Oh Baby Boy...

This was how Levi looked the day that we got discharged. He was skinnier than I had seen him in a long time, had tubes coming out of him, bandages, and he was pale. And you know what? I wouldn't trade it for the world. I know that I always say this, but I feel like God has seriously blessed us with this baby boy. Because we ended up in the hospital for so long, I got to hang out with a friend (because they got admitted as well), spend some quality time with my son, watch A LOT of trash TV, and have some much needed quiet time every night. Those are things that I don't always get to do. I'm thankful that I did. I was also scared. Seriously scared. So far I have never seen Levi as sick as he was this time around. I try not to dwell on the negative with Levi, but I also need to be able to admit that I was scared. I didn't know what was going to happen. I know that Levi looking like he does now isn't going to be the worst that we ever see, but so far it was. He dropped down to under 13lbs. At a year old, he was 12.6lbs. Yikes. Today we were back up to 13lbs 10oz, praise God! I love this baby boy and being his mama more than anything in the world! Thanks for all of the prayers during our hospital stay, knowing of your prayers helps us get through the tough days. That, and good books :)

Hospital Time... Week 2

Levi is back at Children's Mercy. Tuesday, the 20th, we came to KC to pick up Mom from the airport. Levi was supposed to have a routine check-up for his surgery on the 27th. While we were all at lunch, Levi started to get diarrhea. It got really bad, quickly. I called his Pediatrician at home and she told us to go the ER in Kansas City. Once they drew labs in the ER, things went downhill quickly. His labs were all sorts of funky. Nothing looked like what we were used to, even for a "sick" Levi. We were admitted immediately and they started fluids. They diagnosed Levi with a virus that took a nasty turn, very quickly. After a few days of slow feeds through his g-tube and fluids through his IV, we decided that Levi's bowels needed a rest, he was starting to lose the lining of them! On Tuesday, the 27th the doctors decided that surgery would still be too risky and that we instead needed to put in a PICC line. They got that placed and he started to look better right away! Yesterday the team started him on very slow feeds through the g-tube. He seemed to tolerate him pretty well, so today he got to drink some water and get a little more through the g-tube! Tomorrow he should get to eat a little more, with hopes of eating by mouth by Saturday! Once everything is stable (diet, labs and output) they are going to place a port. That will save us a lot in the future! This mama is ready to go get home to everything there, so I would personally appreciate prayers for a speedy recovery so that Levi and I can be reunited with our home, our pets and John quickly!

Ministry through Mary Kay

I want to share a little bit with y'all as to why Mary Kay is important to me. Mary Kay is my opportunity to stay home with Levi. We know that a point in time will come (maybe has come?) when Levi will require more intensive care than a daycare can provide. When that time comes, I still need to be able to help support our family, Mary Kay is providing me the chance to put God first, Family second, and career third. God has also provided me with an opportunity to use Mary Kay to help other families. Through facebook, I have also gotten to connect with other Kidney Mamas. As I get to know these moms, I realize that I'm not the only mom that feels alone. Many of our husbands have to go back to work while we're still in the hospital with our babies. Some of us have to be the bad guy that hold our child down 5 days in a row for blood work. And let me just tell you, it sucks. My goal is to be able to have a successful enough business that I can donate items for fundraisers for our kidney babies, and also to be able to afford to travel to meet these moms, and help raise awareness about Kidney Disease. I don't ever want to hear about a mom having to hear bad news, go through a surgery, or endure a hospital stay alone. Finally, I want to help empower women. I truly believe that women can accomplish anything that they set their minds to. I want to help other women reach their potential as mother, wives and servants of God. I also want to help women feel their best. And as y'all know, when we look better, we feel better! So, if you have questions about my story, about how Mary Kay can help you and your family, or the Mary Kay opportunity, please don't hesitate to ask.

