Merry Christmas!

As the years pass what feels more & more quickly, I feel the constant theme of “gratitude” pervading my life. This year has been full of lots of fun, wonderful events as well as some really heart-breaking ones. We seem to be at the curious age where friends are simultaneously getting married, having babies, divorcing, and passing on from this world to the next. Hence the joy mixed with sorrow.

So it’s with humility & gratitude that we end this year, thanking God for His provision & grace every day. We are all healthy & thriving & enjoying each other. We are surrounded by an amazing community of family & friends both near & far. So much to be grateful for.

Our kids are a hoot. L (4) and H (2) constantly keep us laughing and on our toes. I asked H what she wanted for Christmas, and she said, “Pink.” L still finds great joy in his cars but is branching out big time into building things with his blocks & Legos. They are sponges, asking questions, trying to learn, trying to understand. L continues to be incredibly thoughtful & sensitive. H continues to challenge the physical boundaries around her. This Christmas season, we have started taking them to performances here at Butler University, which we’ve all enjoyed.

One of our great sorrows this year was having to say goodbye to our sweet Syd the Wonderdog. He died on June 14, 2013 though it still feels like yesterday. He was such a presence in our home that his absence is still painful. He was 15 years old and couldn’t walk very well anymore. He was a good dog, as anyone who knew him would tell you. Maxine is still with us & doing well, though she seems to miss having her buddy. H & Maxine seem to be building a sweet relationship.

In happier news, we headed to Cincinnati on December 2 for H’s 2-year post-op appointment with her neurosurgeon. He was pleased with her progress and told us he didn’t need to see her again unless we had a concern! Hallelujah!

This Christmas, we are all enjoying celebrating advent using the Jesse Tree paired with readings from The Jesus Storybook Bible. There is something so special about this season of waiting & hoping & anticipating. As C.S. Lewis writes, “Aslan is on the move.” As we move into 2014, we are excited to see what God has in store, trusting in His good & perfect gifts as only He can give.

With love & joy & gratitude,

K & M

PS. The photos on our Christmas card (not the one below) were taken by our talented friend, Brian McGuckin. Check out his other work! www.brianmcguckin.com 

More photos from this fall/winter

Here are some other photos from the latter part of 2013. Enjoy!

 H washing her baby doll.

 Sweet smile from a sweet girl.

 L "driving" the tractor at the pumpkin patch.

Playing in the leaves!

 Enjoying a good read.

With Nana & Pop-Pop on the Polar Bear Express train ride.

Family Photo Shoot

We just had some family photos taken by our good friend Brian McGuckin of Brian McGuckin Photography. We think he did a great job! Here are a few.

H Turned TWO!!

It's hard to believe that yesterday we celebrated H's 2nd birthday. How did she get so big so fast?!? She is a bundle of energy & curiosity. We had fun celebrating, starting the day by opening some presents. Then later to the cupcake shop for cake & on to one of our favorite parks to play. She loves to play chase, often referring to herself as "you," as in "Dada, chase you!" We are utterly in love with her, trying to savor every moment of this sweet, sweet age. Here are a few pics from the day:

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy

Four years ago today, we were blessed with the arrival of our sweet baby boy! He was a happy baby. And now he's a happy, chatty, boy who loves all things vehicular, books, and his little sister (most days). And he's smart as a whip. He has brought us so much joy. Our lives changed four years ago for the better. I love you so much, baby boy.

Rest in Peace

We said goodbye to our precious Syd the Wonderdog this afternoon at 2:40pm in the shade of the maple tree in our backyard. It was such a peaceful passing. Praising God for that. Words do not adequately express how incredibly sad we are. Thank you to all for loving us and our dear Sydney so very well. We take comfort trusting that he is now in a better place, playing with the other awesome dogs who have passed before him, Babushka, Murphy, Mijo, and Scout to name a few. 

I’ve never known a dog who prefers people to other animals. Or a dog who loves playing Frisbee and ball and chasing squirrels as much as Syd. He patiently has let me sob my eyes out in the thick fur of his neck, until I could breathe again. His big brown eyes are two of the sweetest I have ever seen. K wrote the following in 2006 & nothing really captures the essence of Sydney better:

The Tao of Syd

Stretch

Accept treats when they are offered

Enjoy the simple things

Forgive easily

Play often

Take naps

Always be happy to meet people

Greet friends with a gift

Chase away the annoying things in life

Relax/Lay in the sun

Sleep by the fire

Rest in peace, Syd. You will always be a part of our family.

