Let's Catch Up!

Well, well, well...if it isn't the absentee Mommy Blogger back in the 'ol saddle!

 

To our dearest, devoted followers: Sorry! I've been a bit busy these days, seeing as how I have a toddler that learned how to walk only a mere 4 months ago and whose main mode of transportation is now running. Adding to that, a busy bee infant who is crawling as fast as he can to keep up with his big brother. So, as much as I would love to devote the 20 minutes or so of spare time I have to blogging, other necessities seem to trump themselves to the top of the list. i.e. showering. :)

 

Oh, and remember how we are moving....again?!?

 

Say what? Didn't you just move only a year ago?

 

Why yes, yes we did. We are your modern day nomads. This time we should be settled in for at least 4 years....5 tops.

 

Then, Mama I'm comin home!!! :) (True story: I miss my Mom.)

 

Anywho, I've got quite a bit of catching up to do!

 

My last blog entry was at the end of January. During that time we had received some not so great (pretty bad, actually) news about Owen's bladder. I am happy to report that things are IMPROVING at an amazing rate! Owen had a bladder scope last week, and I kid you not, his surgeon greeted us in the waiting room after surgery....with a SMILE! This is literally the first time he has left one of Owen's surgeries smiling. :) :) :) Owen's bladder is showing terrific improvement and he is SO much happier with how things are looking. Praise God! Thank you, thank you for your prayers!

 

 Right now Owen is on a pretty strict cathing regimen, which require us to continue cathing him every 3 hours (24/7) and not doing an overnight Foley catheter. This means my loving, adorable, sleep walking husband wakes twice to cath and I wake once.

 

How did I draw the lucky straw?

 

Well, that would be because my loving, adorable 9 month old gets bit by the hungry hungry Caterpillar at least twice a night. That's right, sleeping through the night is not even on his radar! I'll just count them as extra snuggles I'll miss when he's big. :)

 

 

Speaking of big...have you seen how much my child has grown?!

 

 





 

Yes, I know....he's just not a baby anymore. I don't want to talk about it. Why in the world do kids have to grow up so stinkin fast?! BTW: he's grown a full 6 inches since transplant! Hello future NBA star! (Totally kidding- have you seen his vertically challenged parents?)

 

 

So, February was great...Owen experienced lots and lots and LOTS of snow. (Helloooo, Florida!)

 



 

 

 One of the most beautiful moments I've ever experienced with Owen was watching him be in complete awe of this blizzard.

 Food isn't his favorite. Giant snowballs bigger than his face? Sure thing!

 Yes, I do plan on dressing my sweet boys in matching, monogrammed shirts until it's no longer acceptable. (So what if they go to college wearing matching collegiate sweatshirts?) ;)

Abel turned 6 months old and is seriously the cutest thing on the planet.

 

So then March rolls along...and brings snot with it....lots and lots and lots of snot. I will forever remember March 2013 as the month of snot. Owen, Abel and I all shared a nasty, relentless cold for two weeks. However, Owen's cold- it lasted 6 weeks. Nope, not a typo folks....6 snotty weeks. Unfortunately this cold turned in to a severe ear infection and Owen landed in the ER just six days short of his April 3 Kidneyversary.

 

 

It was a nasty ear infection that literally turned Owen into a human space heater. He had a temperature that was pushing it's way up to 105 (hence our ER visit), but after a couple days of Tylenol around the clock (No Motrin for Kidney Kids!) and laying on the cooling blanket we were home free on a round of antibiotics. (Make that two rounds...we just couldn't kick that snot all the way out the door with one!)

 

 



 

 

Abel had no trouble adjusting to life in the hospital for a couple days. He charmed all the nurses with his sweet little grin and for fear of boredom, tried every morsel of food that entered our room. Just like his Mama. :)

Oh, and while we were juggling all our snot.....WE BOUGHT A HOUSE! Let me just say, first time home buying...difficult, yes. First time home buying in another state, 15 hours away, on a resident's salary....nearly impossible!

But, we did it and I'm so excited to see it...yes I've only seen pictures as flying down with my oh so adorable (yet loud and busy boys) just wasn't in the cards to do more than once. So, my handy hubby (and amigo....thanks, Clint!) flew down, painted, built a few shelves, made some furniture purchases and she's ready to go! Don't feel too sorry for them...they enjoyed a few walks on the beach too. :)

Did I mention we live like an hour from Disney and the beach?! We're taking reservations for the "guest quarters" in Daugherty Manor now...book your vacation with us...it will be one you'll never forget! :)

We also had a big celebration to honor Carrie and celebrate new life for the 1 year Kidneyversary! I'll never be able to adequately put into words my love for Carrie and just how thankful I am for her. Literally, every part of Owen's life, everything he does is because of her. April just so happens to be Organ Donation Awareness Month too!

Carrie, your gift of life has not only changed Owen's, but all who know his story! You are a blessing to us and we thank God for you daily!


As of today Owen is continuing to make amazing progress. He will be having surgery soon to remove his tonsils and adenoids and insert ear tubes. (Thank you 6 week sinus infection!) It is our hope and prayer that by allowing the large amount of trapped fluid to drain that Owen's speech will be begin to pick up. Speech and feeding are Owen's two biggest areas of concern right now. However, he just had his big "Five Area Testing" from Early Intervention and overall, he falls in the two year old range. Speech and feeding bring him down, but cognitive and physical strengths bring him up. (Thanks for the brains, Daddy!)

Abel is eating anything and everything (including dirt, grass and leaves) and is crawling like a mad man. He naps daily like and angel and sleeps at night like a.....newborn?!?! Crazy, yes. Draining, yes. But I'll miss it...one day. Not today, maybe when he's in college.

Thank you all for keeping up with us and reading this absurdly long blog post. Maybe, just maybe Owen will hear succumb to my pleas and take a nap this month so I can update before I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old! Eh, don't wanna talk about that either. Can someone please slow time down already??


I'll end with a bit of a photo dump.

My kids are adorable...I take a ton of pictures. Can you really blame me??

 

"Stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today." Exodus 14:13

 

An excerpt from my all time favorite devotional, Streams in the Desert:

"I will patiently wait to see the good God will do in my life, with the calm assurance He will do it. In this way, we will bear a worthy testimony to the world and thereby strengthen the lives of others."
-George Mueller