Nature Walks

The greenbelt is beautiful again this time of year, and the boys and I took TWO nature walks yesterday!  Benjamin was sure to bring his binoculars to identify various types of butterflies and birds.  Sawyer was very cooperative, riding in the baby Bjorn carrier for the first walk, and riding in the Bob stroller for the second.

On the afternoon walk, Evan took his scooter and Benjamin took a walking stick.  As predicted, the scooter, walking stick, and helmet all ended up being carried by me on the Bob half way through the walk. Unfortunately,we did not expect to be swarmed by mosquitoes on the trail, so we had to find an alternative way home.  The boys were good sports through it all, and I was impressed with how far they walked.  On our way back, Benjamin saw a skeleton of a deer.  He was very excited and noted that it was the first "real" skeleton he had seen aside from dinosaur skeletons in books. He later said, "Mommy, that skeleton was so cool, I can't stop thinking about it".  He took a picture of it and we sent it to Papa for identification.  

We are truly blessed to have this beautiful land behind our house.  It is one of the things that makes it very difficult to think of ever moving.

Easter

I'm a little late in posting this, but you know what they say ;)  This was the third Easter that the two boys have been able to participate in the Easter egg hunt in our yard.  As usual, it was so exciting for them.  This year it went by so quickly that we hardly had time to experience it.  The six adults followed the two children around the yard taking pictures for what seemed like only a few minutes.  I'm thinking next year the Easter Bunny needs to get a little more clever when hiding those eggs.  It also occurs to me that next year, that bunny will have to bring more eggs.  This time for 3 little boys!

Who is ready for an egg hung?!

 I'll be first!

 I've got to find more!

Its mine!

On to the next

 Yes, another one!

I wonder if there are more?

 After the Hunt

  

The proud hunters

Spoils of the hunt

Future hunter

Utter Glee

Blast Off!

Lance and I have had Regents School of Austin on our radar for several years now.  For a long time we debated where to send our children to school, be it private or public.  When we bought this house we were not thinking about schools, which was probably not the smartest thing....  Had good public schools been on the top of the list we probably would be living in Westlake in an old 1960's home, or in Circle C.  These are both great areas for raising kids, but I am so glad that we live here in Sunset Valley!

God works in amazing ways, and I think that putting us in a place where the public schools were less than ideal led us to seek out private schools, which eventually led us to Regents.  But when we first got thinking about private school we had not even heard of Regents yet.  I remember when Benjamin was just a baby, Lance and I went to an open house at the Montessori school.  It seemed like a good prospect, since both of our neighbors' kids went there  and, oh yeah, it was in WALKING distance from our home!  It was pretty evident right away that this would not be a good fit for us.  We knew that their policy of no "screen time" until age 7 would not work for our family.  We certainly don't park the kids in front of the television for hours but, come on, we like our television!  I was also not very impressed with their belief that we should not praise our children for fear of ruining their self-esteem.

God had a plan for us all along.  When Evan was about 8 months old we joined a life group at Austin Ridge.  At first we were taken back and felt like outsiders when we found that ALL of the couples in the group had some connection to Regents, whether parents of Regents students, or teachers themselves.  In fact, our life group then accounted for a total of 8 Regents students and 3 Regents teachers.  Lance and I wondered if we were in the wrong group and I felt that familiar sense of not belonging.  But something was different this time.  I felt a sense that God wanted us to stay with this group, that he had a plan that we were not aware of.  Keep in mind, Lance and I were still pretty much "Baby Christians" at this point so this was a big revelation for us.

After hearing so many great things about Regents, and seeing what a community it was, Lance and I knew it was the place for us.  Not just for our children, but for our family.  We started the application process in the Spring of last year, which seemed to impress the admissions officer that I worked with.  We went on a tour, went to an open house, took Benjamin to an evaluation, had an interview, and sat in on a class.  Throughout that process it was more and more clear that this place was AMAZING!  We just felt an overwhelming sense of wanting to go back in time and attend Regents ourselves.  What a dream that our kids could go to this school from Kindergarten through 12th and learn about God the whole time.

