Happy Birthday Mikayla!!!

Had a fantastic, busy weekend!! It started on Thursday night with Mike's grandparents coming in town... dinner at Mike's parents house, doctor appointment, dinner out at Longhorn, lunch at Cracker Barrel, Mikayla's birthday party, incredible church service, meeting after church to vote in our brand new senior pastor, and dinner at Mike's parents house again. Whew... I am exhausted!!! It has been wonderful!! Cannot believe my baby girl is 3 years old. Remembered the day of going in to have Mikayla three years ago... the miracle that so many people witnessed that day. God continues to amaze me every day through her. He has brought her way beyond all the stuff the doctors said and expected of her. She continues to amaze the doctors also!! We are so thankful for the decision we made over three years ago to have faith in what our eyes could not see and our minds could not understand. Could not imagine not having Mikayla in our lives!! There are days that I am exhausted from all the continued doctors appointments, specialists, cathing, UTIs, and all the other special needs but I look at her and would not give HER up for ANYTHING in the world!!! She has such an incredible future ahead. I cannot wait to see the person she will become and the lives she will continue to touch!!

Her party was scheduled to be at the park here in Portland but the weather did not want to cooperate with us!! We were under a tornado watch pretty much all day so we did not want to chance it and moved the party here to our house. We had probably 35 people in our tiny house... crazy!!! It stressed me out quite a bit but ended up being fine... we just all got really close!! We had a good turnout for the weather being so yucky!! I am so thankful for all the friends we have and the people that love Mikayla. The kids had a good time playing with all Mikayla's toys... it looked like a tornado came through here... but all that was important is the kids were occupied and happy!!!
Mikayla and her buddy Brayden(Brayden is going to marry Mikayla)

Some of the kiddos playing in Mikayla's room...missing several kids in this picture

Mike, Gary and Debbie Frye, Bill Bryant, Heather Street

Justin Reid, Tim and Ashley West(and Nate), and PopPop

MomMom, Geoff and Tammy Reid, Andrea Johnson, and Sarai Laguna

Mike(sitting in Mikayla's chair), Brayden, Heather Street, Aj, Kara, Papa, Mamaw, PopPop, MomMom...there are several families that I did not get in pictures who came in after I stopped taking pictures.

Aj, Kaykay, part of Kara- getting ready to blow out candles

Mikayla would not blow out the candles so Aj did it for her

Enjoying her cupcake

Aj and Kara

The happy girl on her official birthday!!!

First time for Mikayla to get flowers and they are not from Mommy and Daddy... Thanks Pastor Bobby!!

Opening presents at Mamaw's with Aj, Kara, and Georgie

Crazy Aj - measuring his head using tape measure from Mikayla's new tool set

No, that is not a crazy hat... those are Mikayla's capris on Aj's head

No, that is not our form of punishment... that was them just playing around

Yes, Mikayla is insistent that Kara get in on the fun too!! What a good sport Kara is!!

Happy Easter

Yes- I know it is a shock... two posts within a few days of one another!! We had a beautiful, fun Easter weekend. We had egg hunts, visits with family, and just some good relaxing time. Sunday we remembered why we celebrate Easter... Jesus rose from the grave and all our sins were forgiven and we were given an eternal life with Him in heaven. I am so thankful that I can be forgiven for my past and also for everyday sins. I am so thankful for the stripes Jesus took on his back for our healing. Our church service Sunday was incredible - we have some really talented people in our church. It was an illustrated service.
Mikayla got WAYYYYYY too much candy from the Easter bunny both at our house, Mamaws, and Memaw B's.
This picture we were just playing around with curlers to see how her hair would do.

KayKay and Mommy before church Sunday

Mikayla in her pretty dress.

Being silly- wish she would have given me a real smile

Daddy and his girl

Hunting eggs at Mamaws on Sunday

Cheesin'

We have been doing pretty good. Dealing with getting closer to "threes" with Mikayla. She is really trying to test her boundaries in everything. Some days are very stressful for Mommy!! I wonder how in the world it will be with a newborn and a three year old. Could be very interesting!!! At least I have people close by who are more than willing to help out!! Mike is taking off at least 3 weeks when Luke gets here so I am super thankful for him having a job the enables him to do that. Everything is going great with the pregnancy... besides feeling like a blimp lately!! I am pretty much the same size at 22 weeks with Luke that I was when I went to delivery Mikayla. Pretty crazy!! Loving the weather lately... today is around 80 and sunny!! Mikayla is enjoying being able to go outside and play. Someone wanted to see a baby bump picture so ... here it is!

