Babies new and old...

Our friends, and Meg's godparents, Jonathan and Tracey Van Hook, welcomed their first child today. Andrew Tate Van Hook weighed in at (prepare to wince) 10 pounds 11 ounces. Mom and baby are doing fine after the C-section!

Our little one went mobile the Saturday before Memorial Day, and isn't too far from going to just 2 wheels.

Our daughter is at her first sleep over camp, from yesterday until the 6th. House is oddly quiet. I'm enjoying that, but still miss her.

The saga continues...

Continuing the water theme, we went out on the Vinsons boat for a short excursion, then docked at Calhoun's on the River for dinner. That's where we had our rehearsal dinner.

Goober says "hey"

Meg was in a skit at Tate's Camp last Friday.

They've started the destruction of the Jumbotron. The new one will be much bigger, in fact second in size to only (and this pains me) the one at Texas. The old screen was about 1/3 of the board, the new one will be the whole board.

New fascade, too. Lot of work to do in 2 months.

Beach pics 2009

I'd hide my stomach behind my kids, too, if I could. Need more kids.

Meg's friend Grace came along to keep her entertained.

Matt wasn't sure about the ocean, but he liked the sand. Tasted good, apparently.

Cruisin' for babes

We're Back!

It's been a hair-raising month and a half! This is actually Meg, on a field trip to the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge. For once that mussed hair was useful!



We finally had a service for my mother on January 31st, with a nice group of family and friends in attendance. She was cremated, and her ashes put next to those of my sister Barbie in the Columbarium of the Church of the Ascension, where Hope and I were married.

I'll post some more pictures, just as soon as I find the camera!

Mary Millener Mitchell 1933 - 2008

Mom passed away Sunday evening at 10:15 at Hillcrest West Nursing Home. We had just moved her there Friday, another step on the journey to hopefully getting her home. I had been looking forward to having her so much closer to us and her friends. She did live long enough to see a photograph of her great-grandson Brett, which meant so much to her. We appreciate all the offers of love and support from so many of you. We'll get through the next few days (no memorial service, per her wishes), and try to get a grip back on the "reason for the season". Many of our holiday plans have been side-tracked by the events of the past few weeks and months, but we hope to be back to normal early in the new year.

Matt has continued to get better, and is starting to look like a somebody, losing the baby look! Hope and I are so happy to have him as a reminder of all that's good.

Merry Christmas to you all!

from meg

Matthew(bitsy)is the cutest thing ever! I can make him smile!!!!!!!!!!!!! He will giggle for me and get the best look on his face. He is getting soooooooooo big! But, it is still the same thing, he will be all nice and quite and I will want to hold him, I will pick him up, walk into another room, set him down, walk away, and he will start crying. I am so excited, this is Bitsy's first Christmas! His first holiday was Halloween, his first event was the UAB game. He liked it, he came out all red and hot!

from Meg

I am so happy that my brother is home safe and sound! I hope that does not happen agin!
So far he is the best brother in the world.I love him soooooooooo much!Like i said,i am glad he is okay.I thank every doctor that helped my little brother!

Home Sweet Home

We finally made it home today!

Matt did well off the oxygen and his breathing treatments so the doctor released us from the hospital. His immune system is still at risk (the reason for staying out of daycare for a week), so we will have to be more cautious with him in public - I guess that means no Christmas shopping with Mommy!

As Scott mentioned (in the loopy state he was), I was sick Friday with a 24hr bug, but came home and took phenerghen - this drug works miracles! I was back at things bright and early Saturday - so Scott would not have too much to complain about :-)

I want to thank everyone again for their thoughts and prayers, offers of food and/or relief at the hospital, and helping with Meg, it has meant a lot to us during this time of year to be reminded the importance of friends and family!

My wish for everyone this holiday season is good health, happiness, and love.

update

I'm a little loopy. Continuing the "it's always something", Hope calls me early yesterday (Friday) from the hospital, says she's sick and has been throwing up. I dump Meg on a neighbor at 6:30 (thanks, Susie), get dressed and off to the hospital. It's now10:45 Saturday morning, and I just got home. Hope had picked up a stomach bug of some sort (they said that something was going around the hospital), and had to have a neighbor (thanks again, Susie) come pick her up. So while Hope tried to keep her cookies, I had Matt duty for a double shift. That said, he's doing pretty well. They've taken him off the oxygen and reduced the medications, so we hope to get him home tomorrow (Sunday). Be another week before he can go back to daycare. Hope has recovered and is back at the hospital (odd, she's feeling better, so she's back at the hospital). I'm going to bed.

