tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36140554274681166082024-03-18T21:00:48.428-07:00Byrne Family... of five!BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.comBlogger290125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-12765819531051052752013-11-11T19:19:00.001-08:002013-11-11T19:19:20.389-08:00Samuel passed his test!So much has happened with our family in the last year - so many posts I wish I would have written - but I just can't let this one go by... it could be a game changer :)<br />
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Samuel had a modified barium swallow study this past week... and he PASSED!!! In other words, this test showed that he has a functional swallow! Not perfect, a bit of residue left at the back of the tongue, but very functional. This is huge.<br />
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Samuel has had a few of these tests in his life - three I think - but he's never been advanced enough in his eating to even swallow the barium fluid. No barium = no results. But this time, it worked, and results were good!<br />
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Background: Samuel is still 100% gtube fed. Many factors play into this, including overcoming severe oral aversions from birth due to so many tubes and medical equipment. In addition, since he's never eaten, his mouth doesn't really know what to do with food... how to chew, why to chew, how to move food around, etc. <br />
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We've been able to encourage him to eat, but with extreme caution. Without a functional swallow, there's a very good chance Samuel would aspirate and fluid would enter his lungs (it would literally go down the wrong tube, ha!). As you can imagine, for a very lung-impaired kiddo, this was terrifying. There's also the paralyzed vocal chord, which doesn't necessarily play into why he hasn't eaten before, but it's a huge risk when eating. Even if someone is a good eater, and understands the mechanics of it, and has the desire to eat, a paralyzed vocal chord can cause functional issues.<br />
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So what comes next... a new approach! We have come a long way with the oral sensitivities, but there is still much to do. In addition, he still needs to learn a few basic skills such as opening your mouth when presented a spoon, and lowering your tongue to accept the spoon are current goals. Samuel has been licking lots of foods, every once in a while will accept a tiny amount of liquid, and sometimes he eats a pea-sized bite of yogurt. For an actual feeding plan, we'll be starting from the basics - level 1 baby foods and liquids. He'll still get a plate of whatever the other kids are having, just as he has for some time now, but the strong encouragement to eat will be more of the level 1 and liquids. Samuel has a lot of learning to do...<br />
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Eating needs to be fun and something he wants to do! At the same time, even when Samuel started expressing a small interest in foods, without knowing if he had a functional swallow we could only do so much. And then of course you add in that Samuel doesn't understand the connection between hunger and eating - why would he?! Without knowing Samuel wouldn't aspirate, we certainly weren't going to hold the gtube feeds and hope he ate more!<br />
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It's still a very slow process, but we are just thrilled to be moving on to a new journey! Let's eat!<br />
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<u>A few pics that have nothing to do with the post... expect they're all about food</u> :)</div>
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Sneaking a cookie :) </div>
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You can always tell when Samuel's done this because he leaves behind the licked evidence, ha! </div>
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Maybe soon he'll actually eat the cookie!</div>
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Yes, that's a green pepper... another item Samuel stole off the counter.</div>
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He ran around the house biting it and saying "apple" - this boy needs to eat! </div>
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George's first bite of sushi a new months back :) California roll, he was so proud.</div>
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Another proud George moment, he ate an entire grilled zucchini... </div>
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this after he told me he wouldn't try it, yes!</div>
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I don't seem to have any recent pics of Olivia eating, </div>
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but I did have some of Olivia with food - that counts, right?!</div>
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Above, making a pizza at the Children's Museum in Phoenix :)</div>
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This time she's inspecting the food :) </div>
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Olivia and a classmate look at coconut under the microscope in their science lab, too cute!</div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-9364979500473937852013-09-02T18:15:00.001-07:002013-09-02T19:09:49.251-07:00Gotcha!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ha ha! I love that her friend Caitlyn brings out this side of Olivia :) </div>
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My girly-girl picking up a horseshoe crab earlier today, hooray!</div>
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No better way to bring back the blog than with a photo that tells its own story! My next goal is new posts going forward, and to fill in some of the holes from the last many months... promise, mom :)</div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-5888603378264621892013-09-01T19:07:00.000-07:002013-09-02T19:08:09.705-07:00Thank you Barbara Jeans!This post could also be entitled "How Time Flies"... but that felt too nondescript :)<br />
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Back in the fall of 2009, when Samuel was still very sick and we were still very cautious about taking George and Olivia out in public, our friends Kristen and Josh helped to make sure we got out of the house at least once per week (work and visits to the hospital not included). Our tradition became Sunday brunch at a local Barbara Jeans restaurant, yum! <br />
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The staff was wonderful and got to know our story, and it was just a great time for us to feel somewhat normal during a very stressful time in our lives...<br />
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Picture from November, '09, Olivia and George with Kristen and Josh - the tradition was in full swing!</div>
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When Samuel came home, we kept up the tradition for a while with take-out... in fact, on one particularly stressful Sunday morning when we had to put Samuel on a helicopter back to the hospital, my take-out breakfast was reheated for me as I packed a to-go bag and got ready to get on the road (parents can't fly with the kids, bummer)... unfortunately we were all a little frazzled and the styrofoam take out box got reheated too, ha!</div>
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Of course, eventually the tradition went away... then I saw in the paper this week that Barbara Jeans was closing its doors. We had to make one last breakfast trip!</div>
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As we sat and ate, we reminisced about the early days of our tradition, the craziness that was our life during those days, how far we've come, how wonderful it was to have Samuel with us... and of course the kids wanted to know all about themselves during those early trips - what they ate, where they sat, even what they wore. Although it's strange, even though that was four years ago, the four adults haven't aged a bit ;)<br />
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How funny, I thought this would be a 3-picture and 2-line post... it's pretty awesome the memories that seemingly simple things like breakfast can carry.BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-55095470387192314422013-04-17T19:55:00.000-07:002013-04-17T19:55:01.864-07:00Marching this Saturday!<br />
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So much to post, so little time... how many times have I said that in the last few months?! Sheesh, that excuse is getting old. Moving on...</div>
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This Saturday, April 20th, are walking for the fourth year in the March of Dimes March for Babies! We would be absolutely honored if you are able to support our fundraising efforts and/or walk with us! The continued support from friends and family for this event has been incredible, and we are excited to be taking part in the walk this weekend. </div>
