Boopie & Junior

Who needs expensive toys?

2009-08-02T15:40:00.003-05:00

Wonder how much money I , ahem, wasted on what was in those boxes.

Summer lovin'

2009-07-11T18:41:00.000-05:00

Days are longer, school is out, the eyes are straight.........pass the sunscreen. Summer, summer time!

No. Not everyone should be a parent.

2009-07-09T20:13:00.000-05:00

The obvious- child abusers, drugees, murderers. But especially those whose children have to learn this the hard way- the selfish, the self-absorbed, those who never grow up enough to understand and appreciate the enormous responsibility that they have taken on. These parents are the ones that leave damaged children who spend too much time in their lives trying to figure out why they fell short. These parents are oblivious to the damage that they cause, never taking responsibility, only claiming that they "did the best they could".

Being a parent means loving someone more than yourself, putting someones else's needs above your own, and nurturing the being that you have brought into this world. Should be simple.

As one of these children, you grow up often feeling inadequate, undeserving, and constantly in search. In search of what makes things better. But nothing ever really does.

Until the day comes when it does get better. The day that you start liking yourself, in all of your imperfections and start allowing others to like you, too. At first, not everyday is a good day, but eventually the good days outnumber the bad.

Parenting has been healing for me and confusing. Healing because my babies fill my heart. Any empty space there has been filled, I would say my heart is now even overflowing. Confusing because my love for them is all encompassing, and I cannot imagine how any parent could not feel the same way.

Eventually, and unfortunately, you learn that you have to let any expectations of how you think your parents should act or feel go. The expectations you have for them, no matter how small, will never be met.

For now, I enjoy and celebrate the time I have with my children. Soaking them in. Hoping I am not loving them too much (is that possible?).

No longer expecting anything from parents that only disappoint.

You get there, it's difficult and unfortunate, but you get there.

"Um, did your son have surgery today?"

2009-05-03T21:38:00.003-05:00

Eli's surgery could not have gone better (short of him not having it). The facility, nurses, and doctors were fantastic. And Eli, well, Eli was Eli. As always, he pulls through better than you could have even hoped for. Once again, he was a fighter and champ. Absolutely no problems with his airway or oxygen intake. He was groggy coming off the anesthesia but that lasted as far as the ride home.

Eli's surgery began at 7 am, was over by 7:45am, and we were home by 9 am. Wow, we did A LOT during hours I (and Ava and Eli) are typically sleeping (note to self). Once we got home, Eli was all hyped up, none the worse for just being heavily sedated and having muscles cut in both eyes. I ran out once we got home to pick up his prescriptions, pick up some groceries, and of course, pick up the princess from pre-k. Vic called me on my cell while I was running about and asked "did your son have surgery today?". I thought I was leaving Vic to watch a groggy, hurting baby. What he got was a terror.

A terror we will gladly take any day.

We have movement.......

2009-04-28T16:36:00.002-05:00

In preparation for Eli's surgery, we have been going non-stop to doctor's appointments. One of those stops was for an ultrasound of his airway. In order to go ahead with the surgery, we wanted clearance from his pulmonologist due to Eli's history with his airway. Well, not only does Eli have a nice size airway BUT, but he has movement in both vocal chords. How much movement, we are not sure yet but are just so thrilled that the other vocal chord that appeared to be impinged by scar tissue is MOVING.

So, we are moving ahead with his surgery on Thursday. Yesterday, we got clearance from his pediatrician. Who also was helpful enough to diagnose him with keratosis pilaris and eczema. Nice.

Tomorrow Eli and daddy go to see the pediatric opthamologist who will be performing the surgery. We will get definite confirmation and find out if Eli will need surgery in just the one eye or both.

Keep you posted.

Is there ever a such thing as the perfect picture?

2009-04-28T15:58:00.008-05:00

Okay. With a certain holiday coming up (all you dads, better get on the ball if you are saying-"what holiday?"), I wanted to get the perfect shot of my babies for a photo gift. Yeah, right. Try getting my two to sit still, let alone both look at the camera at the same time.

Day one, we shot pictures on our way into church (hey, we were late anyway). I dressed them in matching seersucker- Ava in pink and Eli in blue. Cute, right? Frustrating would be a better word.

Day two involved a trip to the zoo. Again, kids on the go and Eli's hat from last year is now a beanie. Next.....

Day three was a trip to the open space across the street. Better, not perfect, but much better.

After three days of shooting, I settled not on the perfect picture, but the right one. The one that best displays what I love so much about these two- their smiles, silliness, and laughter. Happy Mother's Day to me.

Watch out Tiger Woods!

2009-04-04T18:44:00.003-05:00

Ava & Daddy's first golf outing included: a severe sunburn on Ava's arms and the back of her legs, Ava pooed twice at the clubhouse, and she pulled down her drawers and peed like a boy on the greens on the practice hole. The really good news is that we still have our membership at the club.

