What is up with Ethan?!?

Hey - It's Ethan, my Mom has been lame about updating the blog this month, so I'm here to fill you in on whats up with me....

I've spent some time chillin in the pool because it has been one HOT summer here in Virginia!

It's a tough job but someone has to do it!

.

I got fitted for some glasses, they look like this except mine are blue.  I had a great time and was a good boy at the doctors office.  All the old ladies just loved me.  My Mom should have taken a picture of me sitting up on the counter getting fitted with my cool glasses but well you know sometimes she is a little crazy and forgets to take the camera.  Don't worry folks, when they come in next week, I'm sure she will take enough pictures of me wearing them and tell you all about it.

I also got measured and fitted for my new wheelchair/stroller thingy that is suppossed to help keep me from slumping over and keep me in.  My Mom is all excited 'cause she can turn the seat around so she can see me, not sure why she thinks that is such a great idea? Not really my idea of a fun outing...but whatever...

I went to my friend Ava's 1st Birthday Party and she was just smitten with me but I mean really can you blame her?

Look at her, going in for the big kiss...girls these days are just sooo forward.  I mean, I'm not complaining or anything....

And because I'm so cool and all I gave up my bottle.  I think my silly Mom was a little sad about that.

I've been pulling up to standing and I did it 5 times yesterday for Ms. Deb who comes to "play" with me once a week, she is part of my Early Intervention Team.  I have not pulled up yet in front of Mrs. Vicki my OT because I like to mess with her.

Our AC went out in the middle of the night and we all got to have a sleepover downstairs on the floor.  That was pretty fun.  Although, my Mom was a bit grumpy I was cool with it all.

I had to do my pulse ox study the other night.  I LOVE the fact that my toe lights up bright red and think it is soooo awesome to pull that off.  My Mom get's all mad about it and we didn't get much sleep that night.  I still can't figure out what her deal was, I mean it's no biggie I got to nap the next day so the fact that we didn't get much sleep that night shouldn't get her all bent out of shape.  Geez...

My brother and sisters have been going to VBS this week so I joined them one evening and lasted and hour and a half.  Pretty good for me.  I had fun playing with this little boy until he tried to tell me what to do...I wasn't feelin that so much.

I will leave you with a little video from my play therapy date yesterday...

Later folks, I gotta get ready for a big outing on Friday, my Mom and her bestie are taking 7 kids to Busch Gardens...yep, they are crazy!

Congenital

It is not often that I have a minute alone with just one of my kids.  So when I do, I treasure it, I drink it in and hold the memory tight because before long I'm sure I will have a very quiet house.  Gracie and I have a standing date on the 1st Sat of every month.  It may be something small like going to Starbucks and having Hot Coco and just talking or it may be going to get a Pedicure or just hiding out in my room, locking the door and watching a movie.  Whatever it is, I try to make it special because girls need their Mamas!  I will continue this with Anna Claire when she is a little older.  I don't often get special time with Jake because, well, I'm just not cool enough to hang out with Jake....or so he thinks!

But this morning, after making lunches, getting kids dressed, dropping them off in different places all before 7:30 I realized that I had Jake in the car all to my self.  So we talked ...about random stuff but I listened, really listened, no interruption from my blackberry or the radio just me and him and here is how our conversation went:

Jake - "Mom,  we have a kid at camp who has something wrong with him"

Me - "What do you mean, wrong with him"?

Jake - "Well, his ribs stick out really far and he has trouble breathing, he can't run and play like the rest of us and sometimes he has to use oxygen, I think it's a congenital issue".

Me - "Congenital"?

Jake - "Yeah, you know Mom, born that way, how God makes you before you are born"

Me - "Hmm, so what does he do all day"?

Jake - "Me,  Draven and Gavin and ask him to sit with us at lunch and we invite him to play games like board games and stuff that won't make him tired"

Me - "That is very nice of you boys"

Jake - "I guess, I wouldn't want my brother to not have anyone to play with if he was at camp because of his congenital issue so I figure maybe God will remember that when Ethan is my age and someone will play with him when I'm not around"

Me - (hiding behind tears falling behind my sunglasses) "You're a good boy, Jake, God made you that way you know, right?"

Jake - "Geez Mom, your not crying are you?" "You can't drop me off like that, get it together..."

And that is how our 3 minute conversation went on the way to summer camp today and I will drink it in and forever hold it close to my heart.....

Proverbs 22:6

Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Judgement

We have all done it, because we are not perfect, we are Human. You know what I'm talking about.  I've seen a Mom in a store with a child who was wild and screaming and the Mom didn't do anything and I've thought to myself, "Not my Child, I wouldn't put up with that".  Or I've seen a parent yell at a child when I've thought it wasn't necessary.  The truth is, it's wrong.  We don't know what it really going on.  Is a Mom ignoring a child who has behavior issues due to something like Autism and that is how she handles it?  Did a Parent just lose a job and is stressed about how they are going to pay the bills and they yell at their child in public (and probably feel horrible about it later).

Why do we do it?  Why can't we just smile and go on?  It doesn't matter if we are rich, poor, black or white the majority of us Moms all have the same goal - at the end of the day we want the very best for our children and are doing the very best that we can.  We want happy, healthy, adjusted children.  Let's give each other a break!

