Josh Blog

Strangely Connected

2011-04-18T14:56:00.007-05:00

-saying good-bye to an unborn child

-a spouse walks out after nearly a decade of marriage

-a substantial amount of cash and some personal items are stolen

-new glasses are delayed because the lenses are back ordered from the manufacturer in devastated Japan

-homes face a huge fire

The past few weeks have connected us to multiple hard times and tragedies. With the exception of the new glasses and one of the homes being our former home, we haven't faced them personally, but have been blessed to walk along side - literally or in prayer - people that we care about who are currently traversing these valleys.

And here we are at Passion week. The build up of emotions from these experiences make Passion week, well, more passionate. Emotional. How can we bear it all? The only answer I know is prayer. If I were not unloading these burdens in prayer and trusting that God's divine hand is in control, then I would become a puddle of tears on the floor. We aren't made to stand alone beneath the weight of these things.

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,

yet we consider him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

- Isaiah 53:4-6

Having the weight of sorrow so fresh in my mind makes the image of Jesus carrying his cross to Golgotha heavier than ever before. And yet, I can't get the lyrics to "Trading my Sorrows" out of my head. I'm laying it down for the joy of the Lord. So looking forward to celebrating the miracle of Easter morning!

Summer

2010-07-21T14:17:00.004-05:00

With Josh returning to school next month, it seems that we're on the home stretch of summer - according to our calendar, not the weather. We've been blessed with a slower summer that will hopefully become an official slow summer before school hits. Being able to take a breath, re-evaluate, and enjoy the now has been a gift.

So, here are some highlights thus far:

We planted a garden - 64 sq ft of soil for the tilling. It has definitely helped me with my fantasy of living on a farm. We've harvested gigantic cucumbers, tomatoes, and strawberries. The watermelons are coming along and some squash pest killed off all of our zucchini, pumpkin, and butternut squash...except for the rouge butternut squash plant growing out of our compost bin, which happens to be the healthiest looking plant in our backyard.

Kip passed the 20# mark. He is now eating 13 foods (if you count water) and has tested negative for all of the things we hoped he'd test negative for during his check-ups. We're at a point where his doctors seem comfortable saying that he is just a genetically small guy with food issues that he should outgrow. It is a new and very welcome calm. Now we just keep trying new foods and enjoy our silly little boy.

We took the boys bunk beds apart into two twin beds. Kip's showed us that he could climb the ladder to the top bunk completely unassisted. Really Kip?

We've been cheering on G-daddy and G-mommy as they buy a house in the neighborhood. We're really excited for them to move in and be so close in the coming months.

We celebrated Brian's birthday. It was a quiet birthday weekend at home. Josh and I baked and decorated a big chocolate chip cookie for him. Josh chose the theme - dinosaurs stepping in piles of dinosaur dung. Wilton didn't have a sample cake for me to copy, so we just winged it with some chocolate icing, plastic dinosaurs, and my cake decorating supplies.

Josh has been in swim lessons for 5 weeks, thus far. Originally, he was signed up for 2 weeks of lessons at our community pool. Josh resisted and protested the entire first week of lessons, but as requested, he dutiful stayed in the water and participated to the point that he was comfortable. I was very impressed by his willingness to speak up and let the teacher know when he was uncomfortable doing something. When we returned for week two of lessons Josh decided that he really liked swim lessons and wanted to continue. Amazing! Josh is putting his head underwater, kicking on the kick board, and floating on his back. He's having a fantastic time and knocking our socks off everyday.

We've played with our neighbors and friends more days than not. Having multiple families that we love nearby is wonderful.

Fun stuff! I'm eager to see what the remaining few weeks hold! Hope you are enjoying the summer too!

Many Apologies to Mary

2010-05-08T09:43:00.004-05:00

Kip had his first taste of lamb last week and the omnivore was unleashed. Kip loves lamb! We are so excited that he has a new source of protein in his diet.

Patch On, Patch Off

2010-04-24T09:51:00.006-05:00

We're home! Thanks to everyone who prayed for and with us during our trip.

Though we didn't return home with many solutions or cures, we were very encouraged with the confirmation that we received through the doctors and testing. The specialist confirmed that Kip has Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES). His immune system thinks certain food proteins are foreign invaders and attacks them which results in damage to his GI system. The good news is that the damage can be prevented through diet modification and that he should outgrow most or all of the food sensitivities by the time he starts kindergarten.

Since this particular type of food sensitivity doesn't test "positive" with traditional blood or skin allergy testing, we went to Houston for delayed food allergy "patch testing." Kip was tested for reactions to milk, soy, chicken, beef, corn, wheat, egg, potato, sweet potato, and bananas. We would have tested more foods but we ran out of space on Kip's back. According to Dr. Mom he reacts to all of those except the potatoes. I was pretty sure sweet potatoes were fine and we had not yet tried white potatoes, but I thought they were a pretty safe bet since Kip tends to do well with vegetables.

The results were "amazing!" At least that is what the nurses said as they gathered around to "ohh" and "ahh" over his test results. The doctor took pictures and asked if Kip's results could be included in her presentation at an upcoming allergy conference. She had "never seen that before." As nice as it is to have people amazed by your child, it seems best for that to happen outside of the doctor's office.

We were not surprised that his results were impressive based on his reaction to the 48 hours of testing. Twelve hours after testing began he started getting the hiccups repeatedly and then 28 hours after testing began he woke screaming and stopped sleeping for any reasonable duration. If you like Thomas the Tank Engine marathons, you should join us next time.

Kip tested positive - or sensitive - to everything except sweet potato and white potatoes. After we discussed the results, we met with a nutritionist to talk about how we can ensure Kip gets the fats and proteins that he needs to grow properly. Since Kip is still breastfeeding (which according to the nutritionist provides most of his fat and protein), he and I will both continue to avoid the offending foods for another year, try a few new foods in the coming weeks, and return to Houston to retest next summer. We'll also have Kip's growth monitored quarterly and have the results sent down to Houston. He is currently underweight. We'll make an annual "vacation" to Houston until his food sensitives are resolved. Good thing we had some fun while there!

Between our appointments and vain attempts at catching up on sleep, we visited Hermann Park each morning and afternoon. It amazes me that we spent two days doing different activities in the same park. We walked around, played on the playgrounds, went to the zoo, and went on a train ride. Brian and Josh also played at the Houston Children's Museum. Another aspect to the whole adventure was staying in a small one bedroom hotel room - myself, G-daddy, the boys, and for the later half of the stay, Brian. We ate "in" at every meal and borrowed at least half a dozen videos from the hotel's lending library. On our way home yesterday, we agreed that we wanted to visit the museum, zoo, park, and train again next year - and maybe even ride the paddle boats. However, we'll probably look for slightly larger accommodations, especially considering Kip's potential reaction to the testing. Still, it was one of those experiences that we'll look back on, laugh about, and know that we're all closer because of our time together.

The visit provided an important mental shift for me as well. All along, I've been viewing the "Kip diet" as a temporary thing. Now, knowing that he could have these restrictions for several more years, I'm motivated to incorporate the "Kip diet" into our entire family's meals. We need to eat together again. I need to cook 3 meals a day instead of 9. So, I'm now working on compiling Kip friendly recipes so that we can at least share one dish at meals together. Ideally, we'll get to where we can share entire meals.

It's really good to be home.

Today's the Day!

2010-04-20T07:32:00.003-05:00

We are (finally) headed to Houston this morning and will be there for the remainder of the week. We're taking Kip to see a specialist at Texas Children's Hospital this afternoon and on Friday morning. So excited! Please pray for our safe travel, that our time in Houston is fruitful, and praise God for providing this opportunity for Kip and for us!

Yes Lord Yes Lord Yes Yes Lord

2010-02-18T20:14:00.006-06:00

Josh repeatedly asked me if I knew the "Yes Lord" song. No, I didn't. "But it is my favorite song about Jesus." It was obvious that he was singing the chorus of a song, so I googled the chorus and found the song on YouTube - Trading My Sorrows by Darrell Evans. Now instead of asking if I know the song, Josh asks if I can play the song again, and again, and again. I'm not complaining. I love seeing him dance and sing "Yes Lord." What an awesome song to have in his heart. The last 10 seconds of the video are the best, IMO.

Testing, Testing, 1 2 3

2010-02-16T17:11:00.005-06:00

Kip will be 14 months at the end of this week. The "Kip Diet" will be about 12.5 months old then too. Yes, the Kip diet continues.

Since Kip's food sensitivities did not magically improve at 12 months, he has begun seeing specialists to hopefully help identify what he can and cannot eat (and therefore what I can and cannot eat). He is quite the trooper.

So far, three doctors have confirmed that Kip either has FPIES or EE. Whichever one we land on doesn't change the plan of action much. Since his reactions are delayed, traditional allergy testing doesn't produce positive results. The next step is to go down to Houston for a 3rd round of allergy testing, which we will do in April. So far, his blood and skin tests have all been normal or negative of any allergy, which is exactly what we expected with his diagnosis. This 3rd round of testing, called patch testing, is specifically for delayed reactions and will hopefully provide some useful information. I did read a journal article saying that a small percentage of kids don't test positive even with this specialized testing. What a bummer that would be! The test results will hopefully suggest which foods to trial him on and which ones to continue excluding from our diets. Of course, I have a list of 20 something problematic foods and we'll only be able to test 6 or 7 of them during our (possibly first?) stay in Houston.

It has been wonderfully encouraging to talk with the specialists. They have confirmed that continuing the Kip diet is the best thing possible. In fact, according to the GI specialist, the Kip diet has prevented Kip from having to undergo endoscopy and take medications. It is priceless to be told that you are not crazy by someone with an MD after their name. Kip has also expanded his menu up to 5 items: rice, sweet potato, avocado, squash, and carrots. He sure isn't lacking for Vitamin A! Months ago, he seemed to react to rice and avocado, so we're hopeful that means he will continue to outgrow his sensitivity to the other culprit foods. All it takes is patience, prayer, and lots of turkey, rice, and avocado. Yum.

Sweet Valentines

2010-02-16T16:52:00.003-06:00

I recently read that 4.5 years of age marks the rise of potty talk. This has proven to be true at our house. Josh does all he can to work "bathroom words" into completely unrelated conversation. For instance, when a car passes, instead of asking if I saw the back of the car, he'll ask if I saw the car's bottom. Ha-ha, so funny - NOT!

Fortunately, he still gives his mom kisses with that potty mouth - and compliments too. Brian has joked that Josh has a bit of an Oedipus complex, but Josh has been ramping up the charm lately with constant compliments. Here's a conversation from last Thursday:

Josh and I were talking about what heaven looks like.

J: Will Heaven be prettier than Earth?

M: Yes, better than we expect or imagine.

J: But not prettier than you.

M: Ya think?

J: Yeah, I know. You are the prettiest thing in the universe.

As sweet as it is (and possibly blasphemy) these recurring conversations fast forward my thoughts to Josh as a young adult. Though Josh is risk adverse when it comes to physical activity, when he invests emotionally, he is all in. Oh, how easily some girl will crush his heart. I will be so mad.

