The Golden Rule

As each year whisks by, I am reminded of just how much my children have grown. I see them everyday and watch them discover new things. I enjoy conversations on everything from the proper steps in cooking our favorite dinners to why tigers have stripes. I am amazed at how little I've become to know about the simplicity of life and living when I view my life through the eyes of my children.

I have always prayed that my children would not only love the Lord God with all of their heart and soul, but that they would live a life that reflected that. I pray that they instinctively put others before themselves and reach out to help others in need. My mother taught me this as a child and it has been one of the best gifts I could have ever received as a child. At seven years old, Isaiah has already started showing this quality and I am so thankful and blessed to be his Mother (not to mention honored & proud).

Isaiah's first week of school has been a successful one. He loves his teacher and enjoys his classmates. He comes home and is elated to see his sisters and tell them all about his day. He is a teacher and protector by nature. So, he's always trying to show Laura Ellen how to do things instead of doing it for her, I think he enjoys seeing the accomplishments of others and celebrating with them. The first afternoon I picked him up from school I was going through the paperwork from his folder and pulled out a sheet that read, "Wimberly Worried". Isaiah quickly described the assignment on the first day of school and he wrote down the things he was most worried about...he, was on the bottom of the list.  I like the way he makes his bed before going to school this year and how he neatly folds the pages of one of his favorite chapter books, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." He's meticulous about certain things and likes order and organization. He is such a loving, giving, generous, caring, compassionate, selfless little boy, and I am so blessed to be his Mommy.

Saying Goodbye to Summer

This summer seemed to start slowly and move quickly. Summers here in the Southeast can be scorching and humid. The smells of grass slowly withering from the heat of the sun and lack of rain and the stagnant air that lays thick on your face and threatens to steal any fresh air you long for. I love summers here. It brings about stories from old oak trees that gather together the shade of summers past. It brings the sun at a different place in the sky, almost out of reach of the clouds. It brings long days that can only be spent with the Atlantic on the horizon and the sand in the wrinkles of the skin on the bottoms of your feet. Summer in the South, my favorite time of year;)

This summer we started with a trip to Baltimore Maryland for a few appointments for Vivien at John's Hopkins. We decided to bring Isaiah and Lara Ellen along as well. My Mom joined us to help with the older kiddos during the day when we were up at the hospital with Vivien. The kids were such great traveling buddies. There were no major meltdowns or catastrophic occurrences while we were there.

We enjoyed the Inner Harbor area every evening after doctors appointments and naps. It was much cooler at night and the lights on the water were beautiful.

My most favorite part of the trip other than the exciting news about Vivien being able to start very small amounts of oral feeds was our trip to DC. I remembered going to DC when I was 12 to see the unveiling of the Korean Memorial. My grandfather fought in that war & I was elated & honored to be able to share those memories with my kids. This Memorial attracted so many people of all different races, ethnicities, backgrounds, and religions. It was incredibly humbling for me to witness people that were brought to tears by being able to walk on American soil and feel free, maybe for the first time in their life.

Another favorite was the Lincoln Memorial, I held back tears as I explained to Isaiah what Abraham Lincoln did for our country and how he fought for equality for every man, woman & child. It quickly became his favorite Memorial as well

The most comical part of the trip other than the fact that we decided to walk DC in 6 hours on the hottest day of the year & drive 8 hours back home without having any place to shower first was when Laura Ellen caught a view of the Washington Monument...she said "Look Daddy! It's a pencil!"

She's loads of laughter

Thank you Mama for spending the week with us. We had a great time and I know memories were made along the way for the kiddos. They love their Grandma Ri-Ri.

After Baltimore, we enjoyed copious amounts of time by the water. Aunt April's pool, the waterpark, the beach, the small pool & the slip&slide in the backyard. Anything to keep us cool wherever we'd go. 

One of the many benefits of living 15 minutes from the Atlantic coast...

