and so it begins

Over the past month and a half we've had the special privilege of having some sweet people living close to us. Calvin has been blessed to have such good friends to play with everyday. Marvin and I have enjoyed time to hang out with friends and we also have been so loved by how they have blessed our family. They loved Calvin, invited him to come over to play with their children, and also were here when we welcomed Micah into the world. Such sweet memories.

This life lends itself to goodbyes, and while they are hard for us, we have become accustomed to them. This past week Calvin had to say goodbye to his friends and for the first time it made him sad. Our little guy is growing up and he is starting to understand more. It broke this mama's heart to see him in tears because he didn't want to say goodbye to his friends, he wanted to go with them. As much as you never want to see your kids hurting it is sweet to see how Father comforts us. It was good to remind him and myself what a blessing it is to have good friends and how God always provides us with new friends, and that's worth a loud Hallelujah!

in no particular order

#31 a healthy baby boy#32 slices of bread that become airplanes during lunchtime
#33 creative imagination of a 3 year old
#34 birthday cake
#35 counting down the days until we see family
#36 technology allowing us to introduce Micah to friends and family far away
#37 wrinkled little foreheads
#38 hearing the words "I forgive you"
#39 first cry heard in the delivery room
#40 a calm and encouraging doctor
#41 visits from "our family" at the hospital
#42 open eyes for first passport photo
#43 kisses from a big brother
#44 a warm, sleeping newborn nestled on your chest
#45 meals brought by from friends
#46 having a baby in a culture that adores children
#47 softness of a brand new baby
#48 dinner time conversations all about Thomas the train
#49 snuggle time and hugs from Calvin
#50 celebrating with ice cream after delivering Micah
#51 little corner store with everything we need
#52 pharmacies everywhere
#53 a little boy singing Larry Boy in a taxi
#54 little kisses throughout the day accompanied by a "I love you."
#55 friends who share baby things, this boppy has been amazing! (Thanks M)

mmmmm Cake

So I'm finally getting some pictures posted of Calvin's cake.  These pictures make me smile and will be fun to reminice over in the years to come.  His cake turned out to be a big hit with the kids.  They could not wait until we cut it, in fact one little guy just sat at the table and waited until it was cake time, too funny.  I of course see lots of imperfections but it was special and worth the time it took.

D Day....delivery day that is

For those of you who have no interest in childbirth, this post may not be for you.....for those of you who do read on.

The last few weeks of Micah's pregnancy were extremely uncomfortable.  (Apparently I'm not one of those women who love being pregnant.)  Honestly it wasn't fun, but so worth it.  My blood pressure had been on the high side, and my doctor had been monitoring it closely.  I was extremely swollen, by mid morning my legs literally felt like they weighed a ton.  I had a few tests run at my last doctor's appointment and one indicated preeclampsia, so we were scheduled to induce on Wednesday.  It was beautiful news, because I couldn't wait to meet this little man, even if this meant we had to induce labor.

Thankfully our colleagues were in town renewing visas, so we were able to drop Calvin off at their apartment before we headed to the hospital. This was such an incredible blessing to know he was with people he was comfortable with. The day before we went into the hospital this is all Calvin would talk about, "how much longer before we go to their house and play?"

Once we got to the hospital at 9:00 a.m. they showed us to the labor room, I got dressed, and had blood work done while Marvin filled out the paperwork for admission.  Everything was very similar to Calvin's labor, it was like we were doing the same thing, in the same order as we did with Calvin, just 3 years later.  The initial exam showed I was barely dilated, 1 cm, so pitocin was started.  The rest of our morning was very mellow and boring.  We read for a bit, watched the miners rescue for a long time, then after a while started watching some Office episodes to help pass the time.  The doctor came in around 11:00 p.m. to see if things were progressing, I had only dilated to 2 cm, but she thought around 3:00 she would come and break my water, and things would really get moving.  So more waiting ensued, they brought me lunch and were just waiting for the show to get started.  I could feel the contractions getting stronger but they weren't uncomfortable, an honestly there were times I wasn't even aware I was having them because I was either laughing about something or not paying attention.  It was very weird, because labor is supposed to hurt.