A few weeks ago on a Friday night, I headed to the mailbox with my heart pounding. It felt just like those times that I waited for acceptance letters from college, except somehow it seemed even more important.  I opened the box and saw a large manilla envelope and just knew what it was.  My heart soared.  I brought it in and Lance and I opened it.  Halleluja!  We hugged and cried as the boys slept upstairs.  We knew that this was just the beginning of something big, something that we would all be a part of for 18 years to come!  Thank you God for knowing what was best for us before we did! Thank you for your infinite blessings!

Here are some pictures of the acceptance letter and our reaction.  It was just perfect that the head of the school drew a rocket to symbolize the start of Benjamin's life at Regents.  It symbolizes the beginning of so many things:  our first child's first days of school, the beginning of his education, the beginning of our lives as members of a community of Christians, and I pray the beginning of something very special indeed!

Yes I know that the above pic is not very good, that we look like *&*^%, and that there is a spec of food in my teeth.  But, please try to focus on the look of pride and excitement on our faces.

The Date

We decided to take Evan on a "date" like we did with Benjamin last summer.  The poor guy has hardly had any time by himself with mommy and daddy.  Benjamin has always been there, and now Sawyer.  Its amazing how different it felt to go out to dinner with just Evan.  He really soaked up all of the attention.  First we went to Chuy's on Barton Springs.  We thought it would be a good idea since he already likes Chuy's and this location was closer to Peter Pan Mini Golf.  There was a fish tank there that he seemed to enjoy, and requested that I hold him up to see it at several points throughout the meal.  

Next we headed to find some ice cream.  I recalled a frozen custard place on Barton Springs from when I was growing up and we called to find out exactly where it was located.  I asked if they served frozen custard and the guy said no, just ice cream.  Well he must have been really clueless because it turns out that the name of the place is Sandy's Frozen Custard!  Anyway, we ended up at a food trailer that served frozen yogurt.  They only had two varieties, Lychee and Tart.  Evan chose Tart and had it topped with animal crackers and chocolate syrup.  It was a good time, but we could have done without being swarmed by bees!

Finally we stopped in for a round of mini golf.  I had forgotten that weekend evenings there are popular with a young adult crowd who take full advantage of the BYOB policy.  Luckily it was all pretty tame and nobody was acting unruly.  Evan was enthusiastic about the golf but seemed to have difficulty following my instruction to hold the club down while he walked around.  I kept worrying he would hit someone.  Also, he putted as though he was going for a line drive out on the open course.  I'm not sure where he got that from but it sure was scary!  At one point he sent a ball flying onto another course.  At least it provided some excitement for the other patrons.

Evan was a charming and adorable date.  I hope Lance and I follow through and take the boys on dates for years to come.  It is so nice just focusing on one for a while and gives us a glimpse into what life might have been like had we been "One and Done" (although I'm so glad we weren't!)

On The Move

Sawyer is 9 months old now and I can't believe I haven't posted an update on him yet.  Just like his brothers, Sawyer started crawling right before he turned 9 months.  He has been trying to crawl for a couple of months now, and has been able to move forward towards objects for several weeks.  At this point, Sawyer is going full steam ahead.  I am very proud of my little guy!  He is just months away from running around with his big brothers, and then it will be a TRIPLE THREAT!!  Dear Lord please have mercy on this mother of 3!

Sawyer really got going yesterday.  I put him down in the bedroom and ran into the kitchen to get something.  The next thing I knew he was trying to climb up the stairs to follow Benjamin.  Since he figured that he can pull up on things, he has already done so multiple times.  The world is now open to this little guy and we need to get out the baby gates and cover the rest of those outlet plugs!

Sawyer is still not a big fan of puffs.  Its funny because most of them end up in his high chair.  When I pick him up they are often stuck to his butt.  This phenomenon, coupled with his previous tendency to scoot along the floor, led to a recent nickname of "Scooter Puffbutt".  Although a great nickname, I guess he has already grown out of the first part of it.  

Of course, everyone likes to comment on his hair.  It never really seemed that big of a deal to me, but he has gotten so many compliments on his flyaway do.  I've tried to comb it down with gel, but that never really seems to work.  Besides, it is getting much more difficult now that his hair is longer.  Its not really a problem though.  After all, it makes him unique!

