And we bring 2008 to an end...

Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and happy new year to everyone! If you have been following this blog for any part of the year, you know 2008 has been filled with every emotion under the sun. We are looking forward to many happy days ahead in 2009 as share the joys of miss Emma. Now 10.5 months old, Emma is getting quite the vocabulary of sounds, very expressive with emotions, laughs a lot, starting to crawl a bit, and will be completely mobile any day now...we can feel it. She really is pretty incredible and the whole parenting experience has been everything I didn't expect in a really great way. I have just uploaded some more photos to round out 2008. I will probably pare down the next couple of posts to the really special photos. For the record, I have taken over 5,860 photos and about 9 hours video of Emma so far...and we are not even to the first birthday party! Here are the latest!

Hope everyone has had a good holiday break and we hope to see or talk to everyone soon!

~Brent, Jessica, and Emma

What great weather!

Enjoying the nice weather this fall and getting out on the weekends has been lots of fun for everyone! I have uploaded some new pics from Halloween and out weekend excursions for folks to check out. Getting ready for the holidays, trying to keep things at work in check, and helping mom at home is what I have been up to. We are looking forward to seeing everyone sometime soon.

Vacation in Sandestin and other GREAT news!

We had a great vacation in Sandestin a few weeks back and things have been so non-stop, I am just getting a chance to write about it. We have incredible weather, great food, and just enjoyed our first family beach outing together. Emma loved playing in the pool, on the beach under the umbrella, and in the pool. Lots of photos of course so check those out in the gallery. We just had a good trip and are looking forward to the next one already.

We also had some great news from Jessica's doctors. She had a PET scan last week and the results have shown complete remission!!! This was really emotional and has brought to an end a long string of chemo treatments along with the non-stop roller coaster. We will still be making regular visitis to the doctor along with more PET scans but this is a great milestone in the battle against this disease.

With that, I hope everyone is doing well and we will now resume regular programming...the Emma Show!

Winding down for the summer

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

I think that quote sums up about everything that has been going on for the last year. Pregnancy, birth, life, cancer, and treatment. It is time to start today and make our new ending to this long year.

It has been a while since i have posted anything but wanted to give a few updates on the family and whats is going on here at the homestead.

Jessica is doing as well as can be expected. Actually, she is doing great considering everything she has been through over the last 9 months. Her 6th and final chemo treatment was 9/3 and we will have a PET scan in a few weeks to see how all of the treatments went. The doctors and us are confident the results will be good considering her first scan after only 2 treatments showed very good results. "Couldn't ask for better results" as the doctor said.

Six rounds of chemo and neulasta have drained her, but she is rebounding some at this point. She has really had a huge outpouring of support from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, rotary/habitat friends, and all sorts of other signs of supports. Our neighborhood organized meals for us 4 nights a week all the way through mid-august that was a huge help. Jessica's office has brought food over, friends have brought things as well. It is just amazing. Jessica probably gets a card in the mail everyday from someone which really continues to remind her that she is on everyone's mind through this. I think everyone wants to see her just through with this whole ordeal...especially Jessica!

Jessica's parents...what can I say. From the end of May to just this past Saturday, they have been here to help with the house, Emma, taking care of Jessica after treatments, keeping spirits up, and just being here for support. Through all of it, they helped us a ton and we are very grateful to them both. It was sad to see them go but we all have to get on with our lives we had before this unfair disease came into all of our worlds.

Me, I am doing the work thing during the week, trying to help out where I can with things around the house, helping with miss uh-uh girl, and then spending the weekend trying to relax and get caught up on some football...it somehow became fall already. All in all, things are going good and I am just ready for Jessica to be given continuing good news so she can get back to fully enjoying life.

And then there was Emma...that little girl. She is really something else. 7 Months old at this point and a wonderful handful of energy, happiness, and life in its purest form. I am not much for the "my kid is better than your kid" stuff, but she has been growing nicely over the last few months...18 pounds and about 28.5 inches long. So she is a long baby! Happy, talkative in her own little way, loves toys/rattles, anything that makes crunching sounds (magazines, bags, etc.), being slightly frightened (she finds it hilarious for some reason), strange smiley faces, noises, and all the stuff infants her age just love.

So, overall, we are all doing well and looking forward to the future and turning this page of our lives. And now for pictures...lots taken and posted quite a few in the gallery. Hope everyone enjoys and has a good last week of summer!

~Brent, Jessica, and Emma

Sometimes life throws you a curve

"Be the person your dog thinks you are" was a bumper sticker I saw on the way home from work the other day. The last few months have showed that now more than ever that we all need to be strong, loving, and caring of the things that mean the most to us.

A little over 4 months ago, we were blessed with our daughter who brings smiles to the everyone she meets. A colleague in Asia said shortly after her birth "Baby brings a lots of joy and also a lots of noise and also make you feel young and full of energy." We now understand what that means and are enjoying watching Emma grow each day.

This year has also put into perspective who precious life is from another angle. As many of you already know, Jessica was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins Lymphoma late last month. Initially, we thought it was gallbladder related but through persistence by our amazing family doctor and others at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, they performed many tests to come to the final diagnosis.

Jessica has now undergone 2 of 6 chemotherapy treatments she will receive every three weeks. The doctors are very confident that this can not only be treated but cured with chemo alone. The type of cancer is very common and the treatment regimens are proven to be very effective with those that are young and in good health. We have complete confidence in Jessica's Oncologist and his ability to get her better. We are fighting this and looking forward to living out the rest of our lives. Jessica's parents will be staying with us for the duration of the treatment to support her, take care of Emma, and keep us fighting. They have been incredible.

Now more than ever do we realize what a miracle Emma was to all of us. We have also come to realize just how much good there is in the world with the outpouring of support, cards, calls, and all other signs of caring from friends, co-workers, and family. We appreciate all of it.

With that, I have posted some more pictures from over the last month or so. It has been a bit chaotic for good reason and these postings have taken a back seat to everything else. Take care and enjoy the adventures of Emma here.

3 Months and counting

These updates and getting more spread out as time goes in due to work and other household duties taking precedence. We have added some more pictures (can there ever be enough?) to our album within the Six Weeks and Beyond folder.

Emma had her first long trip as we went down to Sandestin for Jessica's Rotary conference weekend before last. She did great on the way down and back but we have learned our days of stopping once on a 5 hour drive are gone for a while. The key is to leave very early (5-6am) in order to maximize the sleep time. Emma has been doing great with sleeping (knock on wood). She has been going 7-8 hours on average and sometimes waking up at 5am for a feeding. Looking back at the first couple of weeks, we don't want to go back to that.

She is smiling lots more, curious of these hands attached to her arms, her feet amaze her, and she is grabbing at things. She is able to follow our voices very well and giving us her version of talking at this point. (coos and cahs)

I will be hitting the golf course for the first time this year on Monday so wish me luck. I am playing in a benefit for our church. I need the fairway and birdie god to shine upon me!