Feeding the Horses

About a week ago, Kelley and I took the kids to go feed some horses that live in a small pasture near our house. (If you know Plano, you know that there are a lot of random pastures with horses and cows and alpacas and bison scattered about the city.) Kelley took some pictures and they turned out great - the kids had a ball and I think the horses enjoyed the snacks that we brought them!

Notice the chunks of apple and the horse slobber in Lainey's hair. It got in her hair and all down the back of her dress. Gross.

Hospital Visit, Round 2

Walker was admitted to the hospital AGAIN on Friday (yesterday) because he suffered from another intussusception. Basically, the area between his small intestine and large intestine is telescoping in on itself, kinda like one intestine is trying to eat the other. (Nice image, right!?) It most likely is occurring because the lymph nodes inside his intestines are swollen, much like one would have swollen lymph nodes after a throat infection. It is believed that Walker's lymph nodes are still swollen from the yucky Rotavirus that we all suffered from about six weeks ago.

After a short hour into his nap at home yesterday, Walker woke up screaming and immediately, I had an idea about what was happening. Even though I had convinced myself that it wasn't going to happen again. :) I called our pediatrician and he sent us over to the ER where Walker was treated with IV fluids and morphine...making him a happy boy. After another air-contrast enema, we learned that the intussusception occurred in his intestines in the exact same place as before. Walker was put on a clear-liquids-only diet and we stayed in the hospital overnight so that the doctors could observe him. We met with the pediatric hospitalist today (who was awesome, much like the pediatric hospitalist who discharged us on Wednesday) and she said that there is a one in five chance that this will happen to Walker again. In her years as a physician, she has never seen a child who has suffered from more than two intussusceptions. However, it's possible so at least we know what symptoms to look for. We pray that Walker does not suffer from another intussusception. If he does, then back to the ER we go and at that point we must talk with a pediatric surgeon to see what our options are. Most intussusceptions happen to children who are under the age of two, but I do know that some kids don't always follow the rules. :) This is also something that is completely out of our control; there is nothing we can do to prevent it from happening.

smooshed-face baby,

up against the plastic protective siding on the crib

(Ben took this one.)

From the world of unpleasant coincidences, our sweet friend Keegan suffers from intussusceptions due to his GI issues and so his mom, Maddie, has been a huge help in guiding us through this process. She met us at the hospital to assist us with everything and even let Walker play with a toy that she had gotten for Audrey! Thank you so, so much, Maddie. Lainey got to spend the night with her best buddies Gage and Ainsley yesterday - her first sleepover at a friend's house! Kelley graciously took care of Lainey all afternoon/evening/night/morning while Ben (who drove straight from the airport to the hospital) and I took turns staying with Walker. Kelley, I am so grateful. It meant so much to us to have y'all take Lainey in and take such wonderful care of her. She had a great time playing with "Ainswey and Gage." As to our other friends and family members - thank you for your support. Your texts, calls, emails, and blog posts have meant so much to us. Thank you, thank you, thank you for checking in on Walker. I love knowing that we have such a support system out there, ready to help at the drop of a hat. Y'all are the best.

and another one....

(No babies were harmed during this photo session.)

Thankfully, we are home now and taking it easy. We all got afternoon naps and are looking forward to a pleasant, calm evening with Emmy and Tuck and some barbecue. I am going to take pleasure in what I hope to be a very uneventful evening!:)

Guess who is ten months old?

