Just Add Water

We've talked about how much Bubs loves to splash while taking a bath in the sink.  We've also shared his first experience in a big boy bathtub.  We decided after that bathtub experience that the kitchen sink would do just fine for the time being.  And it did...until...we were no longer at home.

Over Christmas, we spent time with Grandma and Grandpa in Rocklin and had to give Mr. Man a bath in their tub.  Once again, he HATED it!!!!!  Bubs refused to sit down in the water and cried and pointed out of the tub over and over again.  Noah is such a stickler for routine and takes for-ev-er to adapt to anything new.  I knew that if we wanted him to take a bath in a tub by the time he was twelve years old, we had better start training now.  {I might be exaggerating just a bit}

Since the beginning of January, Bubs has taken a bath in the tub every night.  And every single night, it has been the same...

Step 1 - Refuse to sit down.
Step 2 - Cry non-stop.
Step 3- Wag finger in the air and then point O-U-T of the heinous tub.

We tried everything we could think of to make it more agreeable for him - more water, less water, different toys, no toys, playing in the tub before adding water, etc.  Nothing seemed to work.  Mr. Man just HATED the tub.

That is...until...two weeks ago.

Bubs had a bath in Nana and Pop-Ro's tub and took to it immediately.  He sat down and started playing with the boats that Cuz Jonah left in the tub.

WHAT?????

So if Cuz Jonah says it's cool to play in the tub, then you're gunna do it?!?  I truly wish I had known that earlier. Note to self...peer pressure is not always a bad thing.

 

Now, Noah looks forward to his nightly bath {and so do his parents}.

 

He loves playing with his Fisher Price Noah's Ark as well as some squirting toys.

Every night, Bubs seems to be telling me how much fun the bath is. 

Bathtub + Noah + Water = FUN!!!!

Little Hole

If you're a bit squeamish, you might want to skip this next post.  

Here are the pictures from Noah's last scope.  You can see his very small hole in this first shot.

 Here's the balloon going in the hole.

 The balloon is doing it's thing and expanding Mr. Man's trachea.

 We've now got a large opening again.  Yay!

Noah did quite well on Wednesday and our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologistis hoping that the next several dilation procedures will do the trick.  We'll see...

Open...Closed...Open...

We're heading back up to Stanford Children's Hospital tomorrow morning {leaving at 3:30 a.m.} for yet another procedure.  The last time we were there, our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist took a look at Noah's trachea {under sedation, thankfully} and found quite a bit.

First off, Mr. Man's bone graft in his trachea looks great.  There wasn't any scar tissue to remove and it was healing up quite nicely.

Actually...a bit too nicely.

Noah's trachea was trying to heal itself back closed.

EEK!!!!

We went through so much to open up Noah's closed trachea and now it's closing back up again.

EEK!!!!

So...two weeks ago...our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist took a balloon and dilated Noah's trachea.  The 1 mm opening expanded to 5 mm.

Much better!!!

We'll be heading back once a month so that dilation procedure can be performed to help Noah's trachea "remember" that it is supposed to stay open.

The best case scenario is that the monthly dilation procedures {a total of five of them} will be enough to keep his trachea open.  If not, we'll probably have to have yet another bone graft and start the process all over again.

EEK!!!!

Noah's body has always been good at healing...we just never knew how good!

Blink of an Eye

Play the ipod on the right to hear the song...

Blink of an Eye
By:  MercyMe

You put me here for a reason
You have a mission for me
You knew my name and You called it
Long before I learned to breathe

Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom
When I'm so wrapped up in mine

In a Blink of an Eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

And though I'm living a good life
Can my life be something great?
I have to answer the question
Before it's too late

Cause in a Blink of an Eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a blink of an eye

If I give the very best of me
That becomes my legacy
So tell me what am I waiting for?
What am I waiting for?

In a Blink of an Eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given

In a Blink of an Eye that is when
I'll be closer to You than I've ever been
Time will fly, but until then
I'll embrace every moment I'm given
There's a reason I'm alive for a Blink of an Eye

I ♥ ...

