And Then We Were Five...

I still have a hard time believing that we have THREE kids now! Phillip and I were talking the other day about how it seems surreal to think that 9 years ago it was just the two of us, and now we wonder what in the world we did with all that time and money back then. :) Now the little people officially out number the adults in the house. Oh, how our lives have changed!

We have been blessed, that's for sure! Sometimes I have to force myself to not let my mind get the best of me and make me forget that. It's been especially hard lately. I think having a new baby in the house just highlights more of Avery's special needs. We kept a little boy the other night who is just 2 months older than Avery, and he and Bryson were playing outside together, pushing each other on the swing set, laughing, arguing, and doing all the typical stuff 3 and 4 year olds do. I couldn't help but look out the window and think, "This is how it's supposed to be for Bryson and Avery." Instead, Avery was sitting in the house on the living room rug with his basket of toys. Sometimes life can seem unfair, but I know that God doesn't make mistakes! And every time Avery gets poked by a needle, we hear how low his blood counts are, or he has to get blood products, which is pretty much weekly these days, I find myself praying that God will just let us keep him however different he may be. I hear about all these other kids who are sick, and it makes my heart so heavy. Just recently, I've been thinking about a little girl from KY who was just diagnosed with leukemia. My heart goes out to that family, and I'm reminded again how I'm not the only one with a broken heart and that God is mindful of all of these precious children.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18

We just scheduled an appointment with a GI doc from Cincinnati, and we're really hoping he may be able to shed some light on Avery's swallowing issues. He is interested in food so much more than what he used to be, but he just chokes and coughs up horrible amounts of mucus anytime we attempt to feed him anything beyond a thin puree. If we could figure out the cause and work toward a solution, it would be such a blessing to be able improve this area of Avery's life!

My oldest, Bryson, has a big birthday coming up in a week and a half. I can't believe he's going to be 5! I'm so proud of the little boy that he has become. Yes, he has some rough edges that we're still working on, some days more than others, but he is such a smart, funny, sweet little guy. I've been making plans for his party lately. I asked him what kind of party he wanted, thinking he'd say Thomas the Train or Veggie Tales or something like that. Instead, he said he wanted a Bible story party with Jonah and the Whale and Daniel in the Lion's Den. So, we've narrowed it to a Jonah and the Whale party. Of course he had to pick something that party stores don't carry decorations for, but I've found some cute things online. And Monday, we have his registration for school. He's going to be starting the Young 5's program. We debated Kindergarten, but since his birthday is so late and with Avery possibly getting a transplant in the near future, we decided Young 5's would be most appropriate for him. Avery will be starting the special education preschool program too, so they'll be in the same building. That will make me feel better about them leaving me!

I feel like most of my time these days has been spent feeding/changing Miss Emerson. I forgot how demanding such a little person can be. But, I'm enjoying her so much, even if I am a little sleep deprived. Some nights she does better than others, but I love just holding her close and smelling that baby smell. I know it will seem like the blink of an eye before my baby is no longer a baby.

Here's a few more photos of our baby girl!





~Bethany