Makenna the Carnivore...and on the Brink of Toddlerhood

Right after Makenna's first two teeth appeared, I blogged that it was a prelude to her life as a carnivore...well, that day has arrived, my meat-loving friends. My friend Amy once blogged about food milestones in her home aren't just about baby foods, but about cool foods like Oreos. Well over here, it's things like ice cream, cookies, hot dogs, and meat in its finer forms: steak, brisket, and smoked sausage. While Makenna has been chowing down for months now on chicken tenders, ham, plain chicken, etc, The Day of the Brisket had yet to arrive. But to our good friends Joel and Tiff, Makenna is a meat-eating machine now. On Memorial Day, she had her first full-force Texas meal: brisket, baked beans, potato salad, butter bread, and we can't forget the peach cobbler! We are thrilled with how well she eats. She eats anything I put in front of her and it is tremendous fun to watch her enjoy food. To add to the toddlerhood tendencies, she had her first real meltdown-tantrum last week when I wasn't giving her what she wanted to eat. She was screaming, throwing food, throwing her sippy cup, you get the idea. Kyle and I looked at each other, not sure what to do! He started laughing and I shrugged and said she was having a tantrum. I think he was amused to see the silliness of a tantrum! Hmmm...And yesterday, my sweet little baby girl took one tiny itsy-bitsy step towards me. She let go of the couch towards me, moved her left foot one little step, and went to her hands and knees. So we're waiting for the next time she does it with two steps!

I've been organizing all of our miniDVs from Kyle's date of birth until now and I've been watching some of Kyle's footage. As I watch Makenna grow, I'm reliving Kyle's babyhood. And as I watch his videos, I see him all over again, like for the first time. It's like my eyes have changed and I see things differently now, better now, like my lens have been cleaned. I forget what he was like because I'm always growing with him. He seems timeless to me at times, like he's always been the way he is now. Watching the videos of him and seeing the similarity with Makenna at this age is just really cool. Today I was watching some of his first steps, and he looked just like she does now. I also came across footage from about 14 months ago when we told him we were having a girl. I was amazed at the little boy in the video--it was a baby Kyle. He could barely put together sentences and had such a tiny little baby voice. His playing was also unsophisticated, babylike play, very sweet and quiet play. I hadn't realized how much he had changed over this last year--it amazed me. It makes me so thankful again that I'm seeing everything now, truly seeing everything, and not just blazing through life, but really living life now.

Hand-Foot-Mouth What? Huh?

Kyle and Makenna are both under quarantine this week. Over the weekend, Makenna ran a fever between 101 and 103 and finally it broke on Sunday, soaking her sheet and her hair--she was a sweaty little monkey. Monday Kyle and I took her in to our pediatrician (way south Austin--about a 50 minute drive) and she was diagnosed with an ear infection. That afternoon, I noticed two big fluid-filled blisters on her left thumb and some small blister spots (looking like ant bites) on her other hand. I also noticed one on her bottom. I knew something else was amiss, so after researching the internet, I was pretty sure she had hand-foot-mouth disease. The next morning, I made another appointment and kept Kyle home from preschool as he wasn't eating and was complaining of a tummy ache. He then was running fever. So that was yesterday and we trekked back into the pedi in south Austin and both were diagnosed with hand-foot-mouth disease since Kyle also had blisters in his mouth, as did Makenna. They also have a few on their feet. Fortunately, yesterday and this morning were the only times Kyle ran fever. This virus is caused by the infection coxsackievirus A16. It's all part of the herpes family (not the STD type obviously or even the one you get on your mouth, the fever blister kind). But it's all the same strand of viruses and spreads very quickly among children. This virus is totally unrelated to hoof and mouth disease that cows get. So no worries there! It is rare for adults to get it. The fever is the first sign and then several days later, blisters appear on you guessed it, the hand, the foot, and the mouth. The kids' blisters are very minor, other than those two big ones on Makenna's hand. They both were eating well today so that is great. The mouth blisters typically cause them to refuse eating/drinking which did happen for a day or so for each. Kyle is still fatigued but otherwise, in good sprits. Yesterday he was very lethargic. So we're at home until the blisters are gone which could be another 5 days. My niece Megan had this two years ago which is why the blisters tipped me off and sent me to the internet. You can learn more about this common virus at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/hfhf.htm. Who knows where Makenna picked it up (everything goes in her mouth, including the stuff at the church nursery or the gym), but it's obvious that they will share their germs and when one is sick, the other is likely to follow. I was glad I kept Kyle home from preschool and went with my gut reaction to his lethargy.The good news is that kids rarely get it a second time. The bad news is they have likely given it to other kids unbeknownst to all of us.
I'm sad he'll miss school this week AND Ella's 3rd birthday party on Saturday, but hopefully, the blisters will be gone by Sunday and we can make it to Sunday School and church and to Uncle Garland's on Monday for a family get together. If your child runs fever between 101-103 consistently for several days and then blisters follow a few days later, this might be what they have.

