Mini Vacation Days

Well, as a family we have been able to take some time out of our busy lives and enjoy the world around us. Back in February, when Gannon had his surgery, we took a day to go to the Underwater Aquarium in MN, along with Grandma Cathy, Papa Royce, Uncle Randy, Aunt Kelly, and Cameron. Afterward our family had a nice lunch with with Grandma Cathy and Papa Royce.

Our Family at the Mall of America

Giovonnie watching the Alligators, one of his favorite animals.

Royce and the sea turtle.

My little treasure!

We were also able to get some SLEDDING time in that weekend with Aunt Kelly and Cameron; Uncle Randy also stopped by to after work for a moment to see us in action. I’m not much for snow, but it was some serious fun!

Joe, Cameron, and Gio getting read to go down.

Joe and Royce slid down on a sled while Gio finds it better to scoot on his bottom and roll.

Me going down hill with Royce, even I had to get it a couple of tries.

What's for Dinner!?

This happened a few months ago, and I shared it with Tanya. I happened to come across the story when I was cleaning out my email boxes. I had a good laugh again, and thought I would share it with the rest of you.

Joe often teases that he is going to eat the boys even suggesting that we’ve already eaten their brother Sam, and a sister Susie. Royce has figured out that Joe is just playing, but Giovonnie still believe that Joe is really going to eat them; so at the dinner table one evening Joe says, “Gannon is so big; I could eat him just like a little piggy. (We were having pork roast at the time for dinner.) Giovonnie breaks in to tears yelling at the top of his lungs, "You can't eat Gannon he is my favorite person ever, just eat Royce!" I laughed and then reassured Giovonnie that his dad wasn't really going to eat anyone.

Family Update - Part 2

OK so Gannon’s not the only one with things going on, so now for the rest of us:

The boys have adjusted well in there new school, we had them transfer this year from the Christian school to the Public school due to Gannon being born and the cost of the Christian school.
Giovonnie got along fine right away, as all the kids in his class are new to full time school being its kindergarten. He has 3 friends, Ryer (his best buddy), Kody, and Jonathan (whom he walks home from the busses with everyday). He liked a cute little girl too for about a week her name is Cloe. She had red curly shoulder length hair, a bright smile of crooked teeth, and freckles across her nose; too cute. He said, “I don’t like her anymore because I started to be friend with her, but the she got BOSSY (hands waving around and head wiggling from side to side), so I broke her up, and she kicked my leg, so I stomped her foot! See my leg mom pulling up his pant leg to reveal nothing but a white leg.” How much of this is true is unknown, but we often hear stories from our storyteller. One story was that he beat up a big huge older bully of Ryer’s, “…, and I threw him right into the snow bank at recess.” (Much more exaggerated and with more description from Giovonnie). This did not happen, Joe and I asked if Giovonnie was fighting on the playground when we went to the parent teacher conferences; we thought not because we hadn’t received any calls or notes home from the school, but we checked anyway. This year was also the first year Giovonnie had invited friends over for his birthday party, Ryer (couldn’t make it), but Kody and Jonathan came, and we also had Lexi, Spencer, and Andrew (a few of the Cox cousins) over for the big event. He knew just what he wanted and told me weeks in advance; taco’s from Taco Johns, and a dinosaur cake.

Giovonnie and his dinosaur b-day cake.

He’s a birthday monster now and has told me his plans for his 7th, 8th, and 9th birthdays. We’ll see if there are any changes when the time comes.

As for Royce changing schools was hard for him. He really misses his old friends, especially Darion, and wish he was still going to HCS. He has made a few new friends Jordan, Jonah, and Zack, but he doesn’t talk about them very much. I know that one is Ryer’s brother and the one of the other friends is Kody’s brother. Royce still struggles with school and is very adamant about HATEING it. He is a bit younger then the rest of the class, he turned 8 going in to 3rd grade when many of the students are turning 9 this year he won’t until school starts again. Teachers continually, comment on his level of maturity (like how quickly he gets his work out, and if he is concentration on his work or not); however as of last report card his lowest grade was a C. Royce is excellent at what ever he really puts his mind to though. He has finished computer game after computer game. He had TMNT game done the same weekend that Joe bought it for him. He has also come to love music and even made up his own songs like Rat Rap and Motorcycle. He says that he can just hear music in his head, so he starts humming the songs to himself at school because of this some kids at school said he was weird. I've tried to encourge him. I've also talked to Joe about buying a guitar for Royce's birthday, and hope to get him lessons. This season we gave Royce a choice if he wanted to try wrestling again or if he would like to join Boy Scouts, he chose Scouts and seems to like it a lot. We even attended one event as a family, which is worth its own post.