Ava's first soccer game

2009-04-04T14:01:00.004-05:00

This morning was Ava's first soccer game (and coincidentally, practice). She was excited to get her uniform shirt and to run and kick the ball before the game. That was pretty much where the smiles ended. If you would have told me that my child would have been the one running off the field crying because she wanted the ball and the other kids would not share, I never would have believed it. But there we were. My beautiful, pig tail wearing soccer star was in tears within minutes of her play time. And I mean the huge tears that just break your heart. She wanted to go home and she wanted a prize. Juice at half time helped and Cheetos for a snack at the end of the game were a welcome distraction, but Ava was still a sad girl. We need to work with her on sharing and taking her turn on the field (i.e. getting to the ball first and sneaking in a body check against her opponents). Toughen up baby girl- you don't want to wear your mommy's thin skin your entire life.....talk about tears.

Watch out fellow peewee soccer players..........we will be back. And next time, Ava won't be the one shedding tears. High-five!

Church Easter Party

2009-03-22T14:15:00.003-05:00

Why do we, as parents, expect our babies to be okay with sitting on a giant rabbit's lap?

Warming up......

Monkey see, monkey do

2009-03-02T14:17:00.004-06:00

This phrase has never been more fitting.........

Valentines Day & Mardi Gras

2009-02-19T16:48:00.009-06:00

Love is in the air- and so are beads! We attended a Mardi Gras parade downtown with the kids- Ava kept her Cupid wings on all day!

D is for Dragon (and Dinosaurs)

2009-02-19T16:27:00.009-06:00

1. Gather your materials. You will need some construction paper, red tissue paper, a marker, a googly eye , glue and scissors.
2. You can either draw a big letter D with your marker or print one out from the computer (like me), have your child paint the D the color green. Cut out the D.

3. While your child is painting the D, use you marker to draw small triangles on green construction paper and cut them out to use for dragon spikes.

4. Once the letter D has dried, cut out the D and glue it to a piece of construction paper.

5. Glue the spikes along the straight side of the D.

6. Cut out a small circle from black construction paper and glue it on the dragon for an eye. Glue the googly eye on top of the circle.
7. Cut out some tissue paper fire. Glue the fire to the dragon D.

I also print out a coloring sheet of little dinosaurs so that junior could be included.

Ava & Eli (aka Dora & Boots)

2009-01-19T17:27:00.003-06:00

C is for Cookie

2009-01-19T17:04:00.004-06:00

C is for cookie, it's good enough for me; oh cookie cookie cookie starts with C.
- Cookie Monster

We love cookies at our house. So the letter C was an easy choice.

1. Gather your materials. You will need some pre-made, packaged cookie dough, some wax paper for your child's work surface, an oven preset to your recipes specifications, and a cookie sheet.

2. IMPORTANT! I really shouldn't have to say this but- Wash your child's hands. Especially because you KNOW where her hands have been.

3. Working off of the wax paper, have your child make the letter C with the dough.

4. Arrange your C cookies on the baking sheet and pop them in the oven. Don't make the cookies too thick, as a thicker dough C becomes a blob at high temperatures. Set the timer and wait. Remove from oven.

5. Let cool and if desired decorate them,- sprinkles or icing.

6. Enjoy your letter C cookie!

"C" Is For Cookie as sung by Cookie Monster

C is for cookie, that's good enough for me C is for cookie, that's good enough for me

C is for cookie, that's good enough for me

Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C

C is for cookie, that's good enough for me

Oh, cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C

C is for cookie, that's good enough for me, yeah!

C is for cookie, that's good enough for me

Oh, cookie, cookie,

Cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C, oh boy! Cookie, cookie, cookie starts with C!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T15:45:00.001-06:00

Eli really likes Santa.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care.....

Santa earned his cookies this Christmas.

Bzzzzzzzing B

2008-12-19T15:45:00.000-06:00

1. Gather your materials. You will need to either draw the letter B or print it out from the computer (like me). Okay, you will need some copier paper, construction paper, yellow paint, paint brush, paper plate, one googley eye, scissors, piper cleaner, and glue stick. And of course, one eager student. However, not mine, I'd like to keep her.

2. Have child paint aforementioned Letter B on white paper. Painting outside the lines is encouraged. I squirted the paint onto a paper plate (Halloween leftover from 2005) to have one less thing to clean up.

3. While Ava was painting the Letter B, I drew wings and rectangles on black construction paper and cut them out. I (really, I did) let Ava pick a color of construction paper to use as our background.

Note: You will have to wait for the paint on the B to dry. So, this may turn into a two part process.

4. Ava glued the letter B to the construction paper. She put glue on the tips of the wings, and I helped her slip the wings under the letter. Next, she started gluing the rectangles on the B for the stripes on our buzzing B. We gave the Bee a googley eye- hey, it needs to see where its buzzing. Finally, I took a brown piper cleaner, folded it in half and bent down the ends. Then, I slipped the antenna under the B with a little glue.

Ta da! Good job, Ava!

Baby Bumblebee

I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee, Won't my mommy be so proud of me,
(Cup hands together as if holding bee)
I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee, Ouch! It stung me! (Shake hands as if just stung)
I'm squishing up the baby bumblebee, Won't my mommy be so proud of me, (Squish bee between palms of hands)
I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee, Ooh! It's yucky! (Open up hands to look at mess)
I'm wiping off the baby bumblebee, Won't my mommy be so proud of me, (Wipe hands off on shirt)
I'm wiping off the baby bumblebee, Now my mommy won't be mad at me! (Hold hands up to show they are clean)

Good times! I'm finally using my Masters degree!

