Birthday Boy!

Look who just turned 4!

I can't believe he's four.

While we didn't have a "real" party for the little guy this momma just couldn't stand the thought of just skipping over this special day without any ado. So we ate cupcakes and blew out a few candles and had a good time. To him it was a birthday party, but he also knows that he gets 2 this year! Because we've been so sick around here we decided to postpone the celebration until warmer more germ-free weather...say the end of March.

So now he's four!

Happy Birthday little buddy!

Ready....Set....Go!

Meds--Yucky!

When this little guy was recently sick with the flu giving him meds (Tamiflu) wasn't a difficult task. He took it like a champ! However...it was an incredibly comical ordeal. His facial expressions were great! If I hadn't discovered it was the Tamiflu giving him such trouble (he's sensitive to meds) I would have given it to him and videoed his response. You would have laughed. Unfortunate for you but fortunate for him I made the yucky Tamiflu discovery and quit giving him the meds a little early. Hooray for him...boo for no video. He's more important though!

I Want To Do Everything I Want to Do...

...and I want to stand! All...The...Time!!!

Ryan-Isms:

• I don't want to eat dirt. That would be yucky, yucky. Then I would have a tummy-ache and a tummy-throat. (Obviously a little confusion but goes right along with the week we've had...sickies and more sickies.)
• I'm sleepy. (That's kind of one of those "famous last words". You wouldn't be sleepy if you'd actually listen to your mother and take a nap!)
• I want to do everything I want to do! (No joke! So does the rest of the world. You just discovered the motto of the human race, son.)
• It feels great! (It sure did...50 degrees with snow all over the ground, but it was the first day we could actually spend outside in I don't know how long.)
• Please help me do it all by myself. (Well...hmmm...that's not exactly possible.)

Water Baby!

Pardon My Whine

Blizzard 2011

So what in the world do you do when it looks like this outside...
You had a few really gorgeous 70 degree days just a few days prior, but now all the toys are covered in snow...
You've been cooped up with sick kids (and a sick Mommy) for right at a week and everyone is going stir-crazy with cabin fever...

YOU...

bundle up and go outside...
even if just for a few minutes.
Because who in their right mind would pass up the opportunity...
for a little snow ice cream!
In fact, just to make it extra special, we even made a cake and declared it a SNOW PARTY!

Poor little Evan didn't get to join us outside, and he didn't much enjoy the inside activities either. He's been sick with the flu. All of us have except Daddy. Ryan started it last Wednesday, but I never dreamed it was going to be the flu. By the time I figured it was something more than just a "cold" the weekend was here which means no doctor's appointments (unless of course you want to pay an arm and a leg for after-hours/emergency care...oh wait!...I did pay an arm and a leg without it! More on that later). I started with the fever and malaise on Saturday and poor Evan started with vomiting and fever on Sunday. Monday morning I called the doctor. He tested positive for Influenza A which is probably what the rest of us had. Fortunately he was within "the window" for treatment with Tamiflu to lessen the effects and duration and since Wade hadn't "caught" it yet he could also take Tamiflu to more than likely prevent it. Unfortunately for Ryan and I we were out of that "window of opportunity" (we'd had symptoms for too long) and Tamiflu wasn't an option so the two of us were left to ride it out. Dr. O said I was right at the peak of the worst and should be feeling better within a day or so, and she said Evan should be better within 4 or 5 days but if he (or Ryan) started getting worse that we needed to return for the possibility of a secondary infection. In the mean time Evan and I were encouraged to start alternating Tylenol and Motrin every 3 hours. (Boy did that make a HUGE difference in how I felt. I wish I would have known about that on Sat and Sun. I would have been able to function.)

So off to the pharmacy I went. It was there that I spent an "arm" on Wade's Tamiflu because the insurance coverage of it was...well...not great. And...I spent my other arm and both legs paying for Evan's Tamiflu BECAUSE...despite the fact we pay dearly for our family's insurance (Ryan and Evan completely out of pocket and partial on the rest)...and because Evan is a baby and can't swallow those stupid pills yet and needs his medicine mixed in some form of a liquid...INSURANCE WOULDN'T COVER HIS! Ugh. I hate insurance companies. All of them. Healthcare (primarily insurance) is so messed up...and NO Obamacare is NOT the answer! At any rate...now that I'm over my little rant...I spent nearly half of my paycheck buying Tamiflu, aspirin, ibuprofen, tylenol, and a few other maintenance meds for our cabinet. So...we can't have the flu anymore! Just kidding...I'm just griping a little...I'm allowed...I've been sick. I can be gripey!

