My Boys

4 boys that mean the world to me...

Spen

E

Moose

Ez

Mason's 5!!

My Mason turned 5 this month!! How did this happen?!

He is so big and grown up. Time just flies. He has always been such a sweet angel but now it feels like he is no longer our little baby Mase, he's our little boy. How does a boy skip toddler hood?

For his birthday party we went to our favorite park with some friends and family for mini cupcakes. It was a very low key party but Mase was fine with that. That's more the kind of party he likes anyway! He mostly liked the attention from everyone who came!

I didn't know exactly what to do for him so we decided that mini cupcakes sounded fun. Mase sure liked it. He grabbed for them when we put them in front of him and giggled like he had gotten away with something! He only had a few tastes this year.

When it came time for his presents his family sure knows him! He really just cares about the wrapping and tissue paper. He does love to be the one to open things though. Ethan was very intent on picking out, paying for, and wrapping his gift.

He got a few balls and presents and some money to go towards one of the fun big things we are saving up for. He had a great time and that's all that matters! Thanks to everyone who came to support our Moose!

Future Dr. Ethan~

Ezra hasn't been feeling well with all he is dealing with right now. The other morning Ethan went in to cuddle and comfort sad Ez. When I went in to check on them Ethan was Doctoring him. (Not uncommon) The difference this time is that Ez had no cuts or anything to band-aid. Ethan was covering him with Neosporin and band-aids! When I asked what he was doing he told me very matter-of-factly that, "maybe if I put Neosporin and band-aids on him it will suck out the sickness and Ez will feel better!" Where does he come up with this stuff?! I don't know, but I hope he never outgrows it.

Ezra's 2nd surgery~

One week ago today Ezra had his 2nd surgery for his multilobular malformatic lymphatic cystic hygroma on his neck. (Say that 5X fast!!) We are still choosing the less invasive approach to sclerose it rather than cut. We are hopeful that we will have good results eventually. The interventional radiologist Dr. that is treating him thinks we will have a few rounds of surgery before we can hope it will disappear permanently. He is scheduled to go back in 6 weeks anyway.

Ez is such a sweet, good baby. It seems so unfair to put him through this. The entire staff that worked with him from the nurses that checked him in, to the Dr. and the staff in the room for the procedure, to the RTU recovery room all fell head over heals for him!

I don't think I've mentioned that Mason taught Ez his first words/phrase. He says, "go away" clear as ever! It is adorable and funny! Who would have guessed that Mase was the one to teach speech!! The Dr.'s said that he kept saying that over and over while he was under. Adorable!

He was treated with a medication they use to treat Lymphoma and is still having side-effects (mild ones) from it. Poor little dude!

Mush Race!~

This morning when I got Ethan out of bed he asked me to make him Cream of Wheat for breakfast. It has been over a year since I have made that. I just hate the little grainy things everywhere. We made it though and it actually sounded pretty good to me too. Once we were all set up at the table for our yummy breakfast I told Ethan about when I was a kid and we would go to my Grandpa's house for 'mush races.'

Grandpa was amazingly fast at eating mush. Grandma would set up two bowls of Cream of Wheat for Grandpa and whoever was challenging him. It didn't matter what time it was or whether or not he had just eaten, Grandpa was ALWAYS up for a mush race. We'd sit up to our bowls and Grandpa would reach into his wallet and pull out a bill. I'm not talking a $1.oo bill like the one Ethan and I raced for today, no no, he'd pull out the biggest bill he had! I think it was my cousin Shelby who raced for $100.oo!~ Anyway, he obviously was never planning on anyone beating him in a mush race. Occasionally though someone would. Ethan wasn't really into it and I won my dollar back. It was a fun memory today for me though.

So here's my question to all my cousins.... How much was the most you or someone in your family raced Grandpa for? What's the most you won?

7 Months!

Once again another month has gone and my boys are growing up WAY too fast. Ezra is now 7 months!

I love how much they change from month to month this first year. It's been so worth it to take monthly pictures of them all!

He is all over the place now. He was only crawling backwards, but now he'll get up in his stance and heave himself where he wants to go. Then he does it again!
Have I mentioned how in love I am with this boy!?

My Kings~

In Ethan's kindergarten class they had a special day at school called, "King Day." This was a day where all the boys got a crown and they boys got to do everything first! (Queen day was last month!) When Ethan came home from school he wanted all the brothers to be kings for the rest of the day. He was meticulous about cutting and making crowns for them all. Mason ripped his to shreds immediately so he wasn't allowed near the other boys when they had their crowns on.

I couldn't believe how fine Ez was with wearing a paper crown all day! He and Ethan have so much fun together. I am convinced that Ethan is a professional big brother. After the pictures Ethan realized that Ezra's crown was the 'wrong color' so he colored it yellow.

You would think that the interest in being 'kings' would disappear, but they wore them the next day too! They wore them until Mason got a hold of Ezra's crown and ripped it. Ethan took it much harder than Ezra did.

Brothers!

Ethan LOVES to dress Ezra up with his clothes. He likes to teach Ez everything he knows and how to play with all of his favorite things.

A few nights ago I went in to check on them and Ethan had put his snow gloves on Ez to show him how to play in the snow. He needs to be prepared for next winter afterall!