New Family Photos September 2010

Here's just a taste of our new family photos taken last week. Thanks to Rachel (my uber talented sister) for taking time out to make this happen.

(Nathan is in the white and Ryan is in the blue:)

For Those Who May Not Have Heard

Expecting pink in January!

My (Oldest) Baby Started School

Can't believe it. But the girl absolutely loves it. All SEVEN hours of it!! She even insists on riding the bus home. I mean, who wants to ride a stinky bus home when mom is DYING to pick her up so she can get home sooner? Not my girl.

Post Surgery

Surgery was in April. It's now September and this is what Nathan's surgery spot is looking like these days. I mean, the lump is gone. But it's still quite red and seems to have a little bit of that nasty infection still hanging around on the inside.

Nathan continues to take 3 different medications every day in hopes that this spot will continue to heal. Denver Children's is still monitoring his progress so hopefully within the next few months, he can get off the meds and we can get back to 'normal' life!:)

How Does Our Garden Grow?

With LOTS AND LOTS OF ZUCCHINIS!!

We know we can grow us a mean zucchini--now how come nothing else wants to show us its stuff?

2010K

I know you all would be proud. I ran the Boulder Bolder again this year and beat my time by a whopping...

wait

for

it....


3 seconds!!!

Applause please. Wow. I mean, I must have trained really hard, right? Really put in the time in order to beat my old time, right?

Actually, I really thought I did and was completely bummed that I only did 3 seconds better than last year (I ran it in 1 hour and 13 seconds this year. You do the math as to what last year's time was).

That's it. No more running. I'll show you Boulder Bolder. Destroy my running ego. Ruin my running pride. I'm gonna sit on the couch and eat potato chips all day just because.

That'll teach you!!

Preschool Graduation

Don't know how one actually 'earns' a graduation from preschool. I mean, come on, I was one of her teachers! But nonetheless, Addie has graduated and is officially entering the realms of public education right before my eyes.

I know how I feel about this. My little girl is growing up, first of all, and secondly, here in Cheyenne, it's all day kindergarten. Now some would like the sounds of that, but not me. Don't take my child away from me during her best hours of the day. Not yet. Not when she's only 5!!

I have full confidence that she'll ROCK kindergarten, though, and will be doing trigonometry in no time. That's what they teach them in kindergarten these days, right?

Congrats, Addie! You are on your way to geniousness!

Up To Here

That's Right. I've had it.

Up.

To.

Here. (wherever 'here' is. It's to the moon and back for me)

With what, you say?

Well, betcha can't guess.


These 'cute' little monkeys have been up to NO GOOD lately. Maybe it's because they're TWO. Maybe it's because they are twins and FEED OFF EACH OTHER. Maybe it's because they're BOYS.

(There may or may not be any reason that it's because I don't always watch them LIKE A HAWK AT ALL TIMES like I'm learning I should. Tell me, when does a woman shower. I mean, really?!)

Let me just name a few things that they have broken, gotten in to, or destroyed lately. Now just remember, this list has nothing to do with the NORMAL, daily occurances such as spills, messes, fighting, etc. This list entails things that are 'over the top' that have really put a bee in my bonnet and have started me thinking about early enrollment into preschool.

Here they are in no particular order. Yet.

1) Ben has won several awards at work that he has displayed on his computer desk downstairs. They just happen to be made completely of glass. I came running downstairs when I heard a banging sound and low and behold, two of his awards (one for each twin to have in their hand, of course) were shattered all over my treadmill. The boys thought it was funny to throw the awards at the treadmill to see if they would break. Oh. They did.

2)They got a pen and scratched up the computer monitor.

3)The boys were jumping around downstairs and banged up against a wall-hanging. It dropped to the floor and the glass shattered. Wall-hanging is no longer hanging on the wall.

4)Nathan decided to test his strength by throwing a chair down the stairs. It knocked a huge dent into the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

5) Can I just say food coloring? Imagine the worst possible. Yep, it happened. Twin boys find the food coloring. Twin boys decide to take caps off food coloring and see what pretty colors they make as they get these colors all over their faces, hands, clothing, wood flooring, and carpet. I think I scrubbed for at least two hours to get the coloring out of the carpet. Yeah, It's still there. Nice yellow and green on the living room carpet and stairs, along with blue, red and green on the wood flooring in the kitchen. Artwork? Exploring their creative sides? No. I don't think so. I think they do these things to send me to my grave early.

Okay, here is the worst one...

6)More banging sounds downstairs when I am upstairs (for a BRIEF MOMENT IN TIME. It's not like I hang out wherever they AREN'T.) I come downstairs and ask them to stop the banging or else it's time out. I ask my daughter what they were banging on (because I can't see any visible marks anywhere) and she said, "the TV". Sure enough. I turned on the TV and there are pretty vertical and horizontal lines covering our (expensive) TV. Blocks. They found blocks and decided it would be fun to throw them at the TV (where do they get these ideas, really? I don't sit them down and teach them these things, I PROMISE!!) TV is now ruined. Thanks to the buddies.

No, I think this is the worst one yet.

7) I was finishing my morning run on the treadmill downstairs. The boys had gone upstairs for what was MAYBE two minutes. I heard a banging upstairs and I thought. Oh no. Not the piano. I bolted up the stairs as fast as I could. Sure enough. Knives. Really sharp, pointy ones. Stabbing--for fun--into the piano bench. Now this isn't some hand-me-down piano. I bought this thing with my hard earned money back when I was single. I even had it custom made and it was a pretty thing that cost a pretty penny. Now it has 'pretty' little stab marks all up and down its bench. Tell me if I was happy about that one.