Coastal born and raised, the sand beckons our feet and the salty air craves our hair to mingle through. We cannot escape the joys and memories made on the coast as we welcome summer and all too quickly bid her farewell. 

Button your Button

I have never really been afraid so-to-say of having a child with a feeding tube. Vivien's g-tube was placed when she was only 2 months old and now that she is approaching 16 months it has become just as much of my daily routine as brushing my teeth. I promised that I would not let fear hinder me from caring for Vivien and all of her needs. I've always prayed that God would grant me the strength to accept and complete the task at hand. Little did I know that would include changing her button and dealing with the lovely stomas that occur every once in a while.

Sunday morning as I was just waking from slumber, still hugging my coffee cup and wishing the caffeine would kick in soon, the girls were upstairs playing in Laura Ellen's room. It was about an hour or so before we needed to leave for church. I never heard any whimper out of them when all of a sudden Michael ran into the room in a panic and telling Laura Ellen to stop (can you say he's the one that panics much quicker than I do;) As I ran upstairs we found Vivien laying on the ground looking up at her sister with a face that expressed "hey, this kinda feels pretty good, thanks sis!" Laura Ellen had pulled her button out. There was a clean hole right where her button had been. I am assuming the  conversation went a little like this...Laura Ellen to Vivien..."Vivien, lay still so I can fix yur 'buntton'" Honestly, I can see Laura Ellen playing a mini doctor with her play stethoscope and other "medical" accessories.

I am amazed that Vivien did not cry when it was pulled out. Not one whimper, not one flinch, not one vocalization about the fact that it was uncomfortable.

I loved how she just laid there as if she knew she was supposed to wait for one of us to place it back in for her. I think she was even instructing Michael what to do & how to do it. Or, maybe she was saying "Look at that thing! That totally just came out of that tiny little hole!"

The balloon was still intact and wasn't bad, so instead of using the "backup" we have in the cabinet, we felt as if it was better for us to "reinstall" the prior button. So, with clean hands and accessories in hand, Daddy did. He's my hero, always ready to tackle any job.

Now that is when she flinched a tad bit. But the cry lasted as quickly as it took for Michael to place it back into her tummy. *I should note here, we deflated the button before placing it back in the hole

Back in place and working like a charm. She also did very well considering. I almost wonder if she was crying because she didn't want it back in & she wanted to be able to eat a cheeseburger by mouth. If only she didn't aspirate, that could be a possibility for us, but for now, we will keep her well fed by her button.

The excitement was over quickly and we were all smiles again playing barbies & dress-up, legos & cars 

I am blessed with 3 children that all have unique personalities and love to explore and play make-believe. There is never a dull moment in our house and the laughter always ensues after even the most stressful moments.

Not to loose the excitement from earlier in the day or loose a dull moment, later that night while hooking Vivien up for nighttime feeds, the trusty 'ole Joey Pump gave us the *blue screen of death...* It went completely blank. Luckily, Michael has the pump down to a fine science and was able to remember what buttons to press from memory.

I was able to call our heath supply company and they were eager to swap the pump out for a new one. Thank you Kangaroo Joey Pump for one faithful and amazing year, you have truly gone above and beyond, may you find rest or either a renewed operating system and are as faithful to someone else as you have been to us.

We are glad we are able to Button our Buttons 

Strep Throat Dragon

When Vivien woke this morning she was just as happy and giggly as she normally is. With hair that wakes itself up in the morning *full bodied hair on a child her size should be a crime* Her half-gum half-teeth grin and giggles in the early a.m. can turn anyone into a morning person. She woke with a very dry diaper (after a full night of continuous pump feeds, one would think her diaper would be soaked, another quirk to her medical issues) and no fever at all. However, her eyes told a different story. Underneath those big brown eyes of hers and eyelashes that are as thick as wool, were puffy sickly rings that danced from one corner of her eyelid to the other. After her breakfast and my coffee we headed off to the doctor, smiles, dark rings and all.

