Inside Amy's World

July Flies By...

2011-07-31T17:32:00.000-07:00

Eli got to wear a band-aid for the first time. (Well, for the first time that it wasn't because his blood was drawn or shots were given!) He scratched his heal with his toenail. His little legs never stop....and he's sock-less most of the summer...so it was bound to happen, I guess.
He wore it all of 10 minutes before it fell off because he's such a wild man...but you know me! I had to take pictures!

We went for a family picnic up the Yakima River Canyon - and Eli took a nap amongst nature:

Then we went to the Yakima Folklife Festival. It was HOT! We tried shading Eli with his stroller, and were wiping him down with wet wipes, but he got a little overheated so we left.

We visited the Yakama Nation Museum in Toppenish:

I went on an overnight camping trip with my girlfriends from work.

Eli saw his GI doc in Seattle to discuss feeding issues. His formula change over is NOT going well. The manufacturer of Neocate One+ decided to quit making it! Eli is not tolerating anything else well. Doc came up with a plan....we'll see how it goes. Here is Eli hanging out while we eat lunch at the hospital cafeteria:

Then, we visited the Central Washington Agricultural Museum in Union Gap. We rode on a large wagon pulled by a tractor and got a guided tour of the place:

I had a Pampered Chef party on the last Friday in July

...and have decided to become a consultant in September!

The next day, I had a yard sale with a friend. Exhausting!

Then, on Sunday evening we hosted a BBQ for our Life Group from church...

and they played a game of Wiffle Ball:

And one day while driving to town, Eli was in a very awesome mood!

Man, I LOVE this kid...and his laugh! :)

Enjoying June!

2011-06-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

In an effort to try and get my blog caught up....you get a 'reader's digest' version for each month this summer!

In June we had a wheelchair accessible deck built and it has been such a blessing! We can roll Eli out there in any of his pieces of equipment! Here he is in his Gazelle Stander:

He loves to go for walks in his stroller...round and round the deck. Best part is....there is a ramp into the grass...now he gets to join the parties we have...and he can easily get to his new swing his Dad is going to build him.

When he went to Park Day after the last day of preschool, he got to meet Bonnie the Snake from our local library:

We spent a day at Camp Prime Time...and Eli got to go up into a wheelchair accessible Tree House!

And, Eli had his 6th Respiratory Distress Event. He hadn't had one in almost three years, so we thought they were behind us! Makes me sad to think they can still strike at any moment....and we get no warning! Eli was a trooper as always...and the next day he's fine and you'd never know anything ever happened!

Eli also went to a rollerskating birthday party...

we spent a weekend at my Aunt's house in Auburn to celebrate my cousin's son graduating from high school.....

and Eli got his very own library card:

We also went to Seattle and he got his GJ tube switched out. I was able to take pictures during the procedure. I'll save those for a post of their own!

That's June in a nutshell!

Beyond Blessed

2011-04-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

Tonight I am feeling so blessed. Great things have been happening for me and Eli, and I don't want it to go by without thanking God for His amazing gifts.

Because of the book Wendy on Wheels Saves the Day....and the fact that we are cartoon characters in it....we have been blessed with a little local publicity. Our newspaper did a phone interview and printed an article about it. A local TV station came to our house and did a feature piece on us. It was so cool! (You can watch the video here)

My heart's desire has always been to have Eli known by others. And it's happening for us and I couldn't be more excited! He's been the cover boy for our local Playdate magazine. I wrote an article for Playdate, also, telling Eli's story. In two weeks, I'll be the guest speaker at a MOPS meeting, sharing our story with others and trying to give hope to moms who may feel overwhelmed, isolated, or exhausted.

Raising Eli has had it's fair share of challenges, that's for sure. But, being his mom and seeing what a happy child he is, even though he has so many challenges, has been the most amazing thing I've ever experienced. I can't believe some of the amazing moms of special needs kids I've met along the way. Moms who inspire me, educate me, listen to me, and simply "get" me!

The last two years with Eli have been the best so far. We've finally figured his feedings out....and he's actually weighing in at 25 lbs! There was a time I thought he was withering away before our eyes! He is so easy to take places. He's tolerant and content. He loves looking around and absorbing the world, all the while cracking up as Elmo plays on his iPod.

I can't imagine life without Eli's laugh in it! Here's a little glimpse into my world....my favorite sounds:

Eli's chatter and his laughter.

(He's learned to squeal like a little pig! It's adorable to us.)

This is Eli having a very good time:

To all my new readers....WELCOME!

To all the rest of you....Thank You for continuing to come back!

I have big plans for my blog....so stay tuned... :)

Wendy on Wheels Saves the Day!

2011-03-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

My six month hiatus is over! I'm back and I'm excited to share the following with you.

Last year, a new book came out called Wendy on Wheels Goes to the Beach. I bought two copies. One for Eli and one to donate to our Children's Therapy Center.

I started following Wendy on Wheels on Facebook....and she asked people to comment on her blog.

So I did.

Then, a second book came out called
Wendy on Wheels Goes to the Zoo.

Of course I bought it! I love having anything to do with kids and wheelchairs!! :)

In January 2011, the author Angela Ruzicka announced she was working on a third book. She sent me a message saying that there would be a character named Eli in the book. She remembered my comment on her blog last year, and wanted to include him! I felt blessed and thrilled and totally excited!

Wendy on Wheels Saves the Day came out last week. I ordered our copies immediately, directly from the author so she could autograph them for us. I couldn't wait to see Eli's name in a book!

We got the books on Saturday, and that night Eli went to sleep hearing the wonderful story of Wendy taking "wonder packs" to the kids in a children's hospital and spending a fun day with them!

I highly recommend this book!

I took the book to work on Monday and was showing it to all my friends. The first thing they said was, "the mom looks just like you!" I hadn't even noticed. All the sudden, I said, "Omigosh, she does! How funny."

Can you see the resemblance?

(Wendy on Wheels is illustrated by Elizabeth Gearhart)

So, I sent Angela Ruzicka (the author) a message on facebook...
...and she said... it IS me!!

She was inspired by my comment I left her and she started reading my blog. She found pictures of me with Eli during one of his hospital stays and this is what I looked like. She decided to add us to the book!

(If you know me in real life....you know my hair is in a ponytail.....ALOT!)

You don't even know how excited this makes me! One of my life's dreams was to be the voice of a cartoon character. I doubt that will ever happen....but now I CAN say I am a cartoon! :)

So, THANK YOU ANGELA RUZICKA and Wendy on Wheels!

You have made this Momma giddy with happiness!

Yabba Dabba Doo!

2010-11-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

We had a fantastic Halloween this year!

Eli was invited to a rollerskating party the Friday of Halloween weekend. It was a private party for a brother and sister. The brother, Wyatt, has CP and is in a wheelchair. It was a costume party...so it gave Eli a chance to wear his costume twice!

They allowed special accomodations for the boys to go out onto the floor! :)

I had so much fun skating with my boy!!!

I googled "costumes for wheelchairs" a few weeks before Halloween...and there really aren't a whole lot of options! But, the Fred Flintstone (and his car!) caught my eye. I think I spent about $5 to make his costume!

______________________________________________________

Saturday night it was pumpkin carving time:

Yes, we watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! It's tradition!

______________________________________________________

Sunday was Halloween. My husband was disappointed that I didn't get Eli's stroller decorated as Fred's car I bought the white material, and had the idea in my head, bu just didn't quite know how to make it all happen. So, he went to work out in the driveway....and came up with the most fabulous Flintstone Car ever!!!

Our community has a big Halloween party at our Civic Center. Eli's costume was a big hit!

I was so happy that we finally got to go out on Halloween!

(The last time we tried, Eli was 2, and he threw a fit for 1/2 an hour and we went home. He goes to sleep so early, that I hadn't tried it since.)

(Professional photographers were there taking pictures! Click the picture to go to their website)

Now, I'm trying to think what to do for Halloween next year! How do you top a Flintstone mobile?

An Alien and a Robot take a Rocket to a 5th Birthday Party!

2010-09-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

We had another wonderful party to celebrate Eli's birthday.

I can't believe my boy is 5 !!!!

The party kids loved the spaceship cupcakes.

We had 71 people at his party. About 24 kids, not all are shown, and the rest were adults.

We call it the "End of Summer Berkheimer Bash" and have a Potluck feast with all of our friends and family.

Eli sure has a LOT of people that love him!

First we played "Stick the Alien in the Spaceship"

Then we had two teams build robots out of cardboard boxes, duct tape, egg cartons, pipe cleaners, washers, nuts and bolts.

THIS WAS THE BIGGEST HIT OF THE PARTY!

I was so glad to see all the kids having fun....and then I heard about several who went home asking for stuff to make robots, dollhouses, and horse stables out of boxes!

Then it was present time:

Eli only took a 30 minute nap that day....so by this time he was getting tired...and a wee bit cranky.

But he was still cute making some funny faces :)

Attempt at a family picture...

Yikes! What is this:

"a carload of aliens pulls up to a bar....."

LOL!

We decorated with Aliens, Rockets, and Robots.

And Lou Lou was in heaven, again, all day!

I found these awesome alien pajamas at Carters!

It was a good day!

Super Star!

2010-07-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

It was quite an honor to have Eli chosen to be the cover boy for the current issue of Playdate Magazine, a bi-monthly publication put out by our local newspaper!! Their website describes the magazine this way:

"PlaydateYakima.com and PLAYDATE Magazine are a gathering spot for Yakima Valley parents and caregivers of infants through teens. We’re all about community events and happenings, activities and recreation; about where to locate educational opportunities and fun; and about how to find useful products and services specific to the needs of busy young families."

It's currently the profile picture on their facebook page, too!

http://www.facebook.com/playdateyakima

And if you'd like an autographed copy.....just let me know....we just might have a copy, or three or ten, lying around, and I'd be happy to send one to you!

It's pretty awesome to walk into the grocery store, your doctor's office, and even your favorite restaurant...and there is your son's face on the cover of a magazine in a rack! I'm beside myself with joy!

Special thanks to Scott Klepach, and other staff members, for choosing Eli, and for being so accomodating during Eli's photoshoot. Eli wasn't feeling well that week, and it was tough to get a good shot. They were so patient and kind, and it was great to work with them.

I might even get to contribute a little story once in a while about raising a special needs child, and ways for local events to be more inclusive and accessible for the physically disabled.

Very cool!

(FYI for family: My computer died and is in the shop...I should have it back on Sunday or Monday.

Sorry if you've emailed me this week and I haven't answered.)

He did it again!

2010-07-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

After failing an OAE hearing evaluation in his right ear in June at Children's Hospital, they recommended we see our local pediatrician to get the wax out of his ear and have him re-evaluated at Hearing and Speech Center here in Yakima.

Today was the test....but he failed the tampanagram in BOTH ears......because of fluid, so they recommended we go see the Pediatrician...again...and we got in this afternoon!

His left ear looks good...but his right ear definitely shows fluid.....
so he got a referral to a local ENT;

a prescription for Nasonex (to see if allergies are causing congestion, that is causing fluid build up),
and a prescription for a new ointment to put on his stoma. I sure hope it works! His bile reflux is really causing issues!! We go to Seattle on Wednesday to see the GI....and hopefully we can pursue some answers to the bile issues he's having!!!

The best news of all is: ELI GAINED WEIGHT AGAIN!!!

23.4 lbs as of today

YEEHAW! Good news to share with the Doc on Wednesday.

(Summer finally made it to Yakima - it's been 100 degrees for 3 days in a row.

Pictures are from our little swim party we had this weekend.)

Eli gained weight!

2010-07-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

H O O R A Y !!!

Eli is back to where he was last summer....22 1/2 lbs!

I sure hope we can keep this up!

He seems a bit uncomfortable lately, and we aren't sure what it is yet. No granulation tissue has cropped up, so it must be the increased feeds. I'm increasing the volume very slowly, in hopes his poops can keep up! We sure miss our happy, laughing guy when he's gone....he laughs a little, but not like what we're used to.

(I sure wish he'd learn to like some new music! I think that would make us all happier! Elmo must go!)

He is doing so awesome in his Bronco! I think he'd stay out there for an hour if we'd let him!!

(But we usually just do 30-40 minutes because he needs to get back in the house and

plugged back into his continuous feeds)

We think he's ready for the next size Bronco! We have an appt later this month to try one out and see.

Our boy is finally growing!

H O O R A Y !!!

Rocket Man

2010-07-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

Eli's been a little off lately. He's not loving much of his music....and not laughing much. This makes us sad. We feel his laughter lets us know all is right in his world.

He seems a little less excited about his Bronco riding this summer.......until yesterday!

