april

Somehow it happened.  Again.  Another month just flew by and here I am playing catch-up.  As Drew has been reminding me, time goes by faster when you’re having fun (he’s been wanting to be extra good and have lots of fun this week so Mother’s Day will come faster and he can give me a surprise. Sweet! A surprise.  But actually, just that statement is the only gift I need for Mother’s Day ~ especially since he’s been following through and has been super duper well behaved).  Well, anyhow, we must have had A LOT of fun and been extremely busy during April ‘cause I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that it’s already May 5^th.  [if only the weather would start acting like it was may…seriously, there were snowflakes falling this past Sunday!!]

AZ & JJB

Leo & JJB met and it was love at first sight.  The moment my grandpa held out his arm to hold Leo on his lap, Leo snuggled into his chest, and my grandpa placed a kiss on his forehead will be forever ingrained in my mind and on my heart.  Those actions spoke louder than any words my grandpa could have said about what he thought about our decision to adopt and his love for his second great-grandson.  Drew and his great-grandpa could not have enjoyed each other more – goofing around, trying to tickle each other, giving high fives, and even playing baseball together.  I feel so blessed to have had this time with my grandpa and that we captured so many moments of my boys with their great-grandpa.

During our time in Arizona we were also blessed to be surrounded by other family members too.   We thoroughly enjoyed staying with my aunt and uncle (and I am so grateful that the tantrums and fits my boys threw did not get us banned from staying with them again).  And, we had a lot of fun with my cousins and their families.  The weather was awesome (maybe even more so since it was cold and snowy back home) and the desert was beautiful as it was starting to bloom.  Pool time, lizards, dinosaur bones, 95 degree days, climbing trees, mountains, cacti, puppies, and prickly pear margaritas…we loved our time in Tucson!  So much so, we definitely will not be waiting another four years before we return!!

Easter

The absolute best part of Easter for me this year was having Leo with us.  Last year at this time we were anxious to have Leo physically join our family…so much so that we took family pictures with the “Leo Stand-In Bear”.  (The absolute worst part of Easter was not taking an ‘all accounted for’ family picture to replace last year’s. Grr!)  This year Leo was very much with us.  Dying Easter eggs, looking for hidden eggs (& gobbling up the cereal and goldfish inside), eating lamb cake, and fussing at church…doing all the things a one year old should be doing and enjoying on Easter Sunday.  Drew and Leo had a very fun day hanging out with their cousins and enjoying all their treats.  And, Drew especially enjoyed chewing his first piece of bubble gum!!

There was also a very close second 'absolute best part' of Easter for me…Drew totally getting Easter.  Sure, he embraces the Easter Bunny (so much so that he made me write and leave him a sign the night before Easter) but this year he totally expressed his understanding of the religious aspect of the day.  On Saturday morning Drew came into our bedroom and woke me up by softly saying “Welcome to heaven Jesus!”.  I thought this was so profound…but I was also a little startled and confused first thing in the morning.  I had just finished reading the book “Heaven Is For Real” the night before and for a minute I thought Drew was dead and in heaven welcoming Jesus.  That thought quickly woke me up and brought me to reality…the reality that “phew!! so glad Drew was still alive” and the reality that I’ve got one smart and caring little dude.  J

Surgery & Recovery

Last Friday Leo finally had surgery to help put a stop to the excessive drool.  Damon and I have nothing but good things to say about Children’s West and all the physicians and nurses that cared for Leo.  If you need an ENT, pediatric urologist, or anesthesiologist…just let me know, I’ve got you covered!  [our ENT doc even called – himself – Friday evening to see how Leo was doing.  Impressive in this day and age, if you ask me.]

I am happy to report that any and all doubts I had about removing Leo’s adenoids since his drool had significantly diminished have been erased.  Leo is having a grand ole time learning to use his nose!! It’s so cute to see him walk around scrunching up is nose and sniffing.  He’s beginning to breathe more through his nose and the drool is becoming less and less each day as the swelling t the surgical site reduces.  The added (and previously unmentioned) benefit of removing Leo’s adenoids has been his improved hearing.  It’s kinda crazy how much more he’s hearing…and therefore responding to.  Our sweet little Leo has become much more opinionated in the last week and has perfected his use of the word “No!”.  I’m just glad he’s happy and knows what he likes and what he wants.  J

While the recovery from the adenoid removal has gone extremely well, I cannot say that the recovery from the other procedure has gone as smoothly.  Nor has the process of giving Leo all of his liquid medicines.  Torture.  All of it.  It makes me cry each and every time we have to hold him down to give him his medicine and change his diaper.  We all keep praying and wishing for all this pain to end (Drew threw two coins into a fountain this past weekend…and wished both times that Leo gets better soon/faster) .  I know that we are doing all the right things to make the healing continue in the quickest way possible - because Leo was quickly back to his happy, active, playful self.  It has definitely been a difficult recovery, but I just keep reminding myself that our reasons were sound and that Leo is the strongest and bravest boy I know.  We’ll get through this and be “all done” soon!!

Over the past week there’s been a lot of focus on Leo.  Drew’s handled that in his own way – sometimes much better than at other times.  But, I want to thank my parents for making the trip from Michigan provide some extra sets of hands and spending time with Drew, giving him some fun experiences to help keep his mind off the fact that Damon and I were giving Leo a lot of needed attention.  As ‘difficult’ as Drew was sometimes this past weekend, I can only imagine how much worse it might have been without them around.  Drew, you really are an awesome kid.  And, thanks again Mom and Dad for all you did!!

Until next time…wine club, the annual plant sale, and mother’s day ~ it’s going to be a GREAT weekend!  Enjoy yours as much as I’m going to enjoy mine.