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It's hard to believe that in only four years we've gone from only being able to take George and Olivia to the walk and now to all three probably walking the 3 miles on their own two feet :) Our first year Samuel was still in the hospital, the second year he was still trached and using the ventilator, the third year he joined us - hooray, and now here we are...</div>
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It's also hard to believe we're moving into a new phase with Samuel... it's been one year (3/19/2012) since his last helicopter trip, which means one year since a medical emergency. (That was one of the March milestones we've been waiting to celebrate!) His doctors were right, measuring success by weeks and months, rather that day by day, really shows how far we've come! </div>
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As Samuel has begun to excel at living, and we take on new challenges with development, I can't forget the places from which we have come. I can't forget how lucky we are to have our three children... how lucky we are to hug them every morning... how lucky we are that two of our three 28-week preemies are growing and developing right along with their peers... and how lucky we are that the sickest of our kiddos is home, and happy, and growing into a little boy right before our eyes. </div>
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We are late getting started, between new docs and new therapies it's been a busy few months, but we are planning to spend April 20th walking and just being thankful :) </div>
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<br />No new video this year, but I click on the old ones for inspiration and hope you'll take a minute to do the same :) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VX4UT5MK6E" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Click here</a> for the story of us from 2012! Our NICU story is still posted, too... <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqM7p5Z8Y7s" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">click here for that one</a>. <br /><br />Our eyes have been opened and I just can't forget. I can still close my eyes and remember everything about that NICU; the good, the bad, the terrifying, and the truly miraculous. I can also remember the stories of the families around us, and am forever changed. Babies, and their families, need the <span style="background-color: #ffffcc;">March</span> of <span style="background-color: #ffffcc;">Dimes</span> research. <br /><br />If you are able to help in any of the following ways, it would be hugely appreciated! <br /><ul>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Make a donation to our walk :) <a href="http://www.marchforbabies.org/byrnebabies" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.marchforbabies.org/<wbr></wbr>byrnebabies</a></li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Walk with us! Regardless of a donation, join us on April 20th! It's at 9am from the skate park to the Sands.</li>
<li style="margin-left: 15px;">Forward along our story... by email, by facebook, by whatever, to more people who may be interested in supporting the <span style="background-color: #ffffcc;">March</span> of <span style="background-color: #ffffcc;">Dimes</span>.</li>
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Thank you for considering a gift... every dollar really does bring the <span style="background-color: #ffffcc;">March</span> of <span style="background-color: #ffffcc;">Dimes</span> closer to ensuring that one day, all babies will be born healthy.<br /><br />Thank you... for everything :) <br /><span style="color: #888888;"> </span><br />Bethany, David, and of course Olivia, George, and Samuel</div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-78777265275767964592013-03-11T19:11:00.000-07:002013-09-02T19:44:19.393-07:00Happy (late) Birthdays!I'm wondering at what point I will get caught up and not have to mention the word "late" in a post... ha! Anyway, moving on...<br />
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The kids had a wonderful birthday! Hard to believe they turned FOUR years old nearly two months ago (on January 28th)!! They think they are so big, which I just love. In fact, about two weeks before their birthday they started talking about going to kindergarten when they turned five - hold on just a second there, PreK first please. For their birthday we had another good ole' fashioned backyard party and wore these kiddos out! Once again the friends from George and Olivia's school came, and this was the first birthday Samuel has been at a local school (he was able to start school in Beaufort the day after his 3rd birthday) so a few of his friends from school came, too :) It was awesome!<br />
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AND, DB had a big one, too... the big FOUR-ZERO! Another one that is hard to believe... which led to the theme of his party, "I'm a Big Kid Now!" Perfect! Our garage is a smorgasbord of bikes, skateboards, surfboards, a bow and arrow, bb guns, kites, and who knows what else... and those are just the adult-size toys. Even though I give him a hard time sometimes about all that stuff, it's also one of the reasons I fell in love with him :) For the party everyone dressed like a kid... some like little kids, some middle school, some 80's and 90's high school... it was hysterical! Our friends the Blakes were awesome to host it! Plus, that meant our kids slept in their own beds that night - that was huge!!<br />
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<i>Excellent illustration... and used for the invitation :)</i><br />
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<i>Four-year old birthday girl and boys below...</i></div>
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<i>Couldn't resist a few more fun pics from the party...</i></div>
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<i>Aunt Brooke, she still loves her motorcycle :)</i></div>
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<i>Look friends are here!</i></div>
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<i>He may not be eating it, but had to capture on film that Samuel was testing out the snacks :)</i></div>
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<i>At one point I did have to redirect him... picking up a goldfish, licking it, and throwing it on the ground should not be repeated more than 100 times. Ha!</i></div>
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<i>We loved having a little help from our friends to blow out the candles :)</i></div>
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<i>This is one of Samuel's BFF's... and we were so glad she made it! He doesn't show much emotion, but when she walked in, Samuel made a bee-line for her :) I love their little conversation... which pretty much consisted of him repeating her name in awe of seeing her at his house... she is so patient with him.</i></div>
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<i>Lots of hugs as folks left the party - the kids were so excited to have everyone over :)</i></div>
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<i>I swear Olivia did leave the jump castle at some point...</i></div>
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<i>Best family pic of the day... maybe we should have taken it earlier in the day :)</i></div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-21256357272036436412013-03-04T19:20:00.000-08:002013-03-17T17:37:33.588-07:00Outside is the place for me!Just a fun trip to the beach, couldn't resist sharing the photos :)<br />
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<i>Samuel and DB, best seat in the house!</i></div>
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<i>George "taking a rest"... for approximately .5 seconds.</i></div>
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<i>Check it out, I'm climbing a tree!</i></div>
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<i>I just want to run!!!</i></div>
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<i>Btw, I have absolutely no idea how Samuel stays upright when he runs, he's got the arms and head going in opposite directions, it's seriously impressive.</i></div>
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<i>George "taking another rest"... this one a bit longer because it was hysterical :)</i></div>
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<i>The good news is, with that hat we'll never loose her in the brush, ha!</i></div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-57776836329987856062013-02-12T18:14:00.000-08:002013-03-17T17:36:02.820-07:00Happy New Year... I mean, February?! Really?! It's February?! And February is half over, you don't say! Oh my goodness...<br />