He had a blast! Check out our little Rocket Man:

It's a short video because I had to go stop him from running into the fence. :)

(Disclaimer: video is best viewed with your sound OFF!)

The Money's In The Poops

2010-06-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

Our son is almost 5 years old and weighs 20 lbs. We have spent almost two years desperately trying to get him to gain weight. Nothing seems to be working for him. For us it's a constant stress in our lives, and alarms us very much. I know CP kids are small, but Eli really needs a few pounds on him for a healthier life!

On Monday, we saw Dr. Wahbeh, the GI doc. He believes that instead of Delayed Gastric Emptying (in the stomach)....Eli most likely has Delayed Bowels. Add that to the constant muscle contractions his body does....it makes for interesting digestion in the bowel regions.

The doctors recommendations were:

Continuous Drip Feeds over 20+ hours (I've been dreading this because Eli is now tethered to a backpack)

Giving him his fiber in "doses" instead of putting it in his daily formula.

Giving a suppository every day for a few days, and then giving one if he hasn't had a BM in 36 hrs. Dr. Wahbeh specifically said, "The money's in the poops!" :)

He didn't really want to discuss anything else (like changing formula, finding out what his body digests best, or the Nissen Fundo), until we give Eli a chance to succeed on this new regimen.

We go back the end of July to follow-up. Let's hope he gains weight! And that we can keep his poops a movin'!

_______________________

Tuesday was the BUSY day!

First we saw a Metabolics/Genetics doctor. Upon physical examination my beautiful son has no visible signs of a genetic disorder. He ordered bloodwork and a urine sample....and he'll need a couple weeks to put together his report.

Next, we saw an Audiologist. She did an AOE test....and discovered that Eli has a large mass of wax in his right ear and couldn't get a response from that eardrum. His left ear was fine. He hears. Imagine that!? Of course he can hear...music is his life!

At the end of this appt...it was time for a nap....

We went and found a quiet place by the gift shop and my cousin Love'e sat with him while I went and got trained on the new feeding pump we are using for his continuous feeds. (I'll post more about all that later)

Eli slept for 45 minutes :) When he woke, we went and grabbed a quick lunch, and headed to his next appt - with the Opthamologist - we'll just call him Dr. W, OK?

Oh, my! I had forgotten how different this guy is! He's one of those people who I believe is absolutely brilliant, but totally missed out on getting any people skills!

He said to me, "I don't see that the MRI (done when Eli was about 3 weeks old) shows much"

I said, "All I remember is that is showed his brain damage was deep in his Basal Ganglia."

AND THEN HE ACTUALLY SAID, "Well, there must be more damage than that, I mean..." as his eyes enlarged and he tilted his head, sideways, towards Eli.

Seriously. I couldn't make this up! But, I forgave him because he is very interested in kids like Eli, and is actually writing a paper about them. Unfortunately, he's not really interested in getting the information OUT of them....he's a scientist type who wants to understand the anatomy and inner workings of it all....

...He's calling it SENSORY-MOTOR DISCONNECT. Yay. Another label for my boy.

His professional opinion of Eli is that he is "Locked In" his body. "He receives visual input, but just can't generate motor responses consistantly to give a physical response." "He can't use eye movement for visual accuity". "His brain activity down to his Thalamus may be impaired because his BG is impaired."

Eli doesn't track well. He has a huge delay in responding to requests. It took him 8-10 seconds to make eye contact with the little panda bear on a pencil he was using for tracking purposes.

He doesn't turn his head when you say his name. He doesn't flinch when there is a loud noise. He loves to watch his movies. We have a DVD player on the floor next to him, and a big TV up in an entertainment center. Both have his shows playing on them when he is awake. This is the ONE choice in the world he consistantly gets to make. Which show does he want to watch.

We know he likes a show when he rolls on his side, and hardly moves, so he can watch it. His newest favorite is Curious George on PBS. :)

WE KNOW ELI IS IN THERE. We just need to keep him healthy, and continue working on how to get him out of there!

Inclusive Playground

2010-06-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Have I ever mentioned the absolutely, positively,

FABULOUS,

INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND

at Seattle Children's Hospital?

wheelchairs can roll right up to the panels...

....and kids like Eli can play...

...it melts my heart...

....and this piece of art is my favorite...

This is what is inside at the top:

What a fun thing for kids to experience!

Then, there's a boat that's wheelchair accessible....

...and these fun "tunnels"...

...and finally a castle!

Wish we had a place like this in Yakima!

Another Year of Preschool Under His Belt

2010-06-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here is Eli on his way to his last day, of his second year, of preschool:

Do you know what his attendance was for the year?

17 days!

They served Ice Cream/Orange Sherbet cups during snack time to honor the summer birthdays. Eli's is August 23rd, so I decided to give him a few tastes of orange sherbet....

with a wooden spoon, no less! :)

Then, he slept in class!

That's my boy!

When we got home, he gave his Daddy the fabulous kite he made him for Father's Day!

__________________________________

Today was Preschool Park Day...and Eli got to meet Smokey Bear.

It's interesting because:

A) I always loved Smokey Bear when I was young. (Hoots the Owl, too!)

B) I just found this hilarious saying on a T-shirt the other night:

"Only YOU can prevent forest fires.

Which is good because I've got 'stuff' to do!"

(I have a twisted sense of humor....I just thought it was quite clever...and funny!)

Anyway....we had fun visiting with Teachers and other parents....Eli took a little nap in my lap...and then we went home.

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!

Yahoo!!!!

Blogging vs. Facebook

2010-03-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

I'm torn.

As of today I have 226 friends on Facebook. I love the instant gratification of updating my status or posting pictures and immediately having a response to it! Whether people just click the "like" button (letting me know they were there) or comment (which makes me feel so connected to the outside world) - it makes me feel happy. My special world feels not so lonely. I have family and friends encouraging me daily....it's quick, easy, and just plain fun!

Blogging takes time. Time to pull all my thoughts together so I don't sound like a moron. Time to load the pictures into Blogger. Time to edit it all so it sounds coherent and the pictures go where they are supposed to. Time to wait for feedback. Then time to wonder why I put so much effort into my blog when the payoff is so small. I've always viewed my blog as a journal, so I rememeber dates and times of special events.....but Facebook is able to do that also, with much less effort.

Don't get me wrong! I'M SO THANKFUL FOR THE HANDFUL OF YOU WHO FOLLOW ME AND COMMENT REGULARLY! I've built some great blogland friendships because of your faithfulness!

But, I'm trying to figure out how much time on the computer is TOO much time. Lonnie and I have talked about implementing one day a week where we spend it "Unplugged". I've given up reading several of my favorite blogs because it just all takes too much time!

I could be using my time to read my bible. More books. Learn about how to better care for Eli. We could go more places and meet more people and do more things.

Spring is here. Life is shifting for me. I'm not sure where I will end up, but I'm taking some time to figure it all out.....so thank you for understanding my long absences on my blog.

We did go do something fun yesterday! We have a local magazine our newspaper puts out bi-monthly called Playdate. It's full of info for entertaining your kids in our valley. Well, yesterday they had and Expo downtown at our convention center. It was full of booths of local vendors and home sales party companies....but it was also full of wonderful kids activities. There were two big jumpers. Play areas. Game areas. Arts and Crafts areas. A stage with fun shows to watch. A food court. Face painting. And the best part of all: Characters roaming around for you to get your picture taken with!

Eli finally got to meet Ronald McDonald:

I worked there in high school, so it was a big deal for me. I really wanted this for my scrapbooks!

It totally cracks me up that he's making a funny face like "Get this weirdo away from me!"

Eli was having a bad day. Turns out his stoma is infected....again!

So, we didn't last very long at the Expo. It was crowded and noisy and he couldn't hear his music.

His tummy hurt and his body was wild. Being in his stroller wasn't his idea of a good afternoon so we came home after about 45 minutes.

There's always next year, right?

Mission Accomplished

2010-03-10T08:18:00.000-08:00

I promised to post some pictures yesterday. Looks like that didn't happen. But, better late than never......eh?

Our weather has been interesting to say the least. It's been a super mild winter, and the last couple weeks we've had days where it was 50 degrees. Our plants think it's time to start budding and growing....poor things were shocked to wake up to 20 degree weather yesterday morning!

Whenever the sun is shining, and there is no wind - we take Eli outside for his Bronco ride. Even through his healing after his cold, he was still a trouper and was able to do a lap or two.

My old point and shoot camera is starting to have a malfunction with the shutter opening. Every once in a while, I don't notice it right away - and end up with a picture that looks framed. I kinda like it on the picture above. Almost looks edited and on purpose. Almost.

Some days we bundle up more than others.

His bib says, "I'd rather be eating cookies, cake, and candy"

It's one of my favorites.

Only the parent of a tube fed kid wishes their kid ate junk food, eh?

_________________________________

Eli was in a really good mood on Monday....so I decided to get some pictures of him in our big chair to compare them to when we first moved in our house.

August 2008 - March 2010

Don't let these pictures deceive you. He hasn't grown that tall! The chair was brand new in 2008 and the back was tall and stiff! Now it's breaking down and it looks like he's taller because his head is above the cushion. I wish he had grown that much! He's maybe grown an inch....but still weighs only 22 lbs.

___________________________________________

GREAT NEWS!

Eli has learned a new life skill.

How to put himself to sleep!

Lonnie and I have argued about this one for a while...because I love helping put him to sleep. I held him for his first 3 years. Then for the last year we've laid down on the floor by him and held his hand to help him fall asleep. But, now he has decided he doesn't need us. When he's tired he rolls over and gets into a very weird position...and falls asleep!

His left arm is tucked underneath him!

That afternoon he became a man on a mission.

To where?...we don't know!...but look how he ended up:

I guess it's better to see the TV this way!
Let's call this TWO missions accomplished!

Finally

2010-03-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a loooooong month. Too much sickness in our house! But, I am completely well. Eli is finally back to himself. And my hubby is slowly finding relief from his ailments....now he just has to deal with the cough for a while longer. It seems to be the last thing to go.

It's been pretty quiet around here as we've been a bit housebound. But, Spring is coming early....or at least teasing us right now. We've had sunshine, 55 degree days, and it's just been gorgeous! My flowers are shooting up through the ground! My Hydrangea made it! Hooray!!! 4 of my 7 Bleeding Hearts are sprouting up. 3 of my 4 Peonies. And the buds on my Lilacs are HUGE already!

And the Box Elders came back in droves a week ago. I could totally do without those little creeps!

Eli's had a couple Bronco rides outside. He will need a little Spring Training to get back up to the speed and distance he ended with last Fall. But, for just getting over being sick - he's done great!

I'm involved in two bible study's through church...and I cannot say enough good about the study called "Downpour" by Paul McDonald! Awesome! Life Changing! Heart Changing. Phenominal.

I have some pics in the camera, but haven't loaded them on my computer yet.....so that promises you another post tomorrow! :)

Morgan's Wonderland

2010-02-28T19:52:00.000-08:00

I found out about something VERY COOL this week. A theme park for special needs children!

It's called Morgan's Wonderland and it's in Texas. It's Grand Opening is in April. You've GOT to go check it out! :) http://www.morganswonderland.com/

Lots of wheelchair accessible activities. Sensory play areas. It really looks fabulous!

Katy, over at Bird on the Street, calls her girlfriends who have special needs children the "Holland Mafia" (which I love and I think we should have T-shirts made!) and I was thinking it would be so great if we could get a big group of us to meet up there one day!

So, go check it out....and tell me what you think!

A Never-Ending Journey

2010-02-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

     Today, Melanie over at Better Than Normal posted "Everything Out On The Table". She's overwhelmed, depressed, and coming to the realization that she's "not the super mom she wanted to be."

     Last week Katy over at Bird On The Street posted "Jealousy Jane". Sharing the difficulties of seeing other families with multiple children, all healthy, and we don't even have one healthy kid. She quickly followed up the next day with "Counting My Blessings" because she is not about being negative. Just real. Admitting the struggles we all face as the moms of special children.

     It made me realize I need to start pouring my heart out more - because that's kinda what a blog is for (and my big sister always wants to know 'what I'm really feeling') - and being more transparent in my writing. Which is gonna be hard for me to do! We are very private people. We don't like to let everyone in on our problems. We'll figure them out ourselves thankyouverymuch. It's easier to pretend everything is fine, than to tell someone you feel so overwhelmed with life that you want to just run off and join the circus.

     But, Eli is going to be 5 in August. Five!!! Seriously. Lonnie and I are amazed at how fast the time has gone by, and we know it's not going to slow down any time soon. So, here is my attempt and putting it all out on the table and telling you how I really feel....

