The Wheels Are Rolling

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Happy Birthday Aaron!

We Love You!

Friday, October 24, 2008

I Got A Call From The Teacher Yesterday...

A call from the teacher pretty much never amounts to anything good. I am very vigilant on the email front with Noah's teachers. I have to be. If I don't advocate for him, no one else will. So I keep the lines of communication lines open right from the beginning.

The bill collectors are ringing the phone off the hook, so I haven't been answering lately if I don't recognize the number. So I didn't answer the local number. I listened to the voice mail about a half hour later.

I was very confused by the message. It started talking about Noah and another little boy, B, playing a game on the playground with throwing rocks so they both had to take out the lion and tiger (the classes discipline system) for the behavior. But she told me that B's mom was throwing a fit because B said that Noah was the only one doing it so the mom wanted B's lion and tiger restored. Then out of the blue, she started talking about Noah being extremely upset and fighting with this same boy about God.

It threw me for a big loop. B's family are Jehovah's Witnesses so Noah already knew that they didn't celebrate parties and the holidays the same way that we do so I couldn't imagine what the problem was.

After I got home from work, Noah was in bed so I went up to talk to him about it. I asked him what had happened. At first he was scared to tell me but I told him that no matter what he said, I wouldn't be mad since we were talking about it and then he started opening up.

He said that he had a big fight with B because his mom had said that God's name wasn't God. And that he had called B's mom foolish for saying that.

So I took the Bible that Noah had on his nightstand and told him that just like I call him different names like Noah, Noah Stephen, or Bud...God has many different names too. Then I started naming different names, and on purpose, I mentioned "Jehovah" as the third or fourth name. He shouted "that's what B called him!" So I turned to the name Jehovah in the Bible and we talked about how we all believe in the same God but in different way sometimes, and that I was proud of him for being proud enough to talk about his faith. But then I made it clear to him that it is important to always respect how other people view God, even if you don't agree with them.

So this morning when I walked Noah into school, I talked with the teacher and then the mom that witnessed the entire exchange. This mom is friends with B's mom so it was a little skewed but I got the general gist of what happened. She did say that she was surprised at how deep Noah was thinking about things and impressed with his knowledge base. That made me feel proud as well. I feel like I handled it pretty well and I am hoping that things will clear themselves up.

Unfortunately, this mom had an issue with Noah last year in kindergarten too, so we'll just have to see where this goes.

In general though, I was quite happy to have had this discussion with Noah opened up and I love that Noah is thinking so hard about our faith and how it applies to our every day life. At times, I think talking about it with my six year old is the best way for me to think about my own faith and remembering to keep it foremost in my life.

Have a great weekend.

Is There Such Thing as Too Many Birthdays?

Yes, I know...broken record, but a birthday is a big deal. The funny thing is that Aaron's birthday still isn't until tomorrow, and it seems that for some reason, for our household, birthdays don't last one day. They seem to last for at least a week each time around. It had been the same this time.

Aaron's real birthday is Saturday. Due to friends being out of town and the Big Game (Michigan vs. Michigan State) at 3:30, we needed to postpone his party until Sunday. But that doesn't stop us from starting early.

Uncle Matt, Aunt Jenny and cousins were here last weekend and brought Aaron's first present of the event.

Gotta love a card that makes loud music every time you open it.

awesome clothes with fun orange pants

and Hungry Hungry Hippos, which we are playing constantly. FYI...kittens love little white balls that belong in a kids game.

Fast forward to Thursday. Two more birthday celebrations...

A birthday serenade from the class

and passing out yummy Halloween cookies

Then. Just when you think birthday celebrations could stop, at least until the ACTUAL birthday, grandparents show up...

with another card

and a Tonka rescue helicopter

I don't think this kid actually knows when his birthday is. Another package arrived in the mail today from my grandmother and we will take him to Build a Bear on his actual birthday for a present from us. And then of course, Sunday party time (of which I still don't have planned, even though it looks like we'll have nine kids here),

Stay tuned for a heck of a Weekend top Five next week. I imagine I'll be exhausted.

