Quarantine! (and some pictures)

Did I spell that right? Anyhow, we are, indeed. Noah was discharged from the hospital today. Good thing I am going to be staying at home again in three weeks. That kid likes the schedule of 3-4 doctor appointments a week. I spent the entire morning on the phone setting up asthma clinics, swallow studies, renal specialities, and the list goes on. It's what he needs and I am almost a pro at it (from all the time at the docs in Illinois). ***THIS PARAGRAPH WAS WRITTEN 3 WEEKS AGO***

We found out we are having a girl. There is a name that we both really like, but I'll keep it hush for now. She is apparantly bigger than we expected. My due date has been pushed up to April. I am almost past the time when I delivered Noah, which is just amazing. We are very excited that our family is growing (though some days I wish my belly wouldn't grow quite so quickly-a stretching uterus is hard to explain).

Noah got to practice sharing already. I went shopping for him with a gift card and couldn't resist a cute little girl outfit. She will be spoiled for sure. There are SO MANY boys on my husband's side of the family. On mine, the current b to g ratio of grandkids is 4 to 1. It's over for her, because I can't stand to see little spoiled kids (the teacher in me...).

Noah has been practicing becoming potty trained. For now, it's just fun and games. I think I will try to keep it that way-I hear the boys can be a bit resistant. Plus, we still have 4 months to get it down pact. He is already a pro at feeding himself, and a pretty good listener. Now, if only I could get him to do his own laundry by April...

I am about to start my third Master's class. The books came last week. I'm pretty excited because both classes so far have been very interesting. This one will focus on Educational Theories and the History of Psychology behind them. I don't really know what that means, but it will make me a more aware ex-teacher!

About 6 weeks ago, I discovered that I am a bad mommy. (Really, I'm a great mom, but hear me out). It has been 6 months, SIX MONTHS since I've snapped a picture of my munchkin. This discovery was made with my friend Stacey on the phone. She revealed that she has been taking pics of Noah since Sept. She has been watching him a few days a week for us. It is great because she is great, and Noah gets to play with her son, Josiah. They also used to have a pug- Frankie. So, I hope you enjoy the pictures. Now if I could only find the charger for our camera... It has been MIA since we moved in June.


Still a baby!! (pre-walking)


The chubbiest of cheeks...



This has to be one of my all-time favorites!


Hey Josiah!


Frankie the dog.


He has so much fun playing with Josiah and Stacey!




Knocked out- now that's some good eatin'!

Hack-A-Mania

Yes, it's true... Mr. Noah is back in action. Not only did he have 3 doctors appointments last week and two today, but he decided to be readmitted to the hospital last night. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to go back to work.

Actually, I do. We have been so broke for so long and I wanted to go back to work (deep down for selfish reasons). I convinced myself that he was healthy enough to handle being cared for by family members as opposed to day care. The truth is, he still needs to be at home. He is very sick this time. Seriously, I was scared. It reminded me of the day when they told us we were probably going to loose him. Okay, so he wasn't quite THAT sick, but it caused a serious flashback, nonetheless.

He has RSV. The dreaded RSV. The one that he used to get $1000 a month shots to avoid. Well, he has it. He needs constant oxygen and just kinda lays there. They cannot treat it, because it is a virus. So they treat the symptoms (cough, fever, low oxygen levels). My baby boy. I will most definitely be returning to the status of Stay at Home Mom. Probably very soon.

For those of you that continue to pray for us, thank you so much. I can feel the covering of your prayers. My fear only lasted a very short time as I went to the Lord in prayer (again and again He has blessed me with His powerful peace). Philippians 4:6-8. I will stand by this scripture as my lifeline with all of my Noah experiences.

Love you guys-STAY HEALTHY!!!

Welcome back!

(To myself)
I love blogging. My virtual journal, complete with access to my friend's personal journals. Sitting here for the last 20 mintues and snooping through your lives is SUCH an unwind for me.

Well, I have lots of new news for all of ya'll. Facebook infected my computer and sent messages containing viruses to many of my friends. I hope it did not infect your computer... I think the culprit was this AWESOMELY FUN game called Word Challenge. It is a timed anagram game that I was heavily addicted to.

