The Fancher Family

Ho Ho Ho!

2010-12-22T13:03:00.006-06:00

Every year in our neighborhood they have Mr. and Mrs. Claus come to the clubhouse and they have cookies, hot chocolate and surprises for the kids. Last year Colby cried when he sat in Santa's lap but this year he did very good. We talked about going to see Santa a lot before we went and I think that helped. Colby got to see Santa's magic key and Mrs. Claus gave him a special book.

Our neighbors and their church also do a nativity scene outside of the clubhouse so Colby got to go see baby Jesus. He covered up baby Jesus so that he wouldn't get cold and he sang "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. It was very sweet.

We had a great night visited with all of the neighbors and all of the kids had a lot of fun!

We hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Jingle Bells!

2010-12-19T22:32:00.002-06:00

Mr. Turkey

2010-11-14T21:54:00.002-06:00

Here is Colby singing "Mr. Turkey" which is a song that he and our neighbor Maggie learned at mother's day out and have been practicing. The words are "Mr. turkey, Mr. turkey, big and fat, big and fat, I am gonna eat you, I am gonna eat you, just like that, just like that."

Halloween Fun!

2010-11-14T17:00:00.022-06:00

Well this year Halloween seemed like it lasted a whole week for us. We had a lot of fun activities planned and enjoyed them all. We started off with the Pumpkin patch in Clanton. We went with the Norris family and my sister Marcia and Maggie and Mckenzie. Everyone enjoyed searching for the perfect pumpkin and the kids enjoyed riding the hay ride and the tractor train.

Then on Wednesday night we went to the Hunterstreet Baptist Church Trunk or Treat with Marcia, Kyle, Maggie and Mckenzie. It was raining outside so they moved everything indoors and let me just say that church was packed. The kids had a lot of fun playing games and getting candy. Maggie was dressed up like Wonder Woman and Colby was an Auburn football player.

Colby did not like all the noise though.

On Friday, the Norris's and the Martin's came over and we all carved pumpkins. Non of the kids wanted to touch the pumpkin goo except for Maggie Norris, so the adults did most of the work. The kids got to paint some pumpkins while the adults carved. We all had a lot of laughs.

Even though Halloween was not until Sunday our neighborhood was Trick-or-Treating on Saturday night. So we had a bunch of family and friends over for a baked spaghetti dinner and then we all went trick-or-treating together. Colby really got the hang of trick-or-treating this year and we had a lot of fun watching him. Everyone looked great in their costumes.

Afterwards everyone came back to our house for dessert and the kids got to enjoy some of their candy.

Our last Halloween activity was on Sunday when we went to the Westwood Baptist Church fall festival. Colby love playing all of the games and getting candy just for playing. They also had face painting there and when Colby saw his friends Maggie N. and Miller getting their face painted he decided that he wanted to try it. The girl was going to do an AU on his face to go with his costume but once she got the "A" on he decided that he did not like it and would not let her finish. So, he walked around with just an A on his cheek.

All in all it was a very busy but great Halloween!

Fun at the Zoo!

2010-10-03T20:43:00.007-05:00

Today was such a beautiful day that we decided to head to the Zoo! We had a great time and Colby loved seeing all of the animals and riding the Choo Choo train.

Roll Tide!!

2010-09-29T21:13:00.001-05:00

Check out what mommy and I picked up at Target today! Daddy will be so proud!

A Weekend of Fun!

2010-02-28T19:13:00.005-06:00

A Picnic at the Park with Friends!

Fun on the Playground!

A Walk with Dad!

Playdough Fun at Home!

What a Fun Weekend!

Zoe and Colby

2010-02-27T09:44:00.001-06:00

"Look What I Can Do, Mommy"

2010-02-02T18:54:00.006-06:00

This afternoon I was in the kitchen doing the dishes while Colby was in the den looking at some books. I had just about finished the dishes when I noticed that Colby was being awfully quiet(usually not a good sign). I went in the den to see what he was up to and this is what I found.

The rascal pulled out the movie drawer and used it as a step to climb up into the entertainment center. He definitely keeps me on my toes!!

New Year's Eve Pictures

2010-01-21T21:55:00.005-06:00

I can remember how I used to look forward to New Year's Eve. The counting down of the clock, the fireworks, the fun. Wow, things have changed. This is a picture of Colby and his neighborhood friends. This was taken about 9 PM New Year's Eve. They were wired from the brownies and ice cream. These are some of the sweetest kids that you will ever meet. Starting from left to right, Maggie, Isabella, Colby, Casen, Kinley, Parker and Miller.

It's A Miracle!

2010-01-20T21:15:00.003-06:00

As many of you know when Colby was 9 months old we went to the eye doctor to discuss surgery for his blocked tear ducts and found out that Colby is severely far sighted and needed glasses. This was a major shocker for us and I could not imagine trying to get Colby to wear glasses at 9 months old. Well at first I was surprised because it went better than I expected but that did not last long. Since Colby was not crawling at the time he was rolling everywhere and rolling all over his glasses. Lets just say Colby was not digging the glasses. We kept trying a couple times here and there to get him to wear them and he would just scream and pull them right back off every time we tried to put them on. Well, 2 weeks ago we went back to the pediatric opthamologist for Colby to get the stints removed from his eyes and the doctor asked how it was going with the glasses. When I explained that it was not going well he prescribed some drops to put in his eyes that would dilate his eyes and make his vision blurry unless he had his glasses on. He wanted us to do the drops for 2 weeks. Scott and I did NOT want to do the drops. I couldn't imagine him walking around and not being able to see. We decided to give it one more go before trying the drops. Colby still was not happy at all but I knew he would keep them on if we were outside. So I bundled him up and we went outside for about an hour. He did not bother his glasses once. When we came inside he tried to take them off a couple times but I was able to put them back on. Now, he has been wearing his glasses ever since and we are so thankful that we did not have to do the drops. He still pulls them off when he gets upset about something but other than that he is doing a great job.

We are so proud of you Colby!!

Drooling while you work

2010-01-18T21:28:00.007-06:00

This was Colby after a tough day at work. He was washing all of his toy cars and trucks with the new "Drool Gel".

New Year, New Hopes, New Dreams

2010-01-16T19:40:00.003-06:00

Well it has been a long time since I have updated you and a lot has changed. Last year was a tough year for Colby but he has made so much progress and is doing very well. Let me get you up to date. When Colby was about 12 months old they discovered that he had low muscle tone in his trunk (bottom half of his body) and that was why he was not crawling or walking. We went to see a neurologist and had a MRI done to make sure there were no problems that were causing those delays. After several stressful days of waiting, the test results came back normal. They set us up with Early Intervention to have him assessed to see which areas were delayed so they could start working with him. He passed every test except for the physical development. He was 12 months at the time and was testing at a 9 month olds level. They also discovered his low muscle tone. They set him up with a physical therapist and a special instructor to work with him. They come out to the house or to Colby's mother's day out class once a month and do exercises with him. They also teach me how to continue to work with him at home. Colby started making progress immediately. While working with him we noticed that he was turning his feet out and that he was really pronating his feet. His PT(physical therapist) said that it was due to his low muscle tone so she decided that he needed to be put in some orthotics. They are basically hard plastic ankle braces. Within a week of receiving the braces, he started trying to walk. One week before Christmas we received the best Christmas present ever, Colby starting walking on his own and has not stopped since. I remember Scott and I talking before Christmas and saying that all we wanted for Christmas was for Colby to walk. It was such a blessing and we thank God for answering all of our prayers. Colby still wears his braces some of the time and is doing so well. He had physical therapy on Tues. and his PT said that he has made so much progress that she does not need to see him again until March or April and that after that it may just be twice a year. Yeah Colby!!

