F-A-S-T

Lately I feel like a dictionary as Carson evolves into a one child spelling machine. He is constantly asking how to spell something and then his sponge of a brain soaks it up like only young mind can. I am amazed at his ability to retain information these days and he certainly makes me a proud mama. Yesterday we learned how to spell a few new words.

Fast: F-A-S-T, Vomit: V-O-M-I-T, and Fever: F-E-V-E-R.



As you can see, it was a fun day here at our house. Carson started puking after his nap and stopped by bedtime but it came fast and hard. We probably topped out at over 20 times in those short hours. Our floors have now been scrubbed three times in the kitchen AND bathroom along with the couch cushion covers washed, two blankets, three pillow cases, and many pairs of pjs. I have to thank Al for doing all the laundry because after all of that puking and taking care of a sick Carson, mommy needed a break!



This morning things were back to normal and Eli decided to start retching and so we had to let him vomit out of his g-tube for about an hour. That's the problem with a fundo, stomach bugs can really be an ugly sight. Everyone is back to being healthy and smelling clean tonight without fevers. Unfortunately a nice semi-croupy cough seems to be peaking it's ugly head out with both boys.

Eli needs to stay healthy because he will be admitted on Wednesday and Thursday to Childrens for a bronch, lung wash, and probable pH probe and endoscopy. Keep your fingers crossed that his lungs stay healthy enough to get these tests done. The little stinker is getting rather skinny (you will see in the new pics of him in his big boy underwear) due to the picky eating habits he has developed lately. Eli is making huge gains intellectually where he is falling short physically so we are happy to see that his brain isn't suffering AT ALL! He talks in 6-8 word sentences and loves to tease poor Carson. He is potty trained during the day with only a few accidents a week (maybe 1-2 peed pants). Once this boy has his mind set on something, there is no turning him back....he wanted big boy underwear so he got them! Now if we could just get the physical/medical stuff figured out, he would be all set.



Enjoy the new pics. I will try to update before we go into the hospital on Wednesday but I work a 12 hour shift tomorrow and an 8 hour one Tuesday so time may be short. If I can't get an update in, I'll post when we're in the hospital.

Eli "On the BUS!"

Today was our baby's very first day of school. Eli was excited all weekend about going to school and riding the bus. He told everyone he saw about "the bus" and his teacher Mrs. Catie. This morning when we woke up at 6:15 he was a different child. Gone was the happy, smiley Eli and instead there was a straight-faced, sleepy Eli. This wasn't entirely surprising since Eli doesn't usually wake up before 8 unless Carson wakes him up but it still made me more uncomfortable putting him on a strange bus to a new school. Last year when we sent Carson to school at 3 years old I thought it was hard and scary but it didn't compare to my feelings this morning. Putting Eli at 2 years old on a bus for an hour each way to a school full of new and unfamiliar things made me feel like the worst mommy of the year. As I pulled out of the driveway and off to work I couldn't stop thinking that he would be crying and not know where he was or why mommy and daddy left him. Thankfully my fears were unfounded.



Eli was dropped off at 12:45 and Al said he was ALL SMILES!! He won't stop talking about *the bus* and how it goes "honk, honk". School was fun and full of kids and playtime and snack! He peed in the potty once at school and was super proud of himself to top it all off. Mommy is officially relieved (for today anyway!). Now if I can just get used to sending my two and four year olds off to school on their respective BUSES, things at our household will be great. One day down, 16 years to go!

Off to work I go....

Tomorrow I start my first day of orientation as an RN. I can't wait to start my career but I will be missing my two boys for the first two weeks. Wish me luck because this orientation is the beginning of something I have been working hard at for six years.

Back to School

This was Carson's first week back to school. He has the same teachers and therapists this year and is feeling like quite the big kid in the classroom. Ms. Linn has sent home several notes mentioning how well Carson is leading the other children in the class and acting like a role model. This of course sends Carson into a thirty minute session detailing all of the ways he helps out and encourages everyone else. He is too cute and completely embracing his four-year-old self. I can't help but play the role of the gushing, proud mommy ;) It's amazing that only a short year ago he was the little three year old boy who was timid and unsure of riding the bus. My baby is growing up and doing a fine job at it along the way.

Here is Carson LAST year looking so much younger

And here he is on Tuesday looking quite BIG and GROWN UP!

Season Opener

For the first game of the season the neighborhood held a great Buckeye party complete with big screen tv outside, food, friends, kids running around, and best of all, an Ohio State WIN! To ice the cake, the Ohio State vs. Youngstown State game was followed up by the last 5.5 minutes of the Michigan vs. Appalachian State game. Our biggest rivals fell hard, 34-32, to a Division I-AA team from their national pre-season poll ranking of #5.

So much for pre-season rankings ;) It was the first ever loss of a nationally ranked team to a I-AA team. Way to make history Wolverines.

Go BUCKEYES!

The last picture is my dad, mom, little sister, and then the rest of the family.