This Week

As you might have imagined, we have been pretty busy this week with Elijah. Monday through Thursday were pretty crazy. Things started looking up Thursday afternoon. By Friday, Elijah was back to his normal self...when he was on the pain meds, that is. :) Daddy had him Friday night because I had a meeting with MOPS, and he decided not to give Elijah his pain meds as we had discussed weaning him off them when he seemed better. OK, so maybe weaning him off of them overnight wasn't such a good idea since he woke up a few times overnight (Daddy had to deal with him). He has done great today and even got out with me for a bit this afternoon to run errands. He woke up extremely fussy after nap - crying and holding his mouth - so we gave him more pain meds, and he has done great since then. We'll give him another dose before bed so that he sleeps, but overall, he is doing great!!!

I've got some cute pictures of Elijah from this week - riding in the wagon in the hospital, in his baby hospital gown, preparing for surgery, etc. I am hoping to upload them in a bit while the boys watch a movie before bed. Forgive me if I post some that are older too - it's been a while since I've uploaded!!!

Update on Elijah's Surgery

Elijah had his tonsils and adenoids removed at 7 a.m.

11:30 a.m. - Elijah came through his surgery with flying colors. Dr. McDuffie said that his tonsils were huge...so huge, in fact, that the anesthesiologist had trouble getting the breathing tube down his throat. So, hopefully, this means that he will breathe a lot easier now.We are in our own room...which is nice.

The only thing that really bothers him is the fact that there's an IV in his left foot, and it's all wrapped up in an ace bandage. He keeps giving us his foot saying, "Ow!" In other words, "Get this thing off of me!" We had to pull the pulse-ox off because he tried to do that on his own. The nurse said we'll just put that on when he sleeps because that's when they want to monitor it. At the moment, we're waiting for him to take a nap. He tried earlier, but couldn't get comfortable. He's had pain meds since then, though, so hopefully they will help. Wait...I just looked behind me, and he's OUT!!! :)

Call if you'd like to stop by...we're trying to keep him still, but I think a few people to say HI and distract from all the tubes might help also. I know my mom is brining Nathan up for a bit, and I think my mother-in-law might stop by after work. Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers; keep them coming!!!

ALL of my boys

When I talk about my boys, I don't just mean the little ones. Sometimes my "big" one causes just as much stress...:)

This afternoon, I fixed the boys some homemade mac and cheese based on a recipe I found on the back of the box of pasta that they eat. (Heartland Whole Grain pasta with Disney characters) I didn't actually mix the cheese and pasta since I didn't cook as much pasta as I should have (making it mac and cheese was an afterthought). So, I saved the cheese sauce with anticipation of making more pasta tomorrow to mix with it.

I had to get a cavity filled this afternoon so I came home for a nap around 6, waiting for the feeling to return to my tongue and right side of my mouth. This meant that Daddy was in charge of dinner. Once the boys were in the shower, he came in to check on me, and he told me what everyone had eaten.

"Elijah and I split those potatoes."

"Baby, what potatoes?"

"The real cheesy ones."

"Those weren't potatoes; that was cheese sauce for the boys' pasta!"

No wonder Sean complained about a stomach ache tonight!!! Pure cheese, milk and a bit of flour and butter...

And no wonder Elijah didn't eat much!

See, this is why mommies can't EVER get sick!!!

Priceless

Today, I took the boys to see Veggie Tales: The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything at the Summer Movie Club (discounted kids' movies). They loved it! It was really good except for the fact that we had to sit/stand in the back. Nathan is completely into pirates (that's his birthday party theme for this year) so this was right up his alley. Elijah had popcorn so he was good too. :)

Afterwards, we went to the bank, and then I had a craving for something sweet. So, we stopped at the donut shop right across the street. We took the donuts home and my boys chowed down. Elijah ate 10...yes, 10...donut-holes, and half of Nathan's chocolate covered donut. Yes, he has a sweet tooth!!! LOL

After the donuts, Elijah went poopy in the potty...and bit me on the leg while I was wiping him! Ugh! (We're having issues with this - more on that later.)

3 tickets to the movies: $3
Popcorn: $5
Donuts: $4
Time with my boys: PRICELESS :)

More on Elijah...

I don't mean to write about my little man so much, but he's at the age where he's growing by leaps and bounds so there's way more to talk about regarding him than with Nathan. :) I just had to share these two cute things...

We call Sean's dad, "Pawpaw Link." We were trying to teach it to Elijah tonight, and he can say Pawpaw since that's what we call my dad. So, he'd say "Pawpaw" and then stick his tongue out. We soon realized he was thinking "Pawpaw LICK!" That cracked me up!!! He is so cute...I love this age!

