The Year That Was: January 2014

Okay, I have finally come to a point of peaceful coexistence between my desire to put everything in order and the pressing knowledge that life keeps moving along at a blistering pace, refusing to pause so I can catch up - in order. Here is the new plan: I will blog about life as we live it and I will blog about that lost year as I can. Happy, happy, happy.

Without further ado: January

Three pregnant goats joined the menagerie. Everyone loved those sweet girls!

Marie Claire (2.5 yrs) and some wild hair

Xavier (4.5yrs) continued his love of all things dress up

Kolbe turned 3 months old and slept just about any where. I loved that!

Happy Birthday, Xavier

Well, this baby is due any day now. My to-do list is quite long and somehow I don't think I am going be crossing it all off. However, birthdays must be remembered with joy especially when we have such a joyous occasion which to look forward. Thus, here is my Xavier from way back in August. He is four and he'll tell anyone, anywhere, anytime how old he is with a twinkle in his eye and a mischievous smile on his face.

Xavier had a little family party complete with cupcakes, presents, and rides on the zip line. He requested the cupcakes so I suggested gf brownie ice cream creations with chocolate ganache and fresh whipped cream. Mmmm, yum! However, they were so messy!

After presents, the big kids settled in for an uproarious game of cards while the little ones ran down slope to zip between the trees. Dominic is the only one who can ride from the platform and across the clearing. Xavier and Marie Claire like to be hauled up just a little ways and then let go. That is still plenty of thrill for them. 

The picture of Marie with the big pink balloon is actually her with my belly. As that was two and a half months ago, I laugh to think that I couldn't even take the photo now. She would be completely hidden beneath it!

Xavier Now

1. He is such an outgoing and social boy. He'll chat with anyone. Chat, heck, he'll talk their ear off. One difficulty is that they may not understand him very well as he still has that mumbled toddler pronunciation. We have to bring in the interpreters.

2. Xavier has boundless energy for running and throwing himself at couches and brothers. 

3. He wants to be included in everything for at least a couple of minutes.

4. Footie jammies with glow in the dark dinosaurs absolutely delight him.

5. He must must must be with Dominic at all times.

6. He loves Grandma Ricky with a passion.

7. Drawing is still frustrating, but the idea of school is intriguing.

8. He offers up very sincere and sweet apologies right after he has purposefully throw your toy off the balcony.

9. He is enchanting to watch romp through his day, smiling always.

10. Yes, he still wears the red helmet, but not as much. I think those days are sadly behind us.

Happy Fourth Birthday, my Xavier boy!

I love you!

Xavier's Success

Today was quite a day for my little boy. 

He was hauled out of bed before the sun even managed to say 'Good Morning.' While Xavier is generally an easygoing child, I was a little nervous about a day filled with so many new people and experiences. He sailed through it all. The only tears were shed during the injections for his lymph node scan. After that, he just smiled and complied with every little request. During the scans, he watched Monsters Inc with daddy and then tripped on over to the surgery building. 

 A child specialist brought him a spinning R2D2. He sat and played and played and played. Apparently, the combination of spinning lights and slightly obnoxious noises is childhood perfection. Stephen and I managed to stay calm, too. That is, until he was wheeled into the operation room. Somehow, seeing my little three year hooked up to machines was just too much. As soon as his little eyes closed, I headed off to cry on Stephen's shoulder.

Fortunately, the doctors met with us in the waiting room after each had finished their part. Smooth and easy was the report. The lymph nodes look clear, although we need to wait for the official report. He did emerge with a wicked looking five inch scar on his arm. I'm sure that will also heal up nicely. 

When the nurse called us into post op, I was expecting an agitated awakening boy. Instead, we were met a sleeper. He slept and slept and slept. Finally, he managed to open his eyes and ask for home, water, and food. All without a single tear or fuss. My sweet little Xavier has not complained once, not once. I am quite sure this was due to all the promised prayers and the intercession of his patron saint.

We are truly blessed.

Prayers for Xavier

My little Xavier will be heading into surgery early tomorrow morning. It will be quite a day for him as the team of doctors do a lymph node scan, removal of a few nodes, and the removal of the abnormal skin on his arm. Apparently, he won the lottery as this is the rarest of rare of bumps and lumps. His two primary doctors are quite intrigued with his case while they assure me that all will be well.

So, tomorrow is the day prayers are needed most.

St. Joseph, please pray for my sweet boy. May the hands of the doctors be blessed, may Xavier stay calm, and may the surgery be uneventful, and may he heal completely and without complications.

Thank you and God bless!

Prayers, Please: Update

        My sweet little Xavier will be heading up to CHOC Hospital on Monday for a consultation on his bump. We had been told by different doctors that the growth on his arm was of no concern, but would have to be removed by a dermatologist. The dermatologist also had no concern, however, the pathology reports have come back with some troubling news. We will have more information on Monday. Until then, please say a little prayer for...

