.
Our first two tests actually came back NEGATIVE... so when Joy was closing in on being 2 months late, we were quite shocked (but delighted, don't get me wrong), to see this:

So, 2008 has already proven to be one of the best years of our lives... I took the liberty of creating this internet blog, probably one of countless others just like it... but I ("I" being Will)know I'm not responsible enough to carry a journal around and document all my thoughts, hopes, fears, funny moments, etc... and theoretically I can enter blogs from my PDA phone...
So wish me luck.

"Month One-ish" (this picture may be deleted before the post is made public... Joy has a hard time believing how truly beautiful she is... despite my insistant reminders... she is truly beautiful, more than ever before):
(Picture removed indefinately due to reasons listed above...)
(I love you Joy!!!)

Joy and I are delighted. I thought this would be a way to keep everyone updated of our progress, as well as prod me into writing down my perspectives on it all.