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Happy Birthday post from January to come, so many cute pics to share! For now, I guess I'll just start with an update... and try not to get terribly long winded :)</div>
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Since birth order tends to be how I call their names out loud, I'll go with that. Funny since birth order spans all of two minutes :)</div>
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Olivia... is my dancing princess! Huge thanks to a gift from a friend, she started dance class back at the end of November and is in heaven. I have to admit, I was a bit worried... she was SO excited and I was just hoping she didn't get my (lack of) rhythm. We're in luck! Plus, I'm not sure I've ever seen her so focused for any other hour of her day :) Her book choices have also almost entirely switched to those about ballerinas, although she still enjoys princess books, too.<br />
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<i>Olivia and a few of her classmates at school headed to dance class.</i></div>
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George... is one of the funniest kids I've ever met :) That smile can charm the pants off of anyone. Good thing because he's been a little squirrely lately, his intelligence seems to be maturing faster than his emotions... but a magical fish that he can squeeze anytime he gets frustrated has seemed to reel in any negative side of the squirreliness. He gets adult humor and studies everything with such concentration. Maybe that's why he's such an impressive driver - the Jeeps I posed about back in December are still a favorite and George is an incredible driver!<br />
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<i>George during a January beach trip.</i></div>
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Samuel... oh Samuel, where to begin... for the most part, things are GREAT! We have another milestone coming up, but I'm a little nervous to put it in writing, so I guess at the very least I'll have to post again towards the end of March :) Samuel's health is excellent!! This is huge - all of his meds are PRN! He's been on "as needed" status since the end of November... for respiratory meds, too! This is just unbelievable, and thrilling, and unbelievable, and amazing. I'm so proud of my strong boy!<br />
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<i>Samuel walking Belle - a new favorite activity... although Scout is actually much better about not dragging my boy into the bushes! Ha!</i></div>
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Since there's more to Samuel than just his health, another few things :) He is also doing really well with all of his therapies and continues to love school. His sense of humor is blossoming as well, and his interests seem to be expanding and his concentration getting a bit longer. Samuel has always loved to be outside, and still does... no matter the weather, the time of day, the location, or even the bugs... if he's outside, he's smiling.<br />
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Back to the medical, Samuel also got another diagnosis in January, of Autism. Hmmm, for about two weeks I cried every time I said the word, but haven't done that much since then until now... what is it about putting things in writing that can make them real all over again. We're in full gear trying to learn about Autism and new therapies, finding new therapists, and spending many hours trying to figure out how to pay for it all (ugh, it's the worst!). More on this later, there's much to say, but the bottom line is that while it's difficult to hear a diagnosis, especially one that doesn't have a guaranteed cure, it's great to know there is more to learn and to try to continue to help Samuel develop and continue to grow. </div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-82073868225246835602012-12-28T20:10:00.000-08:002013-01-14T19:37:46.247-08:00Merry Christmas!Finally, the much awaited day was here!<br />
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<i>He came! He came! The cookies, the milk, the cheese, the carrots... he was here!</i></div>
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<i>Check it out everyone!</i></div>
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<i>We soaked up the fact that they didn't even notice the presents for a while :) I want it to last! Ha!</i></div>
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<i>Little slugger :)</i></div>
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<i>Uh oh, he can actually hit it off the tee... and far!</i></div>
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<i>Wait just a second... did anyone else notice there is something IN our stockings?!</i></div>
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<i>Hey mama, check it out...</i></div>
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<i>... I think Santa read the Wish List instead of the Christmas List ;) Ha!</i></div>
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<i>Cheers to eating in 2013! Never hurts to aim high!</i></div>
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<i>Everyone was served their mid-morning snack of tea with cream and sugar :)</i></div>
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<i>And everyone had their photo taken by the aspiring photographer - he was so into it!</i></div>
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<i>Thank you, uncle Jeb, for believing in us!</i></div>
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<i>Some of the funniest moments were after the presents were opened, just sitting back and listening... for example, to Olivia instruct George on how to do the doll's hair. Ha! I think he's half-listening :)</i></div>
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<i>And maybe half-not listening... unless this is an actual style. </i></div>
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<i>But she sure was pretty :)</i></div>
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<i>By the end of the day we were all being serenaded, mostly Christmas tunes with a few other favorites tossed in there. (Funny side note, I think DB almost fell over when the kids called the ball in the corner of the photo a basketball - ha ha! They know was it is now :) )</i></div>
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<i>The singing was a great warm-up for the best song of the day... Happy Birthday to Jesus!</i></div>
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<i>The most awesome reason for the season :)</i></div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-70315711764847990642012-12-25T19:12:00.000-08:002013-01-14T19:27:09.511-08:00Merry Christmas Eve!Hooray, it's here! Beautiful candlelight service... WITH the kiddos :) Loved having them with us in the "mommys and daddys" church.<br />
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<i>Cheese!</i></div>
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<i>Hmmm... try again, cheese!</i></div>
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<i>Third time's a charm? At least we tried... Olivia and I did, at least :) </i></div>
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<i>After a great, long day, we got home from the Christmas Eve service and I made everyone pose... they don't look totally miserable :) Love my family!</i></div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-82038956228891267992012-12-23T19:35:00.000-08:002013-01-14T19:26:29.918-08:00Sweet Days of DecemberDecember has been full of events leading up to Christmas, but also of family, friends, and just plain fun-to-be-a-kid stuff too! The photos tell their own story :)<br />
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<i>This was an awesome adventure for us last year, too, the Christmas train display at our local library! Once again, huge hit with the kiddos, and this year they had even more questions about how everything worked. Love to see their little minds light up!</i></div>
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<i>This month the kiddos had a first... the first time they sang at the front of the church :) DB and I were a little teary, it just filled our hearts to see our babies up there like big kids! All three are in the pic, another reason we love our church is the amazing people who work with our kids.</i></div>
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<i>Totally different note, not really much related to December except that's when it happened... Samuel boxing at OT! </i></div>
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<i> My brute :)</i></div>
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<i>George and Olivia's school had some fun days leading up to the break... this was the day they dressed like Who's from Whoville. Cutest little Who's I ever did see!</i></div>
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<i>Olivia and her friend on PJ day - gotta love Polar Express!</i></div>