Bugs are cool......

2008-12-10T15:33:00.000-06:00

Mommy's little man

2008-12-10T15:11:00.000-06:00

Eli is now officially a toddler. Two years. Two years I can hardly believe how fast time has gone. Blessed and grateful. My heart overflows with love for this little boy. My boy with the (almost) constant smile and a laugh. Now if he would only hold still for a picture......

A is for Apple

2008-12-04T14:36:00.000-06:00

Letter of the Week......

So, in my efforts to educate my daughter, who, according to the other three year olds at the playground, should be familiar with the alphabet, we have started a letter of the week activity. Though, actually, I am not sure why I am calling it the "Letter of the Week", because, I am most definitely not disciplined enough to actually do one letter per week. Hmmmmmm, maybe letter of the month, quarter, .....

So, we started with the Letter A (of course). Ava actually does know this one. I am assuming it is because 1. Her name begins with an "A", and 2. It is the first letter of the alphabet, so we usually do get this far in our alphabet exercises. Good mommy.

There are lots of options for the Letter A . I went with the most popular (i.e. unimaginative) choice of an apple. I also chose apple because when you add a plop of peanut butter, it is one of Ava's favorite snacks.

1. Gather you materials. I cheated on the actual letter and designed one from the computer and printed it out. I followed suit with a picture of an apple that I copied over and over for a fun coloring page. See, imaginative, huh? You will need some construction paper, scissors, crayons or markers (or some other fun, washable writing utensil) and a glue stick. An actual apple for a snack is optional.

2. I gave Ava the print out of the letter A and let her go crazy coloring that with crayons. Once she was done (i.e. bored) with that, I (she is not yet an expert cutter) cut out the letter A from the print out.

3. While I was cutting out the letter, I gave her the coloring page of apples to once again, go crazy coloring. A word of advice, this is your child's activity- apples can be any color. Even if you do prefer red. I also let her choose a color (I simply suggested green, again do as I say, not as I do, let your child decide) of construction paper and had her draw on this, too.

4. After Ava was finished coloring, I cut the apples out. Again, Ava is a young toddler, if your child can be trusted with scissors (safety scissors are an oxymoron), simply provide guidance. I then gave Ava a glue stick and she glued the letter A that I cut out onto the construction paper. Then, I gave Ava the apples which she glued to the Letter A.

Ta da! Good job, Ava!

Late Halloween post

2008-11-12T16:52:00.000-06:00

HALLOWEEN NIGHT- arrrrgh!

Mommy-made Halloween buckets for their booty!

The best time of year

2008-10-27T19:57:00.010-05:00

This is my absolute favorite time of year!

We have been busy enjoying the changing weather (i.e. the temperature is below 80 degrees), LSU tailgating, and gearing up for Halloween.

I am into matching my babies right now. Matching LSU outfits, matching pajamas, and matching Halloween costumes!

Ava and Eli got in one final swim of the year (we think) last week. Obviously, bathing suits are optional.

Last week, we went to a friend's Halloween party, went to Halloween celebrations at the BR and NO zoos, and went tailgating.

Taking a break at home, we made cocoa crispie Halloween houses (not recommended for eating) and decorated a princess pumpkin. Likin' our Saints gear?

More Halloween pictures to follow!

You make me happy

2008-07-08T14:28:00.003-05:00

"You make me happy." Those four words hold the key to my heart. Who would have thought those words spoken to a mother by her two year old daughter would bring her to tears. Those four words erase any frustration, worry, or anxiety about my role as her mother. I marvel at how blessed I am to have such a wise, sweet, Sponge Bob-loving baby girl. If she only knew who makes who happy. I am trying to live by her simple, true example each day.

We knew our lives were forever changed.......

2008-04-09T13:23:00.002-05:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/08/health/views/08case.html?ex=1365393600&en=91989fd64174dc3d&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Easter pictures

2008-03-27T17:36:00.003-05:00

Okay, this first picture is not from Easter, but the day before at a friend's birthday party. I thought she looked so cute in her new dress.

This picture is of the kid's Easter loot. This must have been a lot for the Easter Bunny to carry.
Carrying all of that stuff made the Bunny very hungry- he ate almost all of his carrots and drank most of his milk. His pawprints really left a mess!

Here is Easter Sunday. It is very difficult to get a one year old and a two year old to look at you at the same time.

Goodbye mullet

2008-02-08T20:59:00.000-06:00

For some strange reason, both of my babies' hair has grown in as mullets. So today, we took both Ava and Eli in for their first haircuts. Ava is 29 months and Eli is 14 months, that should tell you something about who has more hair. We went to a place in town that only cuts children's hair. The chairs are cars, horses, motorcycles, and other riding toys. Cartoons are blaring from a TV at each station and throughout the "salon".

