The Holidays in Norfolk

We have been very blessed to already have so many visitors in the few months since we moved to Norfolk, and Thanksgiving was no exception. All of the Burgin siblings and families gathered at the Norfolk Burgin house to celebrate the holiday together. We had a great time going to the mall, seeing Santa, playing together and eating lots of food! I probably did more than I should have, considering I was 34 weeks pregnant, but that's just the control freak in me! It's so nice that we are close enough to do this and that our house is big enough to hold the whole family, well for this year anyway... :)

The whole family (minus Mom and Dad) getting ready to feast!

Now, onto Christmas! Our house is decorated and ready! I have had fun decorating this house with lots of new (and old) things. This year we got a Fraser fir tree for the first time. We have always gotten Douglas firs in honor of Oregon, but decided to do something new this year. We also got Leah her own tree this year, and boy does she love it! We even let her put her ornaments that she has gotten for her first 4 Christmases on her tree.



We have wanted to participate in any holiday activities we can find, so we went to Colonial Williamsburg for their Grand Illumination, to start the Christmas season. They light up all of the houses with candles in the windows, have an 18th century Santa, a drum and fife parade, and fireworks after dark. We decided it was worth staying up late for, and Leah really seemed to enjoy the fireworks! We are having lots of fun getting to know our new city and are excited for our first Christmas here. Maybe we'll have snow for Christmas (and a baby)!

33 weeks down, 7 to go (hopefully)!

I know I have not been very good at documenting the growth and changes I have been going through during this pregnancy.  You can trust in the saying "no news is good news"! So, not only for those who read the blog, but to remember myself, I am going to update the similarities and differences of this pregnancy and Leah's. Despite getting some flack from my doctor over my lack of weight gain (my pre-pregnancy weight to 32 weeks is only a difference of 7 lbs.), everything is going very well with this pregnancy. Just to reassure, I have gained more than 7 lbs during this pregnancy. I just lost a lot of weight during the first trimester, but have gained it all back plus 7 pounds in the last 20 weeks. This also happened during my pregnancy with Leah. I have often joked that the first trimester of pregnancy is the best diet I have been on, if only you were supposed to lose weight! Aside from the weight gain issue, I have also only gained weight in my belly with this pregnancy. I hesitate to say that, knowing that it will make many mothers upset that I don't seem to gain weight in my feet, face, nose, and other unfortunate places, but I'm just sharing, not bragging, I promise! This baby also has hiccups all the time, like Leah did, at least once every day. I didn't really have any strange food cravings with Leah, and I don't with this baby either.
Now, for some of the differences with this pregnancy. This baby is more active than Leah. This baby has spent a lot more time kicking me in the ribs and jumping on my bladder than Leah did. She moved, but her movements were more polite. I have not had the sciatic pain with this pregnancy that I did with Leah, which makes walking a lot easier! With this pregnancy, I am finding it more difficult to get comfortable and not just when trying to sleep. Just finding a comfortable position while sitting on the couch takes me several minutes of rearranging pillows, my position, etc. I don't remember that with Leah.  I have noticed that this baby reacts to certain foods in a way that Leah never did. We went to a Mexican restaurant and this baby was doing the Mexican Hat Dance in my belly when I ate salsa. I'm hoping that it was the baby's way of saying "yummy" and not "yucky", because Mexican food is an important part of our lives!
I'm sure there are many more things I could write about, but my pregnancy brain has made me forget anything else, and my dancing belly is telling me it's time for a snack. So, I will finish with a picture of me at 33 weeks:

Hurricane Days

What do you do when you're at home, stuck in the house, with nothing to do, because a hurricane is going by outside? First, stay in pajamas all day.

Second, hang out and look out the window.

Third, look at the computer with Mom.

And, if you're still bored, sing! Check facebook for a video of Leah singing. For some reason it won't let us upload to blogger.

Student of the Month

With Hurricane Sandy coming through, I totally forgot to share about Leah's Student of the Month celebration at school. On Friday, Leah was honored, along with the students from the other classes, with a special certificate and little party. Each student was called by the principal, given their certificate, and got to have a cookie and juice with the principal. Stephen took the afternoon off of work to come with me, and then we took Leah to a special lunch at Cheesecake Factory. Well, the lunch might have been more for us!

