Josh Blog

Stop It, Stop It Right Now!

2009-10-22T07:32:00.002-05:00

Josh keeps coming to me, collapsing in my arms or lap, and says with a frown, "Mom, I'm so sad that Kipper is growing up. So sad I want to cry. I want him to stay a baby." I know how you feel buddy.

September

2009-10-10T19:46:00.008-05:00

Sure, it was last month, but these pictures are too cute to pass up.

The boys continue to play well together most of the time. Now that Kip is pulling up, Josh is having a hard time finding "safe" places to play with his cars and trains. He sometimes gets frustrated when Kip tries to play with them and yells, "incoming" so that I know to retrieve Kip. It has given us many opportunities to talk about things that can be fixed, what is really worth being upset about, and the value of people v.s. things. I love watching them interact. It seems like Kip saves his brightest smiles and biggest laughs for his brother. They are already wrestling around together. Boys.

Four More Years

2009-09-01T09:08:00.005-05:00

After four years of exceptional service, Josh's first term as our son will end in mere hours. I've been stuffing the ballot boxes in order to satisfy the overwhelming cry for four more years! Imagine what he'll be able to accomplish from ages 4 to 8. Here's to four more years and no term limits little buddy! Happy birthday! We love you.

Don't Drink & Drive

2009-08-22T19:40:00.003-05:00

I suppose it is never too early to start talking to my kids about the dangers of drinking and driving. Lay off the sauce and keep your eyes on the road, little buddy.

Moving and Stationary Monkeys

2009-08-20T21:06:00.006-05:00

Moving Monkeys

Stationary Monkeys

Whether moving or stationary, they are always silly monkeys.

and photographer

2009-08-07T14:24:00.008-05:00

Josh says that when he grows up he will have three jobs:
1. work with his dad at the capital.
2. work at the hospital.
3. work at his pediatrician's office.

Today he told me that he will also be a toy maker. His multiple careers will probably be necessary since he continues to suggest that he wants 20-30 kids and drive them around in a long school bus. Parents in the front, kids in the middle, and babies in the back of the bus.

He wants a big family and seems to understand that such will come with some big bills, too. We've been playing The Game of Life together over the past several weeks - a modified version - and "Josh's rules" include the winner being determined by who has the most kids and every payday you get a gift for your babies after paying for your house. It is precious to see his love for babies and kids.

While on our 2nd plane ride home this week, with a wiggly Kip grabbing at our fellow passenger's magazine, and my stomach growling because airport food isn't on the Kip diet, Josh asked me when God would put another baby in my belly. I tried not to laugh and instead suggested that we invite kids who don't have parents to take care of them into our family. He latched onto that idea fairly easily.

What does all this have to do with a photographer? Well, yesterday while at Kip's acupressure appointment Josh took these portraits. Maybe he'll add photographer to his list of career choices. Ya know, a 5th part time job.

OK Pictures

2009-08-02T14:23:00.009-05:00

Our time in OK is coming to a close as we return home tomorrow. Here are some glimpses into our time here. Kip met Memaw, Josh spent many hours in the beloved "G-daddy's chair," we walked to the farmer's market, fed the ducks and geese at park, played with Shadow, went to a church garage sale where Kip liked a rocking horse so much that he lifted it up when we attempted to take him off of it, walked to church, and had many other adventures. The whole time we missed Dad. See ya soon Dad!

Sweetness

2009-07-27T18:57:00.003-05:00

Here's a picture of the boys from this morning. We moved Kip out of his infant car seat (sigh) yesterday and now the boys have matching car seats that fit together side by side. They love it. They can hold hands and play with each other while we are in the car. Here's praying they remain so loving with each other.

At bedtime, Josh will give me kisses and instructions for each kiss. I'm not sure where he got this idea, but some kisses have to be kept all night, others need to be lost, others need to be kept forever, etc. Tonight on the way to bed Josh kissed by hand and said:

"You keep that kiss until we are with Jesus. That is a long time!"

