Halloween Craftiness

It is definitely Fall. The cold crisp air, the leaves changing colors, the random outbreaks of the flu (sorry, when your parents are crazy germaphobes . . . uh, yeah.) But one thing that is awesome about fall is that since we are now having to spend more time at home inside, we now have Craft Time!

Here I am with some super amazing cousins who just happened to love me so much as to come visit me. I love family, sigh.

I LOVE crafting!

The book that inspired our desire to draw a bunch of pumpkins.

And we bought some of these.

Our first attempt included drawing on them with markers, but we found out there are few problems with markers . . .

His mother is a horticulturist, but I think the term is green thumb, not blue finger.

Oh dear, the blueness is spreading! At least my Mommy does pay attention to somethings and made sure to buy the "Most Washable." What did Ryker get to do while we were all crafty . . . fend for himself on the floor. But don't you worry, my aunt cheered him up with a little treat called "Candy Corn." Yummy!
But today, during play doh time, I made my best Fall Craft with Daddy. Play Doh Pumpkins. I can't wait to see what else we will do.

Surgery Number 10

I am the type of person that doesn't want to miss out on anything. Even though I have had plenty of experiences in the OR, I have been feeling bad that there are some surgeries that are commonplace that I haven't experienced yet. So I worked my magic and got one minor ear infection that caused my middle ear to be filled with fluid. Tympanostomy Tubes for me, please. I had this procedure done last week and if you had seen how my parents were fretting, well you know what they are like. So of course to prevent my mother from going into a crazy hysterical fit I allowed her to take a multitude of pictures to chronicle this event. Here I am ready to go. I have on my super comfy sweat pants and my Game Day Jersey. Why the Jersey you may ask? It makes me feel TOUGH (deeply manly voice followed by some manly grunting).

My wagon full of my gear. You may also be wondering why we had to bring all my equipment for a normally simple/easy procedure. I am me, and if you aren't prepared I will throw you through a loop. Really, I like to make sure everyone knows that preparation is the key.

In my carseat running through the checklist. My mom was in the front sit wimpering away, so of course I was trying to show her it was no big deal. Really, this was going to be nothing.

In my super cute hospital gown. If I am wearing it, it must be adorable.

And here I am after they gave me my pre-op dose of Versed. Versed, I like that medicine, it is a happy medicine. During my little visit to the OR, Mommy's and Daddy's really good friends brought them in dinner and sat and talked and laughed with them (mostly to prevent them from going absolutely bonkers with worry). Well I did so Marvelously well, that they pretty much just shewed us out the door and Mommy didn't have time to take a post-op picture. But just look at the picture above and imagine me sleepy and grumpy from everyone trying to wake me up after such a nice sleep.

For those who care or are just curious to why the title says Surgery number 10, well that is just one way of counting. If you were to count surgical procedures (they have been able to fix more than problem during the some of the surgeries) this was surgical procedure number 13, and that number has bad karma. So we called this surgery number 10, sounds nicer, friendlier, not so scary. But crazy as this sounds this doesn't even count all the times I have been to the OR for different test and all the other non-OR procdures I have. I try to simply where I can.

I'm a Boy and I am Proud to Me!

I am a BOY, I like to live on the edge, I like to live dangerously, I like to make my Momy go bananas with worry. Mommy now says she is just happy I make it through a day without it ending with a trip to the E.R. for stitches. I love my job!


The innocent beginnings. But just wait.

But I see this new toy and must discover how to properly utilitize its joy ensuring power.

What, did you say Sit and spin, standing is soo mucher cooler.

I've Got a New Way to Walk

I, Ryker-Boy, have now officially joined the ranks of the upright population. Here is to moving forward . . . and . . . well . . . upright!!!

We love each other.

We really like to take walks as a family. Well, Mommy and Daddy walk, Ryker and I sit in the stroller and give commentary on what we see. "Squirrel!!!" But sometimes, not too often, we get all snuggled up together and get sooooo very comfy cozy that we just have to take a little nap.

Finger Painting!!!

I have recently learned that there are many a childhood wonder that my mother has been trying to deprive me of. There is something to say about sticking my fingers into a cold ooey gooey colorey mess and then wiping it all over things and having Mommy cheer at my astonishing artistic abilities.

Showing off my "skillz"!

OOEY GOOEY!!!

So more than my fingers were doing the smearing. What can I say, when inspiration hits you just gotta do it.

The Masterpiece. It is now displayed in the coveted location that all masterpieces desire to be displayed, the Refrigerator door

Out With The Old In With New!

A few days ago I wrote about The Calendar. Today I write about something even "bigger." Today our amazing medical equipment coordinator/respiratory therapist came to our home and took away the Savina, the ventilator that is the reason I was ever able to come home that first time and grow to be the Marvelous Michelle that I am today. But as is the way with the medical world, things are constantly changing and getting better. As amazing and wonderful it was, this ventilator was never meant for home use and well, it was truly built for the hospital. It weighs approximately 53 lbs and the back-up batteries weigh practically that same amount themselves (Daddy's back is singing songs of joy right now). It was rather finicky and well you had to be rather careful or it might just get so angry it would burst into flames, literally, but that will have to wait for a Flashback Friday from my Mommy.