Leah liked getting a certificate from Dr. White!

Leah did NOT like eating the cookie or drinking the juice!

New Letters for Leah's Room

Okay, prepare to be amazed... I have done something crafty! With the help of my encouraging mother-in-law, we made new letters for Leah's room. Now, Leah already had 2 sets of letters in her room, but as cute as they were, they don't match her room anymore. We finally decided to give Leah her first girly room with pink/purple/green bed set and I saw a cute idea for letters hanging them from a curtain rod (thank you pinterest), so we decided to try to make our own. Check out our creative efforts:

What I Found When I Went in Leah's Room

Let me start out by saying that about a month ago, we took the front off of Leah's crib and put a bed rail up. It was just getting too hard for me to lift her up and over the front of the crib and we will at some point transition her to a big girl bed. One of the benefits of Leah's blindness is that she doesn't know how high she is off the ground, so we have just made sure to not let Leah get in and out of bed on her own. We have seen her a couple of times with her legs hanging off the edge of the bed about an inch above the ground. But since she couldn't feel the ground, she has given up on trying to get down. This was all working out well for us, until about a week ago. She finally got brave enough to let her feet get all the way to the ground. This has slowly progressed to standing up and leaning against the crib, getting all the way down and sitting on the ground, and finally today... I walked into Leah's room while she was supposed to be taking a nap and here is what I found when I went in Leah's room:

Aside from the fact that she was out and over at her changing table, clothes and blankets were strewn about her room. And, don't mind her pants half down... that's just her style! Our girl is getting to be a brave one! Let the fun begin!!

Update on Leah at School

Well, Leah has been in school now for more than 2 months and is really liking her school. She knows where she is when we walk in the door and is happy to be there. The school has a walker that they have provided for Leah to use while in school. After some resistance, she is using the walker again! However, she walks EXTREMELY slowly with it. I guess it's her way of saying, "Fine, I'll use it, but I'm gonna use it my way!" You gotta love this girl who knows what she wants! Here is a pic of her at school in her walker:

Another great thing at school is that Leah was chosen to be the Student of the Month for her class!  Every month a student is chosen from each class and then there is a special celebration that parents are invited to, where the kids are honored. The Students of the Month also get to have a special treat with the principal. We are so proud of our little girl who has obviously impressed her teachers with her determination and strong spirit! On one of the bulletin boards in the hallway at school is a display of information sheets about each student. Below is a pic of Leah's. In case you can't read it, it says: "Hello! My name is Leah! I am three years old. This is my first year at Easton Preschool. I like manipulating my braille books and light up toys. I like walking with my teachers and playing on the playground. I enjoy sliding on the slide!" They seem to know our girl pretty well!!

Colonial Williamsburg

This past weekend we drove to Colonial Williamsburg to meet Sarah, Dustin and the kids for a day of exploring some of our nation's history. It's so amazing that we live less than an hour from things like this! We bought an annual pass, knowing that we will definitely be going back many times. Williamsburg is not something you can do in 1 day (especially not with 3 little ones and 2 pregnant women!) And, of course Grandma's in town, so it was a fun time for her to spend with 3 of her grandchildren.

We got to take a guided tour of the Governor's Palace as part of our paid ticket. They have recreated many of the buildings to be exactly like they were during Revolutionary Times, including this one.

Cooper, in front of the County Courthouse, one of the many original buildings in the Revolutionary City.

The Fife and Drum parade. It was really neat to see all of the actors and workers walking around in period garb.

Grandma with 3 of the grandkids. What a happy group!!

We can't wait to go back and explore some more. We are also looking forward to taking visitors to see it, too. (Hint, hint!)

Over 100 years of flight

We have enjoyed getting to know our new home including some of the surrounding areas. A few weeks ago, we traveled to Kitty Hawk, the Birthplace of Flight, so that we could see the first place that man flew. It was really neat to see where it all began, and especially amazing to think that their first successful flights were only a little over 100 years ago. Think of all that has happened in that short amount of time!

In front of an exact replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer.

Looking out to Big Kill Devil Hill. This field of grass used to be sand and the hill used to be 450 feet closer!

The boulder marks the start of each of the first successful flights made in 1903. You can see the markers showing the distance of each of the flights.