So 3:00 pm. came and went and our doctor still had not come, they moved us to the delivery room and we thought it would be any time now, but we just kept waiting and so we started a new season of Survivor.  Turns out our doctor was caught up in surgery, which is why she was running behind.  Finally at about 6:20 pm she came in to break my water.  At this point I was only dilated 3-4 cm and according to Dr. Deniz she thought I'd deliver around 9:00/9:30 pm.  After she broke my water the contractions really started to intensify.  I found a good spot on my side with Marvin rubbing my lower back through the contractions.  This made them manageable, and gave me some relief in between them, unfortunately the fetal monitor wasn't picking up the baby's heart beat well and it kept dropping, so the nurse came in, called in our doctor and after a few changes in positions figured out that it was picking up my heart beat and not the baby's.  After this little scare I was a sight for sure.  They had been monitoring my blood pressure so I had that on my left arm, a heart rate monitor on the index finger on my left hand, fetal monitors hooked up to my belly, an oxygen mask on my face, and finally the pitocin line coming into my right hand. At one point they handed me more medication to regulate my blood pressure and I couldn't figure out how to grab it and the cup of water due to the number of cords coming from all directions.

At this point I felt like I could handle more labor at the intensity I was experiencing.  They released me from the monitors for a bit I went to the bathroom and by the time I got back the contractions were 10 times as intense.  I was able to stand up leaning on the big ball for a bit and I could tell things were progressing, but I was getting shaky.  This was maybe 20 minutes after they broke my water and at this point they wanted me back on the fetal monitors, which meant back into bed.  I was already shaking from standing up and beginning to get nauseous.  The nurse checked and said I was around 5-6 cm.  I decided to wait until 7:00 to decide on an epidural. 10 minutes passed and I was able to sit up instead of lay down and still get a good reading on the monitors, but the contractions were picking up speed.  I decided since I was a couple hours from 9:00 that it would be worth it to get the epidural since I still had a ways to go.  By the time the anesthesiologist got there it was around 7:15, she got things going and finished up around 7:30.  What I heard was "it should be 15 minutes and you shouldn't be able to feel anything".  What I missed was that I was only given the initial dose and she'd be back later to hook me up to the real deal.  So I was literally counting down the minutes before it would take effect.  15 minutes later, 7:45, I was still in pain, mainly on my right side, but was able to relax a bit in between contractions and the nausea subsided, which was completely worth getting the small dose in my opinion.  At this point I was feeling a lot of pressure.  A different doctor came in to check on me, and the next thing I knew they were getting everything ready for delivery, and told me Dr. Deniz would be here in a few minutes.  Dr. Deniz came in and told me that she was going to check me, then looked at me and asked me if I need to push.  I did so quickly she got ready.

I pushed for about 15-20 minutes and then Micah made his debut at 8:24 p.m. I'll never forget his little squeaks and his tiny cry.

They cleaned him off and quickly handed him to me, and let me hold him for quite some time before they took him up the the nursery to get him weighed, cleaned up and dressed. I was very thankful that they let me hold him longer than we were able to with Calvin.

Marvin followed them up to the nursery and watched as they weighed him, measured him and got him dressed.  He weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. 

We had such a great group of ladies present at Micah's birth, our nurses were so sweet and patient with our limited language and really professional. 

Of course I cannot say enough wonderful things about our doctor.  She's always calm and the kind of doctor you dream to work with.  We are so blessed to have had such a sweet delivery and that Micah was born healthy and without any complications.  Oh and the anesthesiologist came in after he was born to check on me, very surprised to see we had already delivered.  She was a hoot, and it was nice to finally be able to communicate with her.

Table of 4

We are now offically a family of 4, Micah Hudson was born October 13th at 8:24 pm.  So far things seem pretty normal, although we are still adjustmenting, but we're only on day 3.  His arrival means that all three of our boys have birthdays withing a week of each other.  October is going to be a fun month of celebrating for our family in years to come.

There is something mezmerising about staring at a newborn.  I feel like I need to record all Micah's little squeaks, yawns, wrinkly forehead expressions because they'll be gone before we know it.  I absolutely love the newborn stage, even if it does mean a little less sleep, which btw I'm feeling more refreshed in the morning than when he was in my belly.

