They are both recovering well! The light is at the end of the tunnel now and although we are unsure how long the tunnel is...we at least know there is light at the end of it. I FINALLY got to see my Sis yesterday for a couple of hours and it was wonderful. I can't wait to be able to see her more.
She is tired both physically and emotionally (of course!) but she's getting a bit more sleep and being able to see Baby Boy has certainly helped. She even got to feed him for the first time yesterday! WOWZERS! She was nervous because well...Baby Boy has been sick plus My Sis doesn't have tons of experience with bottle feeding, but she did a fabulous job and Baby Boy loved it. She can't nurse him yet because he still can't be held, he's hooked up to a few lines that enable them from being able to move him much, but hopefully she'll get to soon.

Baby Boy is doing soooooo much better! He came off of the ventilator this past Saturday and his oxygen levels are improving each day. His chest tube came out too so he's just hooked up now through his belly button line and his IV. He has the little oxygen tube under his nose too. The nurses have said that the improvements they'll see over the next couple of days will be big ones. He certainly has already come a long way since Friday! YEA YEA YEA!

So....all good news on the home front! Keep any prayers comin' for continued health improvements, for protection for all family/friends from any other yucky sick/germs out there (don't want to pass anything on to Baby Boy), and a smooth road.

thanks so much for thinking of them!

OH...for more info...go to my sis's blog. She posted a great update today with all sorts of info..AND PHOTOS! :0)
(her blog is over on the left under "my sis's blog"
:0)

Ok, well Wordless Wednesday is late again BUT for the best reason ever...my sis had her baby Wednesday! It was super exciting and I am so thrilled to have a new NEPHEW! My sis started having contractions on Tuesday evening and assumed it was Braxton Hicks so just tried to rest and ignore it. They continued all night though and early Wed. morning she called to say "we're going to the hospital just to get checked out. I'm sure they're Braxton Hicks and they'll send me back home but we're just being safe. I'll call you later." Hmmm...maybe not so much! They scheduled her c-section. A wonderful friend of mine offered to watch my kiddos so I could dash out the door and I RACED to Fredericksburg. I just knew I wouldn't make it in time to see my Sis but I actually got there just in time. She was being wheeled back but I got to see her and tell her how much I love her.
About an hour later a GORGEOUS baby BOY was brought into the nursery where we could watch him through the windows. Oh he looked fabulous and just so stinkin' cute! He has really light blonde hair and a perfect little head...well, you can see for yourself how perfect he is. :0)



He had some problems breathing and unfortunately had to be flown off to San Antonio so he could get the care he needs. That wouldn't be too bad except my Sis just had her 6th c-section so she wasn't going anywhere. She is recovering in Fredericksburg while little Baby Boy also heals in San Antonio. Baby Boy is doing well, getting fabulous care and trying his best to recover. He has some lung issues that they are working through and he has been put on a ventilator but that will help his body be able to strengthen and heal.

Right now I am just ACHING to be with my sister. My family has been fighting some sort of bad cold with sore throats plus I am taking care of Gab...so I'm unable to be with my sis until tomorrow...given that I am completely well and will probably wear a mask while I am with her. I just hate not being there with her. I want to be holding her hand the ENTIRE TIME, laying next to her, taking her walks around the hospital, ETC. That's what I am supposed to be doing and want to be doing. Ughh. I can't even go see Baby Boy! I am stuck. So...I'll concentrate on getting well and taking care of my home so then I can jet as soon as I have a green light. :0)

So..prayers please. Prayers that Baby Boy's lungs heal, strengthen, and work on their own. Prayer for my Sis's healing...that it is complete, strong, and quick. Prayers that my Sis and BIL can feel our heavenly father's comfort, love, and strength. That they can be sad and go through emotions necessary but know that He is with them...all of them.

more later!
:0)

Ok, so Caleb has been known as THE "Mud Magnet" for YEARS now. I know that almost all little boys enjoy getting dirty: playing in mud, having fun in sand, exploring the outdoors... Caleb though has always seemed to truly relish these things. He isn't always the easiest child to entertain nor does he like to play alone very often..BUT.. if there is dirt and a water source nearby...he can have fun for hours!
In our backyard there are many bare spots, ok..when I say bare spots, I'm not referring to a lack of GRASS because most of our yard is lacking in grass, heck we don't really have grass in our backyard at all, it's the weeds that are thriving BUT there are a few areas that have not been overgrown with weeds. It is at these areas that if you see them as a sort of portal to paradise (as Caleb does)...then with just the simple ingredient of water..pure bliss is achieved.
An area such as this has been found/made at the base of our slide. After being pounded MANY times by little feet completing their downward course, the grass (and weeds) have been killed and simply can't regrow under such circumstances/punishment. It was like a little light bulb went off in Caleb's head the other day as he went down the slide and then paused at the bottom, looked down at that bare earth and pondered its possibilities. A glow started to spread across his face. Grabbing Eli's nearby water bowl, he dumped its contents onto this dirt patch. His smile quickly emerged. That same smile grew exponentially as he eyed a nearby empty Gatorade jug and then the outdoor water faucet. AHHHH...the wheels were turning quickly as he jumped up in excitement and headed for the faucet. He filled and emptied the jug probably 4 times before testing out his new puddle of pleasure...and it was perfect.