Happy Friday

(Hey Shannon, do you have any idea where my signature html code went?)

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Aaron's Birth Story in T13 Style

In honor of my youngest's 4th birthday on Saturday, I thought I would do my T13 on Aaron. It really is an interesting story just because he had so many quirks for so long, and it is amazing that after spending his first two years of his life worried about lasting repercussions, he is now a perfect, albeit a little crazy, little boy.

1. Aaron was due on October 23rd, he came on the 25th. I went to the doctor on the morning of the 25th. It was decided to induce me the next morning.

2. This is how the cell phone conversations with Steve went that morning..

9:00 AM "Hi, Honey, Dr. is going to induce tomorrow morning. Tell Fred (his boss) that you won't be in the rest of the week"

11:30 AM "Hi Honey, Noah and I just left the library and I think my water just broke. I'm not sure, so I think we'll go home and have some lunch

12:00 PM "Hi Honey, I think I am going to head to the hospital, so why don't you meet me there when you get off of work. " I walk Noah over to the neighbor's house and drive to the hospital. Freaked out the neighbor but I knew I had a few hours before anything actually started.

12:30PM "Hi Honey, Dr. says I am already dilated to four and things are going fast so why don't you head over as soon as you can

1:30 PM "Steve...come now!"

He was born at 7:01 PM

3. We called both sets of parents to let them know things are in the works. Nancy my stepmom says, "I'll call your dad..he's out on the course"

4. Although it was never discussed, Dad and Nancy came in about an hour later while active labor had started. I don't know if I was ever more thankful to see two people in my life. Having Steve on one side of me with his big, bony hand and my dad on the other with his warm fleshy hand was great...especially since I am quite sure I caused them both quite a bit of pain.

5. Nancy did things that I didn't know were nice while you are in labor, such as cold wash cloths for my forehead. According to Steve, she stood in the bathroom "whipping" wet washcloths at him. The image still makes me giggle...I don't really know if that happened or not, I was a little busy at the time. When things started going wrong (see below), she was the one in my ear whispering to me to pray for Aaron, and she was the one holding my hand (and probably in a lot of pain) while I was there for what seemed like forever being stitched up after a lot of rippage and large episiotomy. No epidural...I was too scared of the needle.

6. Aaron was born with the cord so tight around his neck, that he wasn't breathing for several minutes when he was born. His first APGAR was a 2, the second was a 7. It was the scariest few minutes of my entire life. I will never forget the SILENCE in that room for the rest of my life. In the picture you can see how purple he still was five minutes after his birth.

7. Aaron broke his collar bone on his way through the birth canal. The doctors didn't notice it because they were busy trying to get him to breathe. I, on the other side of the room, brought it to their attention.

8. Aaron as VERY stiff as a baby. I spent much time worried that it was a lasting effect from #6.

9. Both of my boys were extremely jaundiced at birth. With Aaron, I never got the bili blanket that I was supposed to. (I had been through that with Noah) I knew that if he kept nursing and pooping, It would work out. After a week and a half of trips to the hospital for blood tests, he was pronounced fine. Here is the only picture we have where you can truly see how yellow he still was three days after he came home, of course being kissed by big brother two year old Noah.

10. Aaron failed almost every hearing test as an infant and young child. Again, I thought it was because of #2.

11. After a string of constant (they never healed) ear infections and strep throat, we got his tonsils and adenoids out an tubes put in at two years old. He never had another infection again.

12. Aaron didn't talk until after his ear and throat surgery. He healed almost instantly from the surgeries. We think it was because he was so shocked at the ability to hear.

13. Aaron has an UNUSUALLY small head. For the first year of his life, we had a string of CT scans, MRI's and head xrays to rule out severe problems. His head was so far below the chart that they had two or three different nurses come measure it at each well child visit to make sure they were doing it right.

Once those few things were taken care of, e ended up with a wonderful, beautiful, goofy, happy little boy who is healthy and adventurous. Have a wonderful Birthday my Special Boy. We love you.