It's funny how your second baby is a little more relaxed.  We had to laugh about how we would set our alarm with Calvin and wake up every 3 hours to feed him.  Our first night home, Marvin looked at me and asked if we wanted to set the alarm, and we both decided to let him wake us up.  Turns out babies let you know what they want and when, plus we got a little more sleep.  I've also had to say things like this, "no swinging the bat around your baby brother." (We've also implemented some new bat rules.)  "That's really sweet of you to share your grapes with Micah but for now Micah only drinks milk."

Right now our little Micah is tucked into the fetal position, nestled on my chest, sleeping in his prefered position.  He's just a head tilt away from a kiss, there's something so sweet and precious about holding a sleeping baby. 

So far here are our first impressions of you Micah:

• You love to be held.  I'm sure we'll get to the point where you'll sleep great in your bassinet, but until then we'll enjoy having you in our arms.
• You have serious little faces.
• You have been very alert and we've been surprised at how long you'll just stare at the world around you.  This morning I thought you were like a little Professor observing and soaking up this new place.
• You must have really enjoyed your hands in my belly.  Because they certainly bring you much comfort.  Now if only you can remember where you put them.
• You're not a fan of being swaddled, you prefer those hands to be accessable.
• You're getting louder everyday, and we're slowly figuring out what each cry means.
• You're big brother loves to help you, and  you don't seem to mind his help. You also don't mind how loud he is, and can sleep through some serious play time.

It's been a fun 3 days and we're so thankful you're in our lives.

A Cars Birthday Party

After much anticipation Calvin's big day arrived.....his 3rd birthday, or as he would tell you his "Cars birthday."


It was just one of those sweet days. You know the ones filled with........

............a little snuggle time in the morning
............cookies for breakfast
............new stickers
............a new "piderman cooter"
............lots of friends to celebrate alongside
............way too much sugar
............too many smiles to count
............visitors who get you out of naptime, that obviously was not going to happen.
………..lots of people wishing you Happy Birthday.


We all had a great day and it will be a day we won't forget for a while, especially the Birthday boy.

and guess who didn't get a picture of the cake that captured Calvin's and all this kids attention?  That would be us, thankfully someone else did, I'll post it once I get it from them.

A new decade

Friday we celebrated Marvin's 30th Birthday, in a very low key way of course.  Our apartment was being cleaned, which meant we had to be out for the morning.  It was a rainy cold day so we started our morning with Krispy Kreme donuts, which we all enjoyed. Then we headed to the mall to pick up a few random things.  Marvin took Calvin bowling for the first time, it was a success and both of them had a good time, then we grabbed a bite to eat at the food court.  We even ran into an sweet friend who we hadn't seen in almost 3 years, so she joined us for lunch too.

We had a doctor's appointment and were able to get another 3D sneak peek at our little man. (We are  fortunate that they are a part of routine care here.  We get one every doctor's appointment.) 

We were able to chat with some great teammates who watched Calvin while we were at the doctor.  Then when we got home we got a call from some friends inviting us over for dinner and games.  It was a fun family day and so thankful we were able to do some fun things to celebrate the start of a new decade.

I am so thankful to celebrate another year of Marvin's life.  Here's 30 reasons why he's worth celebrating!

1.  He makes me laugh.
2.  He's so thoughtful.
3.  He's my helpmate.
4.  He's patient when I'm stubborn.
5.  He always tells me thank you after every meal I make.
6.  He loves to dream with me.
7.  He listens to my crazy random thoughts as we drift off to sleep.
8.  He wakes up in the middle of the night to listen to football games and basketball games.
9.  He always picks up a few unexpected sweets at the store.
10.  He's always up to learn something new.
11.  He protects his time with Father.
12.  He's often my voice of reason.
13.  Even though he hates grocery shopping he's been going with me this entire pregnancy.
14.  He volunteers to run to the corner store if I've forgotten something.
15.  He pays our bills which include: various offices, standing in lines, lots of paperwork, & often requiring another trip.
16.  He plays with Calvin when he comes home from work.
17.  He's my compass and loves to figure out how to get from place to place.
18.  He hangs pictures up on concrete walls for me to make the place look like home.
19.  He can always tell me random plant names.
20.  He can makes some pretty mean cars sounds.
21.  He loves being creative.
22.  He is such a servant.
23.  He is competitive
24.  He tells me I'm beautiful, even when I don't at all feel like it.
25.  He prays earnestly for our family.
26.  He drops me off at our apartment door, even if it means backing up and around a million cars.
27.  He wrestles Calvin, aka letting Calvin jump on top of him.
28.  He still give me warm fuzzies when he grabs my hand.
29.  He protects our family time.
30.  He's an amazing leader of our family.