The memorial to the Wright Brothers on top of Kill Devil Hill.

Today we went to the NAS Oceana Air Show in Virginia Beach and had a great time watching the accomplishments of modern day flight.  Again, it's amazing to think of how far we have come in 100 years! On a side note, we were extremely proud of our girl, who not only lasted for several hours, but actually enjoyed the air show. She wasn't even concerned with the loud sounds of jets going by. She was only bothered by our hands covering her ears!

Leah and Daddy checking out one of the planes on the ground. Can you see the parachute in the background?

Leah on the wing, you can kind of tell how windy it was today.

The Black Diamond Jet Team coming in over the Blue Angels. (Notice the mullet in the foreground...classy!)

The Black Diamond Jet Team is a civilian team made up of 4 L-39s and 2 Mig-17s.

The 4 L-39s doing a loop in formation.

The Air Force Heritage Flight, made up of an F-4 and an F-16. They were both very loud and very fast!

Leah's Art Project

Leah came home with an art project she made at school. See below:

In school, they are learning about the color yellow, the letter B, and singing the song, "The Wheels on the Bus". Hence the yellow school bus project. It is exactly the kind of project you would expect from the second week of preschool. So what makes this project so special that I am making a post about it? It's not the content of the project, but the materials and methods that make this one different. Leah's teacher wants to really include Leah in the classroom and has come up with unique ways to do it. While the rest of the class was ripping yellow paper to glue to the outline of a bus, Leah's teacher attached the thick dark cut out of a bus to a transparency that she put on Leah's lightbox. She also used tissue paper for her bus, so that Leah could see the final product of her art work. Finally, a piece of art work that Leah can appreciate! We hung Leah's bus in the window so that she can look at it everyday. We are so thankful that Leah is in a classroom where she is accepted, valued, and truly wanted.

24 Weeks

Well, I am officially 24 weeks along in this second pregnancy and according to babycenter.com the baby is about the length of an ear of corn and weighs about a pound. I had my first doctor's appointment with my new doctor, here in Norfolk. Stephen came to this appointment with me so that we could both meet her and we both really liked her a lot. She seemed very friendly and we heard from a friend whose son was delivered by this doctor that she was a good coach during delivery. The baby's heart beat was strong and steady, and all of my vitals were good. I have officially gained enough weight to be heavier now than I was pre-pregnant (I'm one pound heavier than before)! I am starting to feel big and a little uncomfortable and I don't remember feeling this way, at this point, with Leah. It was a few years ago, so maybe I have just forgotten... or maybe this is going to be a big baby. Leah has been the smallest of all of the Burgin grandchildren at 8 lbs 2 oz, maybe this next one wants to take the title! I hope not, though. May Anna Kate ever reign as the record holder in that area (She was over 10 lbs!)! I would be content with another petite 8 lbs baby! Only time will tell... In the meantime, here is a picture of me at 24 weeks:

This was the best picture of me, that I could find, from around 24 weeks with Leah. I look about as big, so maybe I just don't remember feeling big at this point!

First Day of School!

Today Leah started her first day of preschool here in Norfolk. Now, Leah has been in daycare/preschool since she was 4 months old, so this is technically her 3rd time starting a new school year. Every other year Stephen has taken her to school. In fact, the only times I have ever taken Leah to school has been on days when Stephen is either sick or out of town and it's never been at the beginning of the school year. So, this was just as much my first day of school as it was Leah's. Surprisingly enough, I was a little emotional. I didn't cry or anything, but it was hard for me to leave her school. I did, though, and when I got back after school, she was there, just as happy as when I dropped her off.

I'm ready for school!!

My new teacher, Ms. Alicia

Burgin Gathering

After flying back to Atlanta from Iowa, we had to quickly make our way back to Norfolk for a Burgin family gathering. The whole family came to visit us in Norfolk, see our new house, Stephen's office, and celebrate Stephen's graduation. The first part of the family consisting of: Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Andrew, Aunt Patty, Uncle Luke, and cousins Anna Kate and Caroline, all arrived on Thursday, August 16th. Aunt Sarah, Uncle Dustin, and cousins Wesley and Cooper got here on Friday. So, our need to be quick with unpacking just the week before was because we were going to have a house full of guests (and then some) as soon as we got back from our trips to Gainesville and Iowa. I know I said it in an earlier post, but I don't know how we would have done it without the help of my mom and Andrew. We had a fun time showing them around Norfolk, including the really awesome huge 3 story mall that's downtown, Virginia Beach (we only put our toes in the water), and of course Old Dominion's campus. It really is a very pretty campus, especially right now. The campus is covered in crape myrtles that are all in bloom. It was also special to take everyone to show Stephen's office (with his name on the door!)

