I just wanted to quickly report that we are home! Theo was very excited to be home and he wanted to go around and look at everything in the house. Then he took a nice nap in his swing while Travis and I also got to catch up on a little sleep. He is doing very well, but he is relying heavily on his pain meds for pain control. The surgery was a little more involved than we thought it was going to be including fixing one of his hernias. So he will most likely need his pain meds for several days. We are so pleased with how well surgery went and how he is doing so far and so thankful for the prayers of so many. Please continue to pray for Theo to have a speedy recovery and that everything from the surgery holds in place.
It was so good to see Trevor and Theo was very excited to see his Big Brother! Trevor had a wonderful time with his grandparents while we were gone!
I better go check on Theo and Travis! THanks for checking in!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Surgery Update
Theo is sleeping right now in his Daddy's arms resting peacefully with the help of some good old pain medicine. After 3 1/2 hours or so we were finally able to go back to see Theo in the recovery room. They were making plans to discharge us--All too soon Travis and I thought when Theo started having a little trouble keeping his oxygen and heartrate stats stable with the pain meds. So they checked us in for the night to monitor him and so he can receive good pain control. Better get back to holding him. He's doing well! Thanks for your continued prayers.
Surgery is complete!
4:00pm, LeAnn and Travis just went in to be with Theo and would like me to pass along a quick update. Surgery went well. Theo is in recovery and they will update more when can. Thanks for your prayers! LTT&T
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Theo's Surgery is Scheduled for Monday
Well, we had an exciting day on Friday at Children's Mercy. Theo had 3 appointments Friday afternoon. The first was preadmission testing for his upcoming surgery. This appointment lasted for almost an hour and a half because Theo was throwing a huge fit while the nurse was trying to get his measurements and vitals done. Then there were long breaks between seeing each of the people we needed to see. During Theo's crying bouts his rash that canceled the surgery June 24 reappeared. Wouldn't you know this would happen two days before he is supposed to have surgery! The anesthesiologist that we saw Friday said as long as the rash didn't get any worse or cause a fever then the surgery would still be a go as far as he's concerned. They think it could possibly just be stress and/or heat related. I think THeo just wants to avoid surgery.
Then it was on to radiology for an ultrasound since Theo only has one kidney. I waited in the waiting room for them to call us while Travis and Theo waited in the hallway. We always try to avoid the radiology waiting room because it always seems to have at least one person coughing in the room. Theo had a blast giving his new very cheesy smile to everyone who walked by. He was also talking to them about his blocks. Theo of course cried during the entire ultrasound and tried to take the instrument out of the sonographers hand the entire time. He's such a stinker!
Then it was on to the kidney specialist. Luckily, he said since THeo's doing so well he doesn't need to see Theo for 2 years! Wow, one less person on our annual appointment list.
Trevor got to hang out with Aunt Lori during all the appointments. THey went shopping for light-up Spiderman shoes, eat lunch, had ice cream, and watched a movie. THanks so much Aunt Lori! Trevor had a blast! Theo wants to know when it's his turn.
So, onto surgery news. Theo is scheduled to have a minor surgery called an Orcheopexy along with circumcision on Monday, August 10th. We have been working on getting this surgery completed for quite some time now so we are praying that Theo remains healthy so we can get the surgery completed. We are supposed to arrive at Children's at 11:00 on Monday for surgery between 12 and 1 pm. Theo will not be able to have any solids after 2:00 am, but can have liquids like juice and popsicles until 9:00 am. Luckily Theo loves pop ice so I have a feeling we may need to stock up on those!
We are asking for your prayers for Theo and all those involved in the surgery and for a quick recovery with minimal pain involved. This is usually an outpatient procedure, but Theo may need to stay overnight for observation due to his other health issues. Also, please pray for Travis and I to be at peace during the surgery and recovery. It is going to be so hard to leave our baby boy during the surgery, but we know God is ultimately in control so let us rest in His promises! Thank you so much for your prayers! They are so very much appreciated!
I will update everyone on Theo's progress when I get a chance.
Then it was on to radiology for an ultrasound since Theo only has one kidney. I waited in the waiting room for them to call us while Travis and Theo waited in the hallway. We always try to avoid the radiology waiting room because it always seems to have at least one person coughing in the room. Theo had a blast giving his new very cheesy smile to everyone who walked by. He was also talking to them about his blocks. Theo of course cried during the entire ultrasound and tried to take the instrument out of the sonographers hand the entire time. He's such a stinker!