One day I was playing and the screen started going NUTS!!! After that, our computer was never the same. DO NOT PALY WORD CHALLENGE!!! Even as I wrote that, I have pangs of regret that I cannot play it.

Of course, my Master's Program is online and the website and assignment pages could no longer be consistently accessed. I spent hours on the phone (with Capella Tech Support) trying to post a single assignment on time. I thought about throwing the computer out the window, or driving over it in my car.

Our puppy helped me out when she chewed through the power cord in 1 second flat. (We no longer have her because she pooped worms on the kitchen floor-ick and TOTALLY a seperate blog-though she is in the loving home of my Mother-in-law for theose of you bleeding heart hippies who feel bad for having a neglectful pet owner friend like me).

So the replacement power cords are TOTALLY ripoff prices and the computer is TOTALLY infected anyways. I decided to try to do ALL of my research and coursework at work.

For those of you who have an inkling of what goes on in the life of a teacher, you know I am insane for imagining this as a possible solution. Your empathetic insanity will multiply if you are also taking online Master's research classes.

In my school, we do not have planning time each day or computers in our room. Just kids, kids, and more kids, all day long, except for recess and lunch. Long story short, the past 5 weeks did not pan out according to MY plans. I began to envision my GPA self-destructing as my assignments were inevitibly later and later.

I have meetings twice a week after school, VERY needy children (and parents who need to talk to me throughout my lunch break), and did I mention that I have to leave work twice a week EARLY to get Noah to his therapy? Thankfully, I have a very understanding professor who is allowing me to take an incomplete. That still knocks my 4.0 down, but hey, that's life...

Ah yes, I am going to be a momma times two. Yes, it's true. I said "ah, yes" because I forgot what the other news was. I am not kidding you, I don't know how I manage to speak in complete sentences these days. Then I think about it and realize "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me." -Philippians 4:13.

So, I am SUPER excited about baby # 2. We will find out if it is a boy or girl in one month. I bought Noah a book called "Hello New Baby" and he loves it! (I'm sure he has no idea what it really means, but there are bottles and bibs and a bath and I like to pretend that he is, indeed, a genius who understands that when he rubs my belly, he is loving our new baby, and that this book is his training for big brotherhood).

Excuse the runon sentence supreme, but I do enough editing with my kiddos at school. So, despite the truth of God's word, I am going to have to make a decision soon about my time committments.

Something has got to go... school or work, work or school, which makes the most sense? Which is the right path for our family? I'm sure the Lord will reveal as He always seems to do. And don't worry, I will let you all know when He does.

Proverbs 3:6:
"In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."

If you are KT Shaw, please contact me sometime in the next 6 years: 248-761-1627.

Thanks for listening, fellow bloggers!!

Hospital time, again! 10/10/09

(The actual date of this post is 10/10/09. The only task that has taken longer for me to complete is sending my friend Erin a birthday card. The card has been sitting on my desk, ready to be mailed, since August 10th. What is my world coming to??!!)

Noah will become a hospital connousseur, if he's not careful. He aspirated (again) about 2 weeks ago. My amazing hero of a husband preformed the baby heimlich (aka back smacks, finger sweeps) for a very long time. Noah finally started coughing, but then ended up choking again. He got this rash-of sorts- on his face and neck called petekeye. It basically looked like red freckles-irritated or burst tiny blood vessels. Just a reminder to me of how hard he was choking.

His new hospital is called Children's of Michigan. The staff is nice and the food is good. For those of you that don't know, the DMC (Detroit Medical Center) is 6 or so hospitals all in one area. They are connected by underground tunnels. I had fun exploring when Noah was finally asleep!

He stayed for 5 nights and 5 days. The grandparents came through in a huge way. Mom came down from Saginaw for the entire week, Granny Ann gave mom a hand when Noah decided to throw up and poop repeatedly for an entire evening (while still in the hospital). Mommy and Daddy were at home for that one-thanks, Grammas! Grandpa Lyndell and my dad came to play and buy Noah his zillion medicines and new formula-thanks Dad! So the Bible says that "Children are a blessing from the Lord." -Psalm 127:3. I totally agree, but am convinced that parents are as well.

Also visiting were Aunt Karla, Uncle (okay, so not yet) Dave, and Cousin Travis. Plus, Grandma Mary and Uncle Juan. Man, that boy is LOVED!!! What a difference being back in Mich.

