Sprout Time

 

Real talk time: This boy. My Mama heart has felt so heavy and I've felt a lot of Mom guilt over him. He is a very busy, talkative, ever moving, hyper child who is full of so much LIGHT. I feel like he is constantly at an energy level of 11 and I'm constantly trying to ground him. I feel like I tell him to be still or to "shhh" 100 times a day and it genuinely breaks my heart. I feel as though I am trying to shove all of his energy into a box just because life happens and I need to deal with Roo, or chores, or all of the other things that take up a Mama's day. It is hard.

Yesterday morning was one of those heavy "Mom Guilt Mornings" where I was counting down the seconds until he got to go to school, when really I should just be so grateful he's mine & he's safe. Off he went, I picked him up and he told me happily about his day. We got his brother and sisters and they played outside until dinner. He came in ready to snuggle and my arms and heart were so ready to love on him. Here I was full of guilt for him not having a great day and he was just as happy as could be living his best life.

 

I climbed in bed and decided that the guilt needed to go. Will it be gone forever? Absolutely not. Do I need to give myself more grace? Yes. Could I be a little better and change my approach to Sprout by carving out some special time where he gets to shine in all his wiggly, talkative glory? Also yes. So today we broke out the Home Depot craft that I neglected to do for Valentine's week and I soaked up some time with this boy. Have I figured out a way to let him be himself and help him direct is energy? No, that will take time. But I'm putting the guilt aside and focus on things I can DO. Oh Sprout, you are so loved.

Valentines Cake with Sprout.

Last year I made a cake for valentines that just did not work out.  I was almost to the point of tears when Sprout walked up and asked if he could help. It was a lemon turned to the sweetest lemonade as we giggled and decorated a cake together. 

This blue eyed boy helped us bake it then it was nap time and Sprout's turn to decorate.

Oh my gosh, This was so dang fun. He was so gosh darn excited and he did a fantastic job. I could not stop smiling.

He accidentally kicked over the sprinkles and I couldn't even be mad at him because he was so dang adorable.

He loved doing the drip.

I am so dang in love with how this came out. I love how he put the little arrows INTO the cake like they were shot in there. 

We had a great time! Oh Sprout, you are so loved!

Sprout's Estropia Surgery

 

Last summer we were on the plane headed to Vegas and I noticed Sprout's eyes were crossing. At the time I thought it was because his hair was in his eyes and that he was just focusing on that. Turns out that wasn't the case at all. Sprout had a condition called Estropia where his eyes move independently from each other. He can still see out of both eyes but one of them tends to get lazy and turn off while the other focuses. This condition can be corrected by wearing glasses (which didn't work in our case), or surgery. The picture above is an extreme instance where his eyes would shift. Most of the time it was hardly noticeable. We debated about we there or not we should even do the surgery, but in the end decided it was probably for the best.

 To say I was nervous would be a major understatement. I wasn't so much worried about the outcome, I had a pretty good feeling that everything would be successful, but I was worried about the experience for Sprout, would he be scared, would he be in pain. Would he not understand what or why this was happening and how would that feel for him. 

Children's Mercy was incredible. They were great with Sprout, got him some shows and had a goody bag with coloring and a race car. He was really brave and sat with my and snuggled. He wasn't scared or nervous and I was so grateful.

He was so gosh darn cute in his little gown. He didn't like wearing a dress, but he was a rock star about it and giggled when his booty stuck out.

He was also allowed to have a toy and his blanket. Elephant didn't leave his side and he was so excited that he got to come with him.the hardest part for him was taking of his necklace. He cried fro quite awhile when they asked him to take it off and told them that it was his and he needed it back. To be fair he has worn it every day since he was 6 months old, but I was really amazed at how attached to it he was.

It was time to go. He hopped up on his little stretcher, gave me a kiss and our nurse Esther rolled him back on his "magic carpet." I was so worried I felt like I was going to puke. His procedure was over in less than 45 minutes. Dr. Atkinson came in to talk to me and said he wanted to come right away because the nurses said that I was nervous. I was so disappointed because I thought I was hiding it so well. He said said there was very minimal bleeding and said that he was really impressed with how little he bled and that was why the surgery was so fast. He also said that he started breathing on his own again right away.

I got to go back to recovery as he was waking up and the first thing he did was look at me all bleary eyed and said "Mama, where is my necklace?" I told him he was wearing it (the nurses had put it back on right after the procedure) and I put his hand on it and he asked again "but where is it?!" I asked him what his name was and he said "Tired." I asked him if he hurt at all and  said "I want it out" I ask hims what out and he raised his hand with his IV.. The nurse said we could snuggle and so I picked him up in his blanket and rocked him for while while his grogginess wore off. He said that he couldn't see and I told him that was okay, then he said that everything was blurry and I told him I would ask about it. They told me it was from the anesthetist and the ointment that they put in his eyes. He asked for his friend so I grabbed Elephant and he said "No, not that, my friend Brigham." It was so dang cute.

