Babies and Botox

Life has been busy, busy good not bad. The kids have been generally healthy with a few sniffles so far, which always makes life easier.

My brother Kevin and his wife are expecting their baby girl today. My poor sister in law has been in labor now for close to 20 hours, and their little girl still wants to stay inside a bit longer. I pray that she comes in the next few hours to give Mama's body some rest. For all of you who have children, you know what a blessing they are, but getting them into this world, anyway you do it, can sometimes be difficult. I find parenting to be the most humbling experience ever, more so than marriage. Kids don't always do what you want them to do....news flash news flash. They often times embarrass you at a store by throwing a tantrum, if it hasn't happened to you consider yourself lucky. My brother and sister in law will learn like all of us, the joys and the struggles, but also the rewards of these beautiful human beings.

Evan received Botox shots in his calf muscles on Friday. It was not an easy appointment at all. None of them are really, but you hope the decision you make as a parent will be the right one. You have to take a risk for the greater good of your child, but it does not come without guilt. Evan received Versed to relax him, but 3 of us still had to hold him down to get 3 shots in each calf muscle. He experienced some flu like symptoms over the weekend which is normal, and this morning he started having trouble walking, which is also normal until they realize how to use the muscle again without the tone. Overall he is doing well. He will be evaluated in a month to see how he is doing, along with ongoing physical therapy.

Grace had her Thanksgiving program this morning. It was cute with the feather paper hats and paper bag vests. She decided to bow after every song, which was hilarious and adorable all at the same time.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving....until next time.

Happy Veterans Day/Happy Birthday Marine

Today is Veterans day. Yesterday was the Marine Corps Birthday. This time of year is very special to our family. Yes, that is my Marine in the picture above. Once a Marine always a Marine. We have been together for nearly 15 years (married 12 1/2) He was in the Marine corps for almost 8 years before having to get out for having ulcerative colitis. That means we have spent 1/2 our life together in the military and the other 1/2 out. There has always been challenges no matter what. In the military we really had to rely on each other and our friends. We had no family near us, and David was deployed for over 1/2 the time he was in. We were young, newly married, and didn't have much in the way of money or possessions. It didn't matter though, because we had each other and we were so blessed by God. David served his Marine Corps well. I will never forget that chapter of our life and am so thankful for the many friends me met along the way. Now life presents new challenges to us every day. Even though he is home, he is a busy man finishing his masters degree and working hard at his job. We have 2 awesome children, both with very unique personalities. I was talking to David the other day that in 2 years we will have been together, longer than we haven't been together. I am so proud of you David, for all you did for our country, and all you do for our family now. You are loved and respected more than you know.

Potty Training

I didn't really want to put a picture of my son on there, so a teddy bear it is. Well, I think we are making a break through with Evan. Maybe I am speaking to quick, but the past few days of successes is the most I have seen in the past year, yes, I said year. My son has been getting on the potty off and on since before he was two. It was a game to him and he saw us doing it. Well now that he is well into 3 and I really am trying to get him out of diapers he was not wanting to cooperate, no matter what I did. Grace only took about 3 months, and there was improvement everyday. Once she started #2, she was done, and potty trained overnight as well. I sure got my hopes up when Evan showed signs early. Over the weekend, David and I worked together, to make sure he was going every chance he could, and told him that it was no longer a choice, this is what he had to do. He would be disciplined if he did not at least try, or obey. I didn't want to go that route, but it seems like the only thing that would work for our very strong willed boy. Today, was the break through. He held it for awhile tonight, and I kept bugging him to go and he said not yet. Finally he decided to get on, and let go of 1 and 2 and he only had one accident today, as he was trying to get to the potty on his own. Yahoo! He also told his teacher he had to go at early intervention today. That was a first that he told another adult too. So, I am anticipating some more accidents, but I think we are on the right track now.

Why does the Bible not include stories about parents potty training their children? I could have used a lesson, and still could use a lesson on patience while potty training a young child. How was Jesus trained? What did they do without the books, and videos and such to get potty trained? I think disposables have made it harder to get kids trained in this day and age.