Under the category of "It's always something"...

So, Matt's had a little cough for a week or so. Last Saturday Hope gets concerned enough that she takes him to the doctor (Matt's group has Saturday hours). Doctor thinks Matt has bronchiovitis, wants him back on Monday to hear his chest again, see if there are any changes. So we take him back Monday, Doc listens, says he sounds better, probably just a mild case, call in if Matt gets fussy or irritable, off his food or runs a temperature. Tuesday evening Matt is fussy and irritable, off his food, and running a temperature of 102 something. Hope calls in, they say bring him into the emergency room at Children's Hospital (which we knew they would want). So Hope loads the little feller up, takes him in, and he's been at Children's ever since.





Sorry for the redeye, forgot to clean the pics up before I posted, too tired to go back and do it.

He had the bronchiovitis (not bronchitis), RSV (a nasty little thing), and a "touch" of pneumonia. They want to keep him as long as his oxygen level is down and he needs to be suctioned with more than a bulb. At least one of us has been with him at all times. Hope gets the night shift, I cover most of the day. That means I get Meg up and off to school, Hope gets her off the bus, etc. It's worked so far, but with his birth, the problems with my mother (who continues to improve) and this, my bosses are starting to sound a bit irked at the time I'm missing! I'm sure Hope's are not exactly thrilled, either.

Anyway, probably be there another day or two, hopefully home this weekend. I'll update when I get a chance.

My In-laws!

Hope's cousin, Kathy, sent this picture of the Leach side of the family, taken at Matt's baptism. It's nice anytime the 4 generations can come together. I love the fact that our 8 year old is barely a head shorter than her mother.

Wow, it's been a while since I've posted something!

For those of you still interested in the goings on of Matthew and his family and friends, sorry for the delay. With my Mom's situation, Thanksgiving, and Coach Fulmer getting fired, I've just been a mess. Oh, and somewhere in there we got the baby baptized.

Let's see, where to start. I guess I'd better stick with chronological order. On the Sunday before Thanksgiving we had Matt's baptism. Took advantage of Hope's cousins (and their families) being in town (or at least East Tennessee), and had a great group of friends and other relatives at the church, as well. My brother in law Russ and his daughter, Amanda, came up from the Atlanta area Saturday and spent some time with my mom, which she really appreciated.

Anna Calhoun, on the right, is one of Matt's godparents, along with Brian and Stacy Patterson. That's Molly Calhoun gettin' up in Meg's face!

Father Cal and Taylor


Matt gets a little wet. Episcopalians don't usually go for that dunking stuff! Molly Calhoun looks on.

Matthew does his best Simba impression, with Father Cal playing the role of Rafiki. If you don't know the reference, ask a kid. Thanks to Chris Vinson for taking the pictures. Had some camera battery problems, but got the good stuff.

I had to work Thanksgiving, but went straight from work to the Leach's home at Laurel Valley. Dinner was awesome, and had a great time watching football and enjoying the view. I left after dinner to take a plate of food to my Mom. Later on Meg made a gingerbread house. Turned out pretty good, I thought.

The Friday after Thanksgiving, while rest of the world went shopping, we loaded up the crew to have lunch in Maryville with my sister, Kathy, and her family, who had come up from Atlanta (or was it Destin?). Had a great visit, and they enjoyed meeting Matt for the first time.

Kathy and Terry Holt, their daughter (and soon to be college graduate) Laura, and her boyfriend Nick. Hope says I should call him a fiance' (there's a ring), but I'm waiting on a date, guys.


After lunch with the Holts, we went back to Hillcrest North so Matt and Meg could spend some time with Grandma Mitchell. She's continuing to do better (compared to where she was a couple of weeks ago), and has walked some, but still a ways to go before we can get her home. Her dog Susie is getting along ok at my house, Captain has been very tolerant.

