Christmas Day, 2008

Christmas Day pictures!

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The boys having fun!

Though separated by more than 7 years in age, the boys can have a great time together! Check out this video.

And so is Sammy!

Ho Ho Ho

My boys are ready to go!!

What is this world coming to??

Today, Joshua brought home a letter from school. It basically explained that a 4th grade student had been approached by two men in a car while he was waiting for his bus. The men asked him to get into the car and he refused. Just about that time, the bus arrived and the police were called. How scary to know that anything can happen to your child while waiting for the bus. When Joshua got home from school we had a reminder conversation regarding never getting in someone's car, only leaving school with mom or dad (unless he's been told otherwise), etc. He says he understands, but he's such a soft hearted kiddo that I fear for what could happen.

Happy Thanksgiving

I am a little sad tonight as I did not have the opportunity to spend today with my extended family. Gary and I decided that because we will be driving to Fort Wayne in a couple of weeks for an early Christmas, we would not drive home today. If it were my choice, we would have gone anyway. But oh well. So we spend the day home. Actually I took Joshua to see Madagascar 2 while Zachary napped and Gary watched football. I came home and we ate a pretty good (while not as good as my mom's) turkey breast.

I am so thankful for my husband and my boys. Joshua and Zachary make me laugh on a daily basis and I wonder how I ever got so blessed. I have a supportive family who can't wait to share their clothes with a skinnier me. I have friends who love me thin or fat. I have a job that I feel very rewarded in. I live in a country where I am free to write whatever I want on a blog.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone and thanks for reading.

Had a meltdown on the dentist office yesterday

So I took Joshua to the dentist on Monday for his 6 month check up. I have never been super thrilled with this dentist. It is a pediatric dentist. They have a room with 4 chairs for the kids and a bench off to the side of the room where the parents sit. It's like pulling teeth (no punn intended) to get to even talk to the dentist at the end of the appointment. He frequently checks the child's teeth and then moves on to the next person. Monday was no different.

Joshua's teeth are coming in all crazy because his jaw is so small. This creates a challenge with brushing, not to mention that he's 8 and doesn't have time to brush well! This dentist office grades the child on brushing (A-F). I personally think this is demeaning to the child and that there are better ways to go about it. So Joshua has his cleaning and I am making a point to watch what the hygeniest does/says. I quickly notice that she isn't talking to him at all. In fact she is talking to all the other dental staff in the room about mammograms, aerobics, shopping, etc. There is another lady sitting there making notes in the chart based on what the lady who is cleaning says. At one point I hear her say, "He only gets a C for brushing" as she shoots me a glare. This got my anger started. After she was done, the dentist came over and looked in his mouth, gets up and walks away. The hygeniest shows us to the reception/lobby area where she proceeds to say, "He needs to do a better job brushing, Joshua you got a C today." Joshua's eyes well up with tears. I shoot her a glare and say, "Well, why don't you just announce it to everyone?" She then proceeds to tell me that he is ready for retainers and hands me a paper with information. Does this not warrant a discussion with the dentist?

Needless to say, I replied, "Well, we'll see. I don't believe we will be back." I left angry and with tears coming down my face. How dare anyone disrespect my child and not give him the privacy any patient deserves. And why in the heck do you think I would come back and let you put my son in retainers when you don't feel we are important enough to discuss it with.

Needless to say, we now have a new dentist and appointments set up. I was so excited to call the other dentist and tell them I would be back to get the boys' records. Call it a mama bear protecting her cub.

Report card day

Friday, Joshua came home from school with his report card in hand. Growing up, though I usually got pretty good grades, I still dreaded taking home the report card. There was always this fear that I would have messed something up big time and one of my grades would be really bad. I've never had to worry about Joshua, but must admit 3rd grade is really hard. Not to mention, the Danville School System grading scale is pretty difficult. When I was young, we went on a 90, 80, 70, etc grading scale. At Danville, you have to have at least a 95 percent to get an A-. I would have flunked out of school on that scale!

So anyway, Joshua brought home his report card with all A's!!! I couldn't be more proud of him. He seems to absorb most everything he reads. He's often asking us to quiz him on hard math questions. They also recently began cursive writing. Let me tell you, Joshua's cursive writing is so much better than his printing. Not sure why, but he loves it. So, just want to say again how much I love my boys and how proud I am of the little men they are becoming!

A few pics of the boys!!

We got our first snow today. Zachary wasn't sure what to think:




Also, I always tell people how Zachary likes to torture his big brother, well here is the proof!




