Life has been extremely busy lately, and I feel like I can't catch up! Today I get to be home all day! Rance has school and Matt work, but they will be home all evening, thanks to the weather being to cold for Rance's soccer practice.
I am planning on putting a big pot of chili on the stove to simmer and baking some pumpkin bread and pumpkin seeds! I also have a lot of things I need to get done around the house that have been put off far to long. I have a small list of things I want to accomplish today, so we'll see how it goes. It will be hard to get out of bed when I am still feeling so tired and Cavin has been so snugly lately!
Baby C Update
Tomorrow I will be 17 weeks! I am going to the doctor every other week for right now, because my cervix has been looking great! This week it shortened a bit, but nothing to be concerned about. This appointment and the one two weeks before, our sonographer has tried to tell us the sex of Baby C, but so far we still have question marks at the end, although she is pretty sure. I am hoping our next ultrasound will provide confirmation complete with exclamation points!! I have been put on a very light rest regimen due to some cramping last week that still comes and goes, but has been much better. I am still allowed to do life, just to take it easy when I can, especially if I am having any cramping. Baby C is growing like a weed, crazy how quickly they grow and change!
Rance is currently in his first full week of school! We were definitely blessed with a local private school that is just a few miles from our church, in which Rance attends. With him being in school we have definitely been reminded of how short of a time we have had him! He has adjusted so well it is easy for us to forget we have only had him just over 8 months. Although it was a really hard decision to make to put him in school, we knew that is what he needed most. So far he has loved it! We have been busy trying to learn all of the ins and outs of the school and how they do things. Its kind of weird to be parents of a second grader already!
Cavin also goes to school, and will bug us about it from the time we drop Rance off until the time we get to his school! He will constantly ask about his school and seeing his teacher! I help a teacher at the preschool at our church 2 days a week, so Cavin hangs out with our class as well. Although he is only 2, he will sit and color as long, if not longer, than our 4 year olds! Between learning at school and me working with him at home, he has learned his colors (big thanks to Fruit Loops and his obsession with them!), he can count and is beginning to recognize his numbers and letters. He also knows all of his shapes. He is growing up so fast and changes everyday!
Well, if I am going to get my small list accomplished along with resting, I had better get started!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Good News!!
So a couple of things...
First, we have decided to call this baby, Baby C! Although we find out the sex, we keep the name a secret until the baby is born. However, I don't like calling the baby "it" or just he or she all of the time. So we try to come up with a fun name for the baby during pregnancy. Cavin was Baby Red after his Aunt Redner. Baby C is named such because this is my third pregnancy (third letter of the alphabet), and whether it is a boy or a girl, there will be a "C" somewhere in its name!
So, today was my first appointment since the surgery. My cervix checked out great, measuring at 4.4! Baby C was super active, we even got to see him/her moving its mouth! Baby C is growing perfectly, he/she actually measured 2 days ahead!
Everything looked so great, Dr. T said instead of coming in every week like he was thinking, I was able to make BI-WEEKLY appointments for the rest of the year! Definitely exciting!
We also found out what we were having today, but since it is still so early in the pregnancy, we're going to wait until after my next ultrasound in two weeks to share the big news!
We are so thankful this pregnancy is off to such a great start, and we continue to pray that God will keep Baby C safe in my tummy until I am full term!
First, we have decided to call this baby, Baby C! Although we find out the sex, we keep the name a secret until the baby is born. However, I don't like calling the baby "it" or just he or she all of the time. So we try to come up with a fun name for the baby during pregnancy. Cavin was Baby Red after his Aunt Redner. Baby C is named such because this is my third pregnancy (third letter of the alphabet), and whether it is a boy or a girl, there will be a "C" somewhere in its name!
So, today was my first appointment since the surgery. My cervix checked out great, measuring at 4.4! Baby C was super active, we even got to see him/her moving its mouth! Baby C is growing perfectly, he/she actually measured 2 days ahead!
Everything looked so great, Dr. T said instead of coming in every week like he was thinking, I was able to make BI-WEEKLY appointments for the rest of the year! Definitely exciting!
We also found out what we were having today, but since it is still so early in the pregnancy, we're going to wait until after my next ultrasound in two weeks to share the big news!
We are so thankful this pregnancy is off to such a great start, and we continue to pray that God will keep Baby C safe in my tummy until I am full term!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Tired and Thankful
I am already tired of bed rest, and its been 2 and 1/2 days, and I've been able to sit up, fix my own food, and meet my parents for dinner to pick up my sweet boys. Trying to figure out how on earth I laid flat for well over 3 months, not sitting up, with a 10 step allowance for walking at a time, a 5 minute shower allowance that I fought for, and Matt fixing my food for me each day before leaving for work.