We're so grateful to have him in our lives.  Happy 30th, thanks for letting us celebrate your life.

2 + 1 = 3

Calvin.  As I look back over this last year it's been such a gift to watch you grow and become a little boy.  You've learned so much this past year and you always amaze us at how observant you are.  You truly soak up the world around you, and you astound us by how determined you are to figure things out on your own.  I cannot believe you've gone from this

To this, in just one year!

One day you started talking and haven't stopped since.  We love hearing what is going on inside that brain of yours.  Even though your endless questions are exhausting some days we're thankful for your inquisitive spirit.

We just love your sweet personality.  You are completely lovable and love your tender heart.  Your kisses and hugs have gotten sweeter throughout this past year.  We love all our little games and laughing about silly things with you.

I love how the world around you captivates you.  You can spend hours hunting for snails, watching ants, picking berries, or finding the perfect stick.  Thank you for reminding us to take time to notice these things God has created.

You are a gift to our family and we are so blessed to care for you.  We pray that this next year you will understand more about your creator, and savior  We also pray that you will embrace the role of a big brother and that Father grows your love for your baby brother.  We cannot wait to watch you grow, learn and discover new things this next year.

We love you so much.

Mom & Dad

13 through 30

#13 Continued and strengthened contractions, we WILL meet this baby eventually.
#14 Hearing car sounds coming from a certain little guy's bedroom during naptime
#15 Finding little reminders of play around the house (pictured above)
#16 A freshly shaven husband
#17 Patter of little feet after waking up in the morning
#17 Verses that encourage to you
#18 Being close to my grandparents
#19 Fresh Broccoli
#20 tired giggles
#21 Fall breeze
#22 Birthday excitement
#23 Having water past 10:00 p.m.
#24 Public transportation's magical gift of lulling Calvin to sleep
#25 Having a little boy fall asleep in my arms
#25 Playtime with friends, their conversations are so stinking adorable
#26 Hours of entertainment a balloon provides
#27 Races to bed
#28 Sleeping in until 8:45!!!!
#29 Watching the faces Calvin makes during our Living Bread time at dinner
#30 Finding good deals on needed items

Who she was from a granddaughter’s eyes

She was my Grandma and Monday she took her last breath on this earth.

Her voice will be forever etched in my mind, along with various other sounds that will remind me of her:

• The creek of the kitchen floor in their home
• Her metal rolling pin clinking on the counter as she made tortillas,
• Kitchen chairs being pulled back from the table, a making room for another family member who popped by to say hello.
• Her soap operas in Spanish
• The clink of poker chips when my aunts and uncles got together to play cards and the laughter and playful arguing that was intermixed

She was an amazing caregiver, even from an early age, when she should have been enjoying her childhood; instead she stepped into the role of caring for her family after her mother's death. I remember many stories of how she watched her aunts, and figured out how to make certain meals, and oh did she ever learn out how to cook. Her tamales and tortillas are infamous. Even though her life circumstances prevented her from obtaining higher education, she was an avid learner and expected her children to embrace the education they were allowed to have.


One day she told me about how she saw my grandpa in her neighborhood and knew she was going to marry him. In fact she remembers thinking, "I'll catch him." She was feisty woman and indeed she did catch grandpa and together they raised 8 children and she has supported and loved each of them over the years. She would do anything for her family, and I know a little piece of her heart left along with her two children who preceded her from this earth.


Over the years I've admired much about this woman. Her home was always open in fact I rarely remember ringing her doorbell, the cookies in the cookie jar were always fresh, there were too many visitors for them to ever go stale. Her hospitality skills astound me, she always had something on the stove ready to be served to her guests, and there was rarely a time I've ever escaped a visit without consuming something. Her home was never too full when the family got together, it just felt right, it was certainly loud but everyone was welcome. She was also a sweet giver, and was always thinking of others as she watched her beloved QVC. A year never passed without a birthday card from her, and she had so many grandchildren.