The picture is of the boys on Valentine's Day. My grandma made their heart shirts. Josh picked out the fabric months ago. When we took it to the counter to be cut, the fabric store employee asked Josh what hearts mean. He said, "Love." She then asked him who he loved and he grabbed my hand, looked up at me, and sweetly said, "my mom."

This year, the boys surprised me with flowers (I was pretty sure the delivery driver had the wrong house), a heart necklace, and a necklace holder that Josh and Brian built (for free) at Lowe's on Saturday. My expectations (which were along the lines of some sweet potato fries from Terra Burger) were definitely exceeded. Thanks guys!

OK. The next post will not be all lovey dovey. I promise.

Bad Boy

2010-01-21T20:23:00.004-06:00

Sure, he is cute.

But, he is also dangerous.

Watch out ladies.

A good day

2010-01-19T19:32:00.003-06:00

Today was a good day.

Josh did great at school today - listened, was helpful, and ate his lunch. This is a wonderful turn around after having behavior issues three times last week. (I know, Josh?)

I took a shower AND ate lunch while Kip napped.

The weather was beautiful this afternoon so we walked to the park after Josh came home from school. Then, on our way home from the park we played with some neighbors and ended up riding bicycles around the block. We were outside for two glorious hours.

Josh bravely fell off of his bicycle twice. No tears, no whining, just picking up his bike and getting back on. The first time he did comment that it was the first time he ever fell off of his bike. I was so proud of his response to the falls. Even our neighbor said she was proud of him.

The boys are in bed and I don't feel like I must race to mine.

God is gracious to gift us with a day like today. Even the "bad days" are a gift, I know, but today was really nice.

Hope you had a great Tuesday.

Hello 2010

2010-01-07T16:16:00.003-06:00

We're alive.

2009 was a doozy! Since we last posted, we had an awesome Halloween in CA, Kip learned to walk, we discovered more foods that Kip CAN eat and others that he should definitely avoid, Josh learned to ride a bike, we've been bowling, played mini-golf, and enjoyed ice skating, Brian got a new job title, we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with family, and we moved to a wonderful home with the friendliest of neighbors. Basically, we've laughed, we've cried, and we're still sleep deprived.

So, welcome 2010.

Today the boys got haircuts. It was a day of firsts - Josh's first "big boy" haircut with clippers and Kip's first haircut ever. Here are the before and after shots.

BEFORE

AFTER

With a little luck, we'll post again before Spring. Take care!

Stop It, Stop It Right Now!

2009-10-22T07:32:00.002-05:00

Josh keeps coming to me, collapsing in my arms or lap, and says with a frown, "Mom, I'm so sad that Kipper is growing up. So sad I want to cry. I want him to stay a baby." I know how you feel buddy.

September

2009-10-10T19:46:00.008-05:00

Sure, it was last month, but these pictures are too cute to pass up.

The boys continue to play well together most of the time. Now that Kip is pulling up, Josh is having a hard time finding "safe" places to play with his cars and trains. He sometimes gets frustrated when Kip tries to play with them and yells, "incoming" so that I know to retrieve Kip. It has given us many opportunities to talk about things that can be fixed, what is really worth being upset about, and the value of people v.s. things. I love watching them interact. It seems like Kip saves his brightest smiles and biggest laughs for his brother. They are already wrestling around together. Boys.

Four More Years

2009-09-01T09:08:00.005-05:00

After four years of exceptional service, Josh's first term as our son will end in mere hours. I've been stuffing the ballot boxes in order to satisfy the overwhelming cry for four more years! Imagine what he'll be able to accomplish from ages 4 to 8. Here's to four more years and no term limits little buddy! Happy birthday! We love you.

Don't Drink & Drive

2009-08-22T19:40:00.003-05:00

I suppose it is never too early to start talking to my kids about the dangers of drinking and driving. Lay off the sauce and keep your eyes on the road, little buddy.

Moving and Stationary Monkeys

2009-08-20T21:06:00.006-05:00

Moving Monkeys

Stationary Monkeys

Whether moving or stationary, they are always silly monkeys.

and photographer

2009-08-07T14:24:00.008-05:00

Josh says that when he grows up he will have three jobs:
1. work with his dad at the capital.
2. work at the hospital.
3. work at his pediatrician's office.

Today he told me that he will also be a toy maker. His multiple careers will probably be necessary since he continues to suggest that he wants 20-30 kids and drive them around in a long school bus. Parents in the front, kids in the middle, and babies in the back of the bus.

He wants a big family and seems to understand that such will come with some big bills, too. We've been playing The Game of Life together over the past several weeks - a modified version - and "Josh's rules" include the winner being determined by who has the most kids and every payday you get a gift for your babies after paying for your house. It is precious to see his love for babies and kids.

While on our 2nd plane ride home this week, with a wiggly Kip grabbing at our fellow passenger's magazine, and my stomach growling because airport food isn't on the Kip diet, Josh asked me when God would put another baby in my belly. I tried not to laugh and instead suggested that we invite kids who don't have parents to take care of them into our family. He latched onto that idea fairly easily.

What does all this have to do with a photographer? Well, yesterday while at Kip's acupressure appointment Josh took these portraits. Maybe he'll add photographer to his list of career choices. Ya know, a 5th part time job.

OK Pictures

2009-08-02T14:23:00.009-05:00

Our time in OK is coming to a close as we return home tomorrow. Here are some glimpses into our time here. Kip met Memaw, Josh spent many hours in the beloved "G-daddy's chair," we walked to the farmer's market, fed the ducks and geese at park, played with Shadow, went to a church garage sale where Kip liked a rocking horse so much that he lifted it up when we attempted to take him off of it, walked to church, and had many other adventures. The whole time we missed Dad. See ya soon Dad!

Sweetness

2009-07-27T18:57:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture of the boys from this morning. We moved Kip out of his infant car seat (sigh) yesterday and now the boys have matching car seats that fit together side by side. They love it. They can hold hands and play with each other while we are in the car. Here's praying they remain so loving with each other.

At bedtime, Josh will give me kisses and instructions for each kiss. I'm not sure where he got this idea, but some kisses have to be kept all night, others need to be lost, others need to be kept forever, etc. Tonight on the way to bed Josh kissed by hand and said:

"You keep that kiss until we are with Jesus. That is a long time!"

Oh, my sweet sweet boy.

The lil' boys and I are off to OKC this week. We're excited to visit with G-daddy, G-mommy, Aunt Liz, Memaw and Shadow. The boys will be spoiled with attention and I have high hopes of being spoiled with a little extra sleep.

Birthday Boys

2009-07-19T07:48:00.003-05:00

We have two birthday boys in the house today (and three more on Brian's side of the family - 2 of Brian's brothers and a cousin). One of our birthday boys is 7 months today, while the other is 408 months. We have a treasure hunt planned for the older one. We made a treasure map and cut it into 5 pieces. He'll have to find 5 clues, put the pieces together to complete the map, and then find his birthday loot. Fun.

Saturday Morning

2009-07-18T14:11:00.009-05:00

I ran my fingers over Kip's gums this morning and was surprised to find the tip of his bottom middle left tooth. Kipper has his first tooth - and true to 2nd child form, I have no idea when it actually busted through. When I noticed it I announced the exciting news to everyone else.

Me: Kip has a tooth! When did Kip get a tooth?

Josh: Oh, he got it from Jupiter. Everyone gets their teeth from Jupiter.

After one of Kip's naps this morning I came out into the living room to discover Josh's self portrait. This was a totally unsolicited creation. Josh explained that the green and orange rings are the eye brows, the balls are his eyes and nose, and that the teething ring serves a dual role of his mouth and belly button. I explained to Josh how intuitive that was since both serve as food depots at different times in life. The rest are his arms and body. I don't know why it loaded sideways; just turn your head please.

Moments of Clarity

2009-06-28T20:17:00.003-05:00

It is difficult to take pictures of Josh recently. He is a man of action so most shots are a blur. I was able to capture these two pictures this weekend while my parents were visiting.

Sir Smiley

2009-06-28T20:13:00.002-05:00

Kip is a super smiley baby. Strangers stop us to comment on our happy one. Amazing considering the months of blood curling screaming he endured. He checked out at his 6 month exam and weighed 16 pounds. For the trivia buffs, he is the same length, 2 ounces lighter, and has a slightly smaller head (1 cm less) as Josh at the same age. It amazes me to see how similar they are physically.

Kip is rolling now. Not just back and forth, but continuous rolling so that he can travel across a room. Today Josh found him under a chair. Kip already seems to be the adventurous type, so we might need to step up our baby proofing soon.

Write Your Own Caption

2009-06-25T10:16:00.005-05:00

What is that slice of beefcake talking about? Is he describing what it feels like to hold a beating heart in his hands? Is he lecturing on how to select ripe produce at the grocery store? I guess we could read the article, but making our own caption would be more fun. Give it a try!

the boys

2009-06-19T19:50:00.002-05:00

here's a pic of the boys doing boy stuff today (on Kip's 6 month birthday)

You're how old?

2009-06-19T19:42:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, a Walmart employee stopped me at the store and asked about Josh and Kip. She was a petite woman and also has two kids of similar age. At the end of our conversation she said, "Can I ask you a question?" Um, sure. She asked if anyone ever asks me if I am old enough to have two kids. Yes, yes, and yes! I told her about the window repairman who came by this week who asked me if I ran a home daycare and about being carded when I buy beer with both kids in tow. She seemed relieved that she isn't the only one with this "issue." I assured her that we'll be happy to look younger than we are when we have grandkids. It was an unexpected but enjoyable moment in the day.

Speaking of looking your age, this kid is looking older lately. It seemingly happened overnight. I'm not sure if I should ask him to mow the lawn or think of reasons why he can't borrow the car tonight. It is crazy!

the monkey goes bananas

2009-06-19T19:35:00.006-05:00

Kip has been grabbing food out of my hands recently, so I've been letting him have a taste of some softer foods. Even if he does not actually eat it, the experience of touching and playing with the food is valuable. (Right, Marti?) Josh isn't a fan of Kip's exploration. He can't be within sight of Kip when he is this messy. Hopefully Josh will accept the temporary mess soon so he can stop eating backwards at the table.

The kid is crazy for bananas. You should think twice about eating a banana within his arms' reach. Seriously.

Before & After

2009-06-08T18:47:00.004-05:00

Josh has been growing his hair out because he likes it "long and crazy." CRAZY is more accurate! The bed head that we comb through each morning is crazy, too!

Last night Josh wanted his hair to be spiky for Bible study. It took a lot of product to get his long hair to stay up. I joked that he needed some Aqua Net.

Seizing the potential opportunity to have Josh willingly cut his hair, I helped him look online at boy hairstyles so that he could show me what he wanted his hair to look like. The verdict: spiky. I explained that spiky meant that it needed to be shorter so he needed to prioritize long v.s. spiky. Spiky won. Check out the new do.

He loves it - especially putting the hairspray in all by himself. This afternoon he's been running to the mirror to make sure his hair is still spiky. He'll randomly ask me, "Mom, is it still spiky?" Pretty funny.