Our Beloved Evan

Evan is our beloved middle child.  He was once the baby, but Sawyer came along and took that place in the family.  Truthfully, Evan will always be our baby, our sweet little boy.  The moment that he was born is so clearly etched in my mind.  He immediately peed when they took him out, and that's how we found out he was a boy!  When they showed him to me I was overcome with how beautiful he was, just how incredibly perfect!  He made us a family of four and provided Benjamin with the best friend a boy could have.  He could not be any more important to our family.

Evan was an easy baby, so easy that it might have led to our decision to have a third child!  He slept like a dream, providing mommy with so much needed rest.  As Evan's personality emerged it became clear that he would be HILARIOUS!  Yes, our Evan is a comedian in the making.  The funny looks and the nonsensical words crack us up on a regular basis.  One thing that he has done lately was exclaim, "What the heck!", in such a funny way with his hands out to the side and a silly look on his face.  He has added so much more fun and joy to our lives.

Evan enjoys playing by himself, narrating quietly as he plays with his cars and planes.  He has always been drawn toward books from a very early age.  He is sweet and never fights with other kids (except for Benjamin!).  I feel that he has a generous spirit, as I have noticed that many times he will freely give Benjamin something of his when asked or not.

It has been clear that Evan will have a very strong verbal ability.  He said his first word, "duck", at nine months and demonstrated extraordinarily clear speech at a very young age.  Today he repeats very complicated words with clarity and ease.  He likes music and dancing, and I believe he will have a strong interest in music as he grows.

Now that Evan has turned 3, his personality is really starting to emerge.  He is becoming more relationship oriented, and really wants a lot of our attention.  Evan is also becoming more bold in asking for what he needs.  I have been working hard to give it to him despite having another, younger baby in the house.  Lately we have noticed that part of Evan wants to be a baby again.  Sometimes he wants to be a real baby, and sometimes he wants to be a baby dog.  I think the baby dog is a safer way for him to feel like a baby again.  

I think one thing that really sums up this post about Evan is that I am just thrilled beyond measure to be his mommy!

Thankful

It was just one week ago, and I still can't believe that it even  happened.  Sawyer had a mild runny nose last week, and I felt sure that it was clearing up.  Last Sunday night he woke up every 15-20 minutes crying and nothing could calm him down.  He was so exhausted.  Lance and I would go in and pick him up, rock him, try to give him a bottle, but nothing seemed to work.  I would put him back in bed and he would fall asleep for 15-20 minutes, and the whole cycle would repeat ALL. NIGHT. LONG.  I kept thinking for sure that he would eventually fall asleep for several hours, but he did not.  That is how I knew that we would have to take him to the doctor in the morning.  When I woke up (after sleeping for an hour), I saw that he was having labored breathing so I took him right away.

When we got to the doctor's office, I was thinking that she would not be able to help and would tell us that we should just wait for it to go away.  Doctor Hamilton was immediately concerned and they measured the oxygen level in his blood.  It was in the low 80's, which she said meant that he must go to the hospital right away, in an ambulance.  I couldn't believe it! Ambulance?!  It was an EMERGENCY?!  I texted Amma and Lance and told them to meet us at Dell Childrens' Hospital.  Meanwhile, Doctor Hamilton was trying to get her oxygen tank to work so Sawyer could get air while we waited for the ambulance.  It wasn't working.  She decided that we should run over to the local emergency center, which was right next to her office.  On our way over there I was carrying Sawyer in my arms.  He looked pale.  I remember him looking up at me as if to see read the emotion from my face.  I was tearing up, but otherwise I felt very numb.  I was in shock.


Sawyer in the ambulance:

Once we arrived at the emergency center there was some confusion about whether we needed to check in first.  I will always remember doctor Hamilton insisting that they just give him the oxygen right away.  I couldn't believe they were asking us to follow procedure first.  Thankfully the ambulance arrived before they treated him.  The paramedics immediately gave Sawyer the oxygen and I knew right away that he would likely be okay.  His color came back and he seemed more alert.  They measured his oxygen level in the upper 90's.  What a relief!  Those moments of waiting were painful, I felt as though I could not breathe until Sawyer got what he needed.  The paramedics helped to put us at ease as they asked us questions and even showed Sawyer an Elmo video on one of their phones.  Since he was able to breathe, they did not hurry to the hospital but drove at a normal speed without the sirens.  It seemed like a very long drive, and I was still in a state of shock for most of the way.

