Haircuts.....and suckers

It's been a big week for us.  Time to share Wednesday's events with everyone.

Last night, we took Lincoln for his very first haircut.  He was WAY overdue. 
Here is the before look...

He was such a good boy.  We offered him a sucker originally, but he hadn't ever had a sucker, so he didn't want it.  He put up a bit of a fight, but a spray bottle and 2 combs later (one for each hand), and he was distracted.  He really was very good through the whole thing, and he looks so grown up now!  Check him out!

We weren't planning on getting Jackson's cut, but Miss Shawna thought he needed the back trimmed up a bit, so she just cleaned up his collar.  Jackson was also very good (although he kept a close eye on what Shawna was doing).

Both boys were so good.  I offered Jackson the sucker we originally picked out for Lincoln, and he took a lick right away.  The smile on his face said it all - and he spent the next 10 minutes trying to bite the sucker off the stick.  Once Jackson had a sucker, then Lincoln thought he might try it too.  It was a small reward for being so good, and their first sucker experience!  Jackson had strawberry, and Lincoln had cherry.  They both loved them!  Here is a picture of the two of them enjoying their treats!

For more pictures on the first haircut and sucker experience, check out week 9 pictures in the right hand margin!

Who needs toys?

For a long time, we have questioned why we have so many toys for the boys.  Don't get me wrong, they do play with their toys, but they seem to be mesmerized by everyday items more.  They love playing with gladware containers, colanders, and pots and pans.  Lately even, they love their own socks.  But never in my wildest dreams did I think I could entertain them with ingredients I was using to make dinner.  But sure enough...

Potatoes are their new favorite toy!  As you can see, Jackson even thought they tasted good without being cooked!

Video of Lincoln

We can't play favorites, so here is a funny video of Lincoln from the end of February! 

Another first...

Tuesday night we experienced another first with the boys....our first trip to Urgent Care.

Unfortunately, Lincoln's fever came back Tuesday.  It was 102.5 at daycare, and rising.  We weren't comfortable with his breathing, so we headed off to figure out what was wrong with our little man.
We arrived shortly after they opened at 6:00, and the staff was great about checking Lincoln out right away to make sure he wasn't in too much distress.  We didn't wait long till they took us into an exam room, and continued to monitor him.  His sat levels were good, but his breath rate was high, as well as his tempurature.  When they took it at Urgent Care, it was over 104 degrees, and I had given him motrin before we went.  So, they gave him some Tylenol as well to help reduce his fever faster.

The doctor came in, and we reviewed Lincoln's health history...Strep the end of January, stomach virus a week or so after that.   I shared with the doctor that he was diagnosed with pneumonia just over 3 weeks ago, and that a week and a half ago he had his allergic reaction to his medication.  He really has had a tough March.  The doctor listened to his lungs, but thought they sounded good.  We discovered he has a double ear infection, which was causing the extremely high fever.  Because of his pneumonia, they did a chest x-ray to ensure that was really better, and it is.  So, we are back to trying Azithromyacin for the ear infection. 

Brian stayed home with him today.  He rested a lot, but when he was awake, he was back to his normal happy self.  We really want our healthy little man back!  Please pray that we can get him over this spell, and keep him healthy for the upcoming months!

We have more "firsts" to share with everyone, but need to upload the pictures to help tell the story.  Please check back later this week!

Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson

Laugh of the week...

We started this week out with a bang.
Monday night, we were finishing up dinner.  We had been noticing Jackson would "wave" to his food, and we thought it was a sign that he was done eating.  But Monday night, we noticed another move after he would "wave" to his food.  We captured the moment to share with you.

We confirmed on Tuesday that they have been teaching the kids the Chicken Dance at daycare.  We didn't know this, and we didn't coax Jackson into doing this.  We just happened to see his double wave, then noticed the crossing of the arms and shimmying, and put it all together.  We had such a great night Monday, and hope you enjoy it as well!

Jinxed

 I should know by now that I shouldn't talk about things being good, or how the boys are getting over being sick.  But there I went Friday blabbering on about what a great week we had....and jinxed myself.  I was in "weekend mode".  Anxious to wrap up work, and head to Toledo to spend the weekend with family.  We were all packed up - just had to pick the boys up from daycare.  For once, we were prepared.