BEFORE:

Ava was the first vicitm. She picked a Barbie jeep for her "ride". Literally, I wish I was exaggerating, the stylist (and I use that term loosely) made 3 snips and said "all done". Wow, the haircut cost me just about a dollar per second. Onto the next victim.

Eli, as you can clearly see from the picture, thoroughly enjoyed his ride. Daddy had to hold his head (or try, at least). Now, his cut was a bit more complicated, so his cut took at least 2 minutes......I should have gone to beauty school.

AFTER:

Mardi Gras- New Roads Style

2008-02-05T21:13:00.000-06:00

Happy Mardi Gras! We decided to load up the car and take a trip to New Roads for Mardi Gras. The weather could not have been better (okay, honestly it could have been a few degrees cooler), and we were luckily enough to have a friend going who is from New Roads and was able to give us the low down on the parade. We had such a great time- everyone could not have been nicer, and the parade was very family-orientated (i.e. G-rated).

Ava mostly waited for candy to be thrown, then spent the better part of the afternoon scrounging around on the ground for it. She was eating something in just about every shot I took of her. I don't even want to think about the amount of dirt and germs that were shoveled into her mouth. Oh, and to top it all off, at the end of the parade, on the way back to our car, she stuck her hand in a barrel that was being used to sell waters (ya' know the kind where EVERYONE reaches their hands in to pull a drink out of) and pulled out a piece of ice to eat. Eeewwwwww. What can you do about that? Eli, of course, was a pretty good boy. He didn't get too excited about the parade either, but did enjoy chewing on the beads. Again with the germs.

A REAL love story

2008-01-31T20:22:00.000-06:00

The characters in this story are real. Real people, really very in love, really in love with each other, their daughter,and especially their God. I never cease to be amazed and in admiration of people who have their faith tested and handle it in such an amazing way. God bless.

http://cfhusband.blogspot.com/2008/01/confessionsofacfhusbandcom.html

One warm winter day.......

2008-01-24T13:08:00.000-06:00

very few places can you (or should I say would want to) eat popsicles and play in the grass barefoot in the dead of winter......

No news is good news

2008-01-19T20:29:00.000-06:00

Wow. It just hit me that our lives are BORING. How great is that? No one is sick or in the hospital. Our life seems to be one HUGE routine- and I love it.
Ava is getting so big, and oh, so smart. Already, so much smarter than me. She pee peed on the potty four times today- really, the first day we ever tried. I hate to brag, but I believe she might be a genius. She is growing up way too fast. Sigh, I already see her filling out college applications. Will we still be best friends?
Eli......wow, such an amazing boy and spirit. I swear, he never stops smiling (okay, he did stop tonight when he cracked his head on the windowsill, but only for a minute). I think he has laughed more in the past seven months that he has been home from the NICU than I have laughed in the past decade. He really has so much to teach about life. We only have to be open to the lessons. Plus, look at all that hair! Would it be wrong to put him in a bow?

How great is life and how lucky am I to have (I am sure) the best kids and husband?

See, no news here.

Goodbye 2007 (finally).....Hello 2008

2008-01-01T20:54:00.000-06:00

To say the least, 2007 was a bittersweet year. Eli spent the first four months in the NICU, but then again, he did come home. 2007 was a year that I wasn't sure I could survive but here we are. Eli started the year at just over 2 lbs but now weighs in over 21+. Ava stopped wanting to kiss me on the lips but just tonight said "I love you, mommy". Ava started going to school 2 days a week, and I miss her so much when she is gone. But I am able to clean my house. We had to practically force Eli to eat 2 ounces at a feeding. Now, he has been known to eat as much as 16. Eli started out on a special formula for preemies. This morning, Eli had waffles and banana for breakfast. I started out the year trying to recover from 2 months of bedrest and major surgery. Now, I am close to being in the best shape I have ever been. Vic started off 2007, trying to deal with the worst stress of his life, couldn't concentrate for four months, and still finished his year as one of the best sales people in the country (and for sure, the VERY best father and husband). 2007 was hard, full of difficult lessons but even bigger triumphs.

That said, I am still elated to be saying goodbye to 2007. The outlook for 2008 couldn't be brighter.

Winter in Louisiana

2007-12-23T15:17:00.001-06:00

Today was really the first day that I would classify as "winter" weather this year, and it was BEAUTIFUL! The high was in the mid-50's and sunny. Another Sunday alone, as daddy went to the Saint's game (Who Dat?!!), again. So, Ava, Eli, and I loaded up the car and headed to the zoo. It was one of our best excursions yet! We pulled into the parking lot at the zoo a little before noon and there was only one other car. As I was unloading the kids, the people in the other car left. We had our very own zoo! Where else could you live in the US and have that happen? The last few visits, the zoo left a lot to be desired, as there were hardly any animals out, even made you wonder if they existed. Not today! The animals love this weather, too. Two giraffes even were close enough that their heads were over the fence and you could (if you so desired, which I did not) touch them. Ava gave it serious thought but was then distracted by a leaf.

