Surgical Success

The last couple of months have been interesting for Ethan. The week before Thanksgiving he developed a peri-anal abscess. (I've heard that you should definitely NOT Google that....) It isn't anything genetic, we didn't do anything wrong with his hygiene, it's just something that happens. A rotten luck of the draw. Our wonderful pediatrician lanced it, prescribed antibiotics and hoped that it was a one time thing that would resolve itself. 

Unfortunately, after a two-week course of antibiotics it returned ten days later.

Resume antibiotics for two weeks. Ten days later? It was back.

At this point we got a referral to Spokane to see a surgical pediatric specialist. This also involves including a pediatric certified anesthesiologist. We got an appointment for February 2nd. After making the appointment and doing some thinking I figured it would probably just be a consult. After which we would have to go back to Spokane for a procedure. After calling back and finding out that yes, this would be a consult but that it may be possible to get the procedure scheduled for the next day we planned for an overnight trip and prayed that it would all work out.

[Etta and Russell got to spend a couple of days with (newly retired) Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Steve. Mae and Ethan piled in the car with us and we headed north.]

The consult on Monday went well. The doctor was very personable, friendly and to the point. Yes, it would have to be cut from the inside. One way of putting it would be "snaking out his plumbing". A 5 to 10 minute procedure. We went in to meet with the surgical scheduler. As she was looking up the schedule book the doctor casually mentioned that to be able to perform the procedure everyone in our house would have to be cough and fever free for THREE FULL WEEKS for him to go under the knife.

A family of six?

Fever and cold free for six weeks?

In winter?

With children in school and a teacher at home?

Um, we meet these criteria right. this. second. Can we please get in tomorrow?!

Yes, it is a short procedure and he has a tiny bit of room "late in the day".

1:15 p.m. (Wha...? Late in the day?? We don't know much about surgery schedules I guess.)

Yes please!

So we bundled up and headed to my Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Bill's house to hunker down and wait. So nice to have them there and to welcome our circus.

Tuesday morning we left Mae watching TV (she was in 4-year old heaven) and took Ethan to the surgical floor.

All went well. He came out of the anesthesia very well and we were able to come home after. The only sign of surgery is a small .... gap .... where Dr. Thorne made the incision. (For you ladies reading, think episiotomy.) No stitches, no bleeding. All is well with the world.

Changing into the very stylish baby gown.

Hey! I look good in anything!
(I still can't get over this smile after 3+ months of Mr. Serious. And
if you look close you can see his two new bottom teeth.)

Getting kisses from daddy. I don't think he likes the facial hair.

Trying to eat his gown as he had to do a 6-hour baby fast before surgery time. We got
him up early to do a bottle at 5:30 a.m. He did okay for awhile but after 7 hours from his
last bottle he was getting hungry.

He found solace in Bob's arms and took a little cat nap.

So cute and content!

After surgery, a bottle, and getting bundled up he went right back to sleep.
The lovely recovery nurse let him take his tiny, baby oxygen mask to
play with and chew on. Everything baby-sized is cute.

Mae didn't want to be left out in the picture taking. She was a trooper and had a great time.

Flamingo Fun Run

One sunny day in ... September, I think ... Bob loaded up three children and drove to Grangeville to walk a 5K.

By himself.

Because he is an incredible dad like that.

I took Ethan and went to Moscow for an SAI day. And ended up stranded in the Winco parking lot with Rachel, a baby, a bunch of groceries while it was 1,000 degrees. [Okay, maybe not that hot, but when you have a friend, a baby and groceries (including milk), it may as well be 1,000 degrees.]

The event was a fundraiser for a type Spinal Muscular Atrophy. A girl from Grangeville set it up as part of her senior project. [Side note: many kids (and I'm guessing parents) don't agree with the senior projects that they have to do. As far as I can tell, if students take them seriously, there is a lot of good that can come from them.]

They had to be to Grangeville by 8:00 a.m. I think. Before then. The race started at 8:00. Getting our crew up and ready to go by 8:00 is usually a feat all in itself. To be anywhere that is 70+ minutes away? Bob is incredible.