Picture of Levi and I that Levi took with my computer today :)

Kansas City, Again

What started out as a normal trip to our pediatrician ended us on KC. I took Levi in because his g-tube was leaking from the hole that the mic-key button sits in. When they weighed him at the pediatrician's office, he had lost 4 oz over the weekend. Because of that, combined with the leakage and dehydration, we decided that getting him admitted was our best course of action.

Since being at Mercy, we've seen a huge improvement in Levi's attitude . Unfortunately, his weight has remained about the same, and we're still seeing skin breakdown and leakage around the mic-key.

I know that we're blessed to be in such a great place, but I just want my baby to feel better, and I want to go home.

Talking to Adults

After talking with another Kidney Mama last night, I realized something, we all LOVE talking to adults! What's even better, talking to adults who understand what you're saying. Many times when I start a conversation with another adult, they can catch everything up until they ask the dreaded question, "How's Levi doing?". I'm glad that you asked, really I am. The problem is, I can't tell you the truth. If I could put it into terminology that you'd understand, without making his case sound like a disaster, I would. If I could tell you things about my son, without you feeling bad for him, and tell you how bad things are in a way that you'd see the same amount of hope that we see, I would. But, I can't. Because of this, many days the nurse at Levi's doctors are my best friends. When they ask, "How's Levi doing?" and I give them the grim outlook, they still see the hope and get excited with me because he's gained 1.5oz in two weeks, she is always genuinely excited. She's also not afraid to tell me that sometimes, it's just not enough. I'll tell you, I cannot wait for the next "phone date" that I get with the Kidney Mom that I talked with last night. After knowing this, I also want people to realize how important is is to keep asking us how Levi's doing. Even if you don't understand a word that comes out of my mouth, I need you to ask. I need you to pretend like you know exactly what I'm talking about. That's how I'll get through this. A lot of prayer, friends and support.

10 Months

Yesterday Levi was 10 months old! It's been a busy ten months! My sister, Mary is back from South Korea. We're all thankful for that. We love it when she's home. I got to see a few "old" friends this past month. Both of them were from my college sorority days! I am so blessed to still have them around and in my life. Tonight, John and I get to go on a date! WOOO HOOO!! Levi is going to Parent's Night Out at the YMCA. Levi is very close to crawling! I can't believe it. He knows the basic concept, but has a bit of trouble getting all of his limbs to work together and support his weight the whole time. I know that he'll have it in no time! I found a group on facebook that's all Kidney Moms, and i am SO glad to have them. They know what we're going through! Not much to report on the Kidney front here. Hopefully we'll have some good news in two weeks for his appointment. I also will (hopefully) have an exciting blog coming up on Monday night or Tuesday. I can't share all of the details yet, but I will soon.

Yes, we can

That's what I want to start SCREAMING at people every time they tell us "you can't do that". I am getting tired of how negative a lot of people are towards us. They're negative about us having a sick kid, living in an old house, not making millions, being content with what we have (most of the time), not trying to get out of Salina. I'm just tired of it. I want to have people around who are the type of people that rejoice with our triumphs and weep with our sorrows. We are going to do what we feel is right for our family, and I'm sorry if people don't agree with it, but that's why it's OUR family, not YOURS. We have a sick son. That's most of our energy. So yes, other areas are going to slack in our lives, so that we can give him the best life possible. We have to make decisions based on what we believe, what we like, and how we feel. I know that God is going to take care of our family, no matter what. I trust that. I also know that in the end, those that love us will be there, and still loving us.

9 Months/Kidney Disease/Training Buddy

I'm going to try to make this post quick!

Levi was 9 months on Tuesday!!!! I can't believe it! I'm totally that mom that's thinking "It seems like yesterday...". I'll get the 9 month photo up ASAP. Stats will also go up on Monday, that's our follow up appointment for the feeding tube.

I had no idea how bad kidney diseases were in our country before Levi had them. I don't know if that's naive of me, or if it's just something that's hard to diagnose, therefore hard to publicize? March is Kidney Disease Awareness Month, and I'm thinking of something BIG! I'd like to get other kidney mama's involved. I would also like to start devoting more posts to kidney disease awareness.

