Our boys

A few weeks ago the boys had a little photo shoot. I think the pictures turned out well overall. Besides the ridiculous amount of mosquitoes, we had a good time. Thankfully I had slathered the boys with sun screen which, oddly enough, seemed to repel the mosquitoes. Craig and I were eaten alive, but that is better than the boys being bitten!



This is one of those pictures that has meaning to Craig and me. Whenever Ethan does something that is hard or that he feels he has accomplished, he will raise his hands in the air and shout, "YESSS!" In this instance, he jumped off the log, which is a big deal for him. The picture captures this particular behavior and I love it.



Our sweet little Carter-man



This is a favorite of mine. You can see how much they enjoy each other.
I just found out that the photographer entered this picture in the Lake County Fair (in Illinois) and it won 2nd place!

My favorite of all the pictures!!

On a side note: Ethan is hanging in there with his cold and Carter has it now as well. Ethan has formed a pretty solid cough which always gets my attention. But, it is a productive one, so that is good.

Additionally, I would request your prayers for a little baby boy who underwent open heart surgery today. I received information about the family because the father was in my graduating class at Wheaton. (I don't feel comfortable releasing the name of the baby or family since I have not asked their permission to do so.) I don't know them, but I understand what they are experiencing so well. Baby boy went into surgery this morning at 11 am down at TCH. Please lift up the entire family in your prayers today and in the coming days/weeks. Thank you!

Vail

Craig and I have always enjoyed spending time in Vail. We celebrated our 1st anniversary there, so it holds something special for the two of us. This past weekend, we had the opportunity to spend time with his sister and her family as they were out here for a visit. It was fun to have the cousins spend time together as they don't get to see each other very often.
We only spent one night in Vail with them, but we did get to see the entire family for a couple of days.
Pictures are out of order...I uploaded them twice and it seems to have a mind of its own. :)


Kayla and Carter


Tyler and Carter


Jared and Carter

The young ones playing in the sand (including cousin Kenley)...nothing better when you are a kid.

Ethan and Carter on the balcony of our condo in Vail

The view from our condo

The bedroom had this cool bunk bed over the king size bed. (No, our boys didn't sleep up there--maybe in a few years.)

The kitchen

Family room

Jared helping Ethan learn the art of eating ice cream. I was surprised when Ethan asked for some ice cream as food that normally attracts kids don't tend to attract Ethan...so I was happy he asked for some. He was done after four tiny bites, but still, it is a start! It was very thoughtful of Jared to help show Ethan how to eat the ice cream.

Kayla posing for me :)

The whole crew of kids--they all had so much fun.

The condo we rented was amazing. Not only did it have awesome views, but it was stocked with toys! The owners (we presume) had movies, books, games and toys for young kids. It was so great.

Getting ready for bed. Ethan slept SO hard that night.

On the gondola trip up to Breckenridge. Even though Ethan looks concerned, he actually enjoyed the ride.

Ethan's first ride on a ski lift. We were going up to the Alpine Slide. He LOVED it!

Another first for Ethan--his first pony ride. He liked the first few rounds but was done after that.

Lunch at Breckenridge

Coming down the Alpine Slide with Craig. Ethan told us later that Daddy goes faster.

Going up for a second time

Coming down with me the first time. Ethan really loved it--he keeps talking about it!

We brought oxygen and the pulse ox up to check Ethan. He was low when we first got up to our condo (88-89%). (He is supposed to be 93% or greater at all times.) The altitude seemed to take a little toll on him overall. Before bed that night, we checked him again and were happy that he would jump up to 92% once in awhile. However, by the next morning he was back down to 88/89. We could tell that he had been tired by the fact that he didn't move all night long! (He is normally all over the place.) We think it was just the amount of time we were up there (close to 24 hours) that made it a little hard on his body. We were hoping that he would keep his levels up and his heart rate down because we want him to start skiing this winter. Once we got down to our altitude, we checked him again and he made progress back up to 95%. (His base is 97% with a heart rate of 95.) It was today, about 24 hours after we got back, that he got back to his base. Unfortunately, he also seems like he is getting sick. He is having trouble keeping his food down and has the classic runny nose/sneezing/glassy eyes. We are trying to figure out if he caught something or if it is the result of being too high for too long. (At least for him...24 hours in the higher altitudes is nothing for most people.) His body just gets tired a lot easier than most.

