This place is amazing!

I don't know if I have the words to describe this place! It is phenomenal, to say the least. First of all, it is classy. You have to look for the Disney touches as they aren't openly evident (besides the characters, of course.) It turns out that they have only opened 1/3 of the resort right now, so it isn't busy, there aren't any lines and we can get that "perfect spot" every single time we go out. Workers stop you to ask if you are having a good time or if there is anything they can do to assist you. It is especially nice when we walk Ethan up to the water slide and realize we don't have to wait in line at all. The slide is extremely fun and Ethan loves it. He is too young to go by himself, but he enjoys taking turns with both of us (because, really, the slide is awesome and I want to go!) :)

Hawaiian weather is perfect. Hot enough to want to swim, but not sweltering. The boys are having the time of their lives and we adore spending this quality time together. We have no schedule and we LOVE that! The only schedule we keep is nap schedule (because you all know me) and "when to see Mickey again" schedule.

I had done some research ahead of time and discovered both a Target and Walmart that sell the food we use for Ethan. Plus, it was the same price as it is in Colorado--which doesn't surpise me at all. Our first day here we hit Target and purchased Ethan's food along with some yogurt, bagels, etc. Food at the resort is expensive, so we do go elsewhere to eat.

Yesterday began at the beach. Both boys had a blast and we were impressed at Ethan's willingness to run into the ocean. Another wonderful thing about this place is that it is built on a cove. That means that the natural reef breaks up the waves and by the time they reach the beach, they are the perfect size for kids. Carter has no fear but preferred to dig in the sand. I think the rest of our day can best be described in pictures.



As we were going to the beach, we had to stop and hug Mickey and Minnie.


Ahhh, the beach

E had SO MUCH FUN! He loved the sand, and the waves.

Carter chilled out a little. :) He loved the beach as well. All the chairs, etc., are free of charge and they will put them wherever you would like.

A slight "sand face plant" situation didn't change the fun he was having at the beach. (I have so many more pictures, but the connection on the lanai isn't that fast.)

This is the amazing water park! I will post more pictures of the ground in general later, because you have to see this place to believe it!

After the beach and a nap, we went to see Mickey and friends again. (I think I have lost count of the times we have gone down to see the characters.) Again, there is only a short line every time, which is even better!

Last night Aulani (the resort) put on a show. It was free to guests and we knew it was going to be fun. The show was wonderful and both boys had fun dancing.

And, guess who showed up at the end of the show?? You guess it--all of the character came to dance with the kids.

Afterwards, the characters stayed to take pictures.

But this, this was amazing. Our second night here we had gone to a story told around the campfire with "Uncle." Only one other family was there and afterwards, "Uncle" came over to talk to us and to meet the boys. He asked if we came to Aulani for any particular reason and we briefly explained Ethan's story. It turns out that he was so touched that he told a few others about it. Then, after the show last night, a Disney worker came up to us and told us that Mickey wanted some "alone time" with Ethan. Just the two of them. Could it get any better?!?! Ethan was thrilled! He hung with Mickey for quite some time and even danced with him.

These guys are part of the show. They are a band called "Heart and Soul," and are amazing! They played at the Aulani show and requested to meet Ethan afterwards. (Uncle was involved here as well.) They gave us one of their CDs and will be giving Ethan a signed ukulele.

There is so much more! That was just yesterday. I have to post pictures from the second part of day two...the part where Chip and Dale took Ethan by the hand and walked the bridge with him. His smile lit up like sunshine. And, so, more to come!

A Promise Kept

Aloha! I am sitting on the lanai with the soft Hawaiian breeze blowing through my hair while I write this entry.

Craig and I were sitting during one of Ethan's many procedures while he was at TCH. It had already been a few months and the prospect of being "normal" seemed unrealistic. There was stress and life had taken on a new meaning. We were all fighting for Ethan and he was fighting hard himself.

"When (not if!) this is all done. When we are done with lengthy hospital stays and no longer have any large equipment for Ethan, we will need to celebrate and celebrate big. We should take him to a beach somewhere, give him a shovel and a pail and let him just be a kid. What do you think?" My response to Craig was, "I would love to give him something that kids "like him" are never expected to experience."

And so, we agreed. As soon as Ethan was at a place where he could travel without large equipment, a trach, and was starting to eat, we would go someplace special and celebrate what our family has been through. After Ethan's procedure that day, we promised him we would take him to a beach someday. But, we told him he would have get strong to go. There were many days since that conversation that we spoke of that promise.

You see, it isn't until you bag your own son and beg him to take a breath while you are praying out loud "help me, Lord" that you realize the importance of such promises. (While he was trached, I bagged him twice because his trach was blocked by plugs.) You realize as you watch him turn ash gray that what we have been through needs to be celebrated.

We have saved up our frequent flier miles since Ethan was born. Plus, it has greatly helped that Craig has traveled in the past years as those miles have added up fast. Not to mention, his status with the airline means we don't pay for bags, etc. (And, that is BIG when you have two kids!)