Alpha is Awesome

If you ever get a chance to take an Alpha course at a church...DO! We just completed our course with our church Point of Grace, and it was totally life-changing. We had our celebration dinner Sunday night and to hear everyone's experience and how their life has changed from this experience was awesome. Sharing how God has healed and restored me to the people there provided so much healing in itself. The course has great content, very deep, insightful, many new things, and amazing ways of explaining the message of the cross. But I don't think it's totally about the content of the "course." The Alpha setting fosters a venue where God has no limits and to quote someone, "God's heart is on display through the people" involved. In other words, the setting we had allowed for total transparency, total authenticity, absolute realness. God's heart is like that--real, transparent, no pretense, no conditions. And his heart's desire is for us to have that with each other. This kind of living out our faith in a way that holds nothing back but is real about struggles and pain and brokeness is what God wants His Church to be. The experience we had gave full reign for God to break down barriers in our lives that keep him "in a box" and keep us from hearing Him speak to us. It gave way for the Holy Spirit to do what He does--transform and draw us deeper into Him. More than anything, this whole small group setting fostered a place for intimate prayer with others, frequent laying-on-of-hands, silent and expressive prayer...it has given me a deeper understanding of the Church as God wants it to be--fully open, NO facades, NO masks, TOTAL GRACE CENTERED in people giving full acceptance to others, no egos, no hidden agendas, no idols in the church...a fellowship that doesn't bring shame to the name of Christianity but brings glory to Him. This journey also really disciples people on how to respond to God and see Him involved in our everyday lives--one of my favorite topics! David and I are overflowing with joy--God has called us to lead a small group now, starting with the people from our Alpha small group...we are amazed at how He is moving us in ministry now--we are so excited! If you are looking for more meaning, more depth, more intimacy with Jesus Christ, look for an Alpha course, even if it's not at the church you normally attend--that's okay! This experience isn't about the walls of our own church bodies, but instead, it's all about connecting with others "outside those walls" (and isn't Jesus' heart aching for a Church with no walls???)--that is one of the greatest blessings we have experienced through this. And there's no pressure. You can go every week and say absolutely nothing. There's no pressure to participate in anything. It's a "course" that meets you were you are in your journey with Christ. There are no expectations or requirements. You're never pressured to share or pray. You can go to http://www.alphana.org/ to learn more! The picture is our small group cheering on our leaders, John and Marci, as they are leaving for seminary.

Dolls Versus Bugs or Both?

I never thought doing a bug collection in the 10th grade or knowing how to rock a pretend baby would come in handy one day...Makenna is drawn to her first baby doll, which Santa brought her. The sweet little rocking chair is an heirloom gift from Aunt Pat, who also sat in that little chair as a little girl. Pat told me it is over forty years old and it's still in great condition! Kyle and I went on a bug expedition a few days ago and you can gander at my homemade little bug hut. We have four little creatures in there who to my surprise were still bouncing around today. Kyle loved looking for bugs and I have to admit, I did too! It's amazing all the things you can see when you get really close to the ground and start inspecting it! We hope to get back out to find a red ladybug which are not hard to find in our yard--maybe tomorrow, provided our yard isn't a total marshland from the crazy storm here tonight. Fun thing with Kyle and Makenna is that Kyle sometimes likes to play with his cabbage patch doll "JJ" or wrap up her doll in a blanket and I'm sure given the chance, Makenna will love watching those bugs too! They get the best of both worlds.

A Happy Mother's Day!

We enjoyed the weekend with time in Walburg with Mima and Granddaddy on Saturday (also were able to meet some of Milton's cousins who live in Wyoming now) and then had lunch with Nana, Paw Paw, Uncle Howie, Aunt Theresa, and Megan on Sunday with some playtime back at our house in the afternoon...with really rich cheesecake that I just HAD to make on Saturday--yeegads! I knew I was out of control last night when I was dipping butter cookies into the cherry pie filling. Every Mommy needs to have indulgences every now and then! Our little guy Kyle was pooped out on the couch while Makenna and I played outside, so that's the reason for no Kyle pics in this set--he was zonked out and David soon followed on the other couch!