For the Kentucky football game we had the best picnic in a parking garage while it's cold, dark, and raining that I've ever had. Then we (Hope and I, and my brother Mark, who was in town to see Mom) went and sat in the cold and rain as the Vols beat Kentucky and sent Coach Fulmer off into the sunset. I'll reserve judgement on the new coach for about a year, but looks good, so far.

So, I hope ya'll understand how all the running around can cut down on my blogging time. Hope all ya'll had a great Thanksgiving. It's amazing to me how many blessings I do have in my life!

Update on Grandma Mitchell...

I'd said I didn't want to dwell on this, but it's been about all I've dealt with for almost 2 weeks. From the previous post, things have changed quite a bit. She spent about a week in the Critical Care Unit (what used to be icu) at Parkwest, 4 days of it with the ventilator (?). Was then moved to private room, then Monday we moved her to Hillcrest North nursing home. She went there under the auspices of hospice, but the doctor there thinks she could be helped with some rehab, so they took her off hospice care (had never heard of that happening, have you?). Still in less than great shape, not walking yet, but for someone that essentially had "Last Rites" twice last week, she's doing pretty good.

Oh, and Matt's fine.

It happened again!

Matt, Hope and I were having dinner at Cracker Barrel (Meg was at a church youth dinner), and an old gentleman stops to admire the baby. After a moment of small talk, he asks if we were just babysitting. It was obvious to both Hope and I that he thought we were the grandparents. Do we look that old?!

On another note...as many of you already know, my mother was taken to the hospital Saturday night about 2:30 with breathing and heart problems. She called 911 herself. She is on a ventilator and feeding tube, and only occasionally conscious. They keep her sedated most of the time because of the tubes. We expect her to be in the hospital at least a week, and that may be optimistic. No feel for long term prognosis as of yet. I don't want to take over Matt's blog with this stuff, so if you would like updates on her, feel free to email me at hsmitchell@charter.net , or call me at home 865-777-4842 or cell 865-806-5691.

Might be a lull in new Matt posts until we get past the current crisis.

Happy Halloween...

In honor of Halloween, I'm posting a couple of pictures I took Summer 07, when Meg, Uncle Jimmy, and I took a tracking course in the Great Smokey Mountains. No, they have nothing to do with each other...I'd forgotten these pictures until they popped up on my screensaver, and I thought they were neat!

There are, or at least were, beavers along Abrams Creek in Cades Cove. Saw some of their dams, but no live sightings.

Abrams Creek. Just beautiful!

And this is what you really wanted to see...Meg was "Molly, the American Girl", which is some sort of doll series for those of you without young daughters or granddaughters. She, of course, was dressed to match the doll beside her. Matt was a noisy pumpkin.

Went trick or treating for about an hour here in the neighborhood. Nancy Brown came over to tour with us. Dad Mark walked escort patrol with me whilst the moms held down the fort. Nancy managed not to hurt herself.

Ohhh, I'm old...

Some of you have heard this already, but for those that haven't...

Hope and I had been shopping at Goody's (local clothing store) with little Bubba. As we were checking out, the cashier was talking to Hope. "What a beautiful baby!" she said. "Is that your grandson?" I had to walk away to keep from falling on the floor laughing. I asked Hope later what her response had been. Hope said she just stared at the cashier and said "no". The cashier apologized as she turned red.

I'm too old for this.

Several "firsts"...

It's quiet in the house at the moment. Meg is off to school, after being off for a week for fall break. Mommy is at a work lunch (although not back to work yet, maybe part-time next week). And Matthew, drum roll please, is at daycare for the first time. God help 'em. Took him in this morning and they asked what his nap and eating schedule was...Hope and I just laughed. You mean some kids have a schedule?!? My two nights of Dad Duty, Saturday and Sunday, were similar to those past...Saturday night he slept from halftime of the football game to 4 am, some 6 or 7 hours. Sunday night, no more than 2 1/2 at a time.

He did have a good excuse for being a bit tuckered out Saturday night. He went tailgating before the Alabama, umm, "game"! We went down early for some wings at Buffalo Wild Wings on the Strip (he did that last week, too), back home for a while, then back to campus proper for his first real tailgate activity. Stopped in first with friends from church, the Chimleys, then a quick trip around Volunteer Village to wave at our friend Charles while he did his pregame radio show, then down to see Va and the gang. That was fun, but then a bunch of Alabama sorority girls showed up. I was ok with it, but Bubba said we had to go! No, we didn't go to the game. But, as Mr. Gump would say, that's all I have to say about that.


