Recent photos

Just posting a few recent photos of the kids. January has been a good month. It's hard to believe we're almost to February! Jorie and Joshua have had minor colds. But, thankfully, Ryan has been able to avoid them! We are praying for a healthy/illness-free end of winter and also spring which seems to be a rough season for Ryan.

Jorie and Alaina

Growing up with 2 brothers and no sisters, having a cousin so close in age that is also a GIRL has been so special to Jorie. I love comparing pictures. Here are the girls with Steve as newborns and then again with him a few days ago. :)

Thankful for sleep

(Ryan pictured here at 3 yrs old with bipap on and toe probe on to measure oxygen sats and heart rate)
I've learned to really appreciate our night-time help for Ryan over the years; and especially the past couple of nights! Without it, I'd probably be walking around like a zombie most days! And because both grandmas share the duty, they are able to catch up on rest when the other one takes over. For the past two nights, we didn't have any help at all so it was up to Steve and I to get up with Ryan during the night when he needed us. It's usually because he needs to turn from the pressure of laying on one side. But, many times, there is much more that needs to be done. For instance, his feeding tube needs to be vented to let the extra air out. This happened multiple times last night and one time when Steve vented the tube, he forget to close one of the ports back up again and when I came in to turn him an hour or so later, there was formula all over Ryan and all over his bed. Poor guy! Thankfully, I caught it in time so that the mess was not too big! Other times, he needs his suction machine to clear secretions from his mouth that he is unable to swallow himself. Steve and I have noticed that the bigger and older he gets, the more uncomfortable he is getting at night and the more particular he is about what he needs or how he wants to be positioned. But, I always put myself in his shoes and try to imagine what it must feel like to be unable to move. I really cannot imagine this. It helps to remind myself of this when I have gotten up with him almost every hour throughout the night and am exhausted myself! It only makes me long for Heaven all that much more when Ryan will have a perfectly working body and won't need anyone to help him anymore! How AMAZING that will be to see my child walking and moving all on his own!!!

A great weekend!

This past weekend was a great one! My cousin, Bridgette, and her son, Bryden, came to visit! Bridgette and I had so much fun playing together as little girls. But, we rarely got to see each other as she lived in Chicago. She still lives in Chicago. But, decided sort of last minute to fly to Oregon with her oldest son, Bryden. Her parents, my Aunt Karen and Uncle Dave have been staying with my parents for the past several weeks. Dave is installing a roll-in shower for my parents so that they will be able to more easily shower Ryan! This is something we will need to do soon for our home as well as Ryan is getting bigger and harder and harder to lower into a tub! Thankfully, I have a husband who is able to do this for me as he has become too heavy for me to lower into the bathtub anymore!

In all the years that I have lived in Bend, I've never gone inner-tubing at Mt Bachelor. We decided that it would be a fun activity to do while my cousin was here. So, Steve and I took Jorie as well as my dad, aunt and uncle and Bridgette and her son up to go inner-tubing. Jorie and Bryden were fearless! Those tubes go FAST down that hill!! We all enjoyed ourselves and the time together. My Aunt Karen has been diagnosed with Alzheimers and is in the end stages of the disease. She is still in her 50's and it's very hard seeing her this way. She is slowly forgetting how to do even the simplest of tasks. And even inner-tubing was hard for her. We had to really help her and show her how to sit in the tube and how to get back out again when it reached the top of the hill. Although this disease is devastating, we have enjoyed spending time with her as she and my uncle have come to Oregon many times over the past couple of years since her diagnosis. My uncle wants her to be around her family as much as possible while she still remembers everyone. We will cherish these last few years that we have with her and try to squeeze every minute out of them. She seems so young to have such a condition. So, that seems to make it extra tough on everyone.

On Sunday, Steve's sister and family came over to visit. We enjoyed time with them as well. We see them about every 2 to 3 months or so. The kids really enjoy their time together as they are very close in age and share similar interests. Joshua enjoys playing with the big kids too!

Snuggly couch pictures

Recently, I took a picture of Steve snuggling on the couch with Jorie and Joshua. I realized I have quite a few pictures of Steve snuggling with the kids on the same couch over the years! So, decided to dig through some older ones to share just for fun! Makes me sad that my kids are growing up so fast though! I think the first two pictures were taken some time in 2003. So, Jorie was about 1 and Ryan was 7! The next one down was taken when Joshua was just a newborn! (2007)And then the most recent one of Jorie and Joshua with their daddy. :)

Burritos

Every night, Steve makes a point to tuck Jorie and Joshie in like little burritos. "bito, bito" Joshie yells. It's too cute. :) And the funny thing is that Joshie actually likes that security and warmth of the blankets wrapped around him and will often times fall asleep that way. Jorie, on the other hand, tosses and turns and pushes the blankets off soon after we tuck her in.

So proud of our boy!

I thought I'd post a picture of the two people rarey photographed in our family. Me and Ryan! We are SO proud of Ryan for making the honor roll and receiving a 4.0!!! Here he is with his certificate.