As most of you know Colby had several surgeries last year and we appreciate all of your prayers. Now we are hopefull that we are through with all surgeries and everything is corrected. He is doing great.

I know many of you have been praying for Colby throughout this year and I cannot express how much we appreciate your prayers. God has been so good to us and Colby is such a blessing to have in our lives. It is so wonderful to watch him grow each day and learn and discover new things. He now is saying "Mommy" and "Daddy" and it is music to our ears. He is about to be 18 months old and we cannot believe what a big boy he has become. Children are amazing!

FINALLY CRAWLING!

2009-08-09T22:04:00.006-05:00

Hey Everyone. Scott here. It has been a while since I have been able to blog a little. By the time I get off work, get home and eat and play with my family, it is time for bed. So, what is new in our little man's life. Well, over the last week, he has progressed to a full blown crawl. Yes, he is a little bit of a late bloomer. For the longest time, he would do a partial swim move on the floor. He would push and move on his right side only. Then, with no warning, he got on all fours and crawled about two feet. A week later and he goes EVERYWHERE. He is excited and loves to explore his new world.

We hope to get his one year pictures taken soon. We were supposed to get them a couple of weeks ago but we had to move the appointment due to having a second set of tubes put in.

Now, let's talk about his appetite. He is a very picky eater. The one thing that we have learned is that you can't pull a fast one on Colby. i.e. We will give him some grilled cheese bites to eat. During that time, we will try to sneak in some green beans. If we get caught, he will express................in a very vocal way..........................his displeasure in the trickery. We really think it is more about the change in the texture of the food rather than the taste. He has become very independent and prefers to feed himself. Our little man is growing up.

Colby's First Birthday!!

2009-07-27T17:32:00.003-05:00

Colby had his first birthday this past Saturday and it is so hard for us to believe that he is already One year old. Boy does time fly! We had a lot of fun on his birthday. We had some family and friends over and had a cookout at the neighborhood pool. Colby had a blast and man did he devour his cake. He destroyed the whole thing, not by eating it but by throwing it everywhere. There was cake everywhere!!! We all had a lot of fun and are so thankful to everyone for sharing this special day with us. I will post some pictures when I get them.

Happy Birthday Colby!
We love you and are so proud of you!
Love,
Mom and Dad

Walsh Family Reunion!

2009-07-06T18:15:00.009-05:00

Last week all of my brothers and sisters and their families came in town for our Walsh family reunion.(Or as Scott calls it Walsh Fest '09) We had a great week and it was so good to see my sister Christy and her family from Denver, Co. My mom said that her one request for her birthday was for us all to be together and have a family picture made. So we did and all I can say is God bless the photographer. We went to Portrait Innovations to have our pictures made and 4 hours later we were finally done and everyone had picked out their pictures. Let me just say that the reason it took so long is that there was 28 people total and it is very hard to get all 28 of us in a picture, much less all 28 of us cooperating. Really, though, the picture taking did not take that long it was picking out the best picture that took forever. In most of the pictures at least one person had their eyes closed or wasn't looking at the camera. It was hard to find a picture that everyone liked but we finally picked one and managed to have a few laughs in the process. Needless to say we had a great week and enjoyed being together.

The whole Walsh Family

The Walsh children and their spouses.

All the grandkids.

My First Beach Trip

2009-07-05T19:31:00.018-05:00

A few weeks ago we went to the beach with Scott's family for a week. We had a blast and Colby did really well. Colby saw the ocean for the first time and was terrified. He was fine looking at it from a distance but if he got too close he would start balling crying. Luckily where we stayed they had a walk in pool and a lazy river with a water slide. Colby loved the pool and the lazy river. He even had fun watching his cousin Gage go down the water slide. A couple of nights we took the kids to the arcade and Colby was in awe of all the lights and sounds. And by kids I mean Colby, Gage and the biggest kid of all SCOTT. Just kidding! We all had fun at the arcades and all us adults got into the game Deal or No Deal. Lets just say if I were to get a chance to go on the real show Deal or No Deal, well, I should just stay at home cause I STINK at that game. It was still fun to play though. We all had a great week and enjoyed the trip. Below are some pictures of Colby from the trip. Picture overload coming up!!

Lounging in the lazy river with dad!

Ready for a nap!

Hey, this sand thing is not so bad!

Too close to that big scary thing they call the ocean!

My first snow cone!

I'm trying to ignore that big scary thing behind me!

PRAISE JESUS!! I'M ON VACATION!!

New Glasses!

2009-05-07T19:47:00.004-05:00

It's been a big day for Colby. He got his new glasses today and so far he is doing much better than I expected with them. At first he wasn't so sure about what was on his face but once we took him outside for a walk he forgot all about them and left them on for about an hour. It is still hard for Scott and I to see him in glasses this young, but we are so thankful that the doctors discovered this so now our little boy can see everything clearly. They say that he may grow out of glasses in a couple years once his eyes develop more and get stronger.

Colby also went for his 9 month check up today. He is now weighing 18 pounds 10 ounces. It's amazing how fast he is growing. He is in the 20th percentile in weight, 60th percentile in height, and 60th percentile in head cir. The doctor said that everything looked good. Our homework for this month is to work on crawling and work on eating some table foods(every time we give him table food he gags and spits up-fun stuff).

I have to say Colby was a real trooper today. He got his finger pricked, two shots and fitted for glasses all in one day. He is one tough cookie!!

We hope everyone has a happy Friday tomorrow!

9 Months Old Today!

2009-04-25T17:30:00.002-05:00

Colby is 9 months old today and I can't believe how fast he is growing. He is now sitting up, saying "Da-Da"(still working on "Momma") and has two bottom teeth. I do not think that we are anywhere near crawling yet but he gets where he wants by rolling everywhere. I cannot believe that in 3 short months he will be 1 year old. His favorite things to do these days are: for me to fill a bucket up with toys so he can dump them over and pull them all out; to go around the neighborhood in his wagon and visit with all his friends; doing water play outside and putting all his toys in buckets of water; swinging on his swing set and watching t-ball games.

Our shocker of the week was when we took Colby to the eye doctor to find out if he was going to need surgery to fix his blocked tear ducts and they told us that Colby is severely far sided and needs to wear glasses. Can you imagine a nine month old in glasses? That is something I have never seen in all my years of child care. Scott and I were both very upset when we found out but we know if that is what he needs than that is what we will do. So, this past week we spent trying to find Colby some glasses and let me tell you that is not as easy as it sounds. There are very few places that even know how to fit a 9 month old for glasses much less carry glasses that will fit him. We did find some however at the Pediatric Opthamologists office and will work on getting them ordered this week. Please pray that Colby will grow to like his glasses and not try to pull them off all the time. And please pray for God to give his mommy and daddy wisdom and patience as we go through the process of teaching Colby to wear his glasses. I know that things could be much worse but my worry is that if his eye sight is so bad now what will it be like in 20 years. The doctor has explained to us that there is a chance that his eye sight could get worse but that there is a chance that years down the road he could grow out of it and not need glasses anymore. That is what we are hoping for.

We will keep you all posted on how the glasses wearing situation is going and try to get some pictures of him in his new glasses when we get them in. Also, if there is anyone who has been through this situation and has any advice we would love to hear it.

We hope everyone has a great week!

Colby's First Easter!

2009-04-16T11:51:00.007-05:00

Well, Colby had a great first Easter. On Saturday we were able to catch a few of the nieces and nephews baseball games in the morning and then we headed to my parents house to have Easter with my family. We had a big Easter egg hunt with all the grandkids and then ate some good food. My brother Jon, his wife Jenny and their 6 month old daughter Riley were in town so we got to visit with them and play with Riley. We enjoyed seeing everyone.