The Noah update is that he is okay. He is on some new mediations-one is Pulmacort to help his lungs become stronger. They also increased his reflux medication and put him on a strict "dysphagia" diet. This means no solid foods, 2-3 small jars of baby food and three bottles a day. He has been off bottles for over a month now... The bottles can only be eaten at a rate of one ounce every 5-10 mnutes (the docs said 1 oz. every 20 minutes, but I said "FORGET THAT!!! What are they, INSANE??!!").


Of course he is not too fond of this new diet, but actually starting to get used to it. The child is much more patient with this than I am. He will be getting Therapy 2 times a week and they will work with him, increasing his strength and coordination so he can advance to different foods eventually. He will also be followed by a bunch of specialists (no new news there). He looks so healthy and has come so far. I am grateful he will continue to get the support he needs. When we initially had him evaluated in Michigan, he did not qualify for therapy like he did in Illinois.



Okay, that's about all she wrote!

(I wanted to post pics, but the only ones I have are from eons ago, so all in due time...)

hello goodbye

all you beatles fans can join me with that song in your head.

I am saying goodbye to my selfish ambitions of being a professional lazy bum. I am saying hello to an online master's program.

I am saying goodbye to late nights of movie watching and twix bars. hello (hopefully) new job starting at 8 am, and twix bars, I guess they can stay.

goodbye to being a SAHM (Lord-willing) and hello to family members helping care for my little guy. yikes, that means hello to a slew of new germ hiding spots, more big bottles of hand sanitizer and hello baby vitamin c tablets (who am I kidding? I'll be giving him ADULT sized doses, thank you very much) but I guess that's also hello to more faith that the Lord will continue to keep my son healthy!

goodbye to thoughts of Virginia Home for Boys and Girls or Thornwell Home in SC, hello to reaching out to those in need in my own neighborhood (and there are MANY). goodbye unemployment, hello AMAZING career for my wonderful husband.

goodbye facebook and blogging, hello capella courseroom discussions. (ok, ok, so I'll still be on there for procrastination purposes...)

goodbye bad attitude, hello (again) to renewal through Jesus Christ. goodbye to 28, hello to 29 years of life.

"you say goodbye, and I say hello....hello, hello. i don't know why you say goodbye, I say helooo-ooo-ooo-ooo-oo-ooooo-o, helloooo"

with love, to my sis...

GOTCHA!! hehehe

Today was a great day. Here's my recap: I've been praying for patience lately and this am, I didn't even mind that we were late for church (usually I'm annoyed, irritated, or angry). The message was EXACTLY what I needed to keep my spirit up and running, and to make me think about some changes i need to make. Then we had visitors and one young man stood and gave a testimony. Having visitors at church makes me sooooo happy.

I continued to be provided with patience as it seemingly took FOREVER to get home after church, and, just as I was getting ready to visit my family, lost my glasses. It really barely phazed me. I guess by now, I should be used to it. They disappear from time to time and once I even DROVE over them with my CAR before I managed to find them... So, my PATIENT wonderful husband turned them up and I was on my way!!!

Anyhow, I arrived at my cousin's just in time for Noah to meet:
Aunt Joy, Erin, Baby Qwill, and Peyton (and I got hugs from them all!! Oh yeah, except Peyton lol). They were on their way out, but the timing of the Lord provided. I really love my cousin and aunt and I barely get to see them. It was great-ten minutes? I'll take it!!

Next we got to see Aunt Pat, U. Ed, Angie, Mom, Karla, Travis, and then Noah finally met Christine, Jeremy and Gracie. It is soooo cool to introduce my big healthy boy to so many who have prayed for him, but never actually seen him. The food was tasty, Noah loved the pool, and I delivered a special package to my precious darling sister. Yeah, karla, that's right...

Love my family and thank God that we could see them today. What a blessing!!!

PS Noah had a "gift" of his own for his auntie!!

BIG news!!!!

Well, my big toenail just fell off. I know, it might not be the news you were expecting, but blogworthy, nonetheless!! I jammed both my big toes playing basketball months ago. They both turned grotesquely blue and I found the injury online. It's called "The Black Toe."