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<i>Another thing on the agenda, the Christmas show at G and O's school! Samuel was such a trooper! (It was excellent timing, Mo and Do were in town! Fun to have them and Omi there!)</i></div>
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<i>Smiling kiddos after a great performance!</i></div>
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<i>George loves Mo's scooter! He had been ready for this moment since he realized Mo and Do were coming to town... and took the opportunity as soon as it arose :)</i></div>
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<i>But... Mo's scooter had a bit of competition...</i></div>
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<i>These twins (below) are so good about handing down clothes and toys to us, it's awesome! But THIS was crazy!</i></div>
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<i>Permagrin!</i></div>
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<i>Permagrin times three!</i></div>
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<i>It's really awesome, these two are so good with my three! In fact, every time they hand something down, my kiddos get inspired to pack up the stuff they don't use anymore and give it to other kids. Not sure it gets better than that :)</i></div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-9752007098274983502012-12-18T21:06:00.000-08:002012-12-26T20:17:12.997-08:00Finding the TreeDuring our weekend of Christmas fun, we also took a great trip the the Christmas Tree Farm on Sunday! It's a wonderful little spot not too far from home, and the nicest guy was there to greet us and talk about trees. We had the best time just roaming about!<br />
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<b><i>Everyone had an opinion about which tree to get :)</i></b></div>
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<i>Everyone also enjoyed running, and running, and running...</i></div>
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<i>... and resting when just the right stump came along...</i></div>
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<i>... and smiling the entire visit! </i><i>Great trip!</i></div>
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BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-2544979135194356702012-12-17T19:59:00.001-08:002012-12-26T20:16:15.581-08:00Santa!Now that we've established Christmas is more than one day, we're taking in all the seasonal fun! Another weekend filled with Christmas :)<br />
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We were originally supposed to take a weekend trip, but unfortunately the other season this time of year is the flu season, among other sicknesses. Not my children this time, but we were sad to cancel our plans - hope you're feeling better, C! Once we made the decision to stay, we had a few welcome surprises to take our minds off cancelling the trip... the first of which was seeing Santa! He made a trip to our Saturday morning farmer's market and was absolutely awesome. I'm telling you, in the words of Omi, he was beautiful! And so incredible with the kids. What a treat! It was an especially nice distraction considering every time I took something out of the packed suitcase Olivia was very concerned because it was "for Atlanta!"<br />
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<i>Hi Santa!</i><br />
<i>(Flashback two years ago,<a href="http://www.byrnebabies.blogspot.com/2010/12/santa-claus-came-to-town.html"> click here</a>.)</i></div>
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<i>Thursday... "a dump truck, and people to go in it"</i></div>
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<i>Friday... "whatever Santa wants to bring me will be nice"</i></div>
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<i>Saturday... "ummm, ummm, ummm"</i></div>
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<i>Ha ha, George was so excited that he was actually a bit tongue-tied!</i></div>
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<i>Thrilled!</i></div>
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<i>Olivia wasn't quite prepared to sit on his lap, but was very confident in her high-five :)</i></div>
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<i>She even gave a shy little "things for dance class" when asked what she wanted for Christmas!</i></div>
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<i>Samuel was a bit more cautious than before, but still pretty okay with the idea :)</i><br />
<i>(Last year, Samuel was the only one to see Santa... <a href="http://www.byrnebabies.blogspot.com/2011/12/santa-and-samuel.html">click here</a>.)</i></div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-66518451435432024672012-12-13T18:41:00.000-08:002012-12-16T19:56:12.086-08:00The Christmas Season!We've been talking about Christmas for a while, but one thing I didn't plan on was explaining that Christmas time really isn't just one day. I tried, I did my best, talking about Christmas as a "time of year," a "season," etc. But, no good. Makes sense that Christmas would be one day, since every other birthday is just one day!<br />
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BUT, the first weekend in December we went to a Christmas concert and put the lights on the house. That Sunday evening we plugged everything in, and as soon as Snoopy (with a santa hat and candy cane) was fully inflated in the front yard... Olivia declared, "It IS Christmas time!" Who knew that Snoopy had such power?! Ha!<br />
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Last weekend the Christmas fun continued with a parade and tree decorating. I used to wonder why Christmas was celebrated all month, but now I know... KIDS! We are having so much fun :)<br />
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<i>The crew after the parade - all smiles! Small town parade with high schoolers, dance groups, local military folks, the mayor, old cars, and even the hot air balloon company lighting a huge flame on top of an open basket. Of course the highlight was Santa on the firetruck, they saved the best for last!</i></div>
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<i>After the parade we went to Omi's house for dinner and tree trimming. </i></div>
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<i>Every ornament was exciting :)</i></div>
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<i>The kids did a great job being careful, too! Thank goodness, I can't lie, every time Omi gave them an ornament I half-way held my breath hoping it wouldn't get smushed.</i></div>
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<i>Samuel was up to his old tricks again... "mom, I'm just looking - not touching!"</i></div>
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<i>Of course, no week would be complete without being outside!</i></div>
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<i>George has been riding his bike for a while, but finally got the big wheel - yea!</i></div>
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<i>Samuel would not slow down on this Wednesday afternoon!</i></div>
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<i>Olivia trying out her new bike... after dance class :)</i></div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-54118847554246352072012-11-29T20:02:00.000-08:002012-11-29T20:05:13.705-08:00Breathing and BroccoliNope, no relation between breathing and broccoli... wouldn't that be an awesome discovery! It's just hard to show photos of breathing :) Ha! Ironic since it's not hard to show photos of difficulty breathing... but moving on.<br />
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Samuel has a cold and has needed a few breathing treatments the last couple days... why is this news you ask? Well, besides the obvious fact that he has a cold and is managing it without serious interventions, there is other news :) I'm not sure it's really news, or maybe just a great lead-in, ha! For nearly a month now, Samuel has been off of his respiratory meds! Entirely! No steroids, at all, first time ever! This is insane!<br />
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I actually wonder if Samuel's pulmonologist comes into our appointments sometimes thinking, can't wait to shock her with this one! I love that man, he is just awesome. And once again, he scared me to death. Sheesh! Fingers are definitely crossed, but so far, so good. Winter is terrifying anyway when you have a kid who has difficulty breathing, so med changes make me even more nervous. But, I've said it before, our docs are excellent and I trust them - so, here we go! <br />
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On to the broccoli...<br />
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Look mom, no hands!</div>
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Extreme close-up!</div>
