July 4th Weekend!

So I'm about a month behind on my posting. What else is new?

We had a great time out at Flint Creek on July 4th! I made some BBQ chicken in the crock pot for sandwiches, macaroni salad, bought some chips and dip and made banana pudding to carry out with us. We met up with another family that was staying at the Creek in an RV. We took all the boys out on the boat, and they had a blast tubing. I got on with each of them while Jeffry drove the boat (of course, that means there was no one to take pics while I was on. Oh well...surely they'll remember me even though I'm never in pictures...lol) It was so much fun!


A thunderstorm came through later in the afternoon, and it was good that our friends had the RV....we hunkered down with them through the rain and lightning. There was actually another RV down the road that a tree fell on and split it right down the middle! Crazy. Blessed it wasn't us. Everything cleared up in time for us to enjoy some more time outside and then later, the fireworks show. It was a great show! We went out with all the boys on the party barge and anchored in the middle of the reservoir to watch the show. They loved it! I wasn't sure if Trace would like the noise or not, but of course, it didn't bother my laid-back baby! We really had a blast. I love times like this when there's not much of a schedule and we can just relax and enjoy each other as a family!

Tired of the DR's office....

No really. I am.

We took Brayden yesterday to get his orthotics for his shoes. It went a lot better than I thought it would! They are basically insoles that slide into any pair of his regular shoes. We had to go several weeks ago to have his feet casted so that the insole would be a perfect fit...in other words, not a cheap thing. To put it in terms where Bray could understand, "we could buy 4 Nintendo DS's with what we paid for your insoles so DO NOT lose them or hurt them!!" He tried them out and they didn't seem to bother him at all! Yay. Now we are working up to wearing them pretty much all day, even inside the house. The good news is that he doesn't need another pair for hopefully a year. We will go back in three weeks to check that his ankles are improving.

I just took Trace to the eye doctor today because he's had a little eye infection. She gave me some antibiotic drops for him to take three times a day for a week. It's nothing related to the strabismus, just a normal infection.

However, while we were there, the doctor went ahead and checked him for his two month checkup (which really wasn't scheduled until the middle of August). His right eye is not progressing as well as we had hoped, so we are having to start patching his eye for two hours a day instead of one. Sigh. That's ok though, I'm thankful we have options to correct it!

The doctor also told me that the worst angle of crossing is 50 and Trace is at 55. So, that's not so great news...she implied that the first surgery probably will not totally correct the problem and two surgeries will almost certainly be necessary. Which we knew from the beginning was a possibility...now it's looking more like a reality.

I'm soooo thankful that my children are healthy, and that these issues are entirely treatable. Also, I want to encourage any moms out there...if you EVEN THINK there may be a problem- even if other people tell you there isn't or they don't think it's serious- TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS! Go see the pediatrician or a specialist! We skipped the pedi and went straight to the pediatric ophthalmologist for Trace because someone told me that their pediatrician had misdiagnosed their child. He ended up being blind in one eye when his condition could have been corrected. Oh, and EVERY child should have at least an eye exam around their one year old birthday. Important lessons I'm learning!

I'll end with a picture of Caleb...just so he's not left out :)

Happy 4th!

Today is my last day at work before at three day weekend!! Jeffry and his dad are going fishing tomorrow, so I'm looking forward to spending time with the boys. I'm thinking slip n slide and a picnic lunch!! How fun would that be?

Saturday our church is doing an outreach in the form of a watermelon giveaway at Flint Creek Waterpark. We will get there around 5:00, help hand out watermelons, eat some dinner, and then watch fireworks. Nothing too extravagant, just good food and great friends. I can't wait!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and happy and safe 4th of July!

Jamaica Pictures!

We are home! Our trip was wonderful. It was a nice, quick getaway. The boys stayed with Jeffry's mom and dad so they were totally fine. I'm sure you're wondering what all we did....actually a whole lot of nothing! We got massages, had a candlelight dinner on the beach, sailed on a catamaran, basically lived in our cabana, ate great food, took a sunset cruise on a sailboat, Jeffry jumped off a 45' cliff, and generally just soaked up some sun and relaxation! It was really great not having work, kids, or cell phone service! Haha. We are glad to be back home though.

Eye-spy

So, the eye doctor visit was not entirely the outcome I hoped for, but we are rolling with it. Trace has developed amblyopia, which means that he is only seeing things with one eye. His brain is not telling the "bad" eye to see anymore because it was weaker to begin with. So basically, the brain shuts it off, eventually causing blindness. At this early stage, it is correctable by patching his eye for an hour everyday. We have to get the amblyopia corrected before we can proceed with the surgery for strabismus, which is the actual crossing of the eyes. I got to ask our doctor a lot of questions, and she was very thorough in explaining the surgery to me. It is an outpatient surgery, however, he will be completed sedated...something I'm not really crazy about. I mean, who wants to see their baby completely under anesthesia. But I know God is in control in all of this. None of this has taken Him by surprise, and I am resting in the knowledge that He is Trace's Healer.

We go back in two months to determine if the patching is helping correct the "bad" eye. I am confident in God's ability to heal these eyes! Assuming they are better, we will be able to take the time down to about 30 minutes a day of patching until the eye surgery. I'm guessing the surgery will be around the end of September or the beginning of October...guessing. This is the first step to correcting his eyes. We are praying it is the only step; the possibility is there for at least one more surgery, if not more. But we have faith in our God!

What really excites me is to see before and after pictures of babies on the internet. I can't wait to see my precious angel with beautiful straight eyes and a great big smile!

I'm bad at titles.

I had a crazy/wonderful day yesterday! It seems like the mornings are always chaotic, just trying to get my three little kiddos out the door to be anywhere on time. On top of that, my cleaning lady showed up at 7:15!! Seriously. It's the summer. My husband had forgotten to tell me that she was coming yesterday, so I didn't have enough cleaning supplies. Sooo, we were hurrying to get Brayden to vacation Bible school, and I had promised the kids McDonald's for breakfast. We left the house and reached Mickey D's just in time for Trace to spit up his ENTIRE BOTTLE all over himself and his carseat. So I got him out, cleaned him up with wipeys (! that's all I had!), changed his diaper and outfit, fed the other boys, and hurried to get to VBS on time. We made it! Then I had to go to Walmart, buy cleaning supplies, and take them back home to our cleaning lady before I finally got to work at 9:15. Crazy, crazy. Good thing I work for myself.

I left work early and had a mini spa day! I got my brows done, a spa pedicure, and got my hair cut. It was so nice to relax for a little while...especially after my chaotic morning. I'm trying to start thinking about packing for Jamaica! 4 days left!!

Tomorrow morning, Jeffry and I are taking Trace for a follow-up visit to the eye doctor. I'm hoping to have a clear head this time and find out all of the details about his eye surgery. I'll be glad to have my husband there with me. Pray for us, as it is never easy to think about your baby having surgery! I know it's not a serious medical illness or anything, but I still have my concerns. Thank you for your prayers!!

Our house is still on the market. STILL. God, what are you waiting for!?! Our contract ran out with our realtor last week, so we are officially trying to sell it ourselves now. We are hoping that by lowering the price some, and with no realtor's fees that we will be able to find a buyer. There is a man in town who's very interested but has to sell his house first. That figures. I think my attitude sounds negative, but the reality is that I KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that God paved the way for us to be at our new house so I KNOW He has a buyer for this one. I'm just so OVER trying to sell it. I'm "radically anticipating" a sale! Oh yeah, and if you want a gorgeous house on the golf course, just let me know!! :)

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