A few people asked me why I had only painted 2 of my nails. So finally, I painted them all. And today, my husband accidentally stubbed his toe into mine. Viola, there it was. A big half pink toenail hanging by a bit of dead toenail thread. It didn't hurt, but felt VERRRRRRY weird.

It's so intriguing that I want to keep it. If I were still in college, I'd probably mail it to someone I know and wait for them to tell me about their "package." Maybe I'll put it in a cup of coke and see how long it takes to disintegrate.

Any other ideas??? Don't worry, I'll try to take and upload a pic soon. Or, if you want, I could send it YOUR way (Karla-hahahahahahahaha).

baby no more...

I always hear people say "what happened to my baby? (s)he's grown up sooo fast!" And now it's happened to me... Here's the proof:

unmotivated

that's what i am. don't wanna cook, nor clean, nor so nuthin. grammer, spelling, capitalization, none of that jazz.. just wanna sit here and sit. mmmmmmm. sit and that's it.

So, it's been awhile since I blogged about anything. I think I will talk about bullies. I was just watching out my window and this kid pushed this other kid on the ground. Then they had a little tussle, which turned into a big tussle. The bully got up and appeared to be kicking the other guy while he was still on the ground.

He spun on his heel and started to walk away like the "big shot" I'm sure he is. The "little guy" must have said something (or nothing at all...), cuz the bully turned back around and shoved him on the ground. Then he proceeded to saunter (and I mean SAUNTER) up the street toward his bully buddy and high five him like a CHEIF!!! Infuriating, to say the least.

I watched this all from my window, and thought "Why am I not saying something to this child?" I actually said aloud "Someone need to punch THAT kid. It should be me..." but I did nothing. There are two reasons I stood by:

1. The kid could be the next candidate for some weird orientation and I don't want him remembering my address.

2. His mom might come a'knockin and I have had enough in my lifetime of parents who turn the other cheek to their children's behaviors.

There is a book I used to read called "Teacher Talk." The premise being that children should be verbally nurtured (ex: instead of "DON'T RUN!!!", say "walk, please."). Additionally the author seemed to believe (as I once did) that there is no such thing as a bad child, just bad choices.

After 2 1/2 years in the public school classroom, I'll tell you something. Actually a few somethings...

1. "Please respect Darryl's space" is a poor substitute for "Get your hands off Darryl before I suspend your butt!!"

2. There IS such thing as a bad child-usually the by-product of a bad (or missing) parent.

Not that I have it all figured out, certainly NOT THAT. Just that it's upsetting to see people who do not care. Am I one of those people? I should have run out and grabbed the bully by the scruff of his neck. In the old days, that would have been expected and accepted by the community. If I'm not there, you get him for me!!! Kids these days have too many rights, in place of an ounce of respect. I guess that's all part of the plan. As the Word of God says:

"This know also, that in the last day, perilous times shall come. For men shall be...disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy...incontinent, fierce, despisers of God. Traitors, heady, highminded. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God"
-1 Timothy 3:1-4

Yes, indeed. I can be pretty high-minded myself. If I'm gonna be honest, I have more than a few choice words and judgements for that kid AND his mom. Oh boy, the Lord still has some WORK to do on me... Thank God for another day!!!

r u serious

So, last might I made lasagna for the first time ever. It was delicious. I went to buy some ricotta cheese, but reading the label confused me. Who would want a "sweet dessert cheese" in their lasagna? Weird. Next I went to check out the Feta. Can you believe that a dinky little 4 oz container cost 6 dollars??!!! What?! It must have come from a pristine baby llama or something. So, I settled for good ole Mozzarella. Again, the outcome was "yum," so whatever.

I must say that I will be glad to leave behind the Jewel prices. A bag of Doritos was on sale for almost 4 dollars. No wonder we've been so broke...

Here's a list of things that I will not miss about Chicagoland:
-the worst and longest rush hour I have ever seen in 28 years (sunup to sundown)
-people honking at me to "DRIVE!" b4 the light even turns green
-the sun setting at 4pm in the winter
-the -20 windchill
-afforementioned prices at the Jewel/Osco

Here's a list of things that I will dearly miss about Chicagoland:
-Donna and Laura-these ladies are like kin to me, even though I never actually SEE them
-The Mt. Prospect library
-A park every mile or so
-A great job w/ a very understanding boss
-The mile long lake that is across the street from my apt. building (perfect for runs that I rarely go on.)
-The view from my balcony
-random glimpses that I catch of the Sear's Tower in the distance...
-an outstanding public trasnportation system (that I NEVER use, but it's nice to have options)

Motor City or Bust!!!

