future doctor?

I don't know if it's the excessive amounts of time we've spent in the hospital, or what, but Grady and Ella love to play with this stethoscope. They put it up to each other and say, "listen, heart".
Yesterday they were doing this for an especially long time, and it was pretty cute so I had to get the camera out......


Right after I took the first picture, Ella said, "Grady around....listen back" I had to try really hard not to laugh! Ella remembers everything!

Easter

The best family picture we could get..... :)

Happy Easter!

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade - kept in heaven for you" 1 Peter 1:3-4

sneaky baby

Tonight Grady and Ella got a pudding treat after dinner. I was cleaning some stuff up in the kitchen when I noticed Mikah...... If I would have found the twins in this scenario at 9 months, I probably would have freaked out, but I just decided to get the camera instead! I'm pretty sure there was more on her face than could have gotten in her mouth :)

First night alone.

Carrie has stepped up to lead a group of 6 to Macau China to partner with Jan Roys, a missionary from our church. I took them to the airport yesterday morning and got confirmation this afternoon that they arrived safely. You can follow their trip at http://www.macau2010.blogspot.com/

The kids spent the night at Carrie's mom's house last night and I went to bible study. It was a sad and lonely night coming home to an empty house. She has only been gone for a day but has seemed like eternity. I'm not going to lie, life is hard as a young family. 3 kids are a lot of work and Carrie does such an amazing job as a mom. I have yet to know how she does everything and still has the sanity to get up and do it again the next day.

Tonight I'm home alone again as her mom is going to watch the kids tomorrow too. It was just easier to have them spend the night there than trying to coordinate in the morning.

I miss her so much. Miss having someone in the passengers seat when I'm driving, someone to talk to at night, laugh with, someone to watch TV with, read with, cuddle with. You don't realize how much you love someone until they are gone. God works in crazy timing and I needed to realize how much I love her right now.

Pray for their mission, that God would use this group to impact generations to come and his name be known. Pray for his will and that every circumstance would deepen our intimacy with Christ.

Stephen

oh, grady!

On Sunday afternoon we wrapped up yet another stay in the hospital for Grady. I brought him into the doctor Monday morning of last week and was not prepared to be sent over to the hospital for six nights from the doctor's office. Yes, I believe Grady has spent somewhere around 27 days in the hospital in his short two years here.....which has many of you asking, "Why in the world is he getting pneumonia and being hospitalized so often?"

Well, we have a little better grip on what's going on after this last visit. They've diagnosed him with "restrictive (or reactive) airway disease". No, this is not asthma. It's actually just kind of a fancy term used as a specific diagnosis can't be made - if you can make sense of that! In Grady's case, he has had a history of very labored breathing and wheezing when he gets sick...causing him to be a lot worse off than when the average kid gets sick. We've adopted a nebulizer at home because of this and need to use it to help him breath almost every time he gets sick. For the first couple of bad illnesses, they called it "bronchialitis". Since it has been a recurring thing, his doctor now classifies him as having this "restrictive airway disease". Yes, he has had pneumonia as well, and although he's been on antibiotics each time, they don't believe these bouts have been true bacterial pneumonia, probably just viral. The steroids and breathing treatments are what it took to get this kid back to normal.

Anyway, his doctor has explained to me that as Grady grows, his airways will get bigger and will hopefully outgrow these problems. Good news! For now, we've started him on some preventative medicine that he takes each day to hopefully prevent future hospitalizations.

Grady is a true trooper at the hospital.....and if I might add, a favorite patient among the nurses! We're so happy he's better, and so are his sisters! Thanks for all your prayers, help, and all the generous offers of help over the last couple weeks. We're so blessed to have a great support system!

Grady getting a surprise visit by Ella.

Showing her his cool play room at the hospital

Our last night here, and on the mend! I think he's going to miss the ice cream at every meal!

I think he was getting a little bored in the play room when he wanted to be in the baby swing!

Ready to go home!

Bye-bye hospital!

The night we got home, he wouldn't take off Ella's sunglasses for anything! He's getting good at giving himself the nebulizer treatments!

Back to playing "jumping janes" in Ellas crib! I love you, sister!

Birthday Party

A Dora & Diego party with pizza.....all our favorites!

"Dowa cake!" as exclaimed by Ella

Ok, you can eat with your foot on the table on your birthday!

The cake of shame......long story short - four cakes later as two cakes stuck to the cake pan on the way out....the Diego cake mommy was making didn't get finished in time :( Mommy shed a few tears when she realized his cake wouldn't be done in time. Daddy saved the day pleading with a HyVee bakery person to change a truck cake into a Diego cake! They did it, and guess what? I don't think Grady cared that his cake wasn't made by mommy. Ohhhh the things we do "for our kids" which we're actually doing for ourself! It's time to be honest :)

He actually really liked the plastic toys on the cake! Can you believed I even debated finishing his Diego cake after the party to take a picture and make it look as if I finished his cake in our photo memories? Hehe..

Out sweet little, big boy!

Dancing on the couch! Wish I would have gotten a good picture of them with their cousins at the party....anyone have one to send me?

Ending the night with quite possibly our favorite presents....the electric toothbrushes!

mikah!

Our sweet baby Mikah just turned 8 months. Wow, does the "baby" time sure fly by fast!


She is turning into a little person right before our eyes and sure keeps me on my toes as she is into everything. She likes to follow Grady and Ella around, which they are not always so fond of. I think they liked her a lot better when she was a little blob lying in a bouncy seat and out of their way! They're very sweet to her when she's drinking a bottle and like to help.....but look out if she wants their toy. (Ok, as I type this she just got a lego thrown at her -luckily Ella doesn't have great aim!)


I think this could be the month she walks as well, (which seems way too early to me) as she experiments letting go and standing on her own for longer periods of time each day. She is very pleased with herself :) I don't know how we lucked out with such great babes, but Mikah is honestly the most content, happy baby in the world. I have to consciously take time in the day to stop and play with her individually, because she would never complain if I didn't.


Here are some of Mikah's adorable six month pictures taken by Ashley Schrage. http://www.ashleyschragephotography.com/ Yes, this was two months ago! Time slips away so fast. Enjoy!