On Sunday we went to Scott's brother's house to have Easter with his side of the family. We had a big delicious lunch and then the kids opened their Easter baskets and enjoyed their goodies. After that the dad's hid a huge basket full of eggs and the kids had an Easter egg hunt. Colby found a few eggs. The weather was beautiful so we all sat outside for a little while, while the grandkids checked all their eggs for money and candy. Colby's aunt Christy took a lot of pictures of Colby for us and they turned out great. Here are a few of my favorites. Thanks Christy.

We hope that everyone had a blessed and wonderful Easter!

Colby's First Wagon Ride!

2009-03-15T15:08:00.002-05:00

Loving My Wagon!!

Colby got a wagon from his Mimi and Big Daddy for Christmas and after the snow cleared out it warmed up and we were able to try it out for the first time. I think you can tell by the expression on his face what he thinks of it. He is such a big boy now and can sit up all by himself in his wagon. When he gets in it, it is so funny because he just sits there and chills while we pull him around the neighborhood. Thanks Mimi and Big, I love my new wagon.

We went over to aunt Missy's to swing on their swingset the other day and we had to take our wagon to show some of his cousins. They all wanted to take turns riding in it with Colby. It was cute. Colby is now big enough where he can swing on the swing set and he loves it. Mommy and Daddy are giving in and working on building him a swing set for the spring so he can enjoy it during the beautiful weather. Here are some pictures of him swinging at Aunt Missy's and having fun. So much fun that he was wiped out.

Wiped out from swinging!

Snow Day!

2009-03-01T21:36:00.004-06:00

The snow started around 3am and stopped around noon. In total, we got about 4 inches of snow. It was a pleasant suprise, considering it was 70 degrees just three days ago.
We went outside, took some pictures, then hid out all day in the warm house. It was a wonderful day.
Since the last blog, Colby has continued to grow. He is now sitting up... some. If he gets distracted, he will lose his balance. He has one of the cutest personalities that I have ever been around. He loves to smile, laugh and babble. It is amazing to know that God has entrusted us with Colby.

6 Month Old Pictures!

2009-02-01T18:48:00.008-06:00

SWEET, SWEET BABY!!

Colby Turns 6 Months Old Today!!!!

2009-01-25T21:23:00.003-06:00

Well, today is the day. The big 6 month old birthday. I can honestly say that it has been a real joy. Granted, the first couple of months, during all of the colic, were some of the roughest months of our lives. Ever since Colby got tubes in his ears, he has been a little bundle of joy. He is always smiling, laughing, talking and putting everything in his mouth. Last night, we played peek-a-boo and Colby loved it. Every time I would pop out, he would let out the loudest belly laugh. I considered it a milestone. Margaret and I just laughed and enjoyed the moment.
So, how is he doing now? He is on a fairly good schedule. He gets out of the bed about 8AM and eats his breakfast which usually consists of 6 oz of formula and a stage 2 fruit. He plays for a while and usually takes a mid morning power nap. (30 minutes if Margaret is lucky) He eats again at 12 (7-8 oz of formula). If he gets a little hungry between 8AM and 12PM, we usually give him some Pringles and cheese dip. Just kidding. He usually gets a juice mixture of 1/2 apple juice, 1/2 water. He plays a while then takes a decent nap from 2-3 or 4PM. Next is dinner. Usually 6 oz again and a stage 2 vegetable. (sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, green beans...........no peas). He plays again and then takes another 30 minute power nap between 6:30 and 7 ish. Then at 8PM, time for a bath, 8 more oz, then off to bed. By the time he finishes his bottle, his eyes are usually struggling to stay awake. If all goes well, he sleeps from 8:30 PM to 6 ish. He will wake up for a few minutes around 6, Marg gives him his pacifier, and he goes back to sleep until about 7 or 8AM.
Sure beats the "feeding every 3 to 4 hours, 24 hours a day".

Changing Every Day!

2009-01-21T21:20:00.004-06:00

In four days our little boy will be 6 months old and we can't believe it. My goodness how time flies. Colby is changing every day and it amazes me how wonderful God is to have entrusted us with such a precious gift. God's creations never cease to amaze us. We are so thankful and proud that Colby is our son.

Colby is working on sitting up now and his new favorite thing to do is to jump in his jump-a-roo. He gets in it and jumps until his little legs can't jump anymore. If we turn some music on while he is jumping he smiles and goes crazy. He is eating fruits and vegetables however he does not like peas and squash at all. (They make him gag ) We are finally getting on somewhat of a schedule now that the holidays are over and that makes for a happy mommy and a happy baby. Colby has developed his own little personality and we love to hear him giggle. I think he is going to be a talker like his daddy because he talks all the time.

Next week he will go for his six month check up and get more vaccinations. The vaccinations are no fun what so ever, but at least they are quick. Tomorrow we are going to make a trip to TCDC, my old work, and visit with everyone there so they can see how much he has grown.

We hope that everyone has a fun and exciting day tomorrow.

P.S. The picture above is a picture of Colby with his cousin Riley from Christmas Eve. My brother Jon and his family stayed with us for Christmas and it was so much fun seeing Colby and Riley together. Riley is 2 months younger than Colby.

He Did It!

2008-12-30T22:42:00.003-06:00

This evening, Colby, Margaret and I were visiting with our neighbors Deann, Parker and Kinley. While we were there some friends Patrick, Lindsey and John Patrick (who is a couple weeks older than Colby) stopped by. Colby was having fun watching all the kids. We were talking about how he could not figure out how to roll over, his elbow kept getting stuck underneath him. While we were all sitting there talking Colby was on his back and would you believe it, he rolled over!!!!! Everyone in the room was watching him try to roll over and we all cheered when he finally did it. Next up, sitting up on his own.

Colby is now 14 lbs and growing like a weed. He is eating some baby food now. He is not too crazy about carrots but loves his sweet potatoes. He is doing so much better now that he has his tubes in. Much happier baby these days. (Much Happier Mommy too!!) Now if we could just get him on a napping schedule and sleeping through the night we will be doing good. He truly is a blessing to us and we are so very thankful to be able to spend each day watching him learn and grow.

We have so much to be thankful for in 2008 and we are looking forward to 2009 and a lot of firsts. His first crawl, walk, words, teeth and all that good stuff. We are so thankful for all of our friends and family and for all the memories we have made this past year. We are looking forward to many more in 2009. We hope that everyone has a very Happy New Year!!

Tubes Are Done

2008-12-11T15:42:00.002-06:00

Colby had his tubes put in this morning and everything went well. The surgery was over before we knew it and we were back home by 8:00a.m. The doctor said that he still had a little bit of fluid behind his ears so that it was good that we decided to go ahead and put the tubes in. Colby is doing o.k. He has been a little fussy today but boy does he have his appetite back. We are hoping that he gets a good night sleep and that by tomorrow morning he will be a happy camper. Thanks for all your thoughtful emails and prayers.

Tubes Tomorrow

2008-12-10T15:39:00.002-06:00

Well, early tomorrow morning we will be heading to Children's South for Colby to have tubes put in his ears. He has had 4 double ear infections back to back so the ENT said that he needed to go ahead and have tubes put in or else he would just keep getting ear infections. So tomorrow morning we have to be at the hospital at 5:45a.m. and his surgery is scheduled for 6:30a.m. They said that the surgery itself will only last about 15-20 minutes and he will be in recovery about 30 minutes before they bring him back into the room to us. I know that this is a quick and easy surgery but I am still nervous about handing him over to the nurses and him being put under anesthesia. We are hoping and praying that everything goes well and that Colby feels much better afterwards. We will let you know how everything goes. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers.