The main lawn of ODU looking toward the student union

Dr. Burgin, at his desk

It really is his office!

It was fun to show the family around our new town. We're excited for everyone to come back and visit again. One of the hardest things for us was saying goodbye to Andrew. Leah is especially going to miss her Uncle Andrew. They developed a special bond this year.  We have loved getting to live with him this past year. He has become so much a part of our daily lives, it's going to be hard to not have him near. We'll just have to go see him and make sure he visits us here!

So, we have had the last week with just our family, officially starting the time of adjusting to our new home. Stephen had his first week of real work: going to lots of meetings, getting his syllabus together, and spending time preparing for his first class on Tuesday. I spent my first week as a stay-at-home mom: going shopping (and feeling strange that I wasn't buying school supplies), doing laundry, and even met up with some new friends we met for a play date at the park. I also got Leah registered for school, so she is set up and ready to start on September 4th. We have meet the teacher this Friday and Stephen will be going with me. The teacher specialist who helped me with registration said it would be a good idea for us to make a "facts about Leah" sheet for her teacher to get to know her, so I am starting to work on that now. Life is starting to feel normal here in Norfolk, VA, right down to the rainy summer days.

A trip to Iowa

On Sunday after graduation, we drove to Atlanta to fly to Iowa for an appointment with a new doctor - a molecular ophthalmologist who specializes in rare genetic eye diseases, Dr. Stone. We were referred to him by Dr. Murray, Leah's ophthalmologist in Miami. When we went to the hospital (at the University of Iowa), we were surprised that we actually had appointments with 2 doctors. First, we saw Dr. Wilkinson, (who was in the exam room waiting for us!) a low vision specialist. He assessed Leah's functional vision and was able to determine that Leah has more than just light perception. She doesn't have much more, but she can see some objects if there is a high contrast. We already believed this to be true, but it was nice to have it confirmed by a doctor. He talked with us about the importance of maximizing her functional vision and told us that he works with the schools in Iowa to help students with low vision. He said that we could email him with any questions about how to best support Leah in school and that he would personally respond within 24 hours. We were so impressed with a doctor who seemed to really want to help Leah. After seeing Dr. Wilkinson, we saw Dr. Stone, who repeatedly told us that he really appreciated our coming to see him. After he and a fellow doctor both examined Leah's eyes (having already seen images sent to them from Bascom Palmer Eye Institute), he told us that he thinks Leah has a condition called Leber Congenital Amaurosis (LCA). This is a genetic disorder that affects the retinas and causes poor vision. People with LCA often have slow pupillary response and nystagmus (rapid unusual movements of the eyes). There are several other characteristics involved with LCA that Leah does not show, which is why she was never tested for it. There are many different genes that are known to cause LCA, which can be inherited or might be a new gene mutation. Dr. Stone's team drew blood from Leah, Stephen, and myself, to test and see if we have any of these known genetic mutations. A diagnosis of LCA would mean the possibility for treatment in the future, so we are encouraged. Right now they are doing gene therapy with some forms of LCA in animals and successfully restoring vision. They have even done some clinical trials with people in one form of it. There is no official diagnosis yet and it will take weeks to months to get the results in from the test, but it's nice to have a direction to be heading in. In the meantime, Dr. Stone's team have found us an ophthalmologist here in Norfolk are are looking for a pediatrician who specializes in genetics. He wants Leah to be seen by someone who will be looking at her in a different way and not just as a typically developing child. We go back to Iowa next summer for an annual exam and are looking forward to it. Dr. Stone and his team were so different than the other experiences we have had. Usually we go to an appointment and feel like we are just another anonymous face in the crowd. In Iowa, we felt like we were valued and that they really want to help Leah. In fact, when we left, Dr. Stone's nurse gave each one of us big hugs. It's a lot farther to travel, and not as convenient as going home to Miami, but it was definitely worth it!