I have no idea how I did it, but I am so thankful that we were able to do the cerclage this go around, and praying it will keep me from strict bed rest!
I am feeling great. My lower back is still a little sore from the spinal, and my lower tummy is sore when I bend or move around a lot, but both of those should continue to gradually fade away. I wasn't sure what I expected to feel like afterwards, but I know I didn't expect to feel this good!
So today should be my last day of rest, then tomorrow I will be allowed to start slowly exploring the limits of what my body can handle. Still, there will be things I am not allowed to do, the hardest being not allowed to pick up Cavin. While I will be sure to find other ways to get my snuggles, it will be hard for him to understand why I can't pick him up.
Last but not least, I am also thankful to have the most giving husband in the world. Typically being pregnant requires a lot of sacrifice on the mom's part and little on the husband's. However, in our situation, it requires as much, if not more sacrifice for Matt. I am hoping this go around won't be as much as the last, but I know whatever it takes, Matt will do without complaining. He is already stepping up to help out with the things I am no longer able to do, and I am so thankful for his willing and giving spirit.
A prayer request outside of this pregnancy, Matt and I are really thinking about and praying about putting Rance in school. While he is excelling with home schooling, we feel he really, really needs to social aspect of school and being around kids his age. Matt is much more at ease with putting him in school, but his protective mom is having a hard time letting go! So we continue to pray and seek out what will be best for Rance.
We also are praying to close on our home at the end of October, and in the meantime that God leads us to the perfect home for us in Wentzville.
Lots going on in our family, but I will try to do better updating our blog in the midst of the craziness!
I have no idea how I did it, but I am so thankful that we were able to do the cerclage this go around, and praying it will keep me from strict bed rest!
I am feeling great. My lower back is still a little sore from the spinal, and my lower tummy is sore when I bend or move around a lot, but both of those should continue to gradually fade away. I wasn't sure what I expected to feel like afterwards, but I know I didn't expect to feel this good!
So today should be my last day of rest, then tomorrow I will be allowed to start slowly exploring the limits of what my body can handle. Still, there will be things I am not allowed to do, the hardest being not allowed to pick up Cavin. While I will be sure to find other ways to get my snuggles, it will be hard for him to understand why I can't pick him up.
Last but not least, I am also thankful to have the most giving husband in the world. Typically being pregnant requires a lot of sacrifice on the mom's part and little on the husband's. However, in our situation, it requires as much, if not more sacrifice for Matt. I am hoping this go around won't be as much as the last, but I know whatever it takes, Matt will do without complaining. He is already stepping up to help out with the things I am no longer able to do, and I am so thankful for his willing and giving spirit.
A prayer request outside of this pregnancy, Matt and I are really thinking about and praying about putting Rance in school. While he is excelling with home schooling, we feel he really, really needs to social aspect of school and being around kids his age. Matt is much more at ease with putting him in school, but his protective mom is having a hard time letting go! So we continue to pray and seek out what will be best for Rance.
We also are praying to close on our home at the end of October, and in the meantime that God leads us to the perfect home for us in Wentzville.
Lots going on in our family, but I will try to do better updating our blog in the midst of the craziness!
Monday, September 26, 2011
As Perfect as Can Be
I am writing this post from my hospital room, but I will be going home tonight!!
Our morning started early, 4am, giving me time to get showered and ready, drive the 45 minutes to the hospital and have time to stop and get Matt his morning Coke and breakfast!
We got here and the process got started right away. I got me some lovely green hospital gowns and the coolest booties! The only part I was really nervous about was that they had me down for going under general anesthesia, and I wasn't sure how I felt about going all the way under. I was praying that they would let me do a spinal with local anesthesia. All of the nurses with the beginning stuff commented on how much they too love my doc, which I completely agreed with!
After all of the preliminaries were taken care of we were taken back to another room where we met and talked with my doc about every detail of the procedure. I talked with him about not wanting to do general anesthesia, which he understood, and said I was lucky, because I had the best anesthesiologist there. He said if anyone would be willing to do the spinal, it would be him! I love answered prayer!
Right after we finished talking with Dr. T, the anesthesiologist, Dr. B, came in, who was super sweet with his accent, and after introductions, his first words were: "I would like to do a spinal rather than general, because I feel that is safest for the baby...." I didn't even have to ask! I love how God loves and takes care of us!
So once Dr. B got the iv started we were off to the operating room. A nurse was there from labor and delivery to listen to the baby's heartbeat. She really never found it, and the longer it went, the more nervous I got. She just wasn't used to finding heartbeats on baby's so small. I just continued to pray, and in walked Dr. T. He took one look at my face, gently took the dopplar, immediately found the baby's heartbeat, then looked at me and winked. I love how he knows and understands my fears, without even asking.