Royce holding his "big" little brother Giovonnie at the Boy Scout event.

I guess that brings me to Joe and me who really there’s not much to blab about. Joe still works as a programmer, and I work at the Village part time (mostly on the weekend once or twice a month, to get out of the house). Besides work Joe’s been keeping busy with Legion hall meetings, and being a Boy Scout leader. As for myself I’m doing mom stuff such as keeping track of everyone’s schedules of who needs to be where and when, and taking Gannon to his dr. appointments. I've also have joined a bible study with my sister-in-law Melissa. I’ve been kinda disappointed because I’ve missed the last 3 weeks because of sick children. Hopefully, I'll get to next Monday's meeting.

Family Update - Part 1

Well it’s been a while and I really can’t figure out where to being this family update. I guess I’ll start with Gannon as I have the most to write about on him.

Many of you already know that Gannon was born on Nov. 5, 2008 at 1:48am; I actually was in labor all day Nov. 4th and I still went to vote.:)

Gannon one day old.

By the evening of the 5th we were told that Gannon has a soft palate cleft (a small hole in the roof of his mouth, and no uvula) and by the morning of the 6th we were discharged from the hospital to see a feeding specialist team. After watching me breastfeed, they advised me to continue to breastfeed along with weekly weight checks. Gannon began losing weight, which is normal, then with in a week became jaundice because of this we went to the hospital for daily Billy Ruben test for a week, then finally put on a Billy Blanket. By this time I started supplementing with formula; when he weighed 8 lbs two weeks in a row and not even close to his birth weight by his first month I quit breastfeeding.

Gannon 1 month old.

Joe and I decided to take Gannon to see a cleft specialist and feeding specialists up in Minneapolis, MN, so Dr. Andersen called in a quick referral. The best choice we could have made. A few days later I was told that I should have never even started breastfeeding, but give breast milk in a bottle instead. I was also told that there was a better bottle that would allow Gannon to eat without having to work so hard for it. Basically, Gannon was burning every calorie he was taking in, and passing out from pure exhaustion. We were given one new bottle and a prescription so we could purchase more through a pharmacy.

This is what Gannon's bottles look like. They're called Medela Haberman Feeder.

This was a blessing because our insurance was then able to cover some of the cost (4 bottles = $111.00). Back home we started biweekly weight checks, then back to weekly weight checks and by his two month check-up we were told that Gannon would be able to do normal well baby check-ups. On Feb 6th (3-months old) he had tubes put into his ears.

Gannon being weighed before his bilateral tube surgery.

Gannon in his scrubs, and yellow duck socks.

The left ear has been clear, but the right ear has been draining green oozy puss off and on ever since. At his follow-up appointment it was so clogged they couldn’t even attempt a hearing screening, and Dr. Sidman vacuumed it out. At his 4-month check-up he weighed 19 lbs 7oz, 27 in, and a head circumference of 17in.

Gannon (4 months) playing in the ultrasauser.

Last night Gannon was up most the night crying with a fever, and this morning 2 hours after giving him Tylenol his temp was still at 99.6 under the arm, and he only ate 2oz of formula since 4:00am, so I took him into the clinic. He weighed in at 20 lbs today, and is wearing 9month clothing already! During his visit he was tested for RSV, and Influenza; the good news it was not RSV, the bad news he has the flu which this year includes a sore throat. Tomorrow we have to go get his ear vacuumed out again, this time I’ll try to get a picture of the vacuum they use; it’s kind of interesting.

A Start of Something New

I’ve finally decide to join the blogging craze. I’ve debated over it for sometime now, but have held off in fears that I would end up leavening it neglected. However, I try to send out family updates now and then and figured now is as good of a time as any time, so here I am now ready to start something new.