Oh...and did I mention Caleb was naked for all of this? Pretty much Caleb being naked is just as common and well known as Caleb enjoying mud. As his mom I must admit... when the mud is a factor, I welcome the nakedness. It simply makes things much easier for me. :0)






In the past Caleb's play times in mud have always been just that. This time though he took it to a new level. He is getting older and his imagination is growing with him. SO...this time he decided that he had become and Indian...he saw the mud now as war paint and applied it liberally on his face and body. He ran around the yard hollering and having a grand time.




His sister had been watching all of this and had stayed pretty far away from it all. She didn't care to get involved in this sort of fun and was happy that Caleb had seemed to forget all together that she was even there. Well...except for the naked part. As soon as someone takes off a piece of clothing, Georgia takes that as a green light for her to do the same. So she was naked but that was as far as she was going with her brother's idea of "fun" in the mud. Georgia truly detests water so as soon as the faucet had come on, she had retreated to the playhouse on the other side of the yard.




As time went on though, Georgia decided that this must be fun...Caleb sure was having fun and since the water had been turned off, she decided to try it out. She didn't want to go near the large puddle but she did find a few dirt spots of her own to try.




She even decided to throw in a few other textures and added sand to her body art.



Caleb thought all of this was great. Not only was he having the time of his life but he was gaining ground on developing his little apprentice. His encouragement and praise was unending, energetic, and heartfelt and it seemed to really add to his fun.

As the mom and photographer sitting back and hiding behind the camera...I couldn't get enough of it all. They had SO much fun and times like these are some of my FAVORITE things about warmer weather. To see your kids really enjoy themselves...a no-holds-bar sort of joy that you get to witness and savor, isn't it the greatest? When you can find it in your own backyard... and it's FREE!...ahhh...what could be better?

I mean really...have you ever seen my boy look so HAPPY?




I'm sure there will be many more days like this in the upcoming months. There have been plenty in the past and he only seems to enjoy it more and more each year.

:0)
for now...bye bye!

(Can't ya' already envision the scrapbook layout coming from this!!!)

Caleb's first trip to the dentist. He did BETTER than I could even have dreamed! NOTHING bothered him! YEA! :0)

Ok, ok...I really did intend to do the wordless Wednesdays..pretty much every Wednesday. But here's the thing~ I haven't had internet on MY computer for over a week and a half! For real! I had it on Brandon's and on the laptop but couldn't get it working on the computer in my room...which of course is the one with the photos downloaded on and the camera software, etc. SO it didn't happen. BUT I am here today and going to post the photos that should have been posted last Wednesday AND will also post AGAIN tomorrow with photos from yesterday and today (I have to get yesterday's from my sis first!)
Alrighty..last Wednesday's:

I think the volume in my home right now is probably reaching staggering heights. There are five kids here currently, the oldest is Caleb at 4.5 years. There are 3 boys and 2 girls...2 two year old girls. I took the time to google "loudness" and learned:

The perception of loudness is related to both the intensity and duration of a sound. Loudness is also affected by frequency.

Hmmm...all of those seem about right and indicate that indeed the loudness in my home right now is of epic proportions. At this EXACT moment: Caleb is hysterical because he just hurt himself and is now running to the bathroom to check for blood (and screaming the whole way there), Georgia and Gabriella are SHRIEKING in delight as they roll over the big hopper ball and land on their heads. Daniel (one of the friends over tonight) is "ROOOARING" at his baby brother. And just to not be left out, Eli is crying at the back door out of sadness in being left out of the fun/chaos.

The sounds change constantly: Caleb is back to having fun after finding no blood trail so now he is yelling in response to Daniel's roaring. Georgia has decided to forgo the friendliness and fight with Gabriella over the toy caterpillar..both of them now screaming at the top of their girlie lungs.
Ahhh... childhood..everything is so fleeting. Happiness, disappointment, heck~everything!

I LOVE that I can tune all of this out. I hear none of it as I happily type on the computer, search through the internet, or even read a new novel. Ok so I HEAR it but listen to none of it.
Ahhh..parenthood~ learning what battles require your attention, what various shrieks mean, and how to ignore it all in order to find just a few minutes to yourself (even though you certainly are not alone).

:0)