River Take 4!!

Well this was last and final call for the river...we have officially pulled our camper home for the winter :(  It doesn't seem possible that we have only gotten to the river four times, but it has been so much fun while it lasted!  This weekend we actually even got to spend it with Ethan and Bennett.  Mom decided that before the summer was over she wanted to get the two of them up to the river to do some fishing.  She didn't know how it would go with them since they aren't away from home very often so she only committed to one night.  I wanted to be in church tomorrow so we decided to do the same.  I felt really bad that Austin wasn't here with us on our last weekend but he might get to come up again with my mom and dad.  I guess the ride here wasn't too great with the two boys.  Ethan gets really car sick so he kept saying how he was never going fishing again.  Bennett kept asking to go home.  My mom wasn't sure if they were going to be ok but when it was time to go home today they were really ready to stay longer! 

Here is some explanation of the pictures:
Adah is the first one; then Bennett, Kez and Adah sitting on my parents' step; Bennett taking a walk; Kezzie, Ethan and Bennett burning sticks by the fire (we had a fire going pretty much the whole time we were there because it was pretty chilly); Leora, Ethan and Kezzie playing in Perry's boat; below that one is my Grandma Smith fishing with three of her great-grand kids (Ethan, Bennett and Kez); next row is Adah hanging with my uncle Perry; Kezzie on her bike (I brought enough bikes so all the kids could have one to ride if we went on a walk); Bennett in Perry's boat; Arianna sitting snug in a little lawn chair; Bennett, Kezzie and Ethan 'playing' with the fire and having so much fun; my little fishing girl Kez; next row is my Aunt Cindy and Uncle Perry kayaking with their new kayaks; my Grandma Smith fishing with Ethan off the dock; Rylan hanging out on his bike; Ethan with all of the fish he caught when Uncle Gary took him out in the boat fishing (his smallest was just a couple inches but he had some pretty big keepers too); Adah hanging out on her bike; and the last one is Gary and Ethan going out fishing in the boat!

I mentioned going on a walk with bikes.  When we got there yesterday it was pretty cold and we were already looking for something to do with all the kids.  I got out all our bikes and we decided to go on a short walk/ride.  We didn't get very far and Ethan got stuck on the bike he was riding so he got frustrated and abandoned the bike, Bennett decided he didn't want to ride since Ethan wasn't so my mom was trying to push/carry two bikes!  We weren't sure we were every doing that again!  We did end up trying it again today and they did great (aside from Keziah's chain coming off her bike).  We took a much longer walk and Ethan decided from the start that he was just going to walk.  Today the weather was much more manageable.  But both yesterday and today we had a fire going pretty much all the time.  It was super relaxing and the kids enjoyed gathering sticks to help keep it going.  Last night Ethan and Bennett and Keziah all snuggled in the living room of mom and dad's camper and watched The Bee Movie.  I tried to get a picture but my camera was completely dead.  Ethan was on the couch and Bennett and Kez were all snuggled in blankets on a cot on the floor.  It was so sweet!  After we got the three of them to bed we sat by the fire some more.  I am going to miss the river this year!  It was just too short!  I guess I will be more than ready when next year comes!!

There is a funny story to go with these pictures before I go...this isn't the first time Adah has done this so I had to share!  The picture to the right is a toy my mom got at a garage sale in a baggie with a bunch of other little toys.  Adah plays with it like it's a toy but has twice now all of the sudden set it on the floor, opened it up and started pulling her pants down as if she is actually going to use it as a potty.  This picture to the left is her urgently needing to pee and thinking she is going to go in this toy!  Silly silly girl!  I guess camping with porter-potties has made her think anything with a lid can hold pee!

Bennett is 3!

After leaving Dubuque Saturday afternoon we came straight to Bennett's 3rd birthday celebration!  He is such a sweet little boy and it's so much fun to watch him grow!  He is getting bigger and learning right along with his peers!  He is a talker and a screamer!  He has a very opinionated personality!  He is much braver than many kids and very determined to do things!  We love Bennett so much and are so thankful to have him as a part of our family!  Happy Birthday Buddy!

Cousin's Day!!!

Today was a great day!  My mom is on spring break this week so she took a day to spend with me and four of her grand kids.  First we met at the Phelps Pavilion in Waterloo.  We spent a pretty big chunk of time there and even ate lunch in their cafeteria.  Since it was spring break week they were have $1 specials on everything. Admission was $1 and food was also.  It was a pretty inexpensive morning.  After lunch we went on to the grout museum where it was just plain hot and crowded.  The kids were tired too so that didn't help but we made the best of it and still managed to enjoy it quite a bit.  The littlest ones were getting very tired so we went to mom and dad's and put them down for a nap.  Ethan got to stay up and hang out with grandma and I and play some games on the computer!  It was a special day for all of us.

