Icing on the cake

Christian has had a pretty eventful month as you can see on the prior posts (2 week trip to Cali with a gnarly bike crash/concussion, 7 yo birthday, major ear surgery, etc). Amid all of that minor stuff, we can't forget to show his very important/favorite birthday present-

Cholesteatoma Ear Surgery...

Cholestea...whatta??! I know, I said the same thing the first time the doctor said it to me. I don't want to go into what it is too much on this post...if you're curious what it is, its easy to google and find lots about it. So August 11th we checked into surgery at 6 AM, Christian was scheduled to start surgery at 8AM. By 10AM they had finally begun. He took the anesthesia like a champ(and had to be intubated). He was in surgery for about 3.5 hours. We are glad they released Christian and did not require an overnight stay in the hospital. Christian did relatively well. There was a rough patch in recovery...but once they controlled his pain, he felt much more at ease. The cholestoetoma was very large and had caused pretty extensive damage. The Dr. had to remove all but half of one bone in the middle ear. He feels he got most/all of the growth...but will go back in 6 mo- 1year to make sure. It is unclear if the hearing will be about the same or slightly worse...its a wait and see type deal. It is also unclear if he will be able to reconstruct anything...mostly because he had to remove much of everything that he would have used to connect a reconstruct to. Anyhow...we are hopeful this is the beginning of a healthier ear....and can only pray that it will not come back to cause further damage. For now, we are just laying low and allowing the ear to heal. Luckily he still has one more full week before school starts. He should be pretty much up to normal by then (as long as no one touches his incision).

Do my sleepy eyes give the 6AM away??

He played lots of GBA before surgery as a distraction! He was also hilarious...dancing on the gurney and cracking jokes

In recovery...in a lot of pain and confusion.

Not a very clear picture...but you can vaguely see the incision post surgery.

#7 for Christiano

Christian's Happy Birthday welcome from Shamu

Christian's favorite ride of the day!

Enjoying a break from the heat in 4D style.

That's not a booger on Christian's nose...just the remainder of his bike trauma.

August 7, 2001...I had been induced and labored all night...by early morning with Christian having late decels on his heartrate monitor and my progression stalled...it was decided to deliver C-section. I was disappointed and ill prepared. When they pulled him from my stomach I felt tears trickle down my face. I looked into Gav's eyes and saw a similar emotion. Our first baby!

Now seven years later...I am even more teary eyed when I think about Christian. We truly could not have asked for a better first born. He has been a dream child in so many ways. He is the apple of his daddy's eye...I see so much of Gav in him. He is an amazing student and athlete. And he is a great older brother and example to those youngerand some older. He is so brave and strong beyond his years.

This year we had a family birthday party while we were in San Diego. Then for his actual birthday, we spent the morning doing his pre-operation appointments at the hospital...and spent the rest of the day at SeaWorld San Antonio. He had a blast!

The Kids' Summer Vacation...

We all know that a vacation is not truly a vacation for the parents (or parent,in our case)...I won't say there wasn't a lot of fun. But its also a lot of extra work to be away from home, normal lives, different people's lifestyles and expectations.

That being said, our trip to San Diego was very much worth it. I can tell...because as we left, Christian got choked up at how he is going to miss everyone and questioned why we have to live so far away... that's a hard one!

Amongst some of the highlights were going to the pool and beach with cousins, having a cousins sleep over in the beach brat room, having Christian's 7th Birthday Party at the beach, trying to go to a sold-out Padres game and ending up at Hard Rock Cafe, Shawna running an 8 mile VERY hilly race through Balboa Park, going to Old Town, getting Christian's filling done without a shot (he was said to have 4 cavities and was dreading getting all of them fixed with shots to the mouth...very pleasant surprise for him), and just visiting with lots of family and friends.
So...the story behind the previous posted picture...Exactly half way into the trip, Christian decided to go bike riding on his cousins' driveway (which is a pretty steep hill) and became over zealous, the handlebars got out of control and he face planted down the hill. Apparently he knocked unconscious for a moment...but cannot still remember anything until he was on the couch, about 20 minutes later. He caught the fall primarily with his face/nose. LUCKILY, he was wearing a helmet..but still managed to get a good sized goose-egg on his forehead. That was the worst time, as a mom, that I truly felt that type of anxiety, sickness and fear all together. Seeing him all bloody and disoriented scared me to death. He did all right that night...but the next day he began worsening. He had sever neck pain, a headache, a fever, was very lethargic and nauseous. Cumulatively, we decided to take him to the ER. So instead of getting a date night at the temple, we spent many hours in the Emergency room doing all kinds of tests. Obviously, the outcome was positive...his scans cleared. He must have had a good concussion. Thanks to some good salt water and chlorine water, his wounds have healed relatively quickly and without scars.

We are so glad we were able to visit "home" for a short while. It may be a while until we are able to make it back there. It reminds us of the things we miss (while also reminds us of some of the benefits of living away for a while). I do have to say I looked forward to being home--in our own beds, normal schedules...all the benefits of being in your own environment. We did not miss the hot humidity...but its livable and will hopefully begin lightening up over the next several weeks.

Sneak Peek....

Here's just a sneak peek at some of the "fun" we had on vacation... definitely more details to come!!

As a side note...Christian is having surgery on his ear on Monday. We had his pre-op yesterday... and everything is set. He is such a trooper.

I am going to get my feet on the ground here at home before Sunday night when we have to go to San Antonio for the surgery. So, I will catch up on our eventful 2 week vacation soon!!

Back to Paradise...