As an aside, Leah did awesome traveling! She loved having her own seat, looking out the window, and feeling the engines roar. Oh, and she loved all the snacks I kept coming to keep her happy and quiet! We got several compliments from other passengers and flight attendants about how good she was. What a relief!!

It's a... Baby!

While we were in Gainesville for graduation, I also had my final appointment with my doctor before moving and the anatomy ultrasound. Most people know this ultrasound as the one to determine the gender of the baby, though the purpose is really to take thorough measurements of all parts of the baby to make sure he or she is developing normally. We were so fortunate to be able to share this ultrasound with both of our parents. It was really amazing to see the baby moving around in there. In fact, the baby was so active the technician had a hard time getting some of the measurements. This was very different from our ultrasound with Leah. She didn't move around very much and they were able to do the whole ultrasound in about 10 minutes. This time took over 20 minutes! It also may be that we had 4 extra people in the room asking questions!! These technicians are so amazing with how quickly they identify all of the parts of the baby, she never once told us to look away so that we wouldn't see whether it was a boy or girl, but she knows. Of course, we won't know until sometime around New Year's, but both Stephen and my dad have their guesses. We'll see who's right soon! You can compare profiles and see what you think!

Baby # 2 at 19 weeks

Leah at 18 weeks

We told the technician about Leah and that when the anatomy ultrasound was done with Leah, her brain was measuring bigger than how far along I was and that we now think that may have been a sign of Leah's enlarged ventricles (precursor to her hydrocephalus). She looked at this baby's measurements and told us that this baby is measuring well within the normal range, but that she would make a note for the doctor to look at and determine if there was a need for more extensive ultrasound images. We haven't heard anything, so we are assuming everything looked good to the doctor as well. We are continuously praying for a healthy development and no complications with this baby.

Phinally Done!

We headed back to Gainesville in a rental car (at this point we hadn't gotten our van) for Stephen's final graduation from UF. This is the fourth degree he has received from UF, so I think he has pretty much done it all! After 3 years of being a full-time student and writing and defending an over 300 page dissertation (Stephen can send you a copy if anyone is interested in reading it), Stephen is now a Doctor! 

 
Both sets of our parents were able to be in Gainesville to celebrate in this momentous occasion, which was really special. It was very strange to not being sleeping in our house while being in Gainesville, but it was nice to be back for one last visit. While in Gainesville, we also went to church for one last time. Stephen got to play piano one last time and the church recognized us and prayed for us. Leaving Creekside really is one of the hardest things about leaving Gainesville.

Goodbye to the Matrix

On Friday, August 3rd (after having only been in Norfolk for 2 days) we were involved in a car crash that totaled my matrix, but left all of us unharmed. We were on our way home from the grocery store, with big plans for the night, when all of a sudden there was a car coming head on into our lane. We had no time to do anything except brace for the inevitable accident. As soon as it was over, Stephen and I looked at each other (ask me sometime about Stephen's face) saw that we were both okay, and then immediately got out of the car. I told Andrew to get Leah out (who was very upset!) and we got away from the vehicles to the side of the road. In a matter of seconds, everything changed!

Here are the praises:  it was a smaller road so none of the vehicles were traveling more than 30 mph; we were the only car on our side of the road, so when we were hit by the other car and spun perpendicular across our side of the road, we didn't have to worry about being hit by anyone else; no one had injuries more severe than bruises and scrapes; the front of my car took all of the damage, while protecting the interior of the car so well that the dozen eggs that were sitting on the floor board under my feet were not harmed in the slightest; our insurance company came through very quickly for us in a great way. My car was considered a total loss and our insurance company gave us more than we thought they would for it, in fact it was enough to buy a mini-van outright! We now own a 2005 Honda Odyssey. We knew that we were going to need a bigger vehicle soon, with a new baby on the way, but were planning on waiting a year to get one, knowing that we would not be able to trade in the matrix for enough to buy a van.  God's provision for us never ceases to amaze us. The whole accident experience has been a reminder of His sovereignty.

Good-bye, little car...

Hello, big van!