But the biggest thing that I have gleaned from her is how to love and support your family well, to embrace their uniqueness and love them despite their sins and to always open your arms wide to them. Family is a gift and it was so apparent that it was a priority of hers.


Thank you Grandma for those lessons! She will be missed, but I'm so honored to be a part of her lineage.

the 9 month BUMP

I finally remembered to have Marvin take a picture of my rather large bump this morning.  I'm really bad about getting on the other side of the camera, since I take the bulk of our pictures.  Since Calvin's very into showing numbers with his fingers I thought I'd have him help.  He was very excited, if you can't tell.

Have I mentioned I'm ready to meet this guy? 

Well I am.  Sleep is not fun, I think waking up to feed a baby is better than this uncomfortable interrupted sleep right now, but it's also been 3 years since I've gone through baby boot camp, so I may be changing my story soon..................  Ask me in a few weeks which is better.

I am experiencing a few things this time around I never experienced with Calvin.  Heartburn for one, it's pretty much torture the second anything acidic passes my way, lots of fruits, tomatoes, spicy foods, and chocolate.  It makes me sad that a peach causes my body so much discomfort right now, because we are in the land where peaches are INCREDIBLE.  We had eggplant Parmesan for dinner and I'm still feeling it, several hours later, which is why I am not in bed trying to sleep right now.  Swelling is new too, and boy are my legs swollen.  Yesterday was fairly humid and ouch, I was uncomfortable from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed.  Today was a little better but I still can only wear one pair of shoes.  Thankfully it's still sandal season.  I did go get a pedicure today so my feet don't look as Hobbitish, although they are still fat.

I had a non stress test the other day and my contractions still aren't regular, but I feel like they are getting stronger each day, surely one of these days it will start things moving.  I'm elated I've been released from my physical limitations, although Marvin and I disagree on what that actually means.  Hopefully we won't have too much longer, I've never been great about waiting, and I'm ready to get this show on the road.

Birthday Boys

Both Marvin and Calvin have birthdays coming up in the very near future.  We'll celebrate Marvin's 30th soon, and I'm hoping to do something out of the ordinary to celebrate, of course in a low key way, per Marvin's request, and also because hopefully we'll have a newborn at this point.  His birthday requests are pretty simple:  Fried Tacos and peanut butter pie, they usually don't change which is consistent with his dependable personality.  I have a few other ideas to make this day special for him, but since Marvin reads this I'll try my hardest to keep those a secret.

Growing up my mom made some pretty fun cakes for our birthdays.  I still remember going to the cake store and picking out the cake pan we wanted for our birthday."  I'd love to do continue to make something fun for our kids each year, and this year since he has an obsession for "Cars" I think we'll go with a Cars Birthday theme.  Since I'm away from all my cake decorating supplies, I'm hoping to borrow a few things from a friend here to make a fun little cake for him.  Calvin and I had so much fun browsing through ideas and since we looked at all the Cars Cakes he's pretty excited to have a Cars Birthday.  He often tells everyone that he's going to have a Cars Birthday, even when they don't understand English.  He also started singing "happy cars birthday to you."  Can you tell he's excited?

Now I am in NO way talented in the realm of cake decorating.  I wish I had the skills my sister-in-law has, but let's be honest I don't.  So I was hunting for a simple cake.  Here are a few front runners, that I think I can possibly recreate, of course with some help from my artistic husband.  I like the idea of using real cars, but unfortunately I haven't found too many here, so we may have to be creative.

 Now these are little out of my league but loved them:

I can't wait to be a little creative and make these birthdays special for some pretty special guys!

gifts

 

I love this idea of keeping track of all the gifts Father has given us each week so this week I'm starting a list, and hope it is a way to reflect back on the week and record these sweet gifts.

#1  Our active little guy in my belly, who makes my belly move in waves.  So thankful for his hiccups each  night as I try to drift off to sleep.  It's a gift I don't take for granted even though I'm so ready to meet him.

#2  Random little kisses on my belly throughout the day from a little boy eager to be a Big Brother.