                                                         We ALWAYS bring our own toys

The parrot flashlight that sings "LA-LA-LA-LA   LA-LA" & whistles is her favorite:) *It is secretly mine too, it gets the best reactions when in the grocery store or Target...people turn to look and see who is whistling "at them"...

                                                       

She LOVES the cubby at the doctors office. It is the perfect size for her to scoot her small bottom up to and park her car. Blowing bubbles is also a fun pass-time as we wait to see the doctor

And so it rings true...the Strep Throat Dragon won this battle again. It takes 6 minutes for the test to process. It took Vivien's all of 2 minutes. I am still so amazed at how she gets the Strep Dragon so often. We stay at home 95% of the time, she is never exposed to the sick, and no one else in the house gets sick  from her. Just par for the course I guess. We have fun and Slay Dragons big or small wherever we go :) With a little antibiotic & LOTS of TLC, she will be back to her old, new, normal, Vivien-self. 

Fighting The Fever Monster

This morning I awoke to a smiling, talking, giggling, frail little girl. Vivien woke this morning fevered. I didn't immediately check her temperature, because she was still so happy and didn't "feel" extremely hot like times in past. I decided to wait and see if the fever subsided a bit and hopefully, just maybe it was/is her teeth. But, the reality is this, every 3-4 weeks she runs what appears to be a random fever. Her urine has had a strong odor for several days now (almost a precursor to warn us she's getting sick again). Rarely the culprit is an ear infection, as a matter of fact, I think she has only had one ear infection...ever. Lets see, the last fever was because she had strep. The time before it was viral & many times prior to that, she had pneumonia....our life story. A sick little girl, with beautiful curls and a strength that surpasses anything earthly I've ever seen.

As the day passed and she took two long naps (usually it's just one, unless she's not feeling well) and became more and more clingy, I realized she was in fact getting sick again. I am just hoping we are ahead of the game. As the other kiddos napped, she sat on the couch with me only because she didn't want me out of her sight. So, she grabbed a few Barbie's and laid down in my lap looking up at me talking from behind the comfort of her purple paci. I'm not sure what she was saying, but I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that she loves me and thinks her Daddy hung the Moon & had her brother help place the stars perfectly for her, and how much her sister bosses her around, but she can't wait to share makeup & shoes, clothes, friends & secrets. There is so much she tells me from her eyes and her smile, who cares if she isn't speaking plain English...my heart knows the language and my soul dances to the tune of her music...I mean just look at this beautiful face, does it not sing to you?!

After her second nap of the day, she woke radiating with heat, so I finally pulled out the trusty thermometer that has gotten more use in our house lately than my mop :/

Sure enough, I called the doctor and Vivien shall see the Ped first thing in the morning. My guess is she has strep throat again or possibly pneumonia :( She has aspirated on food/liquids a lot lately. I just hope it is something we get under control before the invisible medical menace comes to make her even more sickly. Here's to wishful thinking...and an updated post tomorrow.

As Good A Day As Any

Today I take the journey to 30 & beyond. It is my birth.day, I am turning "as they like to say it," the BIG 3.0. I have been considering blogging for quite sometime now & I am such a sucker for symmetry and perfection, so I've wanted to get the "format" of my page just right before I actually posted. Well, a good friend humorously declared a few days ago, that all I need to do is just type & I can tweak my page later;)


So, I guess today is just as good a day as any to start blogging. I feel as if it should be an eventful one, one for the record books. However, I am just an ordinary girl with a seemingly ordinary life :)


I will eventually tweak my page to list a little about me & my family, but until then... 


I am living the dream; I love the Lord God with all my heart and pray each day I can live a life that will bring praise to his Holy Name and Glorify His Kingdom~I married my best friend and soulmate 8 short years ago~He and I have 3 absolutely beautiful children, each one a true gift from our Creator~Our youngest daughter has had a long medical journey in her short 15 months~I love photography~I enjoy traveling~I love a tubie