Completely Humbled!

2008-12-05T22:38:00.003-06:00

So I was sitting in the waiting room with Colby at his GI doctor's office thinking about how tired and stressed I was because this was our 4th doctor's appointment this week, all of which we had to wait at least 1-2 hours in the waiting room, and Colby was fussy and next to me was this 11 year old girl and her mom. They started asking me how old Colby was and the little girl(Jordan) was talking to Colby and asking me why we were there. I explained to her that he has reflux and that he had an upper GI done last week and that we were here for the results and to talk to the Dr. more about his reflux. I continue to sit there just feeling sorry for Colby and everything that he has been through already and getting really tired of waiting rooms and I start talking to Jordan about why she is at the doctor. She and her mother explain to me that Jordan has Chromes disease, colitis, and severe acid reflux. My heart just melted. Jordan continues to tell me all about her situation and how sick she is all the time and her mom just looked so tired. Her mom explained to me that Jordan was up 4 out of 7 nights of the week doubled over in pain for 1 year until they finally found Dr. King and he diagnosed her. Before that some Drs. thought that she may have bone cancer, some said it was all in her head, they really didn't know what was going on. Her mom said that she is doing better now but that she is on a lot of medicine and steroids. Jordan proceeded to tell me about her best friend who was 10 years old who is at Children's because he has leukemia and just had a bone marrow transplant. Jordan was telling me all about this boy's condition and how his white blood cell count was slowly coming back up and how no one could go see him because of his low immune system. Again, my heart melts. Here I am feeling frustrated because we are having to wait so long to see all these docs. and here is this 11 year old girl who drove an hour and a half to see this doctor and this little boy in the hospital who is so sick and can't even see his family. I am truly humbled by their strength, patience and courage. And all this time Jordan is just talking and playing with Colby and being so sweet.
So I wanted to ask that this holiday season you all pray for Jordan and her family and for the little boy in the hospital with leukemia. Jordan's mom was struggling with trying to decide if she should pull her out of school and home school her because she misses so much and the school was giving her a hard time about that. So please pray for healing and comfort for Jordan and wisdom and peace for Jordan's parents. And please pray for a miraculous recovery for Jordan's friend in the hospital and that he will continue to improve and that his family will be able to be with him soon. I can't imagine going through either of these situations and am in awe of the strength and courage of these children and their parents. This just reminds me to be so thankful that we have eachother and to be thankful for the people we have in our lives. I know sometimes life is rough and our situation that we are going through at that time may seem terrible but just remember as Jordan's mom told her "hey, it could be worse". There are so many people out there who are truly suffering and in need of a miraculous recovery. Please Pray!

Romans 12:12- " Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer,"

Completely Humbled,
Margaret

Tubes It Is :-(

2008-12-03T21:05:00.002-06:00

Well we went back to the ENT today because Colby has double ear infections again and he decided that we need to go ahead and put tubes in. Colby did not pass his hearing test in the right ear but they think that is because he has a lot of fluid in that ear. So next Thursday morning our little man will get tubes :( I have mixed feelings about it because I know that he will be much happier and feel much better afterwards but at the same time I don't want him to have to undergo anesthesia. The doctor said that it is light anesthesia so that is good.
We would like to ask you all to please pray for our little one next Thursday that everything will go smoothly and for his mommy and daddy to be strong.

Colby needs your vote!!!!!

2008-12-02T22:04:00.003-06:00

Hey Everyone, Marg entered Colby into a baby photo contest. Please forward this to your friends and family. Here is the link. Please vote.

https://www.greatamericanphotocontest.com/voter1/index.aspx?referid=EmailFriends&p=895769&x=.jpg

Here is the picture that was entered:

4 Months Old!

2008-11-29T21:42:00.002-06:00

We hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. We enjoyed spending time with family and friends. Oh, and the food, of course. We have so many things to be thankful for this year but the thing we are most thankful for is our little man right here. He is so much fun and we love him to pieces. As our 4 year old neighbor says "I could just eat the fire out of him." I cannot believe that he is already 4 months old. Today he had cereal for the first time and loved it. He did really good for a first timer. We have heard him laugh a couple of times and it is the sweetest laugh I have ever heard. I think back to before Colby was born and remember the times when Scott and I didn't know if we would ever be able to have children. I think of all we went through to get him here and realize how truly blessed we are that he is here and happy and healthy. We had so many fears due to me being high risk, but we knew that we had to trust in Him that everything would be o.k. I am amazed at this tiny little miracle and feel completely blessed. We love our little man and feel privileged to be his mom and dad.

HALLOWEEN PICTURES

2008-11-06T22:04:00.006-06:00

OUR LITTLE PUMPKIN!

GOT MILK? EAT MORE CHICKEN!

MY GIRL ISABELLA!

Colby's First Hair Cut!

2008-10-28T21:39:00.009-05:00

Colby had his first hair cut today and he did well. His hair had gotten so long that it was hanging over his ears and down over his shoulders. So today he and I went to the Salon and both got new do's. Melissa just took a very little bit off around his ears and in the back but took a lot off of mine. What do you think?

OUR NEW DO'S!

Big Day for Colby!

2008-10-27T21:59:00.002-05:00

Today was another first for Colby. I had Bible Study this morning so Colby went to the nursery for the first time. I was a little nervous, mainly because I am a fanatic about germs and stuff, but the nursery workers were so sweet there. When I came to pick him up one of the ladies was rocking him and all three ladies said that they were taking him home with them. They said that he did great and that he loved watching the other babies crawling and walking around. One lady that everyone called Nana, said that she had to rub his hair one more time before we left. It made me feel good to know that they enjoyed keeping him and are looking forward to seeing him next Monday. I was very proud of him for doing so good and felt very comfortable with the ladies there.

Tomorrow will be very interesting because Colby is getting his first hair cut. I know some of you probably think that I am crazy cutting his hair already but his hair is growing so fast that it is very long and shaggy looking. Seriously his hair is down his back and is hanging over almost to the bottom of his ears. He is having his 3 month pictures made on Thursday so he's got to be looking sharp. We will post a picture of his new do tomorrow.

Still Have Ear Infections!

2008-10-22T22:10:00.004-05:00

Well, yesterday was one of the hardest days we've had in a while. Colby was still acting like he was painful and then around lunch time he started having breathing problems again. So, back to the doctor we went. This visit was a ROUGH visit. The doctor ran blood work, collected urine, tested his ears again and took a chest x-ray. Colby screamed for every single test. Lets just say he was pitiful and there was nothing we could do to help him. It was 2 hours of sheer pain for Colby and us. The doctor came in and said that his white blood cell count was high and that meant that he was fighting a virus, probably a little cold. He also said that his ears were still infected so they were going to give him a rocephin shot and continue his antibiotics and that should help knock out this ongoing ear infection. So after Colby finally calmed down and fell asleep they came in with the shot and that sent him and me over the edge. The screaming was so bad during all the tests that another doctor came and asked me if we were ok. I just feel so sorry for the little man he has been through so much.

Today was a little bit of a better day. Colby got a pretty good night sleep and then we got him up and ready and off we went to his GI appointment. This appointment went much smoother. No tests. We met the doctor for the first time today and loved him. He was so helpful and encouraging. Oh, and he was hilarious. Which is exactly what we needed after yesterday. He explained a lot to Scott and I and he said that Colby's ear infections are due to his acid reflux. He made some changes to Colby's meds and is going to do an upper GI in November to check the anatomy of Colby's digestive system. We are praying that the changes to his meds and the increased antibiotics will get Colby feeling better soon.