WE ARE:

On a Never-Ending Journey. Most parents have a destination with their kids. The kid graduates from High School, goes to college/gets married/has kids/buys a house/visits occasionally. You get your house and life back. You get added family members. New experiences, etc.. We don't have a destination. We just have a journey. Living day by day just keeping him alive via tube feeds. We worry who will care for Eli when we are too old and/or gone from this earth. And that's assuming he'll outlive us.
Disappointed that he's had such health struggles that we weren't able to do all the amazing therapies we wanted to take him to.
Sick to our stomachs that he has NOT gained weight in THREE YEARS!!!
Overwhelmed at the thought of how school is going to work for him. A simple cold just put him in the hospital for two nights. How will he ever handle all the germs at school? We've quarantined him every winter. He stays healthier that way. But he needs to be around his peers.
Feeling like the world is very small because we only leave our town to go to Children's Hospital in Seattle. We haven't had a vacation in 5 years. Eli and I have gone to my Aunt's house to visit for long weekends....and for those I am incredibly thankful!!! But other than that, we have done nothing fun as a family. That sucks. A lot.
At our wit's end because no one can figure out what is wrong with Eli. Did I mention he hasn't gained weight in 3 YEARS!?????

HOWEVER, WE ARE ALSO:

So madly in love with Eli that we can't imagine life without him.
Thankful for every day God blesses us with his care.
Enjoy his laugh more than anything else in the world.
Positive that he is THE BEST kid in the whole wide world. Just try taking his blood while he's sleeping....he'll let you! Because he's awesome like that!
Thankful to have a house with a huge paved driveway where he can run in his Bronco.....his biggest accomplishment in life!

"I LOVE YOU MORE TODAY THAN YESTERDAY.

BUT NOT AS MUCH AS TOMORROW."

So, how'd I do? Did I get real enough for you Sis? :)

Eli's In the Hospital

2010-02-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

I've been sick about 10 days. I could tell Eli was getting it...but seemed to be doing ok.

All that changed Thursday!

He went quickly downhill that afternoon, and we ended up in the ER by 6 pm. They admitted him and we've been here 2 nights. They ran all the required tests, bloodwork, x-rays, etc....and everything came back fine.

VERDICT: a simple cold kicks Eli's butt!

(First hospital stay in a big bed! No crib! Yahoo!)

The congestion gets really bad because he has such a floppy airway, and doesn't swallow well. He can't manage his secretions and gets congested. Then he has a weak cough...so it takes lots of coughing and sneezing....and tons of suctioning...to help him get better.

(he slept great both nights)

They've had him on blow-by oxygen (see the cup above his head) while we're here...his sats were hanging out around 94-96, but this morning he's mainting 97-98. I think we'll need to turn the O2 off soon and see how he does on his own.

He was Mr. Mellow most of Friday...making this face alot:

(this is the "why does it hurt every time I swallow" face)

Then, Friday afternoon, he started to 'wake up'...and get his personality and energy back.

And his laugh:

To top it all off, though, his stoma is still bothering him. I can see granulation tissue....we're hoping that someone from the Wound Care dept. can see him before we get released...but we are quite eager to go home...so if they can't come early this a.m. .... we'll just go without seeing them.

We want outta here!

Just Chillin' at the Motel

2010-02-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

On January 3rd our power went out at 5:10 pm. It was off until 3:55 am. 11 hours! Luckily, Eli goes to sleep early, so it wasn't a big deal. Once he was asleep, we put 7 layers of blankets on him. We also went down to the neighbors (as they had power) and heated some corn bags in their microwave, and we put those under the covers to keep him warm. He stayed nice and toasty - even as the house cooled down to about 50 degrees!

This was the culprit - it took them hours as they had to dig three holes....until they finally found it. Like a needle in a haystack!

Pacific Power came back on February 3rd and dug up our driveway, again, and laid all new lines.

Today they came and installed the new junction box (or whatever it's called) and connected the wires. So, Eli and I checked in our local motel and hung out for the day. Being without power, water, etc, for about 6 hours, with him awake, didn't sound like fun.

We've had a great day..."just chillin' at the Motel"....

...AND THEN....

Lon came down to visit us, so I ran to get some lunch. Pizza Hut has the greatest vending machines in the lobby...so I spent the best 50 cents ever....for THIS:

Seriously. This was the hardest I've laughed in a long time. He kept doing really funny things trying to get it off his lip! I think I just found his new "therapy". I've never seen his mouth and tongue get such a workout! :)

Time to pack up and get outta here.

But, I just might come back tonight after Eli goes to sleep......and swim, or go tanning, or play in the arcade, or watch cable TV.....or sleep!

Osteopathic Manipulation

2010-02-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

Last week, we started a new therapy for Eli.

Osteopathic manipulation.

Yesterday was his second visit...here he is waiting to see the Doctor.

This new therapy is a gift from God.

I met a gal named Heather, in my bible study, that is going to the new medical school in our town, that trains Osteopath Doctors. I've been having my group pray for Eli, of course, and one night after class she asked me about him. She told me how their therapy can help with pain and digestion....which seem to be Eli's two biggest issues. She offered to talk to her favorite professor, Dr. Woods, and ask if he'd see Eli - for free.

Well, last Wednesday, they came to our house and did their first therapy on him.

They came to our house!!

Yesterday, we went to the college and he did the therapy in front of her entire class of about 80 students.

It was awesome. At one point Dr. Woods asked me if I had anything to say. I told the students,

"If meeting Eli makes any of you want to help kids like him, that would be awesome."

We've now been referred to a local Osteopath to continue his manipulations. We'll see how it goes :)

__________________________________________

Eli hasn't been in the greatest moods lately, so I haven't been taking many pictures. But, the other night he and his Daddy were hanging out together, and he was laughing - so I grabbed my camera and got these gems:

_______________________________________

Eli has been spending a lot of time on his tummy lately. We're not sure why. He drools alot so we keep dry burp cloths under his face. Unfortunately, when he's ready to roll over onto his back....we end up with this:

"Hello! Somebody help me out here!"

I get a giggle out of it....how about you?

Yesterday, his Tigger toy was in his face - and he grabbed it and pushed it away from him! His caregiver and I were sitting there talking, and we watched it happen! We were both SO EXCITED!

Maybe someday he'll learn to get his burp cloths off his face!

Oh, and while we're talking about rolling over. Eli has always been good at rolling from his back onto his tummy by rolling to the left. This last week, however, he has mastered rolling to his RIGHT!

Sweet! He can pop his arms out from underneath him like nothing now! I'm so proud of him!

Cute Bibs!!

2010-02-01T19:23:00.000-08:00

We are always on the lookout for cute bibs....big bibs....not baby bibs.....

so if you are in our boat.....check these out!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/colbylanedesigns

Just a Little Something For You

2010-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Still not feeling like writing, but I thought I'd share some of my digital scrapbooking layouts with you:

Here is a LO using a free mini-kit called Apple Cider from http://raspberryroaddesigns.blogspot.com/

This LO is using a kit called Fly Me To The Moon by http://justsoscrappy.blogspot.com/

She has great kits for only $1.50 each!

One of my favorite digi-designers is Kristen Aagard. This is using her kit called Ocean Deep. Her kits are more expensive, and I was blessed to get a few over the holidays. Her blog is here: http://digidelights.blogspot.com/

Another kit by Kristen, (http://digidelights.blogspot.com/) called Little Forest:

Have a GREAT DAY!

Winter Blues

2010-01-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

I don't know what is going on.

Writer's Block? Winter Blues? But it all equals a Whimpy Blog!

Forgive me while I take a break from BlogLand.....I'll be back when my spirits are back up.

The good news for now is we took Eli to Seattle last week to have his GJ Feeding tube switched out (as it was leaking) and it was THE PERFECT DAY!

The weather was great for the drive. Eli was happy and did great in his carseat! (I could totally get used to that! We've waited for 4 years for him to do well in his carseat!) We didn't have to stop and get him out because he was so happy! We got to the hospital and it was nap time, so he had just started to fall asleep in my lap - when the nurse called us back. Of course!

I had also given him a little extra Ativan - and he was MELLOW and HAPPY and even laughed during...and the procedure went perfectly smooth! Like 5 minutes. It was fabulous!

We then went to the cafeteria to have lunch...and Eli took a 1/2 hour nap in my lap....and we headed home. He did great going home, too! In all - it was our best trip ever.

On the way home we stopped in North Bend at the Outlet Mall because Carter's always calls my name! Hee hee. No, really, Eli needed some new long sleeved onesies....and their 24 month onesies STILL FIT our 4 1/2 year old! :) They are long!

Just a couple doors down is the Rocky Mtn Chocolate Factory - and my hubby had a craving....I told him to get me a caramel apple. It was Eli's first sniff:

But the next day everything changed. He's fighting granulation tissue AGAIN. Ugh. I hate it....

he's miserable, his body is wild, and the days are hard....

Our winter quarantine has so far been successful at keeping Eli - and our whole house - healthy!

But it makes for a long winter.....and add to it the bleak, foggy, nasty, cloudy, wet/snowy weather we've been having....and I think it all adds up to the winter blues.

I'll start blogging again when I muster the energy...

Christmas Catch-Up

2009-12-31T15:05:00.000-08:00

Thought I better get my Christmas Day pictures posted before the year is over!!!

We had a fun Christmas morning at home....

Then we went to Lonnie's sister's house with his family, for dinner in the afternoon.

Annual Family Portrait In Front Of Someone Else's Tree:

Next year we are going to set up the tripod and get one in front of our own tree!

Then on Monday the 28th, the sun came out, it was a whopping 36 degrees, so we bundled Eli up and took him outside for his final Bronco ride of 2009. Good thing, too, because it's been snowing ever since!

I think Old Navy needs a handsome special needs kiddo in their ads, don't you?

I'm going to send this in to them......since he's all decked out in Old Navy gear :)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Time Is Here

2009-12-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

December has been busy! Grab a cup of cocoa...we have some catching up to do!!!

_______________________________________

On December 10th my Momma would have been 67. I don't know why, but I miss her the most on her birthday each year. Maybe because she loved getting spoiled for a day? Actually, she loved being the center of attention whenever possible! On her birthday I think she didn't feel the guilt! :) LOL~

She loved her birthday....and I loved finding just the right gift for her. It's hard now when I see something I know she would have loved, when I'm out shopping, and I just have to leave it there on the shelf with no Momma to take it home to. :(

______________________________________

Lonnie and I got to go on a date on Friday the 11th!! First one since July! We went to a Comedy Cafe our church hosted. Comedian Daren Streblow performed and it was great!

______________________________________

Then, on December 16th, my dear hubby had a birthday.

We celebrated at a lunch with his family on the 14th....and went back to his Mom's house for Kahlua Cream Pie and presents....Lon got new seasons of House and X-Files from his Mom. I got him the Oswald Chambers Devotional Bible. His sister got him a nice pullover. It was a good day.

Then, on his actual birthday morning....he opened more presents....with Eli helping....and laughing.

(Click on the picture to make it bigger....Eli's smile is worth it!)

These gifts aren't as exciting. A clip-on book light (for aging eyes!!) and some McKinney Auto Glass Window Cleaner (a coveted item in our valley).

_____________________________________

We had a "Christmas Card Photo Session" on the 11th. Hurried and designed my cards and got them ordered from Shutterfly. Finally got them mailed out on Friday, the 18th! Yikes. I've never been so late! But, Eli hadn't been feeling well, so I was just waiting for a day that he seemed calm and happy. I'm VERY thankful for the fabulous shot I got for the card! (Will post it soon!) Only took 52 pictures to get the great one! :) All you Moms of special needs kids know what I mean, right?!!

Here are the out-takes:

Yup - the OUT-TAKES - wait until you see the best! :)

________________________________________

Yesterday, our local children's therapy center had their annual Christmas party.

Eli got his picture taken with Santa.

I don't think he likes Santa's fur on his face! haha

_________________________________________

We got our first big snowfall on the 15th. Almost 3 ". Yuck.

(I know my sister Ricky is cracking up right now! She lives in Montana and lives in below zero temps and massive snow banks all Fall, Winter, and Spring!)

_________________________________________

I've been quite the social butterfly this month! Three lunches with my former co-workers, dinner with my small group from church, party with friends, Scrapbooking night, Scrappin' at the Village, decorated bulletin boards at our local NICU and therapy center........and I'm looking forward to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to have more get togethers with family!

Me and Erin - the friend I organize the Selah scrapbooking event with each month, 4th Fridays at her church.

________________________________________

I told you've I've been busy! And I haven't even mentioned shopping, wrapping, and baking!