Kip Update

2009-06-02T12:23:00.006-05:00

Kip has had a really good week. Instead of treating Kip for specific food intolerances, the DOM is treating Kip for the essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals that we all need to have a healthy immune system and basic body functions. The theory being that you can't really diagnose a specific food allergy until your body is operating as it should. Last Tuesday, he was treated for "Vitamin C."

I didn't really realize this until this Tuesday, but Kip became interested in food last week - and not just any foods, but fruits, which are high in Vitamin C. I know he is developmentally at a stage where foods can become interesting, but it is curious that he was totally turned off by me offering him food just to hold and now he is grabbing fruit out of my hands. Last Thursday, he grabbed by arm while I was eating a banana, brought the banana (in my hand) to his face, and sucked on the banana. On Sunday, I offered him a piece of dried pear at church and he has been sucking on dried pears everyday since. It is curious at the very least.

Kip seems to be doing better all around - he's sleeping in longer stretches at night, he's not refusing to nurse or fussing while he's nursing very often, he's in a smaller diaper size as his diapers don't seem to contain dynamite anymore, and he just seems happier. I even ate an egg this week and he didn't have more dirty diapers than a normal day. The proof is in the pudding, if ya know what I mean.

I tried some chicken today. It's too early to tell if he's reacting, but I'm really hopeful that he will not. Maybe it is maturity, maybe it is his treatments, maybe it is something else, but I feel lighter already with the progress he is making. Please pray that it continues.

and exhale...

2009-06-01T09:46:00.012-05:00

Sine Die. The end of the 2009 Texas Legislative Session. It is finally here! Well, it will be at midnight tonight. More importantly, it's here and we are all still alive, recognize one another, and willingly give each other hugs and affection. Amazing. God is gracious.

Yesterday, Brian was called into to work (not a shock since he's been working 6-7 days a week for awhile now) to discuss a bill with a senator, so he brought along the whole family. Josh was so excited to go inside the Capital. He has expressed interest in the Capital for quite awhile, especially the pointy part on top, but seemed even more fascinated by it once inside. "It is soooooooo big!" I guess being drawn to the Capital is in his DNA. In the picture, they are looking up in the center of the building.

We visited some old and new faces and surprised one of my girlfriends who is the chief of staff for one of the representatives. Part of her rep's office is an old vault. Pretty cool. The most common question for Josh was, "Do you miss your dad?" It seemed that all the parents there were eager to talk about the kids they had waiting for them at home. Very sweet.

So, we made it! This is the first session where the Governor's bill signing deadline (June 21st) impacts our lives a bit, but the hard part is behind us. I'm not sure I'll be able to stop smiling for at least a week! Brian is back! Dad is home! Well, he will be back after a few naps.

Jumping for Joy

2009-05-26T18:31:00.008-05:00

What is Kip so egg-cited about?

He's egg-cited about the progress he's making! I've alluded to my "Kip diet" in previous posts. The poor little guy has "protein intolerance" which in lay man's terms means his digestive system isn't mature enough to digest some (all?) proteins. As a result, when he receives proteins from my milk his stomach cramps, little ulcers form, and he has too many dirty diapers. Through a lot of trial and error and even more prayer we were able to come up with a list of foods that Kip seemed to tolerate pretty well. Over time, as I ate the limited diet, his diapers were fewer, his discomfort subsided, and a big sigh of relief could be heard at our house. His digestive system still wasn't acting "normal" but it was close. Well, that is until three weeks ago.

Out of the blue, with no change in my "Kip diet," Kip started having his original symptoms to a greater degree than ever before. Nearly every diaper contained visible blood. His pediatrician did a CBC and checked him for infections and parasites - all clear and normal. Great news except that it didn't explain why he was suddenly worse. We were instructed to wait for him to outgrow this problem or switch him to prescription formula that he may not tolerate any better. Totally awesome news - on opposite day. Thankfully Kip has stopped having visible blood in his diapers and he seems to be getting over whatever happened, though he is not yet as close to "normal" as he was before.

Knowing what I know (and have experienced) about the gut, the immune system, autoimmune diseases, and Kip's own genetic predispositions, I'm not content to sit around and wait. During his "flare," I talked to the owner at Food for Life who suggested that I call the Wellness Center at People's Rx. I did. People's suggested that I call a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and gave me a couple of names. I'm not overly knowledgeable about alternative medicine, but my ignorance doesn't mean it isn't effective. I did see a DOM during my pregnancy with Kip and benefited from it. After praying about it, I called a DOM and spoke to him about Kip. He recently helped three babies overcome major reflux issues and was eager to try to help Kip with his eating issues.

During our first visit with him, he examined Kip, and concluded that Kip wasn't intolerant of a laundry list of foods, but instead his immune system needed to be strengthen in order for him to digest properly. It made sense to me - the major part of our immune system is in our gut; my immune system is whack-a-doodle and Kip is my son; Kip doesn't seem to properly digest breastmilk no matter what I eat. Don't get me wrong, I was still very skeptical, but his diagnosis intrigued me.

Our DOM has treated Kip 5 times now. It is non-invasive, painless, and involves accupressure. To borrow Marti's phrase, "it can't hurt and might help." Last week, the DOM suggested that Kip should be able to digest eggs now. Seriously, eggs? They are one of the most allergenic foods. Anytime I've "tested" one of the foods on the commonly allergenic list he's had a terrible reaction that has taken days to recover from. The DOM requested that I test eggs so I hesitantly decided to test them this weekend when Brian had some chance of being home. (Side note, 6 days until Session ends!) On Saturday morning I ate 4 bites of an egg. Not much, but enough to send Kip over the edge in previous trials. By Sunday afternoon we were still waiting for him to react. Nothing happened. Sunday evening I ate an entire egg. I was anxious, hopeful, and preparing for Kip to scream all day Monday. Again, nothing.

I ate an egg without Kip crying! It is so egg-citing. It is egg-actly what we've been praying for! (Excuse the puns, please.)

To be fair, maybe egg was never an issue for Kip. It was one of the foods that the pedi suggested I remove from my diet early on so I never tested it previously. Or maybe Kip is starting to outgrow his issue, though his day-to-day diapers don't suggest that to be the case. Whatever the explanation, we are so thankful that we had a successful trial and I have one more food on the "green light" list.

We're continuing on with our DOM's treatments for now. I'll post if something significant - good or bad - happens. Regardless of whenever and however God chooses to heal or not heal Kip, we're really thankful for the outcome of our egg-periment. (Sorry, I had to do it.)

Noteworthy

2009-05-25T18:50:00.003-05:00

Today I took a shower...while home alone with both boys...who were both awake...without having to run out mid-shower, with no crying, and I even shaved my legs!

Granted, the boys were in the bathroom almost the entire time, but the joy from being clean and listening to them laugh together overshadowed that entirely.

After my shower Josh combed and cut (with his pretend finger scissors) my hair before I dried it. He also approved of my outfit. Quite the little helper.

I thank God for the small gifts He sends...the shower. (The boys are big gifts.)

A couple Kip snippets

2009-05-20T08:32:00.005-05:00

On Monday night we discovered that one of the contestants on the new season of the Bachelorette is named Kiptyn (a.k.a Kip). Will Kiptyn is a total goon on the show? Will he be a good "Kip" representative? According to a comment posted online, he "is the most handsome and nicest person ever!" It reminded me of my friends who work with kids and how they have associations with certain names. Anyway, my favorite toungue in cheek quote about him is: "...because we all know "Kip" would be a better name if it ended with three random consonants" Rock on. I'm so glad we stopped at K-I-P.

Our Kip continues to show his personality. As I've mentioned before, Kip is a talkative baby. He coos, purrs, and "talks" throughout the day. It is quite pleasant and fun to have him interacting so much. However, recently, he discovered his volume control. Here's a clip of Kip from yesterday when he turned 5 months old. (Seriously, 5 months? How?) I'm predicting some fun times ahead!

Muffins with Mom

2009-05-07T20:56:00.004-05:00

Josh's preschool had a Mother's Day program this morning. It was so cute, but a small part of me was preoccupied with figuring out just how we've arrived at the "attending school programs" milestone already.

Josh and his classmates sang songs...

...well, sort of. Josh sings these songs at home but barely cracked his lips open during the actual performance. He did hold up his "September" banner at the right times during the "months of the year" song.

performed a dance with partners...

...Josh was the reluctant partner with one of the twin girls in his class. There was spinning, hand holding, walking, clapping, and knee tapping involved.

...and then the teachers read a description of each mother as described by their child and we guessed which mom they were describing. After your description was read your child gave you a vase that they decorated for you with a picture flower. My goodness, his teachers are so creative and patient. Here's Josh's description of me:

My mom's name is "I don't know." She is 12 years old and has brown eyes and black hair. Her favorite food is apples. I love my mom because she makes macaroni and cheese for me."

So, if you locate Josh's mom, please send her to our house.

The sheet with Josh's description included a drawing of me and he wrote his own name (with the what seems to be signature backward "S".) Not bad for my sweet 3 year old!

The "I love my mom because" part was a bit sad for me actually. We took dairy out of Josh's diet a couple of months ago so mac and cheese is no longer on the menu. Will he still love me? Instead of juggling that difficult question, while Josh was in school today, I went by the new gluten-free/casein-free restaurant in Cedar Park and picked up some non-dairy mac and cheese as a surprise for him. I think I need to find a recipe somewhere.

When their performance was over the moms and kids ate muffins and took pictures together. As I said, it was a sweet time.

Next week Josh has a class picture. What? Mind boggling, isn't it? I'm becoming more and more convinced that Kip shouldn't grow up.

Thanks G-Mommy!

2009-04-27T21:50:00.008-05:00

My mom - a.k.a. G-Mommy - returned home yesterday after staying with us for nine days. She was a big help and a lot of fun.

Thank you, G-Mommy, for getting up with Josh every morning, bringing me roses, driving here and back home, discovering that Kip LOVES roses' fragrance, cleaning the baseboards and everything above them, washing nearly every dish during your entire visit, giving me a break to get my haircut, reminding Josh not to eat his toothpaste, helping get the boys out of the house while the new roof was put on, trying new foods, sitting in the car with the boys while I ran quick errands, your countless HEB runs, reinforcing our rules with Josh, cutting vegetables (including onions) for me to freeze, taking pictures of the boys, cutting-cooking-freezing 10 lbs. of chicken with me the night before we discovered Kip's doesn't tolerate me eating chicken often, entertaining the boys for hours, telling Transformer stories on demand, introducing Kip to the outside swing, and a long list of other things. We are thankful for you!

Love,
B, M, J, & K

Thursday, April 16th

2009-04-16T21:42:00.005-05:00

Nothing fancy, just some pictures from today.

Happy Easter

2009-04-11T21:08:00.003-05:00

Happy Easter from our little egg heads Josh and Kip!

(My grandma made the eggs, including stands and knitted caps, for us.)

Thankful

2009-04-07T12:30:00.006-05:00

As many of you know, the 81^st Session of the Texas Legislature is underway. I know this isn’t big news for a lot of people, but just hearing “legislative session’ makes me cringe. I guess that is a bit ironic when you consider that being the team leaders for two different legislative teams at the PUC was what caused Brian and I to finally speak to each other back in 2001. None the less, “session” = suckfest. The automatic worst 6 months of every 2 years. Hate it, hate it, hate it. By the end of May, Brian and I are always at a terribly low point – physically, spiritually, and relationally. And don’t get me started on the impact it has on the kiddos – newborn and all. Whew!