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Yep, here's one of the reasons I love this series of photos... actual proof the Samuel does lick food!</div>
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The photos are a bit old, Samuel hasn't been in a highchair for months, and it's certainly not sundress weather anymore, but I love them and have quite a backlog since my hiatus from the blog during swim season. More photos to come! </div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-70791356853610848692012-11-18T21:02:00.001-08:002012-11-25T21:58:34.064-08:00Fall Weekend FunFall has only been going on for about a month or so, but we have had a lot of little moments that make DB and me laugh and feel even more thankful for our munchkins :) <br />
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<b>Olivia's First Curlers</b></div>
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Ever since she saw the cheerleaders at our school with curlers in their hair the evening before a big competition, Olivia has wanted to try this! She was psyched, and told George it would be okay when he suggested she might have a hard time sleeping with them in. Granted, I did leave the back down, which was especially awesome when the curlers actually worked!</div>
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LOVING my curls!!</div>
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Of course, this little girl has thick, wonderful hair... that doesn't hold a curl at all. Oh well! Check out the waves!</div>
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<b>Outside, it's the place for me!</b></div>
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Samuel is finally starting to branch out from the swings! Granted, he gets mad at me every time I make him try :) But, he's becoming less irritated with me as he discovers new things like this bridge that hangs and moves with your steps.</div>
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The sun sets early now with daylight savings... but we get to see some awesome sunsets on our way home from the park!</div>
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No, Olivia is not actually pushing Samuel (how cool would that be?!)... Samuel is pushing himself for the most part! I'm still working on getting him to push with his legs, but those arms can crank that bike! All three love riding!</div>
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Back to the park! I love this picture... look familiar? (<a href="http://www.byrnebabies.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-10-23T20:08:00-07:00&max-results=7&start=7&by-date=false">Click here</a>) (<a href="http://www.byrnebabies.blogspot.com/2010/10/hi-my-name-is.html">Here's the post</a>)</div>
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George is all over the place! It's amazing how quickly they're climbing up these things, running around, and sliding back down - all before you realize they've gone for it, ha!</div>
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Everybody loves the swings! </div>
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<b>MS Fundraiser</b></div>
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One of our friends had a neat cook out combined with old cars and a firetruck to raise money for the MS Society... we went to have lunch, and ended up having a great little adventure!</div>
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Don't worry, I do understand the edict of checking out these cards, and was vigilant about reminding the kids not to touch, sneeze, or trip into anything! But how cool was this, one of the guys asked if the kids would like to sit in the car! They even got to honk the horn and touch everything... it was so cool. And I was so terrified they would break something, ha!</div>
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George was definitely the most excited about all the cars, and especially the chance to ride in one :)</div>
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The whole crew!</div>
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Touching everything - agh!</div>
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Cheese :)</div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-76952625329961850112012-11-11T19:33:00.000-08:002012-11-22T17:42:11.964-08:00It's a Doctor for Teeth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There is nothing I would have rather done with my Friday morning than take three 3-year olds to their first dentist appointment. Ha! The great news is that in the end, all went well :) This was thanks to Omi for joining us (four hands can be SO much better than two when it comes to things like this) and of course the Dentist. Or, as the kids refer to him, the doctor for teeth. </div>
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He was amazing!!! Neither George or Olivia cried, and even though Samuel didn't like the idea of having his teeth polished, the dentist managed to clean every single one without him gagging. I was floored!!! I knew he specialized in pediatrics, but still, I was definitely worried about someone trying to inspect Samuel's mouth. This was just a great visit! Plus, our teeth look great (which I also was not expecting, partially just due to being preemies), and no cavities, yea!!</div>
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George after a good teeth cleaning... come on George, show me those pearly whites! </div>
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That's better :)</div>
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Olivia mid-cleaning... and yes, that is a tiara on her head. I figured some battles just aren't worth fighting, plus, if a tiara makes going to the dentist easier, then awesome!</div>
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Look mom, clean teeth!</div>
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I had to help a little bit with Samuel, and when he was finished he surely wasn't getting back in the chair ;) But look, he's not running from it either, hooray!<br />
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The kids are so proud, and showing everyone their clean, pearly, shiny teeth. Love it!</div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-5844507991947634662012-11-02T21:00:00.000-07:002012-11-18T20:16:39.841-08:00Happy Halloween!What a day! Of course, Halloween and dressing up was great (awesome photos below)... but before that George and Olivia had a Halloween parade with their school and Samuel had his own Halloween parade at the hospital, ha! That makes for a very long day.<br />
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Starting with Samuel, he had four appointments on the same day... whew. Because it's such a hike to get most of our doctors, it's nice to schedule one full day of appointments when possible rather than make the trip more often, but man it can be exhausting. In a nutshell, we left the house at 7:30am and pulled back into the driveway at 6:30pm. Which is one of the reasons Samuel wore his costume to the appointments :) It was Halloween, darn in, and what a great opportunity to dress up!<br />
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A little more detail... we started with ophthalmology which was great. I love our doctor! Samuel's eyes look really good still, and he did some neat tests that tell us Samuel is using his glasses well. This was great to have reassurance because while Samuel seems to like wearing them, I'm not really sure how to assess if they're helping his vision processing. It would be one thing if he couldn't see without them, but while I get the gist of the processing stuff it's still confusing to figure out best practices. We also had some really useful conversations about some lingering visual patterns and possible sources. He was such a good listener and full of good info. Good way to start the day!<br />
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From there it was off to get blood drawn, ugh. Luckily, our favorite phlebotomist was there and she is a pro with the needle. For the first time, Samuel sat in the chair instead of lying down on a table, and the crying was over before the draw was. Incredible. We had a pause in appointments so we made visits to the NICU and PICU, wow was that a flashback. The folks there are just awesome! Even when you don't see them for weeks, months, or even a year, they still feel like family and their love for children just beams. Samuel was a little shy, but did show off some of his new skills :)<br />
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Then it was off to pulmonary for another great visit! Dr. B was thrilled to see how well Samuel is doing! Not sure I've mentioned it in a while, but his O2 sats have been incredible for some time now and that day he was satting 95/96 with no extra O's! This kid blows my mind sometimes... well, pretty much all the time. Then Dr. B pulled the rug out from under me again and told me to stop giving Samuel his respiratory meds. WHAT?! I think this is the third time this year I almost fell on the floor in his office... I don't know if it's panic, joy, disbelief, or a combination of them. He came of most of the meds about three months ago, but I was not expecting at all that we would stop this one too. So far, so good... but my fingers are crossed and I started sat checking Samuel for the first time in ages. Ha!<br />