Sunday Sweeties!

Aren't these kids just adorable? Little Alanna is approaching 1 month old. She is still struggling with a little bit of jaundice and her hemoglobin level is still dropping slightly (this means she may end up having a blood transfusion if it gets too low). Sundays are always so much fun when it's spent with family! Kezzie especially enjoys these special times with her cousins!

Alanna Rae is Here!

What a fun and exciting weekend. We got home on Thursday morning from the river and were only home for the night before getting a phone call at 2am from Emily saying that her water broke. She had plans for the boys for that night to go to their babysitters house so they didn't need anybody at the house right away but didn't know what they were going to do with the boys for the weekend. Since mom was held up in Iowa City with my dad having surgery, she wasn't available to be with the boys. So I had the privilege of hanging out with them all weekend. There would be way more photos too except my camera battery died so this is what I got! We had so much fun! My mom slept at Emily and Adam's since she needed somewhere to sleep so she had to go back and forth between IC and Independence (so she was there a little in the evenings and in the mornings). That was a huge help! We are so thankful that she had safe travels going back and forth all the times that she did. Friday, after my dad came out of recovery, mom gave hugs and kisses and then headed to Adam and Emily's for the night. Once she arrived, we fed the kids supper and all hopped in the car to go to the hospital. The boys were so excited to meet their new baby sister! We didn't stay long since with us came a lot of chaos with that many kids! Brian met us there and then drove on to Independence to stay the night. On Saturday we played all day long! Mom wanted to get back to dad right away in the morning so she had to leave. And Brian left at about the same time too (he wanted to go home to golf). Saturday night I got all the kids baths and in bed-definitely not a small feat! I gave Ethan, Bennett and Keziah one all together (another great photo op:(). They were having so much fun I felt bad making them get out. When they were all dressed and in bed I bathed Adah (who was incredibly tired and hungry but patiently waiting with Austin until I could help her). Austin was such a big help all the time too. Ethan adores Austin so he came in handy when Ethan woke up from his Saturday nap missing his mommy and daddy a bunch. He was also a huge help with Adah. If I was busy helping the other three with a meal or something, Austin would keep Adah company or at least watch her while she played on the floor.

I didn't think mom was going to be coming back Saturday since dad was begging to get out of the hospital, but they couldn't get his pain under control so they told him he needed to stay another night. So once again mom made the drive back to Independence. She got back just in time to walk in the kitchen and start doing dishes and cleaning with me. We also wanted to put together some kind of dish for super on Sunday once they all got home from the hospital. It was another long day for mom! But we treated ourselves with some ice cream from DQ! Sunday was a great day too. We got up and started planning for Alanna's arrival. The kids all got really excited to decorate letters spelling out a welcome home for Alanna (I wish I could have gotten a picture of it!). Mom left shortly after banana chocolate chip pancakes (delicious)! Brian went to church in the morning and then came to Independence to welcome Alanna home and get another glimpse at her. Emily and Adam and Alanna arrived home about 2pm. All the kids were taking naps so I got to have Alanna all to myself for a little bit! What a sweet and precious gift from God. Babies are so amazing!

My kids did great too. I was very impressed with how well they all played together. Ethan and Kezzie tend to work against each other but this weekend they got along so well! I was particularly impressed with how well we all did sleeping in the same room. The only bad habit we have brought home from there is Kezzie insists the door not be closed all the way at nap and bed time (being in a strange place, I never closed the door all the way the whole time we were there). It's one of her favorite phrases now when it comes close to time to go to bed, 'don't close the door all the way?!'

Bennett Turned 2!!

Bennett turned 2 today. He is such a doll and growing so much! Emily and Adam did a mallard duck theme since he is so into ducks. I designed the invitations again which is always such a pleasure for me to do! The cake was adorable and very yummy too! I think Ethan did more of the blowing out the candle then Benne though! It was great to see Adams family too. It's hard to believe that it's been two years since he was born. Oh how time flies!

Please pray...