We would like to ask that you keep Colby, Scott and I in your prayers. Please pray that God will heal Colby of all these issues and give him peace and that He will give Scott and I patience and faith that Colby will be better soon. Thank you all for all your thoughts and prayers.

The Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-21T22:35:00.005-05:00

Marg, Colby and I went to the pumpkin patch in Clanton with our neighbors Jeremy, Deann, Parker and Kinley. We had a blast. It was our first trip to this "patch". What an experience. It reminded me of an old time country fair. Food booths, pony rides, tractor rides, petting zoo's, inflatable slide, an Indian Village and the famous Hayride to the Pumpkin Patch kept us all busy. We ended up finding some great pumpkins.

Question For All You Moms Out There! Please Help!

2008-10-16T21:25:00.005-05:00

Well I did it. I knew when I typed the blog "It's A Miracle" that I was probably speaking to soon and sure enough I was. Last night was a rough one. Colby went to sleep at 9:30 as usual but then he tossed and turned all night and woke up at 2:30 a.m. and was screaming crying until 6:00 am when he finally fell back asleep. Needless to say Scott and I were both worn out by 6am and very GROUCHY. Well this morning Colby still was not acting himself so I took him to the doctor and you won't believe it, he has 2 ear infections again. The poor kid is on his third set of ear infections and is only 12 weeks old. We did not get to see our doctor today but the doc that we did see thinks that we need to go ahead and start talking about tubes. He said that he would discuss things with my doc tomorrow and they would give me a call. Well as I was walking to my car I ran into my doc and he was shocked to hear that he has 2 more ear infections but said that he thought Colby was a little young for tubes, which I think I might agree. I have seen tubes do wonders and am not against them but I feel like he is a little to young for them.
So my question for all you moms out there with children that have had tubes is, how old were your kids when they had tubes and do you know how old kids usually have to be before they do tubes?

The Potato Harvest

2008-10-15T21:37:00.006-05:00

I was cleaning out the flower beds the other day when I got a little surprise. We had a little 6ft round flower bed in front of the house. There is a flowering crab apple in the middle. Well, we decided to plant the green sweet potato vines around it this past spring. I was pulling up the vines when I came across a big sweet potato. I was shocked. Then I found another one. Marg and I called our neighbors to come help us "harvest the potatoes". We were going to let Parker and

Kinley each dig up one of the potatoes. Needless to say, we found many more. We now have a five gallon bucket full of sweet potatoes. It was blast watching the kids get all excited!

It's A Miracle!

2008-10-15T21:09:00.002-05:00

We could not believe it. Colby is finally starting to sleep through the night! Yeah! Last night Colby went to bed at 9:30 p.m. and slept until 6:30 a.m. Granted last night was the first time, he normally wakes up at 4 a.m, but we are hoping that this will become a routine. If so, I think I just might be able to survive motherhood! Maybe!
We really had a rough start with Colby, because he had so many different little issues, but thanks to all of you who have been faithfully praying for him, I think he is finally starting to improve. We still have a few little issues and have to go see the GI doctor next week but I feel like he is really starting to feel better and is a lot happier. I think that we are starting to develop somewhat of a schedule and he seems to do better with that.
He is starting to smile a lot more and even laugh a little. I honestly think he has the sweetest smile I've ever seen. He is having his 3 month old pictures made on Fri. and I am hoping that they can catch some of him smiling so you all can see.

Colby's First Baseball Game

2008-10-06T21:36:00.008-05:00

Tonight Colby went to watch his cousin Gage's baseball game. He had fun visiting with friends and family and cheering on Gage. This was Colby's first baseball game to go to and he did great. He loved looking at all the lights.

GAGE

COLBY & MIMI

Maggie's 1st Birthday!

2008-10-06T21:14:00.010-05:00

This weekend we went to Atlanta to celebrate my niece Maggie's 1st birthday. We had a great time and Colby made some new friends. We cannot believe that Maggie is one already. Time sure does fly by.
We also were able to meet my new niece Riley Elizabeth Walsh. She is so precious and small. She was born on Oct. 3 and weighed about 8.5lbs. We were unable to get pictures of her on this trip but we will get some next time.
This was Colby's first trip so we were anxious to see how he would do in the car. Well, we left out early Sat. morning to beat the lovely Talladega traffic and he slept the whole way there. We partied all day on Sat. and then that night he got to spend time with his aunts, uncles and cousins while his mommy and daddy went on a much needed date. On Sun. we had lunch with the Kellers and the Dykes, had several good laughs, and then headed home. Colby was a little fussy the first half of the trip but then he and his daddy slept the rest of the way home. All in all it was a great trip and we were glad to get to see everyone.

MAGGIE

KELLER KIDS, MAGGIE, COLBY

BENJAMIN & MAGGIE

COLBY HANGIN WITH THE BOYS

Smile!

2008-09-29T21:37:00.005-05:00

I had to share this with you all. His little smile just makes my day! He loves his changing table. Whenever we put him on it to change him he just smiles and talks to you. It always makes me smile. I hope it makes you smile today.

Daddy's Worst Fear Confirmed!

2008-09-28T21:10:00.007-05:00

"Hangin with my buddies!"

Yes. It is true. I knew Colby had been up to something. He would disappear several times during the day. Last night I went looking for Colby and found him at our neighbors house, hanging with Auburn Fans. What am I supposed to do?

All kidding aside. We went to say hello to our neighbors as they returned from the Auburn/Tennessee game. We wanted to get a picture with the kids in their Auburn gear. Colby had his picture made with his buddies Parker and Kinley.

Colby First Visit to Star Lake

2008-09-27T22:40:00.009-05:00

On Friday, since it was so pretty outside, Colby and I went to Star Lake with Grandmom

and Grandad. We enjoyed walking around the lake several times and then we sat down and

Colby had a little snack. Colby loved looking at all the trees and listening to all the ducks and birds. We had a fun time and even had a few good laughs. Especially when Milly, my moms dog, almost caught a duck. I have never seen ducks run so fast. Colby loves being outside and looking around at all the new things. It was a great day!

"BLACKED OUT"

2008-09-27T22:28:00.002-05:00

Roll Tide from Scott and Colby.

Also, thank you Auburn for helping get rid of Phil Fulmer!

Look Who's 2 Months Old Today!

2008-09-25T21:09:00.002-05:00

Free Kodi Burns!

2008-09-21T22:29:00.003-05:00

Who got a better view of the Auburn Game? Colby Fancher or Kodi Burns? One could see the field from all different angles in HD and one could not see behind the offense lineman standing in front of him on the sidelines.

War Eagle!

2008-09-20T20:57:00.004-05:00

Mommy and I are trying to convert Daddy to an Auburn fan.

We can't be a divided family. We all had fun hanging out and

watching football today. Go TIGERS!!

Roll Tide 49-14

2008-09-20T15:10:00.003-05:00

Marg had to run some errands today and left us at home. Colby and I had a guys day and watched the Crimson Tide roll over Arkansas today. Thanks to some touchdown gift wrapping by the Razorbacks, Alabama put up some impressive numbers. Colby needs to get some rest now so that we can watch Auburn and LSU play tonight. Roll Tide.

P.S. Colby got a little bored during the 4th quarter, so we had a picture taking session.

My First Football Game!