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Last appointment of the day (seriously, the never ending day) was developmental ped's. An okay appointment. I want more feedback than most are able to provide... I know time will tell, but sometimes I just wish I knew more now. Then again, sometimes I should really just soak in the moment!<br />
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Meanwhile, George and Olivia were on a Halloween parade with their school friends! I was so sad to miss it, but was incredibly fortunate to have a friend keep me in the loop with a few pics :)<br />
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Olivia decided to be Fancy Nancy during the day too, while George went with Spiderman once we realized he couldn't take his garbage can to school :) Good choice George! Plus, he loved wearing his cape to school. </div>
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<b>On to the real deal! Time to trick-or-treat!!!</b></div>
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The crew!</div>
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Kristen and BB: Olivia, what should we be for Halloween?</div>
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Olivia: Fancy Nancy, of course!!!</div>
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Olivia did a great job dressing us :)</div>
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Garbage men, big and small!</div>
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Although DB was not interested in hauling around the normal size trash can, ha!</div>
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Batman was joined by Superman/Clark Kent!</div>
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Loved this, Josh!</div>
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The boys enjoyed traveling in style, especially towards the end of the evening. And, George was all about comforting Samuel when the day started catching up with him. Such good brothers!</div>
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After stopping at a few houses in the neighborhood, and ending up at a wonderful party which our friends host every year, it was time to head home. Although, not before Olivia informed me, while we were inside at the party grabbing a bite, that she was ready to go outside and hang with "the girls" (a group of high schoolers, one in particular who was dressed like a ballerina). Not only that, but she did not want mommy to take her, only Kristen. And it begins :)</div>
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Another great night!</div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-35673873644769670862012-10-29T19:41:00.000-07:002012-11-14T21:07:45.150-08:00Fall is officially here!It wouldn't be fall without... the Pumpkin Patch! Sure, the cooler weather is nice, and there's nothing like sitting by the fire, but the trip to the pumpkin patch each year seals the deal - it's time for the holidays to begin :) <br />
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Memory lane, here we come... <a href="http://byrnebabies.blogspot.com/2010/11/pumpkin-patch.html">our first trip to the Pumpkin Patch</a>, only two years ago. Wow.<br />
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How about this one?! </div>
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The pumpkin was THIIIIIIS big! </div>
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And just why can't I have both?! </div>
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Team work :) </div>
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Hey guys, check this out! </div>
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Rah!!!! Did I scare you, mom?! </div>
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Welcome to my "house"! </div>
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Also great fun were the hay, horses, goats (who ate cheerios from our hands), pigs, etc. </div>
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Love this place! </div>
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Of course we couldn't resist a lap around the patch :)</div>
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(Notice Josh has a camera... even better photos of the patch trip to come soon!) </div>
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George also has a camera, though you might not know it... see that peace sign necklace?</div>
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He was pretending to snap photos like crazy, and of course texting them to everyone. If you're not on the distribution list, you really should be... ha! Even better were the "responses" he got from the folks he sent photos to. Hilarious!!</div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-83731509395129571992012-10-28T20:30:00.000-07:002012-11-14T21:06:18.457-08:00Six Years!Happy Anniversary, Dear! Love you :) <br />
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Nothing better than a walk in the sand... was strange to be there without watching munchkins run in three different directions :)</div>
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On our way to dinner, the MOST beautiful sunset! </div>
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And a really great dinner followed :)</div>
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Who knew we'd have three kids just three years later, ha!</div>
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So many adventures, laughs, tears, and miracles since that photo was taken... love you, DB!</div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-42557850318304180572012-10-26T20:52:00.000-07:002012-11-12T18:51:48.501-08:00Pre-Halloween FunOur fall fun started with a wonderful fall festival and a community downtown trick-or-treat... gotta love our town! This year is even more fun than last (I have a feeling I'll be saying that for years to come, ha!), because the kids are old enough now that they really get excited. The wonder of holidays is incredible to see in their faces! In fact, they have already mapped out which holiday happens next... although they don't quite understand why they can't dress up and be another character for Christmas.<br />
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The Fall Festival was at the school where DB and I work, and it is definitely a highlight. It's a great, family, festival with booths manned by the students. Adorable! </div>
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Also, we got to see DB in the dunking booth... haha!</div>
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There were enough holes for everyone!</div>
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You should have seen Olivia, absolutely adamant she was only going to be the cat.</div>
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George learns to putt from one of my favorite 10th graders, and a swimmer :) </div>
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This was HUGE! I mentioned face painting to Olivia and she looked at me like I was crazy... just why would anyone paint on their face?! Then she saw Caitlyn (in the background) with a cute pumpkin on her face... and asked the face painters if they could make a princess. When they replied "yes", Olivia was sold! Although, note the completely tense body position, ha!</div>
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I love my princess! (And I was seriously impressed!)</div>
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George, on the other hand, thought purposely painting on your face sounded awesome! I'm pretty sure he was happy about the cute girl painting it, too :)</div>
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Check out my cool pumpkin!</div>
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Samuel wasn't much into the face painting, but this balloon brought hours (literally) of laughs! Although, at one point he was so fixated on the balloon that he wandered away - agh!</div>
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The kiddos were joined at the festival by one of their best friends from school, who was already dressed up to head downtown and trick-or-treat. Needless to say, my kids wanted to change into their costumes the minute they saw Evelyn!</div>
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Gotta love those sweet moments between friends :)</div>
