Top Four Reasons...

Guest writer: Mommy

So we have been a bit MIA in blogdom. Now I hadn't thought much of it until I got a phone call from one of my closest friends who has recently moved away. She called to make sure everything was okay and that we  weren't having anymore of our crazy adventures. Well, actually things are GREAT! But there are four major reasons that we have gotten a little behind in our chronicling of our family adventures.

Reason Number 4: 

This is our Maxwell. He likes to make sure I am never lonely. He loves snuggles and eating and eating and eating and snuggles. He is probably the noisiest baby we have had, always telling anybody who will listen one of his many stories. Constantly gives us sweet little smirks and flutters those long dark eyelashes any chance he gets. Normal baby stuff you may say. Well that's not all.

At his 6 month well check he gave us a bit of a surprise. Can't be in our family unless you find a way to get a referral to a specialist. Our super amazing Pediatrician (who honestly deserves Sainthood after dealing with our family) heard a murmur.

REALLY?!?!

Well less than a week later Michelle's Cardiologist gave me a call and asked to bring him in that afternoon. Took this little man in and as soon the Cardiologist took a listen he said he heard two different murmurs but felt both were benign. But with our long standing history, he did an echocardiogram to make sure. Yep, no defects, his heart is perfect, just likes to make a few extra sounds.

Phew

He is already following the oldest two steps in learning to stress his parents. Good thing he is so stinking cute!

Reason Number 3:

Here is the Lukester. He also believes that I should never be alone. He loves to snuggle and eat and eat and eat and snuggle. He always has the biggest cheeser smiles. He might not be as talkative, but he can move! Already rolling over and trying to go for those things he wants. He is definitely our only baby that I can say has been rolley polley, and let me tell you, it is awesome! Again all normal baby stuff. Well that's not all.

At the 6 month well check I told our super amazing Pediatrician that he had been a little hoarse for about a week. But hadn't shown any symptoms (I promise). Well she started checking him out and said he felt a little warm, had the nurse check his temperature, and of course he had a fever. She then checked him out and last of all looked in the back of his throat and said "Yep, there  it is."

What?!?!

She then preceded to tell me he had canker-like sores in the back of throat and that recently in the community there had been a weird viral infection going around that was like hand foot and mouth, but it affected only the mouth.

Nice.

Well we spent the next week fighting high fevers and making sure he was hydrated, good thing he likes to eat and eat and eat. But even with all of that, he was still super sweet and cute and smiley and of course, snuggly.

Reason Number 2:

Now there is no forgetting about our Ryker-Boy. He has a style all his own. He loves to move and jump, to throw things and kick things, to mow the lawn, to work with tools, he is depressed we want to sell our SUV, but is willing to look at muscles cars. But at the end of the day he still loves to snuggle.

No crazy things have happened with this one...yet. We are waiting though. He likes to jump head first off the slide at his cousin's birthday party. He has decided to test Daddy's refluxes by jumping off the top bunk. Thought we would get him Pop-Its for the Fourth of July for fun, he then starts popping them with his bare fingers and we catch right before tries to pop one with his teeth, sigh.

But he also amazes us. One day, I told him we were going to have a visitor and asked who he thought would be fun to have visit. He sat and thought and then told me he would like Jesus to come to visit. Me too Buddy. He has recently learned to pray almost all by himself, which means we bless our food several times a meal, and it takes several prayers before we can go to bed at night. And the things that he prays for, well they are very sweet. He has also taken to singing and sings his little heart all the time. And it is anything from Twinkle Twinkle, to A Beautiful Day by U2

So even though I am waiting for the moment to run him to the ER, I love every minute with the this little man.

Reason Number 1:

And of course our Marvelous Michelle. She is definitely the princess of this home. She loves the color red, ice cream is its own food group, dresses and skirts and anything twirly makes her day, Mommy Number 2 is one of her titles,  and we are not allowed to forget that she is almost 5 and will be going to start Kindergarten this fall. Oh, and need I say, that she loves her snuggle time.

We have many adventures lined up. In the next few weeks she will be having surgery to release her Tethered Cord. Hopefully it will be a quick easy recovery, cross our fingers. Then come September we are going to take a cross country trip. Now we are natives to the Pacific Northwest and love the many Children's Hospitals here, but we have the opportunity to take her to a  facility where they specialize in Airway Abnormilities. So Cincinnati Children's Hospital here we come. I can not tell you how much time we have spent on the phone trying to coordinate this, and how much more time it is going to take. But it is the right thing to do. We have prayed and feel that going we is important. Whether they can surgically repair her trachea or not, we will at least find out the answer and be able to move forward.

Then there is the part where Mommy has lost her senses. I have found this totally awesome charter school in our area. I feel it will fit our family really well, but the thing is...it is a program to help us Homeschool. Yep, we are becoming one of those families. There are many reasons we have decided to go down this path, and we are excited. I know there are many horror stories out there where it has gone  so very wrong. We have heard them too. And we did not make this decision lightly, and we feel good about it. It means a lot of work and responsibility for Daddy and I. Heaven sakes, I can't tell you how much time and effort we have already put into this and all the meetings and paperwork we have already had to do. But this is right and  boy is Michelle so excited to start.

In Conclusion:

We are busy enjoying life! There is never a dull or quiet moment here in our home and it is only going to get louder and more exciting. And yes there are days where we feel very overwhelmed and tired. But we strive to enjoy and focus on the happiness that comes from all four reasons. And yes, we love our snuggles!