I keep putting off starting to run again. I tell myself things like; no time, it's too hot, I don't have a training buddy, God didn't create me to run, why should I run? Well, this week God whacked me in the face with answers to my excuses! The weather has gotten beautiful! We're up every morning kind of early, so we'd have time to jog outside, also, I have a FREE gym membership. Duh. As for a training buddy, I have Levi. Jogging with him in the stroller is good for him too. He loves it! So, I'm going to start Couch to 5K again. Also, God may not have built me like a runner, but He gave me a son whom may require one of my kidneys one day, and I need to be healthy enough to give it to him.

The food is in!

Levi finally has his feeding tube! I know this sounds like an odd thing to be excited about, but, we are! He now has an easier way to get the nutrients that he needs into his body. This week was a long week, since we spend Monday-Thursday in the hospital. Monday morning we had to be at the hospital, in Wichita, by 6:30am. My good friend, Meghan and her daughter (4 months old), Eisley, came with us. They picked us up from our house around 4:15am. We ended up at the hospital WAY to early, which was fine. That's better than being late! The procedure was scheduled for 8:30. Here is a picture of Levi right before surgery

As you can tell, he has no idea what's about to happen. They got him back, Pastor Kent came up, and we all waited around. It was a relatively quick surgery, only about an hour and a half. After surgery they stuck him in the PICU for about 24 hours. Then we moved to Peds, once we were there my sister-in-law, Allison came up. This was on Tuesday. I spend Tuesday-Thursday night in the hospital. I don't think that is something that I will ever get used to, no matter how often I do it! They released us on Thursday afternoon. We now have to feed Levi every 4 hours. What he doesn't take by mouth, we push through the tube. Overnight he gets a continuous feed through his tube. Part of that means I go to bed late and get up earlier. If you know me, you know that's not a good combination for me, I need sleep! In a few weeks, Levi and I will go back to the doctor and get this tube taken out, and then get his Mic-Key button put in. That will be much easier to use than this current tube is.

John is doing GREAT with the tube feeds. He helps me out so much. He was at home this whole week, and I know that could not have been easy for him.

We are blessed beyond belief to have the friends, family, and church that we do. They have helped us pull through this procedure, as they will the rest of them. I cannot emphasize enough to people how important a good, strong, supportive church family is. At a time like this, they gather and strengthen us with their prayers, gifts, and visits. I sometimes wonder if God really has us in the right place, but when they come together for us, I know that He does.

Must Reads...

A few years ago my mom bought me a series of "cozy mysteries" for Christmas. The only reason she bought them for me, because they were set in Kansas. For some reason, I did the exact opposite of what I usually do, and I tucked them away on a bookshelf and I never read them. A year and a half later, I was on bedrest with Levi, and desperate for something new to read. So, I pulled them off the shelf. In four days I had read the four books in the "Cozy in Kansas" series. Somehow, God knew that I needed to tuck those books away for a rainy day, He knew that when I pulled those books off the shelf, I would find exactly what He was planning on teaching me, when I needed to learn it. You see, Nancy Mehl's books aren't just filled with a fun plot, cute romance, and captivating characters, they're something extra. Mehl incorporates her faith into each and every book that she writes. She puts in scriptures, prayers, and pulls you into the faith life of her characters. By doing this she reveals more about herself than most authors. She shares her love for the Lord and His plan for us in each and every book.

In her most recent book, Inescapable, she tells a story about a young woman, Lizzie, that has left the Mennonite faith, her family, and her hometown. Through a turn of events, Lizzie and her daughter, Charity, end up running back to the very place that Lizzie ran from, her hometown. As you read about their adjustment back into the small, conservative Mennonite town, you connect with the characters and fall in love with small town Kansas. As a young woman reading this book, I could see some of my own struggles and desires as a parent and a wife shine through. Mehl takes these struggles and turns them into triumphs, leaving you feeling refreshed and thankful for all God has blessed you with. Mehl has once again, brought forth her faith and love for others in this book. The worst news about this book, the next in the series isn't out yet!