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Off we went to trick-or-treat downtown! This is an annual event, but our first time going. The trick-or-treating was a little nutty, but we all enjoyed walking and seeing all the costumes. People are so creative! It was also nice to experience our first witch costume in broad daylight, ha! If we would have seen her in the dark, I'm pretty sure Olivia would have actually passed out.</div>
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George the Garbage Man! He picked this for his costume early on, and was so excited! Trashy Town is still a favorite book, and let's face it, garbage trucks are super cool. I have to say, I'm seriously impressed with the little trashcan that DB made.</div>
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Samuel as Batman!</div>
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My mom actually sent this, complete with a handmade cape! She also sent Spider Man and Wonder Woman, also with handmade capes. They are the coolest! George wears the spider man all the time, but so far Olivia is really just into the handmade headband with jewels and the shiny blue skirt, sigh. </div>
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And of course Fancy Nancy there in the middle :)</div>
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Hysterical because she's Fancy Nancy every day! Gotta love a book that teaches words like iridescent, bonjour, expert, plume, and fuchsia... just to name a few. </div>
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Omi and her boys after a wonderful, long, afternoon :) </div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-31829804347630652032012-08-22T21:18:00.000-07:002012-09-02T17:44:50.201-07:00Surgery Whirlwind RecapIt is so hard to believe it's been almost two weeks since Samuel's surgery! Partially because life is just busy, but mainly because he is doing so well. If you were to see that boy walking down the street (or climbing on the couch, or running through the house, etc.) you would never guess that nice big "boo boo" is under his shirt. Amazing. <br />
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Everything has seemed to go so quickly... now that it's over :) Here's a run down...<br />
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<i>We spent eight hours in pre-op the day before the surgery, and Samuel spent most of it being curious :) </i></div>
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One upside, there always has to be one, is we got to know twin 10-year old boys and their parents pretty well... one of them was having surgery the next day, too, so we spent that eight hours pretty close together. When everyone started to get a little delirious, Samuel kept us entertained with his I've-been-confined-too-long craziness :)</div>
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I don't have any photos from that night, but our good friends Sarah and Bo who live close to the hospital were kind enough to take all three of us in. (Of course, Omi was also kind enough to stay an extra night so we didn't have to make the drive back and forth at insane hours!) It was great fun, and an excellent distraction, to spend time with them! Plus, it made our 5:30am arrival time at the hospital much more bearable with a 30-minute drive vs. 90+ minutes!</div>
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<i>Daddy sad, Samuel happy</i></div>
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<i>Daddy happy, Samuel sad</i></div>
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<i>Alright folks, what's the deal... you seem a little emotional and somehow I ended up back in this blue gown. What in the world?!</i><br />
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They took our boy from us around 6:30, surgery started around 7:30, and by 10am got the great news that he was off bypass... hooray! The surgery lasted another hour and a half, and around noon we got to see our boy. Even bigger hooray!</div>
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Happy daddy after successful surgery!</div>
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Crazy, <a href="http://www.byrnebabies.blogspot.com/2009/02/samuels-surgery.html">heart surgery at two pounds</a>, and now at 30... the good news is, we should be finished :)</div>
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<i>Starting to wake up... </i><i>Samuel was already filling in missing words as I whispered lines some of his favorite songs and books :) A</i><i>nd notice he is extubated! It happened around 2pm! Unreal. My bad lung boy extubated that quickly... never saw it coming. Always hoped of course! This was a huge sign of just how well he did during the surgery.</i></div>
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<i>Still not quite awake, but requesting water and wanting to know we were there.</i></div>
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<i>Oh my goodness! That same afternoon, sitting up! And making us laugh :)</i></div>
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Because Samuel was back in ICU for the night (a different one, specifically for Peds Cardio), we were back at the Ronald McDonald house. It was surreal to walk through those doors. I haven't really been back for three years, but because things were going so well, he was in great hands, and I knew I'd be sleeping in the hospital for the next few nights, we took the opportunity to sleep. As I walked in the door, part of me flashed back... a bit of anxiety, but once that calmed down I remembered what a great job the folks there do of making you feel comfortable and providing as much as they can so all you have to worry about is your baby. What an incredible mission! (I still can't believe I lived there for nine weeks... feels like a lifetime ago.)</div>
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<i>Oh my goodness... again! This is on Friday - the DAY AFTER surgery! It's hard to miss the expression of my super Samuel, but also note that he's not in ICU anymore! He was transferred to the floor... we were amazed it happened so soon.</i></div>
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In addition to the heart, of course, we were also pretty concerned about Samuel's lungs. We still just don't know how they're going to react... case in point being the common cold he got this past spring that sent him in a helicopter to the hospital, sheesh! BUT, his lungs were rock stars!!! In fact, the surgeon even said that while they didn't look normal (no surprise there), they functioned completely normal! NORMAL! Just amazing.</div>
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<i>The next day... Saturday... two days post op... the pacing wires and chest tube came out. Need I say OMG for the third time in three photos?!</i></div>
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Another cool thing happened when the chest tube came out, besides just getting it out... they did a chest xray to be sure excess gas didn't sneak in when they pulled the tube, and in the process of course got an xray of Samuel's lungs. Ready for this? They look amazing! Now, they do still have lung disease, and don't have O2 sats that are normal yet... but they look like lungs I never thought I would see on this boy. The cardiologist told me he even triple checked to be sure he was looking at the right xray :)</div>
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<i>This might have been the most amazing of all :) It's Sunday in this photo... the surgery was Thursday! Yep, he's walking around like the crazy man he is - a little wobbly at first, but once he got his sea legs back there was no stopping him.</i></div>
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<i>In fact, he walked himself down to, and around, the Atrium (best kids room ever)...</i></div>
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<i>... and then right out the door! On SUNDAY!</i></div>
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<i>To give you an idea, the earliest we even thought was possible - if everything went perfect - was Monday. Unbelievable.</i><br />
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Another perk of an early discharge was of course seeing George and Olivia, man did I miss them! Omi, Uncle Jay, and Cousin Madison were absolutely wonderful to take over while we were gone - in fact, I'm not sure G and O missed us at all, ha! I'm pretty sure they grew an inch in the five days we were gone, man, I don't want to miss a second! They were great at welcoming Samuel home and asking all sorts of 3-year old questions... luckily when they asked how the doctors cut Samuel's chest, they were content with the answer "medical tools." :)</div>
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<i>The next day George and Olivia took him on a short walk to keep him moving... and he did :)</i><br />