Complete Healing

Wisdom from his doctors

Peace and Trust as we navigate decisions, doctors, and insurance

St. Joseph, Pray for Us!
UPDATE: The CHOC plastic surgeon felt that another doctor, an oncologist surgeon specializing in melanoma, should also be present for the next procedure. So, we are waiting for the next appoinment with another doctor for another consultation. While this all sounds foreboding, it is actually just feels quite unreal. Xavier keeps bounding around like his usual energetic self. There is no indication of a problem except for a little scrape on his arm that is healing beautifully.  I keep wondering when we jumped through the looking glass. Thus, until the next appoinment, prayers are most most welcome!

Xavier's 3rd Birthday

A day in photos:

This is my little dear's idea of looking sweet for the camera so I could take a birthday photo. Ah well, it does capture his personality remarkable well.

 Happy Birthday, my love!

Into His Own Hands

Well, I knew it was coming but I didn't know that today was the day.

Xavier has had a couple of people offer to cut his hair. The hairdresser at church offered me some 'tips' and another friend offered to take matters into his own hands during a St. Joseph's Day party. Still I refused as I really did like his long, devil-may-care locks of gold. True, it was becoming a bit unruly but still I hesitated to snip even a bit.

Today, Dominic took matters into his own hands. He has been practicing quite a lot with the scissors lately and is quite proud of his new found abilities. Maybe he thought of Xavier as another blank sheet ready to be transformed.

And transform he did, right down to the scalp. Oh, there was no saving even one long unruly lock.

Here is my new baby boy. 

My, he does look cute, doesn't he?

Xavier, I think you will be a little heart breaker for sure!

Half Way to One

 Just a few photos of a little girl who is sleeping through the night. Yay! See, six months is the magic number.























Well, that and the fact that we moved her out of our bathroom and down the hall to the opposite end of the house. She gets to bond with Olivia and we get to be semi-intelligent adults again. The move came about because Stephen exclaimed that he had the I.Q. of a sponge at work which was bad for long term employment security.

 On a completely different subject, Xavier has decided to shun all diapers. That's good (no more diapering two babies) and bad (do you know how much I dislike potty training? This is the point at which I take up drinking something more interesting than tea with honey.) 

 Let the potty training begin!

It all started with a few fish...

We spent last Thursday exploring the underwater world of fish. This is one of Stephen's favorite places so we jumped at the chance to have a "field trip" when the Aquarium of the Pacific offered an inexpensive homeschooling day. Our visit was kicked off with an interesting fact: Our new van is too big and heavy for the parking structure. So guess were we got to park...the school bus zone...Yes! 

 As it has been years since our last visit, everyone was enchanted the with, well, everything. The fish were huge, the scuba guy was fascinating, and the glass was really thick. The kids poked and prodded the sea stars, urchins, and anemones. They were even able to tickle some jelly fish. Dominic and Xavier dressed up as octopuses while the big kids quizzed us about obscure fish facts.

After a shockingly mediocre lunch in which a Chinese lady tried to convince me that the pizza was supposed to be soggy, we headed out for a visit with the lorikeets. While we come for the gorgeous aquariums filled with exotic fish, it is the lorikeets that capture our hearts.

Too bad we can't get the clown fish to perch on our arms and eat from little cups.

This was the highlight of our visit.

 Little ones liked the idea of birds eating out of their hands but didn't actually want one to touch them. Fortunately, the big kids were more than willing to feed everyone while little eyes watched with wonder.

Can you tell that I am a little skittish? That bird was running up my arm. Running, I tell you. I think he wanted to bite my ears!

Back to Daddy heaven- more fish.

Olivia was the only one with arms long enough to touch the rays at the bottom of the pond. There's a surprise. ;-)

Bubbles

Okay, well somewhere between the birds and the bubbles life took a quick turn from fun and fish to multiple trips to the ER. First, Dominic took a huge blow from one of those metal posts with the ropes swinging between them. He managed to have one fall right on his cheek bone. While I was off getting ice packs and hoping that nothing had been fractured, Stephen herded the kids back into the bus van. On the way home he mentioned that Xavier seemed to be breathing laboriously. I headed to the back of the van to check on him and it turned out that he was definitely in distress. A quick call to the doctor and it was decided that Xavier needed to head straight to the hospital. Since I am an optimist, we took him to the pediatrician instead who promptly sent us to the hospital. A steroid shot, three breathing treatments, and an x-ray later...Ta Da...pneumonia.

Do you see that sweet boy sitting so patiently in the ER getting his breathing treatment? 

It's not Xavier. It's Dominic! 

After we picked up Stephen and Xavier from the hospital and began the weary drive home, Dominic started coughing. Croup. Dominic doesn't get croup like most kids; he get a mean nasty version of it every time. So, I knew we were in for trouble. After a difficult few hours of intense coughing and a visit from the paramedic who lives next door, Stephen headed off to the hospital again. 

The boys recuperated and Stephen finally got some well earned sleep. 

The nebulizer hums along every. single. day.

And to think, it all started with a few fish.