Actually, they do really love each other alot!

Joshua, the usher!!

Joshua came home from school today beaming. He was so excited about something and was bursting to tell me. He was chosen (1 of 5 third graders) in the school to be a North Elementary Usher this year. Basically it means that he will be responsible for showing people around the school when there are visitors (grandparents, etc) who come to the school. It's a pretty special thing as the students must be nominated and also have no discipline issues for the entire first trimester. Joshua has had a lot of trouble with talking in class for the past few years so this has been a huge feat for him! I am so proud!

Halloween Hijinks!

You've waited to patiently, maybe its because you truly don't care, but I'm finally getting Halloween pictures posted. Our evening started with a temper tantrum from Zachary who evidentally didn't want to be Pooh, he wanted to be the pirate his big brother was. Actually, he wanted the hat and the sword. He was not impressed with the hat part of the pooh costume. Once we got him outside where he could walk around freely, he perked up.

While trick or treating, we met the biggest dog we have ever seen. This was a 175 pound (bull dog, I think) who Zachary just loved! Just goes to prove that the boy has no fear! He even gave the enormous dog a hug before we left their house.

We carved (mom did anyway) pumpkins too. They turned out pretty good, but neither one of the boys was interested in helping too much! They both hated the feelng of the pumpkin guts.

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An exciting book?

So I bought Joshua the first Harry Potter book from Scholastic through school in an effort to stimulate him and make him read more difficult books. Today he was being punished so it was a no tv night. After bath he sat on the couch to read his Harry Potter book. 1/2 hour later, I went to put him and his brother to bed and found Joshua sound asleep with his face into the book. Is that a sign of an exciting book or just an exhausted boy?

The Hess Family Colts Fans!

Can you tell who we are rooting for tonight?



Then Daddy got into the fun!



GO COLTS!!

A lesson learned, a very valuable lesson!

Last night, on the eve of our 10th wedding anniversary, Gary and I had the rare experience of dinner and a movie, without the kids. My sister agreed to watch the boys so we could go out. We went out last night, because, I work every Fri and Sat, no matter if it's my anniversary or not.

So we had a nice dinner at O'Charley's. Gotta love those rolls!



Then we headed off to see a movie. I had told Gary I really wanted to see Fireproof. I knew full well it was about a couple who's marriage was falling apart and how they worked to get things fixed within themselves and their marriage. Gary had heard it was about a firefighter who neglected his family. He didn't know what I knew, and I didn't let on.



Watching the movie play out was like watching my life on a big screen. I cried throughout the entire movie and wondered how I would fix things in my own life. The movie spoke alot about a book called the Love Dare. It is a 40 day devotional that helps a husband and wife work to make things right within themselves and within their marriage.



We left the movie, tears rolling out of both of us, and Gary's statement was, "Man that hit home." Um yes! It did. But it also made me realize that I love my husband and I want to work to make our next 10 years even better than the last 10! So, I'm going to the book store tonight to buy The Love Dare. I challenge all you married couples to see the movie and then read the book! I think it should be a prerequisite to getting married! I'll keep you posted on how it works for us!

A little 8 year old thoughts. . .

"Dear Diary, I had a good day at school today. I liked playing the slide game at recess. I think I need to kiss a girl before the end of the school year. If I do, I will fulfill my life long destiny of kissing a girl while I am young. Love, Josh"

I didn't go snooping for this info. Joshua told me he was going to start a journal in a notebook and write down how his day goes at school. It was laying open on the floor of the loft when I went up to pick up the other night. Couldn't help but read it. Oh, my sweet boy, you are only 8!

Pumpkin patch fun!

Who knew when we'd go to the pumpkin patch on October 12, we'd need sunscreen and shorts? Mommy didn't plan very well, so Zachary ended up with red cheeks and nose! Enjoy the video montage. It was a fun family day spent with my sister Kelly.

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Check these out!

I'm going to post a video montage of our pumpkin patch trip, but for now, here are a few pictures to make you laugh!

Zachary has discovered he wants a lap top too!



And, he does throw temper tantrums when he doesn't get what he wants. Here's the proof!


And, check out this boy's sense of style! He definately gets that from his dad!
This is his dress shirt, pj shorts, and his all time favorite Wal-Mart brand Crocs (on the wrong feet!)!

Life is getting to me. . .