Then it was on to the kidney specialist. Luckily, he said since THeo's doing so well he doesn't need to see Theo for 2 years! Wow, one less person on our annual appointment list.
Trevor got to hang out with Aunt Lori during all the appointments. THey went shopping for light-up Spiderman shoes, eat lunch, had ice cream, and watched a movie. THanks so much Aunt Lori! Trevor had a blast! Theo wants to know when it's his turn.
So, onto surgery news. Theo is scheduled to have a minor surgery called an Orcheopexy along with circumcision on Monday, August 10th. We have been working on getting this surgery completed for quite some time now so we are praying that Theo remains healthy so we can get the surgery completed. We are supposed to arrive at Children's at 11:00 on Monday for surgery between 12 and 1 pm. Theo will not be able to have any solids after 2:00 am, but can have liquids like juice and popsicles until 9:00 am. Luckily Theo loves pop ice so I have a feeling we may need to stock up on those!
We are asking for your prayers for Theo and all those involved in the surgery and for a quick recovery with minimal pain involved. This is usually an outpatient procedure, but Theo may need to stay overnight for observation due to his other health issues. Also, please pray for Travis and I to be at peace during the surgery and recovery. It is going to be so hard to leave our baby boy during the surgery, but we know God is ultimately in control so let us rest in His promises! Thank you so much for your prayers! They are so very much appreciated!
I will update everyone on Theo's progress when I get a chance.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Summer Fun!
I am finally getting to update the blog again because I am in a technology class at Greenbush for renewing my teaching certificate. Some of the people are creating new blogs so I am taking the opportunity to update mine. Wow! I have forgotten what it's like to be in the "Professional World" again instead of the "Mommy World." I have to admit that I already miss my boys, but it's been fun to collaborate with other teachers again.
This summer has been very busy for us all. Travis has been baling hay until the wee hours of the night along with trying to get about a thousand sheets of sheetrock hung in our house. He's on the homestretch now with only about 30 sheets to go--we hope! We have our mudding and texturing date set for July 21st so we are getting closer. I can't wait to start picking out paint colors. That's when the fun part begins!
Talking about paint colors Trevor has had his mind made up that he wants his carpet to be purple, his ceiling to be green, and his walls to be bright blue for about a year now. He has picked out paint samples and his carpet from the carpet store where I just cringe at the bright purple. Now, don't get me wrong Travis and I really like purple, but for carpet that is so permanent. But we haven't been able to convince him to change his mind yet. So, we shall see!
Theo has been feeling much better now for the past week. He had a viral rash and ear infection that kept him from being his usual happy self some of the time. We had our appointment at the spine clinic at Children's Mercy last week. They were very impressed with Theo's progress. Theo didn't like all the Drs near as well as they liked him. He would get very mad anytime they touched him or tried to examine him. Then he would smile and laugh at them as soon as they finished. Silly guy!
As some of you know Theo was scheduled to have surgery June 24th, but that was postponed due to the virus and ear infection. So now we are rescheduled for August 10th. Please pray that Theo stays healthy so that we can get this surgery completed in August.
What else have we been doing besides Drs appointments and house stuff? We usually spend our mornings playing outside under the porch and our afternoons indoors when it gets too hot. We have been visiting the cousins a lot to play with them and have went to the pool several times too. Trevor is liking swimming in the "big pool" much better this year and is getting braver each time. Theo has finally graduated to letting me hold him in the pool instead of just watching everyone from standing out of the pool. He enjoyed playing in the water at the zero entry for a short time. He loves water at home and loves to take a bath, but I think the pool with all the noise and people is a bit overwhelming to him. We're working on it though!
Trevor has been attending the weekly movie day at the church and loving it! He loved attending Bible School in June and is always singing the songs he learned while he's playing.
We had a nice 4th of July going to each grandparents for a cookout. We also went to a parade and fantastic fireworks show. Trevor was so into the fireworks this year. It was so fun watching him! Theo liked watching them during the day, but he slept through the whole show that night. He must have been really tired because there were a lot of loud booms!
We haven't got to go on vacation just yet, but I'm holding out for August or September!
