Hanging Out

Everyone is just hanging out. Here is a picture of Ryan just hanging out in his highchair. He has learned how to climb up in his chair, turn around and sit down. He can also climb out again. Notice, however that the chair is sitting very near to the ground. He thinks he's a big boy. For some reason on this particular day he climbed in the chair and just sat there. Here is a puppy hanging out in the food bowl. The puppies aren't eating crunchy food yet, but I had put a bowl of it in the pin for Zoe. This puppy took possession of the bowl.

Speaking of puppies...we have a special needs puppy. We've had one who hasn't been acting quite right for a couple of weeks. More than likely he hasn't been "acting right" all along but since the first 3 weeks I really don't do anything with the puppies because Zoe does all the work I hadn't noticed any problems. He sits around with his tongue hanging half-way out all the time. He's super small, and because of a physical anomaly he walks funny. We think he has suffered a brain injury (probably at or before birth). The only thing we can equate it to is CP in a child. He is the sweetest little guy though. When I pick him up he just melts in my hands. He loves to be loved. I will be taking this puppy to the vet next week to see if the doctor can render an opinion on his quality of life. If he can live pain free and thrive despite his disabilities we will not request the unthinkable. We will most likely keep this puppy as an addition to our family unless we have someone who desperately wants and is ready to care for a special needs puppy. If you or someone you know wants and will love this special needs puppy I will part with him. You will have to convince me, however, that you will indeed be the best home for him. You see...I have a weekness for and an intense propulsion to fight for little ones like him...whether animal or person.

Jailbird

Grampie's Bird

The Pictures...

Yea...I'll get to that in a minute. First, here is a picture of Ryan rocking himself in the chair in which his daddy was rocked as a baby. Cute! Okay...the pictures....they....
...didn't happen! Thursday morning Ryan woke up and looked like he'd slept with a family of mosquitos. I thought "oh great, he has a mosquito in his room." The problem was he kept getting more and more "bites" throughout the day. It didn't take too long before I decided maybe it wasn't that we'd just experienced a major infestation of mosquitos in my house. I watched welps emerge throughout the day. The next morning he had even more bumps...some big welps other small red marks.

I took Ryan to the doctor. He had a viral infection and the doctor said it "hit him hard". He said to keep an eye on it and gave me a list of things to look for warranting a return visit. I called JCPenney's and cancelled our appointment for the pictures. It was a good thing too because Friday ended up being one accident after another. He took off running and fell into the corner of the file cabinet. That ended up being one big, huge, yellow, nasty bruise on the right side of his forehead. Later that evening as we were getting ready to go out to dinner Ryan yanked the hair dryer off the chair. Where did it land? On his left eye...leaving it with a nice bruise the next day. Now that I think about it, Ryan looked pretty rough. The restaurant crowd probably wondered what had happened.

Now Ryan favors sides...for hitting his head that is. He has a spot on the right side of his forehead that he manages to always hit when he falls. When the tumble starts we know where he's going to land...on that right forehead.

Oh...and by the way...the rash was completely gone Saturday morning. :)

Puppies: 4-weeks old

Here are some pictures of the puppies. They are now 4-weeks old. They have started eating "real" food that is *extra moist*. They are very cute, however they have reached that age when they are more independent and Zoe (mom) doesn't want to have much to do with them. The next two weeks, while busy, messy, and at times irritating, will go by fast. It will then be time for the puppies to go to their new homes. Will you provide a new home for a puppy? :)

A Year Ago...

I was just starting to smile at everyone

Hey, Mom It's Time To Eat!

Fully Clothed

Here's proof that my son does indeed have clothes. Most of the pictures this summer have been those cute diaper pictures. Here's the reason why:


A story: I got Ryan dressed yesterday and he looked super cute. (You know those days when you find just the perfect outfit and your child goes from cute to super cute.) He was wearing a new onesie and some pants that just happened to match perfectly.

The weather has been much cooler than usual around here this week. We decided to go outside and enjoy the cool weather. I thought to myself, "there's no mud, we won't play in the waterhose, he should stay fairly clean." Boy was I wrong. We have a small swimming pool that we used a few times during those 105 degree days, but Ryan has never really seemed interested in it. In fact on the days we went swimming as a family in our little pool he wanted out as soon as he went in the water. For some reason on this particular day he was interested in it enough to scale the side (don't worry the top ring had lost its air and the pool only had about 3 inches of water). As soon as he stepped in the water his feet slipped out from under him (did I mention it had started to turn green on the bottom...eewww...I know). Down he went and there went his super cute, super clean outfit. Ugh. This picture was his second change of clothes for the day...

I think he ended up with 3 changes of clothes before the day was over. Now you know why I never dress my child. Why bother if he only gets to wear his clothes for 5 or 10 minutes. Truth be told, though, he did wear clothes today and managed to stay *acceptably* clean all day long.

New Fish

SUV

Or maybe I should call it his ATV.