Then Friday afternoon, God reminded me that HE is in control.
Around 2:30, daycare called "just to let us know" that Lincoln had broken out in hives.  His breathing was fine, and he was still smiling and happy, but he was laying on the floor trying to scratch away. We hadn't tried any new foods, soaps, or detergents.  Since we were heading out of town, we wanted to make sure he was really OK, so we picked the boys up from daycare, and went to see the doctor.  Sure enough, it was an allergic reaction.  We are assuming it is to the antibiotic he was on for his pneumonia....even though it was his 9th day on it.  The doctor indicated we should stop giving him his antibiotic, that his lungs sounded good, and that benedryl would help with the hives.  They also noted in his chart that he is likely allergic to Penicillin - just like his daddy.

Luckily, it was only a small wrench in our plans, so we stopped at home quick to grab the benedryl before hitting the road.
The rest of the weekend was so enjoyable!

Brian went out with friends once we arrived in Toledo.  I got the boys to bed, then enjoyed some uninterrupted gab time with my little sis.

Jackson awoke around 6:00 Saturday morning, but after drinking his milk, he snuggled in and took a nap with me until almost 8:00.  Once Brian and Lincoln got up, as well as Lyn/RJ and kids, we all had some breakfast.  The kids then played while the adults showered and got around for the day.  We made a quick trip to Meijer for last minute supplies for dinner, and grabbed lunch at Schlotszky's. 

Arriving back at Lyn's house around 2:00, mom and dad as well as Rod and Dennis were there waiting to see us.  Rod and Den arrived in Toledo on Tuesday.  Unfortunately, they came to see Den's mom, and say goodby.  She passed away on Wednesday afternoon, but we are so grateful that Rod and Den were able to be with her in her final moments. 

Saturday afternoon and evening were all about relaxing and spending time with family.  Barb and Pat Brocki stopped by to visit, and share their condolences.  We visited with Rod and Den, and Den's brother George joined us for dinner.  Although things get a little chaotic with 4 kids, I think everyone enjoyed spending time with each other, and watching all the kids interact.

Sunday, Rachelle graciously hosted breakfast for the whole clan.  It was more food and conversation, and a wonderful time. 

Sunday afternoon we traveled back to Cincinnati to prepare for the week.

I was hoping our adventures with the boys were coming to a close...but then came the dreadful call from daycare again yesterday afternoon.  First, they reassured me that everything was ok. The boys weren't sick.  However, they wanted to let us know that Lincoln had fallen and hit his head on the corner of the cupboards in his room.  They assured me he was fine - his eyes were dialating, he was smiling and acting like his normal self, but he did acquire a goose-egg and some bruising.  (They were trying to prepare us...)

I shared the "falling incident" with Brian as we drove to pick the boys up, but we were still surprised when we saw our little man.  I guess we were expecting a goose-bump, but it's definitely an egg.  It's probably 2-3" in diameter, and sticks up off his forehead about an inch.  It bruised and swelled pretty quickly, so it should heal quickly too.  We are being extra careful to comb his hair to hide it as much as possible!

We took some pictures to document the occasion, and we'll share those soon!

Please pray for an un-eventful rest of March for Lincoln - he's been through the ringer this year!

Hope everyone has a great week, and we'll blog more later!

Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson

A great week...

It's Friday!


We have survived a whole week with both kids in daycare, and Brian and I working in the office.  WHEW!

Everyone told me how fast time would go with the boys, and this week reminded me to slow down and enjoy each minute.

Hick-up
Driving home from daycare one night, Jackson had the hick-ups.  He hasn't had them a LONG time.  It was so cute and funny as he was jabbering away, and all of a sudden "hick-up".  Then, he would go right back to jabbering till the next one.  All the way home.  After a few minutes, I was laughing as it was just adorable.  Brian thought I was crazy....but it reminded me of when I was carrying the boys and it seemed like one of them would get the hick-ups, then the other one - two, sometimes even 3 times a day. 

I was laughing though, as this is a trait that Jackson got from me.  When I get the hick-ups, they are loud, and hard, and they seem to last forever.  Just a sweet little reminder that although he looks like his daddy, he is part me too.

