Ezra's Adoption Finalization -- at court!~

I cannot put this off any longer! It has been just shy of 2 months since we took our Ezra to court to have his adoption finalized. What a great day! We were all so excited to take this step after waiting 6 months. It was kind of early in the morning and we woke Ezra up to take him. Sad. He has his tired just woke up puffy face!
Mason was in such a great mood! He was so happy to be at the courthouse. It had echoey hallways that were especially fun. He loves his "yay" and just wanted to hold him while we waited our turn.

Doesn't he look daper!

The whole family waiting in the hall for our time. Our lawyer got there beforehand and went over everything that we would be doing. It was very exciting. None of us had ever been in a courtroom before!

I made Ez a little bear to take. He LOVES the texture of anything knit or crocheted! It always makes you feel good when they love something you make for them.

Getting ready and waiting for the judge to come in was filled with anxiety and excitement for me. I have never actually been in a court room and from the preporation we got with our lawyer prior to going in to court it sounded like it was going to be very formal. We all had butterflies. Ethan was terrified that the judge might change his mind and not let us keep our Ez! It was adorable and hard to watch him be so scared! The lawyer assured him that it would be OK though!

We were sworn in and everything. My parents came with us for support and as our camera crew. I'm so lucky to have them. How else would I have all these great pictures!? They were sitting in the gallery seats and the judge told them to go sit in the jury seats so they could have a better angle for the video and pictures.

Just like our lawyer said, it was very official. Ethan and Mase got bored once they realized that we were going to get to keep Ez!

Ezra perked right up while everyone was talking about him. He talked and played on the table. He was having a great time.

After it was all overwith the judge came around and had his picture taken with all of us. It was really nice of him.

Them we got one with my parents. I felt badly afterwards that we didn't publicize this more so that more of our friends and family could be there. It kind of crept up on us.
Ethan was elated that Ezra got to stay with him. He told me afterwards that he really likes being Ezra's brother.
Leaving the courthouse as an official legal family! We are the luckiest family in the world.

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!?