Oh, my sweet sweet boy.

The lil' boys and I are off to OKC this week. We're excited to visit with G-daddy, G-mommy, Aunt Liz, Memaw and Shadow. The boys will be spoiled with attention and I have high hopes of being spoiled with a little extra sleep.

Birthday Boys

2009-07-19T07:48:00.003-05:00

We have two birthday boys in the house today (and three more on Brian's side of the family - 2 of Brian's brothers and a cousin). One of our birthday boys is 7 months today, while the other is 408 months. We have a treasure hunt planned for the older one. We made a treasure map and cut it into 5 pieces. He'll have to find 5 clues, put the pieces together to complete the map, and then find his birthday loot. Fun.

Saturday Morning

2009-07-18T14:11:00.009-05:00

I ran my fingers over Kip's gums this morning and was surprised to find the tip of his bottom middle left tooth. Kipper has his first tooth - and true to 2nd child form, I have no idea when it actually busted through. When I noticed it I announced the exciting news to everyone else.

Me: Kip has a tooth! When did Kip get a tooth?

Josh: Oh, he got it from Jupiter. Everyone gets their teeth from Jupiter.

After one of Kip's naps this morning I came out into the living room to discover Josh's self portrait. This was a totally unsolicited creation. Josh explained that the green and orange rings are the eye brows, the balls are his eyes and nose, and that the teething ring serves a dual role of his mouth and belly button. I explained to Josh how intuitive that was since both serve as food depots at different times in life. The rest are his arms and body. I don't know why it loaded sideways; just turn your head please.

Moments of Clarity

2009-06-28T20:17:00.003-05:00

It is difficult to take pictures of Josh recently. He is a man of action so most shots are a blur. I was able to capture these two pictures this weekend while my parents were visiting.

Sir Smiley

2009-06-28T20:13:00.002-05:00

Kip is a super smiley baby. Strangers stop us to comment on our happy one. Amazing considering the months of blood curling screaming he endured. He checked out at his 6 month exam and weighed 16 pounds. For the trivia buffs, he is the same length, 2 ounces lighter, and has a slightly smaller head (1 cm less) as Josh at the same age. It amazes me to see how similar they are physically.

Kip is rolling now. Not just back and forth, but continuous rolling so that he can travel across a room. Today Josh found him under a chair. Kip already seems to be the adventurous type, so we might need to step up our baby proofing soon.

Write Your Own Caption

2009-06-25T10:16:00.005-05:00

What is that slice of beefcake talking about? Is he describing what it feels like to hold a beating heart in his hands? Is he lecturing on how to select ripe produce at the grocery store? I guess we could read the article, but making our own caption would be more fun. Give it a try!

the boys

2009-06-19T19:50:00.002-05:00

here's a pic of the boys doing boy stuff today (on Kip's 6 month birthday)

You're how old?

2009-06-19T19:42:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, a Walmart employee stopped me at the store and asked about Josh and Kip. She was a petite woman and also has two kids of similar age. At the end of our conversation she said, "Can I ask you a question?" Um, sure. She asked if anyone ever asks me if I am old enough to have two kids. Yes, yes, and yes! I told her about the window repairman who came by this week who asked me if I ran a home daycare and about being carded when I buy beer with both kids in tow. She seemed relieved that she isn't the only one with this "issue." I assured her that we'll be happy to look younger than we are when we have grandkids. It was an unexpected but enjoyable moment in the day.

Speaking of looking your age, this kid is looking older lately. It seemingly happened overnight. I'm not sure if I should ask him to mow the lawn or think of reasons why he can't borrow the car tonight. It is crazy!

the monkey goes bananas

2009-06-19T19:35:00.006-05:00

Kip has been grabbing food out of my hands recently, so I've been letting him have a taste of some softer foods. Even if he does not actually eat it, the experience of touching and playing with the food is valuable. (Right, Marti?) Josh isn't a fan of Kip's exploration. He can't be within sight of Kip when he is this messy. Hopefully Josh will accept the temporary mess soon so he can stop eating backwards at the table.

