Making up for lost time!

I'm not sure where May went. At work, I have to schedule clients 3 months out...and I'm struggling to remember that is scheduling for a time when we'll be back in Berkeley!

In the past few weeks: Thomas began sitting independently for 20+ seconds and tasted his first solid (just last night), while Jacob ended his first school year and is now on "vacation"! Ma arrived on Wednesday to help us during the "vacation" time...as only Jacob gets such fun while mom and dad have to keep working. And, as seen....everyone is in love.

More videos are being taken as the boys start to truly interact and Thomas shines his hilarious personality! Enjoy.

Dancing, singing, mild sitting involved.

Video contains little white bodies in the tub.

Last night, without any grimacing, gagging, or even mild nostril flaring, Thomas ate his first solid: avocado! He appeared to love finally having something other than mom's milk on the spoon and was grabbing my hand for more. He acted as if he'd been eating it for months....

Our gigantic baby.

Yes, Thomas is huge. (and so are his lovable cheeks).

We thought Jacob was gigantic...and he was.

*Refresher picture*

But, we just took Thomas for his 4 month check-up (at 5 months because at 4 months he was in the hospital...yay, it's been a month already!). The child was 17 pounds 6 oz. and 26 1/4 inches; he's longer than ~65% of the kids his age...and obviously quite well-fed. With his allergic system, he won't be getting foods until at least 6 months; fortunately, that doesn't appear to be a problem for him!

Random photo: this is from Monday morning before I left for work. I had been afforded the 6" to the left of Thomas and Daniel had the space on the right of Jacob. Ridiculous (Jacob had joined us only about 15 minutes before I had to get up for work anyway....I complain but actually LOVE the snuggle time).

Little of this, little of that.

Jacob's spring show for preschool was Friday... and it was adorable! Jacob had fallen asleep on the way home from school and since the show was early evening, the first 3 songs were a bit deadpan from him. Fortunately his energy picked-up mid-way through the show.
Here's Thomas excited about seeing Jacob sing!




A few snippets for your enjoyment:





And totally unrelated, here's Thomas cracking-up...and cracking us up.

so many blessings.

We've had a good share of chaos and unrest sprinkled through 2011 so far (and we can add croup for jacob to the growing list of issues...), but it's so easy to find the bright shining blessings in our sweet boys. Please, laugh along with us!

Jacob got these awesome stomp rocketes from uncle Dana, oh what a hit.

Happpy Belated 3!

Between the hospital and Holy Week, we have gotten behind on posting about Jacob's birthday. His party was April 2nd, at a local park that has a train. Jacob's friends TJ, Colby R., and Mickey joined us, Thomas, Ms. Phyllis (the boys' nanny and secretary at our church) Didi and Yaya, Uncle Luke and Aunt Sara, Gigi and Grandpapa, and parents, for a great day. Here are some of the pictures of that day.





















Didi and Thomas ride caboose with Luke and Sara, TJ (and his mom) and Jacob, Colby and his mom (and soon-to-be sibling), and in front is Mickey and Breezy riding the train at Jacob's 3rd birthday party.









Ashley made "car" cakes at the request of the birthday boy.










Jacob wearing the tie t-shirt he picked out for the day, racing Uncle Luke down the slide.
On Jacob's birthday at Chili's with Uncle Luke and Aunt Sara.







The boys are their loot.


















The week before, our friends the Ode's (including Tavin!) came for a visit. Jacob and Tavin loved their reunion.

I have video to share with you all, but it'll have to wait. Thomas is doing quite well. He's the only 3month old I've ever heard about that gained weight in the picu. He's been home for 10 days, and while he's not quite 100%, he's gaining ground every day. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

Happy 3rd birthday Jacob and Happy Easter to you all!

-D, A, J, and T.