This go round, I challenged myself to change my perspective. Why should I automatically prejudge and focus on all of the “downsides” of session? How is my being bitter and resentful consistent with being Brian’s helpmate? Shouldn’t I be rooting for him during this endurance test? I resolved that this session would be different. I don’t want May to roll around along with my eyes every time I see Brian. It’s not healthy and I’m sure it doesn’t please God one bit.

All though my pregnancy with Kip, Psalm 37 was extra meaningful to me – do not fret. Fretting only leads to evil. I don’t want to fret. I don’t need to fret. I’ve carried that over into this season of “session” as well.

In an effort to help keep my focus positive, I’ve been keeping a list of things that I am thankful for, that encourage me, or remind me that God is helping us. It’s amazing what a change of perspective can do for the soul. I’m not 100% in my resolution, but I am moving in the right direction. Here’s what I have on my “thankful” list so far (in no particular order):

One cold and rainy day it was necessary that the boys and I go to the grocery store. When we arrived in the parking lot, the closest parking space to the door was waiting for us. We got the same space the next time we went to HEB as well.

The help of a stranger brightens the day. Once, an elderly man waited for me to put the kids in the car and load up my groceries, and then he took my cart for me. I naturally assumed he was going into the store. Nope. He put the cart away, walked to his car, and drove off. When we took our car in for a hail damage estimate, two men went inside the hail damage estimate location to ask a question to ensure that I was in the right place before I parked and took the kids out of the car.

When our water heater had a gas leak, we were able to get it repaired quickly. When the plumber arrived to install the new water heater, he discovered several things that needed to be changed to bring our 25 year old house up to code. He completed that work and refused to charge me anything above his original quote that only included the new water heater installation. He wanted to keep his word. What an awesome example for our boys to see.

Josh can make Kip laugh and smile like no one else can.

My wardrobe contains hand me downs from no less than four friends.

Brian’s late nights at the Legislature were few and far between during the first 2 months of session.

The boys and I have not been sick with a cold or virus since Kip’s birth despite it being the season for those sorts of things.

Kip sleeps. He gets up to eat, of course, but he always goes right back to sleep. No middle of the night parties for Kipper. Even on his worse "no napping and screaming in pain all day" days, he sleeps come bedtime.

Josh incorporates all aspects of life into his imaginary words. For example, he told me that the Decepticons (Transformers) live in Oklahoma because “Jesus put them there.” How cool that he applies the truth of God as Creator to play. BTW, he says that Jesus is easier to say than God and since God is Jesus and Jesus is God, then he will just call God Jesus. Oh, how do you explain the trinity to toddlers?

Although I loathe playing Transformers, Josh is relentless in including me. He hasn’t given up on me.

Josh says he wishes there were two of me. (I’m taking that as a positive.)

Josh says he needs to keep growing so that he’ll get big enough to hold me. (Should I prepare a mom-sling?)

We have numerous friends who care about us, pray for us, offer an ear to listen, and eagerly help when we humbly admit that we need it.

My dad mows the lawn and cleans up our yard when he visits.

My mom is coming to stay a week with us later this month. Help is on the way!

We seem to have figured out which foods aggravate Kip’s gut. Though it is a laundry list, there are foods that I can eat and he doesn’t scream in pain. I am thankful that we have identified his issue so early, that it can be managed so that his gut can heal, and that I feel really healthy eating the “Kip diet.” As I did with each round of the diabetic diet, I’ve learned more about nutrition, discovered new yummy recipes, and begun cooking from scratch – something I’ve wanted to do but haven’t made time to do. Now it is a necessity. Our whole family is healthier thanks to the path Kip has led us on.

The boys have an awesome pediatrician.

When the HVAC man left our backyard gate open and Shadow ran out, he found Shadow and put her back in…while it was raining.

Josh’s preschool occasionally sends home snapshots of his day.

Josh helps me cook.

Josh sings to Kip, especially when Kip is upset, and Kip loves it!

Kip is generally a smiley baby who doesn’t mind being passed around from one set of loving arms to another.

The hail storm – what a sight to see, none of us were hurt, our insurance claims have been easy to deal with thus far, we’re getting a new roof, the kiddos have been great during the car/house estimate, repair, and contractor appointments thus far. There’s a whole list of praises wrapped up in there.

One day when I was feeling especially in need of some quality one on one time with Josh, Kip and I went to the “farm day” at Josh’s preschool. Kip slept in the stroller under a tree while I was able to get in the caged area with Josh and play around with him alone the entire time.

When I was driving home from an HEB 20 minutes away from our house quite stressed, God heard and answered my prayer. Let me paint the scene for you. Kip was having a food reaction, he had not nursed in 4 hours, and he had a very dirty diaper. Josh pee’d his pants in HEB. Brian’s arrival time that evening wasn’t looking good. The trunk was full of groceries. I wasn’t really sure how to do everything that needed to get done once we arrived home or even what order to do them in. Once home, Kip was asleep in the car and remained asleep long enough for me to get Josh in the bath and the groceries put away. When he woke up I was able to focus on caring for him while Josh played in the tub. Brian made it home just as we were reading Josh’s bedtime story. All was well.

Josh loves his preschool and is busting through his own personal social barriers there. Kip and I can rest and play together while Josh is at school.

Due to the “Kip diet,” we can’t eat out. Nearly every time we’ve tried he’s had a terrible reaction. I confess I have spent a fair amount of time stressed about eating – what to eat, when will I be able to cook it? Even more, how am I supposed to cook from scratch, take care of two kids, keep the kitchen somewhat clean so that cooking is possible, get to the grocery story to get fresh food, and oh, maybe shower every few days? It’s quite the pity party at times. I am thankful that I can recognize and choose to stop the spiraling thoughts. I’m thankful that I make the right choice on an increasingly regular basis. I’m thankful that Brian often cleans while I take a shower or run to the store in the evening.

I’m thankful that 3 and a half only lasts six months until 4 hits. I’m sure Kip’s birth and the change in Brian's work schedule have contributed to Josh’s behavior, but this 3.5 years phase has been a challenge. I could be so insecure if I listened to all of his “advice” on how I “should” do things. Geez!

Sometimes Brian surprises me with breakfast before he goes to work in the morning.

I have been remarkably healthy.

I shouldn't be surprised at the abundant list of blessings, but I am. I'll keep the list going as we press on till the end of May. Sine die, baby!

Brothers

2009-03-30T15:20:00.003-05:00

It is certainly not all sweet moments like this one, but it is nice to capture shots like this to look at on the less deliciously candy-coated days.

More than meets the eye

2009-03-25T19:29:00.002-05:00

Josh is very imaginative. We spend our days in alternative worlds that he has created. He assigns a role to everyone at our home whether they are eager to participate or not. In fact, I'm a bit concerned about Kip learning his name since he is called Kip just about as much as he is called Jake, Petri, or Ratchet.

This week, we're having a new HVAC system put in. We've has 2 different crews come through installing this and adjusting that. Today, Josh decided that we (Kip, Josh, and I) were Autobots and the 2 men working were Decepticons - Starscream and Lugnut, specifically. For those of you behind in your Transformers knowledge, the Autobots and Decepticons are sworn enemies both trying to find the All Spark, which happens to be hidden in our kitchen.

Since Josh remains fully in character, I feel the need to explain to strangers coming into our home why my son is growling at them and shooting his laser or stinger or whatever his chosen character's special talent is. (I'm already in too deep in this boy stuff!) Today, I casually mentioned what was going on to the workers. One guy understood and laughed (that would be Lugnut), but Starscream wasn't very interested. You should know, Starscream is an African American man of good size.

So, early this afternoon Starscream needed to do something in our kitchen, at which point Bumblebee (that's Josh) yelled, "Oh no, he's gunna steal something in the kitchen." Yelled loudly and clearly. Awesome.

Now, if Starscream had been attentive to our storyline, I wouldn't have been too concerned, but since he wasn't in the know, I immediately feared that he thought my dear 3 year old is a racial profiler. I felt a bit awkward.

Fortunately, I did get the chance to explain the role he was unknowingly playing in our day and thanked him for his hard work. He'll be back tomorrow. Hopefully the Transformers war will rage on without us as we pretend to be dinosaurs or dogs or something.

3 months ago...

2009-03-19T15:45:00.004-05:00

Three months ago today, our sweet Kip was born. I never got around to posting his birth story, so here it is. The following talks about my cervix quite a bit, so the "TMI" crowd may want to skip down to the next post.

We arrived at North Austin Medical Center at 6:30am, on Friday, December 19, 2008. It was a cold, foggy and wet morning. We checked in at the front desk and were escorted to admissions. The admissions staff then took us up to the labor and delivery wing. Our induction appointment was at 6:45am, so we had to wait while the nurses changed shifts. I changed into a gown and rested in bed while Brian rested on the couch. We waited and waited and waited.

Our nurse introduced herself, we completed a 3,000 question survey (and commented on the inefficiency of said survey, especially since nearly all of the information had previously been submitted to the OB’s office and during our previous visit to the same hospital a month prior), and an IV was started. It was already 8:30am.

Around 8:40am, our midwife from the OB’s office came by to check on us. She empathized about the hospital’s slow pace and encouraged the nurse to get things moving. The midwife examined my cervix and broke my water. A loose 2cm, 50% effaced, and Kip was at -1 station.

One of the highlights of the induction was the opportunity to get labor started naturally before Pitocin was administered. The midwife planned to return around 11am. Until then, we were encouraged to do whatever we could to get labor started on its own. Brian and I put on our shoes and began walking laps around the labor and delivery wing. We walked and talked and laughed and received comments from the nurses whenever we passed them. Some asked why we were walking; others commented on our fast pace; and still others thought I should be in bed. Every 30 minutes we had to monitor Kip’s heart rate and my contractions for 5 minutes. There were some contractions – most 6 minutes apart – but they were not progressing in strength or consistency. We walked for a couple of hours at which point we decided to stop. I needed to conserve energy to make it through labor, especially since I had been on the diabetic diet for so many weeks and was starting off hungry. We returned to resting in our room. Although labor didn’t begin naturally, I am very thankful that we tried. Walking about with Brian was one of the highlights of the day.

Our midwife was delayed and returned around 12:45pm. We decided to begin Pitocin to help labor progress. She encouraged me to eat some lunch and nap before active labor began. I called room service and ordered chicken noodle soup, cucumber slices, and sugar free Jello. This was identical to my diabetic lunch at least once a week during the pregnancy. The nurse started Pitocin at 1:15pm. After lunch, I got out of bed and swayed and paced as far as the IV and monitor cords allowed so that gravity could help Kip move down.

