Updates on the Boys

Lyston has been learning the art of comedic timing.  Before I can share this story, I need to present you with a bit of background knowledge for those not familiar with the critically acclaimed show, Wonder Pets.  This is Lyston's favorite cartoon which features animals that rescue other animals--genius I know.  One of the characters is a duck that sings "this...is...serious" everytime an animal is in trouble.  So, we are in the car and Lyston keeps acting up.  I turn around and tell him that the next time he disobeys, he's getting a spanking.  Lyston's response: "This...is...serious."

Some of you may wonder why Lyston is always peeing outside everywhere--birthday parties (most recently his cousins' this past weekend,) in the bushes, next to pools, and the list goes on.  I admit that we do let him pee outside at our house.  We have no neighbors and live on 50 acres of land.  We do tell Lyston not to pee outside at other people's houses, but he tends to forget this.  Today, however, I did something horrific that will only serve to promote this behavior. 
We were in the check-out line at Walmart when Lyston tells me he really needs to go to the bathroom.  I then remember that I had forgotten to have him go before we left home.  Levi is fussing because he's tired of beeing in his seat.  I have a full cart of groceries, and there's people in line behind me.  I tell Lyston to hold it a little longer.  We were already loading groceries at the car when Lyston reminded me that he really had to pee.  I start looking around the parking lot, praying to see someone we know (small town) that can watch Levi, so I can take Lyston to the bathroom.  No such luck.  It's hot.  The ice cream is melting.  Levi is crying.  So I do the unthinkable.  I put the boys in the car, drive to the back of the parking lot where there's grass, and (oh yes I did) let Lyston pee there.  And I wonder why Lyston acts the way he does...

Levi has not really been contributing to the stories I will one day publish about the boys from the sanititarium I will be committed to.  Right now we just get a lot of comments on his size:  "That's a big boy right there!"  "Is he crawling?"  "Look at that fat baby!"
We had his 4 month check-up yesterday, and he's weighing in at 17 lbs. with a height of 25 1/2 in.  Levi is a really great sleeper.  He can roll from back to stomach but not stomach to back (opposite of what most babies do.)  Levi is a terrific baby, and I have high hopes that he will be my calm child!

ER Visit #3

So Thursday, Lyston made his third appearance at the Hondo ER.  Third visit in two years.  The first trip was when he had just turned one and cut his finger on a can lid.  The second was this past August when he ran his eyebrow into a drawer (still has the scar for that one.) This third visit was by far the most serious. 
Matt and Lyston were down at the barn.  Matt had just finished welding a piece of metal, placed it at the back of the table, and told Lyston not to touch it since it was hot.  In the past, Lyston had heeded these warnings (He doesn't listen to anything else we say but has always avoided touching hot things.) I guess the temptation was too great this time. Lyston picked up the piece of metal and burned his hand. 
Matt took him to the ER (I was at home with Levi,) and the doctor determined they were second degree burns.  Lyston saw a hand specialist yesterday who said his hand should be fine (praise God!)  We just need to change the bandages daily for 2 weeks and keep it clean. The challenge will be keeping Lyston out of the dirt (which he loves) and keeping it wrapped (he's already taken it off once when he was suppose to be napping.)
Lyston's reflections on this crisis: "I won't touch metal again.  I will get a gun and shoot the metal that hurt me." 

Levi's Story
In honor of Levi turning 3 months today, I'd like to tell his story.  Many were surprised to learn of his birth since we kept the pregnancy off facebook, so I will now fill in some details.

After waiting 3 months to get Kinley's autopsy results back, we learned that a genetic cause for Kinley's brain malformation wasn't detected.  They couldn't give us a reason why Kinley's brain didn't form normally, but they had no reason to believe it was genetic.  Waiting to get that report back felt endless.  I am not a patient person, and I desperately wanted some closure and hope of future children.  Little did we know that Levi's story would involve a lot more waiting.