The kid is crazy for bananas. You should think twice about eating a banana within his arms' reach. Seriously.

Before & After

2009-06-08T18:47:00.004-05:00

Josh has been growing his hair out because he likes it "long and crazy." CRAZY is more accurate! The bed head that we comb through each morning is crazy, too!

Last night Josh wanted his hair to be spiky for Bible study. It took a lot of product to get his long hair to stay up. I joked that he needed some Aqua Net.

Seizing the potential opportunity to have Josh willingly cut his hair, I helped him look online at boy hairstyles so that he could show me what he wanted his hair to look like. The verdict: spiky. I explained that spiky meant that it needed to be shorter so he needed to prioritize long v.s. spiky. Spiky won. Check out the new do.

He loves it - especially putting the hairspray in all by himself. This afternoon he's been running to the mirror to make sure his hair is still spiky. He'll randomly ask me, "Mom, is it still spiky?" Pretty funny.

Kip Update

2009-06-02T12:23:00.006-05:00

Kip has had a really good week. Instead of treating Kip for specific food intolerances, the DOM is treating Kip for the essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals that we all need to have a healthy immune system and basic body functions. The theory being that you can't really diagnose a specific food allergy until your body is operating as it should. Last Tuesday, he was treated for "Vitamin C."

I didn't really realize this until this Tuesday, but Kip became interested in food last week - and not just any foods, but fruits, which are high in Vitamin C. I know he is developmentally at a stage where foods can become interesting, but it is curious that he was totally turned off by me offering him food just to hold and now he is grabbing fruit out of my hands. Last Thursday, he grabbed by arm while I was eating a banana, brought the banana (in my hand) to his face, and sucked on the banana. On Sunday, I offered him a piece of dried pear at church and he has been sucking on dried pears everyday since. It is curious at the very least.

Kip seems to be doing better all around - he's sleeping in longer stretches at night, he's not refusing to nurse or fussing while he's nursing very often, he's in a smaller diaper size as his diapers don't seem to contain dynamite anymore, and he just seems happier. I even ate an egg this week and he didn't have more dirty diapers than a normal day. The proof is in the pudding, if ya know what I mean.

I tried some chicken today. It's too early to tell if he's reacting, but I'm really hopeful that he will not. Maybe it is maturity, maybe it is his treatments, maybe it is something else, but I feel lighter already with the progress he is making. Please pray that it continues.

and exhale...

2009-06-01T09:46:00.012-05:00

Sine Die. The end of the 2009 Texas Legislative Session. It is finally here! Well, it will be at midnight tonight. More importantly, it's here and we are all still alive, recognize one another, and willingly give each other hugs and affection. Amazing. God is gracious.

Yesterday, Brian was called into to work (not a shock since he's been working 6-7 days a week for awhile now) to discuss a bill with a senator, so he brought along the whole family. Josh was so excited to go inside the Capital. He has expressed interest in the Capital for quite awhile, especially the pointy part on top, but seemed even more fascinated by it once inside. "It is soooooooo big!" I guess being drawn to the Capital is in his DNA. In the picture, they are looking up in the center of the building.

We visited some old and new faces and surprised one of my girlfriends who is the chief of staff for one of the representatives. Part of her rep's office is an old vault. Pretty cool. The most common question for Josh was, "Do you miss your dad?" It seemed that all the parents there were eager to talk about the kids they had waiting for them at home. Very sweet.

So, we made it! This is the first session where the Governor's bill signing deadline (June 21st) impacts our lives a bit, but the hard part is behind us. I'm not sure I'll be able to stop smiling for at least a week! Brian is back! Dad is home! Well, he will be back after a few naps.

Jumping for Joy

2009-05-26T18:31:00.008-05:00

What is Kip so egg-cited about?