The contractions began, progressed in intensity, and labor was moving along. I was able to relax through the contractions and enjoyed resting and chatting with Brian and our midwife between contractions. I paced my breathing with the sound of the IV pump. At 3:31pm, our midwife checked my cervix - 4 cm, 90% effaced, and Kip remained at -1 station. She also checked Kip’s position and suggested that I change positions to my hands and knees, leaning on a birthing ball, because Kip was posterior. The midwife, applied pressure to my lower back during contractions. Later, Brian took over. (Thankfully, Kip rolled over prior to his birth.) The contractions kept growing.

Later in the early evening, I switched to a seated position with heat on my back, and our midwife checked my cervix again - 7cm, but able to stretch to 9cm. We were really close. The contractions required a lot of concentration at this point, however, they were only “unbearable” for about 5 seconds during each one, so I counted to 5 in my head whenever we reached that section of a contraction and internally celebrated as each one passed.

At this point I knew that Kip would not be born in time for Josh to come up to the hospital that evening. I was a little sad as it was the first day of Josh’s life that I did not see and talk to him. Brian called my parents and let them know that Josh could go to bed and should plan to meet his brother first thing in the morning. Labor continued.

Up until the last thirty minutes, I was really relaxed throughout labor and carried on a conversation or joked around between contractions. However, once transition hit, I was focused on getting Kip out so that labor could end! When it was obvious that my mood changed, our midwife checked my cervix again – 9 cm with a lip on the top – and felt to see what my cervix and Kip did during the contraction. She could hold the lip of my cervix back and Kip would move down to 0 station during the contraction. I asked her if we could begin pushing and she agreed that everyone could get the room ready and then we could push. I didn’t feel the overwhelming need to push that I experienced during Josh’s birth, but I mentally needed to change my task.

Our midwife manually held the lip of my cervix out of the way for a couple of contractions and then the remaining lip disappeared. Finally, the end was near. As I did with Josh, I couldn’t look. I kept my eyes closed and focused on pushing. Our midwife did an amazing job of directing my pushing – small push, stop, bigger push, stop, another small push….. Fifteen minutes of pushing and baby Kip was born. When Kip was placed on my belly I immediately said, “I’m so glad that is over!”

Kip was born at 7:15pm. Ten hours after my water was broken; six hours after the Pitocin was started. (Josh was born 6 hours and 44 minutes after Pitocin was started.) Kip weighed exactly 7 pounds and measured 19.5 inches long.

With both births, I have been amazed at how quickly the overwhelming, “I think I might die, yes, one more second of this and I will die for sure” pain immediately subsides when the baby is born and is replaced with an overwhelming peace. The contrast is Indescribable. I’ve experienced the same thing when we’ve miscarried. Once the miscarriage is complete, the pain is gone, and it is almost as if a veil is lifted and I can see colors with new brilliance. (Of course, a birth is more satisfying and joyful than a miscarriage.) In my opinion, that peace, a renewed closeness with Brian as a result of our intense team work, and the baby are all prizes for running the race. I consider both birth experiences a gift. I think about them often. I’m amazed at how God designed my body. I’m amazed at how God has used the births to teach me that through Him I am stronger than I perceive myself to be, that the pain and difficulty of circumstances on earth are temporary, and that hard work often returns great joy. Praise God for using these experiences to add to our joy and wisdom and hopefully further mold us into His Son’s image.

The boys

2009-03-19T15:11:00.016-05:00

Here's a few pictures of the boys from the last couple of months. You may have to turn your head on a few. I haven't flipped them.

Preschool Birthday Party

2009-03-19T15:04:00.003-05:00

Although on "spring break," Josh played with some of his preschool friends today at a birthday party. It was a great chance for me to meet some of the other parents and to watch Josh play with his friends. A few of the families attend our church, but are in a different Sunday school class. Who knew? Seriously, isn't the picture of him holding hands with his friends shocking? Very cool! True to form, Kip slept through the party.

what's going on?

2009-02-24T22:08:00.006-06:00

I need sleep far more than I need blog posts, but I thought I'd quickly share some of the goings on around here.

Josh LOVES preschool. He goes two days a week but asked if he could go everyday. Yes, I am that boring. There are 11 other kids in Josh's class. Each child has a numbered cubby. Not surprisingly, Josh has memorized each kid's cubby number. This morning when I dropped him off, a little girl walked past us and Josh said, "Mom, there's #9." No Josh, her name is Cora. We're all excited that he enjoys his class and is socializing with the kids more each week. The downside to preschool: Josh misses his brother.

Today I asked Josh to explain to Kip how he will get teeth. Josh told Kip that someone will take their teeth out and bring them to Texas and put them in Kip's mouth. Clearly, my dad's mom's dentures made a lasting impression on Josh.

Yesterday Josh asked me why Jesus had to die and if he was one of the mean people who made Jesus die. Wow. It was a cool discussion that I hope will be continued. I'd love to know how he processes it all.

Kip isn't sleeping in his reflux contraption anymore. He likely doesn't have reflux at all (yay!), but instead had refluxish symptoms caused by protein intolerance. It seems Mr. Kip can't digest certain proteins right now - he should outgrow it. I've removed dairy, eggs, and soy from my diet, which has helped and will need to remain out for at least 4 more months, but there is more in my diet that is causing him trouble. The pediatrician (per the GI doctor) advised me not to investigate the "other" too much as it often results in malnourished and depressed moms. I can soooo see that in just our few short weeks of food journaling. I think all our babies should have the middle name "trouble." Or maybe "mystery."

Kip recovered from his vaccinations. After a 6 hour nap on Sunday afternoon he was all smiles again. So, I'm smiling again, too.

Brian is surviving the session. He's sitting in hearings, analyzing bills, wearing a suit everyday...ya know, making sausage. We all look forward to June.

Oh, the baby calls.

sweetness

2009-02-21T18:37:00.002-06:00

Since getting his 2 month vaccines, Kip has been fussy. Not the mild fussiness that the papers that the nurse hands you warn about, but nearly non-stop crying if he is awake fussiness. He does quiet down for short intervals when he naps or we temporarily find the right balance of patting, pacing, and swaying. I'm sure it will pass.

This afternoon, as I held a crying Kipper, Josh came over and said, "Kip, you can always ask God to help. Just say, "God, please help me stop crying" and He will help you." Then Josh put his hand on Kip's head and said the above request for him. (Josh has a certain way of making Kip "talk.")

What a sweet lesson for him to teach his brother. How awesome to see that Josh has the confidence that he can always ask God for help. It was a nice moment in the midst of a trying couple of days.

Misnomer

2009-02-20T17:36:00.006-06:00

For the past several weeks, we have referred to Kip as "Kippopotamus." He surprised us with his weight gain every time we took him to the doctor's office. Well, when you look at the record books, it seems he isn't so big after all.

Kip at 2 months:

11lb, 13 oz (4lb, 13 oz gain from birth)

22.25 inches

Head is 75^th %

Josh at 2 months:

12lb, 14 oz (6lb gain from birth)

23.5 inches

Head is 75^th %

Kip is indeed the "little" brother. I suppose an apology is in order. Sorry Kip. We'll stick to Kippernicus and Kipper from now on.

His Real Name

2009-01-25T16:37:00.003-06:00

This morning at church, Josh introduced his brother to someone and called him "Kipper." A funny conversation ensued between Brian and someone who shall remain anonymous.

B - His name is Kip but Josh calls him Kipper.
? - So what's his real name?
B - It's Kip.
? - Just Kip?
B - Yep, just Kip.

The whole exchange made us smile.

It's not mundane anymore

2009-01-23T10:36:00.003-06:00

I went to HEB yesterday. I know, big news, but I went alone with both boys! I've delayed leaving the house alone with both boys because anytime we left while Brian was home with us I ended up needing to feed Kip while we were out. I just haven't figured out how to nurse Kip and wrangle Josh in public without getting some indecency citation yet.

My confidence was built a little last week when Josh convinced me that we should meet some friends at a park for a picnic lunch. So, I fed Kip, got us all dressed, packed a picnic lunch, loaded us up in the car, and blammo - the car battery was dead. I unloaded everything and considered it a good dress rehearsal. It is possible to at least get us all in the car.

So, back to yesterday, I thought we could at least get to the HEB less than 2 miles from our house, even if we had to immediately turn around and come home. We needed to try. The "after bedtime" shopping trips are tough. So, we went and got all but one item! (We decided to nix the baking soda - when I remembered I didn't want to walk back across the store.) I was very impressed that we made it through the entire store (39 items) and that I was even able to do some coupon shopping (8.5% savings). We were gone for an hour and a half, which was nearly too long as Kip began fussing as we were walking out of the store.

When we got home I ended up feeding Kip before taking the groceries out of the car. Putting up the groceries delayed dinner for awhile, too. Oh well. It's all a work in progress - we'll get better. My plans for improving our performance are two fold - to accept the offer to help me out with the groceries and when possible, to shop while Josh is in preschool (he starts in 2 weeks, which is worthy of a whole other blog post). If someone loads the bags while I load the kid(s) we can improve our speed and my sanity.

Kipilicious

2009-01-19T22:09:00.006-06:00

In honor of the 1 month anniversary since Kip's birth, here are 10 things we have learned about Kip in his short time with us on the outside.

1. Kip likes to sleep. Thank you Jesus! The polar opposite of his big brother, Kip sleeps morning, noon, and night. I envision him being our just-5-more-minutes snooze button loving son. Josh just cannot get his mind around why Kip sleeps so much.

2. Kip likes to eat. If he's not sleeping, he's likely doing one of two things - eating and #3 on the list. At 4 weeks, he weighed 9 lbs, 9 ounces - 136% of his birthweight.

3. When Kip is awake, he usually has the hiccups. It is the sound that he makes most often.

4. Kip has good taste in music. His favorite is Caedmon's Call. This is an improvement over Josh's musical preferences during infancy.

5. Following in his brother's footsteps, Kip has reflux. Despite all the 2nd child hand me downs that he will surely endure, he can at least cling to the fact that he has a new handy dandy reflux wedge to sleep on that his poor brother never had.

6. When Kip is overtired, he flails his arms and bobs his head around. He gets overstimulated and can only relax in a very dark and quiet room. If he falls asleep during the "magic window" that all parents read about, then he can sleep like a log anywhere - regardless of the noise or light.

7. Kip loves being in my homemade Moby wrap. I predict that the wrap is to Kip what the sling was to Josh.

8. Like his big brother, Kip's birth heralds another Super Bowl for the Steelers. We shall swaddle him in our terrible towel.

9. My favorite face that Kip makes thus far is when he makes his lips into a tiny circle. He does it often and it always makes me laugh. He can make them nearly disappear.

10. Kip is laid back. He is much more like his dad (who also shares his ears, I think) than Josh or I (the slightly higher strung, anal duo).

It really is hard to believe that a month has passed. It feels more like 2 weeks. Of course, Kip has only been awake for the equivalent of a couple of days - not that I'm complaining!

Happy 1 Month Kip!

The power of 10

2009-01-17T17:19:00.004-06:00

Last year, my friend Tamber donated her hair to Locks of Love. I was impressed and wondered if I could ever do that. I decide that I'd give it a try, but wasn't ready to commit. Well, once my hair grew a couple of inches past my shoulders, and I found myself with fast growing pregnancy hair, I decided to press on to 10 inches. Last week it dawned on me that I had enough hair to donate now. Wow! So, today I cut it off. Sweet! I get a baby-friendly hair cut and someone else gets a new hairdo too! Here's the before and after.

