frappe fetish

i am work this morning and should be writing one of my articles for the next diocesan newspaper. i will. i will because i stopped by mcdonald's this morning and got a mocha frappe. just go try one. they are awesome. thanks, lace, for the introduction. of course, my sister and i are chocolate LOVERS, and if you ask for extra chocolate syrup, it gets even better! now i have my motivation... go get one!

casey's congestion

everywhere we go, people hear casey breathe, and they ask us, "gosh, does he always sound like that?" i guess we have grown used to the sound, used to the drainage, used to the boogers! but bless his heart, casey is always congested. our pediatrician keeps talking about allergies, but we can't take him to a specialist until he's two years old. and in the meantime, claritin and zyrtec are not helping at all.

this morning casey had a check-up with his ENT, dr. moe (wonderful doctor). it's been almost 8 months since dr. moe put tubes in casey's ears. since then, the boy's ears always look wonderful and there have been no more ear infections! it's just the rest of the head and sinus cavity that are always stopped up. dr. moe was very concerned about his congestion, and he asked me about casey and snoring. honestly i've been concerned about his snoring, because it's really picked up over the past month, and lately, casey seems to be a 100% mouth breather.

dr. moe noticed his tonsils were aggravated as well. so this afternoon, we are going to have his adenoids x-rayed. it will take a few days to get the results, and a follow-up appointment is scheduled next month. however, if they are inflamed as well and blocking his airway passages, casey may have to have his adenoids and possibly his tonsils removed. i can't stand the thought of seeing him under stronger anesthesia than when his ear tubes went in, or seeing him with an IV hooked up to his little arm. but i do know that casey has never been able to breathe clearly, and we want to help him in any way we can. i also know, that so many precious children endure illnesses and complications much worse than this, and most importantly, i know our Heavenly Father will watch over him (and us) as we continue to seek Him and His plan.

austin

this past weekend we visited trevor's sister, audrey, and her family in austin. it had been a year since we were last at their house... a year, and it's only an hour's drive. sheeesh. well at least we made it, and i'm so glad we did, because i love visiting her and her family. we laugh, we visit, we shop, it's great.

saturday audrey and i went to ikea (of course) while casey napped, and then it was off to the Round Rock Aquatics Center, awesome! this place was great. it's a huge pool with areas 1-foot deep and others just over 3 feet. it has a lazy river, where you can float on tubes, and tons of slides and toys for kids of all ages. braeden jumped right in. casey, well, he liked momma's lap for quite a while. once the snacks came out, though, he was all about it.

we also visited uncle tom's restaurant, ski shores. we had gone last summer as well. great little place right on lake austin. boats cruise right up to it. casey loved it. he got to run and play, pick the flowers, and eat french fries! we had a great time, as usual. sweet summertime, hot and wonderful.

running...

last night i ran in the rain... in the rain. thank God for the rain. now those of you who know me well know i am not a runner. but every evening casey and i take roxy for a walk, maybe 2 miles. lately i've been trying to run every other block or so. casey had started wanting to bail out of the stroller, so i wondered how to make our walks more interesting for this toddler boy... speed! and i guess i get some exercise out of it as well.

well yesterday evening we were blessed with some much needed rain. it had tapered to a drizzle, but the drops were still coming too strong to take casey along. so roxy and i headed out, and i ran our entire route, okay almost. but it was so refreshing! not only did i not have to fight with the jogging stroller, but roxy didn't stop to eat cat poop every yard, there was a breeze, it was 76 degrees, and a light rain fell on our faces the entire way. it felt great. here's hoping for some more really soon.

it's me again

i am just so blessed. things over the past year have been amazing. our little family is flourishing. i thank God each and every day for what all he was given us, though we prove to be so undeserving. so this welcome back to me post will consist of some pictures of our precious boy growing like a weed. casey james is 16 months today!

picture by Van Reet Photography, June 3, as part of a Father's Day surprise - wonderful!

playing at the park with momma.

a day at Guadalupe State Park, such fun, July 3.

my precious little, july 4.

sweet boy.

i had to show off my favorite outfit. he wore this to his nephew's (Braeden's) 9th birthday party on saturday. i can't believe our b is 9! 

casey had his two-month check-up today, he is 9 weeks old. he is now 13 lbs, 2 ozs and 24.25 inches long. growing boy! we did survive together 3 shots and 1 oral, but it was the hardest thing to watch his sweet, smiling face change so suddenly. alas, momma cried longer than he did. he just awoke from a nap crying (which he rarely does, really) so i knew he was in a bit of pain. grape tylenol and a bottle and he's back asleep, with two looney tunes bandaids on his chubby thighs. love.

smiles!

they have arrived! the real, meaningful smiles on my baby boy! casey is now responding to our voices and faces with the greatest smiles and brightest eyes, especially in the mornings. they make all worries cease, tired eyes glow, and God's miracles more and more apparent. i know this is only the first in a mountainous series of changes we will see over the next two years...and then some. it's his first response, and soon we'll have words to accompany his smiles and pouts. he is "cooing," singing sweet songs and telling sweet stories. it's the greatest sound.

casey is growing before my eyes. i look at him on his changing table lately and his little thighs (more cute rolls!), waist and arms are getting thicker and he is so long! he was 8 weeks old on monday, may 10; he's wearing 6-month clothes; and i'm pretty sure we're close or right at 15 pounds...goodness! we'll find out next monday at his doctor's appt (prayers please, this involves 4 shots). we'll survive.

lovin' this life!