Spring, are you there?

Spring may never come to Michigan to stay but we have had some nice "teaser" days thrown in to the rain and snow. I hear a rumor that this weekend is supposed to be nice. I am hoping it is true.

I am up because a sweet little girl woke me. That was 2 hours ago and she has been back to sleep for about 2 hours. :) Don't you love how kids can do that. Anyways, I am up and thought I'd post some pics from a warm spring day a few weeks ago. I think Alex was praising Jesus in the first pic. I know I was. :)

On a TOTALLY unrelated topic...my camera arrived and I am feeling a bit clueless. Can anyone recommend a good beginners photography book and websites or blogs. Thanks.

I am off to bed. Goodnight.

My babies are 4! (part two)

The birthday boys were none to happy to wake to snow on the 18th of April. They got past it and the snow did melt before the actual celebrating started. We didn't have a party this year, just Mom, Dad, Alex, Eli and Adds. We did of course have ice cream and cake and took them to McD's.

Here are the iphone pics taken with the hipstamatic app that is so popular right now. It is kind of a fun, funky, vibe.

Chickened Out Again

*I wrote this post below last week. I chickened out on pouring it all out there but am sharing now. Details regarding appointment will be below original post.


enlarged ventricle

I'm realizing that I tend to write about our trials when we are on the other side of them. Unfortunately, that is not reality because before we are on the other side of them there's the hard part.

This time I plan to share all of it. Maybe for keepsake's sake, maybe to get it out of my head and on "paper", maybe because I want more people to pray for my girl. Whatever my intention, here's the story from the beginning, when I don't know what the end will be.

My sweet little Addie girl. Has an enlarged ventricle. This usually indicates a blockage. This can mean increased pressure on the brain. To release the pressure a shunt it usually put in. She'd always have it. The pressure that may exist already can cause damage. That is what we want to avoid.

Here's the catch we can't proceed until I meet with a neurologist. I called for an appointment today and they said they could see her in JULY. Seriously? Apparently, YES.

My Dr. is trying to make it a bit quicker. That is probably prayer request 1. 2. well I am not sure what 2 is. I know that I want her to be fine.

We are trying not to get ahead of ourselves with this so the sooner the appointment the better.

I remember when Eli had fluid on his brain it was on the surface and the neurologist kept saying that is was good that it was on the surface and not in the ventricles. This is obviously not a comfort to me now. The enlarged ventricle could mean it is in fact fluid in the ventricle. There are obviously lots of "could be's".

Fast forward to today......

After I wrote that post the pediatrician called and I was supposed to call Neurosurgery not Neurology. They were able to get me in today (Monday, 25th). This was big for me. I felt like God was telling me "I got this" and I knew He did. How he would choose to "have it" I was not sure.

Sunday, the elders of the church prayed over us and Addie. It was such a huge encouragement to me and Jared.

Today, they repeated the head ultrasound (the first one was done 6 days ago). He agreed that there was fluid but he did NOT find the ventricles enlarged beyond a normal range. He wants to keep track of her head growth but he has no concern that their is pressure. We see him again in 3 months. He hopes, much like with Eli, that as her body develops it will absorb the fluid as it should.

We are relieved and thankful and in awe. This kid is making us crazy. :) I'm kidding, kind of.

Here are some pictures of the trouble maker. BTW she is 9 1/2 months old. Ridiculous.

In this bottom picture I was trying to capture one of my favorite Addie things.....her wrists. I love the fat roll on her wrists. That extra skin that she'll grow into. Uh.. Love It. Yes, I am weird.

These are phone pics again but that is all about to change. Hurry, shipment, hurry!!!

Good Friday

Read to the boys from their "Jesus Storybook Bible" tonight. Jared read it at dinner and then they wanted to hear it again before bed. We read the story of the crucifixion and Alex asked "Why are they hurting my Jesus?" which Eli followed with "Why is Jesus sad?" Uh, love the innocence of their questions and the dialog that it allows.

Sharing your faith with your kids. There is nothing like it (on earth). :)

Wait 'til they hear what's coming on Sunday!

I love their simple (although not really) questions. We should all strive to have faith like a child. I wonder what are the simple questions I should be asking of my Father (the heavenly one of course).

FOUR!

My babies are 4 today. Jared and I have been thinking a lot about 4 years ago. A lot. So many words rush into my mind. So many words that previously bore no relevance in our lives.

Viability

Preemie

Quality of life

Disabilities

990 grams

27 weeks

Fragility of life

"if they go home" being said rather than "when"

Fear

Dark, deep, fear

And thank God there were other words.

Hope

Faith

Love, Intense Love

Marriage

Friendships

Family

Prayer

Sweet, precious babies

Alex

Eli

I cannot speak words that explain what they've done to me, to Jared. For me, For Jared. They've changed us.

This day will not be taken for granted. Their kisses and arms around our necks will be cherished. Those candles being blown out will be monumental. A monument to what we got to keep on April 18th, 2007. A monument to what God had planned for Jared and Becky, Alex and Eli and now Addison. A monument to His Grace poured out on us.

I love you guys.

Thanks for making me a Mommy 4 short years ago.

Addie's Developmental Assessment

Just realized I've yet to post pics of Addie's Appointment. We headed to the hospital that seems to be our 2nd home. The boys were there for up to 3 months, Addie for 2 and I was on bedrest there for 6 weeks. We visited the NICU, my high risk docs and my antepartum floor. It was really nice to see everyone again. When these people are your only companions for weeks on end you actually do miss them when you are discharged. It was like visiting old friends.