Along with the ventilator our big blue cart that it resided on had to leave. We lovingly named it the "The Blue Whale" due to its gargantuan size. So now we bid you farewell trusty Savina and Blue Whale. You have served us well and we will always remember you!

Now for the new and improved ventilator.

This is the Liberty 100. Liberty . . . I like the sound of that. To me and my family it is just that, it is Liberating. This new little thing weighs a whole whopping 11 lbs (even wimpo Mommy can lift and carry this sucker around.) It has little tiny Lithium Ion batteries that are extremely light and hold a lot of power. Plus there is this fancy schmancy option of having an SD card inside that records oodles and oodles of data that my doctors and therapist can use to see how I am doing. Here is to progress and awesome new changes.

Last Minute Vacation

A little while ago I was supposed to have ear tubes placed. Oh the joy of having yet another surgery was too much for me to handle. At the last minute, surgery was canceled. Disappointment filled my little soul. So to cheer me up, my parents took me and my trusty sidekick on a mini-adventure. (Ryker truly was disappointed because Grandma was supposed to come watch him while I was at the hospital have such fun times.) So over the river (actually we did go over a river) and through the woods (we passed a mailbox with the name wood on in it, hope that counts) to grandmother's house we went. It started with eating sushi by a moonlit fire, yummy sushi. The next day began with my Mom going into cardiac arrest after a tarantula attacked her my grandpa's bathroom. I don't think Daddy has laughed that hard ever. Then we had a picnic that afternoon, and my parents finally remembered they had packed the camera.

Ryker's first expereince crawling on grass. Good thing it was rather plush since Grandma decided to fertilize this year and added "just a bit extra" to the distributor. Hehehe.

Giving Mommy "The Look" for making him crawl while she took his picture.
Enjoying some family time on this granchild's dream of swingset.

Just being my natural cute self.

YUCKY!!! P.D.A. is so not acceptable. We are going to have to discuss this obscene behavior with them.

I am not quite sure what they are doing, but when you get my mom and her sister together . . . well . . . you are seeing for yourself.

I have decided that I was a rancher in a previous life, riding horses comes natural to me.

My two boys. If you wanted to know the reason I smile so much, it is because of these two goof balls. Mommy and I wouldn't know what to do without them.

We went on walk through some beautiful botanical gardens near my grandparents house and . . .

uhm . . . there was a little accident. Oh Tino what will we ever do with you , sigh.My Grandma and me. Nothing is more Heavenly than a grandma.

Our grandparents and us. Notice how I am NOT smiling. Well after picture 316, I just couldn't do it anymore. My mom has a serious problem with taking way too many pictures.

Ryker and Grandpa just hanging. I think they have a special bond since their Birthdays are so close.

The next we spent with our other Grandma and Grandpa. Of course my parents again forgot the they had packed the camera. Honestly if their heads were not securely attached they would never remember them. It a was a fabulous, but way too short of a trip. We love our Grandparents and can't wait to see them again.

Just Helping Out

I may be the sidekick, but by golly, I take that title serious. Lately I have been watching my sister do alot of helping around the house, and I have decided to try and do my part too. I am not the most coordinated yet, so folding clothes is quite a good option. And I am not the tallest, so putting things aways is a little difficult. But I have found something perfect for me. Pulling out the dishwasher rack for Michelle and Mommy so they can get the dishes out to put away. It is small job, but it is my job and I will do it with pride.

The Calendar

So when my Mommy and Daddy found out they were having their first baby over 3 and a half years ago, Mommy went out and bought this dry erase calendar. It was perfect to write their work schedule down on, when Daddy had clinicals, the all important baby appointments, and especially how many weeks old I was. It became very important to them during those eight months because they very early on started having to juggle weekly appointments with mutiple speicalists and different tests and that side section was constantly being filled up with special instructions for all those specialists and tests. You may be looking at that calendar right now and think that is just last month, it was last month . . . 3 years ago. Mommy finally made a big step for herself and erased that month off the calendar. It was a month that completed changed Daddy and Mommy's existence, everything they knew about life and this world was turned up side down and inside out. It was an end to one existence, and the beginning of something new. It was if she saw that calendar as her connecting point to the two separate lives she has now lived and if she were to erase the writing she would erase her connection. But she has finally realized that they really aren't that separate, that they are the same wonderful life and that it only keeps getting better. Good bye August 2006 Calendar.

Picture Time!

A few weeks ago, our used-to-be across the street, absolutely amazing, and very very very missed neighbor took some fabulous family photos (betcha can't say that five times fast, hehehe). My mom has some serious amazing luck in finding great photographers to do our family pictures. Last year we had my super amazing aunt, this year our wonderful neighbor, but there was her wedding photographer, but we don't bring that up, it doesn't lead to kind loving thoughts. I have to say though, that the photographers jobs are pretty easy when they have super cute models like my brother and I to work with. So be forewarned, there quite a few pictures to follow, but like I said when the pictures include me and my trusty sidekick, well the results are just too darn cute to keep to ourselves.

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You Miss Angie! These pictures definitely let our cuteness shine. Well if any of you would like to see more of her amazing work just click on Angie Dodds Photography. Now to just get Mommy to print some of these gorgeous pictures and put them up in frames.