We broke a zoo rule when no one was around, and I let Ava feed a donkey (wait, do most zoos have donkeys?) some hay that had fallen outside of his pen. She walked right up and stuck it in the donkey's mouth, who had his face presses up against the fence. He ate it up, and Ava declared "delicious". Then, she said (to the donkey), "hey, where baby Jesus?". Maybe we have been playing with her nativity sets from her Grammy G too much. Ava is so brave. Our next stop was the petting zoo (is that correct term for a cage you can enter with some goats, sheep, and pig?). Ava grabbed a brush from a bucket went right up to a goat and started brushing him and declared-"ahhhh, so cute". It was such a sweet moment. Unfortunately, another goat started bucking and bleeping us. Then, if that wasn't bad enough, it came charging at us. Ava ran to me with her arms up (through a pile of poo, who's I don't know), I picked her up, and ran out the gate. Scary animal encounter.

We may have overdressed a bit for the occasion. As you can see, we shed layers during our trip. Afterwards, I went though the McDonalds's drive-thru. Ava will eat the apple slices and likes the toy. I ordered her the Happy Meal and when the cashier asked whether it was a toy for a girl or boy- I said boy. She has played with the toy robot that they gave her for about 15 minutes. The girl toy from last time, a doll named Angel Cake (her scent is stinky, not cakey), has been in her toy kitchen sink for weeks. Eli was trying to eat her the other day, but Ava really has shown no interest. Eli was wiped out from the trip. No Happy Meals for him yet.

Happy Birthday

2007-12-10T11:58:00.000-06:00

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in my heart)
I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear.....)
- e.e. cummings

Dear Eli, my love, my birthday boy-
It has been exactly one year since this photo was taken- 365 days (148 spent without you home), nearly 20 pounds (you have come so far from 2 lb 14 oz), countless tears and worries, and endless joy and blessings for having you in our lives. I am so proud to call you mine. Anyone looking at you who does not know the story of your beginning would ever guess how far you have come. That is your biggest triumph. You still breathe a little louder than other babies and may be a bit smaller (however, not much fat boy), but I am sure that you smile more and laugh louder than the rest because I think you know. You know just how wonderful life is. You must- you fought so hard to live yours- and I am more grateful than I could possibly express that you have chosen us to be your parents, to be Ava's brother.

I am sorry and regret that you had to come out fighting. That my body couldn't hold you in longer like it should have. You have always been in a hurry to make your entrance in the world. You were a pleasant surprise (a surprise nonetheless) when we received the news that we were having you when Ava was only 10 months old and a surprise in the doctors office at 19 weeks when we were told that you may be arriving too soon. For eight weeks you worked your way into the world, always in a hurry. Finally, when you could no longer wait to meet us you arrived. You arrived to be quickly whisked away. With you went my heart and behind was left a grief that only someone with the world to lose could understand.

I regret that I only held you twice your first three months. Always afraid that by holding you I would hurt you. So many wires and tubes that it took three people, multiple feet of tape, and the coordination of performing a life-saving procedure, to get you in my arms. You spent so many days on the ventilator- coming off only to grow tired after fighting and fighting to breathe on your own and having to have that dreaded tube put back in place. Your daddy and I knew how important it was for you, us, our family, for you to make it off the vent that we were terrified of moving your tube even a milimeter and causing you yet another setback. I regret not knowing if this made a difference, or we just denied ourselves one of our greatest pleasures- holding you in our arms.

I regret that you were not able to sepnd your first Christmas, New Year's, Valentines Day, Mardi Gras, St. Patrick's Day, or Easter at home. I regret that you had to spend so many days in a plastic box only to graduate to a bigger bed, then crib that was not your own. No matter how many blankets, stuffed animals, or mobiles we brought in, that bed/crib- your entire world, was not your own.

I regret the IVs in your arms, legs, feet, and especially in your scalp. I regret the sticks into your fingers, toes, and heels (as many as eight in one day). I regret the scars left as reminders all over your little body. I regret the tube that was keeping you alive hurt you so much. I regret the numerous medicines, procedures, tests, CAT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds and surgeries that you had to undergo.

Despite all of these regrets on my part, you still allow me to be your mom. Despite all of the things you have undergone, despite that I was unable to protect you and keep you safe, you are still my son.

Has the passage of time eased any of the hearthache I felt for you? I don't think so. I will always tear up at the thought of what you have endured to be here. However, with each day, each pound, each inch, each milestone that you achieve, your days spent in the NICU become more distant in my thoughts. You came into the world fighting, fought bravely for 148 days to come home, and continue to fight. One only needs to look at you, see your smile, or hear your laugh to see that not only are you making it- you are thriving. You are remarkable. You are my son.

What a difference a year makes. You are home now, and our family is complete.

Happy birthday, Eli, my heart.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
- JEREMIAH 29:11

The most original costumes in BR

2007-11-01T19:42:00.001-05:00

Okay, tigers are not very original for BR, but what their costumes lack in originality, my babies more than make up for in cuteness. Trick or Treating was so much fun this year. Partly because I wasn't on bedrest but also because Ava really got it. She loved it- candy is an incredible motivator for a two year old. Vic (in mullet) and I traded off staying at the house with Eli giving out candy and taking Ava around. In case you can't tell, they are both dressed as tigers. I was told (repeatedly) that Ava looked like a kitty- but I promise, she was really a tiger.