2008-09-18T21:55:00.016-05:00

Tonight Colby enjoyed his first football game. He went to see his cousin Peyton start at quarterback for the Berry Jaguars (They won 7-0 thanks to an awesome 30 yard pass by Peyton). Unbelievably Colby slept through the first 3 quarters of the game and even the incredibly loud music at half time. Scott and I decided that from now on whenever he is crying and won't go to sleep we'll just play some really loud music and maybe that will work. We were all very proud of Peyton and Colby had fun cheering him on.

Today I did something I never thought that I would ever do. I have been having a hard time getting anything done around the house because Colby will not let me put him down. Well this morning my neighbor Deann came over and helped me put Colby in a snuggly/Baby Bjorn. So here I was walking around the house with Colby strapped to me and doing dishes, laundry and making the bed. I tell you what, that is when I felt like a real stay at home mom. I never thought that I would ever wear one of those things but if that is what it takes to be able to get stuff done than that is what I will have to do. Besides it will give me a good laugh every day. So next time you see someone walking around with a child strapped to them, don't laugh, you do what you got to do to survive.
Needless to say Colby had a pretty good day and a fun night!

Another Good Report!

2008-09-13T14:17:00.002-05:00

On Friday Colby had to have a hip ultrasound done because he was breech when he was born. The ultrasound showed that his hip was in the socket and that everything looked normal. We were thrilled to hear the report. Colby had a good nights sleep last night and seems to be feeling good today. He is looking forward to putting on his Auburn outfit and watching the game tonight!!

Good Report Today!

2008-09-10T19:37:00.008-05:00

Today Colby went to the ENT and had a scope done to check his airway. He did not like the scope part but the doctor was quick and he was fine once he got his passy back. They diagnosed him with mild laryngomalacia, which basically means that he has a little bit of a floppy airway near the voice box. He said that he will grow out of it when he is about 1 1/2 years old. One thing is that we have to be extra careful if he gets a cold or upper respiratory infection. The good news is that it is mild and that he is still able to get enough oxygen. We do not have to go back to the ENT unless his symptoms get worse. We were very glad to hear some good news.

Colby is almost 7 weeks now and is changing so much. He has really started to enjoy his bath time. Tonight he was just kicking, swinging his arms, splashing water everywhere and happy as can be. We loved seeing him so happy.

We hope that everyone is doing well and want to thank you all for checking up on our little one.

Dr. Visit Today!

2008-09-08T16:41:00.002-05:00

Colby went to see his Dr. today. It was a good visit. Marg and I learned alot. Dr. Dudgeon helped ease our minds. Yes, Colby has tracheomalacia. Basically what happens is that when adults breathe, our airways stay open. This is due to a stiff cartilage ring surrounding the airway. Colby's is soft, so sometimes when he breathes, it will collapse some, making a gurgling, whistling sound. He is still getting oxygen, it just takes more work to get it. Over time, his airway will stiffen up. As long as he does not turn blue, we are ok. Yes, we will sleep a little better. The Angel Monitor will help ease our minds. He will still have to go to a Pediatric Ent to do an airway assessment via a scope. They are making apt for us today.

As far as the horrifying screams between 7-10 PM. Classic Colic. Lucky us. The Dr. says he is one of the lucky 20 percent that gets to have it. He also said that in some Eastern Countries, they describe colic as a releasing of stress. Kinda like a he needs a good old fashion cry every night. He said it usually peaks out around 8 weeks. Colby will be 7 weeks this Friday. We are almost there.

As far as the acid reflux, it goes hand in hand with the tracheomalacia (tm). He believes Colby had tm from the beginning but it was never aggravated. The acid reflux has been aggravating the tm and it is causing flare ups.

On the positive side, Colby weights 9lbs 12 oz. He is gaining about an ounce every day.

Rough Day for Colby

2008-09-07T00:52:00.004-05:00

Well, here it is, almost 1am and Marg and I cannot sleep. It has been a rough day. Right after the Auburn game, we noticed that Colby was having trouble breathing. Our neighbor Deann was visiting and she agreed that something was not right. We made a trip to Children's Hospital. (See picture) By the time we got there, he was breathing normal again. Luckily for us, we made a video of his breathing issues.

Several nurses looked at him along with a doctor. They all thought it was GER (reflux) related. The doctor was concerned so she went and summoned the attending doctor. The second doctor came in and watched the video. She said it was tracheomalacia. It is basically where the airway is "floppy". In being so, his breathing is labored and he makes a loud sound as if he were choking. Marg and I have been on the computer all night researching this. We also found a similar issue called laryngomalacia.

Well, we got home and he got his 7-9 PM belly ache. We ended up going for a "trip" around Calera and Alabaster. He was finally relaxed. However..............about 30 minutes after we returned home, he started the breathing issue again. They have been going on for about two hours and we are scared to death. For me personally, it is one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do. Marg is having trouble with it also. It is hard to sit there and watch our son breath that heavy. I laid him on his back to listen to his breathing and he spit up out of his nose and mouth. Granted, this was an hour and a half after his feeding. He quit breathing for about 15 seconds. From what the web sites say, an infant will pretty much have an apnea (period of not breathing) in response to a spit up like that so that it will keep the fluid from flowing back into the lungs.

Please keep our little man in your prayers.

I'm 6 Weeks Old Today!!

2008-09-05T21:57:00.002-05:00

Today Colby is 6 weeks old and we are so excited. Colby and I went to my old work(TCDC) today to see all the girls that I worked with. They were all excited to see Colby and were amazed by how much hair he had. Colby also got to meet some of the kids that used to be in my class. They were all surprised to see that the baby had come out of Miss Margaret's tummy. We had fun visiting with everyone and miss seeing everyone there.

Colby had a very happy day but has had some tummy problems tonight. He has gotten to where he usually enjoys his baths. Thank goodness. I think they help him relax. Luckily we have only had one more pooping in the tub incident. He has started to follow you with his eyes and coo a little. He also likes to hold hands and for you to talk to him. He smiles some but I think it is more because of a gas bubble or something than on purpose. But hey we will take any smiles we can get.

We are glad that the weekend is here and are looking forward to hanging out with friends and watching some football. WAR EAGLE!!

Update on the Little Man!

2008-09-04T22:22:00.004-05:00

Well, it has been a fun couple of weeks. A couple of nights ago, Marg and I awoke to a piercing scream. Not a cry, not a grunt, but a blood curdling scream. Colby had milk / acid running out of his nose and mouth. We could tell he was in pain.

Marg called the Dr. that AM and they both agreed that it had been two weeks and time to try something else. They have put Colby on Prilosec. The good news is that he likes the taste. It is a compounded medicine made from pills and sugar syrup. (the pharmacist told us banana flavored). We hope and pray that it works. Other than that, he is growing and gaining weight. He is still a little light for a linebacker. Hopefully, after a couple more lbs, he will be ready to make some tackles.

Colby got to sit thru his first Alabama game last weekend. He must have been nervous for the Tide because he cried for nearly three quarters. Let's see how he enjoys the Tigers this Saturday. By the way, I am trying to be a good husband. I sing the Alabama fight song to Colby to put him to sleep. In all fairness, I now know the Auburn fight song so I sing both.

Our Sweet Little Boy!

2008-08-31T19:22:00.004-05:00

Well, Colby is now 5 weeks old and growing like a weed. He now weighs 9lbs. 1oz. Since our last post the doctors have discoverd that Colby has acid reflux and have started him on some medicine to help with that. He is still having some tummy aches in the evening but is doing better during the day and is sleeping better at night. Last weekend we had his pictures made and he did really well. The picture above is one of my favorites. Today was our 6 year anniversary so we all went to dinner and then went for a stroll around the neighborhood. It was nice. There is not much else happening around here except watching Colby.
We hope that everyone has a great Labor Day weekend.

