It's Bed- time!

Great weather eathe for a project today! Cooler and cloudy (mid 70s). We also had our favorite helper with us. He drilled pocket holes with his dad...

And made lots of piles. Here, there,  and everywhere. 

When I tried to move him so I could work on the spot he was in, he told me,  " Mama, helping!" And went back to "work." 

What can you do? 

We stood there and watched him work like a road crew in MI.  

Then there was this entertainment. They took a deutsch water bottle and the it aid unto it burst and ice was everywhere. In August. They thought this was Hilarious. 

Less hilarious is the fact we went inside and found we had a boil advisory that may last a week an thar was one of about 3 booties of water we had on hand. Here's hoping the week estimate is overzealous and the water crews with faster than the road crews. 

Oh,  and the project is selah's bed! Judah's is almost done, got another coat of poly on it but if like to get a third on before turning it over to him. Maybe both will be done this week.   

Judah Update

Judah started his day with some stories with Mikey. He's such a good sport reading to him!

He then, of course, fell asleep on the way to the hospital -despite the fact it was 8 am. A 90-minute drive is a long time to just sit there staring out the back window, it seems. I hated to wake him knowing what was to come. 

It was rough. First IV blew,but the second was successful. I thought we lost it but if we kept his arm positioned just so, it stayed good. He had a rough go of it all, we tried singing and Jude videos, TV shows and cuckoo clocks. It was over an hour of screaming before I finally just put my head up against his and starred praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet in his ear. That's what we pray at bedtime and it worked to calm him down and he eventually fell asleep. What a blessing.

Of course, shortly after they then had to remove the IV and catheter and about an entire roll for tape they had used to secure them. So that ruined the nap. But then we were free! Whole process was about 2 hours, a little longer than I remembered but yay for sucess. 

A quick snack of chocolate chip granola bar and we were all smiles before heading home! 

You couldn't ask for a better day weather wise. Cool. Sunny. Blue skies with fluffy clouds. 

So we went to the park for a bit to enjoy the weather! 

Dad made some "train tracks" for Jude to follow and it was hard to convince him to leave! 

While at the park, we got his radiology report. The scan showed "decreased functioning in the left kidney with collecting system obstruction.A majority of radiotracer accumulation is in the inferior pole."

In other words, his left kidney isn't draining, there is indeed blockage. The left kidney also shows decreased functioning. (39 percent v. 61 in the right kidney. Ideal is 50-50.)

It is presumed that the blockage is due to scar tissue from surgery.  We haven't heard from his urologist yet,  probably won't until at least Monday,  but he already mentioned that blockage would mean surgery. We also expect they would put in a stent so that would be anesthesia two more times, as they would need to remove it.  

So,  we appreciate the continued prayers! 

Sweet Judah-Scan Tomorrow

Oh the joy.  How wonderful it must be to have the freedom to be so happy. When you get older and the stressors of life pile up, it seems like it's hard to have such total abandon and be consumed with pure joy. 

Speaking of stress,  if you can offer up a prayer,or a few hundred, for Judah tomorrow,  we'd so appreciate it. He has his MAG-3 scan at 10 am.  They're looking for blockage in the urinary tract.  It uses nuclear medicine fed through an IV and then continuous imaging to watch it travel through.

The key word is IV. Please pray they can get it. Hopefully,  on the first try! His last blood draw took almost an hour with 5 pokes and tons of digging. It's so traumatic and stressful.  And he'll have to be restrained for the scan,  too. It's a rough go, so we appreciate all the prayers! 

In other recent pics- He loves airplanes, another win for mom.  He alternates between flying them around with buzzing and swooshing bosses and covering his ears and saying loud! Hasn't forgotten the air show yet! 

Incredibly rare snuggle this morning,  especially for Elijah.  Elijah definitely enjoyed every second. 

Began to the older 5 to Comerica Park because the Tribe was in town.  It was a good game tired up bottom of the 9th but we managed to score and they didn't in the 10th. 

Elijah said he missed the last play because he was so nervous he hid his face.  And then he was still all shaky when they went to leave and he tripped climbing over a chair and fell. No worries, the only injury was to his pride.  (The older boys were there too, just not pictured.)

The Last Week or Two

Someone needs a haircut! However, when the humidity hits it, is adorably curly! 

Jonah was trying to nap. Judah wanted a "baboo" read to him. It's his only weird word and means book. 

Sweet snuggles

Bored. But that room could be cleaned and there's still school not finished so...no sympathy from Mom! 

The weather was a bit intense at park day this week, but we still had a good turnout and the kids had fun.

Judah and I stayed dry in the pavilion with the other moms and babies. 

This kid. Looking all grown up with his legs crossed and sunglasses!

Teen Night crazy going on! 

Rare cool sky picture in Michigan.  Flat bottom Cumulus clouds ate a summer thing and remind me of Mario games. 

Can't remember for sure but I'm guessing this was a sunset even though that is East. Not my nightly gorgeous mountain sunsets but I do enjoy the few nice ones here. 

Free Help. You can't have too high of expectations whe your help is free. And 18months old. He was so proud of himself.  

Once we got the shells out, he whisked intensely and flung it everywhere as he checked out his creation.  I think he had fun. I had a lot of extra cleanup. 

Paint for Selah!

We finally had a free weekend.  It's been such a crazy, busy summer that we've accomplished virtually nothing around the house,  and the list is just so long! 

There are still rooms that haven't been painted, but the list is getting shorter!!  It took herculean effort to get this child's room clear, which runs about 13 months it seems. Let me just tell you,  a year of flat white paint in a kid's room is GROSS.

But here we have a clean room with washed walls.

And we had lots of help.  Dad felt bad for him and gave him actual paint on the brush after a while.  And now that I write that,  I realize I never did see his brush when cleaning up.  So.... that's probably in some random spot of the house. Yikes.  

Came out way darker than I expected.  I actually feared it may be too light. But with white furniture and light curtains I hope it'll be fine. It's hard to see the actual color, but I do like it -for a pink. (I really didn't want to go with pink but it's not my room!)

Now we start building her a new bed. Wish us luck. Judah's is still not finished int he garage a month later....

For my own records, so I know the color when I need to touch it up. I'm not as organized as I used to be and I don't yet have a book with these things in it.