HUGE THANKS to my dear hubby who has been supportive through it all....and enjoyed lots of quality time with his precious son, so I could be so busy this month. Thanks, Babe! I love you!

Oh, Christmas Tree.....How Lovely Are Thy....Giraffes!

2009-12-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

Life has been a little busy around here.

It took some time for Eli to get used to his new way of eating....and we finally started increasing his calories....and then the inevitable happened....we gotta figure out how to help him get it OUT! :)

The life of a CP kid: Calories IN. Poops OUT.

Alas.

We are confident that we are on the right path to help him feel better, and he's had a few great days in a row :) Yahoo! We had to quit giving him his prunes and pears because it doesn't work as well in the J-tube.

We are giving suppositories every 3 days to help him "go" and hopefully he'll get on his own schedule again soon.

_____________________________________

THANKSGIVING WAS WONDERFUL.

We went over to Auburn (South of Seattle) on Wednesday to spend time with my family. They have cable internet service, so I was not able to get online with my laptop for 5 days!!! And I survived!

When I got home, I just didn't feel like blogging.....and thats why I've been gone two weeks!

(Thanks for hanging in there with me.)

I didn't really get any great pics...I was so happy visiting with my Aunt Shiela and cousin Love'e....the camera just didn't even come out much.

I know. Imagine that!

______________________________________

Thanks to Emmett - our spirited cat - we have not had a Christmas tree since 2003 -

the year this picture was taken:

So, this year I decided to try it again. I put the tree up on a table than none of our cats seem to be fond of....and so far they have left it alone! :) It's in Eli's dayroom, which has a pocket door - so I figured we could keep the cats out if needed. I am thoroughly enjoying the glow of a Christmas tree in the evenings! I'm also happy Eli gets to enjoy it this year, too.

Here are Eli and Piper hanging out while I untangle lights....

After decorating the tree, I decided to put all of Eli's small giraffes in the tree...

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the way it turned out!

It looks just perfect in his Giraffe themed day room.

See the Toy Story ornament in the bottom of this photo? It's his 2009 ornament.

Can you believe I found this cool Carousel Giraffe for his FIRST Christmas?

Last night and into today we had the most wild and crazy wind storm I've ever experienced.

ALL.NIGHT.LONG. The wind blew so loudly - I felt like I was at the beach with airplanes flying overhead!

It started around 9 pm last night - snowed a little - then just kept whipping until about 3 pm this afternoon.

Lon just finished getting all the leaves picked up yesterday.

Now we have to go pick up branches from our Weeping Birch trees.

It's never ending yard clean up around here!

But I wouldn't trade it for the world. I love our home.

"H-e-e-e-y B-u-u-u-d-d-y" - Meeting Josh Blue!

2009-11-23T07:12:00.000-08:00

Saturday I was lucky enough to go to a fundraiser dinner/auction and see Josh Blue perform! He was fabulous! Of course! :) My friend, Angie, came with me. She also has a son with CP. It was such an honor to get our picture taken with him. He was very friendly, signing copies of his CD's and DVD's. A man in wheelchair came up to get his picture taken with Josh, and they shook hands....which was funny because they both had crazy hands! :) And then Josh gave him an autographed CD -for free! The guy got so excited. Actually brought tears to my eyes. It was sweet!

He was on Last Comic Standing the summer of 2006. Eli was just 10 months old. I always held Eli, while he ate his dinner feed and fell asleep for the night, and I watched TV! I've been a fan of Last Comic Standing since the first episode....I pick the winner every season! haha

I was so excited to see Josh Blue use his Cerebral Palsy in his act and not being afraid of it! I also remember thinking, "His mom must be so proud of him!!" And....he truly was funny!

I cracked up when I got home and saw his coat on the back of the chair in our picture that says, "H-e-e-e-y B-u-u-u-d-d-y-" I say that ALL THE TIME (with the same funny drawl that Josh does)...and now that we have my mom's dog Buddy - my husband and I both say it to him everyday! I just couldn't remember where I picked it up! Now I know! haha

Here is the only picture I got of him performing. They dimmed the lights, so I couldn't get a good shot as I was zooming in!

When I got home that night, here is how I found Eli asleep in his bed:

The great news is the fundraiser was a huge success! It raises money for Camp Prime Time.

A camp for special needs children, and their families, to be able to go have a camping experience. Everything is accessible - even a tree house! - and it's all free to the families!

I'm hoping to get Eli on the list....I'm assuming there might be a waiting list? - and maybe we can go camping some summer in the near future. I was so excited to hear my sister Shiela say she'd love to volunteer at the camp! I think it would be a great experience for her and her husband! :)

Check out how cool the camp is: http://www.campprimetime.org/

Tablescape Thursday

2009-11-19T06:32:00.000-08:00

Well, Eli's been up since 2 am and I am sooooo tired. As soon as the hubby gets up, I'm going back to bed.
In the meantime, I've been surfing the blog world...and found a new favorite:

Did you know that setting a table could be a sport? I didn't......and I am soooo excited!!! I LOVE TO SET A TABLE! So, I'm joining in this week's Tablescape Thursday blog carnival over at Between Naps On The Porch.

I'm not sure of all the rules for it yet, and I'm so tired I can hardly think - so I'm going to cheat a little my first time and use pictures from last year's Thanksgiving dinner that we hosted at our house. I hadn't hosted T-Day in 10 years, and was bursting with excitement.

I love vintage aluminum....and gold leaf glassware. Here you will see pieces from both my collections. The dishes are from Pier One. They were on clearance last summer and I was able to get service for 8 for about $200.00. The colors go perfect in our new house. The green bowl you see was my Momma's. She served green beans in it every Thanksgiving! When she died three years ago, I knew I had to have that bowl...and I break it out every November. So, if you ever invite me to Thanksgiving at YOUR house, be prepared for the dish I bring to be in this bowl. Sorry if it clashes with your table.....but it makes me feel like my Momma is there with me :)

Since Eli is unable to make crafts with me, I try to include him as much as I can.

This is what I came up with for Placecards.

I traced his hand onto cardstock and then had him help me color the "feathers".

Thanks for letting me share these with you. As soon as I learn all the rules of the game, I'll come up with something original and spectacular to post!

I can't believe I finally found a sport I enjoy!

hahahahaha :)

G-J Feeding Tube Is In! I'm Counting My Blessings!

2009-11-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

Blessing Number One:

The forecast on Snoqualmie pass was calling for 3" of snow.

It was sunny and beautiful!

Blessing Number Two:

We stopped in North Bend to get Eli out of his carseat, and he fell asleep in my lap.

Blessing Number Three:

Eli did awesome with all the waiting around we had to do yesterday. Was even a bit of a cuddle bug at times. Even through the pain, he's a happy and good boy!

Blessing Number Four:

I caught this face on camera! :)

Blessing Number Five:

I got some snuggle time with my boy.

Blessing Number Six:

Seattle Children's Hospital

We have had nothing but wonderful doctors and nurses attend to us there!

This is the Interventional Radiology room where the tube was placed.

See the two blue rings on top of the table? Those are the head and foot of the 'papoose board'.

(It wasn't quite long enough and added a little extra complication.)

I was holding Eli's arms up and shoulders down with the help of an X-ray Tech, while Lonnie was holding his legs down. There were two doctors placing the tube.

It took 20 minutes.

It was the loooongest 20 minutes I can remember since his birth!

But, it was successful and we are home and feeding him through it. Turns out you have to vent their stomach often because the air can't escape into the bowels as well anymore. Once we got that figured out, he was more comfortable this morning!

_________________________________________________

SO, WE WENT FROM THIS:

An AMT Mini-ONE Balloon Button (the lowest profile on the market)

(We always keep the extension attached because we use it every 30 minutes to feed him. We used to cover it with an Ace Bandage.)

__________

TO THIS:

The Mic-KEY G-J Feeding Tube. It's a monster on his skinny tummy!!!!!

This summer after his Stoma Infection, we started covering it all with Spandage. (It helps it breathe easier)

We were worried about how comfortable it would be for him to sleep with this big new button, because he sleeps on his tummy....but he slept through the night....and even slept in a little bit! :)

We're not seeing a total transformation in him yet, but we are forever hope-full!

Searching for Answers

2009-11-08T06:40:00.000-08:00

Eli has been suffering for about a month now with his reflux....and finally on Tuesday, we are heading over to Seattle Children's Hospital to switch him over to a G-J Feeding Tube. It's a fairly simple procedure because Eli already has his G-tube. They use the same stoma (hole in his abdomen to stomach) and put in a different kind of button. It has a tube inside that goes into the start of his small intestine (the jejunem - or JoeDenim as my hubby likes to call it! He's a nut...and had me cracking up about it earlier this week!)

We are praying this will give him some much needed relief!!!

It's been a lonely road. It feels like no one really knows what to do. When he's having an acute case like this, and you call and want to see a doctor, they schedule for an appt in a month....that just doesn't work for us! They prescribe meds to calm his body down. And that's it. We want to fix the actual problem.

My husband and I have been doing the research ourselves. We called the doctor and told them we wanted the G-J feeding tube. Luckily the GI doc agreed But, still, no one has even seen him for this since February. It concerns us a little....that we are making the decision for him. But a couple of our Nurse and/or PT friends agree that it should give him relief. So, we are going with our parental instincts...and we are hoping for the best. That's just the way it is for us in this "special needs world". Don't you wish your child's specialist could come stay at your house for a weekend and really get to know your kid? We do!

Since Eli has had these issues come up in the Fall for the second year in a row, it made me suspicious. Then our PT friend said she has seen it before in kids like Eli. They go to school in the Fall, get exposed to new germs and viruses and it affects their GI tract...and can lead to tummy trouble. What a bummer. Preschool was going so well. We may pursue getting a medical waiver so we can get some services at home. We'll see...

We just want our happy boy back. The one who just got done with his best summer ever! :) Hopefully he'll be back in a week or so!

Costa Rica Here She Comes!

2009-11-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

My 20 year old niece left today for a three month mission trip to Costa Rica with YWAM.

(Youth With A Mission)

If you think of her please pray for traveling mercies, good health, and that the group can really make an impact in the villages and towns they will be staying in.

Thanks!

Her proud Auntie!

There's A New Sheriff In Town

2009-10-31T22:09:00.000-07:00

A couple of my friends on Facebook talked about making popcorn balls today...so I thought, "Hey, that would be fun!" So I parked Eli in the kitchen with me....and cooked up a batch.

WHAT A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!

That stuff is HOT. You should see the blister on my finger where I got burned! Ouch!

I'm glad I didn't have little fingers wanting to help me out...because I'd hate for him to get hurt. And to top it all off....I about pulled a filling out trying to eat one of the dang things....and it didn't really taste that great!

What a bummer.

...

Moving on.

...

My darling hubby was kind enough to wear this fabulous costume my friend Erin found for me at Goodwill. He looked awesome......

....but his horse was having some issues!

So, off came the horse costume and we just had three cowboys!

Aahhh - much better...

Thanks Lon for being such a good sport!!!

--------------------------------------------------

We ended the day by carving a pumpkin.

(Eli was so tired, but I was trying to keep him up until 7:00 pm, in hopes that he'll sleep in until at least 5:00 am tomorrow....which will then be 4:00 am with the time change!!! UGH!

- - - UPDATE: Eli slept in until 6:10 (old time) today. It felt wonderful! - - -

He really enjoyed playing with the guts!

Excuse my deer in the headlights look - but I just loved Eli's mouth in this picture:

And cue the bedtime music....Eli's ready for bed....

I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween!!!

Eli's Elusive Laugh - VIDEO

2009-10-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

I FINALLY GOT IT ON VIDEO!!!!!

It's my absolute favorite sound in the whole wide world!

(The ocean has been moved to second place.)

Reflux Revisited

2009-10-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

Eli is struggling with reflux, again. Well, he always has....but...

Last year in November 2008 started a four month journey through h#!! with him being so sick we ended up driving 2 1/2 hours to the ER at Seattle Children's Hospital to try and get it figured out.

Finally, in March of 2009 we got him on a new formula, new feeding plan, and started giving him Ativan to help his body stay calm.

We had the best Spring and Summer ever! But all good things come to an end I guess. :(

Then the reflux showed back up again about 2 weeks ago. His body starts arching, and twisting and contorting into shapes that aren't normal for him or anyone for that matter! He can't relax to go to sleep, and it's awful to watch.

We are working with our doctors to try and figure out what to do next. Looks like we might be changing to a G-J Feeding tube.

It's emotional exhausting to see him in so much pain. It's mentally exhausting to try and figure out what we need to know to make good decisions for him. It's physically exhausting because he is hard to hold.