This summer has been very busy for us all. Travis has been baling hay until the wee hours of the night along with trying to get about a thousand sheets of sheetrock hung in our house. He's on the homestretch now with only about 30 sheets to go--we hope! We have our mudding and texturing date set for July 21st so we are getting closer. I can't wait to start picking out paint colors. That's when the fun part begins!
Talking about paint colors Trevor has had his mind made up that he wants his carpet to be purple, his ceiling to be green, and his walls to be bright blue for about a year now. He has picked out paint samples and his carpet from the carpet store where I just cringe at the bright purple. Now, don't get me wrong Travis and I really like purple, but for carpet that is so permanent. But we haven't been able to convince him to change his mind yet. So, we shall see!
Theo has been feeling much better now for the past week. He had a viral rash and ear infection that kept him from being his usual happy self some of the time. We had our appointment at the spine clinic at Children's Mercy last week. They were very impressed with Theo's progress. Theo didn't like all the Drs near as well as they liked him. He would get very mad anytime they touched him or tried to examine him. Then he would smile and laugh at them as soon as they finished. Silly guy!
As some of you know Theo was scheduled to have surgery June 24th, but that was postponed due to the virus and ear infection. So now we are rescheduled for August 10th. Please pray that Theo stays healthy so that we can get this surgery completed in August.
What else have we been doing besides Drs appointments and house stuff? We usually spend our mornings playing outside under the porch and our afternoons indoors when it gets too hot. We have been visiting the cousins a lot to play with them and have went to the pool several times too. Trevor is liking swimming in the "big pool" much better this year and is getting braver each time. Theo has finally graduated to letting me hold him in the pool instead of just watching everyone from standing out of the pool. He enjoyed playing in the water at the zero entry for a short time. He loves water at home and loves to take a bath, but I think the pool with all the noise and people is a bit overwhelming to him. We're working on it though!
Trevor has been attending the weekly movie day at the church and loving it! He loved attending Bible School in June and is always singing the songs he learned while he's playing.
We had a nice 4th of July going to each grandparents for a cookout. We also went to a parade and fantastic fireworks show. Trevor was so into the fireworks this year. It was so fun watching him! Theo liked watching them during the day, but he slept through the whole show that night. He must have been really tired because there were a lot of loud booms!
We haven't got to go on vacation just yet, but I'm holding out for August or September!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
One Tired Momma
It's been so long since I have posted that I'm not sure I remember how. We were without Internet at home for about a month since my husband is a do-it-yourselfer and decided to move our radio and tower for our Internet by himself instead of paying them $75 per hour. The problem was that the new house that my husband is building started blocking our signal last October. But we couldn't move the equipment into our new house that didn't even have a complete roof yet. So my husband decided to move it on his own into a temporary home in a box outside. It sounded like a wonderful idea and even worked really well through rain and snow until we got about 12 inches of rain that flooded our $300 radio. So needless to say instead of paying the $75 per hour we got to replace an expensive radio instead. My husband still isn't convinced though that sometimes you just need to hire the experts. Oh, well we'll just tack it onto the everexpanding house building expenses.
What have we been doing the past month?
Trevor has finished preschool for the summer. We all took a trip to the Topeka Zoo for his class field trip. It was so fun! Theo and Trevor loved looking at the animals and riding the train. Trevor has also discovered a love for garage sales. He takes after me and loves to get bargains. He always looks for the free boxes and has found many treasures in them! If we see a garage sale while driving somewhere he always wants to stop--Who can blame him?
Theo is a definite outside boy! He loves to play under the porch which is what we have been doing most of the day lately. He loves dirt, rocks, and the sandbox. At the end of the day he is usually dirty from head to toe. His newest favorite thing to do is ride around in Trevor's little Jeep. He thinks he is so big and holds on very well with the biggest smile. He likes to run the shifter to make it go fast and then he just laughs. I always walk alongside him just in case so in the fast mode I am jogging beside him. Boy, am I out of shape so this is good exercise for me. Theo has also discovered going down slides lately and loves it! I almost forgot Theo's love for tractors. He got to bale his first hay with daddy a couple of weeks ago and has been hooked ever since. If he sees a tractor, he gets so excited and immediately wants a ride. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to ride that often and gets very mad when he doesn't get his way. Luckily the grandparents both have little riding tractors that he loves!