He's egg-cited about the progress he's making! I've alluded to my "Kip diet" in previous posts. The poor little guy has "protein intolerance" which in lay man's terms means his digestive system isn't mature enough to digest some (all?) proteins. As a result, when he receives proteins from my milk his stomach cramps, little ulcers form, and he has too many dirty diapers. Through a lot of trial and error and even more prayer we were able to come up with a list of foods that Kip seemed to tolerate pretty well. Over time, as I ate the limited diet, his diapers were fewer, his discomfort subsided, and a big sigh of relief could be heard at our house. His digestive system still wasn't acting "normal" but it was close. Well, that is until three weeks ago.

Out of the blue, with no change in my "Kip diet," Kip started having his original symptoms to a greater degree than ever before. Nearly every diaper contained visible blood. His pediatrician did a CBC and checked him for infections and parasites - all clear and normal. Great news except that it didn't explain why he was suddenly worse. We were instructed to wait for him to outgrow this problem or switch him to prescription formula that he may not tolerate any better. Totally awesome news - on opposite day. Thankfully Kip has stopped having visible blood in his diapers and he seems to be getting over whatever happened, though he is not yet as close to "normal" as he was before.

Knowing what I know (and have experienced) about the gut, the immune system, autoimmune diseases, and Kip's own genetic predispositions, I'm not content to sit around and wait. During his "flare," I talked to the owner at Food for Life who suggested that I call the Wellness Center at People's Rx. I did. People's suggested that I call a Doctor of Oriental Medicine and gave me a couple of names. I'm not overly knowledgeable about alternative medicine, but my ignorance doesn't mean it isn't effective. I did see a DOM during my pregnancy with Kip and benefited from it. After praying about it, I called a DOM and spoke to him about Kip. He recently helped three babies overcome major reflux issues and was eager to try to help Kip with his eating issues.

During our first visit with him, he examined Kip, and concluded that Kip wasn't intolerant of a laundry list of foods, but instead his immune system needed to be strengthen in order for him to digest properly. It made sense to me - the major part of our immune system is in our gut; my immune system is whack-a-doodle and Kip is my son; Kip doesn't seem to properly digest breastmilk no matter what I eat. Don't get me wrong, I was still very skeptical, but his diagnosis intrigued me.

Our DOM has treated Kip 5 times now. It is non-invasive, painless, and involves accupressure. To borrow Marti's phrase, "it can't hurt and might help." Last week, the DOM suggested that Kip should be able to digest eggs now. Seriously, eggs? They are one of the most allergenic foods. Anytime I've "tested" one of the foods on the commonly allergenic list he's had a terrible reaction that has taken days to recover from. The DOM requested that I test eggs so I hesitantly decided to test them this weekend when Brian had some chance of being home. (Side note, 6 days until Session ends!) On Saturday morning I ate 4 bites of an egg. Not much, but enough to send Kip over the edge in previous trials. By Sunday afternoon we were still waiting for him to react. Nothing happened. Sunday evening I ate an entire egg. I was anxious, hopeful, and preparing for Kip to scream all day Monday. Again, nothing.

I ate an egg without Kip crying! It is so egg-citing. It is egg-actly what we've been praying for! (Excuse the puns, please.)

To be fair, maybe egg was never an issue for Kip. It was one of the foods that the pedi suggested I remove from my diet early on so I never tested it previously. Or maybe Kip is starting to outgrow his issue, though his day-to-day diapers don't suggest that to be the case. Whatever the explanation, we are so thankful that we had a successful trial and I have one more food on the "green light" list.

We're continuing on with our DOM's treatments for now. I'll post if something significant - good or bad - happens. Regardless of whenever and however God chooses to heal or not heal Kip, we're really thankful for the outcome of our egg-periment. (Sorry, I had to do it.)

Noteworthy

2009-05-25T18:50:00.003-05:00

Today I took a shower...while home alone with both boys...who were both awake...without having to run out mid-shower, with no crying, and I even shaved my legs!

Granted, the boys were in the bathroom almost the entire time, but the joy from being clean and listening to them laugh together overshadowed that entirely.