We found out Father's Day weekend that we were expecting baby #3.  Elated.  Grateful.  Blessed.  Yet a little fearful.  Would history repeat itself?  Would I carry this baby only to say goodbye to it shortly after it was born? 

Time seemed to stand still as we waited those first 17 weeks for the ultrasound that would look at the baby's anatomy.  It was at this appointment with Kinley that we learned of a problem with her brain, feet, and hands.  I prayed fervently that that wouldn't be the case with this baby. The ultrasound was...NORMAL--my new favorite word.  Feet -normal.  Hands-normal. Brain-normal.  Thank you, God!  Oh, and one other thing--It's a Boy!

We saw a specialist every few weeks due to the past issues with Kinley and because I had delivered her 3 months early.  It was at one of these appointments a couple days later that an ultrasound showed a spot on Levi's heart.  This spot would not affect his heart at all, but it was a possible marker for Downs.  Fear returns.  We did a quad screening which looks for abnormalities that would indicate Downs.  We waited a week and a half for the results, and they came back NORMAL (you can see why this is my favorite word!)  However, our rollercoaster ride wasn't over yet.

A month later another ultrasound showed that one of Levi's kidneys was measuring large.  This was another marker for Downs.  Also, if the kidney continued to measure large, it could mean surgery shortly after his birth. We would have to wait 7 weeks to check the kidney again to know about surgery. But it was still a marker, and we would have to wait until his birth to know if Levi would have Downs.  I'm not going to lie.  At this point, I was really discouraged and really mad.  Could God really be allowing us to go through more?  Hadn't we suffered enough?  After everything we went through with Kinley, I wanted a free pass.  I felt like I had paid my dues.  Why couldn't this pregnancy just be simple, NORMAL? 

God's answer came in the form of my favorite verse John16:33. This has been my favorite verse since 9th grade, but means so much more to me now:  "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In this world, you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world."  This trouble isn't a one time occurance.  It's not like "Oh, I had my trouble, so I'm good to go for the rest of my life."  This may be obvious to you, but it was a new revelation to me.  I'm not entitled to an easy life.  Jesus promised that life's going to be hard, but take heart.  And here's the best part---HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD!  These trials are temmporary, and our home with Him is eternal.  Ok, back to the story.

7 weeks later the ultrasound showed that the kidney looked...wait for it...NORMAL.  Our doctor also felt confident that Levi didn't have DOWNS.  He couldn't promise us that, but he felt pretty sure.  Now to wait for February...

Because Kinley was a c-section, Levi would be too.  My due date was February 22nd, but my dr. would do the c-section a week early on the 15th.  However, due to some unexpected and unexplained bleeding, we went in on February 11th, a few hours before we were suppose to be having one last date night (thanks a lot Levi;)  The doctor said everything looked fine but thought it might be good to go ahead and have the baby since we were already here.  Makes sense to me!  So, Levi Clif Blanks made his arrival Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 7:57 p.m.  And he was...that's right...NORMAL!
PRAISE GOD!!!

It's taken a lot of waiting and a lot of growing up (mostly on my part,) but we will be dedicating Levi at church this Sunday, Mother's Day.  Thank you God!  Our Bible verse for Levi is Luke 5:27b-28---" 'Follow me,' Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed Him."  Go with God, my precious son!

This is my first attempt at blogging.  I appologize in advance.  Some of my facebook posts have been pretty lengthy, so I thought blogging might be the way to go.  First step: blogging.  Second step: best selling novel on the antics of Lyston and Levi (they've got to earn their keep somehow.)

Lyston's thoughts on having a brother: Lyston likes to make it very clear that Levi belongs to us.  He tells people, "That's our baby.  Not yours."  Lyston has moments of interest in Levi but overall, finds him a little dull.  Before Levi was born, Lyston varied in his emotions about having a little brother.  One day he would talk about how he would share his bed with Levi, and the next day he would talk about eating the baby.  My favorite comment from Lyston during my pregnancy: "Mommy, I can get my special knives and cut the baby out for you."  Such a helper!

I hope my boys will grow up to be great friends.