Duck, Duck - Goose! has become a favorite game around here. Elijah LOVES it! He's so cute when he says it, though. It comes out more like, "Duck, Duck - DEUCE!" So very cute.

Unfortunately, our sweet guy has to have his adenoids and tonsils removed on Monday (8/11). Since birth, Elijah has snored and breathed quite noisily through his mouth; he also drools a lot. Our pediatrician recommended that we see an ENT after realizing that he wasn't outgrowing any of this. We saw one a few weeks ago, and he said that Elijah's adenoids were so swollen that he could see them through his nose. It was given that they had to come out. His tonsils are a little large too, but the ENT isn't sure that he can get the adenoids out around them. So, it looks like his tonsils will have to come out as well. We'll find out on Friday what time his surgery is scheduled - should be before noon. They will more than likely keep him overnight to make sure he is staying hydrated as it is often difficult to make them drink at this age. Pray for a peaceful night and that everything goes smoothly! We'll keep you posted.

Proud of my Man!!!

A couple of weeks ago, Sean applied for 2 boards on the city council for McKinney. Tonight was the council's decision. He didn't make the Board of Adjusters...didn't even get on the final list. However, he was on the top 5 of 4 positions for Planning & Zoning, which is the one he wanted. He got it!!!! I am so proud of my man. It'll take away two nights a month with the family, but it'll greatly help his experience and look great on his resume. Wahoo!

Growing up!!!

My little Elijah-man is growing up so fast! It's like after he hit the 18 month mark, he decided to become a big boy. We started potty training last week, and he is doing great. He stays dry overnight and during nap, which was our first inclination that it was time to start potty training! Here he is pictured in his Pull-Ups for the first time (19 months)...

And just for kicks, here's Nathan's first time in them at 22 months...

Check out how much bigger Elijah is! LOL Yes, he has Thunder Thighs. :)

We discovered last week that Elijah's shoes were too small when his toes began sneaking out of his sandals, and he developed a blister on the inside of his foot from his tennis shoes. So, on Saturday, I took him shopping for new shoes. I went to the Stride Rite outlet because I had a feeling he had wide feet. Yeah, try EXTRA WIDE! I was told he could wear W, but because he had a high arch, the lady there suggested XW. Sure enough, I couldn't squeeze his big feet in W. So, we left with new tennis shoes in 7 1/2 XW. LOL He actually measures a 7, but at least he has some room to grow since his shoes are so hard to find. I am glad that I went to the Stride Rite outlet, though, because the shoes only cost me $21 instead of $40-50.

At his 18 month check-up, our pediatrician told me that Elijah was the height of a 2 1/2 year old. He was 35 3/4 inches - almost 3 feet! Whoa!!! His best friend (Isaac) is 4 months older, and Elijah and Isaac are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Elijah is really tall; Isaac is really short. When they are together, no one believes us that Isaac is actually 4 months older! LOL

Just last week, Elijah's vocabulary sky rocketed. He repeats everything anyone says now. He can say just about anything. I think perhaps the funniest event from this occurred last week during dinnertime. Every time I even START to cook dinner, Elijah heads into the kitchen and wants to sit at the table. The process of cooking dinner is rare to him. What's really funny is that he can't wait to eat, and yet, he has entered the picky food stage. But, that's beyond the point. On this particular night, I told him to go get Daddy for dinner. He ran into the living room, looked at Sean and said, "Eat! Sit down!" (while pointing at the table) It was so cute and funny!

If you know Elijah, you know that he LOVES his mommy. I am his favorite person - which is really, really sweet but can also be really, really annoying at times. The ironic thing is that as much as he loves me, he can't say my name. At almost 20 months, he has YET to say "Mama" or "Mommy." So, what does he call me? DADDY! What does he call Sean? DADDY! Yes, every parental unit is DADDY! How odd is that?! We try our best to get him to say, "Mommy" or "Mama" but have not succeeded yet. I'll let you know when that day comes. Surely he won't grow up calling me, "Daddy"...will he???

Elijah's "bestest" friend is NATHAN!!! He LOVES his big brother and follows him everywhere. He cries if he can't go in the same room that Nathan is in. Luckily, he has a big brother who is fairly tolerant most of the time and loves him a lot too. :)

I can't believe that my baby will be 20 months old next week. These past 2 years have flown by! I have a toddler and a preschooler now - no babies in this house!!!

Talking on the phone to Mawmaw (my mom)

One of my favorite shots of the boys from July 4th (even if it is a litte blurry)