Who knew that Halloween was such a long ordeal- I feel like we have been going to Halloween events and parties for weeks. Here are some photos of the various festivities- BR Boo at the Zoo, NO Boo at the Zoo, campus trick or treating, and student athletes trick or treating. S0 much candy!

The very best news of all is that Eli is sitting up on his own and CRAWLING! He has had a very busy two weeks with milestones. We can't believe he is crawling- mainly with just one leg, but crawling nonetheless!

Finally, I will end this post on a somewhat sad note (for Vic, anyway). It appears that Ava is not an LSU fan afterall.

A shot, another shot, some antibiotics, and a bronch

2007-10-25T10:37:00.000-05:00

Well, cold and RSV season are officially here. Along with that comes a slew of things to worry about and precautions to take. Eli has started taking RSV shots. He gets one shot in each leg, once a month. He just received his second injections yesterday, which he will continue through April. The RSV shots are horrible. The dosage is huge (much larger than other vaccinations or the flu shot) and thick- a thick medicine requires a longer, thicker needle. And the fact that because of Eli's weight (who would have ever thought Eli's weight would be a negative) he has to have an injection in each leg, makes it all the worse. I have never, through all of the blood taking, through all of the therapy, through all the IVs, through all of the surgeries and procedures, heard Eli REALLY cry until he had these injections. It breaks my heart for my baby boy. The things these babies go through is mind-boggling. I wouldn't wish these things on a grown man, let alone my sweet baby. His sweet smile disappeared for quite a while.

Last Wednesday, Eli had his latest bronchoscopy. Daddy and Eli had to be at the hospital for 6:30am, and the procedure was at 8:30am. Eli was put under general anesthesia, so he slept through the procedure. Vic said he did great. The results were pretty good- no additional surgery is recommended at this time. His airway looks good. His vocal chord had not improved a whole lot- still banded down with scar tissue. The pulmonologist believes that as Eli starts to talk more, the scar tissue should loosen, hopefully, freeing the vocal chord. The vocal chord is what causes Eli's noisy breathing- air passing through runs into the vocal chord, as it cannot move out of the way because of being held down by the scar tissue. The dr feels that laser surgery at this time is too risky (significant risk of further damaging the vocal chord- permanently), as Eli seems to adjusted have his breathing to work around the vocal chord issue. So, good news, but now we just have to give him more time. A bacterial infection was discovered in his lower airway during the procedure, so he is now on antibiotics (again) but not showing any outward symptoms, which is very good.

Then, this morning, he had his final flu shot (you have to have two your first year). He did the lip when the nurse gave him the injection, but amazingly enough, never removed the bottle from his mouth and kept sucking. Nothing comes between Eli and food. Which is what he wants now......more updates later.

Eli's First Playdate

2007-10-03T15:25:00.000-05:00

Today was the first time I have ever taken Eli to a playdate (yes, I do realize that it is the beginning of cold season). He smiled more today than just about ever. He amazes me with his happiness.......things like this make me so sentimental about all he has been through. Things as silly as his first playdate, brings me to tears. The first time we took Eli to tailgate and other people (besides family) held him, I had to hold back tears. It is so silly, but I am still amazed after everything he has been through, when he gets to just be Eli, not Eli the preemie.

Here are a couple of bonus pictures- Ava enjoying a little snack, and Eli after a jog with daddy.

Vacation (finally) and tidbits

2007-09-28T08:29:00.000-05:00

So, we enjoyed our first big family vacation a few weeks back. Seven wonderful days in San Destin. We went with some great friends and were even fortunate enough to have my mother come down for a few days to help out. We actually even went to dinner and out- TWICE! For the most part, the weather was great and there was hardly anyone else around, as the peak season is over. Ava was a fish, constantly in and out of the water. Also, she wanted to play/talk to anyone around other than us. This was a cause of irritation to a few grumpy vacationers. We pretty much let her do her own thing, to the dismay of others, but hey- we've had a rough year, and we will never see those people again. Wow, I used to hate people like me. Eli loved the water. Once again, he was such a good boy, hardly heard a complaint out of him. He had the best time floating around the pool in his tube. All in all, a very successful and enjoyable vacation.

As we began our trip home, we were quickly reminded that the vacation was over. My sweet, easy going, little boy screamed the entire way home. And I do mean the entire time. So, the trip home, not so good. Soon enough we were back to laundry, school, and a slew of doctor and therapy appointments. Did we go on a vacation?

Eli had his nine month (6 month adjusted) doctor appointment. HE IS ON THE CHARTS! My big boy is finally in the charts for his actual (that's right, actual, not adjusted) age. Eli is in the 5% for weight and 10% for height. I knew he would get there but am happy it is so soon! Also, Eli started his Synagis shots for RSV yesterday. He will receive a shot in each leg each month from now through May. It is horrible, he screams and I cringe. The only way I can tolerate it is knowing that this may keep him from any trips to the hospital as we hit cold and flu season. Luckily, he doesn't cry long, but it's still awful. My poor baby.

