Hey Batter Batter

Jacob is my little baseball player. He loves to play ball with his dad. And he absolutely cannot play baseball without his new Mariner's hat. Plus, he already has a baseball player's name: "Jacob Palmer."

The problem: I think he inherited my hand-eye coordination. And my batter's stance. And my problems with balance. At least he will never have to learn to walk in heels. And he's got a pretty mean swing (and by "swing" I mean "full-bodied twirl"-- see 0:26).

Note: real baseball players don't need pants.

The 50 Minute Wait...

So PMS stopped in for a visit tonight {that crazy chick}, and she straight up told me to go and find something chocolately to make/eat right quick before she turned into super-psycho-even-cah-razier chick and chewed her husband out about the turtle-like speed at which he puts their son to bed.  So, not being one to mess with crazy, I totally obeyed her by finding the most Sinfully Delicious Easy-as-Pie Double Chocolate Banana Bread of Love recipe.  {Known officially as Alice’s Sour Cream Chocolate Chocolate Chip Banana Bread which you can find HERE.  You're welcome.} 

Also, let me just tell you I based my personal description on the batter alone.  It  was so totally yummy that it took everything out of me not to remove the already-cooking loaf pan full of it from the 350 degree oven so I could have one more scoop.  It was contort-your-face into the mixing bowl good.  Which I did.  Now I have to refrain myself for the next 50  minutes while it bakes, which will likely be how long it takes me (if not longer) to write this post since I've been interrupted already for goodnight kisses, a phone call, and the general ADD that results when I blog with the TV on.  {Did you watch Sam B dance on America's Got Talent?  I'm pretty sure there's a Sam B at every dance club and wedding.  Hilarious.}  See, I'm already 15 minutes closer to eating my Banana Bread of Love.  Thank you, Sam B.

To kill off another 35 minutes, I will show you a few pics from Becks actual birthday, which was yesterday - I just didn't want to kill the Blogger picture uploader with another 497 pictures last night.  {Sidenote: Thanks for the super sweet comments on his party!  Y'all made my day!}  We had a delightful spaghetti dinner, homemade chocolate cupcakes (PMS visited yesterday, too), and my sister and her kiddos came over.  Totally perfect.

Fifteen minutes left!

Let's see...what else can I bore you with? 

Hmmm...

Well, it is the Sixteen and Pregnant reunion show tonight.  But, let's be honest, there will never be a cast like Season 1.  I can hardly wait for July 5th at 10pm.  Which is the season premiere of Teen Mom Season 3, if you don't know.  Odds are you do, since many of us have a shared love of Maci, Catelynn, Farrah, and Amber :)

While on the topic of trashy MTV reality shows, I continue to mourn the loss of The Hills, which might be my most favorite reality show ever.  I might have to spend a rainy day this summer watching reruns online during naptime.  Which probably won't happen since grad school is absolutely consuming me.  Educational law and ethics?  ICK.

Lastly, this:

Oh. My. YUM.  Worth every calorie.

Happy, happy Tuesday to you!

They say it's your birthday!

Omiword, it feels like yesterday he was born.  And, now he's this crazy, three-year-old little boy! He cracks me up daily, and while his antics are sometimes trying, his sweet nature and gap-tooth smile get me every time.  Happy Birthday, Becks!  I love you so, so, so, so, so, so BIG!

* * * * *

So, apparently, I kinda like playing party hostess.  I had an absolute blast planning Becks' party, and though it was only family, it was oh-so-much-fun.  And, to be honest, this has really been the first occassion in the four years that we've lived in our house that I felt really comfortable hosting a {modest} crowd.  Now that we have a deck (best investment ever) and a much much much more efficient kitchen (um, maybe the kitchen was the best investment ever!), I feel confident that I'd like to host get-togethers all the time!  Now, if I could just find the time... 

So, the theme was more or less color and since he's currently a huge Handy Manny fan, his Nana M. made a fantastic Handy Manny cake - complete with fondant-made tools!  I'm not the best photographer or editor, so the pics aren't the best.  I'm working on it!   

And now for a gobzillion par-tay pics!

Now for the actual party, wherein my momma managed to be the only one to escape my lens.  I'll get you next time, my pretty...

I mean, can you really host a preschool party these days without one of these things?  Fortunately, we borrowed this one from my parents' neighbors because I would so not pay for a party jumpy thing.  However, the kididdles totally *loved* it!

This little one-two picture succession is one of my favs.  He's sitting in my lap waiting for his daddy to bring out his gift from us.  

This next pic is when he sees his gift being rolled out the back door.  It brings a tear to my eye knowing that his excitment won't always be this genuine, this palpable. 