Brian told me that I look like Erin J. This was after Joshua pulled me aside in a different room and said, "You have Seth's mom's hair." Pretty funny. I guess I'll call it my Erin cut.

A Visual Representation

2009-01-13T11:43:00.006-06:00

Joshua, on his own initiative, decided to create a visual representation of Kip's name - well, Kip's name according to Joshua: Kip Octain Gain Robert Lloyd

Kip = Kip himself
Octain Gain = the orange race car
Robert = my dad in the photo
Lloyd = he identified 3 Lloyd options - the picture of their dad, the picture of Joshua, or Joshua himself. I do not count because apparently my last name is "Mae Lloyd."

Joshua often reminds everyone that Kip has a very long name. Joshua is even bold enough to suggest that Kip's name is the longest name in Texas.

Needless to say, Joshua remains in love with his brother. He tells us that he loves Kip best - more than Brian and I. No problem with me.

Here's a recent picture of our sweet Kippernicus. He's 25 days old today and probably passed the 9 lb mark now.

Two weeks

2009-01-02T20:02:00.006-06:00

Two weeks in and Kip still haven't lost his shine in Josh's eyes. Last night Josh told me, "Baby Kip is the best baby in the world." Tonight, when I asked him what he wanted to do tomorrow, he said, "Play with baby Kip all day." Don't get me wrong, Josh has issues with the transition, but fortunately he is taking all of that out on his parents and not the "little guy" - as Josh calls him.

Andy Schmandy

2008-12-26T16:37:00.003-06:00

Eye can't believe it.

2008-12-25T10:00:00.001-06:00

Proof that the Kipper does in fact have something beneath those eyelids. Thanks for stopping by. See you two same time tomorrow.

Mom and Dad's Christmas Present

2008-12-24T16:02:00.002-06:00

Looks like this roughly 22 outta 24 hours of the day.

Name that Baby

2008-12-24T11:57:00.004-06:00

Which is which? The top photo is Josh. The bottom photo is Kip. Brothers for sure!

Kip's Birthday

2008-12-24T11:44:00.004-06:00

Kip Robert Lloyd was born last Friday, December 19th, at 7:15pm. He weighed 7 pounds and stretched out to 19.5 inches. (2 oz heavier and 1 inch shorter than Josh) We've been blessed with a very content baby and a wonderful little brother for Joshua.

Josh was over the moon when he met his brother on Saturday morning. He left the hospital in tears when he figured out that he couldn't take Kip home with him.

I hope to get more pictures up soon. Stay tuned.

Bros 4 Ever

2008-12-20T09:21:00.001-06:00

If you're going to be serious about this...

2008-12-04T18:22:00.003-06:00

...you've got to be serious about nuclear.

I totally fed him that line.
-J

2008-12-02T15:29:00.009-06:00

It's been awhile since I posted any eye candy. Here are a few snippets of life with Josh lately.

Here's Josh the thinker.

- Yesterday we were looking for Roman Dunes (No Stall 123's crew chief). I suggested we look in Josh's bed since he occasionally sleeps with a car. I checked the bottom bunk and didn't find Mr. Dunes. Here's the rest of our conversation:

J - Maybe we should check the top bunk?

M- I didn't think you put cars up on the top bunk, Josh?

J- No, I don't. But I like your thinking, Mom!

- Over Thanksgiving weekend we braved the mall. Josh asked to ride on Thomas and we agreed. Typically, "ride" means sit while the machine stays still. However, for the 1st time ever, Josh actually wanted the machine to move. Brian and I were baffled and pulled out some quarters. Josh asked to ride it a second time and Brian quickly agreed telling me, "Consider it $1 invested in his social development."

- Yesterday we had an OB appointment. Josh picked out his own clothes for the day. He really wanted to dress like his dad so he put on his tie. It was all business at the OB's office.

Hopefully that will hold ya'll over for a while until we have some big brother/little brother pictures. We're counting down the days!

A Full House

2008-11-03T10:02:00.002-06:00

On our way home from Bible study last night Joshua informed me that when he grows up he wants to have 10 kitty cats, 20 dogs, and 10 kids. Wow! This morning, as I reminded him to drink his milk, he asked, "Do I need to drink my milk so I can grow up big and strong and have 10 kitty cats, 20 dogs, and 10 kids?" Sure, buddy. Maybe he needs to hook up with one of the Wilcoxson girls - with triplets on both sides of the family they may have a chance at the 10 kids part, at least.

Odds and Ends

2008-10-30T15:25:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, Josh indicated that he’d prefer that we call him Joshua rather than Josh. Can do.

Joshua had his first dental cleaning on Tuesday morning. He survived and proudly shows off the contents of his goodie bag. Thank you Dr. Sara!

I’ve never been much into decorating for holidays. Newton’s Law of Decorating: If you put something up, you have to take it back down. At Christmas, my gift wrap is minimal and the past couple of years we have either used a small table top Christmas tree or forgone the tree all together. Well, this year, we already have Christmas decorations out. Joshua is eager for Christmas to get here – not for the presents, but because that means Baby Kip can come out!

I am amazed at our Halloween preparations, too. Joshua decorated ghosts that were either mailed to our family or hung in our entry way to give our guests a fright. He also decorated foam jack-o-lantern magnets that we’ve shared with our family. Joshua and Brian carved a jack-o-lantern and then Brian roasted the pumpkin seeds. Aunt Liz and Joshua made Halloween cookies. We went to the Halloween party at the YMCA where Joshua painted a pumpkin and went trick-or-treating. Then, last night Joshua and I made ghost and jack-o-lantern pizzas. To top it all off, Joshua selected a costume and has already worn it multiple times. He’s never expressed an interest in or willingness to dress up before. Needless to say, Joshua is the great holiday motivator. I’ve had to suppress my practical party-pooper inclinations and am enjoying the festivities.

This morning Joshua and I went to vote. I explained why we were going to vote on the way to the polling location. Joshua selected which voting machine to use and helped me push buttons as I cast my ballot. On the way out he said, “I was nervous when we were first going in, but I am glad that we went.” He cracks me up.

We filled up the car with gas at $2.20/gallon. I love these gas prices!

YMCA Halloween Spooktacular

2008-10-25T20:33:00.005-05:00

Baby's Sling

2008-10-23T09:41:00.004-05:00

Recently Josh has been very interested in his baby doll - named "Baby." He's been bringing her to my doctor appointments and out to run errands. I guess he's getting ready for his little brother. It is always cute, and sometimes sad, at the same time, for me to hear him talk to Baby - "I know you want to stay home Baby, but we have to take Mom to the eye doctor." Hum...wonder how he really feels?

Josh and I were at Joann's earlier this week and they had their remnants 75% off. Josh picked up a remnant of yellow fabric and asked if he could bring it home. Um, 75% off 74 cents, sure. Later, I mentioned to Josh that we could make a blanket for Baby or maybe a sling. Josh is very familiar with the sling since he lived in one for nearly two years and I've been using our slings to carry around his bigger baby doll - "Baby Josh." I was surprised when Josh said he wanted to make a sling for Baby...and continued to ask 3 days in a row. I mean, a sling touches him. Maybe he is outgrowing some of his personal space issues. Anyway, this morning, I spent the 10 seconds on the sewing machine to sew one seam and make a sling for Baby. Josh loves it! He hasn't taken it off yet. He told me that the sling "makes it easier for me to hang out with you and I have two hands to play." Wow. Wonder where he's heard that sling sales pitch before!

We're really having lots of fun around here lately!

As a side note, it is unfortunate that Josh's posed smile is far less excited than his true smile. Hopefully I'll get a real smile soon.

Chef Josh

2008-10-18T21:05:00.002-05:00

Josh is enrolled in a "Little Chefs" class at the Y. I'm pleasantly surprised that he not only enjoys the class, but actually participates. He is talking to the other kids, touching the ingredients, and feeding himself his creations. I would have called any one of the three a success. I never expected all three - and he voluntarily washing his hands, to boot! (Josh hates to be wet.) Those of you that know Josh well can appreciate how truly amazing all of this is.

The first week he made a cheese sandwich and used a cookie cutter to cut it into the shape of a kitty cat. He thought this was so cool and was impressed when I told him that G-daddy cut my sandwiches into shapes when I was a kid. He ate part of his sandwich. This week he made a tuna salad boat and decorated ice cream with chocolate. He brought the tuna salad boat home for dad, but ate carrot sticks, 2 slices of cheese, and the ice cream. We have 2 more weeks to go.

The class has (at least temporarily) broadened his willingness to feed himself, to use utensils, to get his hands wet, and to cook. It is very exciting to see. At home this week Josh expressed an interest in helping in the kitchen. Sweet! With a new baby coming soon, and hopefully my return to eating a normal diet, we need to stock the freezer. So, we made white chicken chili, brownies, an applesauce spice cake, gingerbread cookies (inspired by an episode of Super Why), and tortilla soup! I can't wait to eat all these goodies in a couple of months.

Josh also spent a good deal of time "washing" dishes in the kitchen sink. He often referenced his friend Suzy, who he "washed" dishes with last week. There was one tense moment when he noticed the dishes that he "washed" in the dishwasher the next day. "But they are clean. I cleaned them." It was one of those moments that required very quick thinking on my part to spare his feelings. I explained that he indeed did wash the dishes and did a great job at that, but that the dishwasher made them super clean. He was appeased. Ahhh!

There are a few other things that I'd like to make in preparation for my carb loading after Kip is born, so I really hope Chef Josh is in the house next week.

Kippin' It Real

2008-10-11T20:35:00.002-05:00

You know how you never notice something until you get it and then it seems everyone has it? Oh, everyone drives a blah, blah, blah. Well, we don't know anyone named Kip and haven't heard the name too often. Oddly enough, last night, we saw two shows that included characters named Kip. The father on Super Nanny was named Kip. Then, the nemesis in a movie playing on Starz last night was named Kip. (BTW, we're getting Starz instead of NBC right now.) The movie, Kickin' It Old Skool, was a super hokey break dancing movie, but I had to stay up to catch all the "Kip'' jokes and store them away for future use. "Kip-napped" was my favorite. I can see using that when Kip takes Josh's toy. "Oh, Lightning has been Kip-napped!" Only 73 more days until we begin writing the great adventure that is to be "Kip-ilations."

Keep the Good News Coming...

2008-09-26T10:41:00.004-05:00

Disney announced Wednesday that the Pixar sequel Cars 2 will race into theaters a year earlier than planned. Originally slated for release during the summer 2012, the pic will instead bow in the summer of 2011.

Summer 2011. Less than 3 years away. So, like, double my lifetime. Crap. That seems like a long time.

Cars 2 should carry my obsession through elementary school. I'm pretty sure Mom is hoping for a Cars 3 and Cars 4, too, so that I'll be well distracted from noticing girls until after high school. You don't think such an extended Cars obsession could hamper my ability to talk to girls, do you? Wow. It's all part of a master plan. Does Mom have stock in Pixar?