#3  The body, waiting in a new city with some sweet new friends as well as old friends.

#4  Tortillas available at every store, and whole wheat ones at that!

#5  My protector of a husband, who carried all our groceries and pushed Calvin up a very steep hill on a muggy day.

#6  The cool breeze that fills our apartment.

#7  A pair of shoes that fit.  This summer i bought a pair at the market and when I got home one shoe was stretched out from how they grouped them together, they now are the only shoes that fit.

#8  Nap time

#9  Sweet locals, who love to pinch children's cheeks and give them sweet things.

#10  Hearing "Down in my heart." every time Calvin sees a heart. (From the song I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart."

#11 Seedless Grapes

#12 new music that makes my heart sing! 

Make a Funny Face

Calvin's been very into making faces lately.  His inspiration comes from Mac on the movie Cars.  He's such a goof, and these pictures he requested me to take of him the other day while we were playing on the playground.

Now what to say about the movie Cars, ummmm.  It certainly is a favorite right now.  If you ask him about it you're more than likely to get an ear full and hear all about his favorite scenes, which will probablly start like this: "member when......" followed by a lengthy detailed recount of part of the movie.

This movie certainly has developed his love for any type of cars.  Before he'd play with a car for a few minutes then move onto something new, but now he spends most of the day playing cars, both with an actual car or him pretending to drive around the house.  It's wonderful to be able to throw a car in my purse and know he'll be entertained.  He also LOVES taxi rides right now, because they are like race cars.  If we get a real crazy driver once we get out of the taxi he'll say, "He was a really good driver."  or "That was Amazing."  Oh the simple things that amuse him right now.  I'm certainly loving this stage he is in right now.

Today’s Stats.

I am 34 ½ weeks pregnant but feeling more like, and looking more like, 40.

Hoping to meet this little guy in less than 2 weeks. I can't wait to wrap him up in my arms, and also can't wait till the "take it easy" part of this pregnancy is over.

23 more days till my baby is 3, how did that happen?

 5, the number of shirts currently in my limited wardrobe, I forgot to add a few shirts to the bag Marvin was bringing, oops.
2the number of shirts I have with me without a stain on it, this belly is seriously causing some problems.
I've been away from home for 31 days now.

Lately a good night sleep means I only had to wake up and go to the bathroom 3 times, most nights it's much more than that. I think my body is preparing itself for some interrupted sleep.

It's crazy to think that in a few short weeks we will be a family of 4.

We get to see Marvin's folks and brother in 43 days.

1 Little boy who is eager as can be to play Cars Dominos, guess this means this post is finished.

So you speak English.....c'est gentil

Marvin and I usually have reverse culture shock traveling to this country.  People are so helpful, patient and nice.  It's really strange at first, because for the most part when you enter a store in Nineveh they either follow you around straightening every box/thing you touch, or think you are completely wasting their time.  The first day I was here I stopped by the store and the man in front of me asked me if I wanted to help putting my groceries on the conveyor belt, and I was only buying a handful of items.  I'm sure I probably stared at him because I was in shock at the offer.  Back home in Nineveh I'd just get scolded for carrying a bag of groceries while pregnant.

Today was another one of those moments that just made me thankful for the friendliness here.  It also made me laugh.  I needed some blush and lip gloss so I was browsing through the selections this store had and the sales girl came up to me and rattled off something I of course didn't understand, except that they were having a sale.  So the sweet girl tried her best to communicate with me what the sale was but to no avail.  So she went and got her friend, she started speaking to me in German, but I don't know German so I asked her if she knew English, then she went into French.  Cracked me up, because I clearly said the word for English.  Thankfully some of my high school and college french came back because I actually understood what she said.  I knew that would come in handy one day and I'm glad I still have a tiny bit of it tucked somewhere in this brain of mine.

Nice

Being a parent is stretching me.  Marvin does a better job at letting Calvin dress than I do, Marvin sort of jokingly calls me the fashion police.  I don't think I'm that bad, but I often send Calvin back to his room to choose a different pair of pants or shirt to match, so maybe I am the fashion police. (He also doesn't seem to mind.)