Etta and Bob were registered officially. So that Grandma Cynthia could get the flamingo shirt (did I ever give that to you??) and Etta would have one to match.

Etta can do a 5K. Maybe not run it, but complete it. Mae .... not so much. Let's just say that I'm glad I wasn't there and I think Bob wished that I was.

Getting ready to race.

Getting flamingo pics for Cynthia.

Off we go!

Now any time we go anywhere early in the morning the kids expect donuts. (More on
that in the next post, or see this post about donuts.) Bob didn't get any before
they left town but did find maple "fingers" at a place in Grangeville. I believe
they were maple bars cut in half the long way. Ingenious!

They stopped to see the dinosaur. Unfortunately it was locked but they could
peer in the windows. You may be able to see it too.

The Fair

I have about 20 more pictures of the fair. But most are awkward. Backs of heads, similar shots .... cute for me, but kind of repetitive for everyone else. Like at the petting zoo. Russell looked so adorable with all of the animals. I think I got a picture of him with every single one that he touched. But here is the highlight reel.

Matching hair.

Cheese!

Etta with Rudy the Rooster. He got a blue ribbon.
And a girlfriend.
He was not happy when it was time to go.

Mae with Rudy.

Huckleberry ice cream cone to share with Grandma. A fair tradition.

Yes, they are all dressed in orange shirts. I match them, in bright colors, when we are going to be in big crowds and/or road trips. Makes it easier to spot them and if one of them gets lost I don't have to remember four different outfits to describe. Just one bright color.

[I did not forget about Ethan. He was in the front pack, probably sleeping, the entire time we were there. Makes it a little hard to get a good picture.]

Twinsies!

Mae says that they are twins.

And that she is his favorite.

One of those statements is true.

Mae is very attentive to Ethan and can usually calm him if he is feeling left out ever. One of her favorite things to do is to "hold him the sitting up way".

I have to stay close though because when she is done she is d.o.n.e. (Cue the tip-to-the-side, the push-off-the-front, or the I'm-just-going-to-get-up-now.)

These first few pics are when Ethan was still in his no smile stage.

He likes it.

No. No, really. He does really like it.

This is one of my favs. She was "reading" to him. Actually saying the nursery rhymes
in this book. It was darn near one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

Here is the most recent session. Just a couple of weeks ago. See? He does like it!

Russell Love

This kid.

This kid is going to turn two in a few weeks.

I love him so much.

He is so smiley, happy, helpful.

Most of the time.

He has recently decided that even though his birthday isn't for about five more weeks he would just go ahead and turn two.

But, for the most part, his cuteness and agreeability make up for the rest of it.

When Etta was born it would drive me absolutely crazy when people would say, "Oh, boys and girls are SO different!"

Seriously people, kids are kids, right?

I guess not.

Because Russell is different. So, so, so different than his sisters.

He does climb more than they ever did or still do. He likes to get really, really dirty. Not just play in the dirt as the girls do. But dig deep and just throw dirt around. Everywhere. And to jump in puddles. Any kind of puddles. To finger paint with his food. His favorite water activity is the dogs' water dish.

But he has a gentle side too. He plays more make believe with stuffed animals than either of the girls did/do. I caught him the other day lifting the shades in his room so his "Baby" (stuffed animal lovey, that he named himself) could see outside too. He loves Ethan to death (sometimes almost literally) and is cozy and cuddly.

All this to say that he is such a wonderful part of our family. We love him so much.

Well, maybe not mid tantrum, but those don't usually last for very long.

The Olden Days

The girls love Little House on the Prairie. We read through it together. So when there was an article on our local paper about a girl who refinished a one-room school house in our area for her senior project we had a little field trip. It was so much fun!

Little kids in the front, bigger kids in the back.

Heat source.

Toys that they may have played with.

A picture just for Grandma Cynthia.

Official name of this school. 1892-1938

On our way home we stopped to look at our beautiful valley.

Breath taking.

Love

These pics were taken on September 14th, just a few days shy of Ethan turning 2 months old.

Mae is going to love him to death. (Or at least into the deep end.)