An Old Friend is Retiring

Introducing Flashback Friday!  

When we got this Manchester United outfit for Avery we had no idea he would wear it so long.  Well, maybe we did.  Avery was forced to wear clothes way longer than he should have because I was too broken hearted to pack them away, never knowing if I would see them on another baby or not.  Another boy baby has come so it's with great pride that I can say "ManU, you have served Avery well!  Now go to your resting place in the size 12 month tub.  Enjoy your rest with the other clothes, for soon you shall be called upon to serve Reichen.  And something tells me that he will be way harder on you than Avery ever was!"  

Now please don't think that just because ManU is going in the size 12 month tub, that he is actually that size.  Oh, no.  He would probably be a size 3T.  We got ManU for Avery so that he could be like his Uncle Nigel.  And that's the smallest size we could find.  That's why he's swimming in it in the first two pictures (he was 13 months old).  Please note that as he grew, the outfit did not.  Thus, he's starting to look a bit silly in the last two pictures.  We shall see you in four months ManU!

our first trip to a pumpkin patch

Last Sunday I planned a little family outing to a pumpkin patch.  Now the first sign that this was a bad idea should have been the fact that I planned it.  See when I plan things (especially if my friend Megan is involved, but she actually wasn't this time) they tend to tank.  I don't know what the deal is.  None the less, I planned and we went, some reluctantly.  I talked it up big time on the way there... we'll be sitting on bales of hay, there's a bunch of farm animals that we can pet, pumpkins that we can pick out of the actual patch, and think of how cool you'll look in your orange shirts!  Turns out it's a hayless tractor ride, animals behind fences that aren't hungry and that you can't really pet, and pumpkins that are lined up on a board for you to "pick" from the patchless patch, and 50 other kids looking cool in their orange shirts!  Oh, and then there's the mother trying to take a picture of her 3 men that went over as well as usual (that mother would be me).  Reichen won't look at the camera, Avery won't look at the camera, and Wayne has his patience tried with the camera lady saying "one more time".  Next year I'm going to the pumpkin patch my friend Jana suggested.  And the boys will be forced to go because momma has planned.

redemption is coming

I'm not afraid to admit I'm an addict. Long live Jack Bauer!

time out torture device???

Although I'm sure this could be well used as a time out torture device, its better use is as "box boy", another superhero!  Avery hasn't really been exposed to the Marvel super heroes yet, but he has no problem using his imagination to create his own superheroes (as you can clearly see below).  Box boy refused to look at the camera as this would give away his true identity.  What are his superpowers you ask?  Well, we're not sure other than he is able to collapse quickly.

beautiful weather and beautiful boys

It was 66 degrees outside so the boys and I headed out to play and enjoy the weather.  Thought I'd share the cute pictures I took before being attacked by the menacing mosquitoes.

Why does it take 20 of this first one to get one good picture?

Is he doing CPR?                           Reichen saying "Gnarly" with his hand

when boosters react

Last Thursday Avery went to the doc to get his 4 year old boosters for DTP, MMR, Chickenpox and Polio.  Anytime he gets a shot you would think it was a near death experience for him... screaming, kicking, wailing, flailing and that's just at the doctor's office.  By the time we're home, his legs no longer work (even when the shots are just in his arms).  He has to be carried everywhere.  And life will barely go on.  He's never had a "real or documented" reaction.  Just a kid's "normal" reaction.  So Friday morning when he said his arm hurt a little, I thought nothing of it.  It was probably just from sleeping on it.  It was a little red, but the doctor said that happens sometimes.  Then at 5:05 (five minutes after the doctor's office closed!!), I noticed his arm was red from shoulder to elbow and really hot.  The nurses hotline said just to watch it and call the doctor Monday so they can document it.  It didn't get worse... until Saturday when of course the doctor's office is still closed.  So after a short call to the nurse hotline, they said take him to urgent care as soon as you can.  What had changed?  The size of his arm.  It was now swollen two inches more than it should have been.  After a week of an antibiotic, Benadryl and Hydrocortizone Cream his arm is back to its normal size.  My boy's arm no longer looks like he is a weight lifter or on steroids.  Thank God he doesn't get any more boosters until he's 12.

Doesn't he look so sad?

God works through poop... baby poop.

If the word poop offends you, don't read any further.

When Reichen was five weeks old I took him to see the doctor (who we think is the best pediatrician in the world).  I was taking him in because I thought his poop looked funny.  What can I say, I'm a first time mom with my second son as well.  Well, his poop was colorful but fine.  But God used his autumn poop for us to find out that he was very underweight.  We thought he looked skinny, but I guess because we saw him every minute of every day that we didn't realize just how skinny he was.  At two weeks Reichen was back at his birth weight which is normal.  But at five weeks he had only put on about 5 ounces which is a dangerously small amount (if babies don't put on the right amount of weight, it can affect their brain development among other things).  So we were sent to see a gastro specialist (who we think is the best gastro specialist in the world).  The goal was to get Reichen to double his birth weight at 6 months while still being able to breastfeed.  Each time we went to the specialist we saw improvements.  Last week was his 6 month checkup and let's just say the boy is a porker.  He has some pants that he should be able to wear, but can't because they won't go over his thunder thighs.  I guess he gets that from me too!  So what started out as a concern about the color of poop, ended up potentially saving our little guy's life.  

For the past four years God has used my boys to speak to me.  And of course this situation was no different.  And what could God possibly say?  I have spiritual poop.  Yes, spiritual poop.  God's Word goes in my body (or in this case spirit) as truth.  I chew on it, digest it, and God uses it to get rid of the toxins in my body ( or in this case spirit).  But to keep those toxins from coming back in, I need to be more observant of what they are.  It's easy just to flush, but maybe I should examine it first... and allow God to use it for something good.

Reichen at 6 weeks above.

Reichen at 6 months below.