I just don't have a lot of energy right now....and blogging has taken a back burner. I'll be back as soon as I feel up to it again! Thanks for stopping by :)

The Coat Arrived....And It's Going Back!

2009-10-21T17:48:00.000-07:00

Well, you guys know I love Giraffes...but as my friend Nicole said, "that's not a color in the crayon box."

ORANGE is our favorite color around here! So, of course I chose a coat with orange in it! Here it is:

Unfortunately, the 3T is HUGE!!!!! So, we'll be sending it back. It's probably a good thing because we've pulled Eli out of pre-school while the swine flu runs it's course....so he doesn't really need a coat now anyway. Next year!

Anyway - the winners of my contest, for guessing the correct color, ORANGE, are:
My dear local friend from MOPS: Nicole!
And because my sister and I are so generous....we are giving a pair to the only other person who guessed right, my dear bloggy friend: Katy, from Bird on the Street.

So, Girls - tell me YOUR favorite color and email me your address at: 3berks (at) fairpoint(dot) net and you'll get a fabulous pair of homemade earrings from my sister Shiela at From Shi's Garden.

Thanks for playing along!!!

Dressing Up

2009-10-18T13:58:00.001-07:00

Halloween is around the corner!

Oh, how I loved Halloween as a kid. FREE CANDY! I was never too proud to beg! I loved Trick-Or-Treating. I lived in an apartment complex, so me and my neighbor friends would get together and hit all the apartments....then start down the road knocking on houses. I grew up in a VERY SMALL town in Eastern Oregon and it was still safe in the early 80's! Sometimes, if it was really cold, we'd pile in a couple cars and our moms would drive us around to hit some of the "good" neighborhoods.

No. Not the rich one's.

The "good" one's! The middle income people who spend a day's wages on chocolate bars to hand out to begging goblins! :) You KNOW what I mean, right? People in the rich neighborhoods gave out Dum-Dum suckers. Yuck! Why do they even make those things!?

Eli hasn't had a great experience with Halloween yet. Someday he'll party like the Great Pumpking gang!

His First Halloween he was 2 months old. I took him to visit my former co-workers and to show him off in his pumpkin pajamas:

His Second Halloween, I donned his Giraffe costume (gift from a friend) and we went to lunch at Olive Garden with my two friends and their kids....Elmo and a Kitty Cat.

His Third Halloween, I dressed him up like "Old MacDonald" ... who had a farm...and as we say around here .... "E-li, E-li, Oh!" I took him to our church party and he screamed for about 20 minutes. Guess he was over-stimulated. We left his friends Cookie Monster and Puppy behind to play in the jumpers....and we went home.

Last year, Eli's Fourth Halloween, he had Swim Therapy that day. So, we dressed him up in his Pirate costume and I got to show him around the Therapy Center. He wore his costume for about 30 minutes. That's why I won't pay more than about $5 for a costume!

This year was supposed to be his big "halloween experience" year! Carnival party at the Civic Center in our small town. A night out amongst his peers. Maybe we'd see kids from his preschool. He'd get to watch all the kids run around and play. I was excited.

Then a stupid Oinking Flu had to hit our world! Grrrrr!!!!

But thanks to some of my awesome friends, I have a fabulous costume planned for Eli and his Dad - but you'll have to stay tuned to find out what they might be! Only two more weeks to go!

Do You Think We Could Market This?

2009-10-17T18:18:00.000-07:00

Doesn't EVERY dog need their very own

PLANTER as a PILLOW!!!???

Catching Up...and a Give-away!

2009-10-11T18:13:00.000-07:00

Lonnie took Eli out to the car for preschool last Tuesday...he looked like such a big boy with his hoody on.

This is the first year we've used a jacket for him! He's always been such a hot kid, he's never needed one in his carseat! Preschool and recess have made it a new necessity.

So, I got to order him a really cute coat, hat and gloves on Old Navy.com.

I can't wait to share them with you!

Guess what color they have in them?

Leave a comment with your guess, and IF you guess correctly - you'll be entered into a drawing for a beautiful pair of earrings made by my sister Shi.

Check out her website, she sells earrings and Tamari's to raise money for Sabu Help. My niece's husband started it to help his village back in Ghana West Africa. It's a wonderful project I've been very happy to be supportive of! I hope you take a look, too!

______________________________________

I honestly can't remember if I've shown you guys Eli's new carseat cover! Giraffe 'skin' :)

Anyway, here it is:

_________________________________________

Bought Eli a real towel for bath time. Had to take pictures!

Why does the blurry picture always have to be one of the best one's?

_______________________________________

It feels like Winter is setting in. I guess we don't get Autumn this year!?

Buddy melted his way into my heart...he slept in the house last night! He likes to lay by Eli :) He gets as close to Eli's mat as he can without being ON it! Good dog!

__________________________________________________

I haven't posted about my great nephews in a while. Here is my new favorite picture of my nephew Adam and his son Asher, age 4 months:

I haven't met him yet, but don't you just want to eat him up?

..........

And here is my nephew Matthew's son, Ashten, age 2:

He lives far away, and I don't even know if my nephew is still with his mommy. Thank goodness for MySpace...I can go in once in a while and see how he's grown and steal a few pictures! What a beauty - look at those blue eyes and toe head! Just like his daddy!

..........

Next is by niece Montana's son, Anongba, age 1 1/2:

His Daddy is from Ghana West Africa, that I mentioned above! I've only got to see him twice, and it's NOT enough! I need some kisses from that baby!

..........

Here is Elisiah, age 10 and 3/4. The 3/4's is important at that age right? Or is that just a girl thing? hee hee

I don't get to see him much either, but he is like an old soul. You forget he's a kid when you talk to him!

..........

I'm so lucky to have such a beautiful family! I just wish they didn't all live so far away!

Bathing - Leckey vs. Otter

2009-10-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Bathing has always been hard, but as Eli gets bigger and stronger it's getting worse. He wants to roll over and drown himself, and I get a little freaked out at the idea!

We are now trying to decide if we should get a bath chair. I was thinking of the Otter Bath Seat - as it's less expensive, and seems to have enough straps to keep him safe:

But our DME supplier is recommending the Leckey Advance Bathing Seat:

I like the leg support....but it's over twice as much money. And it seems bigger.

Of course, for last night's bath, I came up with a fabulous new way to prop his head up so it's out of the water, so even if he does get his face to the side it won't end up in water! Now we might not need a chair for a while longer....we'll see how it goes for a few more baths.

We are thinking having this big chair to deal with in our bathtub might be a bit of a pain in the 'you know what'.

ANYONE HAVE ANY ADVICE?

Thoughts of a Mom Poem

2009-09-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

In January I wrote a post using a poem I had found online. I wanted to share it again, because I now have many new blog readers who have special needs kids....and this needs to be read by each and every one of you! :) You'll love it!

CLICK HERE

I'd love to have you leave a comment about what you loved in the poem!

Fair-N-Dipity

2009-09-29T07:59:00.000-07:00

First, I'd like to apologize to those of you who are Facebook friends and you read my blog, because you have to see the same pictures in both places. But, as I have different readers here, I like to share with them, too! Plus, my blog is my journal. I hope to get it printed in book form someday. (but everytime I try the website doesn't work for me! Anyone have success anywhere printing your blog in a book? Let me know!)

_____________________________________

Eli went to the fair when he was 1 month old and again when he was 13 months old. But, we haven't gone the last two years. With him doing so well these days, and loving to watch kids, we decided to give it a go this year. Eli did really well, even with all the crowds. Our valley doesn't have school on the Monday of our 10 day Fair so the kids can go....since so many used to skip and go anyway. It's "Franz Bread Day"...if you take a specially marked bag from Franz bread you get fair admission and a ride bracelet for only $25! It's a steal....and the fair is packed!

Here we are after arriving at the fair:

Eli rode the carousel for the first time:

...round and round we go....

We keep trying to figure out the best hat for Eli to wear in his stroller. So he got a new baseball cap. Spiderman, no less! :) I can't tell if he looks like a "gangsta" or a "hick". hahaha!!

There was a very friendly goat that let Eli pet him....and then he nibbled on Eli's fingers. It was so cute!

And the splurge of the day was getting a caricature drawn:

The artist was great!

...and here is the finished product! I love it!

We took Eli's caregiver, Tina, with us...but then Lon and I ended up not riding any rides or anything.

Oh, well. Maybe next year!

Final tally:

Admission Price: $36.00 for 3 adults

Parking: $12.00 for 2 cars

Fair Food: $14.75

($5 Elephant Ear, $6 Curly Fries, $3 Pepsi, $.75 Taffy)

License plate with Eli's name on it: $3.99

Spiderman Hat: $8.00

Caricature: $20.00

Taking Eli to be a part of this huge community event: PRICELESS!

Just To See You Smile

2009-09-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

"Just to see you smile

I'd do anything

That you wanted me to

When all is said and done

I'd never count the cost

It's worth all that's lost

Just to see you smile"

~Tim McGraw

These were taken Tuesday taking Eli to preschool....and him swinging during Talk and Tumble OT time. :)

The World Revolves Around Me

2009-09-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Eli started preschool yesterday. It's his second year, but he didn't really get to attend much last year. He started getting sick in November, and wasn't well again until we got his nutrition/digestion issues figured out in March! We couldn't afford for him to get a cold or flu, and lose weight, so we kept him out of school.

But this year, I was a little excited for him to start. He weighs 3.5 pounds MORE than he did last year! He's made so much progress this summer...I hope he enjoys some time around other kids.

Here he is, as we get ready to leave home:

...and here we are at school in the parking lot...

His shirt says, "The World Revolves Around Me".

Our world truly does! :)

Here he is in his class. We were 5 minutes late, and circle time was over. Dang it.

Then it was time for recess...

and there are not paths for wheelchairs, and not ONE SINGLE piece of equipment for special needs kids to play with, on, or around!

Seriously!?

He had fun listening to his music, though....

And so Mama Bear goes into her "something's got to be done about this!" mode!

In the preschool classes, there are three boys with wheels. They need a place to roll.

Things to touch, hear, and see. So, I'm working on it! I'm going to start fundraising and get some equipment for their playground. The principal is on board, I now just have to go through all the steps.

And raise money!

We will do it! I know we can. I have several parents ready to help me!

Back in the class, it was circle time. Eli still had his music on. He's laughing. Again. :)

Time to head home. It was a beautiful sunny day!

Eli was the only kid in the class with new clothes and shoes. Did I over-do it for my 4 year old?

hahahahahaha!

Don't these just make you want a pair? Rubik's Cube Converse! Yeah, baby!

Winding Down

2009-09-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite ready for summer to be over....but it's definitely winding down, isn't it?
It gets dark so early now.
Pre-school starts tomorrow.
Eli's going further than ever each day, outside, in his Bronco.
He's just been busy playing.....

.....with paper.....

.....and beans.....

.....in his stander.....

How about you? How are you winding down your summer?

And Then There Were Ten

2009-09-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

The day I posted about losing Zeke, I saw that our cat Little Girl (I did NOT name her!) had a massive eye infection....again! It's been chronic for years. It never really goes away...I'd medicate, and it would go away for a while. But it always came back. She always had nose issues. A funky wheeze with each meow. Snotty off and on. (Yeah - she was quite a bag of tricks!)

I took her to the vet on Tuesday, and found out her mouth was horribly infected, too. She was a cat with chronic "immuno-defiency" issues. The medication was going to be a crazy regimen and schedule in hopes it would help...then more meds to follow and a dental cleaning. She was old. And chronic. I decided it was time to say goodbye to her. It was a hard decision, but I feel it was the best for her.

She wasn't the most fortunate looking cat....so I ended up calling her "Scrunge".

She was a sweetie. Never got into trouble. Talked a lot. Loved to sleep.

REALLY loved to sleep. And even when her favorite spot (at our old house) got knocked over by dogs or wind...she stayed the course:

Isn't that a hoot?

So, our cat population is now down to 10. The lowest we've ever had as a married couple...

our hearts are a little sore right now.

Farewell Zeke

2009-09-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Our cat Zeke, you know the one that was Cuckoo for Canteloupe?, he finally had to give in to his illness.

Two days before Eli's big birthday party - we could tell it was time. He quit eating. Then he started having labored breathing. So, the morning of Eli's party (8/22/09), Lonnie took him in to have him euthenized. We couldn't watch him suffer any longer.

Lonnie had Zeke for about 12 years. We had a wonderful 7 weeks with him while he was sick. We wouldn't trade that for anything!