Well, excuse me (for real!!)

Manners. Somewhat over-rated, but always appreciated, right?

So, Carlton, Noah, Juan (my-brother-in-law), and I went downtown to pick up our nephew, Terrence, from the bus stop. The plan was to take them to Ed DeBevic's without telling them a thing about it. (If you don't know, Ed's is a burger joint where the waitstaff are totally rude to the customers.) We began to set the scene before leaving the house:

Carlton: "Honey, we could probably just eat downtown."

Me: "Sounds great, I really want a burger, I'm sure we can find something..."

Juan: (unsuspecting)no comment


Once we got to the bus stop, the Chicago natives helped with the set-up:

Bus Security Officer: "You all unloading? Well you're gonna have to hurry up!!!"

Cars and Taxi Drivers:(HONK!!!!HONK!!!!!HONKHONKHONKHONK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Terrence to Juan: "Dang, they honk a lot."

Carlton: "Yeah, they do that here." (additional conversation about the fast paced and self-centered life in a big city)


So, we arrived and went inside the restaurant. Carlton and I couldn't wait to sit down. We actually had to sit next to each other, or we would have DIED laughing and spoiled the whole thing.


Long story short, the waiter REALLY cut into Juan. Here are a few of my favorite pictures:









My brother-in-law is incredibly patient and sweet, but the guy was very good at his job. At one point, Juan jeered and threw a napkin toward the man in utter disgust. Here's a pic just before the throw...



"Big Chopper" the rudest dude in town (really, he was THAT good!!!)



We had EXCELLENT burgers, Noah ate a ton of sweet potato puffs, and we never did tell Juan or Terrence what was going on. They are completely convinced that Chicagoians are some of the rudest folks around!


(First time in a restaurant high chair-thoroughly sanitized by yours truly...)




If you know anyone with a short fuse or a really good sense of humor, I highly recommend Ed's- on the corner of Ontario and N. Wells. Happy eatin'!

Well, EGGSCUSE ME!!!!!

So, really. Has it come to this? I know we're all about conserving and cutting costs and all, but this is absolutely ridiculous!!

I went into the gas station to buy some gallons at $2.14 a pop, and my eyes beheld a fantastic sight!! The Cadbury Creme Egg "station" is back!! I love, and I mean LOVE those things. I don't even want to imagine what I'm actually ingesting into my body when I eat them, but that's beside the point.

So I investigate to see if they have the Snickers kind-which are almost as good as original. They don't so I grab a beauty-ful blue, red and yellow aluminum egg and go to pay. The guy's like "If you buy 2, you save 50 cents." Talk about a steal!!!!Actually, I just heard the "buy two" part. He could have said "Buy two for $5.00" and it would have been fine by me. (There is no exaggeration when I say the things make me drool. profusely.)

As I'm walking back to get an egg compadre, I notice that this egg seems kinda skimpy. I comment on it and the guy's like "Yeah, I noticed that, too." He proceeds to ring me up for, like, $1.39 or something outrageous like that.

I look down at the pair and it hits me that the two combined are not as big as I remember one being. What are they, selling chocolate JELLYBEANS now??!!! I am sadly disappointed as I walk to my car "weighing" my purchases in each hand. There can't possibly be enough of that confectious-sugar artificial asbestos filling to satisfy my craving-this is a travesty!

Seriously, didn't the eggs used to be 50 cents each? The thing that gets me the most is that the company is so cheap they're using the same size wrappers and they're all big and crunchy-looking around that teeny, tiny, ripoff, cheapskates, oozy, mouth-watering, cadbury bunny/chicken noises, yummy, delicious, indulgent, oh so delightful...ok, ok, I'm a sucker for cavities, what more can I say?

PS If you see any of the Snickers ones, get me some-I'll pay you back with interest!

One more time for the man in blue...

Oh little Noah...child of mine...sweet little darling..you love to drive mommy bonkers...yum, bonkers...