However, despite the oxygen levels, Ethan had a really good time! He was so excited to go down the Alpine slide, ride a pony and play with his cousins. Both boys were able to have a fun time with all three of their cousins and that was really nice for us to see. It was great for all of us to spend time, catch up and have meals together. :)

Getting up

This past week has been a whirlwind! We have had a blast with Craig's sister and her family this past weekend. (Much more on this to come.) In the meantime, check out how well Carter is doing with his walking. The video is about a week old and his stability and speed have improved a lot since then. Usually when he falls, it is because he is laughing so much.

I spent a long time work with Ethan on how to get up from the ground without using a piece of furniture, etc. I was surprised at how naturally Carter figured it out and was able to do it without a problem. There is now a little more chasing going on in our house! We love it! :)

Speaking of allergies

The redness and hives pretty much gave it away. Carter seems to be allergic to eggs. Luckily, he is fine with eggs that are baked in food. For example, he has handled pancakes and waffles without a problem. On Saturday he did great with french toast, which was my last step before I gave him scrambled eggs. I truly figured if he was fine with french toast, he would be ok with scrambled eggs. However, while he loved the scrambled eggs on Sunday, it didn't take long at all for his face to get red and develop small hives around his mouth and chin.


I was happy to read that egg allergies are commonly outgrown by age five and that it is also possible to be allergic to scrambled/cooked eggs while not allergic to items baked with eggs. It all has to do with how the protein is broken down in the baking/cooking process. I didn't give him any benadryl because I couldn't find correct dosage information on the box (it didn't have anything for under age 6). After awhile the redness and hives went away, but he then developed an eczema looking rash on his cheeks. Thankfully, it was all gone by this morning. Today I found out the correct Benadryl dosing for any future problems. (Hopefully there aren't any.) Carter has done just fine with other foods and in fact, loves anything you give him! I will do a little more research and wait until our next doctor's appointment to chat about it further. Maybe it is just his response to the first time? I guess that is always possible! So, we will wait and see.


He can't get enough cherries!

And, don't come back!

The comment wasn't quite that dramatic and I was actually excited to hear the expression. In the past two weeks, the boys have had a few routine doctor appointments. Both boys had a check up with their pediatrician two weeks ago and Ethan had a pulmonary appointment this past week.

Two weeks ago, Ethan was excited to go down to TCH because he thought he was going to get to play. (I think from the NICU reunion.) Since he is now three, he does not need to undress for the height/weight intake and that makes a big difference in his reaction to the entire appointment. Our pediatrician was thrilled to hear about Ethan's eating. We were both shocked as Ethan was chatting away during the entire appointment. Apparently he had a lot to say! While he is still on the small end of the spectrum, he has remained on his own growth curve the past two visits. We did get a prescription for an EpiPen as a precaution. I had been nervous about giving him peanut butter because of his floppy/narrow airways. (Since if he had a really bad reaction, his airways would close up faster than normal.) I actually gave him peanut butter at the doctor's office just in case he did have a reaction. (What better place?!) I was happy that he didn't and hasn't since, especially because I started making a new banana peanut butter shake as one of his snacks. But, there are a lot of other things that he could have a reaction to, so we will keep the EpiPen as a precaution.

Carter had a great appointment as well. He is in the 51st percentile for weight and 52nd for height. Carter still only has two adorable pearly whites. He is developing perfectly and is right on track. He was curious during the appointment and only cried briefly during his shots. Afterwards we went to visit friends like we normally do. It gave both boys time to stretch their legs and have a snack. (I am overly cautious about germs at the hospital so the rule is that if one boy is out, the other needs to sit in the stroller until it is his turn to be seen by the doctor. And, since is how we have always done it, neither boy minds having to wait to get out.) Ethan always requests a visit with the cow (a sculpture of sorts on the 3rd floor) as well as the horse on the 4th floor. We know both of these floors quite well as they house the CICU and the NICU.

And, while we saw a new pulmonary doctor this past week for Ethan's visit (ours is on sabbatical) it went really well! I tend to be leery of new doctors for Ethan (I guess I am a creature of habit and his medical chart is a little lengthy so explaining things over and over gets old) but I truly enjoyed this pulmonologist. While I never wish anyone have a child with health issues, this particular doctor has a son who had a few things in common with Ethan. It was nice to meet a doctor who could speak from the both views as a parent who truly understands and a physician. The best part was that he told us not to come back until Ethan was five!! Of course he said if we needed to come back, we should any time Ethan were to get sick or if we are concerned. However, he didn't feel that there was a need to come back annually until Ethan can participate in further pulmonary tests. I was quite surprised to hear that this child, who was once on a PEEP of 16 (I enjoyed telling that to the resident whose jaw dropped when I also said it was while he was a 3lb baby) and trached, etc., did not need to come back for a couple of years. Such music to my ears! And, ok, I will admit that I may also have to hear it from his normal doctor. I don't mean to be distrusting but I also appreciate feedback from the doctors who have known Ethan throughout his entire journey.