Yesterday Emily had her ultrasound. The news was heartbreaking. It turns out that the baby isn't developing like it should. It is similar to Bennett but worse. The limbs are about 2-3weeks behind already and are starting to curve, there is fluid around the heart, and one of the ventricles in the brain is enlarged. Emily will have another ultrasound next month. Please pray for peace and comfort. Pray that God will overwhelm them with love and that they will just know that God is in control. Bennett is such a miracle and is it wrong for me to think they are deserving of another one? I will keep quiet about the sex of the baby until I am given the ok to announce that...it's definitely something to celebrate!
It wasn't just a couple hours later that my mom called me after talking to Emily. I thought she was just calling to talk to me about the news of the baby. It turned out she had news of her own. She was at Allen with my dad. He had been having heaviness in his chest all day and decided to stop at the doctors office on his way home from work to make an appointment instead of calling. They wouldn't let him leave and instead took him by ambulance to Allen. After spending the night and doing an Angiogram this morning, they decided to put in 3 stints. I asked my dad how blocked he was to which he responded, 'almost 100% in several places'. Praise God that he didn't have a massive heart attack. Just pray for continued healing and restored life. Pray that he will be able to be strong in changing his eating habits since this is going to be quite a lifestyle change for him. And pray that he will live many many more years!
And a word of PRAISE...
Bennett's surgery went very well. I had mentioned in a previous post that Bennett was having surgery this morning. He had a hernia in his testicle allowing the small bowel to go down into it. I guess this is pretty common and easily fixed. He had to be put under for it but was in and out in under 35 minutes. The day couldn't have gone smoother. He was able to rest in Emily's arms for what would normally be his morning rest time. They were able to get in the car and home by his usual lunch time and he was able to be in his own bed for his usual afternoon nap. He is doing great and as Adam says 'he is running on all eight cylinders!'. Praise God!

Bennett James!!!

I am so proud of Bennett I just had to post about this! He has been passed at physical therapy-completely. They said they don't need to see him anymore! What a miracle Bennett is. He constantly is a reminder to me that God loves and cares so much for each of us! I just watch him on Sundays when we are all together and I am AMAZED at him. He is walking and talking and even has that lovely two year old temper! Which by the way he is turning TWO next month! He is such a cutie. Not to mention his shirt. It says My Peeps on it and has three bunny peeps on it (for Easter). My sister works with a girl that makes these and sells them on etsy.com. Too cute!!

Sunday Funday!

Today we got together as a family again. I promise I won't post every time we get together when we are doing it more often. I had to post some much need recent photos of Rylan and the kids had so much fun playing together so it was hard not to include pictures of that too! Rylan is now a little over 2 months old. He is starting to coo and smiles at you when you talk to him. He is getting so big! Kezzie and Ethan and Austin played doctor with the play doctor set. Kezzie went around giving everyone shots and taking their blood pressure. She also got a kick out of 'listening' to people's heart beats! Austin and Ethan had fun playing in tubs! Bennett is getting so big too. He is walking behind a walker and has mastered the art of going down stairs bottom first (before he would gracefully go head first). I know it won't be much longer and he will be taking his first steps. I can't believe how strong he is getting! What a fun Sunday we had together! That is one thing about Winter I am looking forward to...being together on Sundays again!

My Two Youngest Nephews!

My side of the family finally had a Sunday where we were all together again. Summer has been really busy so it has been rare to see each other. While we are blessed to be close enough to each other to have this opportunity, it just hasn't worked out for several weeks. What a great time we had together! Here are a couple pics of my youngest nephews, Bennett and Rylan! Bennett is getting so big and doing such a great job with his skills. He is starting to walk if he is holding your hands and will cruise around a table by himself. He loves trying to put lids on and putting things inside containers. When he concentrates or is nervous he tends to suck on his upper lip! Here is a picture of Austin and Bennett playing with Austin's Flart (don't ask, it's some gross slimy stuff)! Rylan is getting bigger and soon approaching his one month mark...it's so hard to believe!

Ethan turns 3!!

Ethan turned three on 8-7-09 but we celebrated his birthday today. I cannot believe he is already three! Time is flying by! He is such a brilliant little boy, so shy and timid. I love his personality! At his party there was a truck theme. Emily put his mud pie dessert in the back of his big dump truck with gummy worms sticking out of it. We had a very delicious dinner of meatballs and cheesy hash browns along with a few other tasty sides. There was a stubborn pinata that even Kezzie took a crack at trying to break open. I think Austin got the first piece of candy to fall with his mighty swing! Ethan got some great gifts. We got him a fishing pole and chalkboard book. Austin went through his millions of cars and took out a gallon sized bag full of cars to give Ethan for his birthday. Ethan's eyes lit up when he saw them and I think as soon as he was done opening gifts he went in the kitchen and dumped them all out to play. It was a really great time and fun to see Adam's family members again too. I even got to hold baby Rylan for a good portion of the time we were there! Happy Birthday Ethan! I love you buddy!

Bennett turned ONE!!!

Emily asked if I would design Bennett's first birthday invites...this is what I came up with. I think they turned out pretty nice!

We had a blast at Bennett's first birthday party. It is so amazing that we are looking at a year gone by with this little guy in our lives! For those of you who know my family and Bennett's miracle story and for those of you who don't, I am going to post a story about his history to give you an idea/reminder of how special this little blessed one is in our lives! First here's a run-by on how the party went...