Next up was the spinal, which wasn't bad at all, Dr. B was awesome. The first time Dr. T asked me how I was doing, after I said good, he said, well, I'm already about half way done! It only took him about 15 minutes to put the stitches in. Got to hear the baby's heartbeat again, and then I was taken to recovery for an hour, and finally a room upstairs in the "nesting ward." One of the nurses looked at me and said you look familiar, have you been here before? I just laughed and said yes, several times with my last pregnancy.
It took a while for the numbness to wear off, and the dizziness finally went away once they let me eat! Since then I have been feeling great! Little to no cramping, absolutely no contractions, and little to no bleeding. We couldn't have asked for things to be going better! Now we are waiting for Dr. T to come after office hours to give me my do's and don'ts list before discharging me!
Thank you all for praying, and praise God for graciously answering!
Our morning started early, 4am, giving me time to get showered and ready, drive the 45 minutes to the hospital and have time to stop and get Matt his morning Coke and breakfast!
We got here and the process got started right away. I got me some lovely green hospital gowns and the coolest booties! The only part I was really nervous about was that they had me down for going under general anesthesia, and I wasn't sure how I felt about going all the way under. I was praying that they would let me do a spinal with local anesthesia. All of the nurses with the beginning stuff commented on how much they too love my doc, which I completely agreed with!
After all of the preliminaries were taken care of we were taken back to another room where we met and talked with my doc about every detail of the procedure. I talked with him about not wanting to do general anesthesia, which he understood, and said I was lucky, because I had the best anesthesiologist there. He said if anyone would be willing to do the spinal, it would be him! I love answered prayer!
Right after we finished talking with Dr. T, the anesthesiologist, Dr. B, came in, who was super sweet with his accent, and after introductions, his first words were: "I would like to do a spinal rather than general, because I feel that is safest for the baby...." I didn't even have to ask! I love how God loves and takes care of us!
So once Dr. B got the iv started we were off to the operating room. A nurse was there from labor and delivery to listen to the baby's heartbeat. She really never found it, and the longer it went, the more nervous I got. She just wasn't used to finding heartbeats on baby's so small. I just continued to pray, and in walked Dr. T. He took one look at my face, gently took the dopplar, immediately found the baby's heartbeat, then looked at me and winked. I love how he knows and understands my fears, without even asking.
Next up was the spinal, which wasn't bad at all, Dr. B was awesome. The first time Dr. T asked me how I was doing, after I said good, he said, well, I'm already about half way done! It only took him about 15 minutes to put the stitches in. Got to hear the baby's heartbeat again, and then I was taken to recovery for an hour, and finally a room upstairs in the "nesting ward." One of the nurses looked at me and said you look familiar, have you been here before? I just laughed and said yes, several times with my last pregnancy.
It took a while for the numbness to wear off, and the dizziness finally went away once they let me eat! Since then I have been feeling great! Little to no cramping, absolutely no contractions, and little to no bleeding. We couldn't have asked for things to be going better! Now we are waiting for Dr. T to come after office hours to give me my do's and don'ts list before discharging me!
Thank you all for praying, and praise God for graciously answering!
Sunday, September 25, 2011
So Begins...
A new, yet the same, journey for us. We are expecting Baby Richards number 6, due March 30th!! I took the home test while Matt was away at church camp at the end of July, and boy, was it hard to wait for him to get home and share the news Friday night!!
We are all very excited. Cavin loves babies, and loves to look at the ultrasound pictures of his baby! Rance's first questions were, 1: How does the baby come out of mommy's tummy" and 2: What does it eat? The joys of having a seven year old who has questions about everything!!
I am currently just over 13 weeks, and am still feeling exhausted, but thankful to be over the nausea for the most part. I began to show rather early, definitely was showing by 10 weeks. I expected it, with it being my third pregnancy, but it still caught me off guard when I looked down and discovered a hard baby bump!
Tomorrow is a big day for me, I will be having a cerclage, in which they will stitch my cervix shut. It is a rather easy procedure, but could stir up contractions and will cause bleeding so I will most likely be in the hospital until Tuesday to be monitored. I am a little nervous about the procedure, but trying to lay my nerves at His feet and rest in the peace of His good and perfect plan for this pregnancy, whatever that may be.
The goal of having the cerclage is to keep me off of bed rest and out of the hospital! Definitely goals I want to achieve having 2 active boys at home to keep up with! Not wanting to repeat the almost 4 months of bed rest, flat on my back, like I got to have with Cavin along with the multiple scares that he would come early.
