Sickies......still!

Clearly, I did my last post too soon! I was so glad Peter didn't seem to have this stomach virus too bad, but I was wrong. We woke up Wed. morning to more vomit and Peter being totally lethargic all day. He spent the entire day in my arms. I was hoping for a major improvement yesterday, but he was still VERY lethargic. By 2:00 in the afternoon, I noticed his color was off. After checking several times and changing the light to make sure I was looking correctly, I realized his feet, hands and lips had a blue tint to them. This was very upsetting because that is a classic symptom of heart failure! I called Tom and he immediately came home and agreed (which was not a comfort because he is not quick to panic like me). We called the cardiologist who thought it was just a case of dehydration, but wanted Peter seen by his primary care Dr. We gave Peter some milk (which he loves) and his color improved over the next hour or so. We took him in to the pediatrician later in the afternoon and had a very frustrating appointment. It's difficult because the cardiologist wants them to make the initial diagnosis, but we feel that the pediatrician's often take a "hands-off" approach because of Peter's heart issues. We finally got home and fed Peter a little dinner and put him to bed. Thankfully, he slept well last night and seems somewhat better today. I would appreciate your prayers for Peter that he would get over this virus SOON!

Sickies

We've had a couple of sick kids around this house the last two days. It began bright and early Monday morning (5:20 a.m. to be exact) with Alana at the side of our bed erupting like a volcano all over our bed and all the way down the hall to the bathroom. She's been asking what it is like to throw up - the last time she did was probably when she was about Peter's age, so she obviously doesn't remember. Well, now she knows. The poor thing was sick for 12 hours straight on Monday. She proudly tells us that she threw up 15 times!! What a badge of honor for an 8-year-old:)

Of course, I did my best to take care of Alana while trying to keep Peter away from her, but to no avail. Just when we were getting ready to take him to bed Monday night, he erupted all over Tom. (At this point, Tom had been vomited on by each of our children in the same day.) We thought for sure that Peter would be up all night, but actually, once we put him to bed he only woke up once with vomit. After that, he slept the night through.

Everyone seems better now, and so far, so good for Tom and me. I think if it doesn't hit us by tomorrow, we're in the clear. These stomach viruses are short, but nasty.

I was holding Peter Monday night and thinking that I would probably be up all night holding him. I've had many nights like that before - up all night holding Peter, but they were all in the hospital. I was so thankful to be up all night with him for something like a stomach bug instead of heart failure. I will never stop being thankful for what God has done.

Grandpa's New Name

My mom came over today to give Alana her piano lesson and she was holding Peter while showing him some pictures we have on the fridge. She pointed to Tom and said, "Who's that?" Peter quickly responded, "Daddy!" She then pointed to herself and again asked, "Who's that?" Peter said, "Nana." Finally, she pointed to my dad (Grandpa) and asked, "Who's that?" Peter said (without hesitation), "Bob." We went through the whole routine again and once more Peter responded that Grandpa was "Bob."

Tonight, we stopped by my parents house because my mom left her sunglasses in our car and when we saw my mom Peter said, "Nana!" Then when he saw my dad he said, "Bob!"

We used to laugh our heads off at Alana because she called my dad "Dampa" for a good two years until she could fully pronounce his name, but this one takes the cake. Grandpa has now been christened "Bob."

Family Visit

Warning - many pictures in this post!

My inlaws came down for a visit this weekend. We went to a place called Memorial Gardens and took several pictures.

I love this picture of Peter looking at his Pap-pap.

I think I'm going to have to frame this one.

Three generations of Ellsworth men.

Water is always a hit.


Peter and his Daddy.

Tom's dad and stepmom.

Isn't she lovely!

This is just an oak tree, but it made me think of the many Scripture references to being "oaks of righteousness." I thought it was a neat word picture with the big, beautiful, strong and healthy tree amidst the tombstones below it. A great visual of what it looks like to surrender to the Lord and also what it looks like not to in comparison.

What a great thing to have engraved on your tombstone!

Miscellaneous Pics

Peter is 16 months old today! Praise the Lord!

Peter's contribution to clean-up time. Doesn't everyone keep their shoes in the sink?


My advice to new parents expecting their first child - don't buy toys. Save boxes and invest in some gladware and you'll be fine.




Peter thoroughly enjoying his first Sonic smoothie. We couldn't pry the thing away from him.




Alana on Palm Sunday.


This is how Alana spent her entire spring break. She was either out in the yard or on the back porch the whole week.

All About Daddy!

I had a good conversation with my aunt a few months ago, in which she shed some great light on raising boys. I was telling her how attached Peter was to me and she assured me that that would change. She said that my cousin Kevin was a very attached baby to her until all of a sudden, in the stages of toddlerhood, he came to the realization that his daddy led a far more interesting life than his mom. She said from then on, it was all about Daddy. She could not have been more right.

In the last month, I've noticed Peter has taken a particular interest in his Daddy. That interest has turned into an obesession. His entire existence revolves around his Daddy. For example:

• I come into his room in the morning to get him and his first word EVERY morning is "Daddy!!!" (Trust me, this is not confusion over who I am, he definitely knows his Daddy and his Mama and calls them so by name.)
• If I open the windows to enjoy the springtime weather, Peter stands at the living room window looking out towards the road and driveway and yells, "Daddy!!! Daddy !!! Daddy!!!" at the top of his lungs. (Who knows what the neighbors probably think about this.)
• Last night at church, Tom walked away from us down the hall talking to some folks, and Peter cried. (He used to cry when I left him.)
• Peter looks at his Daddy's picture up on the wall all throughout the day and points and says "Daddy!" (As if I haven't heard his name enough all day.)
• When Daddy comes home every day, Peter's whole body practically goes into convulsions over the excitement. (Really, it's quite ridiculous.)

I know that my days of importance are not over. He still needs me for things like food in his belly, clean diapers and clothes on his back, but my position of importance has clearly been demoted. I've been usurped. Another person has taken over the prize position in Peter's life. Now, I'm just the cook, maid and laundrywoman. Ahhh....... I guess the glory had to end sometime.

Easter Dinner

We FINALLY finished celebrating Easter last night. It's taken us a week due to illnesses. Our Easter dinner still wasn't complete because my mom got jealous of me being sick and decided to try out that virus for herself:) We sent her home a plate. I had to show off our sunflower cake because anybody that knows me at all knows I don't have a creative bone in my body. I was quite proud of that cake! Super-easy too - just peeps along the edge and chocolate chips in the middle.

Easter

Here are this year's Easter pictures. They are not all that good because the photographer was quite ill (hence, no pictures of me). I was so sad to send my beautiful family off to church without me yesterday. It came on suddenly. For a couple of days I thought I was just dealing with some severe allergies, but then on Saturday when I began to feel as if I had been in a brawl with a gang, I knew this wasn't allergies. Thankfully, whatever I had wasn't too long-lasting and I'm on the mend, just VERY tired. Missing Easter was a bummer, especially since we couldn't go to church together last year because of Peter still recovering. Oh well. I'm thankful that even though I didn't get to celebrate Easter much, the facts of Easter remain the same. HE IS RISEN!