Yesterday morning I had a serious case of De'Ja'Vu (however you spell that). My munchkin began waking up and whine/grunting at 2 am. He whined/grunted his way into the wee hours of daylight, and then began to whine/grunt/cough. I say DJV because this exact order of events occured three weeks ago when the stinker wound up in the ER with pneumonia...

And here we are again, our favorite top of the line children's hospital. Tonight is night 2. This time he managed to pick up the RSV virus, in addition to viral pneumonia. Like I said "oh, child of mine."

He's already an active little guy, so when they decided to pump him full of steroids and breathing treatments every 2 hours, I couldn't have been more overjoyed. I mean, who wouldn't want their baby to ingest the equivalent of a double espresso every 90 minutes??

Yes, I am being sarcastic- I'm actually SO glad I have the opportunity to spend these visits with him (as opposed to having to work, or whatever and leave him by himself).

Long story short, we both are good, neither of us have slept more than 4 hours in the last 36, but he's getting his last dose of "baby coffee" as we speak. My pillow's lookin extra cozy and I'll keep you all updated. He is still smiley and happy as ever, he just sounds like he's drowning when he breathes. (My friend used that to describe when HER son had RSV- it is a very accurate description). Love you guys!!!

fun fun for everyone!

Just when I thought "Yes, we made it through cold & flu season..." The little guy started to choke on his medicine. I have to mix the newest one with water, and he can't seem to handle the "thin" consistency. So, he sputtered and spattered and I continued to force it down the hatch.

Less than 36 hours later, I was driving him to good 'ole Lutheran General Hospital. He had developed a case of Aspiration Pneumonia, with 2 (yes, TWO) cold viruses, and a high fever in tow. Thankfully, the pneum was caught VERY early, and the fever subsided overnight.

We have been here for 3 days and 3 nights this time. He's had multiple breathing treatments, a slew of meds, some pricks, pokes, and tons of fun setting off the monitor for 5 1/2 hours straight (no exaggeration). Right now he's trying to figure out how to unhook his lead while standing straight up against the bars of his crib. At least he'll come home with some new tricks to keep us on our toes!!!

Rub A Dub Dub

Three kids in a tub, and who do you think they be?

Ethan, Ryan, and Noah.

Turn them out!

Knaves, ALL THREE!!

Well, the little stinkers had a field day last Friday (at the near expense of my sanity!!). Let's start with a bit of background information, shall we?

Culprit #1: Ethan, 3 years, big brother, frequently goes through "I don't like Kelly, she's scarrrry." stages



Culprit #2: Ryan, 1 year, little brother, gets veerrrrryyy quiet when making large messes



Culprit #3: Noah, 10 months, son of nanny, watches the big boys like a hawk and crawls all over the place

Nanny: Me, 27 years old, has issues with perfectionism, slightly intimidated by father of first 2 culprits (due to issues with perfectionism, coupled with the fact that he is my employer's husband aka "The Man of the House")

So, Friday AM started off like any other Friday. The main difference was that Linda (the mom) would be working late and Alex (the dad) would be taking the kiddos to someone's house for dinner.

Noah and Ryan were crawling all over the floor (and each other),
when Ethan entered his latest stage. "Ethan, do you want cereal, or oatmeal?" I asked. "I don't like you Kelly," he said. "It's time for breakfast" I replied. "I don't like Ryan. I don't like Noah. I don't like Kelly." Oh boy...I thought.

I decided to give Ethan some space for awhile, and he and Ryan went upstairs. Following at a safe distance, I peeked in at them. They were running around their parents room, but playing "nicely" with each other. Leaving the door slightly ajar, I went back downstairs to make sure Noah hadn't crawled off down the street.

The big boys reappeared shortly and went into the sun room. Ethan eyeballed me as he shut the glass door to close them in. I took a deep breath and thought "detach, he's only three, don't join the battle..." I finished up the dishes and walked into the living room. I couldn't physically SEE the big boys, but also didn't hear any yelling or crying, so I settled down on the rug with Noah.

Suddenly I realized that I didn't hear ANYTHING. At all! Remembering Captain Destructo (aka Ryan) and his amazing mess making talents, I jumped up, and found myself face to face with this:





Ethan was quick to explain: "We're pirates!!" Well, it certainly looked like Ryan had an eye patch. Eye patch, black eye, same difference. (You can see it WAY better in the bath pictures below).