Sydney the Wonderdog Jackson (1998-2013)

Saying Goodbye to Sydney

For all of you who have known our beloved Syd the Wonderdog, I am sad to say that after 15 awesome years with him, we are preparing ourselves to say goodbye. His back legs just can't really carry him anymore. We are hoping for at least another week or two longer with him. 

I am putting together a book for K with stories & memories that so many of you have had with Sydney. If you would, please take a moment & send me some of your favorites to include in the book. Feel free to comment here or send me an email. (Photos are welcome too!)

Tears are running down my cheeks as I type. Somehow putting it into black & white print makes it all the more real. He has been such a good dog & certainly the first pet in my life that I have really loved. We will all be sad to say goodbye.

Off of Facebook...Back to Blogging

Well, I've signed off Facebook for a while, maybe forever. I still have my account (mostly because The Viewfinder Project's page is linked to my page) and I'll periodically go on to make sure I'm not missing some critical personal message or something. But many days will go by before I even log in. And then I'm only on for a maximum of five minutes. Why is this important, you may ask? Because Facebook became too big of a distraction in a long line of distractions. Instead of using my time alone reading, writing, cooking, exercising or doing something more personally fulfilling, I'd find myself lost in a sea of comments. Five minutes became twenty (which isn't that long but when you've got little kids, much can be accomplished with 20 minutes of alone time!!). I'd find myself pulling out my phone at the doctor's office or at the coffee shop to check Facebook instead of pulling out my book. It was becoming my go-to for passing the time.

Too many times I would sit down at my computer to accomplish some task and would quickly check FB. I'd get sucked in then would completely forget what I had originally sat down to do! Frustrating. And I don't know about anyone else, but I found myself comparing my life to life on Facebook...how much fun everyone seems to be having, what great moms and friends everyone seems to be...and would find myself feeling like I wasn't enough. These snapshots into people's lives are wonderful but can also be distracting from what I need to focus on in my own life. It's so strange. And I'm aware that much of what I'm saying is in many ways my own issue of discipline or focus or self-esteem or fill-in-the-blank. But whatever the reason, it was distracting. I never really wanted to get on FB. But then I did and it was fun and interesting and I love seeing all of the photos. And then it wasn't.

Facebook feels like it is replacing real communication in some way. Friends post invitations there, forgetting the non-Facebookers in the process. Big news is announced there. Prayer requests are made there. And that's well and good. But it increasingly seems to be the only place these things are made known. What happened to email? Or even a phone call? I am as guilty as anyone here so I'm not trying to throw stones. But it feels like an increasing Us vs. Them scenario, without anyone intending it to be so. So what do we do? I got off Facebook. I guess I'm becoming one of "them." And I'm trying to blog again, post photos to my blog. I'm trying to send more personal emails to my friends and family. Trying to connect in other ways. (And with a blog, at least I can make a book and keep posts and photos that I post!)

Ok. That's enough about that.

One Year Ago Today...

...we were being ushered into PICU to see our little girl. Our little 4-month-old baby girl who had to have major skull surgery. "Craniosynostosis" they told us at our first meeting with a neurosurgeon in early December. Sagittal synostosis to be exact. We found ourselves on the journey of our lives, trying to navigate a new world of information & options for treatment of H's condition. One year later & I find myself in the same "posture of prayer," as one of my friends calls it. "May we never lose this posture of prayer" for our children, for our families, for our friends. I thank God for H's health, for her healing, for the blessing of BOTH of our children. In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, I find myself assuming this posture of prayer even more. Every day is a gift. My brother & I were talking the other day about how our faith requires us to say yes to God in whatever it is He chooses to give us. That means blessings as well as the birth defects & the tragedies, trusting that there are no accidents, that all things ultimately point to his glory & his perfection. I clung to this a year ago & cling to this still today. I am eternally grateful to be on the other side of surgery having experienced a series of best-case-scenarios with H. We have so much to be grateful for. May we always sing Hallelujah whatever our joys & sorrows may be. In this Advent season of waiting and anticipation, I am reminded to be anticipating God's goodness, even if it doesn't feel like goodness every single moment. Here's a photo of L & H playing the piano together this fall. I'll post more photos soon. :)

Our baby is ONE!!