Each time I'm done reading one of her books, I'm filled with a new sense of God's love for me, and I'm reminded of the true, Godly romance that started my relationship with my husband. These books are for every woman, and they're not something you'll be ashamed to tell your mom that you read! So, check her out online, download any of her books to your Nook, and you won't be disappointed, I promise!

Baby Steps

Okay, so we all know that getting healthier takes baby steps. In my case, I'm barely crawling at this point. But today, I drank more water than normal and my only snack was some sweet bell peppers, a tiny bit of cream cheese and some cucumbers. Yay! I know, I know, I have a long way to go to lose 50lbs, but every little bit helps!

Oh, Mondays!

This was little man today. Finally. The past couple of Mondays have not been wonderful. Levi has been sick enough that I haven't gone into work. He keeps throwing up. His doctors tell me that once he gets his feeding tube, he should stop puking so much. Today I called wondering what we could give him until then, and they don't want to give him anything. They feel as though anything that we give him could hurt his kidney. So instead, I just have to deal with a baby that throws up a few times a day. Today was better than most days though. Today we actually made it to work. We were there for about three hours, and then he started puking on the nursery workers. This really is an improvement over the past few Mondays! We came home and Levi took a good nap, then we just took it easy, reading books and such the rest of the day. A part of me is so ready for this stinking feeding tube.


On another note, I found a quote today that I love! "Stop trying to find the discipline. Find the motivation that makes you WANT to WIN. Then you will work." ~Gloria Mayfield Banks. This really made me think. I keep trying to get into a workout routine, and I worry mostly about the discipline of getting into the routine and trying to get going. I rarely think about what motivates me. I'm starting to walk in the mornings with a friend. I know that it's not much, but it's more than what we are doing now. I say we, because Levi will have to be with me. I figure that if we can get into a routine of doing something, I'll start to figure out what motivates me, and I'll go from there. I'll try to keep you updated on what works!

7 Months....

I guess I'm kind of down to posting (at least) once a month for Levi's updates! Here's his 7 month picture!



We are so blessed to have such a happy son. He is getting bigger everyday, he weighs around 12 lbs now. It seems crazy to know that he's almost tripled his birth weight! We had blood work on Thursday, and everything looks great! Thank you all for all of the thoughts and prayers! We head to Wichita on Wednesday to visit with the nephrologist again. Hopefully she's full of good news!

Today is also John's first Father's Day! Levi and I got him a card, a skillet for the grill, and some grilling tools. He loved them! I am so thankful that we are blessed to have John as the leader of our home.




Speaking of Father's Day, anybody seen the movie "Courageous"? I was very impressed with the film. I think that it hit a lot of issues we are often to afraid to discuss. Also, with that it's led me to take a closer look at what God wants from us as wives and mothers. This has been a few months in the process, but I think that I'm finally getting my 'list' done. If anybody has anything that they've found tugs at their hearts from God, as a wife/mom, please share! I know that I'm more conservative than most, but I feel God is really calling me to walk as He planned for me to. There will be more on this later!

6 months and hospital visit

Levi is 6 months old! I can't believe it. It doesn't seem like half of his first year is done already. His 6 month stats are Height: 23 inches Weight: 11lbs 5oz. He has now more than doubled his birth weight (woohoo!). He's into 3 month and some 6 month clothing. Levi seems to be tolerating cloth diapers better than disposables, and he is getting CURIOUS about everything! We are still so in love with him!