We needed a little break from the Corpus radius...and the boys needed some cousin time...so we are here in San Diego for another week and a half. We have a lot of things going on in the near future and wanted to have a little fun before things get busy with every day concerns. Not that anyone ever needs a reason to come home and enjoy heaven on Earth!
We do miss Gav. He stayed to brave the hurricane and his patients. But will get to come out on Wednesday. Although, he will be busy with his responsibilities...it will be so nice to see him! I miss him for SOOooooo many reasons.
We'll definitely post once we return to reality.

Little Rascals...

Really, these photos speak for themselves...

With another "brotha" to add to the mayhem, here's the jump from the top rope on to the couches...(yes, a slight injury ended the fun..of course!)

Definitely watching too much "Cheese Jerky" Hannah Montana episodes!!! (oops...is that a family secret that my boys enjoy watching Hannah Montana?!)

Fourth of July in TX...

Now officially our second 4th of July here in Texas...and like the last...it was rainy and dreary. So while it rained outside, we enjoyed a yummy pancake breakfast, a bike/scooter parade (which Christian mistook for a BMX bike race...and somehow managed not to kill anyone in his stunts),

some friendly volleyball....THEN the day went on and it actually cleared up....so off to the beach we went. Met a bunch of friends there for bonfire and grub. We were treated to a beautiful FULL rainbow in the skyline off the gulf. Then we skillfully made it to a cute little grassy knoll, kind of far from the immediate action, just in time for the fireworks...Now it wasn't our childhood memory of the 4th....but we are learning to adapt to our new surroundings. And in the meantime, also learning that flexibility makes life adventurous and fun. Not to say we did not truly miss our family on yet another holiday away!!

Learning to Multi-Task

Just a quick glimpse into a new summertime tradition. When naptime approaches and Shane is unwilling to cooperate, he frequently calls "Broba"...to be translated "Brother". Thinking that Christian is going to be able to manipulate the mom into allowing Shane to skip naptime magically. So instead, I capitalized on the situation and allowed Christian to participate in the process of getting our stubborn Shane to take a much needed nap. The result, as you can see, was that I got my 6 year old to read a whole book and my 2 year old to fall asleep. SWEET!! Too bad more parenting problems can't be solved that way...a two-for-one deal!!

For all eternity...

THEN (July 1999)

NOW ( April 2008)
9 YEARS...Has it really been that long? It feels like yesterday...and I still feel like a newlywed. I am still living my fairytale ending...Disney's got nothin' on what we've got. Gav~ the following poem explains it all. I love you forever!!

Thank You For Being You ~ poetry by Paula Finn

One of the greatest gifts of our relationship is the comfort of knowing I can always be myself with you, and you will accept me for being just that. With you, I never have to laugh when I feel like crying, Or be quiet when I need to talk, Or stay calm when I feel like getting upset, Or sound positive when I need to complain. The greatest comfort is the knowledge that when I need a friend... I never have to be alone. In sharing our fears, we become bolder. In sharing our losses, we become richer. In sharing our mistakes, we become wiser. In sharing ourselves, we become closer. Our lives were meant to be shared. It's so comforting to share the events of my day with you- The little things I know you'll find funny, or touching, or interesting, Only because they happened to me. You know when I need your help or advice, And when I just need to know that you care. It's not often that we feel safe enough with another person to shed our defenses, And to risk being completely ourselves- To show them they are important in our life, And that we would be so much less without them. I NEED YOU... And I trust you enough to tell you. You listen to me without judging, You support me without pressuring, You appreciate me as I am without comparing me to what I am not. You encourage me in my goals and dreams, And validate my struggles to fulfill them... You are so easy to talk to so easy to feel close to, And so easy to love. Your support has deepened my self-confidence, Your humor has brightened my outlook, And your encouragement has brought me closer than ever to my dreams. Always, you've been there to listen, to understand... And to help me grow. Your support adds so much to my life. You share my joy as if it were your own. You feel my pain and you cry with me. Thank you for understanding me, accepting me, and loving me as I am. It sounds so simple but it means so much to say- I feel comfortable with you. I don't have to worry about how I look to you, Or sound to you, Or what you're going to think about me when I'm not around. I don't have to rehearse or analyze our conversations- When we talk, I can relax. I feel comfortable around you. It sounds so simple...but it means so much. You know when I want to be serious; You know when I need to be playful. When I'm with you I am free to express my true mood. If I am not feeling happy, or positive, or energetic, I don't have to act or pretend that I am. You support my goals, while accepting my faults. You love the person I am. Your accepting nature has helped me to treat others and myself more gently. You concentrate on my good points while overlooking my flaws, And you can always find something in me to praise. You are so thoughtful. You give me much more than is expected, And you expect much less than you deserve. You are strong enough to admit your weaknesses, Brave enough to express your fears, Free enough to laugh and human enough to cry. My life is enriched in so many ways by your presence, For in you I have found the friend I've always wanted... And the love I'll always need. Together, we've laughed and cried, Shared sunshine and storms... We've celebrated carefree days, And helped each other through the long troubled nights. Your support has made my triumphs more meaningful, And my losses easier to bear. I will praise you when you win, And share your pain if you lose... Always, I will accept you for who you are And not for how much or little you achieve. I will strive to bring out the best in you while forgiving your faults. I won't expect perfection in either of us. In the tomorrows we share, I pray that I can be sensitive to your needs, Understanding of your concerns, Patient with your mistakes, And comforting of your pain... That I can give as much of myself as you need... And all the love that you deserve. With you life is exciting. With you I can be myself. With you I feel appreciated. With you I have fun. With you I am happier than I have ever been. Thank you for being you.