He ate some goldfish and drank a ton of juice and then had a burp that was big enough the nurse came in to see if he puked. He was pretty wobbly when he stood to get dressed. He got wheeled out to the car in a little wagon and the nurse gave him a choice of a stuffed bear or a stuffed elephant. He looked at her suspiciously and said "No I'll keep my elephant." I told him that he got to have a new friend for Elephant and he said "Okay, I'll take the elephant." And put him in the wagon suspiciously. We got in the car and I asked him what he wanted to eat. He hesitated a looooooooooooooong time then he said "PIZZA!"

 He was pretty snuggly when he got home, but was acting like his usual self. The red was spreading in his eyes but he wasn't complaining, just said they were itchy. 

By bed time he was running jumping and acting completely normal. I kept up on his pain meds for a day or two and then he was completely fine. You wouldn't have even known he had a surgery if he didn't have red "Baymax Eyes" (as we called them). He slept through the night fine until 5:30 a.m. when he came downstairs upset. We asked him if his eyes hurt and he started to cry because his band-aid had fallen off where they took out his IV and he wanted another one. 

To say I'm relieved would be an major understatement. Oh my heart. I'm so proud of this boy and am so thankful that everything went smoothly and he wasn't in pain. 

 I asked him a few days later about going to the hospital and he said "There wasn't anything scary Mama." I am so thankful for the nurses and the staff that work so hard to make kiddos feel safe and loved. I am so thankful for the prayers that people had offered up to our Father in Heaven in our behalf, While I was sitting i that waiting room I could feel them.

Oh Sprout, you are so loved!

Carving Pumpkins

 While the men were shooting, we were over at the Dyches carving pumpkins. It's not a big thing in their family so it was really sweet of them to do it with us. It was pure chaos in the best way!

Duke flew totally solo on his carving this year and it was so fun to see him get creative!

Sprouty was dangerous with the knives. All eyes were on that boy for sure!!

He told e he had to use his big basketball muscles. He makes me laugh.

Peanut did a great job all on her own! 

 

 I had to d the traditional first pumpkin for Roo. Also, I cannot get enough of him in his skelton outfit. 

 E's pumpkin with a Harry Potter scar.

 

I love that cheesy smile! 

 Duke did an awesome job. Way to go Duke!!

 

 

Baby's first Halloween! Happy Hallow's Eve!

 

 

  

 

 

 Carving pumpkins is one of my favorites and I love that everyone went for faces this year. P.s. do you see the dusting of snow we got?

July Phone Favorites

The months are slipping by and the fun continues. Here's our July Phone Favorites.

 Sprout napping is a blessing and a curse. Quiet time is divine but you pay for it ten fold on the back end when it's bed time. Sprout is hands down my worst sleeper. He just don't sleep as long as the others. He's got the wiggles and is always on the go. I love how precious he is while he sleeps though.

Papa and Gram got Roo his very own boat! He was a pretty big fan!

Trying to draw again. Guys, I may not be a people artist. People are HARD!!!!

Climbing the stairs is the highlight of his day for sure!

Do you remember E taking this picture with Sprout when he was about Roo's age? I adore it!
 

Projects with Gram.

The chicken fort! The kids have the best time swimming with friends on Tuesday and Thurdays.

One afternoon while I was turning o the hose I noticed some sticks laying very straight in the A/C vent. I called Papa over to inspect and a little house finch flew out the vent at me. The whole vent was blocked so we were going to have to remove the nest. Upon first inspection Jakob told me there were no eggs in the nest and I felt a little bit better about our endeavor. 

Then I looked closer and my heart broke!!! six itty bitty little eggs were in the nest and Mama bird was losing her marbles. I felt so bad. We placed the nest in the tree and Mama immediately came to inspect.

She sat on the deck yelling at us and as soon as we left. She went to the nest distraught. Daddy bird came back and they had quite the talk. Jakob translated. Daddy: What the hell happened I was only gone for 10 MINUTES?!?! Mama: They ripped our home from the vent!!! And on it went. In the end they abandoned the nest and I was so sad. I'm sorry sweet birds.

Love that perfect little face in the window!

Went to a few river locations to help Papa pick a spot for family pictures. The locations were beautiful!

Love those little braced feet!

Beautiful clouds and rainbow on our way to Jakob's lacrosse game. 

Loved seeing how happy Roo was in the tub. I don't ever do bath time with the kids so this was extra cute to me!

Lit a candle for O.U.R's End Human Trafficking Week. 

My eyes have really been opened up to the horrors that are going on in the world. Children are sold for sex, labor and for organ harvesting and it is mind blowing. The more I learn, the sicker I am and have since stared backing away from some of the stories I came across for mental health reasons. I feel like it still needs to be spoken about and people need to be aware, donate if you can and watch for signs of it in your own life. THIS is the fight! There is nothing worse than harming a child. Period.

Sprout wanted to dance in the rain.

So that's what we did!

Then Duke and E went and jumped in the rain and it was magical! 

I had to steal a picture from my IG of the milky way this month. There were a lot of astronomical events that happened this month that were pretty cool. 

I was also featured on MBM! I was low key freaking out. It was pretty cool. They later posted another post quoting me which was even cooler. 

And that wraps up month 7 of 2020 and I am blown away at how much we have done already. SO fun. Okay August... what you got?!