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Since the surgery, Samuel's heart is considered normal :) The patch looks great (it's made of gortex, isn't that crazy?!), they stitched a few other small holes when they were in there, the pressures have all stayed where they should... and follow up will be routine. Routine... not a word we usually here... I don't mind it all :)</div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-1794106917323342142012-08-19T19:44:00.000-07:002012-08-19T19:44:05.898-07:00It's a Hot Dog Car!Thanks to the world of Richard Scarry, my kiddos totally believed me when I said we going to see a hot dog car :) After all, they've seen a pickle car in their books, so why couldn't it be true?!<br />
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However, when they actually saw the hot dog car, they were in disbelief... and then absolutely thrilled! Ha! It was hysterical!<br />
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<i>They loved looking in the windows and wanted to know everything about the car, and were so excited when they saw the cool door come out of the side of the hot dog. Oh, to be three! </i></div>
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<i>I'm bummed there's not audio with this photo... waving accompanied by "Good Bye Hot Dog Car!!!" for the entire five minutes it took for them to climb into the car and pull away.</i></div>
BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-69944244387812141652012-08-13T20:22:00.001-07:002012-08-13T20:22:15.695-07:00Surgery Success!I'm still in shock... we're already home from surgery! A longer post is coming soon, with some pictures that will bring a huge smile to your face, but I wanted to give the good news now!<br />
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More details to come too (sorry, I'm completely whooped and needing to crawl into bed), but in general the surgery was a huge success! Not only does the patch in Samuel's heart look great - no leaks and the pressures look good, but his lungs held up beautifully. In fact, his lungs acted "normal" :) This is amazing!!!<br />
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We came home yesterday, way before anyone anticipated, and are settling back into life at home. DB and I are anxious for his chest to heal, but Samuel is a complete rock star and is handling everything with his usual easy-breezy style :) In fact, to prove his incredibleness, as if that was necessary, he walked out of the hospital yesterday... walked... on his own! Who does that three days after open heart?! Go Samuel :)BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-70427614505418102862012-08-06T19:14:00.000-07:002012-08-06T19:14:10.126-07:00In the meantime...I have so much to post! I swore that once I got caught up, I would stay there... but I can't complain, the things that have kept me from posting have been pretty awesome :) One of them being vacation... yes, WE were approved to get on a plane! More about that later...<br />
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I'll have to back track and play catch up a bit later, this is a big week for our family and I know the blog is an easy way to keep everyone in the loop. We will be at pre-op nearly all day Wednesday, and then Samuel's heart surgery is on Thursday morning. (Yes, it was originally scheduled for two days earlier, but an emergency in peds cardio surgery (not us!) meant everyone had to shuffle a bit. Sitting on pins and needles for another two days isn't fun, but it beats being the emergency - we've been there, and that's definitely the worst.)<br />
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I talked a bit about this heart surgery<a href="http://byrnebabies.blogspot.com/2012/06/rest-of-june.html"> in this post</a>, but to be honest it was a long post and I kind of buried it. Looking back, I'm wondering if I buried it intentionally. I was, and still am, having a really hard time with this surgery. I cried a lot that day, and I've cried a lot since... I also think I might be a bit angry. I don't know if that's the right word. Not angry at anyone, this isn't anyone's fault, but I just hate this and I'm so frustrated that this has to be so difficult. I know that sounds silly, but this was supposed to be easy as far as heart surgeries go. I know that he'll be fine, I just absolutely hate that he has to go through this. He's been through so much, why can't this surgery be easier.<br />
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Without rewriting the post I linked to above, this was supposed to be something we could fix in a cath lab. George had the same hole fixed when he was a year old, and it was a very long procedure but it was not invasive and we were home in no time with no formal rehab. At our last appointment we knew we'd be scheduling surgery (it's time), but it turns out the hole is too big to be fixed in a cath lab. Basically, they can't place a coil to fill the hole like they did with George, so they'll have to manually patch the heart... which means they have to stop it and put him on bypass... which means they have to open up his chest. Even typing it makes me feel like I have a 1,000 pound weight on my heart.<br />
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Like I said, I know he'll be fine... I don't know why this one is hitting me so hard, maybe because I saw DB go through open heart last summer and I know what we're in for, maybe it's a normal parent response, and maybe I am just actually losing it a little bit ;) Thank you for your kind words and prayers, I can't wait to blog about how fabulous Samuel is doing!<br />
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Go Samuel!</div>BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3614055427468116608.post-3204598320189641382012-07-09T19:04:00.000-07:002012-07-11T21:11:27.256-07:00Happy Birthday America!Happy 4th of July! A little bit late... but no less happy, ha! We had a great day at home, which was a real treat. Somehow summer has been more scheduled than I feel like summer should be. The good news is everyone is having a good time, even DB whose summer break now includes 3-year olds :) Not quite the same as the surfing days of the past, but he claims this is even better and has the stories to prove it. Of course, we're still getting to the beach so I think that helps, too.<br />
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I was waiting to post this thinking I had to have made the kiddos pose for a group shot! Nope... but one of the best things about birthdays is cake, and I did get photos of that, kind of...<br />
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<i>George, where's the cake?!</i></div>
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<i>In my tummy!</i></div>
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<i>Actually, half of it might be on your face, ha!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPObscErSI0k9wuR-4RW9MVs9P8iT8bUEMOVr0oA_oO1LFLXGMBskP270V0xwhsgZn0kwNeKDhrZEjzrLIPSP_HDvz15DO6Z5Ptt22geIOx82XdAXNJ_Mnfy-hmwsZ_5R9MMFMRh1z6IA/s1600/IMG_0878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPObscErSI0k9wuR-4RW9MVs9P8iT8bUEMOVr0oA_oO1LFLXGMBskP270V0xwhsgZn0kwNeKDhrZEjzrLIPSP_HDvz15DO6Z5Ptt22geIOx82XdAXNJ_Mnfy-hmwsZ_5R9MMFMRh1z6IA/s320/IMG_0878.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<i>Then there's my girl, working very hard to enjoy AND stay clean...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrmd9kYbizrApm4ygx4Tkyklv8M05pATXRti0acD0aPqB0Sd9EVF-cb47j5RlJQNFaAnGE05P6-LAEyongrr-D1pkqjwRFH_4MASWp1PDY9_whI28cfQcPfnUuhDfqoNYoIT-fuB-P8A/s1600/IMG_0884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrmd9kYbizrApm4ygx4Tkyklv8M05pATXRti0acD0aPqB0Sd9EVF-cb47j5RlJQNFaAnGE05P6-LAEyongrr-D1pkqjwRFH_4MASWp1PDY9_whI28cfQcPfnUuhDfqoNYoIT-fuB-P8A/s320/IMG_0884.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<i>... but eventually can't handle it anymore and must get every last lick of icing :)</i></div>
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<i>Now <u>that</u> is my girl!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kB1D71Y50ZVE1Gn8NFW-oGjwHjH3wkJJLCdqQ2fEPooSbNeIMttzzsa2cRS5bPmefBVJbxK9hTtpm2fdDX6a-5MNZulZ8PpzI5m26SIwhElebzQhp3yIB3HS7J2h3aUZ5gn67yXczEM/s1600/IMG_0880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kB1D71Y50ZVE1Gn8NFW-oGjwHjH3wkJJLCdqQ2fEPooSbNeIMttzzsa2cRS5bPmefBVJbxK9hTtpm2fdDX6a-5MNZulZ8PpzI5m26SIwhElebzQhp3yIB3HS7J2h3aUZ5gn67yXczEM/s320/IMG_0880.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Samuel even got in on the cake just a bit. About a second before this was taken, he reached up on his own and swiped a dab of icing for a quick taste. YEA!</i></div>
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DB both made the cake and was quite creative with his USA decorating :) The singing of the birthday song is one I will remember... everyone sang, but Samuel was not happy at all about the candles being blown out. Poor guy! We sang it again, because that's half the fun, and when he knew the song was nearing the end he hid his face and cried! We did not sing it a third time, but no one minded because that meant it was time to eat.</div>BB and DBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14981724751275760979noreply@blogger.com0