Nicknames (some old, some new):

• Walkie
• Walkie-doo
• Walk-a-doo
• Buddy Boo
• Small Fry
• Bubby

Likes/Loves:

• hairbrushes
• light cords, outlets, the Christmas tree, night lights, anything that is off-limits
• spray bottles (especially the detangle spray)
• growling - and he'll even babble in a growling voice and he really likes it if you babble back to him using a growling voice
• climbing everything (or trying to)
• the small, kid-sized brown chairs in our living room
• graham crackers (or any kind of cracker)
• cruising along furniture
• letting go while cruising, thinking he's a tough guy (because he always falls)
• his sister's princess wand that lights up and blinks
• red plastic cups (like one would purchase for a party or something)
• water bottles/soda bottles
• his toothbrush
• playing peek-a-boo with a blanket (and sometimes he'll try to play the game by himself)
• real fruits - like strawberries, apples, oranges...he can't eat pieces of fruit or anything but he likes to suck on them and take small bites
• talking with you...if you say "ba ba ba" then Walker will respond with a "ba ba ba."
• bath time and the toys in the bathtub
• biting our arms/legs/backs/shoulders... I don't think he's doing this to be mean. I think he's doing it because it feels good on his gums and he just wants something to sink his teeth into. However, it hurts, and I think I need to start thinking about taking some steps towards correcting it.

a little taken aback by the flash

Dislikes:

• losing his balance and toppling over
• chunks of food

Accomplishments:

• climbing up and sitting on the coffee table
• crawling (he can crawl on all fours, but he only chooses to do this on carpet - not the hardwood floors)
• transitioning from a crawling position to a sitting position
• making funny sounds, like clacking his tongue and smacking his lips
• no longer minds his ear plugs
• will sometimes play in his crib for a while before falling asleep (this is a new thing for him!)
• has fallen down the stairs (no damage done)

Facts:

• will stop crawling and put his head in his hands and cry when he's tired - a clear sign that it's time for sleep
• has an extra tooth (we think!) - the top central incisor on his right side seems to have split in two. According to the dentist, he either has one big front tooth and one small front tooth or he has one big front tooth and two small front teeth. We'll know more as his teeth continue to come in. As another fun fact, Lainey has an extra tooth, also - it's in the place where she lost her first tooth last January. It may break through on the roof of her mouth. Ick. Both of our kids apparently get their "extra teeth" from Ben. He had one as a child that grew in on the roof of his mouth that he had to get pulled!

Walker is 10 months old today!

We love you, Walker. You are just too cute!

Christmas Sing-Along

Lainey's school had a Christmas Sing-Along this morning and it was so stinking cute. Lainey's little class sat on the pews to sing their songs; I think the teachers were a tad worried that the two-year-olds would wreak havoc on the stage. :)

I love that the twins Gage and Ainsley are sitting the exact same way...

Lainey is deep in prayer.

I had to include this picture of Lainey's classmate, Taylor (pink bow). She just decided to leave the pews and go up on stage to join the other kids. We thought it was so cute!

Walker's Trip to the Hospital

On Tuesday, Walker was admitted to the hospital for an overnight stay. Long story (kinda) short...he was suffering from serious bouts of pain on and off throughout the day on Monday, which we just attributed to gas/constipation/reflux (take your pick). On Tuesday, when the fever appeared and he was becoming increasingly lethargic and the pain episodes seemed to be getting worse, we decided to take him in to see the pediatrician. I dropped off Lainey at school at 9:00 and then we were at the doctor's office by 10:00. Dr. Eastman couldn't feel/see anything wrong with Walker, but recommended that we go ahead and get an ultrasound to further investigate the issue. The ultrasound showed that Walker was suffering from an intussusception. So, after the ultrasound we went back up to the pediatrician's office and then over to the ER at Medical Center of Plano, where a pediatric radiologist performed an air-contrast enema (sounds fun, right?) to treat the intussusception. And it worked! Walker was not sedated; he just screamed right on through the whole thing. But afterwards, he was a happy camper. Exhausted, hungry, thirsty....but happy. We stayed last night in the hospital just in case the intussusception recurred, but thankfully, it did not and we are home now! I'm so grateful for God's guidance and protection over us through this experience. I am so thankful for our pediatrician and his perseverance, the radiologists who diagnosed and treated the problem, the sweet nurses who tried to make Walker smile, and the fabulous pediatric hospitalist who was so patient and thorough and helpful. I'm so appreciative of my sweet husband, who spent the night with Walker last night in the hospital so I could get a bit of rest. And, of course, we're thankful to our family and friends who supported us through love, prayers, thoughts, phone calls, emails, texts, etc...y'all are the best. Lainey had fun with Aunt Allyson and Bud and Yiyia, but she was happy to see her mom and dad and brother today and gave all of us big hugs...over and over and over. I must say that it was great to see her, too! What blessings these children are. I thank God every single day for them.