I ♥ Sierra.I ♥ putting things in my mouth {as long as they are NOT food}.
I ♥ Charlie.
I ♥ trucks.
But most of all...I ♥ you.
Happy Valentine's Day!

Signing Time

We've talked before about how much we LOVE Signing Time.  Noah could sit and watch them for hours...if we let him.  He even signs "sign" "time" and "tv" when he wants to watch.  Just recently, Noah has started climbing up on the sofa and sitting down to watch TV, just like his Daddy-O.

Sometimes you gotta hang on!

Live is good!

On the Road Again

We're heading back to Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford today.  Our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist will be taking a peak down Noah's trachea to see how it's healing.

It's...an early morning, a three hour drive, the monotony of pre-admitting, the fun of waiting through the procedure, the joy of the recovery room, followed by the anticipation of another three hour drive home...after he's alert and responsive...after he's deemed fit...after he is able to eat without vomiting...after all the tests have been done...after all the results have come back...after...after...after...

Sigh...{breath} 

We're hoping to get some answers why Noah is having such a hard time breathing through his nose/mouth as well as why he's been so sick the past few months.  Answers would be great...but...we're not holding out for them.  We know how unusual Noah's condition is and how much patience is required to be his parents.  Answers are good, but we're trusting that God has a plan for our Bubs.  A plan that far surpasses our understanding.

This adventure has been, and will continue to be, One Wild Ride!  We know that in the blink of an eye, it will all change...it will all be over...and we are holding on to what God has entrusted to us.  Children truly are a gift from Him, and we are merely here to nourish what has been given to us.  Though this road is bumpy, God has given us All Terrain tires.  We're eager to learn what He has planned for our family.

Plumb Crazy Cake

Noah's cake was absolutely AMAZING!  It was designed and made by some very talented ladies at Plumb Crazy Cake Company. 

The detail they put into the cake was amazing.  The Ark looked like it was made of actual wood.

There were adorable animals all around the ark.  Two by two, of course.

Noah just loved the lions.

Aren't these turtles the cutest things ever?!?  I just love the bow in her hair.

Thank you Launa for a truly delicious cake that was a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds.

Decor

Here are a few pictures of the decor for the Noah's Ark themed party.

The centerpieces were Noah's Arks.

 Fun banners around the house.

 

Happy Birthday Noah

 

 Two*By*Two

SuperBowl

Noah just loves him some football and Nana and Pop-Ro just love them some Green Bay Packers.  We're just hangin' out this Sunday watching the SuperBowl.  It's guaranteed to be a good game!

 

Touchdown number 1.  Followed shortly thereafter by touchdown number 2.

Even Charlie is a Packer fan.

Packer Dip.  Yumm-O!

Notice the green guacamole and gold cheese.  It's a must have when you're watching the game.

Hope you're having fun celebrating the Packer's win over the Steelers.  Go Pac Go!

Two-By-Two

Well...so...I have a confession to make.  It's a dirty little secret that I just could not bring myself to admit...until now.  

It's about Noah's second birthday party.  

Don't get me wrong, Noah's party was a blast!  It was filled with family and friends and food and laughter.  We truly had so much fun and couldn't have asked for a better day...except...just one little thing.  Actually it was a BIG thing.  I hate to admit it, but hear goes.

We forgot to take pictures.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Yes, you heard me correctly.  We forgot to take pictures of our son's second birthday.  I mean, really, you would thing we wouldn't forget a thing like that.  What kind of parents are we?!?   We truly aren't new at this kind of thing.  Kc takes awesome photos!  We've done a birthday party before.  What were we thinking?  I guess that was the problem.  We weren't thinking about pictures.  We were too busy having fun with friends, playing with kiddos, and eating good grub {Kc made yummy sliders}.  

So...it wasn't until we started opening presents that Kc took out the camera and we snapped a few photos.  Noah was excited to rip the paper.

 

He got some fun books to read.

 

Noah LOVES his Elmo card.   It sings to him!

Once everyone left, Noah started singing the blues because he knew his parents had dropped the ball.  More like the camera...on the table...and forgot to pick it up.

Well...it still was a fun party for a truly awesome little boy who turned two.