Have you ever questioned everything you ever thought you wanted to do? Since I was 5 years old I knew I would be a pediatric nurse. I also always thought I'd be a bedside nurse forever. I'm finding myself questioning if this is truly what I want to do any longer. I know that I give my patients everything that I can, but I can't do it all. I think this is what they call BURN OUT. Something I never thought I'd experience is occuring 12 years into my career. The career that I was sure I'd do until the day I die. I love what I do, I do not love the politics that occur everyday.

Whew, I feel better that I said that. Now, lets see what I can do to change the way I feel. Stay posted.

Prayer requests

Hello to the hand few of you who read this blog. I am writing for a few prayer requests. The first is for Chantel Boggs. She is the daughter of an old high school friend who I recently got back in touch with. Chantel was diagnosed with a brain tumor last week and underwent brain surgery on Monday at Riley. She is doing well and they hope to move her out of the ICU today. The tumor looks to be benign, thank goodness! Please pray for her entire family.

The second is for little Grace. Grace's family and I have not formally met (YET). She has a heart defect and is undergoing a heart cath at St. Vincent this morning. I am excited to get to meet them tonight as I've been invited to come up and visit them while they are at the hospital. Please keep them all in your prayers too!

"Gas guy" update

So, I was asked, "Did you ever hear from the gas guy?" Um, unfortunately no, I didn't. I still in my gut feel like I did the right thing, though I do still feel like an idiot for falling for a "scam." My fear is that I won't be so eager to help someone again when they really need it.

A few pictures just for fun!

Back to regular life

Well, Joshua is heading back to school tomorrow. He's feeling all better. Thank goodness, now if we can go more than 2 weeks without getting sick again!

Zachary is doing well too. Still teething and he is chewing on his fingers so much! Feel bad for him.

Prayer request for my friend from high school, Becky. Her daughter was just diagnosed with a brain tumor and is at Riley about to undergo brain surgery on Monday. They are hopeful that it is benign, but we won't know for sure for a while. Becky's family keeps getting hit with major issues. Her father is fighting cancer, her husband was hospitalized at the time of Chantel's diagnois and was released to come to Indy with them. Please keep them all in your prayers. I went up to the hospital today and met Chantel for the first time. She is a spunky 12 year old who is very intelligent and very brave.

Still here. . .

Well, we are still hanging out. Joshua continues to spike fevers about every 12 hours. Tonight his temp was 102.3, daddy gave him Motrin and 2 1/2 hrs later it was still 102.3. So then we tried Tylenol. It's so wierd though because inbetween fevers, he seems to feel fine. Doesn't complain about anything, until his temp spikes. Hard to look at a child who is running around the house playing and looks like he should be at school who an hour later has a high fever. Please pray for a quick recovery as he has already missed too much school.

Zachary is feeling ok, taking his meds, and playing like crazy. He hardly ever spikes a temp, just gets fussy. Well deal with it and love on him even more.

Not much to report

We are finishing up selling our Cub Scout Popcorn (anyone need any, let me know) and I am working on cleaning up my house for my Discovery Toys Party on Thursday. Tonight I have a mandatory class at work from 8pm-12am. Joshua just came home from school not feeling well, we just had this viral junk a few weeks ago. He's missed more days this year so far than all of last year combined. Not a good start!

Zachary is STILL teething. He's miserable and I'm wishing I would have bought stock in Motrin. Gary starts his new position today and was well received when the promotion announcement was made yesterday.

That's about it. Lots of really sick kids at the hospital, so please keep them in your prayers!

Prayers answered!

Gary got the job! He's so excited and this will be such a boost to his ego. He has never felt appreciated in what he was doing. His boss told him today, "We told you it was a tough decision, but you were our front runner from the very beginning."

I am working for a manager right now who frequently shows her appreciation for hard work. It is the first time I have felt that way. I'm excited that Gary will also get to feel that satisfaction. Little more money doesn't hurt either!

And we wait. . .

Gary has worked in inventory control his entire adult life. Never has he had the opportunity for advancement in the place he worked. His current employer has been fabulous in that they pay him what he's worth and appreciate what he does. 2 weeks go he came home and told me he was going to throw his hat into the ring for a lead position in his department. 13 employees were initially interviewed, and Gary is in the top 4. He had his second interview today. Say a prayer for him. He really wants this. He needs to feel appreciated and begin advancing in a field that he has so much knowledge and experience.

Good samaritan OR sucker?