We buried our beloved pet the morning of Eli's party. Our graveyard in our backyard if filling too quickly. We've had four pets die in the last year. (We've had 4 others run away since we moved here) It's been hard for us to deal with. We love our pets...and wish we knew what happened to them, at the very least!

We are now down to only 11 cats. That's a big deal to us! We haven't had that low of a census since we got married! (Lon had 7 and I had 4) But, since the dog count is now UP due to my mom's dogs coming to live with us...I guess it all works out, doesn't it?

Lung Cancer Sucks

2009-08-27T15:59:00.000-07:00

Three years ago today, my Momma died of lung cancer.

It was four days after my baby's 1st birthday. The day after his birthday party. She didn't even get to be at it. I only got three pictures of them together. I'm sad every time I think about it.

I miss her everyday. But the pain isn't as sharp as it used to be.

I don't see my siblings as much with her gone. That makes me sad.

My cousin reminded me a funny story, so I decided to share it with you today.

One day my Aunt Shiela, cousin Love'e and her two sons (ages 10 and 13) came to visit mom (who's name was Twila), when she was sick. Mom was talking about telemarketers and how they drove her crazy! She said one night a telemarketer called and for Twiller.

My mom quickly snapped, "Who the *beep* names their kid Twiller?"

My cousin's boys thought that was hilarious....and still talk about it to this day.

...

Oh, my gosh I miss her!

African Safari Birthday Party

2009-08-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

We had Eli's birthday party on Saturday...

I baked the cakes. My friend Karen decorated them, and I put the plastic characters on at the end. I LOVE how this cake turned out!

Eli got spoiled by our family and friends....lots of presents. A late August birthday sure does help a parent with the "back to school" shopping budget! He's set!

The Family Portrait:

_______________________________________________

We had a Safari Treasure Hunt for the kids:

De Zanem = Welcome!

Kids On Safari: (You can hardly see the big giraffe!)

The first clue: Find the Lions

There they are! - and there's the first treasure box! Lion = Gigne

...and we hunted Elephants = Wobugo

...and Giraffes (of course!) Giraffe - LaLaKum

Here is Eli and his friend Wyatt, who also has CP:

...and we hunted for Monkeys on safari! Monkey = Gywaga

(each animal display had a small treasure box)

...and finally Zebras (didn't get the translation for this)....

and the BIG TREASURE CHEST WAS FOUND!

Of course no party is complete without Lou Lou begging for a belly rub....

....and the dogs getting into the garbage after everyone leaves! Ugh!

It was a wonderful party. I may have to do another post later this week, since we only got about 140 pictures! Thank goodness my friend Glenda took on the duty of photographer for the day!

Unfortunately, that means I'm in waaaaay too many pictures! Not used to that! I kinda like being behind the camera, you know? I'm so thankful, though. The party was over before I knew it...and I didn't even get to see much of it! With all Glenda's photo taking, I was able to see what really happened!

This Is What 4 Looks Like...

2009-08-23T17:41:00.000-07:00

...looks fun, doesn't it?

He's having a great day!

Family - Flesh and Fur!

2009-08-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else love pictures of their hubby and baby as much as me?

______________________________________

Last Saturday, my cousin Love'e and her husband Gary came over to visit. We haven't had pics of her holding Eli in a long time...so we got this great pic!

My cousins took my mom's dogs after she died 3 years ago. It was such a blessing for me. I didn't have to worry about them during that most difficult time of my life. But, their life situation has changed and it was time for my "baby brothers" to move in with us!

I'd like you to meet HARLEY:

and BUDDY:

Harley needs a forever home where he will be spoiled rotten. We hope we can find one for him soon.

Buddy is fitting in really well with our dogs, and we are thinking we might keep him around. We'll see.

________________________________________

Eli has slept on his tummy, all night, for about two years. He now likes to go to sleep on his side...and I flip him over after he's in a deep sleep. Well, last night he decided to roll onto his back...and he stayed asleep!

My boy is growing up before my eyes, I tell ya!

For now, we can't leave him this way, because if he starts to stir, it will scare him...so not long after this picture was taken, I put him on his tummy.

Then at 1:45 am when I got up to give Eli his meds, his tummy was wet. G-tube/Extension malfunction of some kind. Haven't had that happen before. I had to change his layers on his bed, change his clothes, underpants, re-dress his stoma, and put a new guaze wrap on his belly. That last thing finally woke him up....luckily I was done...so I scooped him up and put him back in his bed, layed down with him and he went right back to sleep. Whew. Poor guy. I hate it when that stuff happens.

__________________________________________

Today, he looked particularly fabulous while long sitting with Tina (his caregiver/therapist).

Of course, I had to grab the camera!

Have a great week everyone! We are starting our countdown to Eli's 4th birthday!

6 MORE DAYS!

Miss Me? I'm Back!

2009-08-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

I've been absent for a few days....recuperating from our trip and getting back into the groove at home (and then blogger didn't want to let me load pictures yesterday!)....and boy do I have a lot to catch you up on! To make it easy, there's going to be LOTS of pictures, and a little bit of text...enjoy!

Dear Trader Joe's,

Where have you been all my life?

I love you.

Sincerely, Amy

My Aunt (in picture below) took me to Trader Joe's last weekend. OMIGOSH! I am in love.

I love saving money. I love trying new things. I love delicious food. My hubby is very health conscious, and he's vegetarian with food allergies and UC. Trader Joe's has many of his staple food items at about 1/2 the price we pay at Fred Meyer! If you look closely you will see on the counter below I am stocking up on his salad dressings! $1.99 a bottle. I was in heaven! They are at least $3.79 when on sale here!

_______________________________________

I haven't traveled with Eli since last Spring. At which point I realized it would be his last time sleeping in his play yard! I was a bit apprehensive about how we'd stay at my Aunt's...then I remembered she has a trundle bed in one of her spare rooms! It worked out perfectly! See? We just stuck a piece of heavy duty cardboard between the frame and mattress...and he was safely tucked away in a big boy bed!

_______________________________________

And how did Eli do on the drive? AWESOME!

It was a long first two years of his life with him hating the carseat....but now...it's a joy to travel with him.

We only stopped five times each way - to wipe up slobbers and change to a dry bib. (It's a 2 1/2 hr drive normally - it took us about 3 hrs together. Not bad!)

________________________________________

My Aunt and my cousin live next door to each other. Their yards are full of beautiful nature!

I had a blast photographing it all...

Dinner Plate Dahlia

Periwinkle Hydrangea

Butterfly Bushes

Mmm....Hydrangeas galore....

My Aunt feeds hummingbirds...and other birds....

and she puts nuts on the ground for the squirrels....

AND she wishes she knew what to feed Raccoons! LOL.

She has a cat that she feeds on her back deck, and the raccoons come up and try to steal the cat food...and of course they use the water dish to clean off the food before they eat it. What a hoot!

Seattle does get lots of rain, but it reaps the benefit of lots of green trees, beautiful plants and foliage!

I miss it sometimes....but then I remember the traffic....and it makes me thankful to be in Central Washington!!

_______________________________________________

And finally I leave you with some yummy pictures of Eli and Peanut:

Does it get much cuter than this?

And The Winner Is.....

2009-08-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my give-away!

The winner of the set of 8 notecards is: Candace over at Living with Faith! Congratulations!

I'm over in the Seattle area this weekend visiting my Aunt and cousins. It's our first trip out of town, (for fun) in over a year! It's so nice to have mini-vacation. We are hoping next year to be able to take Eli to the beach....but for now my 2 1/2 hr drive to my Aunt's is just what I needed. Time with family. Good food.
Games with my crazy uncle and cousins! :) Ever played Buzzword? These people know how to play games! Hoping to play Balderdash tonight! It's one of my faves!

Today's big adventure will be heading to Trader Joe's - I keep hearing how great it is and I want to check it out. I can't imagine it being better than Metropolitan Market, though. That place rocks! I'll let you know...

Eli did AWESOME on the drive yesterday. We stopped at the North Bend outlet mall and got Eli some Fall and Winter pajamas....and some new pants and size 4T onesies!!!! Yahoo! I love Carter's and The Children's Place! It was naptime, and when my boy is tired...it's time to sleep. NOW.
So, I held him in my lap on a bench outside of the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and he took his nap. This was a most unfortunate event!
For me.
First, I kept watching everyone come out of there with delicious treats! Caramel Apples! Yummy!
Second, my back decided to have a spasm.....I was dying! When my right arm started shaking...I had to wake him up! He got a 35 min nap. Better than nothing, and pretty good for a road trip!

We hit the road again...and finally made it to Auntie's house! I love it here!

Front Porch Chatter - 10 Things About Me

2009-08-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs I read is

Today she is hosting a "front porch chat" asking her readers to tell 10 things about themselves on their own blog, and then leave a link on her blog...so her readers can all get to know each other.

So, here goes my list:

1) I am the youngest of 5 children. My mom had her 4th child at age 21. (Yeah, she was crazy! God rest her soul!) She found herself pregnant again at age 28 and thought, "no, way I can't do this." But, she did, and I changed her life. It was a tough childhood, but I was blessed in many ways. I had 3 older sisters and one older brother. They are 8 - 12 years older. I became an Aunt when I was 9, and Great-Aunt when I was almost 27, and now at age 37 I have FOUR GREAT nephews! :)

2) I love to craft! Scrapbooking, making cards, photography, playing in PhotoShop, designing blogs, party planning, decorating, cooking and baking are my favorite things. I've only met one craft I didn't like. Beading. Too tedious for me. I like quicker results and bigger pieces. I love to play with paper. So, I just get my earrings from my sister Shiela who loves to play with beads (and sells her wares)....and I made a scrapbook for her! My sister Ricky quilts, my sister Gina paints, and my brother....um....I don't think he crafts! LOL.

3) I can't remember NOT knowing about Jesus. I was always involved in Sunday school, church plays, church retreats, youth group, etc. I took a 10 year break from my walk (ages 16 - 26) and it's one of my biggest regrets. I didn't stop believing, I just stopped trying to live to please Jesus. I lived for me. It ended it lots of heartaches! I'm so thankful to have a Saviour who always welcomes me back, and for a wonderful church family. I'm proud to be a christian.

4) All I ever wanted to be was a wife and mother. My life has taken some interesting turns, and I finally got to become a Mom at age 33. Due to a traumatic birth my son's life was altered forever. Four years later, I've accepted most of it, but there will always be a piece of me that remains sad that it had to happen to my baby. Eli is so precious. I love him so much. I can't imagine my life without him. But, I don't get to know what's inside him. I want to know what his sense of humor would be like. More than anything I want to hear his voice. I want to know what he would be interested in. (bugs? boats? planes? sharks? dinosaurs? sports?) I want to hear him tell me what he thinks of things. I want to know if he'd sneak into bed with us at night. I want to know what potty training would be like. I want to know what handprints on my coffee table look like.........

5) I love our home! We moved last summer and I feel so blessed. We live on 2 1/2 acres, have 2 dogs, and 12 cats. Tons of trees and it's wonderful.

6) I could live on cereal. Seriously.

7) I went to Disney World, by myself, in 2003. I went to Orlando for a conference through my job, and I stayed an extra 2 days and went to Universal Studios and Magic Kingdom. It was AWESOME.

8) We collect Giraffes for Eli. His dayroom is decorated in a giraffe motif. It's fabulous! So is the story as to how God is at work in our lives....through giraffes! Click HERE.

9) Secret Dream: I would love to be the voice for a cartoon character!

10) If I had one wish: I'd wish my son could talk.

How about you? Let's find out 10 things about you! Leave them in a comment, or tell me to check out one of your posts!

Backgrounds and such...

2009-08-05T21:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Bloggy Friends -
I'm not used to having so many people commenting on my blog. I knew there were a lot of lurkers out there....and I'm SO GLAD my meager little give away is drawing people in - or out - however I should say it??! LOL.

Just wanted to clarify......as I am used to my family and friends being some of the only commenters....I was referring to them when I said "not one person commented on my background".

I do not expect my newcomers, or general readers to feed my ego! haha

Thanks for commenting everyone. This is fun! Guess I'll have to start doing more give aways!!!

Amy

GIVE AWAY POST IS BELOW...LEAVE A COMMENT ON IT TO ENTER... :) Thanks!

Forgive Me! - UPDATED - Give Away Info

2009-08-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

AND UPDATED AGAIN:
I put the pond play background back on. I missed it....and I can't decide on my next design - so it will have to do until then! You still have a couple of days to enter my Give Away!!! Leave a comment! :)

UPDATED:
So far so good....several of you have commented already. Let's have the rest of you "lurkers" come out of the woodwork and leave a comment and enter my give away! Here is a picture of the set of 8 notecards you can win, just by leaving a comment on this post! (includes envelopes, you choose which monogram letter).