Happy birthday sweet baby girl! I can't believe you are one year old today. Where has this last year gone?? Your sweet spirit & ready laughs bring me such joy. And watching you walk, trying to run, is such fun! (Can't believe you started walking at 11 months old!) I don't know how you manage to eat as much as you do with only two teeth...it's remarkable but I am grateful! And your love for your big brother is about the sweetest thing I've ever seen. You just want to be near him, playing with him, laughing with him. You are an incredible little girl, full of adventure & an spirit of exploration. I am excited to see how you continue to grow. May we know how best to guide you & love you & correct you so that you thrive & become exactly who you were created to be. Happy birthday, my love.

Our Baby is THREE!!

I can't believe that L turned THREE yesterday! He is such a big boy. I looked through his baby pictures and love seeing him change into the big boy that he is. Yet he's still my baby!

9 Months Old!

It's hard to believe that H is already 9 months old! She is such a blast. She & L enjoy each other so very much. I stand amazed at how L can make her laugh...really belly laugh. She is crawling everywhere & is pulling herself up on anything and everything. She walks her way around furniture, even reaches from the couch to the coffee table, making a successful transition. We can't help but think she will be an early walker! At 9 months, she still doesn't have any teeth, though we swear she's going to pop the two bottom front ones out any day...but then again, we've thought that for the last 2 months! Earlier this week, one day before she turned 9 months, we drove to Cincy for her 5-mo post-op visit with the neurosurgeon. He remains really pleased with her progress and how she's healing. We don't go back again until early December. Then, if the "defect" is closing in her skull properly & to his satisfaction, he likely won't see us for another 18 months! When they weighed her for that visit, she broke 20 pounds (9.4 kg)! She is thriving. She has the most wonderful disposition. Words we have used to describe her: spirited, sweet, chill, tenacious, has a high tolerance for pain (hardly cries at all when she topples over), determined, social, fun-loving. She laughs easily, loves to play "crawl chase" with me & L, is a hearty eater, and wants to be wherever L is, playing with whatever he is has. We feel grateful to be blessed with two such wonderful, sweet kiddos. Being around them is such a joy.

3 Months Post-Op!

Last Monday, March 19, marked 3 months since H's surgery. That is really hard for me to believe! She continues to do really well. The doctor is very pleased with her progress too! She's a busy baby, trying to crawl & gaining more and more control of her body as she moves from laying on her belly to sitting up. Even though she technically can't crawl yet, she is definitely making her way around the room to L's toys! Here are some photos I took of her on her 3-month "cranioversary," what we moms of kids with craniosynostosis call our post-op anniversaries!

Siblings!

Do our two kiddos look related or is it just me?! My babies... (both at close to 6 months old)

Looking good!

Here's a photo of H 5 weeks post-op. She's a beauty!! Hard to believe that tomorrow marks 6 weeks since surgery. Thanks for all of your continued prayers & support.

Our 2-Week Follow Up

We just wanted to thank you all for praying for H yesterday as we drove to Cincinnati for her 2-week follow-up appointment with her surgeon, Dr. Crone. Dr. Crone was very pleased with her progress. Her incisions are healed & her head shape is developing nicely. They took out the one permanent stitch she had in her head. (The rest are dissolvable.)

He wants to see her again in 6 weeks and cleared us to go to Sanibel for these next couple of weeks. She just has to wear a sun hat outside! So we will head to Florida next week, probably Thursday.

Thank you all for your continued prayers over her & over us as a family. We are so grateful to have this behind us. We continue to pray for H’s full recovery & that she will not need any further surgery in the future.

Back to Cincy

Hi all,
We'd appreciate your thoughts & prayers tomorrow as we head back to Cincinnati for H's 2-week follow up appointment with the surgeon. We are not anticipating any problems...H seems to be recovering beautifully. But we hope that the doctor thinks so too!! Will let you know how it goes.

Thanks!
K+M+L+H

Happy New Year!

