Four.

June 23, 2009

Four years ago today my buddy showed up- a week later than expected.

Elijah has given our lives new purpose and direction and taken us to places we never thought we'd go.  We've laughed and cried and worried and rejoiced and covered everything in prayer.  We scarcely remember a time without his sweet presence.  

Our little buddy has come a long way and leapt over countless hurdles since his autism diagnosis about two years ago.  We still struggle with speech and socialization, but the progress we've made is remarkable.  We have never been more proud of our kiddo!

FOUR YEAR FAVORITES!

Favorite food: COOKIES.

Favorite sport: play swim!

Favorite show: George (Curious)

Favorite thing at school: FRIENDS!

IF you could go on an airplane anywhere, where would you go?: Grammie Grampa their house!

Favorite color: black

When you grow up what are you going to be?: (Mommy guesses something with cars or bicycles and racing/crashes )

Favorite song: Wheels on the Bus

Favorite book: Polar Bear Polar Bear  & The Very Busy Spider

3 words that describe you: Energetic, Enthusiastic, Exhausting! :)

When you were little, you used to: Behave :)

Favorite time of year: Any season we can be outdoors!

Favorite snack: "bars" "purple chips" "cookies" "grapes"

Yuckiest food: mashed potatoes

My best friend at school: Donnie!

Other friends at school: Todd, and Donnie again :)

Places I want to go: Grammie Grampa their house!  

People I miss: Nana & Poppop!

Favorite pets: Layla

Teachers: Miss Tina & Miss Becca

We love you, our sweet joy.<3

PSALM 139: 13-16

 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Plum turns "1"

I know that for just about everyone EXCEPT Ben and myself, this picture might be a little yuck.

But this shot is my favorite of Si, his first documented appearance in the world.

One year ago today I stayed up all night watching Netflix-ed Law & Order reruns and timing contractions.  I drove myself to the hospital at 10AM; Ben arranged childcare for Eli and met me there around noon, and at 2pm we were wheeled into surgery.  My boy entered the world with a scream so loud, so PIERCING that my doctor commented that it was one of the loudest he'd ever heard.  Loud & proud.

Since that day we've been on the run every minute- it's been fascinating and surprising and challenging and thoroughly sloppy.  We sometimes have trouble remembering life without our little spark.  He's filled it with such joy.

While in Florida we had a little party for Si (which began as a double party with Elijah but quickly went south.  It's an unfortunate story combining no nap, an unfamiliar place, autism and just plain naughtiness).

To date, little buddy has 8 razor sharp fangs, crawls & cruises (no independent walking yet!), is an unfussy eater (I deserve at least one), sleeps & naps like a professional, and says mama, dada, quack quack, & bye bye.

We made him a blue frosted cake.

His birthday surprise!!

We love you so much Siley Thoreau! 

Summer starts

Its been awhile!
School ended a week ago and we jumped into summer with 4 pairs of feet.  Number one skipped his last day of school to spend it with Grammie & Grampa, who came to watch the boys while Dad & I attended 27 hours of foster parenting classes.  So essentially, we took a break from our kids to learn about how to take care of other people's kids. :)

The boys both have birthdays this month- Si turns 1 on the 16th & Eli will be 4 on the 23rd.  Grammie & Grampa brought them up a sandbox to celebrate and it was a huge hit.

The very next day we left to spend a week in Florida with Ben's family (which is where I'm writing this post from! )  The kids traveled so well, we were able to make the 12 hr trip in one day.  Even I traveled well, throwing only 1 tantrum the whole time (I'm a poor traveler).

Notice that no "traveling" pictures of me exist.

Over the drive we all developed some ridiculous allergies... the first day was rough.  Babies didn't sleep well.  It was tiring.  But we pulled it together and took the kids to the beach-about 5 minutes from Ben's parents house.

Elijah has been to the ocean several times... but it's been a long battle to overcome sensory issues with sand, salt water, wind, etc.  We've never spend more than 30 minutes there. He's made some incredible strides lately in therapy so we were hopeful as we pulled in to the parking lot and he repeated "play swim! Play swim!"  My little buddy made me so proud- he nailed it.  He ran right through the sand into the waves- even letting the big ones go right over his head (I'm expecting there will be no more bath time hair washing fights after this?).  It was the kind of beach trip that you imagine in your head; the kids are enamored, the water's warm, the breeze is cool, and your baby bump still isn't quite visible :).

Littlest one was timid at first, but by the day's end he was eating sand with the best of the beach infants.

Our thank you for being LITERALLY the best parents ever?  Long, zonked out naps.