Well, I had an experience this evening coming to work that has me wondering if I did the right thing or was I taken as a sucker? I stopped at Speedway gas station to get gas. As soon as I was finished pumping my gas I was approached by a gentleman. He seemed very nice, friendly, outgoing. He was wearing jeans and a tshirt. He began to tell me this "story" (crazy story to be made up, I thought) about how he is a dairy farmer. He had driven to southern indiana to pick up a calf. This calf had been deprived of oxygen at birth (he was sporting a black eye and scrapes on the side of his eye from being kicked). When he travels for work, he only carries with him the gas card for the "co-op gas station." Unfortunately when he stopped for gas, the area he was in had no electricity. He was unable to buy gas. Decided he would drive as far as he could then figure out what to do.

This landed him at the West 10th Street Speedway gas station where he found me. He said, "I'm not drunk, I haven't been smoking anything, I just need a favor." Come to find out the more we talked, he lives in Warsaw (not far from where I grew up) and used to live on the same lake that my dad lived on for several years. When I described where my dad lived, he was able to describe the vehicle my dad drove. SMALL WORLD. He basically was asking for me to buy him gas. Problem was that he also need $10 to rent a gas can. He proceeds to tell me that he isn't broke, he has money, he just doesn't have it on him.

In my gut I'm thinking, "Melissa, are you crazy? Run in the opposite direction. Do you know how many psychos are out there?" In my heart I'm thinking, "He just needs help, what would you do if this was you?" I had just purchased my $50.02 worth of gas with a Speedway gas card that I had gotten as a "bonus" for working extra hours. The original value of the gas card was $100. I explained to him that I didn't have any cash nor did I carry any credit cards or debit cards with me (ok, so I lied, but I think God will forgive me, I was still a little nervous). I did offer him the remaining $49.98 left on my speedway gas card. At first he was apprehensive, thinking he still needed cash for the deposit for the gas can. Then he decided he could use the gas card as the deposit and to pay for the gas.

He thanked me profusely, took my cell number and my name, and said, "I knew anyone who looked as professional as you and obviously worked with kids wouldn't run away from me." (Gotta love the Buzz Lightyear scrub top!) So now, I wait. Will he truly contact me to repay me? If he does, my faith in mankind will be restored. If he doesn't, St. Vincent just paid someone $49.98 for gas or anything else you can buy at a gas station convience store. What do you all think? Was I a good samaritan or a sucker? My co-workers are all voting sucker.

Check out this picture!

I am so blessed!!

Another trip to the doctor

Joshua has been telling me for 3 days that his throat hurt. Kept looking at it and it looked fine. He didn't have a fever so off to school he went. After all, it was ISTEP week. Today he comes home from school and said, "Mom I feel really hot." Boy did he. Temp was 101. Called the doc and took him in. By the time we got to the office, temp was 102.9. Throat, ears, lungs all look fine. "Summer flu" was the official diagnosis. But because it is the weekend coming our wonderful doc gave us a prescription for an antibiotic if he isn't better in a few days.

Poor kid felt so bad he fell asleep on the table in the dr office (and we didn't wait that long). Well he's had motrin 2 hours ago and his temp has gone up to 103.1. Poor guy. Laying upstairs on the chair with a cool cloth watching cartoons. Pray for quick recovery because Sunday is his Boy Scout cookout to meet all the families.

Fun times!!

Took Zachary to the doctor for his 18 month appointment today. He weighs 29.4 pounds and is 32 inches tall. This puts him in the 75th percentile for both. It's funny because at his one year appt he weighed 28.8 pounds. Hasn't gained much weight in 6 months, but is growing like a weed! The dr couldn't find any cause for his fevers, so we will continue to chalk it up to the teeth.

The fun (I'm being sarcastic) news is that Zachary's right testicle has not descended. So now we will go see the urologist to see if surgery is needed. Dear Lord help me. I know things could be so much worse, but I'm sick of specialists!

Teething stinks!!

Zachary already has 12 teeth, you think we'd be past the "teething" days right? Well evidentally not. He has 3, yes 3, more teeth all breaking through at the same time. Hoping this is what is contributing to his low grade fevers and excessive crankiness. We see the dr tomorrow for his 18 month check up so we'll see!

There's Hope!

At a time when I was questioning my job/career due to the frequent loss of patients lately, I now hold a little hope. When I went to work on Friday night, I was honored to care for a little girl, just about to celebrate her first birthday, who was on ECMO. Things were not looking so good for her. I knew I would need my running shoes and once again felt that I would get close to a family just to watch them lose a child. I worked very hard all night and again on Saturday night. When I left work Sunday morning, I had some hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, this little angel would make it. Things were looking better. We were doing so much less for her than we were when I went to work on Friday night. She wasn't needing as much of our help to keep her body working.