He crashed hard that night.  But not before he went to bed wearing new PJs and convinced us to let him take new toys to bed.  Stinker. {Sidenote: The upstairs is coming along.  Sanding always takes longer than we imagined, so he's still sleeping in the pack-n-play in our room.}

So, that's it.  Third birthday extravaganza.  Where are the years going?!?!

Snips And Snails

Jacob is two. Almost three. He is your typical toddler boy. He is opinionated. He is adventurous. He is ridiculously cute. He is Trouble.

Today we went an an impromptu morning trip to the park. I packed up our bag and we headed out on a nice walk. Jacob wanted to ride his scooter. For two blocks. Then he wanted me to carry it so he could chase a squirrel.



Then he wanted me to carry his scooter so he could sit on a rock.



Then he wanted me to carry his scooter so he could poke a snail. He quickly lost interest in playing with the snail and insisted that I let him take pictures of the snail instead. Exhibit 1:



15 minutes and 32 photos of Jacob's thumb later, we finally arrived at the park. Little did I know, the snail had also arrived at the park, via a toddler boy's pocket. (Luckily I was spared that discovery until pieces of snail shell tumbled out of his pocket during a potty break.)

Jacob went down the slide just a couple times before he spied some unsuspecting seagulls. No creature is safe, I swear. We chased seagulls all the way to the "ice cream store." That's when Jacob loudly proclaimed that he was "very thirsty" and "could we please get some water at the ice cream store?" I'm certain the entire thing was a ploy so that I would buy him a treat.

As soon as we entered the "ice cream store," Jacob looked up sweetly at me and said, "Can I have a treat?" What did I tell you? Do I know this kid or what?

I looked back down at him and asked, "What's the magic word?"

He thought for a second. His eyes lit up. And he said, "Abra-ca-dabra!"

Some things.

1.  Nothing makes you feel old like hearing the local radio DJ proclaim And now it's time for some old school!  And then he plays Justin Timberlake's Cry Me A River.  I was a sophomore in college when that song was popular.  Totally.  Not.  Old School.  Thankyouverymuch.

2.  Not all tissue papers are created equally.  I know this because I have fluffed no less than 297 tissue paper pom poms tonight.

3.  Ask me if said poms will be suspended from the dining room fan by Cleanburst Reach Floss, and I will kindly respond Oh, yes they are.  So if anyone gets corn stuck in their teeth during the birthday festivities this weekend, you'll know where to go.

4.  While we're discussing dental issues, are you familiar with David after the Dentist?  If not, go watch THIS, laugh, and return to see the below picture which bares resemblence to David when he rises from his seat in a dinosaur-likre roar.  Becks informed me that he was being a dinosaur.  An axshophone dinosaur to be specific.  Roar.

5.  Beckham proclaimed {loudly} in Target today that he was going to Hit me in the p*nis.  It was all I could do to jump across the aisle and slap my hand over his mouth, and another one over my own.  Because it was also kind of funny.

6.  Did you know the Canadian post is on strike?  I'm ordering something through Etsy, and there's been a delay due to shipping issues resulting from the strike.  Just an interesting little fact for you. {Also, if you are in fact Canadian, I am sorry about the strike.  I'm sure that's frustrating on both ends.}

7.  Becks has developed the talent? adaptation? super power? to sleep through a variety of power tools.  I kid you not, he can go to bed and sleep soundly while the drum sander is turning right above our room - which we are currently sharing with him during the Big Boy Bedroom reno.  This is likely due to the fact that our home has been under some form of construction during the entire three years he's been alive.

8.   One of the goals on my Sunspiration list is to read at least 2 novels.  I finished Firefly Lane last week and *loved* it.  If you are madly in love with Summer Sisters by Judy Blume {as I am}, then you must read it.  I randomly came across it at a library book sale I was working and am twelve kinds of glad I did.  What are you reading this summer?

9.  B is working tomorrow, which means if I want to run by myself while it's still less than 80 degrees out, I have to run super early. Although I love the commentary my little buddy in the running stroller provides as we jog together, it's really so much easier if I just run solo.  He usually wants to talk or request I pick up a rock or a pinecone.  I'm just focusing on panting breathing.  However, when that alarm goes off at 6am, I'm thinking a little companionship isn't so bad.

10.  Who else could watch True Life marathons all day?  What would I do without trashy TV?

I know I'm a slacker, but don't give up on me.