Here I sit on the eve of a new year thinking about all that has transpired in 2011. There's no place I'd rather be...in our home, with my fabulous husband across the table from me, and the two most precious children sound asleep in their rooms. My heart is full. And I am grateful.

This year has brought us another baby...sweet H. Thank God for her & her calm disposition & huge smiles & robust laughs. Thank God for her health & safety through major head surgery. What an amazing testimony of God's goodness & faithfulness she is to us. She is our social butterfly, loving being in the middle of the action & people. In particular, she seems to love her big brother. Increasingly we will catch her just watching him with huge, wide eyes then breaking out into a huge guffaw. At four and a half months old, she weighs 17 pounds & is 25 inches long. In this way & in many ways, she is so different than L.

L is an amazing little boy. He brings us such joy every single day. We celebrated his second birthday this summer. He is talking up a storm, constantly amazing us & humoring us with new words & phrases & antics. Most recently, he has started tapping us on the shoulder if he wants our attention. Just tonight, from across the room, he started motioning the "tap" with his hand and accompanying it with a smack of his mouth, as if to say, "Over here...I need you to look at me." It's hysterical. He loves music--we often catch him sitting on the floor or on his bed with his little guitar singing the songs he knows. He still loves cars & trucks of any sort. He loves reading books, Richard Scarry to be specific. And he loves his play kitchen! He is indeed a renaissance man.

K & I celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary a week after H was born. That same evening, I ended up in the ER with some complications from H's birth. This gives us a good excuse to celebrate again in 2012! In general, we are looking forward to a hospital-free 2012. :) Early this year found us on Sanibel for several weeks, escaping much of the icy winter. We also took our first long trip without kids to Panama. This fall, we enjoyed a long weekend with dear friends in the woods of Arkansas. And we have enjoyed an assortment of musical delights throughout the year, including Iron & Wine, Alison Krauss, and Ben Folds.

2011 has been filled with blessing, even in the midst of unexpected drama. We are grateful for each other. We are grateful for our two incredible children. We are grateful for our dear family & friends. And of course we are grateful for Syd & Max the Wonderdogs! (For anyone who is counting, Syd will be 14 years old in February!!) Thanks to all of you for helping to make this past year so very special. May 2012 be filled with blessing & new adventures for you all!

Happy New Year!

Continuing to heal

It's hard to believe that H's surgery is already a week & a half behind us. She continues to heal & do well. I'm amazed at how great her incisions look. And her hair is growing back so fast! Babies are incredible in how they can recover from physical trauma. You would never know she had major head surgery not even two weeks ago. She is her happy old self! With that said, in many ways I feel we have a newborn in the house again. By this I mostly mean we can't have lots of people hold her and she's not sleeping great (having fallen out of her rhythm on only one night waking). But every day is getting better.

We had our first family outing yesterday...out to breakfast. H wore a hat the entire time per doctor's orders. She seems to be in less pain all the time. I've been spreading out her Tylenol (no narcotics) to about every 8 hours. She doesn't really like her head cradle that she's supposed to sleep in, surprise surprise. She ends up sleeping in it about 4-6 hours every day. But she actually is on her back with her head straight up much of the day. So we've been using it while she's awake!

We have scheduled H's 2-week follow up appointment in Cincinnati for Jan 4. At that time, the doctor will access her progress, remove the remaining stitches, and hopefully answer our superfluous questions!

We have felt so blessed and carried by all of you. Thank you for your continued prayers, notes of encouragement & visits. We would ask for continued prayers that H's head heals & that her head grows into the nice round shape that is expected in time. We continue to pray for no developmental issues. (Some kids born with this birth defect experience developmental delays.)

Finally, thanks to all who have visited our blog expecting to see our annual Christmas letter but instead found themselves engrossed in this recent drama! I promise to post a Christmas letter here soon!

All the best,
K+M+L+H

Hallelujah, We're Going Home!

Dr. Crone came in around noon & cleared H to go home! Now, we're just waiting for discharge papers & instructions! I'll continue to post updates here periodically about her recovery. We thank God for each of you. I think it's safe to say we'd be up for visitors starting next week! Let us know if you would like to stop by.

It is so good to be on the other side of this.

Much love to each of you,
M+K