"Home again, home again, jiggity jig"

Our "happy wheezer" is home ; we were discharged Tuesday afternoon after results were 'normal' from the upper GI. While he's not 100%, he is improving some each day. A follow-up with the Dr yesterday was mediocre (Dr still doesn't like how he sounds) and this morning was bad enough for me to call in to work again....but as you can see, his personality is healthy...and he weighed in at exactly 16 pounds yesterday after a 4-day hospital stay: Beast!!!

"This is the air I breathe..."

Yesterday was the installation of Daniel's mom, Pastor Chon, at a church here in Mesa, AZ. Daniel was looking forward to supporting his mom during her special service by singing a Christian song by the title, "This is the air I breathe". From what I hear, the service was just wonderful...but Daniel didn't sing, especially not that song. You see, since Friday, we've been camping out with Thomas at a Children's hospital here in Mesa because he just can't seem to breathe.

The journey began with a rushed trip to urgent care on Friday within 1/2 an hr after I got home from work.Daniel had already tried a breathing treatment and it didn't seem to be helping this time. Upon arrival at urgent care, we were rushed back, then moved in an ambulance for transport to the Children's hospital. The ambulance ride was to insure that they could continue to give him oxygen. When we arrived, his lips were blue. In seconds of being on oxygen, he regained normal amounts of oxygen saturation- which is the percentage of red blood cells that have oxygen. Anything above 90% is considered healthy. When we got there, he was at 70%. Thus, the ambulance ride with the oxygen mask...

(switching authors, from Ashley to Daniel)

When we got to the ER, we were given a room where they suctioned his lungs and started an IV. The first night we were given a room, and Thomas was slow to recover. He couldn't nurse because he couldn't breathe and swallow at the same time. We all know the kid wants to eat, and if given the choice, he would choose to eat over taking breaths. So, the didn't let him eat that first night. Since his problem was viral, they could not prescribe any antibiotics. So, his body would have to fight it itself. But without food, he was having trouble. You see the circular problem. So, after a night of little progress, they moved him down to the picu (intensive care for babies) so that they could monitor him closely. By mid morning Saturday he was recovering enough that they let us try to feed him.
The suggested a synthetic "formula" type thing called Pedialite, and asked me to bottle feed it to him. Knowing how my wife feels about such things over Mother's milk which is full of antibodies, I sloppily moved the bottle around his mouth as the nurses and Dr looked on, and told them that he wasn't taking it (In truth, he really didn't want it). Then one of the nurses suggested that we bottle feed him breast milk, and we all agreed that this was as good idea. He scarfed down 2 oz of it and later another 2. By nightfall Saturday they were allowing him to nurse, and things really picked up. We switched rooms again and on Sunday he was in a normal room where they lessened his oxygen dependence, and even turned it off. Later the decided that he still needed a bit of oxygen. By monday, he was looking and feeling better. He was alert and happy, the day nurse told us that she and the other nurses called him him their "happy wheezer." He nursed and received breathing treatments, and the problems seemed to dissipate save one. He still wheezes a lot. He isn't working hard to breathe like he was before, but he still sounds like a sick kiddo.
We hope that he will come home tomorrow so that we can lavish him with hugs and kisses and sing to in the comfort of our own home, rather than in a room where people can walk by and wonder who those weirdos are.
Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. I believe that baby Thomas must have been prayed for in two dozen worship services on Sunday. That's got to count for something, right?
It is good to be loved.

I'll close with this.
That first night, when things were at their worst, I said to the on-call pediatritian, "so how bad is it, doc?"

"Well," he said, "He's got three things going for him. One, he's over 2 months old. Two, he is breastfed. And three, he is well loved and well taken care of"

I thank God for the first one. My amazing wife for the second, and you all for the third.

Shout-out to Didi and Yaya for their tireless efforts, Uncle Luke and Aunt Sara for their entertainment of our 3-year-old, Our Savior's Pastoral Staff for picking up my slack, Phyllis, Valerie, Gigi and Grandpapa, Chad and Kris for the drop-bys, and all of you who worked to convince each other that it will all be OK.

Chillin in the Hospital,

D, A, J, and T.

s