Evan vomited up his first dose of Tamiflu (a common problem) but has been able to keep it down with the following doses. He seems a little better. He has his good moments and his really rough moments. He cried all night on Sunday (which was really rough on me since I was so sick too) but since we've started giving Tylenol and Motrin on a consistent schedule he is resting better and seems more comfortable. He woke up 5 or 6 times last night but that's improved from crying all night the night before.

I am feeling much better. I even did a little house cleaning and cooking today. My throat is killing me from all the coughing and drainage and I'm terribly hoarse but "this too shall pass". Ryan is doing much much better. He is a little hoarse too, but he is gradually getting back to his ornery little self. Daddy isn't sick.

So that's about all that's been going on with us lately. I'm so ready for winter to be over. We've been so so sick this winter. I guess that's a testament of the importance and the value of "hibernating" for those families with medically fragile kids. We hibernated for 2+ years after Ryan was born and more less never got sick. Boy not this year! Ugh. Come on Spring!!!!

And some RYAN-ISMS:

• My kitty's tail is hot. He's got hot food inside it. (The cat stole some food off the floor that happened to drop from the hot stove and was quite warm for our little furry feline.)
  
• Girls are yucky. (Hmmmm...)
  
• You're not a girl. You're a mommy. (After hearing "girls are yucky" I just had to ask if that included me since I, too, (believe it or not) am a girl. This was his answer to that!)
  
• My mouth doesn't have enough energy to go "toot! toot!" (This is kind of sad. He was sick and we were playing a toy train whistle.)
  
• Baby brother is too loud. Can we put him inside? (Ummm...too loud for outside?)
  
• No singing. You can't be a singer. You can only be a mommy. (I have started singing a lot especially as a way to diffuse stressful situations in the home. It works great! I'm amazed and how calm I can remain when I start singing "The joy of the Lord is my strength" even though my natural inclination is to yell. It also tends to diffuse and re-route some negative behaviors. Well on this particular day Ryan really didn't want me to sing. More likely he didn't want the singing to challenge his naughty behaviors.)
  
• It's windy. The wind needs to blow baby brother far far away. Back to the hospital. (Obviously a moment of jealousy. You think?)
  

Scrunchy Noses

That was then...

This is now...

Resting, Rantings, Races and Ryan-isms

This...
...usually doesn't happen because Evan is such a terrific eater. He's not about to let food go untouched. HOWEVER...when this sweet little, 2 footer, almost 7-month-old cutie decides not to take a nap this...
...might possibly happen thus leaving some leftovers for tomorrow.

Both of the boys decided a nap (aka a rest) was not part of the game plan for today. They both fell asleep at inopportune times too.

Did you know that when your house is full of furry little friends lots of racing takes place? Especially when food is around. What's even more amazing is when these cute furry friends...
...win the race and keep the dogs away from the food.

Speaking of furry little friends...we have some disappointing and discouraging (maybe even sad) news. Mollie will be leaving us. Mollie has been showing some concerning signs of aggression. Especially with food. She even growled and snapped at me the other day. Due to her ever increasing size with the final outcome most likely very large we decided that we just can't take any chances at all with any signs of aggression. This has been a very sad decision for us but not necessarily a difficult one. When considering a dog that might weigh well over 100 pounds you just can't take any risks. It has been a discouraging decision though. Newfoundlands are notoriously one of the most gentle and loving dogs and Mollie is such a beautiful and sweet girl. The only thing we can figure is that her beginnings were so rough (probably born in someone's barn and had to fight and scrounge for everything for those first few months) that her natural instinct is to fight for her food. We have no doubt that she will be an awesome dog someday and with the right person and training she will make a wonderful companion and friend for a very special family. For now she needs a lot of extra love and the absence of stress that comes with small kids. We're hoping to hear from the Pets and People facility soon with word of a new forever home for our sweet Mollie...hopefully a single individual or a couple with plenty of time and no other distractions and responsibilities so they can lavish her with the love and attention she needs. We're hoping to hear soon because with each passing day we are growing more and more attached to her. It's already going to be hard to say good-bye but we all know it's for the best. :( Tears...