On the flip side of things, we're also back in the hospital. Monday night we ended up in the ER for 6 hours because he had a high fever. With Levi, it's never okay for him to have a fever, it's the first sign of a kidney infection. I really felt like he needed to be admitted, not just sitting in the ER. I figured he was dehydrated and hello, he's a KIDNEY FAILURE PATIENT! In a small toen like ours, unless you have a cancer patient or a gunshot victim, a few hours is the difference between kidney failure and kidney function for him. We finally saw a doctor and got the results of the UA back to find out that everything was clear, just a virus. Tuesday we were supposed to follow up with his pediatrician. She agreed that it was just a virus, but to keep a close eye on him. She also ran more blood work and urine samples. Everything still looked clear. I still felt like he was dehydrated and we need to admit him to get him hydrated, but we were sent home since he looked okay on paper. Last night, his fever hit 104 and he started having diarreha and eating less. Then, this morning, the fever was at 102, but he added vomiting to the list of symptoms. After my 3rd shirt for the day was soaked in puke, I called the doctor's office. Our regular doc was out, but we could see one of the other pediatricians. We went into the appointment knowing that we were probably headed to the hospital. We were right. Levi was admitted this afternoon for dehydration, fever, and possible bloodborne bacteria. Gross. Good thing is, we get to stay in town at the hospital here! Yay! Also, they got him started on some iv fluids, and now he's keeping pedialyte down! Tomorrow we're hopefully back on formula. Small victories are amazing!

Please keep squirt in your prayers and remember to LISTEN TO YOUR GUT FEELINGS!

Lucky Lady

This last week or so has been filled with some great moments. For me as a mom, wife, and friend. So here's the list of everything that God has blessed me with (especially over) the last week! -Levi has had the best blood work results yet. -Mary, John, and I got the office completely painted. It looks awesome. -I was able to get all of the furniture moved back into the office -M got furniture for her new house -I woke up on Saturday morning to the sound of Levi laughing in bed next to me -We've seen Adam and Kelsey 4 times in two weeks! -House blessing at Adam and Kelsey's was WONDERFUL! -Tonight, dinner with some amazing friends -Levi lights up when John, he and I are all together -We got a piano! -Levi is stinking adorable -I got to help a friend celebrate her upcoming wedding with a shower -People at work keep blessing me with their love and support for my goals and for my family -John never ceases to remind me how much he loves me -Bee is keeping birds away from the flowers in the backyard. -Yesterday, Levi slept from 6:30pm-7am! -I finally got a walk/run in this week, and I was able to pick up right where I'd left off! -I HAVE A GOD WHO LOVES ME UNCONDITIONALLY

the rules.

Sometimes I feel so lost. I feel as though I'm stuck in the middle of a game people play, problem is, I don't know the rules. Then it dawns on me, yes I do! God has given me all of the rules that I need to play this "game". Other people are the ones that choose to change the rules. God has chosen me, He has blessed me with a heart that wears heavy when I know that I've broken a rule. I used to see it as a curse, I was constantly feeling guilty! But now I know that God trusts in me enough to know that I can play by His rules and have the biggest rewards possible. Once I think about it that way, I don't feel quite so lost anymore.

Real Diaper Week- Day 3

Here's yesterday's post this morning. I'll try to do today's post this afternoon.

Today we're discussing the cost of cloth diapering. Cloth diapering has saved us a TON of money. Now, we are a "hybrid" family. This means that we use disposables sometime. Levi is just over 5 months old, and to date, we've spent about $30 on disposable diapers. That's what most people spend in a week. We use disposables sometimes at daycare, and sometimes at night. A friend gave us all of her prefold diapers and a few covers. This was easily worth $60, if it would have been new. Buying used, and getting things from friends is the easiest way to spend less, but get more! I have purchased some cloth on my own, about $60 worth, this equated to 20 new diapers. I now have more than enough for Levi and will be able to use most of it with baby number 2, if we ever get to that point. Cloth diapering can save you thousands of dollars over the first two years of your kids life. I'll take an extra load of laundry every few days for that!

Real Diaper Week- Day 1

Many of you have read some of my posts about cloth diapers. This week, leading up to Earth Day is "Real Diaper Week". There's also a blog hop being sponsored by The Eco Chic. Today's topic for the blog hop is Outreach.