I am so thankful for my doctor. I love that he does things just to reassure my nerves, that he realizes not only is it crucial to get my baby to full term, but to do so with a mommy who is not anxious and nervous the entire time. But most of all, I love that I can trust him completely. I love that I know he will tell me the truth, and not try to sugar coat it. I love that when I showed up to my first prenatal appointment he had already spent time coming up with a plan to give me the best possible pregnancy he could. I also love that he will most likely bring me donuts tomorrow because I made a joke about it being cruel not to let a pregnant woman eat for so long!
So, we would love your prayers tomorrow morning, for a completely safe surgery, and that my body will easily adjust to the stitches. I will update after the surgery while I am in the hospital, I am sure, as I will be stuck in bed and missing my boys, who will be busy helping Papa with the cows and not missing me at all!
We are all very excited. Cavin loves babies, and loves to look at the ultrasound pictures of his baby! Rance's first questions were, 1: How does the baby come out of mommy's tummy" and 2: What does it eat? The joys of having a seven year old who has questions about everything!!
I am currently just over 13 weeks, and am still feeling exhausted, but thankful to be over the nausea for the most part. I began to show rather early, definitely was showing by 10 weeks. I expected it, with it being my third pregnancy, but it still caught me off guard when I looked down and discovered a hard baby bump!
Tomorrow is a big day for me, I will be having a cerclage, in which they will stitch my cervix shut. It is a rather easy procedure, but could stir up contractions and will cause bleeding so I will most likely be in the hospital until Tuesday to be monitored. I am a little nervous about the procedure, but trying to lay my nerves at His feet and rest in the peace of His good and perfect plan for this pregnancy, whatever that may be.
The goal of having the cerclage is to keep me off of bed rest and out of the hospital! Definitely goals I want to achieve having 2 active boys at home to keep up with! Not wanting to repeat the almost 4 months of bed rest, flat on my back, like I got to have with Cavin along with the multiple scares that he would come early.
I am so thankful for my doctor. I love that he does things just to reassure my nerves, that he realizes not only is it crucial to get my baby to full term, but to do so with a mommy who is not anxious and nervous the entire time. But most of all, I love that I can trust him completely. I love that I know he will tell me the truth, and not try to sugar coat it. I love that when I showed up to my first prenatal appointment he had already spent time coming up with a plan to give me the best possible pregnancy he could. I also love that he will most likely bring me donuts tomorrow because I made a joke about it being cruel not to let a pregnant woman eat for so long!
So, we would love your prayers tomorrow morning, for a completely safe surgery, and that my body will easily adjust to the stitches. I will update after the surgery while I am in the hospital, I am sure, as I will be stuck in bed and missing my boys, who will be busy helping Papa with the cows and not missing me at all!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
3 Rules to Driving
According to Rance...
1. You have to drive where the cars are.
2. You have to drive to where you are going.
3. You have to drive where mom tells you to.
We about died laughing on the last one! Ha! We asked him why he said the third one and his answer was:
"Remember that one time we were going to a park and dad went the wrong way? Then mom told us the right way?"
A total laugh out loud moment for us!
1. You have to drive where the cars are.
2. You have to drive to where you are going.
3. You have to drive where mom tells you to.
We about died laughing on the last one! Ha! We asked him why he said the third one and his answer was:
"Remember that one time we were going to a park and dad went the wrong way? Then mom told us the right way?"
A total laugh out loud moment for us!
Monday, August 22, 2011
Ohhh Twoooodles!
This past Saturday our sweet baby boy turned 2. Still can't believe two years have already passed since he was born. It has went so fast! We celebrated with a Mickey Mouse party, one of his favorites, with some family and friends. It was a good time and we were able to stay outside for most of the party until it started sprinkling!
Some things I love about my sweet boy..
How easy he laughs. I love his laugh, and I hear it so much throughout each and every day. I love that he is so happy and easy going!
I love that he is so much in love with balls. Baseball and basketball have recently been his two favorites, although I think baseball is by far the top choice. It is not uncommon for Cavin to request a baseball shirt in the morning when getting dressed, and pajama's and blankets to sleep with need to have balls on them as well! We spend a lot of time during the day playing ball, basketball, playing catch, golfing, or hitting the baseball when we are outside.
His second love is choo choo trains. We are big fans of Chuggington at our house, and Cavin was so excited to get Chuggington choo choo trains for his birthday! He wouldn't even share with his Grandma when we first set up his track! He would rather put them away than share! Thankfully he is sharing them better now!
I love to watch how he tries to keep up with his big brother, even to the extent of following him to time out! It has made him grow up so much quicker I am sure, but I love how much he loves his brother and wants to be just like him. (In typical big brother fashion I think it annoys Rance sometimes!)