(they are made with yummy Cosmo Cricket papers and Bazzill cardstock)

ORIGINAL POST:

As much as I loved my Pond Play blog design (all the frogs and turtles at the pond in the background) - I was getting tired of it. AND not one person commented on it being cute. Kinda hurt my feelers. :) It was busy - I know - and some people don't like busy. I thrive on it!

Forgive me for the B O R I N G blog design I have right now.

I'm not feeling very creative tonight.

All the A/C we've been having to use with our heat wave we're having is giving me a killer headache tonight.

I'm tired.

Eli's had a couple rought nights, which means I do, too. We went to the Doctor today and he thinks he has an viral upper respiratory infection. No meds at this time...hoping to take care of it with humidifiers and saline and suctioning.

I'll re-design it when I'm feeling more inspired. Thanks for stopping by - and reading this most boring post ever! :) I'll make it up to you by having a GIVE AWAY!!!

All you have to do is LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST and you'll be entered to win a set of 8 monogrammed notecards, handmade by me. Contest will end Friday. You do not need to have a blog to leave a comment. Just make sure to leave your email address so I know how to get ahold of you for an address.

I'm going to bed now....G'night!

Who Spilled The Beans?

2009-08-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

OUR SON DID!

He loves playing in this bucket when in his stander. We have it full of dry navy beans and small toys.

(strips of mylar tied to a hairband is great. there's sound, texture, and you can hook it to their hand!)

...and wadded up paper...who knew that could be so much fun?

He does really well in in stander. (Aside from the congestion that happens. Alas.)

He loves playing with his toys by himself! Or playing cars with Daddy.

Or I hold his hand and we write his name.

As long as the music is good....he likes anything! :)

I'm such a lucky Mom to enjoy this face everyday!!

Rapid Fire

2009-07-28T19:28:00.000-07:00

My darling hubby bought me a new camera for our anniversary!

I'm still trying to figure it out. It's fancier than my little point and shoot I've been using for the last three years....and I get more fuzzy pictures than I'd like.

BUT.

Every once in a while - I get a SWEET shot like this:

My stargazer lily's finally started blooming on Monday.

They are my favorite flower!

Isn't that color just grand?

...........................................................................

My new camera has a feature where you can hold the button down and it takes pictures like "rapid fire" ammunition! I decided to do a photoshoot with Eli today:

I only took 337 pictures!

Be glad you only have to look at these few!

LOL!

He was a good sport about it!

Listening to Baby Tad is what was making him laugh.

It's been the toy he's liked the longest.

We own 3!

They no longer make them, so every once in a while I check ebay and add another to our collection.

I keep one in the car, too.

It's been soooo HOT here the last several days. It's consistently 100 degrees, and the house doesn't cool off at night with the windows open. Ugh. The A/C is running almost non-stop and I dread the electric bill!

Today was a good day. I've been going out very early in the morning to water my flowers and plants. Then barely go outside the rest of the day!

I did lots of laundry today.

Took a nap with the kid and hubby. Bliss!

As I was driving home from church on Sunday, on the side of the road there was a sign: FREE APRICOTS. So I stopped an took one of the boxes they had sitting there.

Today I put three full trays in the dehydrator. Yummmm....

And finally, I ate some yummy hummus that I made.

It was a good day!

Sunday, Son Day

2009-07-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

Aaaaah, Sunday. I love my new church so much, that I now look forward to Sunday because I'm so anxious to go. We recently found a new sitter that may be able to watch Eli one or two Sunday's a month so my hubby and I can go to church together! I'm so excited....I hope it all works out.

Just wanted to say good morning to my bloggy friends....and leave you with a little comfort:

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

That verse gives me comfort for the journey I'm on as a Mom to a special needs kiddo. Have a blessed day everyone!

Seven Years

2009-07-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

The hubby and I celebrated our 7th anniversary on Sunday.

We arranged for a sitter, and we went out to dinner at Olive Garden!

I think that was our 3rd or 4th nighttime date in 4 years! :)

We took this self-portrait in downtown Yakima, in front of the historic Larson Building.

It is an amazing Art Deco building with marble floors and cool light fixtures and elevators.

I finally got to see inside it, just last year, when Lonnie and I went and had a will drawn up by a lawyer who worked in this building. I was smitten as soon as I walked through the front doors.

So, if you're ever in Yakima....and you love history....and Art Deco....check it out. Or visit the link I gave you above to find out more about it.

Happy Anniversary Lon. We made it another year! :)

The Annual Summer Stoma Infection

2009-07-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

I believe this is the third summer in a row that Eli has gotten a nasty stoma infection. (stoma = hole in his tummy that the G-tube is in) When the weather gets hot....his tummy becomes a sauna. Bacteria and Yeast decide to take over. Yuck. It hurts him and I hate it.

{I'll spare you from seeing a pic - it's not fun} {you're welcome!}

He's been fighting this one for two weeks. It's looking better, but he's having discharge during sleep and waking up with a moist belly (as he sleeps on his tummy all night)....and then the stoma looks red again. By evening it looks great as we keep meds on it all day...I haven't experienced this night time leaking before...and I'm going to get concerned if it doesn't go away soon!

The doctor had prescribed a sulfar based anti-biotic at first. Eli had a bad reaction. It gave him a tummy ache, woke him up in the middle of the night and he was miserable for two hours, and then the next day he had weird rashes on his legs! We quit giving it after only two doses...and quickly made a note of it for future reference!!!

Our doctor came up with the brilliant idea to treat Eli's stoma infections, by using anti-biotic EAR drops on Eli's stoma.

A) You can drop them right on the infection.

B) They are safe for the g-tube, because they are safe for ear-tubes!!

We've been using the Tobramycin drops (for the bacteria - it was cultured at the dr. office to find out what exactly it needed to fight it) and some Nystop powder (for the yeast that showed up in the culture) 3-4 times a day for two weeks. It wasn't healing completely, so we finally started giving him the Amoxacillin anti-biotic a few days ago. Doctor prescribed 5mls - twice a day, we are giving 2.5 mls - twice a day.

The number one thing we've learned along our journey is: WE have to decide what is best for our son! No one is going to come knocking on our door and say "Hey have you tried this?" or "Hey, have you heard of this?" Sometimes we feel very alone. We almost always tweak whatever the doctor tells us. They give their best opinion, based on what has worked for others in this "population". (Yeah, that's what they call kids like Eli in the medical world. Hate it, but it's efficient, I guess.)

But, ultimately, Eli's body is very sensitive to all changes. Anything going IN him needs to be carefully decided upon, and monitored closely! We keep track of everything, everyday, in a notebook. It sits on the kitchen counter. All foods, meds, naps, diapers, teeth brushing, therapies, trips to town, behaviors, wake up time, bed time, and amount of his night feed, etc... get written down! Then at night, I have a small notebook by my bed, that I keep track of night time happenings. Wake ups, stirrings, spit-ups, etc.

THESE BOOKS ARE INVALUABLE!! If Eli starts to have an off day, we can look back and see what's different....that might be causing him discomfort. Not to mention the fact, we can look back and see what we used to do, and how much he really has changed! :)

So, what tips can you share about caring for your special needs children? Feel free to leave a tip in my comments, or a link to one of your blog posts!

Thanks!

Uninspired

2009-07-16T08:00:00.001-07:00

I've been feeling very uninspired to write on my blog this last week. I don't know why. Sometimes I feel like "do people really care about what I have to say?" or "do people really want to see more pics of my flowers?" Then I remember. "Oh, yeah. This is my blog. It's my journal for me to remember things that happen along our journey." I sometimes struggle with how I want to come across on here. Am I writing TO my readers or FOR my readers? I've decided I like to write for them. If you like it you'll come back, right? If not, you won't. But, I'll still have information about our daily life recorded for my future reference. What a great medium for memories!

I have to say how happy I am that I have so many new blog readers lately!! Many new families with special needs kiddo's have found me, and I'm building new relationships. It's the best part of the blog world! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY. I couldn't do what I do without the support I've found online. To know I am not alone in this adventure. As new families find me, I try to add them to my sidebar.
Eventually I'm going to reorganize my sidebar blogs into categories, so all the families with special needs kids are in one section and we can all find each other easier!

So, as a quick catch up for the last week:

My sister Shiela and her husband Joe came to visit Sunday til Tuesday. We took a drive up to Wenas Lake, I got some really great pictures of them on her camera, and then we went to this Aspen Tree Forest that I just LOVE and hadn't had the opportunity to photograph yet.

I just love how tall they are, with just canopies at the top!

My sister got even better pictures with her camera, which is much better than mine. I really love the panoramic she got. You can see it on her blog, here.

Their dog, Tucker, enjoyed the drive, too!

________________________________

I decided to take them by our Mom's old place. My family will appreciate how nicely the new owners have fixed the place up! They painted the exterior and trim, added new flower beds, a new row of arborvitaes on the other side, put in new vinyl windows, and continued trimming the arborvitaes so you can actually get out of your car in the driveway! Doesn't it look so much nicer?

Here is Eli with his Auntie Shiela:

No - he's not asleep - just cuddling :)

Cuckoo For Canteloupe

2009-07-09T20:12:00.001-07:00

Zeke is hanging in there. Still eating, drinking, pottying, walking, sleeping, and loving.

Can't put him down when he's just a little old and slow!! Right?

Is it the canned cat food? Is it the cat nip?

I don't know....but I can tell you this.....

ZEKE IS CUCKOO FOR CANTELOUPE!

Life In General

2009-07-07T19:32:00.002-07:00

It's been a tough week around here. Both Lonnie and I have been sorting through our emotions regarding his job loss. And to top it off, Lonnie's cat Zeke is not doing well. He's had him for about 12 years...and he has kidney failure. Zeke will get his own special post later this week :)
__________________________________

Lately, Eli has reverted back to his winter sleep habit of waking up in the 4 o'clock hour! Really. It's not my favorite thing. Like clockwork, he starts stirring every morning at about 4:10. It's obviously his sleep rhythym cycle is ending. Sometimes I turn his pump off, to try and get another half hour of sleep out of him, but today, I decided to just turn his pump down to a slower rate, and he ended up sleeping until 6:15 am! More food and more sleep. Bonus!! Of course, I woke up at 5:52 with a start! Thinking, "what time is it? why is Eli still asleep? Shoot, he needs his Ativan!"

So, I got up and this is what I found:

Now to the untrained eye, this is just a picture of a kid sleeping in a bed. To us, this is the sign of a kid learning to move his own body into comfy sleeping positions! These pictures have more to them than meets the eye!

He started out with his head about a foot higher than it is here.
His pajamas pants are now shorts, because of the skooching down!
He LOVES to kick his covers off so his little feet are out!
Just a few months ago, he learned to get his arms down by his side! So cool!
This isn't new, but for some reason he likes to sleep with his head almost face down. I turn it whenever I check on him, but he always goes back to the "suffocation pose". Not my personal favorite!

(FYI: He sleeps on lots of layers, including a hospital pad, just in case there is a problem with is feeding line....if it ends up leaking, we don't have to change all his bedding. Just the top layers! Shoot - I could do a whole post about those mishaps. Ugh. Not fun to wake up in the middle of the night and your poor baby is drenched in formula. Worst part is, it was usually MY fault because I was so stink'n tired I left a port open or something! Bad memories!)

________________________________________

Next is our Peanut boy. So cute tucked in the [spider infested, no doubt] bushes on the side of the house. Lon found him and took this picture:

Today, I was trying to get a good closeup of my sweet cat Piper, but ended up getting a great one of Peanut!

________________________________________

NOW THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A "HEAD" OF LETTUCE!

_________________________________________

The huge dandelion finally bloomed in our yard, and I was able to get some of these cool shots. I've seen other photographers take them and just loved 'em - so was anxious to get some of my own - now that I know how to use the macro feature on my camera!

Last week, Lon and I were able to go on a date using some movie money I got for Christmas. We went to see My Sister's Keeper. I liked it. It's a total chick flick! If you are in need of a good sinus clean-out go see it. The critics dogged it. It's totally heart-wrenching and very dramatic. Lon thought it was way over the top. To a man it probably was.

But, as the mom of a special needs kid, I saw things in it that the average movie-goer probably doesn't catch in the same way. I don't want to tell you stuff, in case you want to see it. But, I do have to give kuddo's to Cameron Diaz. She's never been my favorite actress or anything, but she did an awesome job in this show as the mom. I can't get the final scene out of my head. Totally worth the $6 matinee price!

I Shall Not Want

2009-07-01T06:59:00.000-07:00

I get a daily devotional in my inbox every morning and you know what today's verse was?