Well, the reason for the title of the post is because I have had 4 kids all week as we got to watch nephews Henry (6) and Luke (4)for the week while their sister Clara competed in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.. All the boys were great, and Theo and Trevor loved having them here. I am just very tired from all the activity from Son Up til Son Down literally!
On Saturday night we all went to the Drive In to see The Battle at the Smithsonian. Trevor loved the movie and of course stayed awake for the whole thing. Luckily Theo was a good boy and fell asleep after about 30 minutes into the movie.
Travis is super busy haying so the boys miss not getting to see their Daddy as much. We will be glad when it rains again so he can get a little break.
What have we been doing the past month?
Trevor has finished preschool for the summer. We all took a trip to the Topeka Zoo for his class field trip. It was so fun! Theo and Trevor loved looking at the animals and riding the train. Trevor has also discovered a love for garage sales. He takes after me and loves to get bargains. He always looks for the free boxes and has found many treasures in them! If we see a garage sale while driving somewhere he always wants to stop--Who can blame him?
Theo is a definite outside boy! He loves to play under the porch which is what we have been doing most of the day lately. He loves dirt, rocks, and the sandbox. At the end of the day he is usually dirty from head to toe. His newest favorite thing to do is ride around in Trevor's little Jeep. He thinks he is so big and holds on very well with the biggest smile. He likes to run the shifter to make it go fast and then he just laughs. I always walk alongside him just in case so in the fast mode I am jogging beside him. Boy, am I out of shape so this is good exercise for me. Theo has also discovered going down slides lately and loves it! I almost forgot Theo's love for tractors. He got to bale his first hay with daddy a couple of weeks ago and has been hooked ever since. If he sees a tractor, he gets so excited and immediately wants a ride. Unfortunately, he doesn't get to ride that often and gets very mad when he doesn't get his way. Luckily the grandparents both have little riding tractors that he loves!
Well, the reason for the title of the post is because I have had 4 kids all week as we got to watch nephews Henry (6) and Luke (4)for the week while their sister Clara competed in the National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.. All the boys were great, and Theo and Trevor loved having them here. I am just very tired from all the activity from Son Up til Son Down literally!
On Saturday night we all went to the Drive In to see The Battle at the Smithsonian. Trevor loved the movie and of course stayed awake for the whole thing. Luckily Theo was a good boy and fell asleep after about 30 minutes into the movie.
Travis is super busy haying so the boys miss not getting to see their Daddy as much. We will be glad when it rains again so he can get a little break.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Just Can't Seem to Keep Up
First, Trevor and Theo would like to wish their Daddy a "Happy Birthday!"
Happy Birthday, Travis! We Love You! You are the best husband and Daddy!
Love,
Trevor, Theo, and LeAnn
I can't believe it has almost been a month since I have posted. It seems that time just goes faster the older I get!
The past month has been kind of rough as Trevor and Theo each had a virus that lasted one week each. They had fevers off and on along with a cough and cold. The scariest part was when Theo's fever spiked to 104 of course in the middle of the night on the weekend. Thankfully it went down quickly with Ibuprofen. He's also getting those nasty eye teeth so that didn't help matters any. I took Theo to the Dr. Monday just to check everything out since his fever got so high and everything looked fine except for a little fluid in his ears. He hasn't run a temp. since Sunday morning, and is doing much better for the most part. Now if we could just get those silly teeth in!
Just when I thought we were all better, Trevor threw up during the middle of the night on Wednesday. He only threw up once and seemed to be back to himself full of energy on Thursday morning. We are just praying that Theo, Travis, and I miss out on this bug.
Trevor's 4th Birthday was on Monday, April 6th. We had his party with Church side on Sunday afternoon. Trevor had a lot of fun! He helped me decorate his cake which was a longneck dinosaur. When it was time to put the candles on his cake, he only wanted to put on 3 candles. He said, "but I'm not 4 yet." So we blew out the candles with 3 on the cake first and then he blew them out again with 4 candles. He's so particular. Hmmmm I wonder who he gets that from? We are celebrating with my side the Nelsons this Sunday. Trevor and cousin Luke will be celebrating their
4th Birthdays together with a party at our house. Luke's Birthday is April 20th.I'll post some pictures after all the parties are over.
Lately Theo has been into everything. He army crawls around everywhere very quickly. He has also been enjoying driving his little tractors around. He likes to turn their little steering wheels. It's so cute! He loves to be outside so much that I can't say the word or he gets upset. We are hoping for nice weather soon so we can be outside more.