I have my principles when it comes to fashion, and have tried to stick to them.  There are a couple of things that truly bug me:

I refuse to buy anything with a logo plastered across it, because we not human billboards.  Even if the things are very in at the moment, like coach purses.  It's sneaky advertising if you ask me, and I'm I know most people don't agree or have a problem with it, but I'm weird. 

The second thing that bugs me more than anything about children's fashion is character infatuation.  Those in children's apparel fashion know a thing or two about kids, they love their characters and love to wear them.  This lovely green shirt was given to him by our language teacher and the boy is obsessed with wearing it.  If he sees me take it off the clothes line it must be immediately worn.  Like I said these people know what they are doing.

Working in early childhood I've seen my share of character shoes, and they always make me cringe due to their tackiness.  I've learned I should never say "I'll never let my child....." because this past weekend we ventured to the mall to buy Calvin some shoes and came home with these........

and a little boy beaming in delight, because they have spiderman on them (he's never seen a single episode of spiderman, yet loves spiderman) and they light up.  Again I am eating my words and do you know what?  They aren't that bad. To see the joy they give him as he puts them on makes up for their tackiness.

1 year ago.....

was perhaps the craziest emotional day in my life.  We got a call letting us know we would be able to return to our job overseas sooner than expected.  A few hours later, my parents got a call we had been waiting for years, a new liver for my dad.  It was a night we will never forget, and praise the Lord my Dad is in better health than he has been in for years. 

I am so grateful that he's been given this unbelievable gift.  It's something none of us take for granted.  This sweet young lady who lost her life, gave my dad more years to enjoy life, and to be a part of ours.  I am so grateful to organ donors, it's a gift only a few can give.

Daddy Time

Thankfully Marvin snapped a few pictures of Calvin’s while we were apart.  Marvin tried to keep him pretty busy but that last little stretch was tough, on both of them.

Calvin enjoyed some time at Daddy’s office everyday. Our office manager loved him to pieces, and it gave Marvin some time to get some work done.

They played countless games, wrestled a lot, had lots of yummy snacks mommy usually doesn’t buy, and Marvin let him watch his first ever movie, “Cars”, which is a post in itself. (Let’s just say he loves that movie and even though he’s only watch it a handful of times he’s already memorized a good chunk of it.)

Marvin took him to the river, to the park, the amusment park, he rode his first zipline, took a little trip out of town.  Overall Marvin did a great job at wearing out the little man.  Thankfully Marvin didn't have a problem getting him to take a nap every day. 

Hooray for quality Father Son bonding.  Calvin's lucky to have such a good daddy.

Thankful it's Done

Monday we headed to the hospital for Calvin’s surgery. We had tried to prepare him as much as we could but obviously he didn’t quite understand what was going to happen. Thankfully he was much more comfortable around the doctors and nurses than he was on Friday. Although he was extremely scared when it was time for him to go into anesthesia, and we are pretty sure he fought them due to the bruises on his legs.

The surgery took a little longer than expected due to a larger problem than the doctor could see on the surface, but we’re hoping it will be successful and they won’t have to redo the initial surgery. We should know if it worked within the next 15 days.


This was a new hospital for us, and was very nice, it was just different and we didn’t quite know how things worked. We were blessed with a nurse who spoke English during the day, and so Calvin wasn’t quite as intimidated when it was time to get dressed for surgery. He even gave her a huge hug and kiss when it was time to leave. We were also blessed that both of us could stay with him in the hospital overnight and that it was only a one night affair.


He showed us his stubborn side after surgery. He refused to go potty. After 2 hours of watching him roll around in his bed due to pain we had the nurse call his doctor at 2 a.m., who had to come back to the hospital to put a catheter in. He felt much better after the fact, and was able to finally sleep. In fact he was still sleeping hard when his doctor came to take it out at 9:30 in the morning.

While Calvin overall did not enjoy the hospital it was a time for lots of movies and he even enjoyed the local children’s channel, and he is still talking about watching Jay Jay. He had a heavy dose of snuggle time and plenty of attention from both of us.

He is recovering and his activity level is back to normal. He’s very relieved to be back “home” at the ABC house. It’s going to be rough to keep him subdued this week while things heal. Thanks for those who prayed for him during this time. We’re very thankful it is over, now as Calvin said it is my turn to go to the hospital so that his baby brother can come out.