Running away
The weather this week has been a nice treat.  Arriving home another night, we stayed outside for a few minutes to enjoy the warmth and sunshine.  The boys explored the front of the house (Jackson really likes the landscaping lights) and tried to soak in the big, vast space around them.  They are getting so darn independent now that they are walking.  We finally decided to go in the house, but Jackson wasn't finished exploring.  He started running down the driveway!  I was a bit irritated at first as I had my hands full, but after I scooped him up in my arms, the thought crossed my mind that I'd better hold him close, as he'll be driving out of the driveway before we know it. 

More poop
After this week, it's going to be a while until Lincoln outgrows the nickname "Stinkin' Lincoln".
Well, we were close to having a repeat performance of his pooping incident a few nights later.  Lincoln was sitting on Brian's lap reading books while I gave Jackson a bath.  Well, somehow Lincoln's diaper started leaking, so I was called in to take over.  I'm not sure how, but we later found a rogue mini-turd on the steps again!  Maybe it's time to start considering potty training!

Even with our pooping incidents this week, I can still say it was a great week.  I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with my boys, and even through the challenges, I was able to laugh at myself. 

Hope everyone had a great week!

Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson

March Special dates

Birthdays:

• March 2 - Hunter Muehlfeld turns 4, Tim Zank turns 53
• March 4 - Kelly Willinger turns 28
• March 13 - Derek Wyldes turns 35
• March 15 - Lylah Willinger turns 3
• March 16 - Pat Burkholder turns 48
• March 17 - Rachelle Young turns 39
• March 18 - Dave Wappes
• March 20 - Jason Hart
• March 28 - Jim Wolff turns 55
• March 30 - Jess Wappes turns 26

Special dates to note:
On Saturday, March 12th, Peyten Adelle Young is being Confirmed in Christ!

Lincoln walking

Sorry it took me so long to share this!

Sometimes, you just have to laugh...

Today was a good day. 

Lincoln is feeling much better after starting a second antibiotic on Thursday.  No fever since Friday, and he is getting as ornery as ever.  Back to flirting, smiling, laughing, playing, and just being a fun little boy.
So, both boys went to daycare today, and both Mommy and Daddy went into the office.

I spent my lunch hour naming photos, and I've been uploading them this evening to share with everyone.  Check the margin and your email!

I planned ahead yesterday, and had dinner all ready for tonight - just had to pop it in the oven and heat it up.  The boys snacked, and I unloaded the dishwasher while dinner was heating.  Ahhhh.....such a good day.  Amazing how well things go when you plan ahead.

Jackson didn't care much for dinner, but Lincoln loves Curry Chicken.  I'll have to add that to the list with Chicken Pot Pie, as Lincoln ate a LOT of that this weekend.

We were enjoying a pleasant evening.  I was cleaning up dinner, and Brian and the boys were licking the pudding bowl clean.  Tonight, we resembled the Cleever's!

Once the bowl was empty, the boys were a little fussy, so it was time for baths.  This is where the fun began!

I was letting the boys crawl up the stairs (we think this helps wear them out for bedtime), and I was following behind them.  I knew someone had some messy pants, but planned to figure out who it was when we got upstairs.  Well, about 4 steps up (out of 13), I saw something fall onto the step.  I reached to grab it....and oh what a surprise - it was a TURD!

It came out of Lincoln's pant leg.  I quickly grabbed him, and up the steps we went!  It was the BIGGEST mess I've ever seen.  It was all down his leg, in both of his pant legs, on his onesie....it was everywhere (even got some in his hair trying to take his onesie off).  I tried cleaning him up with wet wipes, but about 4 wipes in, decided this called for more desperate measures.  So, in the tub he went.  We drew some water, and washed him off, then got him out, disinfected the tub, then put him back in.

He was actually very patient, although confused since he was in the bath, out, then back in.  Poor Jackson felt left out as he wasn't getting quite as much of Mommy and Daddy's attention as he would have liked.  I just hope he doesn't get any ideas and try a repeat performance tomorrow!

After baths, I checked the steps and made sure we had everything cleaned up.  We rinsed out his clothes in the laudry room sink, then everything went right into the washing machine.  The bath mats are in now, and once those go in the dryer, I'm going to bed.

Tonights events would have put some people over the edge.  However, with everything we've been dealing with the past few weeks, I've learned to just laugh and enjoy the experience. 