Love,
The Fancher Family

Outfit

2008-08-24T21:56:00.002-05:00

Bama Fever, here we come!

SCOTT AND COLBY

Alabama has been DISQUALIFIED!!

2008-08-24T21:08:00.002-05:00

This Just In : It is official, Alabama has been disqualified and Auburn Wins! War Eagle Baby!
Leave it to the Alabama Nation to find a way to cheat : ( Way to be honest my fellow Auburn Fans :)

Colby Had His Pictures Made

2008-08-23T22:26:00.003-05:00

We will post some of the pictures soon. We went to Portrait Innovations today and had Colby's pictures made. Mr. and Mrs. Walsh and our nephew Caleb joined us. The pictures turned out awesome. So far, the grandparents have gotten their pictures.

Colby also stayed with his Mimi and Big Daddy (Fancher's) while Margaret and I went to the movies. Ok, I will confess. We were supposed to go to the movies but we were too tired. We ended up going to J Alexander's and getting some desert and going to Costco to get diapers. We like to consider ourselves a fun and exciting couple.

YOUR VOTE COUNTS

2008-08-22T23:26:00.002-05:00

We have two outfits picked out at Campus Fever. An Alabama and an Auburn outfit. We will only buy one. The one that wins the poll.

P.S. The Tummy Aches are Horrible. See Picture.

A Fun Day

2008-08-22T23:19:00.003-05:00

Colby had a good day today. The night, well, was totally different. Tummy aches again.

However, he did have fun today. Aunt Bett, Cousin Jill and Second Cousin Zeke came over today. Margaret said that they had fun. Zeke is 10 months old and we love it. We will always be waiting on some good hand-me-downs!!!!!!

They brought Marg some BBQ and also brought dinner for us. Jill sure knows how to cook. The only thing that did not go according to plan was getting pictures with everyone today. Especially Zeke and Colby together. We will have to go and visit Jill and GET THAT PICTURE.

After they left, Colby took a nap with his dog Samantha. (Please note the Crimson and White Blanket)

Peace at Last

2008-08-20T22:09:00.002-05:00

Colby is sleeping!

After a rough week, he seems at peace tonight. I think it is due to several things. First, his belly looks better. Got rid of a little air.

Second, he has been really stressed about the year 2026. We have already received scholarship offers from Harvard and Yale on the academic side and all of the major division 1A schools on the athletic side. He initially accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Alabama, but has decided to go into the Major League Baseball Draft.

Dr. Appt.

2008-08-20T19:28:00.003-05:00

Well, Colby had to make a trip to see the Dr. today. We have been noticing that his stomach was a little swollen. The Dr. had an X-Ray taken to see if he could see anything. Well, he did. A wealth of gas. Colby is full of gas bubbles. They are going to have to work themselves out.

Colby Meets his Cousins

2008-08-14T20:00:00.003-05:00

Today Colby had a lot of visitors. He got to meet his cousins Leslie and Angela and Angela's little girl Reilly. His great aunt Peggy also came along for the visit. Colby, of course, pretty much slept through the whole thing. I loved getting to meet Reilly for the first time. She is such a doll. She and Colby are 4 weeks apart.

He also got to visit with mommy's friend from work Vicki and her son Grayton. Grayton is 18 months old now and boy is he talking. Grayton loved playing with the doggies and riding on Zoe's back.

All and all it was a good day and we enjoyed getting to see everyone.

We hope that everyone is having a great week!

Colby Meets His Great Grandma Cutie

2008-08-10T20:28:00.002-05:00

Today Colby got to meet his great Grandma Cutie for the first time. Cutie was so excited and could not get over how much hair he has. Colby took a nap while Cutie held him and we visited. This weekend he also had a visit from his great Uncle Edward and great Aunt Jennie.

Colby is still doing pretty good. He has had a rough couple of nights the past few nights. He has been having some tummy problems. I think that he feels much better today besides being a little worn out from crying for three and a half hours last night. Scott and I are still trying to get use to functioning off of a few hours of sleep but we are all making it.

We hope that everyone had a great weekend!

Zoe's Little Buddy

2008-08-07T21:28:00.003-05:00

Zoe has been GREAT. Today, Margaret was in the kitchen and Colby started crying. He was in the bassinet in the bedroom. Zoe came and got Margaret and sat by his bed until he stopped crying.

Back to Work for Scott

2008-08-07T21:06:00.003-05:00

God has blessed me with a great wife, a beautiful son, two sweet dogs and a job that I love.

However, it sure is nice to only have one more day of work this week. It has been hard not being home with my wife and son. On the flip side, it was nice to get back in the saddle, see my customers. It gave me plenty of opportunities to brag.

Margaret has done exceptionally well. She does need to learn to take a nap when Colby does. Missy, Jodie, Isaac, Caroline, Katelyn and Caleb came and visited during lunch. It gave Margaret a breather.

Colby is doing great. He is becoming a pro at eating, sleeping and pooping. Who would have thought that we would pick up on his talents so quick!

I love to come home in the evening and see my wife and my son. It is an amazing feeling to sit in the chair and have Colby sleeping on my chest. I love being a husband and a father.

Curly or Straight

2008-08-04T23:01:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, Margaret has naturally curly hair. Well, funny thing................right after Colby gets a bath, his hair is curly. Check out the picture! We brush it while it is a little wet to get it straight.

Me and My Bouncy!

2008-08-04T15:13:00.002-05:00

Colby is now over a week old and he is doing great. He is a big sleeper. Pretty much all he does right now is sleep, sleep, and sleep some more. We usually have to wake him up to eat and change his diaper. There are a couple of times a day where he is awake for about 30 minutes and we get to play with him and see all of the cute faces that he makes. Scott has gone back to work today so Colby and I are hanging around the house. We miss daddy when he is gone.
The dogs are doing great with Colby. They pretty much just lay around and don't pay much attention to him. Zoe is cute, when he cries she comes and finds us if we are not in the room and lets us know. I think she is going to be his protector and take good care of him.
Well we hope that everyone had a great weekend and is doing well.
We love you,
Scott and Margaret

Colby Meets the Dogs

2008-08-01T23:07:00.002-05:00

Today was a big day, Colby got to meet his dogs Zoe and Samantha. He really loved it..........Not really, he was asleep the entire time. Zoe and Sammy were both excited to see Margaret and I. They have been with Mr. and Mrs. Walsh since Thursday July 24th.

As they walked in the door, they both ran over to Margaret and I. Marg was sitting in the rocker with Colby. Zoe was very interested. She kept sniffing Colby. She could not quite figure it out. However, after about 30 minutes, she lost interest. Sammy, well, she was too busy visiting with everyone.

We also had some special visits from Grandmom and Grandad, Great Aunt Peggy and Great Uncle James and our Neighbors Barry and Karin. Barry and Karin's dog Wilson (yellow lab mix) could not make the visit so he sent Colby a card (how funny!)

Colby's First Doctor Visit!

2008-08-01T14:32:00.003-05:00

Today was Colby's first visit to the pediatrician and he did pretty good. The doctor was very nice and said that Colby looked great. He said that he has little to no jaundice and that he weighed 7lbs. 6.5oz. He has lost 1.5oz. since leaving the hospital but the doctor said that was normal. We have to take him back to the doc next friday for some blood tests and a recheck.

Today Colby gets to meet his doggies for the first time. They have been staying at Grandmom and Grandads and will be coming home this afternoon. We are looking forward to seeing how they react to eachother. We will see how it goes. Thank you all for your comments. We have enjoyed reading them every day.

We love you all.

Love, Margaret

At Home With Colby!!

