Giving Thanks

In the "fort" with Henry and my Veuve. Yum!

Big boys eating dinner
Say "TURKEY!"
Lowering the bird into the hot oil, complete with high tech kitchen town arm protector.
And...prepping the forearm.

We boycotted traveling for Thanksgiving pretty much one year into being married. At the time, we were in Chicago, and, after fighting holiday traffic to get to Erie, only to head back a few weeks later, we decided we'd break out all the lovely china people got us for our nuptials and host our own Thanksgiving. This year were were solo, which, while sort of sad, was actually nice and relaxing. We decided to forgo the traditional oven-roasted bird for one injected with cajun butter and deep fried in our outdoor kitchen. I also made the expected trimmings, with a new addition of a sinful brussels sprouts recipe from my friend, Michelle.

Back from a Break!

I am back from a 6 month blogging hiatus. Mitch turned 18 months the other day, so I snapped some pictures and figured I should share. Mitch is gregarious and fearless--which means I spend most of my day chasing him. His last appointment with his Nephrologist went great. His labs are normal, and the ultrasound of his kidney showed that it is growing larger, which is a great sign. Mitch continues to see his Urologist every six months. We are hoping that the visits continue to be completely uneventful! We continue to feel so blessed by the care Mitch received at Texas Children's Hospital. The new West Campus of TCH is opening right near us in Katy, and we have been involved in some efforts as a thank-you for all TCH has done for our family. Andy participated in some landscaping projects, and we donated a Founder's Brick, which is in the entry plaza of TCH--West Campus.

Henry turned four in October, and he has spent the Fall following in the Zone boys' footsteps by playing soccer. He was lucky enough to have "Coach Andy" helping his team, which made for a fun experience for all.

I will try to be better about blogging. I have started my Ed.D., so my free time has become more limited, and I am documenting more of our "everyday lives" in a journal for the boys. I like the posterity of the blog, but I remember my best friend's mother talking about how much she cherished recipes written in her own mother's handwriting. (Her mother died quite young.) So, I am trying to preserve some memories outside of the techno-world!

We are looking forward to the holidays (all of which we are spending in Texas). Our plan for next week is to fry our turkey in our outdoor kitchen!

ONE YEAR OLD!

Our May and June have been busy and fun! We celebrated Mitch's birthday on May 19th. We had a party at our house, complete with water fun in our backyard. Mitch loved his cake and the pool, as evidenced by the pictures! May in Texas is HOT, but, luckily, it was not too bad, so all the kids stayed outside. It is hard to believe that Mitch is a year old. He had his fair share of trials in year one, so we are hoping that means his kidney issues are behind him and that he continues to grow and thrive. Mitch is not yet walking, but he is a major climber--much more so than Henry was. He is a good eater and sleeper. He goes to bed around 6:30 at night and sleeps until 6:30 in the morning. In the last few weeks, I have worked to get him on one nap a day, so he naps for about 2.5 to 3 hours in the afternoon. Mitch is a very happy boy who loves his big brother and his dog. We are enjoying him so much!

Spring Fun

Here are some shots of recent activities:

Henry and Mitch, acting as "clean-up crew" after Mitch spilled some Puffs on the floor. Don't worry--we had just had the floors cleaned. This activity is a good immunity builder. ;)

Henry and me at the Cinco Ranch Nature Adventure last weekend. One perk of living where we do is that there are lots of family activities. Note the pool behind us. That is our favorite pool to go to in the summer.

Here's a shot of the boys in matching PJs. I love having two kids of the same gender so I can dress them in matching outfits.

This pic was taken on Mitch's 11-month birthday, right before bedtime. He is a busy boy, who is a thrill seeker. This kid climbs up and into everything.

More Good News!

Mitch saw Dr. B last week. It was a great visit. It was the first time we've seen her since his ultrasound (post-surgery), and she was really pleased with how good his left kidney looks. The hydronephrosis has gone down considerably, and she thinks his remaining kidney has responded very favorably since the nephrectomy. The tone of this visit was so positive, which was great, as Dr. B tends to be quite a realist. She doesn't paint a rosier picture than warranted, so, for her to be so pleased is a good thing. Mitch is still on Bicitra three times a day, which manages his acidosis. His labs showed that his CO2 is holding steady at 25, even as he grows, which means he is not outgrowing the dose and that signs are pointing to being able to eventually be off the meds entirely! Considering that Mitch has been on some type of medication since birth, it is very liberating to think that he could potentially be off of the Bicitra. In all honesty, though, even if he has to stay on it, we are ok with that, as long as his kidney function remains so solid. His Creatinine was .3, which is perfect! We go back to Dr. B and the renal team in June. Until then, we are enjoying our almost-one-year-old!

10 MONTHS

I took pictures of Mitch at 9 months and didn't post them. So, here are some 10-month-old shots! In the second one, you can see all of his teeth. He only had the bottom two for a long time, and then four on the top came in. It made for some rough sleeping, but he seems to be past it now. Mitch still takes two naps a day, but he's showing signs of being ready for one. I may push that to happen sooner rather than later. I kind of think that the morning nap is a pain because it makes it hard to get out in the morning. I would rather have him move to one longer nap starting around noon. He goes to bed between 6 and 7 at night. (We're big believers in the early bedtime around here. Kids are happier and better behaved when they are well-rested!) Mitch and Henry are really starting to interact and "play," which has been so much fun to watch. As far as Mitch's health goes, he has an appointment with the renal folks this week, so let's hope his labs are perfect!

Go Texan Day!

Click here to view these pictures larger