Trevor has been really into Spiderman and all the characters. Our big accomplishment was getting all of the characters from McDonalds. Let me tell you that wasn't easy! I had to go in and beg for the last one we needed, and they went in the back and got it for me. Travis and I were getting pretty sick of eating Happy Meals.
Other exciting events this month have been our niece Clara Wicoff, winning the state spelling bee. Now she gets to go on to the National Bee in Washington D.C. towards the end of May. Congrats Clara! Way to Go! You deserve it!
We also got to attend the Prom Grand March for our niece Leah and nephew Ryan. They looked so cute all dressed up!
Travis has been working hard on our house when he gets a chance. He's in the process of wiring it right now. We went to Home Depot this week to pick out some light fixtures so that was fun, at least for awhile! I am starting to feel the stress of all the decisions that go along with building a house.
We are looking forward to Easter and celebrating our risen Lord! We have a Church Easter Party Saturday morning. Then on Sunday, we will try to go to sunrise services (depending on what time we can get Trevor to bed), the breakfast, and then church. Then we will have lunch at Travis's parents and Trevor's Birthday party in the afternoon. After that, we will all be ready for a long nap!
We pray that everyone will have a wonderful Easter!
Happy Birthday, Travis! We Love You! You are the best husband and Daddy!
Love,
Trevor, Theo, and LeAnn
I can't believe it has almost been a month since I have posted. It seems that time just goes faster the older I get!
The past month has been kind of rough as Trevor and Theo each had a virus that lasted one week each. They had fevers off and on along with a cough and cold. The scariest part was when Theo's fever spiked to 104 of course in the middle of the night on the weekend. Thankfully it went down quickly with Ibuprofen. He's also getting those nasty eye teeth so that didn't help matters any. I took Theo to the Dr. Monday just to check everything out since his fever got so high and everything looked fine except for a little fluid in his ears. He hasn't run a temp. since Sunday morning, and is doing much better for the most part. Now if we could just get those silly teeth in!
Just when I thought we were all better, Trevor threw up during the middle of the night on Wednesday. He only threw up once and seemed to be back to himself full of energy on Thursday morning. We are just praying that Theo, Travis, and I miss out on this bug.
Trevor's 4th Birthday was on Monday, April 6th. We had his party with Church side on Sunday afternoon. Trevor had a lot of fun! He helped me decorate his cake which was a longneck dinosaur. When it was time to put the candles on his cake, he only wanted to put on 3 candles. He said, "but I'm not 4 yet." So we blew out the candles with 3 on the cake first and then he blew them out again with 4 candles. He's so particular. Hmmmm I wonder who he gets that from? We are celebrating with my side the Nelsons this Sunday. Trevor and cousin Luke will be celebrating their
4th Birthdays together with a party at our house. Luke's Birthday is April 20th.I'll post some pictures after all the parties are over.
Lately Theo has been into everything. He army crawls around everywhere very quickly. He has also been enjoying driving his little tractors around. He likes to turn their little steering wheels. It's so cute! He loves to be outside so much that I can't say the word or he gets upset. We are hoping for nice weather soon so we can be outside more.
Trevor has been really into Spiderman and all the characters. Our big accomplishment was getting all of the characters from McDonalds. Let me tell you that wasn't easy! I had to go in and beg for the last one we needed, and they went in the back and got it for me. Travis and I were getting pretty sick of eating Happy Meals.
Other exciting events this month have been our niece Clara Wicoff, winning the state spelling bee. Now she gets to go on to the National Bee in Washington D.C. towards the end of May. Congrats Clara! Way to Go! You deserve it!
We also got to attend the Prom Grand March for our niece Leah and nephew Ryan. They looked so cute all dressed up!
Travis has been working hard on our house when he gets a chance. He's in the process of wiring it right now. We went to Home Depot this week to pick out some light fixtures so that was fun, at least for awhile! I am starting to feel the stress of all the decisions that go along with building a house.
We are looking forward to Easter and celebrating our risen Lord! We have a Church Easter Party Saturday morning. Then on Sunday, we will try to go to sunrise services (depending on what time we can get Trevor to bed), the breakfast, and then church. Then we will have lunch at Travis's parents and Trevor's Birthday party in the afternoon. After that, we will all be ready for a long nap!