Mikayla got a new four wheeler... she loves to ride it as long as she does not have to push the gas... she will steer it but will not push the gas button on the handle.

We went bowling a few weeks ago. Mikayla was terrified until Puppy started "bowling". By the time we left she was doing it herself. I actually got in trouble over the loudspeaker for taking pictures... there was league bowling going on and I guess my flash distracted them. Whatever!!

Silly girl... I put her hair in sponge rollers today. When I showed her in the mirror all she could do is stare.

This what her room looks like while she is playing today... loves getting all her toys out. She is actually pretty good about cleaning up.

Duke loves to share the bed with Mikayla.

Great News

We went for our ultrasound today and ALL IS PERFECT!!!! We also found out that IT'S A BOY!!!! So excited!!! I feel like we won the lottery! Thanks to all of you for you prayers... we know they make a difference!!! We also have a name picked out... Luke Michael. Thanks again for all the prayers!! GOD IS AWESOME!!!! We love you all!

Deja Vu

Last Monday I went to the doctor to have a test done called a Quad Test. This tests for possible birth defects with the baby I am carrying. I got a phone on Friday from my doctor say that the test came back positive for a possible defect. I don't want to go into details about what it is or any of that but please know it is a terrible situation... much worse that Spina Bifida. We are asking for prayers from here until the baby gets here. We are believing that the test results are WRONG. We all know for a fact that can happen... just look at our beautiful, sweet Mikayla. We are standing on our faith in an AMAZING God... He is the ultimate physician!! We are asking for positiveness (is that really a word?) throughout the rest of my pregnancy. We are so thankful for the amazing friends and family that stand by us in prayer and love during our time of need. We are TRULY blessed!!! Thank you in advance for raising this baby up in prayer and for standing with us in the faith that all is well!!! Love you all!!

On a note that makes me smile... I put some pictures on here that we took of Mikayla yesterday.

Many things going on in the Scheetz home... surgery, pacifiers disappearing, big girl beds appearing, big belly appearing...

We have had more snow since the last time I blogged. We are so tired of snow and cold weather... ready for spring. We had a couple of 60 degree days last weekend... what a tease!! And guess what we have today... snow on the way!! UGH! I guess there is nothing we can do about it so what is the sense in complaining... I am still over winter though!

The pacifier has left building!!! Mikayla got a slide for getting rid of it. And no... we did not persuade her... she woke up on a Monday morning and said to me..." Mommy, I want the fafa to go away". Well, away it went into the trash. She had a couple of times she wanted it back but all it took was for us to remind her it went in the trash and she was fine.

With the baby coming, we have to get her out of the crib. We bought a new dresser and toddler bed. New sheets are on order but still waiting for those. Mikayla wanted Princess and the Frog sheets for her big girl bed. This is more of a struggle than the pacifier. She has slept in the bed a couple of times but wants her crib the rest. I know it will take time. We have a few months so I don't want to push her and make it a horrible experience. I am wondering how you people reading this handled the transition... please leave me comments. Thanks.

My belly is growing everyday. My sweet husband looks at it quite often and says things like wow your belly is HUGE!! I guess if I wast not pregnant I would be really offended but I guess I will let him slide for now!! Everything looks good. We go for the big ultrasound on March 5th. We are going to a specialists for the ultrasound so they can look at everything with supersonic pictures... so they don't miss anything. A little nervous about it... but excited at the same time to find out the sex of the baby. Then we can settle the argument in our house of blue vs. pink. Stay posted!!

Mikayla had to have surgery last Wednesday. We took her to Vandy on Tuesday evening. She was complaining of headaches (and had been for a week or so), fever, and was very lethargic. They did a CT and head xray, shunt tap, and tested spinal fluid. This determined her shunt was not working properly. So... surgery was Wednesday. We stayed in the hospital Tuesday and Wednesday in a room the size of a closet with no shower!! I have never been so ready to be home. Surgery was a success and she is doing great. She went back to school yesterday and all went fine.
Mikayla's mini snowman

Daddy's snowman

Working together to perfect Mikayla's

Being silly, taking pictures of Daddy, taking pictures of her.

Picture from my recent girls night out... dinner at Chop House and Bowling... love these girls!

Helping Daddy put together her big girl bed... look at the determination on her face!!

The finished product... her room is a little cramped until we get the crib out... don't know when that will be.

Her recent incision from surgery last week.