feeling SO much better

stuck in baby jail (a place where his buddy Keegan has spent some hard time)

playing around, just being silly

Walker was not a fan of the splint on his right hand. It kept him from tugging at his IV but oh, how he missed the use of his hand. He couldn't crawl or use both hands to hold something.

He enjoyed chewing on his IV tube. Yum.

Our nurse took this picture just before we left the hospital. Walker was happy, I promise. I just think he was a bit wary of the nurse in her blue scrubs. He didn't trust her too much! :)

Boys

Walker is becoming more and more confident in his climbing skills. Whew...he's gonna keep us busy! He does fall a lot, but he's getting better at breaking his fall and I'm getting better at being able to differentiate between the I'm-hurt cry from the I'm-just-mad-that-I-fell cry.

his favorite spot

a closer look

A small tumble...but that didn't stop him.

"Thanks, Mom, for removing the centerpiece from this coffee table. While I liked playing with the pinecones that were in the centerpiece, I am happy that they are now out of my way."

She's a great influence. :)

We find him in this position about a hundred times a day.

And he's off...again.

A New Discovery

This is an especially fun toy for Walker to explore 1) when Lainey is not around to give instructions about how to play in the princess tent and 2) because he can yank out the plastic tent poles and have the whole thing start to collapse. (I don't have a picture of that one.)

"Here I am, Mom! Here I am!"

"Hmm. How did my ball get in here?"

The Trains at NorthPark Mall

SO fun! Although I kept having to reiterate to Lainey that 1) no, you can't touch that and 2) please don't try to ride that toy train even though it looks like it could hold you and 3) please, please, please don't put your mouth on the plexiglass. :) We so enjoyed going to see The Trains at NorthPark toy train exhibit this morning. It is incredible. My (late) grandfather was a collector of trains, and I know that he would have loved to have shared in this experience. It's amazing, and the attention to detail is remarkable!

The kids didn't want to turn around for pictures (not that I blame them).

Avery, Lainey, and Nolan

the State Fair of Texas display

Walker liked looking at the display through the plexiglass windows.

Lainey's favorites were the carousel, the ferris wheel, the kids swinging on swings, and the little girl jumping rope.

I think Walker had fun. :)

I took this picture by the bathrooms (hence the tile walls). Lainey loved that chair and actually sat down and looked at the camera (kinda) and smiled!

Well, she smiled for couple of pictures. :)

Meeting Thomas and Visiting Keegan

We got to meet sweet little Thomas this morning! Tom is Walker and Lainey's newest 2nd cousin. He's SO tiny and sweet. Just perfect. I can't wait to see him again!

Poor Tom. He's wondering why that big baby is trying to attack him (that would be Walker's face and hand in the picture).

And then Walker and I went to visit Keegan in the hospital! He sat up and looked for Lainey (cute) and he seemed to be in good spirits while we were there. It was so nice to lay eyes on him and his parents; they have had a very rough week and we pray that Keegan improves enough to come home soon. It was great seeing y'all, Keegan and Maddie and Gray!! We miss you!!

Maddie, Walker, and Keegan

Peek-A-Boo

Walker likes to look for me downstairs. He scoots over to the stairs and peeks at me through the balusters. He also likes to throw (drop) random things through the balusters, like his binky, pretend food from the kitchen, plastic balls...you get the idea. :) That is such a "baby" thing to do. I remember Lainey doing the exact same thing when she was his age!