On my way home from work Sunday morning, I felt myself praying and asking for strength. "Not again Lord, please don't make me and the PICU staff endure the loss of yet another innocent life." I called work on Sunday night to check in. I was shocked and excited to find out that she was off ECMO and doing well. What a difference a few hours make. I was at work tonight for a staff meeting and was so excited to see her family and be told that she continues to do well. Her mom had said that when she got off of ECMO, she was bringing the staff a cake. When I walked into the breakroom for the staff meeting, there on the table was a huge container of cupcakes, celebrating this little girl's strength.

Please continue to keep them in your prayers as they still have a way to go. But with the Lord's help, I'm now positive that she will make it.

Asking for prayers for peace

I have contemplated posting on here what is going on in my heart right now. I am choosing not to put into words on a public forum just what I am feeling. Just please know that I am asking for your thoughts and prayers on two topics that are weighing very heavy on my heart.

What service!

Bob Evans is one of our favorite places to eat for many reasons. The main reason is that the 4 of us can eat for under $15 most days. They have great kids meals choices and you can get breakfast or dinner at night. Recently we went to Bob Evans for dinner. When we arrived the parking lot was empty and there was a sign on the door that said they were temporarily closed. We were heartbroken as we were all hungry for some good breakfast. Not to mention, Zachary was starving and couldn't understand why he was being put back in a carseat rather than in a high chair with food in front of him. As we were preparing to leave, out came the manager. They were just reopening after having a car drive through the front of the building that morning. They had replaced the walls, painted, and you couldn't hardly tell that anything ever happened (except for the bushes that were taken out in the front of the building!)

When we finished our meal and I paid the bill, there was one of those internet surveys on the bottom of our receipt. I came home and filled it out that evening. Our food was great, but the service left alot to be desired (especially since we were the only ones there). I wasn't openly complaining, just answering their questions. Today a letter arrived in the mail with two $5 coupons and an apology for our recent bad service. I laughed and thought, gosh they actually do care.

BOY do they! About an hour after my mail arrived, I received a phone call from the Avon Bob Evans manager, who happened to be the one who opened the doors for us. He wanted to apologize and make sure that corporate Bob Evans had sent us out coupons. He knew exactly who we were (the family with the red headed baby), and said that he was going to follow up with our server. I told him it really wasn't that big of a deal, but that I was just answering the questions. "I hope you will come back and see us" he finished with. Of course we will be. More companies need to learn how to treat their customers like Bob Evans did!

A bird about to take flight

So, I have been pushed out of the nest and will now be flying solo when I work as an ECMO specialist running the ECMO pump on our patients. These patients are the sickest kids who will pass away if something drastic isn't tried. ECMO is often referred to as the "last ditch effort." I describe it as heart lung bypass that is done at the bedside. We can help rest a patient's heart, lungs, or both. Having these kiddos on ECMO requires extreme technology. Big tubes coming out of the baby drain the baby's blood, runs it through a very large machine, exchanges the gases (acts as the lungs), then pumps the blood back into the baby.



As you can imagine, doing something so drastic is not without risks. I decided that it was the next step in my career to apply to be an ECMO specialist (the person who sits and runs the pump). I was accepted, took the class, and have "sat the pump" with experienced specialists for the last several months. Saturday night, I was told by our medical director, "Melissa, it's time for you to fly on your own." This machine makes me fear and respect it. So, the next shift that I'm scheduled to be the ecmo specialist I will not have my back up sitting behind me. I will manage and care for these tiny little miracle children and with the help of God, keep them stable through the magic of technology.

Sickness in men!

What is it in men that makes them resort to acting like babies when they do not feel well? I was sick last week with bronchitis, horrible cough that prevented me from sleeping well for several nights, etc. I was still "expected" to go to work, take care of the kids, clean, cook, etc. Gary came home from work yesterday not feeling well. He sounded like I did a week ago (prior to a zpack). He sat around moaning and complaining but didn't take the initiative to make a dr appt. So I stepped in and scheduled him with our doc for this afternoon.

This morning, shortly after I put Joshua on the bus, he walked in the door. He was moaning and complaining how bad he felt. I said ok, go to bed and I'll move up your appt. Moved his dr appt up to 11am and when it was time to leave, I began driving him to the dr office (15 minutes away). 5 minutes into our drive he felt as though he was going to be sick. He insisted he couldn't sit in the car for the drive, so home we came home.