I love that he is all boy. He is all about running and jumping and wrestling with his dad and big brother, and he loves to be outside.
I love that he is generous with giving his mommy kisses-at least most of the time!
I love that he loves books. He asks to read books almost everyday and we will sit together and read 8-16 books in a sitting.
I love that every time he hears the word "pray," he folds his hands together. It melts my heart. He is even starting to say prayers on his own.
I love that he is ornery and mischievous, I see so much of my Grandpa Tuley's personality in him, which warms my heart.
It really is bittersweet to watch him grow up into a little boy, learning to do all things little boys should. Just hard on mom that it all goes so fast! I am so thankful for the blessing of our Cavin Luke, he has brought much, much joy into our lives.
Happy Second Birthday my sweet boy!
Some things I love about my sweet boy..
How easy he laughs. I love his laugh, and I hear it so much throughout each and every day. I love that he is so happy and easy going!
I love that he is so much in love with balls. Baseball and basketball have recently been his two favorites, although I think baseball is by far the top choice. It is not uncommon for Cavin to request a baseball shirt in the morning when getting dressed, and pajama's and blankets to sleep with need to have balls on them as well! We spend a lot of time during the day playing ball, basketball, playing catch, golfing, or hitting the baseball when we are outside.
His second love is choo choo trains. We are big fans of Chuggington at our house, and Cavin was so excited to get Chuggington choo choo trains for his birthday! He wouldn't even share with his Grandma when we first set up his track! He would rather put them away than share! Thankfully he is sharing them better now!
I love to watch how he tries to keep up with his big brother, even to the extent of following him to time out! It has made him grow up so much quicker I am sure, but I love how much he loves his brother and wants to be just like him. (In typical big brother fashion I think it annoys Rance sometimes!)
I love that he is all boy. He is all about running and jumping and wrestling with his dad and big brother, and he loves to be outside.
I love that he is generous with giving his mommy kisses-at least most of the time!
I love that he loves books. He asks to read books almost everyday and we will sit together and read 8-16 books in a sitting.
I love that every time he hears the word "pray," he folds his hands together. It melts my heart. He is even starting to say prayers on his own.
I love that he is ornery and mischievous, I see so much of my Grandpa Tuley's personality in him, which warms my heart.
It really is bittersweet to watch him grow up into a little boy, learning to do all things little boys should. Just hard on mom that it all goes so fast! I am so thankful for the blessing of our Cavin Luke, he has brought much, much joy into our lives.
Happy Second Birthday my sweet boy!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
A High Calling
To me, being a parent is a high calling God has placed on my heart. One of the most important "jobs" God has called me to do, and one of the hardest!
We had always discussed me staying home with our kids, and when I looked into Cavin's eyes for the first time I knew this is what God had created me to do, to be a mom. What an honor and privilege it is that he would trust one of his children, one of his souls to my care. That he would entrust me with loving, guiding, teaching, and leading my child into a loving relationship with Christ. For me, it goes even deeper than my child loving God, I want my child to serve God, to be active in His kingdom and bringing others to know Him.
I want my children know how big God is! I believe this is my high calling, to teach and lead my children towards Christ. To help them truly understand the vastness of who God is, the master artist He is in creating, the humility He endured in becoming human, the sacrifice He gave of living a perfect life yet dying with the world's sins, the grace He gives in loving each human unconditionally, and the jealousy of God when we stray. I want my children to know all aspects of God and to know the power in His story. I want them to choose to love Him, and to desire to serve Him because of how great He is and how small yet significant they are to His kingdom and the continuation of His story.
This is our high calling, this should be our primary goal as parents, that our children will choose to have an active relationship with Christ.
Everything we do as parents should point them towards Christ.If we can achieve this calling, then their faith becomes the basis of our parenting and how we will help guide them through life until they leave our
While some mom's may envision their children being a doctor, or engineer, or a famous athlete, my heart imagines my boys going to Bible college, serving as a minister, or a missionary, or having a job outside of the church and being one of those youth sponsors who you love as a minister because they consistently serve and want to be involved in every aspect of your ministry.
I feel so often Christians strive to become Christ like in so many ways ,but to me, one of the greatest qualities of Christ is his servant's heart. A quality that so many push aside so easily. Definitely a topic for another day! Matt and I want to raise our children to have a servant's heart, to serve not just with a couple of hours here and there, but to serve with their life, as Christ served with His.
We had always discussed me staying home with our kids, and when I looked into Cavin's eyes for the first time I knew this is what God had created me to do, to be a mom. What an honor and privilege it is that he would trust one of his children, one of his souls to my care. That he would entrust me with loving, guiding, teaching, and leading my child into a loving relationship with Christ. For me, it goes even deeper than my child loving God, I want my child to serve God, to be active in His kingdom and bringing others to know Him.