It got started around 3:30 with lots of playing and talking. There were a lot of kids there. Cousins, and daycare friends along with aunts and uncles and grandmas and grandpas! And let's not forget Bennett's favorite people-his mom, dad, and big brother Ethan! We all crowded in downstairs to open gifts. Bennett got a wide variety of toys, pj's and clothes. We then headed back upstairs for dinner. Emily and Adam made spaghetti pie and ravioli along with a pear salad and snicker/apple salad. It was all so delicious! To top it off we had cake and ice cream. It was fun to watch Bennett with his first taste of real sugar. He LOVED it! Kezzie even snuck in there to get a taste secretly! One of Bennett's favorite things to do was play catch with the balloons. He is actually really good at catching it and then bopping it and giggled every time! He is such a joy! Here is the cake Emily decorated for Bennett. It turned out so awesome! I couldn't be prouder!

Adam is helping Benne open his gift from us...Bennett so cute in his outfit!

Balloons were a huge hit for all the kids. At one point, Ethan had almost all the long balloons in his arms at once!
Bennett just sat there amazed that everyone was singing to him. It was adorable. He just listened with big eyes!

Time to dig in! He enjoyed it very much!

We thank God so much for Bennett being here today! We pray for many more birthdays to come!

Bennett's Genetics Appointment

I think it is just easier to post what Emily wrote on their blog about Bennett's appointment. I don't understand everything that she writes about and probably couldn't get the verbage right if I tried so here is how it went...
On Tuesday we went back to U of Iowa Hospitals to follow up with the genetics department for Bennett. They measured his arm span and length again. The doctor that we met with feels that Bennett is still displaying some shortening in both his arms and legs. They took his blood to see if his growth hormones are at the right levels. They also took his blood to do a more in-depth study of his chromosomes. We won't get the first results back for a couple of weeks and the chromosome test takes 6 weeks. She made it clear today, I think, that we could be facing some sort of syndrome or skeletal dysplasia in Bennett. She also noticed that he only has a single crease in his hands which could be a sign of a disorder as well. We will have an x-ray of his bones done through St. Luke's soon and they will also look at his bone-age at that time. They are considering sending off all of the information to that Dr. they sent to before- they took pictures of him too.
Please pray for Bennett as we try and distinguish what may be affecting his growth. Pray for the doctor's as they work to come to a conclusion. Pray for us as we try and do what is best for our sweety. We are on a new journey again...but God has plans for Bennett. When I think back to almost a year ago, the doctors weren't even sure that Bennett would live after birth. We continue to thank God for our little miracle.

Bennett update

It turns out there is a reason for Bennett not having an appetite lately. Despite his trips to the doctor in the last week and a half, an ear infection went undetected or wasn't showing itself until now. Emily took him to the doctor yet again yesterday (a different doctor) and a double ear infection was found. Maybe now he will really be on his way to feeling better and eating better...it's time to pack on the pounds!

Prayer Request...

Please keep my nephew Bennett in your prayers...

There isn't a specific incident that has happened that needs prayer, it's just things about Bennett that are concerning. For instance, he hasn't really been growing very well. He is barely on the charts for his length and isn't even on the charts for his weight. Ever since he was developing in the womb there was talk that he was going to be small. He just recently lost almost a pound while getting over a cough/cold. He hasn't been wanting to eat his solids or nurse. He doesn't have any teeth yet so that could be why he doesn't want to eat, but it is super stressful for my sister and her husband because he isn't growing as it is. It's so hard to know and understand that God is in control and has his arms wrapped around little Benne. Bennett has an appointment in Iowa City on the 17th of March. He will be seeing some specialized doctors. This was a planned visit ever since he was born. It's basically to see how he is developing and growing now that he is almost a year old. Please pray that Bennett will begin/continue to grow, that he will get over this nasty cough, that he will regain his appetite and that the doctors will have some answers for their family. One thing is for sure, Bennett doesn't think he's small. I captured him at just the right moment of him showing off how big he really is!!

Bennett James

He is just way too cute to not put any of these pictures up...this was from the 15th at my mom's birthday celebration. Bennett is so much fun to be around! He has such a great personality. He has a very loud voice, much like Kezzie's! He loves to hear himself scream just for fun and makes the most adorable noises with his lips! He has perfected rolling over and is starting to scoot himself around. It's in a pretty peculiar way...he leans to one side scoots with his foot, leans the other way and pushes with his other foot...it's the 'Benne crawl' (clever eh?)! He is going to be doing things his own way his whole life I have a feeling! He is doing very well at solids and is really getting into some finger foods. He loves his banana puffs especially! Bennett turned 10 months old today! Before we know it he will have blessed us with a year!