Thank goodness for a wonderful doc who took pity on me and called in antibiotics for Gary. Calgon, take me away!

A trip home

Last Sunday we took a day trip home to Fort Wayne. We visited with both sides of the family. It was great to see everyone. The boys are missing out on lots of time with their grandparents and cousins. Enjoy the picture montage. The first group is Gary's family and the second is my family.

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Cub scout in the house!

We have a new cub scout in our house. I have tried for the past 2 years to get Joshua interested in Cub Scouts. Today he came home from school and was so excited. There was a cub scout leader at school today who talked to the boys. He was so excited and wanted to go sign up tonight. So off we went. There were two packs to pick from. We picked the pack with the leader who got Joshua so excited. Lucky for us, Joshua's best friend Matt was also there and signed up for the same pack (can we say carpooling?).

His pack leader seems so passionate about what he does. He gets the boys out and about nature. He will teach them science activities also. He seems very committed. I'm so thrilled to finally get Joshua involved in something. Our first meeting in in a couple of weeks and then we begin our popcorn selling fundraiser. Anyone need any popcorn?

Joining cub scouts was a controversial thing in our house. Gary grew up being told that scouting was against his religion. I grew up knowing how fabulous it can be. How can teaching boys respect and confidence and appreciation for the world around them be a bad thing? Gary is still a little iffy about the entire situation. I hope he comes around and sees that this is a good thing.

Stay posted for pictures and stories from our new Cub Scout experiences.

Cookie night!

I brought home some left over cookies after a meeting at work tonight. Note to self, don't give a 17 month old a sugar cookie 1/2 hour before bed! It hyped him up!

Sea World pictures slideshow

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Disney World, here we come!!

We'll be back in a week. Pray for no rain as the long term forecast says thunderstorms every day we are there. Please no!

Picture time!

A few pics for your enjoyment. Joshua got to meet the "Real" batman at the children's museum on Saturday, thanks to Indymoms.com

Zachary cheesing it up for the camera at the museum (that's part of a muffin in his mouth!)

Zachary's escapade with the Diet Sunkist can.

More Joshuaisms. . .

In the car today, Joshua is explaining how when two rubber things rub together the sound hurts his ears. "It gives me chicken pox mom!" (He meant goose bumps)! How funny.

Are we scarring our son??

Joshua says to me in the car today, "Mom, I don't think I want to be an adult. It's a lot of hard work. I don't think I'm up for that challenge."

Hmm, think we tell him often enough that being an adult is challenging?

Christian the Lion

Christian the Lion

Posted using ShareThis

Click the link and tell me this doesn't make you cry! Make sure you scroll down and watch the video.

Sunkist Fun!

Zachary never ceases to amaze us! Tonight he got a can of Diet Sunkist out of the pantry and was carrying it around pretending to drink it. Then he tried to pull open the tab. While he was carrying it around the kitchen pretending to drink it, he let out a belch like only a true Hess can! His daddy was quite proud, talk about timing. Might it be a coincidence that he FINALLY learned to drink out of a straw today too? Maybe he wants a straw with his can of Sunkist! I think maybe we need to drink more water in our house!

Time for the annual 4H Fair

It's that time of year again. I was at the fair briefly today while taking Joshua for a class. It was long enough to give me the cravings for funnel cakes, lemon shakeups. We are taking the boys tomorrow night for wrist band night. Aunt Kelly is coming with us to enjoy the fun! When Zachary and I were walking around today, we saw two sows with a litter of piglets, too cute! Zachary also discovered he really likes bunnies. He would giggle and giggle when he saw them. What a fun time of year!

Endoscopy results are in!

The follow up GI dr appt went well today. Basically the biopsies were negative. The pH probe study showed that while he refluxes, it is not excessive. It also shows that he has very few episodes of acid reflux, showing that the prevacid is doing it's job. It does show that the few (of course it was a good day with reflux symptoms) reflux symptoms we had were 50% related to episodes of reflux. Dr. Bax said that this is impressive. Usually they are happy to see 20% of symptoms associated with reflux. My statement, "So what does all this mean?" Basically that his reflux isn't bad enough to need a nissen surgery. But that we can confirm his coughing/choking/hoarseness episodes are directly related to the reflux. So we continue doing what we're doing for the next 6-12 months and then reevaluate.

Another beautiful baby earning his wings

Tonight another family is suffering the heartache of the loss of a child. A family who I've had the utmost honor of caring for in the hospital is currently removing their 3 week old infant son from life support and turning him over into the Lord's arms. My heart breaks for them as they make this decision and say goodbye forever.