As a product of Generation X, we have many standards that we try to live up to. Even when it comes to our kids. One of the things that everyone expects our generation to do is to figure out how to make everything simpler. A lot of modern moms figure that this means disposable diapers. But, cloth diapers are so easy! Any mom who has kids in cloth knows that. One of the toughest questions, how do we convince everyone else of that?

Simple. We share the benefits with anyone who will listen. You tell co-workers, family, friends, nurses at the doctors office, people at church, and leave a note for the mailman if you have to! I'm constantly telling people how much we love our cloth diapers. They're cute, eco-friendly, a huge price break and WAY better for my baby. I let my kid go without pants when the weather's nice to show off his diapers. When he's in the daycare at my work, I'll go change his diaper in order to keep him in cloth. We're willing to make tons of sacrifices for our kids, don't you think that it's time we start telling other parents about the benefits of cloth? Being a cloth diapering mama doesn't automatically make you a hippie, trust me, I'm still working on figuring out how to recycle!

Any questions on cloth diapering? Let me know! They're easy, cheap, and you have tons of options!

Easter Weekend and Levi Update

We've had such a busy, good time lately! Levi and I are finally starting to get onto a schedule, or so it seems. Bedtime has been around 8pm usually. He just can't seem to get to sleep much earlier than that. Last night he slept from 8pm-5:50am. Then I had to get him up at 7:30 to head to work. He seemed to do pretty good that way. We've also starting working food into his diet. He's had apples, pears, peas and green beans.

This was earlier today, eating peas. I guess he figured we weren't feeding him fast enough, because he grabbed the spoon and started shoving it in his mouth. He seemed to really enjoy the peas.



We had a great Easter weekend. We had great weather. I feel like we've finally started spring.We didn't really do too much. We had church Sunday morning. We made chicken enchiladas for dinner. They were yummy! Levi had the cutest outfit! He looked like a little man. Here's our family picture from Easter morning.

The weekend before Levi got baptized! We had a lot of family in town. It was so great to see everyone. He did great during the service. He seemed to love having all of the different people around. It was neat to see how everyone interacted with Levi. John and I feel like Levi's baptism was long overdue. Levi has been through so much already, and through a lot of it, the only explanation is that God healed his body. So now, Levi has been publicly declared God's. We are also very lucky that we have the support from our friends and family to raise Levi to become a man of God. His Godparents are Jess and Brandon and Adam and Kelsey. I know that they will do a great job helping us teach Levi to become that man. I am very thankful for them.

A three in one post...

So today I'm blogging about 3 different events at once, please bear with me. I'll try to make this short and sweet.

1) Happy Anniversary!
We've been married 2 years today! We share this date with John's brother and sister-in-law who are celebrating 13 years! Congrats all around!

2) 4 Months!
I cannot believe that Little Levi is 4 months old already! The time has flown by! He is a ham and lovin' it! He's started to eat foods, doctor permitting, and weighs in at just over 10 lbs.

3) Kidney Update
Not as good as we had hoped. Sounds like dialysis is coming sooner than we'd thought. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers, if he can just manage to get a little bit bigger, that would help a ton!

I'll try to get a more detailed update in here soon, when I have some time.

Mr. Flirty Pants...

Levi has been such a flirt lately! I can't believe it! Today I took him to my Girl Scout meeting. I have Daisy and Brownie Girl Scouts. They are Kindergarten - third graders. Levi woke up with about 15 minutes left of our meeting. I got him changed and then had the girls wash their hands so they could touch him. They started to hold his hand, and he was laughing and smiling and curling up his toes when they touched his feet. He was THRILLED with them! It was a neat experience to see him interact with other kids. Anyhow, here's a picture that Aunt Mary took, of him being a flirty pants...