Heather, Meg, Sarolyn (spelling per Hope), Bubba, and Va. Great spot at the stadium, amid all the color and pageantry, overlooking the Tennessee River. And, as usual, Matt wasn't impressed.

At our spot for watching the Pride of the Southland on their march to the stadium. I'm watching Matt, he's watching the majorettes. That's my boy!

I was a bit concerned about the volume at this point, so I was sort of covering Bubba's ears. That's about a 300 person band blasting "Rocky Top" 4 feet away. He seemed more annoyed at my efforts than the sound.

Week 5

Another week down. Tennessee won a football game and nights with Matt might be getting a little bit better. Spent this Monday on another trip to Blount County, but this time Matt got to go all the way to the mountains, to the home of Jim and Barbara Leach in Laurel Valley. Meg is out of school for fall break, so she and Bebe are staying with the Leach's until they get thrown out, or 1 night, whichever is less.
Great-Aunt Barbara. Either the picture is a tad fuzzy or I am. No bets either way.

Matt and Great-Uncle Jim off the Leach's back deck. Jim showed us pictures of bears, raccoons, and other critters on this deck. Matt, as usual, wasn't impressed with any of it.

For fairness and in response to my photo of Hope in a similar pose, Miss Meg caught me asleep with the little stinker.

Great Aunt Molly Pratt checked in this past week, in town from Nashville. The first photo from Matt's room, I believe. He hasn't spent a night in there yet.

Somewhere in there we gave Matt his first official bath. Pretty ridiculous that the bathtub had to be assembled. The extra set of hands are Meg's, whose been a big help, when she wants to be.

My second video masterpiece, with Matt getting suctioned after his bath (I think). Click on the play button and turn on your speakers!

4 weeks and a day....

and it only seems like 4 weeks. Not much change to the daily routine. No new tricks from the little stinker. I've been back at work for a couple of weeks now (hence the dropoff in these postings!). Matt is still having some issues with wanting to sleep all day and party all night, and Hope is still bearing the brunt of that problem. We've taken him to see Hope's coworkers at the American Cancer Society, my coworkers at the airport, Bebe's at UT Hospital, to Grandma's, and he's all ready to give the tour of Walmart.



Today we had a Maryville (aka Murvul) day! We had lunch with Hope's aunt and uncle, Barbara and Jim Leach, then spent some time in downtown Maryville, where the Foothills Fall Festival was taking place. They have concerts and games for 3 days, but we went for the craft displays they do on the (closed) downtown streets. Beautiful day for it, too. Then made Matt's first trip to the family farmhouse, home of my brother Ed and his family.



Chief Mitchell is retiring in 9 days!


My nephew Josh, with his (as mentioned in a previous post) son, Mason. Wow, he'd grown since Hope and I last saw him! (Mason, that is)

Ed had taken Meg up to the barnlot on an ATV with him. After we spent some time checking out a baby calf, they headed to the other side of the barn. When next we saw them, she'd commandeered her own ride! She had a blast, but I promise, it was at low speed! We'll have her in a helmet next time.

If you can't tell, those dark things behind us are cows. Matt was unimpressed.

I believe we'll keep both of 'em.

Now, Matt hasn't learned new tricks, but I'm trying. My first attempt at posting a short video, so don't expect Citizen Kane or anything.

Wow, a whole week without a post

Not gonna be much to this one either, but I promise new pictures in the next day or so. It's been a rough couple of weeks. I went back to work last week, so Hope has been fighting through the nights on her own. It continues to amaze me that she is functional! No, the little stinker isn't doing much better on making it more than a couple of hours or so at a time at night. Hope and I went to the UT-Northern Illinois game Saturday, then I did a turn at staying up all night with the little one. That let Hope get as good as night sleep as she's had in three weeks, only having to get up to pump. She and three girlfriends had a night out Sunday night, so she's having a little fun, at least. Now I'm a little under the weather. I'm hoping it's just allergies, but I'm feeling wiped out, so now Hope has 2 whiny babies to deal with. Pray for her!