And of course, share it with all of our family and friends.

We hope we could bring a smile, and maybe even a little chuckle to your day!  I'm sure some of you are saying "I sure don't miss those days", and others can relate.  This is our life...and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson

Long week...

It's been a long week since our last post.

Tuesday morning, daycare called to let us know Lincoln was running a fever, and had vomited twice.  We went and picked him up, and Brian stayed with him the rest of the day.  Because he had a fever, we needed to keep him home on Wednesday too, so it was my turn.  He was fine all day long...playing and no fever in site.  We thought it was a 24 hour bug, until 6:30 that night when his fever returned, then his dinner returned as well at 11:30 that night.  So, we were home again on Thursday.

Friday, the fever remained...103 degrees, so we called the doctors office, concerned it was a bit more than just a flu bug.  He was still eating and drinking, so we watched him one more day.  Saturday, his fever was 104, so we went to see Dr. Korn.  He has pneumonia!  So, off to the pharmacy for antibiotic we went.

Monday morning, Lincoln had a fever again, so we called the doctor...again.  They reminded me that it could take 48-72 hours for the antibiotic to begin working.  So, again we waited.  The fever subsided, and on Tuesday, he returned to daycare for the first time in a week.  He was a bit tired last night when we picked him up, but otherwise good.

However, today, the call came again - at 4:00.  Unfortunately his fever is back, so we are going back to the doctor tomorrow to see if there is anything else going on.  Wish us luck!

On a good note though, Jackson had physical therapy this morning.  He's made improvement in the past 2 weeks, so there isn't any need for the TOT collar.  This is a huge relief for us!  We need to continue working on his head righting exercises, but hopefully we are closing in on beating Torticollis! 

We'll write more after our doctor appointment tomorrow.

We appreciate any prayers you can offer.  We also ask that you keep Georgia Taylor and the whole Taylor family in your thoughts and prayers.  They need your strength and good thoughts!

Hope everyone has a healthy and safe week.

Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson

Fun things to report....

The tooth count is on again!

• Jackson's 5th tooth (his left top front tooth) finally popped through early last week (Tuesday, I think).  And his 6th tooth started poking through yesterday (2-28) next to his top left front tooth.  He's trying hard to catch up to Lincoln!
• Sunday morning on the way to church, I noticed Lincoln had some swelling on his lower teeth, and upon more careful inspection, noticed that he has another tooth.  That makes 7 for him!  It is on his lower left side.  I think a few more are coming, but I'm getting more and more hesitant to put my finger in his mouth as he bites!

My family spent the weekend with us so that we could all celebrate Aaron's 30th birthday (back on 2-21).  We had a great time Friday night eating pizza and hanging out and talking (and drinking).  Finally went to bed at 4:00 (yes, a.m.), so it was a short night when the boys wanted up at 7:00 (no, I don't know what we were thinking).

Saturday we made a big breakfast, Skyped with Rod, then headed to Dave and Busters for some fun.    The afternoon went fast as we drove snowmobiles, race cars, and had an interesting experience with the boys in the photo booth.  :-)  I think next time Brian and I will find a sitter and head to Dave and Busters on our own. 

Saturday night we made Aaron his requested birthday dinner - hamburgers off the grill, potato salad, taco salad, Nutter Butter salad, and fruit pizza.  We were stuffed, and most everyone was asleep by 9:30 (making up for the night before).

Sunday was a trip to church (quite interesting with 4 kids and 6 adults).  Thankfully we had a very understanding man behind us who just laughed at me trying to clean the spit up off of Lincoln, Brian, and the church kneeler and floor.  Fun times.  The nice gentleman has 3 boys, and assured Brian and I that it does get easier.  He also gave us the best quote to consider when things get tough - your life is just a movie - you are the star.  I like that....

After breakfast, we made pancakes, sausage and bacon.  Oh, and Crispy Creme donuts (YUM!).

It was sad to see everyone pack up and head home, but nice to have the quiet of the house return.

The boys and Brian napped during the afternoon, and thankfully still both slept through the night!

Nothing planned for the week ahead other than catching up on shopping, laundry, and preparing for our tax appointment on Saturday. 

Hope everyone has a great week!

Love,
Kate, Brian, Lincoln, and Jackson