3 Months

I know that I say this every month, but I cannot believe our little man is 3 months old! I feel like he has changed so much in the last 2 weeks. He has started teething, which has caused some fussy moments for everybody involved. He's "talking" and smiling all the time now, which we love! Levi's also eating like a champ, and has the weight to show it! His appointment on Thursday put him at 8lbs 11oz! At this rate, we'll have a 9 pound baby next week (which will, of course, require another blog).

On Friday we had our first meeting with the urologist. He travels from KC to Wichita every other month, so it makes a shorter drive for us. Dr. Murphy was amazing! He has a lot of experience, and a great team. We didn't really learn much of anything new, which is always good news. He wants to see Levi every other month just to keep an eye on him. He's also working closely with our nephrologist. They have been trading information for the past two months! I was very glad to hear that!

Grandma (John's mom) is here this weekend. She's come up to go to the nephrologist with us on Monday. It is a nice change of pace to have some company!

Also, in less than a month, Levi and I will be home in Houston for a week! I cannot wait to show him everything there. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family.

God is teaching us a lot. I used to think that my quiet time each day had to be spent in solitude. Now I'm learning to spend it with Levi. If he's awake, I read the devotion for the day to him, and then I explain everything that God is talking about. It has been enlightening for me to hear how I explain things to him. I think sometimes, I end up learning more that way!

And, here are the pictures!

3 months

John and Levi

New Title...

I am now the Membership Secretary at the Y! I am very excited. This means that I'm in the office mostly. I check daily work and figure financial aid. A lot of phone calls and a lot of computer time. I think that I'm really going to like it up there!

2 Months

Levi has passed the two month mark! He looks great! Here are his two month stats.

Birth:
Height: 18 inches
Weight: 4lbs 15oz

2 Months
Height: 20 inches
Weight: 7lbs 6oz

As you can imagine, he is a completely different baby now! Every day he continues to grow and amaze us. Bee has become more comfortable with him, as has Persistence. This week has been a good week when it comes to sleep. A few nights he has gone 3-4 hours at one stretch! He's usually ready to face the day around 5:30am. It seems a little early for me, still. We'll get up, get John off to work, eat, watch TV, talk to each other, make funny faces. Around 7 or so, he's usually ready for his first nap. That lasts until about 8:30. I try to catch a nap myself during that time.

Levi's smiles are bigger and more frequent than ever! I think he knows when I've had a long night or I'm tired during the day. Every time I start to think that I can't do this, he flashes me a big, toothless grin, and I'm sold again.

In other news, we're hoping to get carpet in the hallway and maybe Levi's room in the next couple of months. It's going to be wonderful when it's done! I hope that time, money, tools, and manpower all work out so that we can do that.

Well, Levi's up from his noon nap, that one only lasted about 15 minutes... I'll leave you with a picture from when he was 3 days old, and one from 2 months old!

We are blessed to call him our son!

Meet the Nephrologist

That was our plan for yesterday. We had our first appointment with Levi's permanent nephrologist. She was wonderful. She seemed to have a real interest in Levi. Yesterday was mostly a "meet and greet" appointment. Dr. Stuart was getting familiar with Levi in the flesh, learning about his habits and just giving him a brief physical. He did great. They also weighed him and had to take blood. We were very excited to find out that Levi now weighs 7lbs 11oz. Unlike our doctor at home, this doctor weighs him with his clothes on, so his actual weight could be a little bit lower than what we got yesterday. Dr. Stuart also cleared him to go to daycare, which will be great, so I can work more!

Here are some pictures of Levi from yesterday...

I can't believe how big he's gotten! He changes and amazes me each day!

On another note, yesterday one of our cats died. John's cat, Stubby, had gotten really bad the past few weeks. Here's a picture of him from Sunday morning.

It was time for him to go. He couldn't walk very well, was blind in both eyes, and was using the bathroom all over the house (yuck!). I think that we're going to stick with the two animals that we have for now. We don't want to get anymore animals until after we are completely finished with the house.