So, here we are. We are celebrating! We are celebrating Ethan's life and our family. We are celebrating that even though we went through a lot (to say the least), we have him here to bless us and to be an amazing big brother. We are celebrating that our family has two boys. We are celebrating the fact that we "aren't supposed to have Ethan" and "Ethan was never supposed to survive." That is what we are doing.

We just so happened to read about a new resort that was opening in late August. It is a Disney resort (not a theme park) with most things tailored to children. In the coming days, I will be sure to share our fun experiences!

The thing both Craig and I really like about this place is that it is Hawaii with a Disney touch. You find these amazing touches of Disney throughout the resort. To say it is fantastic would be a gross understatment. This is amazing. Not only is the resort beyond words, but we are spending this time with both of our boys.



There it is, mama!

As most of you know, Craig and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in August. This is yet another reason to celebrate. I have previously shared the statitics of marriages in regards to having children with long hospital stays.

First time on the beach!

This picture. At this moment I began to tear up. Look at his face. We did it.

The entrance to this beautiful place!

This is what I mean, you have to find the little Disney touches.

Ethan and me on the waterslide.

Craig and Ethan on the waterslide

MICKEY MOUSE

The boys' first sighting of Mickey. (The character do come out during the day at certain times.)

Naps

Yep, that is my little monkey!

Craig caught him right in the nick of time.

More to come! We are only half way through our day today. :)

If you could pray for the boys, I would appreciate it. Both boys have colds and actually, Carter has a nasty cough. We are still having a blast though!

Sizes

As I rummaged through the bin of clothes, I realized that I didn't have much to offer Carter. He is slowly closing in on Ethan when it comes to size, though I think I can get another few months out of his current size before they need to share closets. Ethan wears 18-24 month pants and Carter still fits in his 12-18 months pants. But, honestly, they could probably share pants at this point. I had to buy new ones for both Carter and Ethan because they have become so worn. Since Ethan has been the same size both last fall and this fall, his clothes (pants mostly) have become frayed. But, I guess that is what happens when one remains in the same size for so long and wears the same things over and over again. It also means there isn't a lot left to pass down to a younger sibling.

Luckily, Ethan wears 2T tops and sometimes can wear a 3T. It is rare and it is only the clothes from one store, but it makes me feel like he is growing. :) Carter fits both 12-18 and 18-24 month tops. I will be curious where they both will be in the spring. By then they may both be sharing one closet with one set of clothes. Or, at some point, Carter will get the new clothes and "pass up" to Ethan.


Carter can climb on and off by himself. He loves the horse!

Ethan missed Maverick a lot while we were in Chicago.

Catching up

I have been neglectful, I know. I truly appreciate those of you who check in regularly to see how the boys are doing! It has been crazy. The weekend I took Ethan to the zoo, Craig was out of the country, making it a long weekend for me. The next weekend we all went to Chicago for a quick visit (more on this later) and since then it has been grading papers, going to work outings and just raising these amazing little boys.
Last week the boys had a regular check up with their pediatrician. Carter is still my 50% guy. He is in the 51st percentile for both height and weight. Our only concern with him is his apparent egg allergy, so we will hold of on giving him eggs for another year. Additionally, because of the egg allergy, he did not receive a flu shot. (Which we would not have given him anyway.) Otherwise, our doc said Carter is doing wonderfully! :) I did share that he is quite the climber and I envision him ending up in our doc's office at some point....

Ethan is growing, even if it is just a little. He is approaching the 8th percentile! And, that is on the regular chart, not the preemie chart. I was happy to see him talk up storm and have no problem with following our doctor's directions. Since he doesn't drink that well yet, we discussed keeping his g-button in place through the winter just in case E gets sick. He did get the flu shot, and overall, did well with it. The best news??? We don't have to come back for 6 MONTHS!! Unless there is a reason (either boys gets sick, etc) neither needs to see the pediatrician! Can you believe that?! Praise God!
So many things to be thankful for in our boys' lives.



This series of pictures cracks me up! I just wanted a picture of Carter sleeping and since it was going on over 3 hours for his afternoon nap, I didn't mind possibly waking him up.

Really, mom?! You HAD to take my picture?

Look at that hair!

A mover and a shaker

Carter keeps me busy. He is an on the go little man with a sweet disposition. At 16-months-old, he has proven himself to be a great climber. He enjoys dancing, driving cars and playing outside. Since he expends so much energy during the day, he still takes two naps. He has slightly entered the I want mama only phase. Carter has six teeth and likes to blow kisses, say "bye-bye" and "uh oh." He loves to snuggle when he wakes up in the morning and after naps. Our little man is lovable and fun.


He fold his hands when he prays.


He loves to point out airplanes

Yep, he finds a way every time!

He loves Ethan

Carter adores fruits and vegetables

Carter likes to sit next to me while I work.

He looked at the chair and decided he would climb it. The chairs are now in the basement because our stove is on our island.