Bergemuda Grand Opening

Yesterday, we marked the grand opening of Bergemuda with a great barbecue! Tom made some delicious food on the grill, and plenty of folks came over to help us celebrate. Cole enjoyed his first experience at the pool, and Sydney had a blast swimming in the frosty cold water with her Daddy and Papa. Here are some pics of the kids:

Cole's Heart

Last week, I took Cole to the cardiologist. It turns out, that he's got a fairly common condition, which is causing his lips and chin to turn blue. It's called patent foramen ovale or PFO.

While a baby grows in the womb, there is a normal opening between the left and right atria (upper chambers) of the heart. If this opening fails to close naturally soon after the baby is born, the hole is called patent foramen ovale (PFO). The good news is that this is actually fairly common (it occurs in one in four people) and that the prognosis for people with PFO is good - there are no known risks or symptoms that accompany this particular condition. People with PFO just have PFO - they grow up to be healthy, contributing members of society. There's even a chance that Cole's hole may close over the next several weeks. The cardiologist said that we could come back to monitor the hole, but that there was no reason to do so.

So - that's the story. Thank God - our little boy is healthy!

My BIG Boy

Cole had another doctor's appointment today, and it turns out that he is quite the eater! Apparently, babies his age should be eating approximately 3 ounces per feeding and gaining about a pound every two weeks. Cole is eating almost 5 ounces per feeding and gaining about a pound a week! He weighed in at over 10 pounds today!

In other news, Cole and I are headed to the pediatric cardiologist tomorrow morning for an echocardiogram (a fancy term for a heart sonogram). His lips and chin continue to turn blue, and so we decided we needed to get him checked. We should know a little more tomorrow after the test. We'll keep you posted.

Boo-Boo = Popsicle

Syd took a hard fall today on the stair to the family room. She was running like a crazy person and slipped and fell. Anyway, she's fine - just has a little bruise. But, we did have to treat it with a popsicle. I snapped this picture while Papa was tending to the injury and Syd was enjoying her popsicle.

Jiffy Jambalaya

Haven't eaten this since before I was pregnant (doctor said no sausage). Anyway, it's quick, easy, and yummy.

1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 drops hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 cups uncooked instant rice

In a skillet, saute onion and green pepper in oil until tender. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes, water, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil; add the rice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Happy Mother's Day

I meant to post about Mother's day, but time got away from me. Anyway, it was a good one! In the morning, Papa, Syd, Cole, and I went to Ida Lee for Syd's swimming lesson. Then, we raced back to the house for brunch. We had the whole gang over to celebrate. Jodi made her famous hash brown casserole, and we all enjoyed lots of good breakfast munchies. Sarah made all the mothers fantastic pottery gifts, and my wonderful husband got me a spectacular Coach bag! That afternoon, Cole got to meet his Godparents, Mr. and Mrs. Chabot. They delivered a ton of gifts and dinner! Of course, Sydney just loves the Chabots - she especially liked playing with their new iPad (wow - are they brave to let her play with their new toy). Anyway, the afternoon was just as much fun as the morning. What a great day!

So Far So Good...

Cole had his two-week doctor's appointment today. Although we have a couple breathing and circulation issues we'll be monitoring over the next couple weeks, the appointment was a good one. He's a heavy boy: at three weeks old, he weighs 9 pounds and 3 ounces - that means he put on nearly 2 pounds in the last two weeks! He also grew an inch in length and an inch and a half in his head circumference.

Over the last two weeks, on a couple different occasions, we've noticed that Cole's mouth and lips turn blue. We're pretty sure it's not a heart issue, but we're going to monitor the situation, and if things get any worse, we'll be going for an echocardiogram by 8 weeks. Doctor Plescia did listen to Cole's heart today, and he said he feels confident that the change in color is a circulation issue. We've also noticed that during nursing, Cole sometimes forgets to breathe. According to Doctor Plescia, this is a fairly common occurrence that we're hoping Cole will outgrow. The fact that he's been nursing really well, gaining weight, and producing plenty of dirty diapers are all really good signs that these issues are not serious. However, we'll be keeping a close eye on him over the next five or six weeks.