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.  So love the people who treat you right.  Forget about the ones who don't.  Believe that things happen for a reason.  If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.  If it changes your life, let it.  Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

-Unknown

First, I want to thank all of the wonderful people who have been supporting us, contacting us, praying for us, and loving us.  It is completely humbling.  And for some reason, it seems like I have received more e-mails, facebook messages, and cards in the mail this past week than I ever have... mostly from perfect strangers just letting me know that we are in their prayers!  You guys are just amazing.  I really don't know what to say anymore.  If it weren't for all of you, I don't know how we would keep pushing on each day.  Because like I've always said- I need to keep myself happy and healthy so that I can keep Tripp happy and healthy (well, as healthy as possible!).  We are blessed beyond words to have such an amazing group of supporters- I wish I could do something in return for each and every one of you.  I just wish I had the time to sit down and write each one of you back! 

So I know it's been a while since I've posted, and I'm sorry.  The last time I wrote,  Dr. D was making a house call to come and draw Tripp's blood for labwork.  Well, all went great while she was here- we talked and visited for a while about everything that's been going on with him.  And then we laid him on the table, with my mom holding his feet, me holding his arms and head, Dr. D sticking him, and my brother's girlfriend Ashley helping her put the blood into the different tubes.  Tripp was, of course, ticked off... but did so well (AS ALWAYS)- he's nothing short of a saint.  BUT when Dr. D had got the blood back to the lab, it had clotted and they couldn't read it :(  She was so upset- and I felt so bad because she did such a great job getting it (and not to mention she made a special trip to the house to draw it).  

So that's when she decided that we needed a home health nurse.  And she called to set it up for us last week.  So we now have CareLink Home Health.  Our nurse's name is Kati and I LOVE HER! (she is another reason that I know God is watching out for us).  She's great and I know we will get along just fine!  Right now, Kati just comes once a week to "check in" and see how Tripp is doing and to see it we need anything.  She will be re-drawing all of Tripp's labwork next week.  And the best thing about having a home health nurse now- is that if Tripp ever gets an infection bad enough to where he needs IV antibiotics- she can give them to him AT HOME!  You can't get any better than that.  Especially when I'm terrified of going into the hospital because I have this nauseating feeling that if we go in, we won't come back out.  That was amazing news for me!  So I'm really excited about having Kati now:)  Hopefully Tripp will warm up to her- he just knows her now as the girl that comes in and puts a stethescope on his chest, which he just WILL NOT have.  But I'll save the talk on his little rotten behavior later:)

He's really not been feeling good.  He's about to finish a SECOND round of antibiotics (back to back) that Dr. D started again when she was here (just because he was feeling so yucky and we were out of other options).  And usually the antibiotics make him feel better, but this time they didn't.  He had a span of about 4 days at the end of last week and through the weekend where he was breathing AWFUL again.  One night last week I swear we didn't sleep 10 minutes straight all through the night.  His breathing would sound exactly like a whistle.  And he was back to pulling from his chest and struggling for air.  I immediately went back up on the steroids, started breathing treatments, and gave him oxygen as needed.  It was really bad for about 2 days, and is gradually getting a little bit better.  But he still cannot stand up to play for more than about 5-10 minutes without wheezing and needing his "air."  It's always hard to tell with him if it's his airway swelling up again from some type of blister/irritation or if it's some type of cold/allergy.  Hopefully he can shake this soon and be back to his playful self.  He hasn't played much at ALL in the past 2 weeks:(

His eyes are almost completely shut.  There is a teeny tiny strip left where you can still tell if they're actually opened or not- but it's still covered in skin (you can't see his eyeballs at all).  His mouth is still horrible- sores covering his tongue now too, because all he does is chew on it!  That has to just be the worst pain ever- I can't even imagine.  His arms look good, his torso looks good (about the same as it's been in the past 6-8 months), but his legs and butt look terrible.  I don't know if it's because he's been kicking his legs, or rubbing his legs together or what- but he's got about one strip of "skin" on the top of his shins- but his calves are raw.  His little hands are the worst they've ever been!  He never even had any blisters on his hands (other than his raw nailbeds) until a few months ago.  They just keep popping up like crazy.  We thought it was just the heat, but now that the house has been at 68-69 degrees all day and he's still getting them, I don't think that's the case.  And last, his poor little neck and head are so raw and itchy.  I recently started using a Silveadine cream (with Silver in it:) on his neck to try and keep the psedomonas under control and that seems to be working pretty well.  I also recently switched back to the Baby Ecezma Cream that I was using a while back (not sure why I stopped)- but that seems to be helping a little with the "itching" too.  Oh, and I'm using the Aveeno oatmeal bath packets that my mom picked up from Walgreens in the bath water (along with salt and Baby Ecezma Wash) and that has helped his baths a little (I think)- of couse he is still hysterical, but you can tell that he doesn't shake in pain like before.  Hoping it's not just a fluke and it really feels a tad bit better! 