In to the tub they went...

(Ryan kind of looks like a member of ICP. For those of you who don't know, ICP is the Insane Clown Posse, and they have scarrrry make-up. Their music is pretty scarrrry, too!)

For some odd reason, soap does nothing to remove lipstick from a child's skin. Ryan's blonde hair had turned into dark pink bangs, and I began imagining Alex coming home to take the little "pirates" to their dinner plans. My blood pressure was on a steady rise as I called my mom, my husband's mom, and finally, my friend Donna. She hopped on the internet and advised that I find some baby oil, and give it a whirl.

Unfortunately for Ryan, mommy's lipstick was extremely long lasting. I say unfortunately because he has very sensitive skin, and despises for his face to be wiped, or even touched (let alone SCRUBBED THREE TIMES throughout the day). Needless to say, he was more than ready for his nap:


In the meantime, Noah found a way to have some fun of his own.
>



Of course, it was Alex's dresser drawer, and my little refluxer left a signature puddle on the floor in front of it. Aye, yaye, yaye! The handle was tricky to get back on, and he immediately went for it again.

Like I said; KNAVES!!! (Not that I know what that word means, but judging by context clues, I think it fits!)

Uh-Oh, a hazard (um, I mean, a crawler!)

Okay, so the stinker is really getting around. It's very cute, and I'm so excited. NOT! He is constantly spewing spit out of every side of his mouth as he travels from here to there. The accompanying noises are HILARIOUS! However, combine the oral developments with his new favorite toys and we have a serious hazard on our hands.

Despite hoards of multi-colored balls, bells, and rattles, the child wants nothing to do with any of it. Ignoring a growing chew-toy collection, he continues to seek out electronic devices and their cords. The X-Box, computer, controllers, cell phone, just now he was chewing on the dehumidifier.

"Why don't you baby proof?" you may be asking yourself. I echo your inquiry. Why don't I baby proof? I have an even better plan. I am going to fill his play area with every cord I can get my hands on. Different colors, lengths, textures, you name it! Then I'm going to blockade all the "safe" baby toys in a corner somewhere, just out of his reach. Maybe then, he'll actually play with them!

pictures for Grandpa

the beginning of the end

The baby is trying to crawl. He gets up on his hands and knees and then does a face dive into the carpet! It is soooo funny, and he laughs too! Two nights ago, I laid him down on his back and went to get something in the kitchen. I came back into the room completely perplexed and amazed...

The kid was about 3 feet removed from where I lay him. He somehow managed to get himself to the computer cord, and X-box cord, both at the same time, both in his mouth, and one in each hand. Now how in the world did he do all that without actually crawling?? My husband said "This is the beginning of the end."

Peter Cottontail

There's this children's song about a rabbit named Peter Cottontail... Perhaps you've heard it? If not, never fear! I will write the lyrics here for you to enjoy. First, you must know that I make up my own lyrics when I'm not sure how a song goes, or if I don't like certain words.

I remembered this song on a whim last spring. We were driving up to visit Noah at about 3am and saw this cute little bunny jumping around in the bushes. Wow, what a lengthy intro, I'm sure the suspense is just about killing you. So, without further ado,

"Here comes Peter Cottontail,
hoppin' down the bunny trail,
hippity hoppity hoppin all the way!
Hoppin bunnies hand in hand,
hoppin all across the land,
hippity hoppity hoppin all the way!"

I wish I could sing it to you, because it is VERY fun to sing over and over (and over again). I like to sing it when I am nannying.

Speaking of rabbits, these kids love, and I mean LOVE them some carrots. I boiled a batch for the 1 yr. old to try and the 3 yr. old snatched them up and ate them off the little guy's highchair. Then a different day, I handed the 3 yr. old a handful to "give these to your brother please." He shoveled them into his mouth en route to the highchair and the 1 yr old ended up with one half of one carrot.

Strange, I thought kids were supposed to hate their veggies. The first time I fed them to my son, I said to my cousin "Noah's about to try carrots for the first time. Perhaps I'll get a carrot facial." she responded "DEFINITELY a possibility...at least it will be good for your eyes."

Here's some pics of my little cottontail enjoying 3 (count 'em THREE!!!) baby food containers of the orange mushy goodness.