Speaking of cars, I'm hoping that with my new job we can get a new(er) vehicle before too long. The car we're driving has nearly 150,000 miles on it and is beginning to show some signs of wear and lack of dependability. God is so good to provide. He always has and always will. I'm excited about the possibility of seeing that provision sooner (maybe within a year) rather than later (2+ years). Any ideas of a good vehicle that gets pretty good gas mileage for a growing family is welcome. I have a couple of ideas in mind, but I'd love your opinion (just don't be offended if I don't agree--:) )

Today was a good day. Ryan and I went shopping. I had to get groceries. We've been scraping around for what to eat because the cupboards, pantry and refrigerator have been empty for a while now. The good thing is that all of those areas have been cleaned recently. It's much easier to clean the fridge when there's no food in it.

We shopped and shopped. I found some great deals at Sears today. I was able to get Ryan some clothes for very reasonable prices. It was one of those sales where they took 40% off the lowest ticketed price. What I didn't realize was that the ticket price on the items did not reflect that discount. The price was already cheap and when I went to the counter and found that they were actually 40% cheaper than the already cheap price...man was I excited! I wish I would have spent more time there and got a few more things for Ryan. He is now wearing 18-month sizes in one-piece clothes (onesies, jumpers, etc.). His torso is so long. He still wears 12 month pants and for anything to actually fit him around the waste it would probably need to be 3-6 month size.

While I was at the mall I also scheduled with JCPenney's for Ryan to get his 18-month pictures taken next Saturday. He hasn't had any professional pictures taken since February. Now I just have to figure out what he should wear. Does anyone have any ideas for the pictures...props, poses, clothing, etc.? I'm wanting the pictures to be fun, lively, and cute, but I'm at a loss of what to bring and what to ask for.

Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. I must go do some laundry now....

Julie

It's A.......................10!

Perfect score! I thought it was about time I go with an Olympic theme. I've really been enjoying the Olympics. Now on to the important stuff...

Ryan is 18 months old! Can you believe it?! He actually turned 18 months on Monday, but today was the day of his 18-month well child exam. He scored well in all areas. The doctor was pleased with his development as well as his growth. He still isn't on the growth charts although with a preemie that's not uncommon. The doctor said it may take at least until he is 2 before he ever reaches the chart.

If you're interested in seeing where he is on the charts go to This Site . (It's a really cool site.) His birthday is 2/11/07. His weight is 20 pounds. His height is 29.5 inches. I don't remember what his head circumference is, but I do know that it's the closest to the charts of all his measurements. I did the combined length/weight chart. I only mention the charts because it's interesting. No one, including myself, is or has been concerned about his growth. We have an amazing doctor who has always reassured me that as long as he is growing in a consistent manner then there is nothing to be concerned about.

I don't know about this boy.... He really doesn't like the nurse. The nurse walked in and it was constant screaming...screaming when I took off his clothes...screaming when she measured his head...screaming when he was placed on the scale...screaming when she measured his length...screaming whenever she touched him. Ugh! You know when you go to the pediatrician's office and you hear some kid screaming in the room next door, and you think, "man, that poor kid". Well, I had "that kid" today. What's funny though is that as soon as the nurse left the screaming stopped (with the exception of the little fits he threw because I wouldn't let him play with the blood pressure cuff bulb). I figured as soon as the doctor entered the room he would start screaming and crying again...wrong! When Dr. S. walked into the room Ryan reached out to him to be held. He walked over to him and practically crawled up in his lap. Ryan could have cared less that I was in the room at that moment. He loves his doctor!

One last thought on our doctor visit. The nurse he detests has only given him his 2-month shots, well before the age of remembering. His dislike can't be related to associating her with pain. Ohhh...one last *last* thought (I know, I'm a bit wordy tonight)...Ryan has an ear infection in his left ear. He started an antibiotic tonight.
Ryan actually stacked about 4 blocks the other day. Yay!!! He usually just knocks down the tower if we are playing with blocks. For the longest time he's hated seeing things stacked and would immediately sweep across the tower with the furry of a hurricane. Yesterday he saw me stacking the blocks and instead of dive-bombing my tower he started building his own tower! Wow! I'm really excited!

"Considering"
Undoubtedly he's considering what to put in his mouth next. :)

"Look mom, it's a great big spoon."

Fearless

The house we stayed in while at the lake has stairs everywhere...a couple of stairs going up to the kitchen...5 or 6 stairs going down to one of the bedrooms and the bathroom...a flight of stairs going up to the second floor bedroom...stairs going up the front porch...stairs going down the back porch.

Ryan thinks stairs are great!

He practiced his stair *climbing* abilities all weekend long. He can scale a flight of stairs in the amount of time it takes to finish this sentence. He's fast! The problem comes with his lack of grace in descending those stairs. He doesn't see individual stairs; he sees the top and he sees the bottom. The bottom is where he wants to go so why not just take off running.