After my shower Josh combed and cut (with his pretend finger scissors) my hair before I dried it. He also approved of my outfit. Quite the little helper.

I thank God for the small gifts He sends...the shower. (The boys are big gifts.)

A couple Kip snippets

2009-05-20T08:32:00.005-05:00

On Monday night we discovered that one of the contestants on the new season of the Bachelorette is named Kiptyn (a.k.a Kip). Will Kiptyn is a total goon on the show? Will he be a good "Kip" representative? According to a comment posted online, he "is the most handsome and nicest person ever!" It reminded me of my friends who work with kids and how they have associations with certain names. Anyway, my favorite toungue in cheek quote about him is: "...because we all know "Kip" would be a better name if it ended with three random consonants" Rock on. I'm so glad we stopped at K-I-P.

Our Kip continues to show his personality. As I've mentioned before, Kip is a talkative baby. He coos, purrs, and "talks" throughout the day. It is quite pleasant and fun to have him interacting so much. However, recently, he discovered his volume control. Here's a clip of Kip from yesterday when he turned 5 months old. (Seriously, 5 months? How?) I'm predicting some fun times ahead!

Muffins with Mom

2009-05-07T20:56:00.004-05:00

Josh's preschool had a Mother's Day program this morning. It was so cute, but a small part of me was preoccupied with figuring out just how we've arrived at the "attending school programs" milestone already.

Josh and his classmates sang songs...

...well, sort of. Josh sings these songs at home but barely cracked his lips open during the actual performance. He did hold up his "September" banner at the right times during the "months of the year" song.

performed a dance with partners...

...Josh was the reluctant partner with one of the twin girls in his class. There was spinning, hand holding, walking, clapping, and knee tapping involved.

...and then the teachers read a description of each mother as described by their child and we guessed which mom they were describing. After your description was read your child gave you a vase that they decorated for you with a picture flower. My goodness, his teachers are so creative and patient. Here's Josh's description of me:

My mom's name is "I don't know." She is 12 years old and has brown eyes and black hair. Her favorite food is apples. I love my mom because she makes macaroni and cheese for me."

So, if you locate Josh's mom, please send her to our house.

The sheet with Josh's description included a drawing of me and he wrote his own name (with the what seems to be signature backward "S".) Not bad for my sweet 3 year old!

The "I love my mom because" part was a bit sad for me actually. We took dairy out of Josh's diet a couple of months ago so mac and cheese is no longer on the menu. Will he still love me? Instead of juggling that difficult question, while Josh was in school today, I went by the new gluten-free/casein-free restaurant in Cedar Park and picked up some non-dairy mac and cheese as a surprise for him. I think I need to find a recipe somewhere.

When their performance was over the moms and kids ate muffins and took pictures together. As I said, it was a sweet time.

Next week Josh has a class picture. What? Mind boggling, isn't it? I'm becoming more and more convinced that Kip shouldn't grow up.

Thanks G-Mommy!

2009-04-27T21:50:00.008-05:00

My mom - a.k.a. G-Mommy - returned home yesterday after staying with us for nine days. She was a big help and a lot of fun.

Thank you, G-Mommy, for getting up with Josh every morning, bringing me roses, driving here and back home, discovering that Kip LOVES roses' fragrance, cleaning the baseboards and everything above them, washing nearly every dish during your entire visit, giving me a break to get my haircut, reminding Josh not to eat his toothpaste, helping get the boys out of the house while the new roof was put on, trying new foods, sitting in the car with the boys while I ran quick errands, your countless HEB runs, reinforcing our rules with Josh, cutting vegetables (including onions) for me to freeze, taking pictures of the boys, cutting-cooking-freezing 10 lbs. of chicken with me the night before we discovered Kip's doesn't tolerate me eating chicken often, entertaining the boys for hours, telling Transformer stories on demand, introducing Kip to the outside swing, and a long list of other things. We are thankful for you!

Love,
B, M, J, & K

Thursday, April 16th

2009-04-16T21:42:00.005-05:00

Nothing fancy, just some pictures from today.