In other news, Ava has moved to a big girl bed. It was much easier than I anticipated, though you do have to stay in the bed with her until she falls asleep. for naps and at night. The best part is that Eli is now in his own room and bed. He has been sleeping though the night and seems to really like having a real bed.

GEAUX TIGERS!

Unclue Benny came to visit. Ava wore her Playboy shirt he and Aunt Camille got her.

Both have colds now.........I am off to suction a nose.

Mommy Instinct and hope

2007-09-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

I was watching Oprah the other day, and she had Jenny McCarthy on as a guest discussing her new book documenting her life with her son, who has been diagnosed with Autism. During the show, McCarthy kept referring to her "mommy instinct" when discussing her life with her son. Her "mommy instinct" kicked in when her son was diagnosed with Autism (her instinct told her the diagnosis was correct), and as she learned to define a new "normal" with her son (her "mommy instinct" told her that things would be okay). I think every mother has that "mommy instinct", whether you have actually ever experienced it or not.
I think I first became aware of my "mommy instinct" when I was pregnant in the hospital with Eli and went into full labor after receiving steroid shots at 24 weeks gestation. The doctors and nurses thought a delivery was inevitable. Truthfully, that thought never crossed my mind. I spent three days in Labor & Delivery, but knew I would be leaving there pregnant (maybe the drugs clouded my thoughts a bit). Again, at 24 weeks, when I was advised to remove my cerclage because of the high risk of infection due to my membranes rupturing, which would have led to an immediate delivery, my "mommy instinct" told me to wait. I understood that there was a risk of infection leading to the death of Eli, and possibly myself, but mommy instinct told me to wait. "Mommy instinct" was still there at 27 weeks when Eli made his arrival. Not once did I ever think that I wouldn't be bringing my boy home. Though Eli had a much more difficult NICU stay than anyone could have anticipated, I knew he would be coming home. That doesn't mean that those 148 days that Eli spent in the NICU I didn't worry. I worried every minute of every day, crying more than I ever thought possible. As difficult as it was to leave him there every day, I knew he would eventually be coming home to us.
The worrying did not end with his homecoming, just a new set of worries replaced the old. As each day passes though, my "mommy instinct" tells me that things will be okay. We are slowly progressing toward Eli being "normal" but definitely getting there. Every time I look at him and he gives me that beautiful smile, my "mommy instinct" tells me that things will be just fine.
Which leads me to what I hope for. When you have a child that faces more than your average challenges, I think you spend some amount of time starting thoughts and sentences with "I hope". Some of my "I hope" list for Eli includes, in no particular order: 1. I hope that Eli's breathing quiets down, so that I don't have to hear comments like "oh, poor baby", 2. I hope Eli's breathing quiets down before he understands comments like "oh, poor baby", 3. I hope we make it though Eli's first winter home without any major illnesses or hospital stays (my "mommy instinct" says that all will be fine), 4. I hope I love, hold, and kiss Eli enough to make up for the four and a half months he spent in the NICU and not being held, 5. I hope Eli doesn't remember his time in the NICU, 6. I hope the scars covering Eli's body fade enough with time that they are not a source of future questions, 7. I hope that Vic and I some day forget the NICU, 8. I hope that some day soon that sentences spoken with Eli's therapists and doctors don't include "compared to a normal baby", and 9. More than anything else, I hope that soon, we and everyone look at Eli for the sweet, silly, beautiful baby that he is and forget that he was born three months premature.

Birthday Fiesta

2007-08-26T17:36:00.000-05:00

Ava's birthday party was this weekend.

The theme was a Dora the Explorer fiesta.

We had Mexican appetizers and burritos (hotdogs for most of the kids). Vic and I bought Ava a giant inflatable for her birthday, so the kids were able to entertain themselves in that despite the fact that it was nearly 100 degrees outside. Every so often, the sun went behind the clouds and there was a reprieve from the sweltering heat that actually allowed you to be outside. Vic held the pinata on a stick while the kids whacked at it- he is very brave considering the kids' heights.

Ava had a great time. At the after-party, we stripped her down and let her and a buddy swim and bounce. Daddy made a HUGE mistake and allowed Ava to play during this time in her actual birthday suit. She proceeded to poop in the pool and yard. Probably spending too much time with the dog.

Eli, of course, was an angel. He never really fusses, just a sweet boy. In addition to teething though, he was wondering who all these people were in his house.

The Sponge

2007-08-08T09:29:00.000-05:00

Ava is the Sponge. Lately, her vocabulary has increased significantly. Unfortunately, there are a few words that should never be spoken by anyone so young (okay, probably not anyone). For example, we stopped by a restaurant last night to pick up dinner. I went to a door marked "to go orders". I pulled on the door, but it was locked to which Ava commented "sh#t" to voice her disappointment. This morning, she was eating yogurt and dropped her spoon, getting yogurt on her chair. Again, there was another "sh#t". Luckily, so far, she has only done it around me, at least that I am aware of. I am dreading the impending moment that she mutters the word in public. Hopefully, Vic will not be around, and I can say something like- "I told her dad he needs to watch what he says around her". The lesson here being that you must always choose your words carefully, you never know who is listening (and filing away to repeat later). However, if sh#t, is the worst of what she repeats, I will consider us lucky and remember that the Sponge is always listening.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