"She-Who-Holds-Her-Breath"

If Makenna had a tribal-type name, it'd be "She-Who-Holds-Her-Breath" as she has inherited one of David's traits: crying so hard that she can't breathe. She has not yet passed out but has been on the brink of it. It happened on Saturday for the second time. The first time was a few weeks ago when my friend Rebecca was over with her kids for our weekly playdate. Makenna became so angry and upset when I stood up to get more applesauce that she held her breath. No sound was coming out, just a very intense, red-faced baby. As I was pouring more applesauce, she was still screaming silently with her mouth wide open, no sound. When I got back to her, she started slumping over and her eyes were rolling back. (this all was in the matter of about 15 seconds). She wasn't eating any food at the time so I knew she wasn't choking on food. While I'm grabbing her out of the highchair, Rebecca is telling me that's she's about to pass out because she's crying so hard. Rebeeca also had this same "silent tantrum" trait as a child so she recognized what Makenna was doing! She was finally able to catch her breath and did not pass out. Then it happened again on Saturday! She was standing and then lost her balance, so when she fell over, her crying became near-hysteria and sure enough, I could see she was holding her breath, so I blew air in her face and that seemed to help. Then she stiffened her arms and then relaxed. And cried loudly! When I shared all this with Peggy, David's Mom, she said, "welcome to the club." She said David also would stiffen up before passing out too. Fortunately, Makenna hasn't yet passed out, but I'm sure it will happen at some point. Quite scary to see but now that I know she does this, I'm pretty fast to get to her when I hear the screaming is headed in that direction. Milton, David's Dad, advised using a water bottle and squirting her in the face with a little mist. Apparently, water in David's face worked well! We always thought his water and beach avoidance was due to his fair skin, but now I'm wondering if the squirt-in-the-face-tactic forever altered his relationship with water...

Joy Ridin'

We were so blessed today as we celebrated the Confirmation of Sarah Cook, a youth I ministered to at Bethany. Having seen her grow from a 10 year old to a 16 year old is inspiring to me. It was a total joy to see so many of our youth again and just witness this event. There is one picture of Sarah and me and then the last one is also with Katie Vasicek, a beautiful youth who is dear to my heart. Both these girls' families are special to me. I know we will keep up with each other over the years. You just don't forget people who impact you that much, as they impacted me. And then Kyle and Hope had so much fun at Sarah's party too and as always, it is awesome to see them playing together and loving each other so much. We are so thankful for the Beckers and the joy they have given us. They are truly our brother and sisters in Christ and we feel that every time we're with them. And really there are THREE brothers total as the little twin boys growing inside Amanda belong to Jesus too! Isn't the Body of Christ so cool?

First Baseball Game!

Kyle and Makenna experienced their first baseball game last night at the Dell Diamond, cheering on the Round Rock Express! We went with our friends Tim and Janie and their 3 year old, Ella, who is one of Kyle's best friends in the whole world! Kyle loved it and liked saying "uh oh--he fell down. Oh, he's up! He's okay!" We didn't stay the whole time, but just a few hours, enough for the kids! Next time I'm definitely getting a funnel cake to share with Kyle. Makenna loved all the music and lights and was happy in the baby bjorn. We look forward to more games out there! Fun family entertainment literally just down the street from us!

Kyle's First Day of Preschool

Kyle started preschool today at Creative Kids in Hutto! He was very proud of his Thomas backpack and his McQueen lunch kit. He had no trouble whatsoever with us leaving him either! He was chattering to his teacher Ms. Jen before we even left. He had tremendous fun and when I picked him up, he was in cahoots with Ryan, a little boy his age who we go to church with. Ryan just moved up to the 3 year old class today too so he and Kyle were both "new" to the class--neat for both of them! Ms. Jen also was quite tickled at Kyle's deep assertion that they needed to pray before they ate. It's not a Christian preschool, but as she said, he is alive with the Spirit!(We are trying to figure out how/when we explain that not everyone prays and at the same time, I really don't want to squash any of his zeal to witness right now!) I had a feeling he might try to organize the room for prayer and I won't be surprised to show up one day and find him leading the preschool at a tent revival on the playground! Grin! Funny! When we drove away after I picked him up, he said, "I had fun in there" and well, that was priceless and was a great joy to hear. The last picture is of Kyle when he was almost 5 months old--when I saw the picture of him laughing from this morning, I thought of many other times he's had that wide-mouth laugh and it's so fun to see that he was doing this at such a young age. I hope he has this wide-mouth laugh when he's 90.