I want my children know how big God is! I believe this is my high calling, to teach and lead my children towards Christ. To help them truly understand the vastness of who God is, the master artist He is in creating, the humility He endured in becoming human, the sacrifice He gave of living a perfect life yet dying with the world's sins, the grace He gives in loving each human unconditionally, and the jealousy of God when we stray. I want my children to know all aspects of God and to know the power in His story. I want them to choose to love Him, and to desire to serve Him because of how great He is and how small yet significant they are to His kingdom and the continuation of His story.
This is our high calling, this should be our primary goal as parents, that our children will choose to have an active relationship with Christ.
Everything we do as parents should point them towards Christ.If we can achieve this calling, then their faith becomes the basis of our parenting and how we will help guide them through life until they leave our
While some mom's may envision their children being a doctor, or engineer, or a famous athlete, my heart imagines my boys going to Bible college, serving as a minister, or a missionary, or having a job outside of the church and being one of those youth sponsors who you love as a minister because they consistently serve and want to be involved in every aspect of your ministry.
I feel so often Christians strive to become Christ like in so many ways ,but to me, one of the greatest qualities of Christ is his servant's heart. A quality that so many push aside so easily. Definitely a topic for another day! Matt and I want to raise our children to have a servant's heart, to serve not just with a couple of hours here and there, but to serve with their life, as Christ served with His.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Per Request!
A blog update!
I realize it has been quite some time since I last blogged. I have began a couple of new posts and haven't finished them. For some reason I just haven't felt like writing, even just a newsy update on the boys!
We have been extremely busy! Since I last updated....
-We celebrated Rance's 7th birthday with a kite theme! Unfortunately it was rainy and we had to move the party indoors, which was a bummer. It was Rance's first birthday party, he loved his cake and of course, actually getting presents!
-We also celebrated Easter!
-Rance graduated from preschool! We will be homeschooling him, starting in earnest the first part of July. A post on our reasons for homeschooling may follow at some point.
-We have had family at our house a lot! Our boys love when their cousins come to play!
-The boys went to my parents house for the first time by themselves with their cousins! We were worried how Rance would do being away from us for the first time overnight. Boy, were we silly to worry! We called everyday and he barely wanted to talk to us! They had so much fun on the farm with their cousins, Papa and Grandma!
-We traveled to Oklahoma City to watch our niece, Cat, graduate from high school! Due to tornado's though, the graduation got cancelled so we were bummed about that. But it was good to spend time with family! It was Rance's first time meeting his Aunt Mary and cousins, Catherine and Christin.
-We have been to the pool! At first Rance was really scared, but after the first couple of times he has overcome his fear for the most part, and is actually swimming! On a side note, we have puddle jumpers, which are life jackets, for both of our boys, and we absolutely love them! Unlike most life jackets they actually allow the boys to lay on their stomachs, keeping their head out of the water, allowing them to learn how to float and swim!
-Cavin has had 2 febrile seizures. Scary stuff. The first one he had while we were eating Sunday lunch, so he choked as well. It really scared us. The second was at the pool. Had no idea he was even sick, and the seizure lasted almost 5 minutes. The scariest part of the second seizure was that it took Cavin over 45 minutes to come to and be responsive. Definitely praying to be done with those!
-We have made a couple of trips to the zoo. Both of our boys love the zoo! One time we even petted sting rays, which Rance loved!
-We had VBS! Rance did okay with it, he's still not a fan of huge groups of people and loud noises, both of which were in full effect each night of VBS! But, he still had fun! I helped out with the fourth grade group this year, which was much easier than being in charge! It was a great and exhausting week. Over $3,000 was raised for a feeding program in Haiti!
In our downtime we have had a lot of fun hanging out as a family, playing games, Wii, playing oustide, going for walks, watching movies, wrestling, cooking, and taking it easy! I love the relaxed, easy going atmosphere summer brings for our family!
Rance is thriving! While he still has a lot of English to learn, his vocabulary is impressive! He speaks only in English now, sometimes without even an accent! The other day he had to actually think about counting in Ukrainian. We have had a lot of conversations here and there about his life in Ukraine in which we have learned a lot about. We have also been really pleased with the progress he has made with his social skills as well. He still loves music. We sing a lot at our house, and its fun to watch both of our boys learn about Jesus through music! He is an amazing big brother. He plays really well with Cavin and has really begun to take on the big brother role in helping and protecting his little brother as well. He is growing, changing, and maturing more everyday!
