Mommy in Training

So, last night I am laying on the couch with the usual nausea that I have been battling for what now seems like forever. EC wanted to play tag and I was trying to explain that my tummy hurt but she kept asking. So I reminded her that when her tummy hurts and she is lying on the couch we don't ask her to get up and run around. We let her just lay there. This explanation worked. She walked out of the room and came back with a bowl and said "Mommy, when you need to throw up, just throw up in the bowl." Then she walked back to her room and brought me her newest favorite stuffed animal. "You can have it. It will make you feel better" she says. Then she brings me a book and says "sometimes I like to look at a book". This went on until I had most of her favorite things around me. Then she said, "Mommy, I need to look in your mouth......yep, you have a red throat. I need to look at your tummy.....yep, it looks like it has a baby in there." By this time I have almost forgotten the nausea and am trying not to laugh. A little later I am struggling to get them ready for bed when she says "Mommy, I will sleep with you tonight to make sure you are OK" (Either Matt or I always sleep in her room when she is sick to help her during the night). This was the best to me. It is so obvious that she has picked up on every thing we say and do and I was so touch that she wanted to show that same love to me. It made my day.

EC update

We finally heard back from the blood work that was taken while EC was in the hospital. The Dr. said that everything was within normal range and she didn't see anything that stood out to her. So the next step is to go see the pediatric gastroenterologist. Sounds like loads of fun to do with your 5 year old who has already been poked, prodded and tested more than most. Please pray that this next step will go well and mainly that we will get some answers, preferably before she has another "episode".
Today, I took EC to the dentist for a normal checkup. Thankfully, I think she inherited her Daddy's teeth and all looked good (no cavities). Then just as I am feeling good and have only a slight death grip on my wallet he hits me with this bit of info. You know those little kids you see who have gaps between all their teeth and you think to yourself, "poor thing, at least they are only baby teeth and the next round should fill up all the spaces". Well, turns out those kids probably wont need braces. Then there is my precious little girl who appears to have beautiful teeth all close together and the dentist telling me to start a college fund and a braces fund (I kid you not). She hasn't even lost her first tooth and he is prophesying doom and gloom. For pete's sake.....I need a nap.

First Football Game

We live in a town called Andover (sort of a suburb of Wichita). About 7 years ago the Andover school got too big so instead of building a bigger school they split the school in 2 - Andover and Andover Central. When they did this they created an intense rivalry between the schools. Once a year these 2 schools play each other in what may be the biggest game of the year. The Stout family invited us to cook out with them and then head to the game. I was afraid that with the kids this would be miserable. But, much to my surprise, they did great. This was their first ever football game and everyone had a great time. Or maybe I should say our side of the field did since we were on the Andover side and they one (for the first time since this rivaly began). Good times, Thanks Stout Family!!!

Kraft Food

The lady who lived in this house before me was signed up for about a dozen different catalogues. Most do not interest me until I got this one. It is a free catalogue that is sent out by Kraft Foods. It is genius of them to do because it is full of recipes using their products. Now I really do love to cook and I love to be adventurous and use crazy ingredients. Problem is I have 2 small kids who's idea of adventurous eating is picking it up off the floor and eating it. This little catalogue is full of easy recipes that don't require a lot of ingredients. I have only tried a few so far and have had some success. Don't expect gourmet here but if you need a few easy new things to try for dinner you might want to check it out or just go to their website www.kraftfoods.com

Sick again

Many of you know that our sweet Emma Caroline has dealt with stomach problems since she was 2. She has been hospitalized once before for dehydration and has come really close to it several other times. We have scratched our heads over this problem and have never been given any good answers. Well, the sickness struck again last Thursday morning. I called our new Dr for a appointment. I wanted her to see it first hand in hopes that she would run tests or send me to a specialist. She took some blood and called me 2 hours later and said that EC was already dehydrated and we needed to take her to the ER. My wonderful friend Beth went with me and we spent the next 4 hours in the ER. They gave her nausea medicine and a liter of fluid by IV and sent us home. But EC immediately got sick again. She did sleep through the night but still couldn't keep anything down in the morning. So I called the Dr. and they admitted her into the hospital. The Dr on call agreed that this was not viral and not normal and wanted to run a bunch of tests to find what was really causing this. So first she had a CT scan and then an MRI to rule out anything wrong in her brain. THANKFULLY nothing was wrong there. So they drew more blood for other tests but we won't get those results for a week. After several hours of fluids and sleep and then some crackers, EC started to perk up. Once she turns that corner she gets back to herself very quickly. They let us go home late Saturday afternoon. Many of you knew about this and have been praying. We can not tell you how encouraging that has been to us. We are so thankful for friends who pray and for our Heavenly Father who hears and answers. I will keep y'all updated when we hear back from the tests. I guess the only think I would ask you to pray for now is that we would get answers so that we can help EC not have this problem anymore.

Labor Day

There is a park here that has a name but no one calls it by its name. Here it is called the "Duck Park" and with good reason. There are SOOO many ducks. The weather on Labor Day was just perfect so we decided to go to the Duck Park. We took our bread along with us which is the best way to get all 200 ducks attention. These ducks will actually chase you down to get fed. They have no fear. The feeling is mutual when it comes to Knox. He LOVES the ducks and he also has no fear. Hear he is trying to get close enough to either hug or grab one, not sure which. Did I hear someone say AFLAC?

Not sure who ate more bread Knox or the ducks. "Some for you, some for me..."
Our superstar EC on the playground. They love this playground and I do too. Mainly because I can just sit and watch.
A different shot of the park. Here we are on the top of the waterfall. You will be able to see it in the next picture. Again, notice Matt keeping Knox from falling in....no fear.
The pretty waterfall. We had a great time and decided to go get a Papa John's pizza, which Knox ate 2 whole pieces of. Not sure where he puts it.

Mr. Redmond

Please be in prayer for my father-in-law, Robert Redmond. They were vacationing out in Yellowstone when he started having some heart problems. He has been plagued with this for years. They started driving back to Wichita and stopped for the night in Hays, Kansas, about 3 hours northwest of here. They ended up having to take him to the local hospital during the night. Thankfully it turned out to be a really good hospital. The original plan was to do a heart catheter on Friday and then possibly release him. But they realized that they needed to replace his pacemaker with one that has a defibrillator in it. The plan is to do this on Monday or Tuesday. Please pray that this goes well. Pray for peace for Mrs. Redmond, as well, since they are far from home. Also, we may be having some of Matt's family flying up for the surgery. Pray for safety all around. We have so many times called upon our brothers and sisters in Christ to pray with and for us. It is always such an encouragement to know that we have friends, literally all over the country, praying. Thank you to those who have already been praying and for the encouraging words we have already received.