And so, we have had a great few doctor visits. We continue to be amazed at the Lord's healing touch. He has blessed us beyond our understanding.


Both boys ASK if they can play together in the pack n play.

Mmmm, pasta

Visitors

June was full of wonderful visitors! I love when people come to visit us.

First up was my old college roommate. (Can I say old at this point, or do I have to wait a few more years?) Julie (aka Auntie Julie to the boys) and I have known each other for 14 years. 14 years. That makes me feel old, but more important, it make our friendship old...or, maybe refined is the better term. The thing about refined friendships is that they are true, honest, and in our case, blessed. Late night runs to Taco Bell turned into a deep understanding of what friendship truly means. While we haven't lived near each other since college, we have walked through careers, moves, marriage, pregnancies, babies and everything in the middle. Plus, we will continue to walk through the many paths of life.

When I was young, my mom used to tell me that it isn't the amount of friends that one needs but it is the depth of a friendship that will make a difference in life. Julie is that friend. You know the one that you have your kids call "auntie" because she is just that close. Our boys LOVE her! Ethan would wait for her to wake up in the morning and he would go to grab her hand when we were out and about. (If you know Ethan, you know that he tends to be cautious around females.)

We went to a fabulous concert (thanks girl!), had many, many, many long talks and just hung out. I introduced her (with the attempt to get her addicted) to pedicures. We had lunch and coffee. It was wonderful.

When Ethan was told auntie Julie was leaving, he quickly got his suitcase ready....

The next weekend, Craig's parents came out for a visit. Again, the boys had an amazing time with their Grandpa and Nana! We truly enjoyed their visit. Ethan was able to show off his eating and had many stories read to him. Both boys loved seeing and spending time with their grandparents! Grandparents and grandchildren have a special relationship and we love seeing it flourish.

We got to play a game together that I have been waiting to play (yes, us ladies won!) and the men were able to do projects around the house. Shelves are now up in the basement, Carter's video camera was mounted, all the cabinet locks are secure, etc., etc! We were treated to dinners, wonderful conversation and overall, just a fabulous time!

Nightly fun

I have had trouble posting again and I have a lot to catch up on! We have had a few visitors this past month and many other things happening. I will post more tomorrow.

Carter can sure splash! (The water was a little higher than normal and Ethan usually participates.)

He will be running soon!

I love how he holds his hands over his head as he laughs.

Best 4th of July ever!

We hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July, celebrating our many freedoms while also thanking the many men and women who faithfully serve our country and daily put themselves in harms way for our benefit. Thank you to those of you who have served, are serving and those who paid the ultimate price for the rest of the country. We salute you.

We had an amazing 4th of July! For the most part, we just hung around the house and played with the boys. We decided to go see fireworks in the evening and it was the best show we have seen since we have moved to Colorado! The crazy thing is that we finally went to the town that we first lived in when we moved here. We lived there for five years and never went to see the fireworks, yet it was the BEST overall experience we have had. Waiting until 45 minutes before the fireworks to begin (because who wants to wait longer than that with two little ones!) we found a parking space across the street from the lake where they light off the fireworks. Then, we found a fantastic place to sit, with hardly anyone around us. The fireworks were simply stunning and after a short walk back to the car, I changed the boys into their pjs and we were out of the town in no time. We will be going back every year!

(These pictures are out of order...sorry!)

The perfect spot!


Ethan was ok as long as we plugged his ears. He was so excited all day to go see the fireworks even though every time we told him it would be loud, he would tell us "all done." When I asked him this morning if he wanted to see fireworks again, he said the same thing..."all done."

At first, I think Carter was pretty scared, but warm milk and snuggles (with ears plugged) seemed to make it all better.

Ethan was showing me that fireworks go "boom!"

OK--here are a series of photos...my attempt to get ONE picture of both boys smiling....

(Apparently Carter was done)

Whoops, nope, there they are....

There is one....

And, there is the other...my climber.

Yum, strawberries for the first time.

A great helper

A polo match

Trying to use pop-its

Carter can take up to 10 steps, but he will often try to not let go!

They play so nicely together