I had the honor of allowing the parents to give the baby his first bath and mom changed her first diaper. Pictures were taken, laughs occurred, and tears were shed. No parent should have to change their baby's diaper while he is hooked to life support fighting to survive.

Please keep them in your prayers. I will be traveling back home to the Fort Wayne area for a funeral again soon, please give me the strenghth to keep doing what I do.

Wiggles Mania

Have you ever been so sick of hearing something that you literally think your head will explode if you hear it even one more time? Zachary has become addicted to the Wiggles. Gotta love DVR because it allows us to have 30 episodes recorded and not own a single Wiggles DVD. Mom, Dad, Joshua, and probably even the dog know every song and sing along to them, it's addicting. Daddy comes home from work complaining that he was singing, "Where's Jeff" while walking up and down the aisles at work. We have gone wiggles bonkers!

I do need to buy a Wiggles DVD for our trip to Disney World because I think Zachary will go through serious withdrawl without it.

Sprinkler fun!

Oh my. Zachary had his first experience with the sprinkler tonight. He used to hate the feel of grass on his body, but was running all over the yard laughing tonight. Joshua has always been freaked out to get water sprayed in his eyes. While big brother was asking for his goggles, Zachary was bending over to put his face in the sprinkler. Such a difference between my two boys! Wish the camera would have been working, I would have had great pictures. Maybe next time.

Ice cream for Kate!

In honor and memory of Baby Kate, Zachary enjoyed his first ice cream cone on Thurday, June 26th (Kate's 2nd birthday). The slideshow gives you an idea of just how much he enjoyed it. We actually all had ice cream, but were too busy laughing at Zachary and snapping pics to get any of the rest of us!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Endoscopy adventures

So we show up for the endoscopy and I told the nurse that it wasn't explained to me what the impedence study part of the endo was. So she begins to tell me that they will place a pH probe down his nose while he's still asleep and it will be in place for 24 hours and hooked to a small computer while we monitor his refluxing. UM WHAT?? No one told me we were talking about a 24 hour test with a tube down the nose of a 15 month old and trying to keep it in as long as possible.

Needless to say we were a bit frustrated, but we're here so lets do it. So the slide show gives you a bit of an idea of what we went through. We had to carry the computer pack around and chase him around the house because it was too heavy to put over his shoulders as we were directed (it just knocked him down). Mommy slept in his room on the floor to make sure he didn't pull it out while he was sleeping. Today we returned and got the probe removed and he's back to normal. All this and it's my birthday, Happy birthday to me, ha ha.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Ah, Summer!

Joshua, "Mom, I miss school."
Mom, "I'm sure you do, you miss your friends?"
Joshua, "No, I miss the cafeteria."
Mom, "What? Why?"
Joshua, "The food was good."
Mom, in my head, What am I chopped liver?

Oh the joys of children who speak before thinking.

Tomorrow marks little Kate Layman's 2nd birthday. She will be spending it in Heaven this year. As a way to remember her and celebrate her birthday, won't you all go eat some ice cream and think of Kate? Check out the Layman blog for the details. www.layman4.blogspot.com

Also, we are considering hosting a French student for 3 weeks in July. They are basically in the USA to see what the culture is like and get a taste of American life. What do all my blog readers think? (all 2 of you!)

Our new toy!

A very expensive toy that is. Our car was a lease and the lease was up, so we went car shopping. After doing lots of negotiating (I was very proud of Gary), we got a great deal and pick our car up tomorrow. Gotta love a bright blue PT Cruiser. Gary loves the color, of course. The really cool thing is that the dash is the same color of the car. Also, gas mileage is great! That's so important these days.

Summer and medical plans

Well, we attended our first Summer Lunch Bunch of this summer. Joshua loves it. We go, the boys get a free lunch and a free book, then an area teacher reads a story. They then have the kids get some exercise by running around the track at the park. For each 4 laps (one mile) that the kids run, they get another charm for their bracelet. Last year I think the kids ran over 700 miles total. It's a great time for all.

Also, finally got the appointment information for the endoscopy for Zachary. It is June 27th. We have to be there at 12:30 for a 1:30 appointment. Hopefully they will have some better answers for us after it.

Father's Day Fun

Well, we spent Father's Day traveling from house to house in Fort Wayne. While it was nice to see our families, it gets old being out running all day on a Sunday when you have worked all night long.