Kelly, on the right, was my kick-butt nurse. You needed something done, Kelly was your girl. Some nurses were so timid about paging doctors it DROVE ME NUTS. High-risk docs tend to say things like "Um, I don't like what I am seeing. Let me talk to the team, we may want to deliver you today." They sometimes say this in the morning after all of your tests and then send you back to your room. What they fail to mention is that they may mean that TOMORROW they may deliver you or in 2 weeks, either way you won't hear anything for HOURS. This is when you want a nurse on your side who has kids and realizes that you may have some arranging to do IF you are in fact delivering in an hour.

In reality the morning I delivered the decision was made about 30 minutes before I was in the OR. Jared was left scrambling to find a sitter and I had not seen him when they were wheeling me into the OR to be delivered. Once again a nurse stepped in and said "we just called her husband and he is in the elevator" to which an intern replied, "we can't wait the OR is ready" TO WHICH the awesome nurse said "We are waiting. She needs to see her husband."

I LOVE NURSES!! It was so much better to go in with Jared by my side. That nurse got it and I am thankful she did.

This is the Dr. that delivered Addie. He is a great Dr. and is very quirky. I heard him tell someone that a lot of people have compared him to the Dr. on "House". I have never seen the show but if the guy is quirky, I agree.

Sweet, nurse Amelia. She was the boy's NICU nurse and Addie's. We love our NICU too. She was the one to show Jared how to bathe our little 2 lb babies.

Addie did well on the assessment as I think I mentioned in a previous post. She needs to start sitting up but other than that she was on track. Oddly enough she likes to stand up holding onto the couch but does not sit or scoot or crawl. Crazy kid.

Ahhhh, the joys of a finsihed basement. Let me re-create for you what just took place in my home. The boys immediately following breakfast wondered whether or not they could watch a video. I want to be off "t.v. begging duty" for the weekend therefore I said "Go downstairs and ask Daddy". They did. They haven't come back up. It is quiet. I am drinking coffee. It's been an hour. Ahhhhh.

I have made some blog changes and am now going to blog AGAIN. That is 3 times this weekend. Wow.

Now I will begin the post I just had to share my exciteme with you.

Baking

The boys and I love to bake. We usually do this in the morning because that is when I have the most patience for spills and 55 355 questions.

This is our set up.

Love seeing the concentration and the little hands working hard. They love to dump and pour and use the mixer.

This is what happens when you tell two 3 year old boys to stand still for a picture. They listen....just not at the same time. :)

You can quote me

Some of the entertaining things they've said in the past few weeks.....

"Daddy, I love you and sometimes I may get angry but I just have to get past it." Eli (Wisdom taken from one of their Larryboy videos).

"nagget!" Eli (I think this is swearing, little boy style. He says this when frustrated. A combo of dang it and darn it, if you will.)

"I'm on it". Eli (Ex. "Eli, go potty before nap". Response: "OK Mom, I'm on it".)

Are you seeing a trend here on who these quotes are mainly from. He talks all.the.time.non-stop. My brother in law was in town for the past couple weeks and stayed with us. He referred to it as a running commentary.

Recently, Jared and the boys came home from "Cubby Church". Jared threw me a bag while getting the boys out of the car. It was the "pre-school bag of shame". You know, the wet pants and undies due to an accident. I felt bad for Alex and worried about whether or not he was embarassed at having to wear the "extra pants" provided by our nursery. All this running through my head in 5 seconds. Meanwhile Alex bounds out of the car......"MOM, I got new red pants at Cubbies AND sponge Bob undawear!!!!!!" Ahhhh, crisis averted. Maybe it is a boy thing but he could not have cared less.

After their cashew reaction Eli says to me "Mom I don't eat nuts". You are right Eli, you don't so if anyone tries to give you some or asks that is what you tell them. "Mom?" Yes, Eli. "I don't eat poop either." Yep, Li-li you don't eat poop either. I walked away from this conversation a bit grossed out and strangely, relieved.

One more poop story. The boys came in from playing in the mud, which, has been there favorite past time, although, I wish my floors could say the same. He went to the bathroom and after several minutes I went to check on him. I asked whether or not he was alright and he replied "yeah, mud makes me poop".

To the squeemish, sorry about the poo stories. I have avoided them mainly on the blog but that is IMPOSSIBLE with 2, almost 4 year old boys in the house. Trust me.

Their favorite line in a book right now is "and to the tigers in the zoo Madeline just says pooh-pooh." Herer are a few more pics from the hands on museum...

the weekend

I am really happy it is Friday!!!

It's been a long week.

Both boys had SEVERE reactions to cashews.

Not peanut butter. Not walnuts. Not pecans. CASHEWS! Actually cashew (they each only had one).

Never again.

Our Monday included swelling, rashes from head to toe, vomiting and watching our kids throughout the entire night because according to the doctor anaphylactic shock can happen up to 24 hours after the initial reaction. Great.

When you have a Monday like that the week REALLY drags.

BUT.....

It's Friday and Jared is taking me out this weekend.

I get to go to the bookstore downtown that he and his brother have been going to, every time he comes into town, for years.

I think this may mean I am in "the club".

It sells old books and it has 5 floors.

I planned to take a lot of pictures there but alas I broke another camera.

What is wrong with me and cameras?

Forgive the ridiculous spacing in this post. I am ready to shoot blogger. :)