Cavin continues to be Cavin, trouble! When we are home I am normally trying to get things done around the house and I typically have to take a break to from my cleaning to clean up a mess he has created. He is just into everything! He is obsessed, still, with balls! Baseball is currently his favorite thanks to an animated baseball movie both of our boys love! But golf, soccer, and basketball are still well loved! His only requirement to getting dressed is that there is a ball somewhere on his outfit. Sometimes I get lucky and can get away with an outfit without a ball! Cavin loves his big brother. It is a common occurrence when the boys have been separated for Cavin to run to his big brother and give him a hug. When Rance is not around Cavin will constantly be asking for him, and when he is around, he is constantly trying to keep up!
I realize it has been quite some time since I last blogged. I have began a couple of new posts and haven't finished them. For some reason I just haven't felt like writing, even just a newsy update on the boys!
We have been extremely busy! Since I last updated....
-We celebrated Rance's 7th birthday with a kite theme! Unfortunately it was rainy and we had to move the party indoors, which was a bummer. It was Rance's first birthday party, he loved his cake and of course, actually getting presents!
-We also celebrated Easter!
-Rance graduated from preschool! We will be homeschooling him, starting in earnest the first part of July. A post on our reasons for homeschooling may follow at some point.
-We have had family at our house a lot! Our boys love when their cousins come to play!
-The boys went to my parents house for the first time by themselves with their cousins! We were worried how Rance would do being away from us for the first time overnight. Boy, were we silly to worry! We called everyday and he barely wanted to talk to us! They had so much fun on the farm with their cousins, Papa and Grandma!
-We traveled to Oklahoma City to watch our niece, Cat, graduate from high school! Due to tornado's though, the graduation got cancelled so we were bummed about that. But it was good to spend time with family! It was Rance's first time meeting his Aunt Mary and cousins, Catherine and Christin.
-We have been to the pool! At first Rance was really scared, but after the first couple of times he has overcome his fear for the most part, and is actually swimming! On a side note, we have puddle jumpers, which are life jackets, for both of our boys, and we absolutely love them! Unlike most life jackets they actually allow the boys to lay on their stomachs, keeping their head out of the water, allowing them to learn how to float and swim!
-Cavin has had 2 febrile seizures. Scary stuff. The first one he had while we were eating Sunday lunch, so he choked as well. It really scared us. The second was at the pool. Had no idea he was even sick, and the seizure lasted almost 5 minutes. The scariest part of the second seizure was that it took Cavin over 45 minutes to come to and be responsive. Definitely praying to be done with those!
-We have made a couple of trips to the zoo. Both of our boys love the zoo! One time we even petted sting rays, which Rance loved!
-We had VBS! Rance did okay with it, he's still not a fan of huge groups of people and loud noises, both of which were in full effect each night of VBS! But, he still had fun! I helped out with the fourth grade group this year, which was much easier than being in charge! It was a great and exhausting week. Over $3,000 was raised for a feeding program in Haiti!
In our downtime we have had a lot of fun hanging out as a family, playing games, Wii, playing oustide, going for walks, watching movies, wrestling, cooking, and taking it easy! I love the relaxed, easy going atmosphere summer brings for our family!
Rance is thriving! While he still has a lot of English to learn, his vocabulary is impressive! He speaks only in English now, sometimes without even an accent! The other day he had to actually think about counting in Ukrainian. We have had a lot of conversations here and there about his life in Ukraine in which we have learned a lot about. We have also been really pleased with the progress he has made with his social skills as well. He still loves music. We sing a lot at our house, and its fun to watch both of our boys learn about Jesus through music! He is an amazing big brother. He plays really well with Cavin and has really begun to take on the big brother role in helping and protecting his little brother as well. He is growing, changing, and maturing more everyday!
Cavin continues to be Cavin, trouble! When we are home I am normally trying to get things done around the house and I typically have to take a break to from my cleaning to clean up a mess he has created. He is just into everything! He is obsessed, still, with balls! Baseball is currently his favorite thanks to an animated baseball movie both of our boys love! But golf, soccer, and basketball are still well loved! His only requirement to getting dressed is that there is a ball somewhere on his outfit. Sometimes I get lucky and can get away with an outfit without a ball! Cavin loves his big brother. It is a common occurrence when the boys have been separated for Cavin to run to his big brother and give him a hug. When Rance is not around Cavin will constantly be asking for him, and when he is around, he is constantly trying to keep up!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Surgery
Last Wednesday Rance had strabismus surgery on his eyes. The surgery center where he had the surgery was phenomenal with him, so the actual surgery went perfectly. Because Rance's eyes are so little they had a hard time keeping them open wide enough during the surgery which caused more swelling and bruising than normal. For most of the day on Wednesday his eyes were swollen shut. Top that off with being a very sick little boy from the anesthesia and Wednesday was a rough day. I was so thankful that my mom was able to be here to help with Cavin so I could just focus on Rance.