We pray that everyone will have a wonderful Easter!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Welcome Alston Ernst Nelson
Trevor and Theo are very excited to have a new cousin! Rick and Jalayne had their baby on March 12th at 1:42 pm. Alston weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 19 inches long. He is such a cutey, and we can't wait to meet him! Trevor thinks his name is T Rexy. Congrats Rick and Jalayne!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Theo's First Haircut
Sorry our blog is getting out of order these days. Our Internet has had an annoying antivirus pop up all week so I haven't been able to post these pics. Theo had his first haircut on Saturday, Feb. 21st. Travis had been wanting to cut it for awhile, but I just wasn't ready. Aunt Lori said the mullet had to go before Theo's Birthday. When Theo couldn't see because his hair was covering his eyes, I finally gave in.
You can see how wild his hair was in the before pictures. Theo was such a good boy getting his hair cut. Thanks Amber- You did great!
So, you think it's time for my first haircut?
Before-Eating Some Lunch
I love the spike!
Starting to cut my hair-This isn't too bad! I'm not too sure about this cape covering up my hands though.
I lost the cape already, but I'm still all smiles!
Hooray, we're all done with my haircut. Now maybe I won't be called a girl anymore!
You can see how wild his hair was in the before pictures. Theo was such a good boy getting his hair cut. Thanks Amber- You did great!
So, you think it's time for my first haircut?
Before-Eating Some LunchI love the spike!
Starting to cut my hair-This isn't too bad! I'm not too sure about this cape covering up my hands though.
I lost the cape already, but I'm still all smiles!
Hooray, we're all done with my haircut. Now maybe I won't be called a girl anymore!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Theo's Birthday
On Friday, Theo's Birthday, we just hung out around home and played. Trevor and I sang to Theo and took pictures at the moment (11:10 am) Theo turned one so that was fun! Travis had to drive 3 hours away to look at a tractor so he wasn't home until later in the afternoon. That evening we decorated the Birthday cake and got ready for the big party the next day.
Travis and I decided to have a little friendly competition with Theo's birthday cake bears. We each decorated one and then had our families vote on their favorite by giving them 2 M&Ms to place their votes. It was an honest tie 19-19. I would have to say that I could have won though because Luke ate one of the M&Ms in Travis's bowl, but I put it back in the votes. Also, Travis was trying to influence the voters at the end. Travis is really much more artistic than me though! It was fun!
We had Theo's party on Saturday at lunch at Iola Pizza Hut since our house is way too small for both of our families at once. Hopefully next year we will be able to have his party in our new house.
The party started off with a bang, well actually a crash. The girl at Pizza Hut had stacked all the plates and the 2 liters of pop on the same end of the table. When Travis went to move a chair (that was obviously supporting the table) the table tipped over and all the plates started falling one by one and crashing into one another. Amazingly only about 5 plates broke out of about 25. Luckily no kids were over by it and no one got hurt. It was pretty exciting though!
Theo got to eat some of his baby food and crust from the pizza. He was taken in by all of the excitement and people though and didn't eat too much. When it was time for Theo to eat his cake we just sat him right on the table with it. I think he was puzzled as to why we were wanting him to just dig right in and eat with his hands and especially sweet stuff. He was a little shy so we had to help him out. He did seem to enjoy the chocolate frosting!
Then it was time for gifts. Since we have lots of young little boy nephews and big brother Trevor, Theo had a lot of help with his gifts. He seemed to like looking into the packages and was quite impressed by the paper and bags. Of course, he enjoyed his presents too.
Then it was time for Trevor to steal some of the attention from little brother. Trevor dressed up as "Monkey Man." He came up with the outfit all on his own on Friday. Saturday morning he dressed himself in this outfit, and he was ready to go to Theo's party. We had to bargain with him that he could dress up during the party. You can see a picture of his getup in the Smilebox below.
I am amazed that Theo made it until the end of the party before he got worn out and tired. Way to go Theo!
Then Theo got to take a little nap and it was off to his first ever basketball game. Crest was playing in the Regional Championships and won! Theo made it through 3 quarters and then we had to go walk around. Too much excitement for one day!
It was a wonderful first birthday for our lil' guy. He's such a blessing!