2007-07-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

Well, the Goodins continued their streak of bad luck all the way to Pensacola. First, a four hour car ride took us 6 hours. Then, it continued to rain for the next three days, only to stop on the fourth and our final day in Pensacola. So, we had about two hours of sunshine the entire trip. And, Ava got eaten alive by bugs not to mention scrapes and bruises covering just about every inch of her.
The good news is that I love my family even more after being trapped in our car and then our condo for hours. We are fun. We laughed, played, watched TV (e.g. Dora, Cars, Cinderella, and Mickey Mouse), cooked, and drank (us, beer,Ava, juice). We are beginning to officially feel like a normal (but, fun) family. Eli is off oxygen and almost all of his meds, so things are good. We still look at him and can't believe he is the same baby that weighed in at 2lb 14 oz and spent three and a half months on the ventilator. Now, we see a 14 pound baby that laughs and is developing a real personality. Also, other good news is that no one got sunburned.

Ava was such a blast this trip. She wore her floaties at all times and got in and out of the pool completely on her own. Her being able to get in and out of the pool, however, was tiresome. She runs really fast. She ran around and around the pool, really fast. She chased people that weren't even running from her, yelling-"I get you" and cracking herself up. She even liked the beach- loved getting knocked down by waves with her daddy. Eli was not so crazy about the pool, which is understandable why a 4 month old would not be comfortable in a big cold bath tub with other people when he is just getting used to his blue baby tub. However, not once did he cry- just kept a look of fear on his face. Such a good boy.

Well, we're home now. The vacation is over. Ava and a pen were a quick return to reality. And she is back to her favorite pastime- TV, though not quite ready to leave the beach behind.

Sh#% Fingers

2007-07-02T19:40:00.000-05:00

This is not an adjective and a noun (not in this particular case, anyway) but a verb, an action. An action performed by Miss Ava Claire. Lately, Ava can't seem to keep it in her pants- poop that is. Her new favorite pastime is to poo, stick her fingers in her diaper, then run at you yelling "oh, no!!". As a result of this act being performed numerous times over the past few weeks, Ava has learned lots of new words (most she probably shouldn't)- like, nasty, stinky, and shewwwww (okay, this isn't a word, but we're not playing scrabble here). Sorry I don't have a picture to post for you of this. I know you are disappointed but not as disappointed as I will be when I am recounting this story to Ava's future boyfriends.

Ava, be sweet please

2007-06-25T08:55:00.000-05:00

These are the words muttered over and over in our house these days. Ava REALLY loves Eli, but she also likes to test the boundaries with him. She likes to hug him (not so gently), kiss him (again, not so gently), feed him her snacks- he likes goldfish, all,very sweet things. However, she also likes to cover his nose and mouth with her hands (not good for a baby who already has airway issues), drag him by his legs/arms/head, and ride him like he is a horse, among other things that are not so sweet. So, we find ourselves saying over and over"Ava, be sweet please". And Ava is, a very sweet girl. Probably, the sweetest girl ever.

We spent most of the weekend in our backyard pool. Actually, we have two pools. Daddy likes to mix it up and throw in the slide sometimes, too. Ava loves her pools. She has no fear, sliding down at warp speeds and smashing into whatever happens to be in her way. She has the battle wounds today from a weekend spent in the water. Luckily (or maybe not for me), Ava is off school this week, so I can avoid explaining all of the scrapes/bruises/marks covering her. So, Ava, Mommy, Daddy, and dog spent the weekend in the pools. Eli enjoyed watching from afar in his swing- out of danger's (Ava's) way.

We have officially lost control.......

2007-06-20T12:38:00.000-05:00

.....or maybe I have just given up. I am such a pushover these days for Ava- all she has to do is say "pease, mommy", and I melt. Which leads me to this morning.........Ava wanted "chocate" in her morning "baba" (sippy cup). And if you are wondering already, yes, I am going to make you a little nauseous by spelling out grammatically each word of Ava's that I can make out (and those that I guess/interpret on my own). So, Ava had chocolate milk this morning. Does this make me a bad parent? Gosh,I hope not because I have given into so much WORSE than chocolate milk. Now Ava is content, watching Blues Clues and Dora on her 42" flat screen TV and sipping (really chugging) her chocolate milk. She really has it good.

Then, there is my sweet boy. He slept eight hours straight last night, then woke for his breakfast and right back to sleep in his swing. He is such a sweet, sweet boy. He has now been home from the hospital for two months. Still, not as long as he lived at the hospital but we're getting there. He has made such progress in the past two months. It is like he is a different baby. Though, he is still on all of the same meds and oxygen at night, he is eating like a champ. He is now 3 months adjusted (six months old, but adjusted for his prematurity) but eating like a six month old. He definitely has his sister's appetite. And yes, we have spotted some fat rolls! He is approaching 12 pounds, a long way from his 2lb 14oz at birth.

So, this is our first official blog post. Maybe boring to some but never a dull moment for us. As every parent knows, anything that your child does is the cutest, smartest, and most interesting thing there is. Prepare to be amazed.