2008-07-31T19:28:00.002-05:00

Well Colby is now at home with us and we all survived our first night!! Yeah! Colby did great at home. He enjoyed trying out his new swing and some visits from family and neighbors. He slept great last night and we had to wake him up every four hours to eat. He went right back to sleep shortly after each feeding. Today he woke up and tried out his bouncy seat while Scott and I got ready for the day. He was fascinated with the lights and sounds on the bouncy seat. He also enjoyed visiting with his grandparents and family. Colby had his first bath at home today and boy was that an adventure. He was not happy about his bath and right when we were almost finished he poopied in the tub. Way to go Colby. I expected him to tee tee on us, which he did not do, but did not even think about him pooping. Fun stuff! Well we all survived and he was tuckered out afterwards. Tomorrow we go to see his pediatrician in the morning to check and see how his jaundice is doing and make sure everything else is still ok. We want to thank everyone for all your thoughts and prayers. We feel truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends. We love you all!

NICU Update

2008-07-28T19:56:00.002-05:00

Well, another day down. A good day and a sad day. Colby spent most of the day with us. It was wonderful. The grandparents got to hold him along with several of his Aunts and cousins and some good friends.

On the flip side, we were told today that Colby would not be going home with us tomorrow. He will not be released until Wednesday at the earliest. His blood sugars have stabilized on 22 cal formula. However, they want him to be able to hold his sugars on a 20 cal formula.

The hospital has been great. Margaret will be discharged tomorrow and they will let us stay in our room until 11PM tomorrow night.

Hello Friends and Family!!

2008-07-27T22:45:00.002-05:00

Hello to everyone, this is Margaret! I am feeling much better after a much needed day of rest. I still don't quite feel myself yet but Dr. Mckenzie says that I am much further along than he expected me to be at this point. Colby, Scott and I got to spend a lot of family time together today in our room and it was such a special and sweet time that I will never forget. I am truly blessed to have such a loving and wonderful family.

They are expecting to discharge me on Tuesday and we are hopeful that Colby will get to go home with us then to. There is a chance that he may have to stay a little longer if he is still having trouble regulating his blood sugar. It is very comforting to know that they are keeping a close eye on him and taking such good care of him. We will let you guys know more as the information is passed on to us.

We love you all and thank you so much for all of your prayers. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

Love Margaret

Threads of Love

2008-07-27T20:11:00.001-05:00

Threads of Love is a group of elderly women that make hats and blankets for babies in the NICU. Here is a picture of Colby with his "Threads of Love" hat.

Margaret Combs Colby's Hair

2008-07-27T19:54:00.000-05:00

Check out the part!

Day Three

2008-07-27T19:39:00.000-05:00

Today was a tough day. Margaret has been exhausted. Dr. McKenzie told her to get some rest and to try to cut off visitation. It ended up being the right thing to do. She was able to get some well needed rest. In addition, Colby was able to come to the room this afternoon and stay for about two hours. Margaret fed Colby, changed some diapers and even took a little nap with him. It was a joy to sit here and watch the two at peace with the world.
They took Colby back to the NICU around 5:30 PM. We miss him already. They do a shift change, patient updates etc. from 6-8 so they are closed to all visitors. In addition, from 5 am - 10 am there are also no visitors.
We were moved to a suite today. Good thing, the walls were closing in on us. The room now is a lot like a Mariott Courtyard. Plenty of room for visitors tomorrow.
We did get a report from the NICU that his blood sugars were still getting lower than they would like. It is tough. Colby wants to eat but they have to try to stretch out his feedings. They want him to be able to go 4 hours between feedings and maintain a blood sugar over 50. After three hours today, his blood sugar was 36. They are going to see if they can get him to eat more. So he is back on a three hour schedule.
When we get him home, he will be eating about every 2 hours. I know he will be happy.

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you" Jer 1:5

2008-07-26T23:50:00.000-05:00

Every time that we look at Colby, we see God's blessing to us. He is an answer to our prayers.

Tonight was a great night. Around 9 PM, While Margaret was asleep, I was able to go see Colby in NICU. Hold him and, well, eventually got to feed him. That came after a round of taking his temp and "assisting" one of his first "dirty" diapers.

Around 9:15. Nancy (the nurse) looked at me and asked me if Margaret would be up to a surprise. Colby was about to go on a field trip to room 246. Colby made it to the room around 10:00 and boy did Marg light up. She held him on her chest and he opened his eyes and looked at her like they were long, lost best friends.

It was my turn again. Colby and I ended up rocking for about an hour. What a feeling.

11PM came and Colby had to return to the NICU.

Colby's Second Bottle

2008-07-26T16:28:00.000-05:00

It was about 1:45 PM.

Took 40ml. What a great sign. His lungs are getting strong. They took his IV line out so he is on his own. His blood sugars have started to stabilize.

If all goes as planned, he will get to visit us tomorrow in our room. He will have to return to NICU for meds, blood sugar checks, etc.

We are hoping for a Monday release. However, Tuesday may be more realistic.

P.S. Uncle Gary and Aunt Bett just left. Gary said that it was bound to happen. A hippie Fancher boy! His hair is about an inch long on the back of his head. He has side burns like Elvis.

His First Bottle 10:30 AM 7 26 2008

2008-07-26T13:11:00.000-05:00

Colby sure is tough. He took his first bottle around 10:30. He drank about 30ml. Not bad for a first timer. The Dr. is excited about his progress. They have put in the orders to move him up from the warmer to a "crib" after his next bottle.

Marg is doing great. Exhausted. Not sleeping but maybe one hour total last night has finally caught up with her.

4:45 AM

2008-07-26T09:09:00.000-05:00

Marg and I could not sleep so we made a trip down to the NIC-U. They do not allow visitors from 5AM to 10AM. It was a great trip. Marg got to hold Colby for about 15 minutes. He was perfectly happy. He is doing well. Oxygen was good. Blood Sugar was Good. If all goes well, they are going to get an order about 12PM to bottle feed him.

11:15 PM

2008-07-25T23:31:00.000-05:00

I just made a trip down to the NIC U. It is the shortest, yet longest trip that I have to make. Colby is doing GREAT. They are possibly going to be giving him a bottle tomorrow. Right now, he is just on the I-V.

The little man loves his pacifier.

They said that his vitals look good. He never had to go on a CPAP. That is a good thing.

The NIC-U nurses are great and you can tell that they really care about each and every baby in there.

I am excited about tomorrow. If all goes well, Marg will be able to get up and go in a wheel chair to see Colby.

Colby Ryan Fancher is Here

2008-07-25T22:20:00.000-05:00

Colby is here and boy is he a handsome baby. Marg is doing great. She was a real trooper during the c-section. I think she was more worried about me passing out.

I felt comfortable and actually looked over the sheet four times. The first time, I saw a foot, the second...two feet, the third....a little fanny, the fourth....a head full of hair.

I was doing fine until the NIC U nurses kept saying, "come on buddy, you can do it", he was not crying. A couple of minutes passed, no crying. He was a little "shocked" and lazy. He never cried. Something came over me and I started sweating, started to pass out. I held it together. Marg was just looking at me.

He kept "Grunting". The nurses describe it as trying to blow a balloon up. Well, he ended up in the NIC U. We kinda expected it. Low blood sugars and breathing problems. Good thing, he has been breathing on his own the whole time.

Marg got to hold him for about a minute and we took him to "see the family". It was not until about an hour later when Marg got to actually hold him for the first time. The look in his eyes, he knew it was his mother.

We are now in room 246. Marg is trying to get some sleep. I went to see Colby around 8PM and ended up getting to rock him for about 30 minutes. One of the highlights of my life.