Okay...so on to better things...

This boy...
...is MY good boy! He says the darndest things sometimes, so I've started writing the best down on a white board and when it gets full I'll try to share them on here. Maybe someday I'll turn his words into books. For now let's just call them "Ryan-isms"...

• I think the sun just wakes up. Silly sun. (This was after waking up one morning. For some reason he thought the sun waking up was a silly thing for it to do!)
  
• My sleeps went away. (This is a good excuse for NOT taking a nap. Why should I take a nap mom? My sleeps went away.)
  
• Momma you're not a bad friend, you're still a good friend. (This one is good. Being a new year and all with all those resolutions and things I've taken a look at some of my parenting ways and found some to be...well...maybe not the best for my kids. So...I'm trying to change a few things. Stricter in some areas. More lenient in others. More structured in some areas. More lax in others. So one of the areas that has been a little too inconsistent is when "Mom says..." "Mom means...". Anyway...on this particular day Ryan got in trouble for something (that something evades me right now) and was disciplined accordingly. After things settled down this "Ryan-ism" is what I heard.)
  
• I don't want you to remove the temptation. (After excessively salting his food, the table, his plate and everything in between I told Ryan he had more than enough salt. He just couldn't leave the salt shaker alone so I asked him if he wanted me to remove the temptation. Not having a clue what I was talking about he said, "yes." Well...he didn't really mean it!)
  
• Will you help me warm up my cars? (It's winter and we've had some cold days. One cold day--that was supposed to be warmer but the weathermen can't get it right--Ryan and I went outside and I rebuilt the swingset. He got pretty cold despite wearing a heavy coat and hat so we came inside. Soon he discovered his cars were left outside in the cold thus the need for their retrieval and a warm blanket.)
  
• I don't know how to find my mommy. (I spent the day away from home a couple Saturdays ago leaving Ryan with his dad. On more than one occasion he wandered around the house perplexed because "he didn't know how to find his mommy.")
  
• My mouth ran out of energy gas. (You can just fill in the blank with this one because how ever you think this one applies...it's funny.)
  

First *REAL* Haircut (professional)

These pictures aren't the best, but here they are capturing Ryan's first professional haircut!

Ice Cream Date

Ryan had an appointment with Dr. S, his eye doctor. Ryan hasn't seen him for over a year. The appointment went well and Ryan did great. The nurse/tech even commented about what a great little guy he was and that it was a rare thing to have a 3-year-old do as well as Ryan did! No glasses for this little guy for now and our return appointment with Dr. S is in 2 years.

After such a great appointment it was only fitting to have an ice-cream date!
Evan is hillarious with an ice cream cone. He devours it...ravenously! He is funny!

I want more!

The Furry Side of The Family

As a kid growing up animals were always a big part of our family. From before my earliest memories we've had dogs and cats. As my brother, sister and I grew we brought home all sorts of creatures...and...yes...we adopted most if not all of them. Turtles, frogs, kitties, puppies, baby birds (yes we nursed baby birds to health and released them...our favorite and most memorable--a woodpecker!). I even had a spider that I watched grow, spin webs, lay eggs and be devoured by her offspring. I watched caterpillars grow, eat and transform into butterflies. As a teenager I had a ferret that I walked daily to the post office. Point being...I have always loved animals!

So it pretty much goes without saying that we have several furry little family members blessing our cute little family. I saw a sign recently that said, "Pets are just kids with fur." For us that's pretty much true. Not to the degree of fanatical and over-the-top. There is no way in this world that an animal (pet or otherwise) will ever come before my boys and other "people" family members. However...we do love our pets!

Boppo (formerly known as Bosco) is the longest standing furry resident. He is a full blood Boston Terrier dog that we at one time used as a stud for breeding. That was before we had kids. :) He's a pretty good dog. Not the brightest in the world, but he wouldn't hurt anything or anyone. He's tolerant with Ryan but would prefer to just be left alone...unless of course he's sharing his sandwich with him.