The Big Move

It has been a very busy month for the Burgin family. There is so much to share, so first we will start with our move to Norfolk. My mom came up the week before we moved and helped us pack all of the boxes for the move. We were so thankful too, because she is basically a professional mover and we knew that our things would be taken care of. We picked up the U-Haul on Saturday, July 28th and had some very helpful guys come help pack the truck. On Monday the 30th, we closed on our house and drove out of Gainesville and away from our house.

Everything packed and ready to go!

It was definitely a bittersweet experience. We have lived in Gainesville for over 12 years and I lived in that house for 11 of my 12 years in Gainesville. Leaving Gainesville has meant leaving the friends and family who have loved and supported us during our 8 years of marriage and through the last few years, that have been some of the hardest in our lives. Our church family from Creekside Community Church is going to be close to impossible to replace.

We got to Norfolk and moved in on Wednesday, August 1st, and hired movers to help unload the U-Haul. We were very glad for those three guys who had to carry the piano up the stairs and make the turn into the house!

Now it's time to unpack!

By the way, check out the crape myrtle in our front yard! Our whole street is lined with them!

Andrew came back from his European trip just in time to come with us and help us unpack and move in. My mom was only able to stay for a day once we got to Norfolk, but we were able to have the kitchen completely set up in that one day! Andrew was also invaluable in helping us get everything unpacked and set up in a short amount of time. The reason for such a short amount of time will be in the next couple of posts. This was only the beginning of our crazy summer adventure!

Final step is the Gator flag - we are officially moved in!

Leah Sings

Leah loves music and lately has been singing the tunes of some of her favorite songs including: God is So Good, This is the Way the Lady Rides, and Skip to My Lou. This morning I got out the camera and tried to get her to sing all of them, but only got one on camera. See if you can figure out which song she is singing.

Pregnancy Update

I am now officially finished with the first trimester, and am actually 15 weeks along! It's hard to believe that we are already more than a third of the way through this pregnancy. And, I am definitely starting to feel some of the benefits of the second trimester like: not being so tired and food tasting better. I'm looking forward to gaining back some of the weight I've lost. (Don't worry, it's only about 7 pounds, which is less that with Leah). I'm still not showing, but I definitely feel the bump in my belly every time I lean against the kitchen counter or bend over. It won't be too long now, though. And, most exciting of all, today I had a doctor's appointment and we got to hear the heartbeat! The baby's heartbeat was nice and strong. The best thing of all, was Leah's reaction. She started "da-da-ing" to the beat and when Stephen brought her close to the doplar, she touched it and started to giggle. She really liked hearing her baby sibling's heartbeat! The only thing that would have made it better, would have been a camera to capture it. Oh well, maybe next time!

Visiting with the Tolbert Family

After spending 4th of July with my brother, we went to Camden to visit with Aunt Patty, Uncle Luke, and cousins Anna Kate and Caroline. We had a great time on our visit and were so excited that the girls had a fun time together, too. Anna Kate was really good about bringing toys to Leah, letting Leah touch her, and talking to her. Anna Kate found out about a new phrase that makes Leah giggle, "Burpy, Burpy!" and kept coming up to Leah and saying it (although, in her two-year-old speech, it sounded more like "Boppy, Boppy!"), trying to make her laugh. And most of the time it worked! Leah and Caroline also got to know each other. They both really enjoyed touching each other. It was a lot of fun for us to see Leah interacting with others, and to have others interact with Leah.

Swinging on the front porch swing together.

Playing piano together.

Anna Kate also really wanted to show Leah one of her favorite places, Edventure, a kids museum. So we went there, and Leah enjoyed exploring the different areas.

Crawling through a tunnel with Daddy at the fire station.

Riding on the tractor at the farm.

Playing the djembe.

Leah was able to record her own piano concerto.

Sliding down a slide in the kids play area.

It was so much fun to visit with family! I promise there really is a baby Caroline, even though she wasn't in any pictures. Next time!

4th of July

We got to spend 4th of July with Uncle Joe, Aunt Lindsay, and cousins Riley and Reagan. We had a good time visiting, playing in the sprinkler, swimming, and of course, watching fireworks. Uncle Stephen even brought some sparklers for Riley.

It was so hot, we couldn't even waste time to change into bathing suits!

Leah loves water!

Sparklers!

 

We're ready for fireworks!!