When we finally got there we entered the emergency room and the doctors came to treat Sawyer.  He was put on a hospital bed and hooked up with tubes to his nose and an IV.  He was mostly calm but, of course, he cried when they put in the IV.  The nurse brought a soothing music machine and he was able to drink a bottle to calm him down.  Lance, Amma, and Papa arrived and were able to provide us both with support.  The doctors took a sample of his blood to test for RSV, and I went with Sawyer to take X rays of his chest to see if there was any Pneumonia.  That part was particularly difficult because they put him on a special table that was designed to keep him still and I could not be next to him.  He had to put his arms up in the air while stabilizers were next to his chest.  The poor guy wailed through that procedure and I really could not blame him for being terrified.  

When we got back to his room I lied down on the bed and held Sawyer for the rest of the time that we were in there.  The doctor came back and said that there was a small amount of Pneumonia in his left lung and that there was no RSV.  The course of treatment was to give him breathing treatments with Albuterol, continue the oxygen, give him steroids to reduce the inflammation in his lungs, and continue fluids through the IV.  We were soon admitted to the hospital and moved to a room on another floor.  They were able to move us together as I held him.  That was an interesting experience, being carted on a hospital bed through the hallways with my baby.  It of course reminded me of being at the hospital when my babies were born and being carted through the halls before and after my surgeries.  I immediately felt queasy.  

While Sawyer had been stabilized, he still was not out of the woods.  Before he got his next breathing treatment, he was really laboring to breathe.  His doctor cautioned that he might need to be moved to another floor for more support if he could not make it between breathing treatments.  As he cried and struggled, Amma and I took turns holding him and comforting him.  It was so helpful to have my parents there, especially because Lance and I had gotten little sleep.  We were also grateful to Granmom and Grandad for keeping Benjamin and Evan, and providing them entertainment to distract them.  We would later get texts from them, showing us pictures of the boys having a picnic that afternoon.

The first evening we were there Sawyer really started to look better.  They had to keep us for two nights because he was still laboring on the second day.  The breathing treatments came every 3 or 4 hours, and the nurse frequently suctioned his nose to help him breathe.  Of course, he hated both of those procedures and I can't count the number of times we assured him, "its okay baby, its okay".  The nurses and doctors were great, and I am so glad that we were in a childrens' hospital, as well as a teaching hospital.  We had excellent care and an entire team of med students, interns, nurses, and a supervising physician were monitoring our baby.  

It was absolutely no fun staying in the hospital those two nights, as people kept coming in the room every time we fell asleep and it was still so hard to see Sawyer hooked up to tubes.  The monitors were constantly beeping because the tubes would be bent and the blood oxygen level could not be accurately read.  I missed my little boys so much and felt awful that they must be worried on some level but not able to understand what was going on.  When we were released I felt such relief and I was so happy to come home to see Benjamin and Evan. 

 It took a couple of days, but things gradually went back to normal.  I had tons of laundry to catch up with and we had to continue the breathing treatments for Sawyer.  Every time we gave him a treatment he became hyperactive due to the Albuterol.  It was sometimes entertaining because he learned to scream and roll over multiple times across the floor.

Throughout the whole experience I was just feeling so close to God.  From the time when doctor Hamilton told me that Sawyer had to go to the hospital until we actually got there, I did not stop focusing on God's presence.  I just felt him there and knew he was at work in our lives, in control.  That sense definitely kept me from panicking and allowed me to stay calm and focused on calming Sawyer.  The first night at the hospital I just kept thanking God for protecting Sawyer and for being such a loving God.  Sawyer's sickness happened to coincide with a spiritual renewal and deepening for me.  Just the day before I had been affected by a sermon on Ephesians regarding how much God loves us.  I am still trying to process the meaning of all of this, as I know it is interconnected.  For now I will just be thankful, so very thankful that we have this precious gift, our little Sawyer.