And now to the personality... O man.  What a little firecracker we are creating over here.  He's hilarious and mean- and we condone it.  It's just to darn cute not to.  And frankly, if something makes him smile- we will do it 457 million times if we have to (I'm pretty sure that's how many times we listened to Elmo's Ducks today, too).  And he started doing this in the past couple of days- If you ask him "Do you like to be nice?"  He shakes his head no.  "Do you like to be sweet?"  He shakes his head no.  "Do you like to be kind??"  Again, shakes no.  Then you ask "Do you like to be MEAN?"  And he gives the biggest grin you've ever seen.  It's too cute!  And he's now replaced "Shoo-Fly" with the LSU song.  He will use anything to make music or noise.  And I am so serious when I say that he can click his tongue or bang his drumstick to the tune of EVERY song on the "Best of Elmo 2" DVD (along with any song he hears just once- no lie).  He definitely became musically gifted the second he started losing his eyesight.  It's incredible and heart-warming to watch.  He makes me so very proud.  

And for those of you who don't think he is an angel yet, get this... every time he does stand up to play, when he's finished and ready to get back in the rocking chair-  he will first pick up his toys that are on his table, one by one, and walk to his toy basket and toss them in.  He picks up his toys:(  Such a sweet sweet boy.  I love him more than life.  He actually made me cry doing this the other day!  (I guess I'm a little emotional lately too:)  And he probably just does it for the simple fact that he's trying to make it a point that he's done playing and wants me to pick him up- but I look at it as he's being a good boy and picking up his toys:)

So, I am trying to focus on all of the positives that we have going on right now- like all the great people in our lives.  It's so incredibly hard, though, to know deep down that each day Tripp is getting worse and worse.  We need awareness and we need a cure.  And that's why we need all of you.  I can't tell you how many times a day I get note or an e-mail from someone else who just "found" Tripp's story.  It's INCREDIBLE.  And I hope it continues until everyone in the world knows about EB and what it does to these poor precious innocent children.  It's ripping out little pieces of my heart day by day to watch what this is doing to my son.  And the hardest part- not letting it show.  I know in my heart that I can't fix it- so I know that being depressed and sad about it every day is not going to do anyone any good- especially Tripp (who deserves the most happiness of anyone I know).  So that's my prayer request (besides prayers for Tripp, of course:) - that I can "keep on keeping on" no matter what obstacles arise, so that I can be the strong one and continue to hold all the pieces of this crazy puzzle together.  

I love you guys.  

Thank you again for loving my little man.  

One of my favorite pictures of all time. 

This was last July... almost a year ago already!

Love,

Consumed with life is all.

I don't mean not to post.  I really don't.  It's just that summer is about so much more than sitting in front of my computer - which I'm already doing enough of considering I'm overwhelmed with two three-week courses that are kicking my butt - and we were vacationing for much of last week.  So I have lots of valid excuses.  Which I need a lot of since I spend the opening paragraphs of all of my blog posts as of late describing why I'm not posting. 

Anyway.

So, last week.  We spent not nearly enough time at the Lakehouse, followed by five days in Gatlinburg.  Despite the torrential downpour en route to the mountains, we had a fantastic time.  And since my dad called me today dropping not-so-subtle hints that I haven't posted on here in nearly two weeks, I thought I'd oblige with lots and lots of pictures.  {Sidenote: Mom, check your email for a link to Shutterfly.  I know that will make you happy :) } 

The kiddos are getting so big. They love one another dearly and I love that they're growing up with each other so close by. Sure, we break up the occasional scuffle over toys or find the boys with each other in wrestling-like positions, but overall they get along well. Sigh

I'm not going to be eloquent with the photo descriptions because there are a lot of photos.  Just know that my mom bought a package of lip whistles to entertain the little ones and they were a big hit.  You'll understand momentarily why I had to make that comment.

Sutter Butter is all kinds of photogenic. 

I'll make a small note and say that it was his idea to wear the hardhat in the hottub.  Reminds me a little bit of The Village People.

My girl is getting so big.  She's going to kindergarten in the fall.  She cracks me right up.

She should be in a horror movie.  B and I already have her pegged as a future thespian.

 Baby Hudson

 My cousin Heather and her daughter, Paisley.

Of the 100+ pics I uploaded from our vacation, I am in a whopping two.  That's not giving me much room to choose a "good" picture, so this semi-okay one is going to have to do.  Just as proof that I was actually there. 

  Happy Tuesday!