Of course with the flight of stairs we were always well within arms reach of our fearless 2-footer. Tumbling down those stairs would have ended our beautiful weekend in a most sudden and unpleasant way. I am, however, one of those parents who believes in the "live and learn" kind of thinking, so don't call the authorities on me when I admit that, yes, my son tumbled down the stairs leading to/from the kitchen. The stairs going down from the kitchen were only 2 carpeted steps leading to a plushly padded carpeted floor. I tried to show him how to balance with the rail. I tried to show him how to scoot down the steps on his rear. (He thought that was great fun but couldn't figure out how to scoot far enough to the end to gently bounce to the next step...he still ended up going head first...I know...I know...don't ask). I tried to show him how to back down the stairs. Eventually everyone in the house (besides me) ran to the stairs to escort Ryan to the bottom of the 2 measly steps. Ohhh the kid has it easy.

By the way...did you know that stairs are great exercise? :)

How Did He Get Muddy Shoes?...

This past weekend we went to the lake. My family (dad's side) had a big family get-together somewhat like a family reunion. We met at the lake house on Lake Eufaula and spent the weekend visiting, eating, reminiscing, and sharing new and old stories alike. It was great!
Ryan got to touch his first fish. He actually got to touch 2, the first being a fairly small catfish the second, a small perch. Here he is trying to stick his finger in the fish's mouth. He thought the fish were great. It won't be too long until he will be wanting to throw a line in too, hoping to catch a fish by himself. Just as long as he doesn't try to catch the goldfish at home..... :)
Here is the view of Lake Eufaula standing on the back porch of the house.

The weekend was wonderful. It was so good to see all the family...brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and everyone's kids. The weather was pretty nice. As my uncle noted, "you go to the lake to get wet". That's what we did. It rained. It rained off and on most of Saturday afternoon and even into Sunday. No one seemed to mind too much. It was a great weekend, and I hope the family can do this at least once a year.

More pictures to come later.

Stay Tuned

Stay tuned to find out more about this...

A Monkey and A Puppy

Yesterday

This is what we did yesterday...

Ryan "helped" me vacuum.

He more or less just wanted to ride the vacuum.

He took a nap.

Ryan is still not feeling great. Yesterday he woke up before 5 a.m. (ugh). By 10 he was asleep for a long morning nap which is not his normal. He also took a short afternoon nap. For that nap he just grabbed his blankie and went to sleep on the floor.

We finished out our day by playing in the rain.

Now before I get into too much trouble let me take some time to dispel some common myths:
You cannot catch a cold by getting cold (besides the rain was a very warm rain)
You cannot catch a cold by getting your hair wet outside (if you could why do we not get colds with every shower)
You catch colds (viruses) by coming in contact with them, usually on a surface that someone else has lovingly wiped their germs on, or by airborne transmission when someone sneezes or coughs in your space.

He loved playing in the rain!

Life Outside

First Day

Well today was my first day on the new job. It went great. Of course, since it's new to me, I made some mistakes, learned some good things, and will continue to learn everyday. I think it's going to work great for us. I still had plenty of time to play with Ryan. He did very well today. I only had *one* of those moments where I thought, "oh please, why now?" I happened to be on the phone with a customer when he decided to get stuck and scream in protest of his predicament. Oh well.

I don't have any new pictures to share with all of you today...my apologies. I'll do better tomorrow.

Everything's Cute

The Girls

The Boys

The Cutie

Sad

Please continue to pray for Sully. He passed away this morning at 6:50. He is healed and has been made whole. His family needs our support and love through prayer now.

Here are a couple of pictures...

Ryan has learned how to climb up on our couch.

He thinks he's hot stuff. He climbs up then sits so proud...such a big boy! Speaking of big boy, he is now only taking one nap a day. I lay him in his crib at about noon (sometimes earlier or later depending on his mood). He just turns over grabs his blankie and goes to sleep. The same thing goes for our new nighttime routine. It's been so long I can't remember the last time he needed his mom to stay in his room until he fell asleep.

This is his "I don't feel too good" face.

Speaking of prayer, you might knock on God's door for Ryan. He either has a cold or he is having some major teething stuff going on. He has been sneezing non-stop (well not exactly non-stop, but you know what I mean) which makes me think it might be a cold. His nose is running all over the place, and he has a mild fever. All of these (with the exception of the sneezing) could be teething. It could just be allergies too. Whatever it is he doesn't feel too great. I've started giving him respi-tann which is a decongestant that has previously worked wonders. I love the stuff although Ryan hates the stuff. It's one of those meds that he gets in his mouth then sits there with his mouth open, refusing to swallow until absolutely necessary. I've been alternating on the tylenol and ibuprofen to control the fever and to rid him of any pain in case it's teething.

Puppies!!

We have puppies. 4 girls and 2 boys. Zoe started with labor early yesterday and the first puppy was finally born about 10 pm. The last 2 were actually born between 12 and 1 a.m. but since it's now impossible to know which were those last two we'll just say the birthday for the litter was August 1, 2008. We haven't been able to look at markings yet. I was able to quickly turn each one over to check *that* characteristic for record keeping. It was asked what we will be charging for each puppy. We will probably ask $325-$350 depending on what the average sale price of Boston Terriers is in the area at the time we're ready to sale.

More later....

Prayers Needed For Their Last Good-Bye

Please pray for this sweet family. Their sweet little 15-month-old boy is losing his battle with Leukemia and the family has had to make that final decision. Please pray for them as their family says good-bye to their sweet little Sully

It never gets easy.....