Psalm 23:1 - "The Lord is my Shepard; I shall not want."

Ok, Lord. I'm leaning on you heavily as you take us through another valley of life.

My dear hubby was laid off yesterday. This is a huge blow to our family. When you have a special needs child this is one of those things you don't even want to think about happening!

But, God has a plan! I cling to the scriptures. God is my rock and my fortress....of whom shall I fear?

And if you have it in your heart to send a prayer up for my hubby and his job hunt, we'd greatly appreciate it!

Have a Happy 4th of July everyone. We'll just be hanging out at home...

I've Been Working On The Railroad

2009-06-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

Well, Eli just keeps getting better and better in his Bronco! He goes so fast now...it's great!
If he loves the song he's listening to, he just runs. Polly Wolly Doodle is still a fave, but the best last week was I've Been Working on the Railroad. He hated that song forever...and now it makes him do this:

I'll never get sick of pictures of him smiling. I waited a long time for them!

---------------------------------------------------

I'm going to go pick blueberries again this week. Meeting a couple girlfriends on Wednesday evening. Gotta re-stock as I sent most of my stash to my sister, via my niece when she went home.

----------------------------------------------------

Today is my first day at home, alone, with Eli in 10 days!

It was soooo nice having my niece here last week. Made the days not so lonely.

------------------------------------------------------

My hubby has a three day weekend for the holiday - and our caregiver is available on Friday! So after his early morning dump run to beat the crowds...we are having another date day! :)

We haven't decided what we want to do though. The weather is supposed to be almost 100 this weekend.

Wish we could go swimming somewhere!

We might hike to Umptanum Falls again, and actually go around and down to the bottom of the waterfall and have a picnic.

We'll see.

But, I'm sure I'll post about it afterwards! :)

Weekend Wrap-up

2009-06-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

My niece Amelia was here visiting all last week. It was wonderful!
She spent time playing with my scrapbooking stuff - and made some really cute crafts! We watched movies....namely, Twilight, which I just wasn't sure if I'd like, so I wanted to see it with her because she's read the books and I wanted all the back story info, you know? Vampire movies need a tutorial in my opinion! LOL! Turns out it was a very sweet love story....and I would have absolutely been hooked when I was younger! I wouldn't mind reading the books.....but they are really thick! No time for that around here!

Unfortunately, Eli's caregiver was sick all week. The big plans we had...to visit all the different cultural things around our town...turned into quiet days at home....but she's the easiest company to have around and was happy to just read books when I needed to do housework, or put Eli down for naps and bedtime.

The week in Re-cap:

We picked blueberries - 12 lbs total
We went to Costco - and she bought three history books.
We went to the Feed Store - and she bought Peacock Feathers.
We made brownies...and ate the whole pan.
She created a scrapbook page using a beautiful picture of her sister Joey at Magone Lake.
She made one mini accordian album and decorated a mint tin to put it in.
We went shopping at Craft Warehouse - she bought a small sketchbook for her purse - she loved it!
We went to lunch at Red Robin - service was slow but the flavored lemonades were delish!
Then, we went to the Yakima Valley Museum. Great art exhibit was on display and she got to see an original painting by one of her favorite artists: Hung Liu
We went scrapbooking at the monthly crop that I go to and she worked on an 8x8 album I gave her - we visited, ate, crafted, and went home at 10 so she could get a good night's sleep for her 5 hour drive the next morning.

I feel so blessed! I'm so thankful for my family!

Future Special Olympics Sprinter???

2009-06-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Check this out!

Future Special Olympics Sprinter? from Amy Berkheimer on Vimeo.

Yeah - that's MY baby!

On Blueberry Hill

2009-06-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

Last night after Eli fell asleep, like this, (while I was dressing him after his bath)

My niece Amelia, who is here visiting me this week, and I went here:

BLUEBERRY HILL

The guy said, "Pick anywhere you want, and eat as much as you can while you're picking."

The sun was going down, there was a slight breeze, and it was just beautiful weather for harvest!

......

Of course we had to take the infamous self-portrait.

Amelia - picking away...

Did you know this is how Blueberries grew?

I didn't.

They were VERY easy to pick! No thorns! :)

and here is our bounty:

12 lbs of Blueberries = $20.50

Picking with my niece, making this memory = Priceless!

Helicopter, Helicopter, Over My Head....

2009-06-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

As you've seen in a previous post, we have a HUGE Maple tree in our backyard. In the early Spring helicopters grow on it....and then start falling off in late Spring, as the leaves come on.

Remember playing with them when you were a kid? Heck, they're fun as adults!! We've been having a blast with them! You can take a handful and throw them in the air....and it puts on quite a show!

But, we've learned two things:

A) They self propagate!

Little seedlings start wherever they land in dirt and can get a little water! We've had them in all our flower barrels. I finally decided to start saving some, and see how big I can get them. I gotta be able to find somebody I know who wants a Maple tree start for free, right? :)

I've even thought of becoming a Maple Tree Grower.

LOL!

AND....

B) They are a bit of a nuisance!

One day Lonnie decided to see if the gutters needed cleaning out....and look what he found!

HELLO HELICOPTERS!

So, with our handy dandy leaf blower, in reverse mode, he vacuumed them out of the gutters! :)

Every season brings something to clean up with all these trees we have. Good thing we love nature!

...and playing with helicopters...

Our Day In Pictures...

2009-06-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

THIRD TIME'S A CHARM!

I'm so excited to report that Eli can FINALLY sit in his Racing Stroller that we bought when I was pregnant!

It was never a successful venture in the past...but thanks to his Ativan....his calmer body was able to enjoy a stroll around the pasture! And a jog around the parking area we have! :)

Here he is at 3 months old:

He did OK here. I think he started crying and I was still new to the whole CP world....so we didn't try it again.....Until....

February 2008 (age 2 1/2).

I had all kinds of blankets rolled and tucked everywhere. It was a nightmare! This was the heyday of him hating to sit. Without the proper support and restraints like in his carseat it was a total bust! I wanted to sell the stroller after this!

We actually had someone want to buy it a few months ago....and Lon just didn't want to give up trying him in it someday. I'm so glad we kept it! It's a much smoother ride than his adaptive stroller! He can enjoy outside with me now while I water plants and stuff! :)

... ... ...

__________________________________________

Went to our fence line and visited Mr. Llama today.

He was in the mood for some posing! What a character!

_____________________________________________

Tonight Eli fell asleep at 5 pm.

Ugh.

I tried to wake him by rolling him onto his back.

Do you think it worked?

He finally woke up at 5:55 (when I was quietly talking to the video camera while taping him!) Then, he didn't go back to sleep until 7:00 pm. So, that's a good thing. I didn't want to wake up at 4 in the morning tomorrow. He's already back to waking around 5:00 am. I don't want a repeat of last Fall/Winter's 4 am wakings. His early Spring sleeping schedule of sleeping in until 5:45 or 6:00 was bliss!

...

Now, here is a sight not usually seen in our house:

When I rolled Eli over and could tell he was really asleep and like a wet noodle I positioned his legs this way to trigger some stretches in his hip joints thanks to gravity!

This is as far as his legs will open this way! His hips don't have great range of motion unfortunately.

__________________________________________________

WHO LOVES TOMATOES?

I do! I do!

Just look what I found on my plant today:

I love seeing God's creation grow. I love sharing in His miracles!

Can you believe this little plant that I planted in May

Now looks like this!!

We swear it's a magic barrel!

__________________________________________

And finally - here are the Wave Petunias I planted in May:

And what they look like today:

FABULOUS, Don't ya think??

VIDEO - Eli's Bronco Ridin'

2009-06-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

Finally got myself an account at Vimeo and uploaded some video. Watch out! I might overload you! LOL!

Here is a video of Eli riding his Bronco. He's practically "running" in it these days! :)

Eli's Bronco Run from Amy Berkheimer on Vimeo.

_____________________________________________________

Here is more Bronco riding....and lots of laughter! The "song of the day" was Polly Wolly Doodle!

Eli loves to Bronco Ride from Amy Berkheimer on Vimeo.

Amelia - My Niece -The College Graduate!

2009-06-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

My niece Amelia graduated from Eastern Oregon University last weekend. She earned a degree of

Bachelor of Science in Art with a History Minor.

(These two photos were kindly stolen from my sister, Shiela, Amelia's Mom.)

I wasn't able to go away for the [whole] weekend, because I couldn't get a motel room with a kitchen.

Taking Eli out of town is hard enough, but to be in a motel is even harder. Without a kitchen - not doable!

Amelia has a beautiful little apartment....that was full of her immediate family. We would have been totally welcome to stay there - but with Eli's funky schedule (goes to bed at 6:30 at night and wakes up at 5:00 in the morning) I hate to inflict that on people in such close quarters, you know?

But I was able to make a day trip down to La Grande for the party!

Me.

On a road trip.

By myself.

Just me and the CD changer.

Yeah, baby!

6 hours of music and singing - and NO ELMO!!!

I gave myself a sore throat singing so much.

It was great!

My dear hubby stayed home with Eli and they had a great day and evening together!

..........................................................................

Here is Amelia posing with the beautiful cake her sister Montana made for her grad party.

..........................................................................

Amelia and Me:

..................................................................................

Here is my other niece, Montana, with her husband Doctor (he's from Ghana, Africa) and me and Amelia.

I had to take advantage of this photo op, because they now live near Salt Lake City, UT, and who knows when I'll see them again!

...................................................................................................

I hadn't met Doctor before. It was such a blessing to meet him. He is a very tender spirit.

I liked him immediately. I'm so happy my niece is married to such a nice man.

And here is their precious 16 month old son Anongba, my great nephew I haven't seen since he was 3 weeks old! So cute - but so not interested in me....a stranger. boo hoo.

...................................................................................................

Anongba and Barkley the dog

....................................................................................................

Me and my sister Shiela.

It's a tradition.

We always have to take a cheesy self portrait whenever we see each other!

I feel very blessed to have such an awesome family. I'm so happy I was able to celebrate with them!

6 hour drive = $55.00

3 1/2 hour visit = Priceless!

Mr. Cool

2009-06-14T15:20:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the World, Baby Asher

2009-06-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Introducing my new GREAT Nephew:

Asher Indra Lee

born on 6-10-09

10:24 am

6 lbs. and 13.4 oz

19 " long

Proud Parents:

Adam and Sami

I now have four great nephews!
(5 actually, but one is in heaven.)

What's up with boys in our family?
.
Can we think pink for a while?

Somebody's gotta have another and give us a girl!

Anyone?

We sure do make some pretty baby's in our family!

Big Moons and Big Grins

2009-06-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

I started some pumpkins and gourds from seeds in mid May.
.
I planted these little starts in my garden spot on May 30th.

Hot dog! 10 days later it looks like this!

This is called a "Big Moon Pumpkin". The package says you can grow pumpkins up to 200 pounds with this plant! I'll be sure to keep you posted if I end up with a Fair Entry Worthy pumpkin! :)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
On Tuesday, Eli had a good ol' time in his Bronco again.

The song of the day was "10 in a Bed (Roll Over)" from his Little People CD.

Could Baby Horses BE Any Cuter?

2009-06-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

The neighbor's horse gave birth to this beauty on Monday 6/1/09.

He doesn't have a name yet, but he sure is a cutie!

These pictures were taken Saturday morning, 6/6/09, as they were hanging out right by our fence.

I just love his coloring!

We had a yard sale this day, in our neighborhood, and he was THE HIT of the day!

Everyone kept asking, "How old is the baby?" and "He's adorable!"

...

I just love living in the country!

Great Quote by a Great Man

2009-06-08T16:17:00.000-07:00

Special Tomato Time

2009-06-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

Have I told you lately how AWESOME my son is?

Well, he is!

Here he is hanging out in his Special Tomato Seat, while I make his Dad a salad for dinner.

He hung out with me for about 20 minutes.

It was great!

I just love bringing him into other rooms of the house, so he can experience life in general.

Unfortunately, he gets a congested when upright.

We aren't sure why this is happening.

But its consistantly a problem in his stroller, Bronco, Special Tomato, Stander, and carseat.

It's really a bummer.

He just can't manage his saliva very well, and gets cruddy in his throat.

Reflux gets the blame for most of his issues.

Wish we knew what it really was....

Did You Know...??

2009-06-04T08:52:00.000-07:00

....that what you see above ground is SMALLER than what is below the surface?

This tree in our back yard is over 40 feet tall.

The root ball is even bigger.

Unbelievable!

"Our God is an awesome God,

He reigns from heaven above.

With wisdom, power, and love,

Our God is an awesome God."