When we first got home from Ukraine Cavin was fighting a cold and ear infection and was not used to sleeping in his crib so we decided not to make him "cry it out" while he was sick. So the first couple of nights we were home Cavin slept with us because he was sick. So Rance remembered this and informed us, actually told his Grandma, that he would be sleeping with his mom and dad because he was sick.
I of course couldn't say no, and it really was easier having him in bed with us than having to get to his room in time to help him while being sick. We didn't plan on, however, Cavin crying half of the night and also eventually ending up in bed with us. I think little sleep was had by mom and dad although the boys seemed good to go!
Thursday we saw drastic improvement. Once we got his eyes open Rance was starving and ready to eat. I was thrilled to see him acting like himself and finally eating and drinking and keeping it all down! From then on, he has been fine and healing perfectly. His eyes are still a little bruised and they could be red on the parts where the doctor did the surgery for up to a month, but his eyes are fixed and are working together, and we are so thankful for a successful surgery!!
Rance has really begun to understand and even speak a lot of English. Most days I hear more English than I do Ukrainian, which is really fun for us! "What is this, _____?" is a question we hear a lot! Some of them have been really hard to answer, like, "what is this because?" How do you explain what because is with the few words he understands? After two attempts he hasn't asked again, so maybe he got it, or maybe he just gave up!
Very rarely do we have issues of sharing toys, mostly the boys play really well together. Yesterday was a day I will treasure forever. The boys played together all day. They ran in circles and around the house playing peek a boo and laughing whenever they found each other. Then they played on the couch, rolling from the top of it to the floor, which really isn't allowed on the couches upstairs but it was so cute I couldn't tell them to stop!
Cavin is still trouble, more ornery than ever, and busy keeping up with big brother. Right now it is most entertaining to watch Cavin try to jump and do like Rance does. He still hasn't quite figured out how to jump off the ground, and its pretty cute to watch!
Cavin mostly keeps busy with his training. He got a basketball hoop for Christmas and he spends most of his days shooting hoops or working on his dribbling. You can't help but laugh in shock at how good he actually is! When he's not busy with basketball training he tends to play with one of the other hundreds of balls in our home, and if we're lucky, he might venture out of the ball zone to play with some blocks or cars!!
Here is one of my favorite pictures of the boys we got done a while back. It melts my heart!
When we first got home from Ukraine Cavin was fighting a cold and ear infection and was not used to sleeping in his crib so we decided not to make him "cry it out" while he was sick. So the first couple of nights we were home Cavin slept with us because he was sick. So Rance remembered this and informed us, actually told his Grandma, that he would be sleeping with his mom and dad because he was sick.
I of course couldn't say no, and it really was easier having him in bed with us than having to get to his room in time to help him while being sick. We didn't plan on, however, Cavin crying half of the night and also eventually ending up in bed with us. I think little sleep was had by mom and dad although the boys seemed good to go!
Thursday we saw drastic improvement. Once we got his eyes open Rance was starving and ready to eat. I was thrilled to see him acting like himself and finally eating and drinking and keeping it all down! From then on, he has been fine and healing perfectly. His eyes are still a little bruised and they could be red on the parts where the doctor did the surgery for up to a month, but his eyes are fixed and are working together, and we are so thankful for a successful surgery!!
Rance has really begun to understand and even speak a lot of English. Most days I hear more English than I do Ukrainian, which is really fun for us! "What is this, _____?" is a question we hear a lot! Some of them have been really hard to answer, like, "what is this because?" How do you explain what because is with the few words he understands? After two attempts he hasn't asked again, so maybe he got it, or maybe he just gave up!
Very rarely do we have issues of sharing toys, mostly the boys play really well together. Yesterday was a day I will treasure forever. The boys played together all day. They ran in circles and around the house playing peek a boo and laughing whenever they found each other. Then they played on the couch, rolling from the top of it to the floor, which really isn't allowed on the couches upstairs but it was so cute I couldn't tell them to stop!
Cavin is still trouble, more ornery than ever, and busy keeping up with big brother. Right now it is most entertaining to watch Cavin try to jump and do like Rance does. He still hasn't quite figured out how to jump off the ground, and its pretty cute to watch!
Cavin mostly keeps busy with his training. He got a basketball hoop for Christmas and he spends most of his days shooting hoops or working on his dribbling. You can't help but laugh in shock at how good he actually is! When he's not busy with basketball training he tends to play with one of the other hundreds of balls in our home, and if we're lucky, he might venture out of the ball zone to play with some blocks or cars!!
Here is one of my favorite pictures of the boys we got done a while back. It melts my heart!
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