On a lighter note

2008-09-21T19:56:00.005-05:00

You know you have gestational diabetes when…

…you don’t lick your fingers after helping your son with his honey bun because you don’t want to waste a carb serving.

…you have to stop yourself from eating the stale graham crackers that have been left on the table all day long.

…you test your friends’ blood sugar for fun – and it’s still lower than yours after they’ve enjoyed some nutella and cookies.

…you try to eat your sugar-free jello without your son noticing so that you don’t have to share.

…you question your husbands love for you when he eats within 2 hours of a meal or sits down with a pile of pixie sticks.

…you often say, “That looks good. I’ll eat some next year.”

…you consider cherry tomatoes "the new grape.”

…you let go of your frugal ways and buy 6 packs of low carb bagels for $5 a pop so you can at least have ½ a bagel for a snack.

...you can't read a book about Cookie Monster being in a bakery without getting a brief stabbing pain in your chest.

Three Looks Good on Me!

2008-09-20T21:49:00.010-05:00

I turned 3 almost 3 weeks ago. It was quite an event. G-daddy, G-mommy, PapPap, Grammie, Uncle Jeff and Aunt Liz all came into town to celebrate with me. Nini, Cody, Claire, Art and Catherine came over as well. Even Shawn and Shannon stopped by. The abundance of playmates was AWESOME!

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves, but must add three notes:

First, I gotta give props to Grammie and PapPap for wearing yellow shirts at my party! I can dig it!

Second, what is up with Claire making out with my Baby Josh doll? Is that what girls do? Claire, babe, I don't know what kind of parties you've been going to!

Third, one of my gifts - really a gift to all mankind - is that Mom finally donated the "Project Exploration" shirt that she is wearing in the picture below. She's had that thing since elementary school. That's just not cool "old school."

I loved having everyone around for my birthday. That was hands down the best gift of all!

My personal stylist

2008-09-09T17:46:00.003-05:00

Josh's interest in my attire is curious, at the very least. Today, after getting dressed, I walked into the living room and the following conversation ensued.

J: That’s NOT fine Mom!

M: What’s not fine?

J: Your clothes.

M: Why?

J: Because I want you to wear yellow.

M: I don’t have any yellow clothes.

J: Yes, you do. You have a yellow shirt in your closet. It is yellow with clown hands on it.

For the record, the shirt that I had on had yellow on it but was unsatisfactory because it was not entirely yellow. I didn't change my clothes and everyone survived.

THAT kid

2008-08-28T18:21:00.003-05:00

Do you remember that kid in elementary school who would turn his eyelids inside out and drink milk through his nose? Yea, sad, I think that may be Josh. He's already pulling his eyelids away from his eyes and asking, "Can you do this?" Boys are so weird. Hopefully he and his brother will understand each other when I cannot.

Josh's Little Brother

2008-08-27T22:21:00.002-05:00

Affectionately referred to as "Octane Gain" by Josh. We're likely to settle on a different name when it comes time to fill out the birth certificate.

Oops!...I did it again!

2008-08-27T21:58:00.002-05:00

We've long suspected that I would develop gestational diabetes with this pregnancy as I did when I was pregnant with Josh. A small part of me hoped that I may escape the diagnosis, but a much larger part of me has been on the look out for it to onset. Diana gave me a heads up that I should start checking my blood sugars as soon as 20 weeks along, so I borrowed Marti's glucose meter and started right at 20 weeks. All good. Wow! I decided to take a break from testing. My fingers hurt.

I resumed testing at 22 weeks and the results were entirely different. In retrospect, the second half of week 21 did exhibit signs of diabetes. Last weekend, after lunch at Firehouse subs (a.k.a a carb crazy lunch) I checked my blood sugar - game on! I immediately started to follow my diabetic food plan from 3 years ago and within a couple of days felt a lot better. Thankfully my blood sugar is currently controlled by diet alone. I had an OB appointment today, so last night, to ensure that I really am diabetic, I performed my "Wendy's #1 Combo Meal" test. I blew that one out of the park! My blood sugar was 171 two hours after the meal (the goal is to be less than 120). I spent the next 30 minutes walking laps around the house to lower my blood sugar before bedtime.

Since I masterfully proved my diabetic status, my OB is allowing me to skip the glucose test and is accepting the diagnosis of gestational diabetes without further testing. Although I'll miss that last sweet drink in the lab, I am thankful that I can avoid a long lab visit with Josh and will not have to work at bringing my blood sugar down after the test. Honestly, the way that I feel when my blood sugar is too high is motivation enough to stick to the diet. Of course, that doesn't stop me from planning my post-delivery feast. With Josh it was a 14 inch Delaware sub. We'll be in a different hospital with different restaurants nearby this time so I'll have to find something else. I could always repeat the "Wendy's #1 Combo Meal" test. Yummy!

Today, as I thought about the next 18-20 weeks of low-carbing it up, I thought about my pregnancy with Josh. I entered a contest with Dryer's Ice Cream and won enough ice cream for a 100 person block party. In the summer of 2005, 8 months pregnant, I served ice cream in our driveway to our neighbors. It was so funny because I couldn't eat a spoon full of it due to the diabetes and my milk allergy. I wonder what ironic circumstances we will experience this go round. Back to my carrot sticks....

Even better than new potties!

2008-08-13T15:38:00.005-05:00

I (mom) have battled (no overstatement there) Iritis for 8.5 years. In short, iritis is the inflammation of the iris, which is the colored part of your eye that is a muscle that dilates the pupil and is attached to the lens. It causes terrible pain and sensitivity to light, in addition to a host of other potential problems. Then again, the treatment has its own issues. Moving on to the point here , today at my check-up, for the first time in who knows how long, my eyes were FREE of inflammation. Not one cell of inflammation lingering. Nope. None. Zip. Zero.

Wow! This has happened less than a handful of times since the iritis onset in 2000. I may flare again tomorrow or in 6 months, but right now, I'm free and clear! Though my current daily treatment will not change, if all continues well, I have been released from the doctor until November! (Typically, I see him monthly, if not weekly.) This is a blessing to be celebrated. Probably even a bit bigger than the new toilets.

Toilet Timeline

2008-08-12T19:34:00.007-05:00

Our master bath toilet has required Brian to creatively repair it numerous times. Today, the insides collapsed. Here's the amazing tale of God's provision.

1:30pm: I call Brian asking for advice on the toilet. Something snapped, it wouldn't stop running, and the tank was nearly overflowing.

1:50pm: Brian comes home to take a look at the toilet and pronounces it DOA. We could get it fixed for $75 with our home warranty, but replacing the dingy 23+ year old toilet seemed like a better use of money. Let's review what the city has to offer.

2:00pm: I call the city to ensure their free toilet program is still in effect, the 7-10 day turn around on receiving the toilets is accurate, and review the procedure for procuring our new water efficient potties. The city says we can come down and get vouchers and pick up our toilets immediately - no 7-10 day wait!

2:20pm: Josh and I are on our way downtown with our free toilet application in hand.

3:00pm: We have our free toilet vouchers (and free parking downtown).

3:30pm: Our free toilets are loaded into our car.

3:45pm: On the way home I called the plumber recommended by the toilet supplier for a price quote. Less than I expected and he can stop by on his way home to Round Rock tonight.

5:10pm: The plumber arrives. He's personable, clean, and reveals no crack.

6:45pm: Two new toilets and shut off values installed. Old toilets hauled off.

Seriously, are you blown away? Five hours! God definitely cares about the details of our lives. Even more, the city will reimburse us for part (more than half) of the installation so we'll end up paying $100 for 2 new 1.28 gallon per flush toilets INSTALLED! And we're gunna save money on our water bill. I love the city's conservation and efficiency programs! This pregnant mom says thank God for our new potties!

Kickin' It in Cali

2008-08-05T11:03:00.005-05:00

Catching some rays at the beach.

Racing Dale v.s. Dale Jr. at Uncle TJ & Aunt Dawn's

Helping Bob in his workshop.

Loving every minute with PapPap, Grammie, and my cousins.

Tommy and I have been racing buddies all week long!

Hoedown

2008-07-25T17:00:00.002-05:00

Super Big Boy

2008-07-24T19:17:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday, Josh and I joined some friends for a dip in Hamilton Pool. Josh enjoyed splashing around in the shallow parts of the pool, however, my proudest moments were in the getting to the pool and back to the car. There is a 1/4 mile hike from the parking lot down into the canyon to get to the pool. The trail only allows foot traffic. I suspected that I would end up carrying Josh for most of the hike since it is rough terrain and he isn't much for "danger." I even brought the sling just in case. Josh surprised me though. I threw out the "you're a big boy" card and he took it. He hiked all but maybe 10 feet (which was a very steep section going in) of the half mile trek. He even fell three times, scraped his knees, and got back up. We weren't going quickly by any means, but he took one of my hands, and one step at a time, and he made it. It was so not a Josh thing to do. It was scary and dangerous and uncomfortable. I'm so proud of him. He even wants to go back! He is becoming a super big boy.

The Princess Diaries

2008-07-08T21:30:00.006-05:00

Mom: OK Josh, let me get dressed and we'll go run our errands.

(Returns in T-shirt and shorts)

Josh: Uhhhh, no. You should wear a pretty dress.

Mom: OK. How about I wear the dress I wore yesterday? (not really asking, telling)

Josh: No, you should wear a pretty dress. (Burn!) I want you to wear the one with flowers on it.

Mom: Well, that dress is for when the baby is bigger and my stomach is bigger. It's too big for me now. (Pulls out another dress.) How about this one?

Josh: Sure. (Pronounced thure).

(Mom puts on new dress.)

Josh: Now you should twirl around.

(Mom twirls.)

Josh: That's a really pretty dress. Dresses are for princesses too!

Mom: Am I a princess?

{interjection -- Dad has not yet explained to Josh that there is only one correct answer to that question}

Josh: No, you're a mom. {also known as the wrong answer}

Josh: Princesses only twirl, they don't walk. Can you twirl again?

(Mom twirls again.)

Josh: Your dress sure gets big. It might not fit through the door.

Mom: Let's just go.

{Dad: Princess.... maybe not... Honored Queen.... YES INDEED!!!}

I Was Expecting Lumps of Coal....

2008-06-25T16:52:00.004-05:00

Conversation in the car today:

Josh: At Christmas time I will get 3 surprises.

Mom: OK.

J: At Christmas time when the baby comes I will get 3 surprises: a Lightning TV, a Mater watch, and a Lightning lamp.

M: So you want a Lightning TV, a Mater watch, and a Lightning lamp with a light bulb for your Christmas surprises?

J: Yes, a Lightning TV, a Mater watch, and a Lightning lamp with a light bulb.

M: Why do you get 3 surprises?

J: Because I will be 3 at Christmas.

M: Will you get 4 surprises when you are 4?

J: Yes.

M: So how many surprises do I get?

J: (Pause)…Why did that bird poop on our car?

Josh is interesting

2008-06-10T16:24:00.004-05:00

This morning Josh and I went to an OB appointment. The exam room that we were in didn’t have an ultrasound machine. Josh noticed and asked, “where is the baby TV?”