Yesterday, I was at the Nephrologist with Ethan and he was fussy.  I mean, really do you blame the kid?  The minute we step into a Doctor's office he completely freaks out - he is terrified.  I think if we walked by a store selling scrubs he would probably fall apart.  I have learned though that if I hold him his sling he is easier to comfort.  So I do, all 23 pounds 30 inches and almost 19 months of him.  People stare, I wonder if they are staring because he is a toddler and I'm carrying him around like a baby, if they are staring because he is screaming or perhaps they are staring because he looks a little different.  Who knows?  However, yesterday a Mother (complete stranger to me) was sitting in the waiting room with her 3 year old and after an hour of me consoling Ethan in his sling she asked me how old he was.I answered, "almost 19 months".  In which she replied "You need to put him down and let him run around, that's what his problem is, you are holding him and treating him like a baby"  For a moment, I think I was a little in shock and lot's of not very nice things ran through my head like "Hey Lady, I would love to put him down, but guess what, he can't walk or crawl or if I put him down he is going to scream and breakdown because he thinks he may be stuck with a needle or held down against his will or perhaps he may have his 7th surgery".  Luckily, it was our turn to see the Doctor and so I didn't....I should have but I didn't....

It got me to thinking though, about how we judge other Mothers when we don't know all the facts.  I'm pretty sure I have enough sense not to say something like that to a total stranger just like I would never ask a woman who I didn't know when her baby was due.  You never know, maybe she just had a big lunch and she's not pregnant.  Yeah, I'm sure I wouldn't say anything that stupid out loud but I might think it.  I'm gonna work on that because us Mom's got enough to worry about besides what other Moms are thinking about us.

However, if you are that Mom I saw last week at the Pediatrician's office who was yapping on the phone to your friend about what Club you were gonna go to over the weekend and your kid tried to get your attention about 5 times because she wanted you to read to her and finally you told her to "Stop it, can't you see I'm on the phone" ?  Well, I'll be that Mom in the corner with a really big toddler in a sling trying to console him and thinking to myself "Hey, Dumbass get off the phone and give your kid some attention" because after all I'm only human....

Goodbye

Today we said goodbye to the Exersaucer and Jeep Walker.  Ethan is just too big now and it has become dangerous for him to play in them.  It was with a sad heavy heart that I passed them along.  My baby is growing up.  Oh, but wait that is awesome 'cause remember that stupid doctor who told us we needed to make a decision about termination?  Ha!  Maybe I should add her to my Christmas Card list....

And now with the money that I made from selling these I'm gonna buy him this...

For once it's not Ethan!

Anna Claire was a very healthy baby.  She had maybe 2 ear infections and except for the time we had to rush to the doctor because her sister pulled her arm out of joint, her baby and toddler years were uneventful.  However, in Jan. she started having recurring ear infections and fluid in her ears.  Then she burst her eardrum and the ENT said tubes were needed.  So along we went today to have them done.  She was an angel and we had NO drama.  Easiest medical procedure we have had done in a while and it kinda felt weird not to be checking Ethan in.  In fact, I almost wrote his name on the paperwork ....that's bad!

I thought it was cute how they put her bands around her ankle.  Of course she was stylin with the Twinkle Toes "cause you know a girls gotta look good!

And a little lip gloss before they took her away made it even better!

A trip to Brusters was made for Pink Icecream for this rockstar!

Addiction

They say that the 1st step is to admit you have a problem.  Well folks, I have a problem.  An addiction of sorts ..... Vanilla Diet Cokes with Crushed Ice from Sonic.  I believe I have passed this on to Ethan....

For Better or Worse....

I love my husband for many reasons.  I love him for how he loves me unconditionally - no matter what.  For better or for worse he amazes me .... always.

I knew the moment they put Jake in his arms that he would be an amazing father.  The way he rushed down to the nursery to check on his little guy.  During the first 6 weeks of colic how he would put him in his car seat and drive around town at midnight so I could sleep or how he changed diapers like a pro and never complained.  I love how he would take Jake to the park all by himself so they could spend "Guy Time" together or how he built train tracks with Jake all over the house together.  I love how they share the love of sports and racing. They have their own "Guy Talk"

I loved him even more when his 1st daughter was born.  I love how protective he is and how he says his daughters won't date until they are 30.  Or how when he sees a teenage girl holding hands with a boy in public he says "Not his daughters".  I love how patient he is even when this particular daughter has changed clothes 6 times, cried because her hair isn't right and throw a pair of shoes down the stairs.  He just shakes his head and smiles.

I love how he has let this little girl wrap him right around her finger.  I love how she adores her Daddy and thinks he is the biggest, strongest, smartest Daddy in the whole wide world.  I love how when she is hurt, sick or tired the first person she wants is her Daddy.

I love how he held my hand and looked me right in the eyes as I was melting away in a dark ultrasound room when a Doctor told me our little boy was very sick and may not live.  How he squeezed my shoulder and told me "We will make it, it's gonna be OK, we will do this together"  I love when I catch him stroking Ethan's hair and gazing at him and knowing exactly what he thinking. 

I love him for so many reasons but the most important gift he has given me are the four most amazing children and a Father who loves them no matter what....For Better or For Worse.... What a gift....

and I hope that my children never grow out of needing their Daddy.  I know I haven't!  Happy Father's Day to my Daddy!!

Happy Fathers Day!