(in this one, he just finished knocking the spoon and the container of carrots onto the floor)


("FEEEEEEED ME, Daddy!")


("Uhhhh, I think I'm gonna barf")



Oh yeah, and one more little tidbit: I bought some baby carrots tonight and boiled them and mixed them in the blender. Then I filled all the empty baby food containers with the mush and stacked them in the fridge. Hm. That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be (to "make my own baby food."). However, did I loose all the nutrients in the water? Oh well, Peter will still gobble them up, I'm sure!

why is it that

1. I can never find my keys
2. If I've got my keys, I don't know were I put my license, or glasses, or something else...
3. I'm never tired when Noah is napping
4. I'm very sleepy when he is about to wake-up
5. It gets dark here at 4pm (4 O'CLOCK P-M PEOPLE!!!)
6. I run out of shaving gel halfway through my second leg
7. I never get sick of Taco Bell's 7 layer burritos (even though I feel like barfing after each one I've eaten) Yum!
8. My pregnant friend doesn't want me to see pictures of the baby belly (yeah, you know who you are!!!)
9. (One added by me dear friend) Why is it that I am always ten minutes late for work, no matter what? Actually, I am always ten minutes late, period.

On that note; gotta make a run for the border! Oops, I mean on "that note" being note number 7...

POWER-give it a chance!!

The pictures on this post may make you upset(?). It's not my intent; they are of Noah when he was very sick. At the time, I took them because I knew they would be an ultimate testimony to the grace of God. I have only recently felt comfortable sharing them with anyone. I figure I might as well share them with everyone, because I hope that anyone who reads this blog will take a moment to consider God's love...

Other than "Now I lay me..." I never spent much time in prayer before. When I say before, I mean before the last year and a half of my life. Especially this past year. Many times it takes hardship for someone to turn to the Lord. I certainly found Him to be my strength through the trials of 2008.

I have been thinking a lot lately about the Power of Prayer. It is just majestic to be in the presence of the Lord, and be able to speak to Him. I have seen Him answer prayers first hand, and hope that you take a minute to read about it...

Often times, pre-mature babies are neurologically traumatized by their stay in the NICU. In place of a quiet, dark womb; glaring lights, LOUD beeping machines, pokes, prods, and other intrusions abound. Many preemies have fussy early childhoods as a result of the shock to their underdeveloped nervous systems. As you can see by Noah's pics, he has managed to escape this (and many other) "side effects" of an extremely early birth.



When Noah was born, I received many emails asking if he could be added to prayer lists. The requests increased after he fell deathly ill at 2 weeks old. Here are some pictures of him afer his transfer to a higher level NICU...

That is a normal-sized computer screen to the left of his bed.

They had to leave him out of an incubator because he needed so much care.

His skin started peeling off and his entire body swelled up the following day. (I did not take any pictures of that, thought these would be enough!)

We kept talking to him, and he finally peeked at us!



As he neared his discharge, his nurses told me there had been many days when they believed that he would not make it. One said "Babies in his condition usually have LOTS of complications, or die." He made it through sepsis (toxicity of the blood, which also caused his kidneys to fail, and damage to his lungs), and NEC (Necrotizing Endercolitis), without a single surgery.

I remember once when his neighbor was having surgery. The baby was only about 4 lbs. and had the cutest little cry. His father was sitting in a rocking chair ten or so feet away as the doctors worked on his little son. It was heart-wrenching to watch in an already tramatic environment.

I do not want anyone to say "Oh my gosh, poor Kelly," or "You are so strong," or anything like that. I want you to realize that my son was protected by the absolute Power of Prayer.

Of course, you don't have to take my word on it. But if you want to know, there is a scripture to back it up...

Today, I read Amos chapter 7. In this specific chapter, God is fed up with the Israelites. He sends Amos 3 visions of the destruction of His people. Amos prays (verse 2)"...Oh Sovereign Lord, please forgive your people! Unless you relent, Israel will not survive, for we are only a small nation" (verse 3) "So the Lord relented and did not fulfill the vision 'I won't do it.' He said."

I encourage you to take a moment and enter into the presence of God, through Jesus Christ. I hope you will take (even) a moment to talk with your Heavenly Father today, and experience His power...