After the OB appointment Josh and I went to a store. He LOVES to try on shoes when there are some in his size. We seriously spend 10-20 minutes trying on shoes whenever we enter a store that has kids shoes. His sensible side shows when he refuses to buy any shoes “because I already have shoes. I’ll get those when my shoes get smaller.” He doesn’t want to try on sandals, only tennis shoes or croc type shoes. Today I asked him if he wanted to try on some small flip flops and he said, “no, flip flops make me nervous.”

He likes me! He really likes me!

2008-06-05T21:31:00.006-05:00

OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, so every day when Mom and I go to the mailbox I ask her, "Mom, did Lightning McQueen send me a letter?" Mom always says no -- which is pretty much the answer I expect, but you never know. It can't hurt to ask right?

Well oh-my-freaking-gosh, you'll never guess what happened today. Today we went to the mailbox and....wait for it... Lightning had sent me a letter!

He said he heard I was a big fan and sent me a book with stickers and puzzles and pictures and all kinds of stuff about him.

Apparently, Radiator Springs is located in Oklahoma according to the postmark. Hmmm. Maybe we can visit him next time we go to see G-Daddy.

I am one proud happy boy.

Esa es una puerta amarilla

2008-05-20T22:03:00.007-05:00

Let's see. Now that our house is gradually turning green, and we have this nice new deck that is almost done, how will my friends (lady-friends, that is) be able to find my house? Especially those who haven't been here in a long time (rhymes with Brickpea).

I could point them to the fancy new numbers that Dad put on the house.

But then again, right now, you can't really see them at night. Dad says that he'll fix that at some point, but I know that's a pet peeve for some people - that they can't see the house number easily at night (cough... Ella's dad... cough, cough). And I'm not sure all the ladies know their digits well enough to be able to rely on that.

What else... what else.... Maybe I can get the door painted a color that everyone would immediately recognize and associate the house with me! But what color? Hmmm.... let me think.... wait, it's coming to me.... here we go. .....

YELLOW!!!

And not just any yellow - eye scorching oh my gosh is that a yellow door yellow.

Dad thinks his retinas will recover from the painting sometime in 2013

They Presented Unto Him Gifts

2008-05-19T21:05:00.002-05:00

Today while playing with our three wise men figurines and a baby Jesus from the inside of our Russian nesting dolls, Josh pretended that the wise men gave gifts to Jesus. The first offered the Holy Child a boat, the second offered chocolate milk, and the third offered white milk. Josh's baby Jesus was pleased.

Duck and Cover

2008-05-17T22:52:00.009-05:00

That's G-Daddy chillin' on the deck, for those of you who don't know.

Dad is In-Stain

2008-05-10T20:46:00.004-05:00

Nearly 400 square feet of sealed/stained cedar goodness.

Tim will be back on Monday to finish it off and start on the covered part off the back door. Dad will be back at work on Monday....glad that he's back at work.

Fun with Stain and Light

2008-05-10T16:39:00.011-05:00

Crap

2008-05-10T16:10:00.005-05:00

Close.

But no cigar.

Which is a shame, because Dad said he could probably light a cigar by just holding it in the sun. Current heat index - 101 degrees. It's possible that Tim and Dad actually have enough wood left to finish, but hid it behind the shed so they could stop before they burst into flames.

The stained part is what Tim did yesterday, and he and Dad put some sealer on when Dad come home in case it rained. Dad helped Tim out today doing the rest. More pictures later after Dad seals the rest of what is done.

Rain Delay

2008-05-06T11:09:00.005-05:00

The rain is delaying progress on the deck, but I don't mind. Looks like we should have sunny skies later in the week.

Casa Verde's Deck - Day 4

2008-05-01T18:32:00.004-05:00

We're four days in now. Tim has been working alone the past two days so progress is somewhat slower - not that we are in a hurry. You can see some more boards out there. The board at the 45 degree angle is where the deck boards will meet. The boards will go out from the back door and turn at that midsection so that they remain parallel to the house.

The picture doesn't show the nine concrete deck blocks that Tim buried in the yard. Each super heavy block took about an hour to set in the ground - dig hole, put in block, check level, take out block, move dirt around, put in block, check level, repeat until level, pound the dirt back in tight around it. Nine blocks, nine hours, nine more reasons why Mom is glad Dad isn't building the deck!

Tim will press on tomorrow. I'm fairly certain he is a super hero.

Casa Verde's Deck - Day 2

2008-04-29T19:04:00.007-05:00

Tim and Tom put in another hard day's work. They drilled and secured some boards into the slab this morning. It was VERY loud - inside and out. I spent a good chunk of the morning holding Mom's hands over my ears and threw in the occasional screaming episode. No one enjoyed themselves. Eventually, Mom decided that we needed to run to HEB to stock up on the soymilk/free toilet paper promotion that ended today.

Thankfully, the afternoon was much quieter. It is easy to get an idea of the size of the deck now that the basic framing is up.

You walk out the back door...

...and then turn the corner...

and then it ends right before you get to my window.

Tomorrow should be more framing, setting deck blocks, and moving the gutter. Stay tuned.

A Better One of the Front

2008-04-28T20:31:00.001-05:00

Not quite epic, but getting there (and lot cheaper).

Casa Verde's Deck - Day 1

2008-04-28T15:34:00.008-05:00

Last year prior to moving into our house Dad shaved several years off of his life by fixing up the interior of our house. Mom suggested that 2008 be the year of the exterior. Dad shrugged, saw his life pass before his eyes, and agreed. Today, was day 1 of the new deck. Fortunately, Dad is not building the deck, he is merely financing it. He and Mom decided they could pay someone to build the deck or Dad could build it and all the money saved could go toward marriage counseling. They chose the former and our deck is being built by our friend Tim, who happens to be our friend's brother and who also built decks for two other friends. He's awesome.

It was a short working day today, but the backyard already looks really different. Tim says the deck should be built by early next week, weather permitting. Did someone say party?

Oh, and did you notice that the house is now green. Well, parts of it are. Dad and I - mostly Dad - have been painting it on the weekends. G-daddy helped one weekend too. The house is green for G-daddy with white trim for G-mommy. I'm trying to talk Dad and Mom into painting the doors yellow for Josh.

I'll keep you posted.

Like father, like son.

2008-03-19T19:23:00.003-05:00

Check out the matching "in the zone" TV stares! Look at the shapes of their mouths. It is crazy!

Happy Birthday Nini!

2008-03-19T19:22:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Nini! I love you!

Josh is a sweet boy

2008-03-12T21:03:00.003-05:00

When we were pregnant earlier this year, Josh took to having a sibling like white on rice. Although at first he said he'd prefer a sister, he quickly changed his mind and consistently said he preferred "a brother named Wyatt." He's a man of details.

Helping him process his emotions when we miscarried was one of the most heartbreaking things I've ever done. I was so humbled, begging for God's wisdom. We had several conversations that ended in Josh crying and saying, "but I want him, I love him, I miss him." Fortunately, God is faithful to produce good. Josh continues to mention "baby Wyatt" frequently but last week his conversations changed to focusing on having a baby brother. Present tense, actively having a brother. Josh amazes me.

Here's our conversation from yesterday. We were talking about going over to a friend's house to play and he asked if our friend was a brother or a sister.

M: She is a sister.

J: Josh has a brother.

M: Really?

J: Baby Wyatt is Josh's brother.

M: Where is he?

J: Back there. (Pointing away)

M: Baby Wyatt is in heaven with God and all the angels, right?

J: Yes

M: One day we will see him.

J: Right now.

M: No, when we get old.

J: And you will hold baby Wyatt.

M: Yes, we will hold baby Wyatt. That makes me happy.

J: That makes Josh happy.

M: You will be happy when you hold baby Wyatt?

J: No. You hold him.

M: You can hold him, too.

J: No. You holding baby Wyatt makes Josh happy.

Just what mom wants to hear

2008-03-03T18:56:00.001-06:00

Josh and I went swimming this afternoon. As he played on the steps of the pool, I swam toward him, and he said, "There's a whale coming." Great. Thanks.

Dangers of Small Sample Sizes

2008-02-27T20:30:00.003-06:00

It has been fun to watch Josh reason the ways of the world. The sun shines during the day and the moon shines at night. His shoes go on a certain foot. Ya know, the basics. Well, he has also drawn a few inaccurate conclusions due to misleading and small samples. For instance:

Hypothesis No. 1: Boys have blue eyes and short hair.

Josh reinforces this multiple times a day. This isn't true of course, but Josh's data set includes himself, Brian, Brian's identical brothers, and G-daddy. Yep, all boys with blue (or arguably blue green) eyes and short hair. Go figure.

Hypothesis No. 2: Girls have brown eyes and long hair.

Josh came to this conclusion after considering myself, G-mommy, and Aunt Belinda. There are other females in the family that readily disprove this hypothesis, but Josh's belief persists.

Hypothesis No. 3: Only boys eat ice cream.

Josh likes to eat ice cream. Brian likes to eat ice cream. When G-daddy is here, he likes to eat ice cream, too. I don't eat ice cream because of my milk intolerance and G-mommy doesn't eat ice cream because she is following a special diet. Riveting, isn't it? I can only hope he lets go of this notion that only boys are allowed to eat ice cream before he starts dating.

Oddly enough, when he announced his view on permissible ice cream consumption, I followed up with a question about washing dishes, something Josh likes to do and Brian does frequently (without liking it). Without hesitation he said that boys AND girls can wash dishes. Darn.

high maintenance

2008-02-22T10:04:00.003-06:00

I think most of you know Josh as the quiet and subdue boy who lays on the floor watching other kids play or maybe sits on the sidelines entertained by other kids' dare devil antics at the playground. True, he is that. But there are other sides to Josh, too. One being the "high maintenance" side. This morning, after going #2, Josh bent over so I could clean off his rear end. This is customary. I think G-daddy instituted this and it has come in handy. As I was cleaning, Josh said, "hurry up mom!" Then, minutes later when we were finishing up the getting dressed process I asked Josh to put on his shoes (which had some dirt from yesterday's adventure in the backyard still on them), to which he replied, "you better clean then first." The glaring lack of "please" and "thank you" aside, he isn't always the quiet and obedient boy that he often comes across as when he is in public. He is high maintenance. Order, cleanliness, and safety are high on his list of priorities. And of course, as I am typing this, I just heard him say, "Excuse me Shadow." Sigh. Are the niceties reserved for the dog - the dog who could care less if he was stuck in a well or forgotten at the store?

Josh is Super Why

2008-02-08T14:35:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, when we walked to the mailbox, some kids down the street said hello. I, mom, replied, and Josh remained silent, as expected. A boy tried again saying, “Hi little man.” Then, in a big bold voice that only a two year old super hero can muster up, Josh screamed, “Josh is Super Why!” When we continued to walk around the block, Josh provided an unsolicited introduction to a fellow walker. “Josh is Super Why!”

Here’s what Josh, the super hero, looks like. Josh designed this yesterday. If you are curious, I have been assigned “Wonder Red,” Dad is “Alpha Pig,” and Shadow is “Princess Presto.” Josh will address us by our super hero names for days on end. At least it is more entertaining than the “first name basis” phase he went through.

To the rescue!