Life Is Good: Mushabelly Playtime

Friday, June 20, 2008

Mushabelly Playtime

Today as I was sitting in the living room wasting more time than I ought I heard some commotion coming from the hallway. If I were to guess (and it would be very educated I'm sure) the commotion was the sound of a few steps and a crash, few steps and a crash, few steps and a crash. What I saw as I peeked around the chair was Ryan dragging his 2 Mushabelly Friends from his bedroom. They're pretty big stuffed animals and bulky to a one-year-old if nothing else. He has always liked his Friends. The pig squeals and monkey makes monkey sounds. (If the pig squeals what word describes a monkey sound?)

They're big and squishy and if you squeeze them tight enough the sound emitted is reminiscent of a whoopy cushion. What boy wouldn't like that sound, right?! Because they are so bulky he struggled to get them to the living room. He couldn't quite get them situated well enough without causing him to trip over one while dragging the other or causing him to loose his balance altogether. I guess it didn't help that he was sleepy on top of it all. Ryan falls A LOT when he is sleepy.

His determination paid off and with a little help from his mom the 3 were happily playing in the living room. That is where the wrestling match began. And the winner...

Just in case you're wondering how well Ryan can clean an ear of corn...

This is half an ear. I gave the other half to his daddy. When Ryan got this piece of corn on the cob it was full of corn. This is what was left when I was finally able to pry it from his persistent little fingers.

2 comments:

twin power mommy ♥ said...: That was cute. I can just see the determination in those pics.; June 21, 2008 at 1:19 AM
twin power mommy ♥ said...: WOW...just got done reading your site for Brandy.
How tragic.
It just makes me so sad for all that you have endured with your children.
Your faith has surely been tested. Our God is so faithful, though, and i am glad he has given you a peace about everything.
Your precious baby girl is now pain free in heaven. I am sorry for your loss.; June 21, 2008 at 1:38 AM

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Brandy Danielle

Brandy is our firstborn, our precious angel baby girl. Her entry into this world wasn't without excitement. At 26 weeks I started preterm labor with contractions 5 minutes apart. With 10 weeks of strict bedrest, most of which were in the hospital, she made it to 36 weeks.
Brandy was diagnosed with "possible/probable" heart defect around 28-30 weeks gestation. After her birth she was whisked away to the NICU for monitoring and after a few days her defect was formally diagnosed and labeled...atrial septal defect and a cleft mitral valve.
Brandy, upon indications of failure to thrive and pulmonary hypertension, underwent her first of 2 open-heart surgeries at 4 months of age. A week after her surgery on the day of her anticipated discharge home Brandy coded for 13 minutes...a stoke.
From that point on Brandy's life was full of doctor's visits, endless crying, pain and suffering. She underwent another heart surgery, fundoplication and g-tube surgery, treatment for infantile spasms, and a mountain of tests and procedures. Her brain damage was extensive.
Upon counseling of our wonderful, most amazing heart surgeon, Dr. Christopher Knott-Craig, and many hours of prayer, we finally called in hospice and called off all of the extensive medical interventions and surgery needs that would prolong her suffering while possibly prolonging her life. Brandy, our precious baby girl...our angel...passed out of our arms and into the arms of her Saviour, Jesus at the tender age of 17 months.

Ryan Andrew

Ryan, our micro-preemie miracle, is a ball of life. After nearly a year of trying to conceive imagine our delight when we finally knew he was on the way. My pregnancy with Ryan was uneventful at first. It seemed perfect and with all of the precautions for preterm labor being taken and monitored we entered this pregnancy with cautious anticipation covered over by a whole love of naive excitement.
At 20 weeks we discovered our "Baby Peanut" was going to be a little boy. We began to make plans and began dreaming about the day we would meet our son.
Almost 2 weeks later everything changed in our lives. It wa a whirlwind of fear and emtions as I began to bleed, was sent for monitoring in L&D and eventually had an appointment with my OB only to find out that it was serious. I had incompetent cervix with hourglassing membranes. The doctor admitted me to the hospital immediately and an emergency cerclage was placed. The statistics were grim, but the hope was to keep our son inside for at least 10 more weeks. We only made it 10 more days.
Early in the evening of February 11, 2007 our son, Ryan, came into this world in emergency fashion at only 23 weeks 5 days gestation. He weighed 1 pound 8 ounces and was 12 ½ inches long. He was so tiny. All I could think of was “oh my goodness is he really that tiny? And is there any way he could actually make it?” I tried to hold on to hope, but in all honesty I had never met anyone with a baby born that early and that small that ever made it.
Ryan did make it! It was a long, hard road, but in the end he spent 90 days in the NICU. He was on a ventilator for 2 months. Finally on one fine glorious day in May we bundled up our 4 pound 4 ounce baby boy and went home...May 11, 2007.
Ryan is now a spunky, lively, strong-willed little boy. His laughter is contagious and his spirit is compelling. He is our miracle. There are no words strong enough to share our delight and joy that God has blessed us with this little boy.

Evan Alexander