Anyone want us to come over and play? We're lots of fun and we know how to have a good time!

Addie never did this kind of stuff. I know she didn't. I am right in the thick of finding out how boys operate. TWIN boys, none the less. And I'm not sure I'm liking it. I feel like I have to babyproof my house all over again.


Why can't they be this peaceful all of the time?

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to pray for strength.

Can It Possibly Be?

My Little Girl is Growing Right Up




I went to register Addie for Kindergarten on Monday and almost started bawling when the teachers stepped up to the microphone to introduce themselves. I can't believe my firstborn will start school this fall. Where did the time go?

And here, it's full day kindergarten, so that's gonna be a double whammy. Seems like every time I look at her, she's grown another foot. And she's turned into the prettiest little thing you ever did see.

I think she's all ready to head off to school. But I don't think I am ready for her to go.

Homeschool maybe?...

Umm. Not likely.

We're Home

And It's So Good To Be Back...

Nathan did such an amazing job and was so strong through this whole process. Here we are getting all suited up and ready to go back to the OR. The actual surgery lasted just over an hour, which was surprisingly good time. I was expecting about two.

This picture below is post surgery. We were waiting for him to 'wake up'. It took him about 30 minutes or so, but it was so good to see his eyes finally open.

In our hospital room that night. Nathan was bouncing around like nothing ever happened. He was amazing.

I tried to get a picture of what is going on under all of the guaze and bandaging. He has a drain in his neck that comes out of the point of incision that is supposed to be pulled out 1/4 of an inch each day until it is completely out. It is there to let any more infection and fluid come out while he heals. It is somewhat of a gruesome sight to see, but I've kinda gotten used to it now.

Thank you EVERYONE for your fasting and prayers in Nathan's behalf. We definitely felt the effects of those prayers and appreciate your love and support.

The Day Before..

The big day.

Tomorrow Nathan will be a new man. Lump free (at least on his neck). Not sayin' it's going to be a smooth recovery, but at least that 2 lb. 'thing' hanging off his neck will be gone. And that's cause for celebration.

Here is Nathan at his last week's doctor visit at the Children's Hospital in Denver. They thought he might have had TB and wanted him to wear this mask (didn't stay on for too long).

--FYI--he doesn't have TB.

He has A-typical TB--some sort of microbacterial infection. (clear as mud? yeah, that's what I think too).

Just wanted to capture a few more pictures of the beast before it's gone. Nathan's had this lump for 2 months--which at least doubled or tripled in size since I first noticed it. The lump seems to have taken on its own attitude. It's gotten more and more angry, red, swollen, infected, and much much bigger in size. I think it's telling us something.

Nathan has been amazing through all of this and we wish him the very best tomorrow as he goes in for surgery to have a complete removal of this mass.

We love you, bubba! We'll be with you every step of the way.

Nathan's surgery

Nathan has been diagnosed with a microbacterial infectious lump on his neck (the size of a golf ball) which needs to be removed as soon as possible. A lump was also found in the left lung which probably will be diagnosed as the same thing--a microbacterial infection. After neck surgery, the doctors will do tests on the mass to see exactly what it is and how we can go from there in treatment of the nodule in the left lung (which is about the size of an almond).

The surgery has been scheduled at the Denver Children's Hospital on Thursday afternoon, April 8th, at 3:30pm. We would like to invite all of you that can and are able to fast with us during this time. Whatever you can do would be wonderful. We would also appreciate any and all prayers in Nathan's behalf up to, during, and post surgery.

Nathan will need to stay overnight in the hospital Thursday night, but if all goes well, we should be be headed home on Friday. Thank you so much for all of your support and help during this hard time. We know that the Lord is watching over us and that he is hearing our prayers.

New Life

I love this time of year..

We planted some tulips in our front garden in October not knowing what would happen this April. But look what we found today.

Lots and lots of beautiful tulips coming our way!

Getting Bigger

...Is it not?

Soonest doctor visit we can get at the Denver Children's ENT center is on April 15th. Will it explode by then?

Please no.

Dear Nathan

You have no idea how hard this time has been for your mama. But then again, I'm sure this time has been very hard for you too. 8 weeks ago, none of this ever existed and you were a happy boy, so carefree. Amazing how time can change things..

Can't wait til we get back to that time of carefree-ness and living life as a 2 year old should, but until then, we'll keep testing, poking, and proding until we find out how you can be fixed.

Pediatrician, ear nose throat specialist, cat scan, shots, allergic reactions, more cat scans, surgery..when will it end?

But we are bound and determined to get you better.

And that we will. Might take a while, but we will.

We love you, little buddy.

Nathan's first cat scan March 19, 2010

Next one scheduled March 30, 2010

Is There a Stronger Word than Hate?

My emotions got the best of me last week when my little Nathan went through this:


It's hard to say that you might actually hate something. But yes, I think I do. Last week I developed a strong hatred towards all of those nasty 'in' medicines. I'm talking about you, augmentin. And clindomyacin. And amoxicillin. And penicillin. All of you. You're not invited into our home anymore. Even though you were trying to help, you ended up making things worse. What a friend you were.


Poor Nathan. He tried hard to be happy despite how badly he was itchin and scratchin. I'm so glad that's all over.

Now off to combat the initial problem...