Sally
Sammy and Sally. These are the 2 kitties Santa brought Ryan for Christmas. They are awesome cats! Super tolerant of just about everything (or super dumb). Ryan hauls them around the house, stuffs them in boxes and cabinets and other small places. They just go limp. They are great with him and he is (for the most part) great with them. Just this evening he was dancing with one of them laying peacefully in his arms. CUTE!

Sally purrs every time she is picked up. She has a dainty, prissy kind of personality. She tends to hide more quickly than her brother. Sammy is playful and sweet. If you pick him up he is likely to rub his face against yours and lick you. He is a little more spunky, daring and playful.
"Puppy"(Because she doesn't have a name yet) and Sammy
This is my (well she was supposed to be mine but Ryan said she's his) new puppy. I've been wanting to get a new puppy that would one day grow into a "big" dog for my boys to run around with and enjoy. Well she will definitely fulfill the "big" requirement. She is a Newfoundland mix that we rescued from a kill shelter. She was dumped off with her siblings at a local pound with a picture of what looked like a Newfoundland dog. The assumption was the picture was one of the parents. We have no clue what the "mix" is, but she has very strong Newfoundland characteristics...the eyes, webbed feet, broad head, thick-solid body. We figure if the mix is something like a lab then she won't get as big as a full-blood Newfie but if the mix is something like a Saint Bernard then we might as well invest in a saddle because she'll be about as big as a small horse!
She is already adjusting well to her new home. She came in timid, dirty and scared. Now she is clean, happy and learning how to love and be loved. She is also learning how to play. She is in the process of being crate trained and potty trained and is doing amazingly well. She cowers at harsh reprimands and sometimes cowers if you reach out to her too fast, but we are only using mildly harsh reprimands (no hitting) to catch her attention if she squats in the house. She is already going to the door to be let outside and she loves being outdoors in this cold weather. She hasn't quite figured out that you have to go outside every time to potty, but I have been amazed to see her standing at the door a few times and potty as soon as she exits.
We're trying to love her, rub her, play with her, scratch her, brush her and anything else we can do to build her trust and undo whatever may have happened to her early on. She responds very well to positive gentle praises. Hopefully we'll be able to start getting her around as many different people as possible soon so she can learn to trust and accept all people. She is great with the boys...a little rough with Evan because he's "puppy size" and she thinks of him as a puppy. She doesn't show any signs of timidness around Ryan and loves to play with him. She calmly exits and escapes if he gets too rambunctious. I think she's going to be an awesome dog!
Now she just needs a name!

Peek-A-Boo

Peek

-A-

Boo

Snow Days

Need A Lift?

Half

It's hard to believe that this sweet little face has been blessing our family for 6 months already. 6 months!!! He's 1/2 way to a year already. My how time flies.

Evan went for his 6-month check up today.

Weight: 16 pounds 15 ounces (25%)
Height: 25 3/4 inches (25%)
Head: 17.? in. (50%)

He checked out just wonderfully!

So here's all about my sweet little Evan...

• He's sitting up independently with only the occasional topple. I pack blankies around him only to buffer the fall.
• He eats well...very well...bananas, apples, mango, pears, squash, sweet potato, carrots, green beans, peas.
• His favorites...carrots and pears
• His least favorites (and thus a cringe and a tongue lashing indicating a "do I really?")...peas and green beans.
• He won't eat baby cereals.
• He isn't on a consistent schedule. Schedule? What's that?!
• However...he consistently takes a good 2-3 hour nap in the morning and a couple of short little quickie naps in the afternoon.
• He says "Momma". Honestly...he does. When I leave the room he sticks his bottom lip out and cries, "Ma ma ma ma ma".
• He rolls over and although he is able to roll back over he rarely does. He just gets "stuck" on his tummy and screams...or...sometimes...he just goes to sleep.
• He sometimes sleeps 6 or 7 hours at night...and sometimes he doesn't
• He's social
• He's smiley
• He's a happy little boy
• He's adorably cute and I'm so glad he's mine!
  

Christmas Part 2

Cutie!