Surgery

Sorry, no pictures for now. I am just writing this to let everyone who is following along know that Mason-Kate's first palate surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday, May 13 at 11am. If you have a moment and are interested, take a look at the site www.bringingmeihome.blogspot.com This little girl just had her surgery a week or so ago and the site provides some pretty detailed pictures of what our little MK will endure come Tuesday. UGH! We know that the surgery is needed and is for her benefit but the thought of her being in pain is heartbreaking. The procedure will take anywhere from 3-4 hours. 15 minutes of that will include putting in her ear tubes. She will then have to spend at least one night in the hospital but it is very possible that she will spend more time there (i have followed along on three cleft surgery blogs and 2 out of the 3 girls had to spend 2 nights in the hospital). After her surgery, she will have to wear "no-no's" for up to six weeks..."no-no's" are arm restraints that will prevent her from putting things into her mouth and damaging the repair. She will also have to eat a soft food/liquid diet for several weeks following surgery. So, please say an extra little prayer for miss priss!
**during the pre-op call yesterday with the nurse she was explaining that MK would be given some "calming meds" upon arrival at the hospital....i jokingly asked if the parents would get those as well....i mean, really, this is going to be tough on all of the above emotionally!
***and I will post pictures with an update by Monday....we are having a great week with a lot of excitement....plus, MK will be baptized on Sunday....very special.

Out With The Old, In With The New

The highlights of the week....

• Happy birthday to Pryce! What a wonderful little boy we have! He was so excited to have "his" time....he partied with his friends at Monkey Joes, sat in the Monkey Joe throne, had a popsicle party with friends on the school playground, Gran came over so that mommy could spend time with him at school, he indulged in birthday cake for breakfast (a family tradition here), he went to the beach with one of his favorite friends for the weekend, toured Charleston, SC, swam in the ocean, swam in the pool, and topped it all off with a cookout at G-Mom and G-Dad's house. We had such a good time with our little man! We are so thankful for Pryce and the joy he brings us everyday! My favorite gift suggestion he had this year was when he asked for "credit cards". He simply stated that he wanted some so that it would be easier for him to spend money on the toys he wanted to purchase. I finally figured out that he was referring to "gift cards".


• The boys are always quick to include Mason-Kate when they are playing. This week they chose for her to be a truck driver in their fleet of many 18 wheelers. She was the "Pop Tarts" truck driver and I am told that she is the only female driver they have allowed to join their company. Later in the week, I went in to check on everyone and found MK playing in the toy kitchen. The boys explained that she had "quit" the truck driving business. They offered her a job in the kitchen as their personal chef and she willingly accepted.


• Colin was chosen by his teachers to be a part of his school's Academic Bowl. As part of the Academic Bowl, the students had to sit behind tables with buzzers and they were asked many questions pertaining to the Olympic games. Colin proudly answered several questions and his team was honored to receive the Silver medal in this event.


• Ryan and I (mostly me) are slowly learning "never to say never"....we made the decision during our car ride home from China that our beloved 4Runner was not the car for our family of 5. Much to the boys dismay, we (again, mostly me) have always said "NO" to purchasing a minivan. Well, on Friday we purchased a minivan....and we LOVE it! It just makes sense to have it....you all must know that growing up I always said, among other things, that I wanted a husband and a large family. The obstacle that I never thought about during my dreams was how in the world I was going to transport my large family....


• Mason-Kate visited the beach for the very first time. We spent the weekend at Seabrook Island. MK wasn't all that impressed by the beach itself. However, she quickly decided that the pool was a fun thing to be a part of. Yes, this is the baby girl who screamed to the point of not breathing during her bathtime for the first month that we had her....less than two months later, she is testing the limits on just how wet she can get in the pool....and I must add that the water was COLD! She giggled and splashed and even put her face in. This is a very good thing!

We hope that all is well with those who continue to follow our blog. We continue to appreciate everyone's prayers for our family! The support that we have received has been more than we could ever have imagined! For that, we are grateful. Until next week.....

Happy 6th Birthday, Pryce!!; Our three cannonballs

The pineapple fountain in Charleston; Pryce and good friend Matthew

Standing....but not yet walking; Looking pretty in the flowers

Hating the beach........Loving the pool



Colin's silver metal; MK in her bunny towel