Zachary showed everyone how fast he is. At Grandma and Grandpa Yant's, he got into trouble by putting his hand in a candle just as I was saying, "Pick up that candle before he sees it." We had been in the house about 20 seconds. He didn't get burnt (thank goodness) but did get a hand covered in wax. Then he decided to push on the back door (which hadn't latched all the way) and fell out the door and scraped up his finger pretty badly.

At Grandma and Grandpa Hess' he was not much better. He ran toward the pond in the back yard a few times, then hit his head on the corner of the grill. Crazy kid!

All in all, it was a great day. Until we got home and Gary had broken out in hives. Not sure what caused that, but thank goodness for benadryl.

High maintenance kids!

So my fun doesn't end with my kids! Joshua is going to have a hearing screen. He frequently needs me to repeat things over and over again. At first I thought it was all behavioral, but the more I paid attention to it, I really think he needs a hearing screening before school.

Zachary's reflux is flaring up again. He is maxed on his prevacid. So we are going to do another endoscopy and a specialized test to help determine how bad his reflux really is. Not sure what that test is going to tell us, but I'm open to whatever we need to do to help him feel better.

Also, took Zachary to the dentist for the first time today. He said everything looked good, except he has a muscle that comes down between his two front teeth. He said, it's a large muscle. They said that when he's around 7 or 8, they will have to do surgery to cut the muscle and move it back up where it belongs then sew it back into place. More fun to look forward to.

New tricks!

Just like a dog, Zachy is learning all kinds of tricks. He has learned to climb, like the little monkey he is. If he can't climb onto something, he'll push a toy over and climb up on the toy til he climbs onto what he was trying to. His new favorite activity is to climb up on the couch, then fall off (hands first) onto the blanket and pillow pile on the floor. All the while, giving mommy a heart attack.

He also has really started to totally understand what we are saying to him (ot at least letting us know that he understands). "Zachary, lets change your diaper." Prompts a run to the changing table and a giggle because he knows he's going to give mommy a hard time. "Zachary are you hungry?" (When isn't the boy hungry?) Prompts a run to the refrigerator and attempts to pull it open. Thankfully he can't open it yet. "Zachary, do you want a bath?" He runs to the stairs and tries to pull down the gate. He is more fun everyday and is constantly making us laugh (when he isn't making me pull my hair out!)

Joshua and I had an in depth conversation about Mars today. We argued about whether people could live on Mars! He says, "NO mom, they would burn up as they entered the atmosphere." Where does he get this stuff? The boy reads too much! (Is that possible?) Could have worse issues.

Cleaning out the house

Well, slowly but surely we are emptying our house of all the clutter. The school books are quickly disappearing out of the desk, the maternity clothes are almost out of my closet, and the baby gear (swing, etc) is quickly being taken away for future little ones to enjoy.

It's so nice to finally get some of this stuff out of closets or from just sitting around. Now, to sort through all the baby clothes that our big boy has outgrown and start selling those off! How time flies!

I've been tagged

Gosh, thought only my boys played tag these days. But I was tagged by my good friend Krista. I assume that I am supposed to answer the same questions she did. So here goes:

What was I doing 10 years ago today?
Well, difficult to say for sure. But since Gary and I are coming up on our 10 year anniversary, I'm sure I spoke to him at some point. I was nursing at Parkview on 2East, post partum overflow unit. That's about all I can remember.

5 Things on my to do list today:
1: Schedule an appt for new tires on the van
2: Have lunch with my sister Kelly
3: Do Zachary's laundry
4: Clean up the kitchen
5: Empty the dishwasher (and many more!)

5 snacks I enjoy
1: Chex mix
2: Fresh fruit
3: Popcorn
4: Cookies
5: Anything else chocolate

5 things I'd do if I were a millionaire
1: Give to church
2: Give to family/friends
3: Set up a college fund for the kids
4: Pay off debt
5: Invest

5 places I've lived
1: Columbia City, Indiana
2: Fort Wayne, Indiana
3: Huntertown, Indiana
4: Avon, Indiana
5: Danville, Indiana

5 people I tag:
Krista is the only blogger that I know personally and would hate to tag someone who has no idea who I am. And since she was just tagged, I won't repeat!

Who knew??

I decided that I was going to list all of my school books on Amazon.com. Someone out there might pay a little something for them, right? Well 2 hours after listing all of them, 6 of them have sold. I can't hardly believe it. Easy money coming in. I thought about having a bonfire with them, but making money off of them is even better.