Travis and I decided to have a little friendly competition with Theo's birthday cake bears. We each decorated one and then had our families vote on their favorite by giving them 2 M&Ms to place their votes. It was an honest tie 19-19. I would have to say that I could have won though because Luke ate one of the M&Ms in Travis's bowl, but I put it back in the votes. Also, Travis was trying to influence the voters at the end. Travis is really much more artistic than me though! It was fun!
We had Theo's party on Saturday at lunch at Iola Pizza Hut since our house is way too small for both of our families at once. Hopefully next year we will be able to have his party in our new house.
The party started off with a bang, well actually a crash. The girl at Pizza Hut had stacked all the plates and the 2 liters of pop on the same end of the table. When Travis went to move a chair (that was obviously supporting the table) the table tipped over and all the plates started falling one by one and crashing into one another. Amazingly only about 5 plates broke out of about 25. Luckily no kids were over by it and no one got hurt. It was pretty exciting though!
Theo got to eat some of his baby food and crust from the pizza. He was taken in by all of the excitement and people though and didn't eat too much. When it was time for Theo to eat his cake we just sat him right on the table with it. I think he was puzzled as to why we were wanting him to just dig right in and eat with his hands and especially sweet stuff. He was a little shy so we had to help him out. He did seem to enjoy the chocolate frosting!
Then it was time for gifts. Since we have lots of young little boy nephews and big brother Trevor, Theo had a lot of help with his gifts. He seemed to like looking into the packages and was quite impressed by the paper and bags. Of course, he enjoyed his presents too.
Then it was time for Trevor to steal some of the attention from little brother. Trevor dressed up as "Monkey Man." He came up with the outfit all on his own on Friday. Saturday morning he dressed himself in this outfit, and he was ready to go to Theo's party. We had to bargain with him that he could dress up during the party. You can see a picture of his getup in the Smilebox below.
I am amazed that Theo made it until the end of the party before he got worn out and tired. Way to go Theo!
Then Theo got to take a little nap and it was off to his first ever basketball game. Crest was playing in the Regional Championships and won! Theo made it through 3 quarters and then we had to go walk around. Too much excitement for one day!
It was a wonderful first birthday for our lil' guy. He's such a blessing!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Where has all the time gone?
Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. It has been crazy around here. I now not only have to fight for computer time with Trevor, but now with Theo too. He loves the laptop and gets really mad if I'm typing and don't let him type too. But the last time I let him "type on the computer" I got in trouble with Travis because somehow Theo shut down the whole thing and disabled the mouse. Of course Daddy had to fix it because I don't have a clue how to fix anything. Thank Goodness for a very handy husband. In order to type this blog, I am letting Theo play with my 10-key calculator. He's loving it and already has it figured out. I'm thinking about getting him a "baby laptop" for his birthday so maybe that will help too. If anyone knows of a good one, please let me know.
January was a great month for us. We were all healthy the whole month. It was wonderful-- No extra Drs visits for colds! Then on February 1st I woke up with a bad sinus headache, drainage, and runny nose. Unfortunately Trevor got it the next dayand Theo the day after that. Trevor was fine 2 days later (and was never very sick), but Theo and I still seem to be hanging onto it. I just get a headache every afternoon, but I am feeling much better than when I first got it. Theo is much better too. He mainly coughs some in the morning, and then he does pretty well the rest of the day. He is usually still his happy, cheery self. Yesterday Travis started getting a headache. Please pray that we can get rid of this stuff for good.
Trevor's newest obsession is Spiderman and all the characters that go along with it. He has also been enjoying being outside with his Dad helping him build our house. He's also been helping with the farm chores. Last night he started crying when he got back from doing chores because he wanted to bring his #45 cow and calf home to live in our fence by our house. It was so sad! We usually have cattle by our house but not right now. Hopefully we can get some back soon. Trevor has become quite the flirt lately and has been winking at the girls!
Theo now has 5 teeth. He loves to use them too! He is doing really well pulling himself around on the floor using his arms. He gets himself wherever he wants to go now especially if he's after paper or the remote. He has also learned how to throw a fit and to shake his head no if he doesn't want something. He absolutely loves to be outside. If we go downstairs near the front door he starts making noise and gets his excited hands going. He then starts fussing if we don't go outside. We just went outside for awhile to enjoy the wonderful 70 degree weather, and when we came back in he was so mad. Even if it's cold and windy, he still wants to be outside. Lately he has had the cutest expressions and is becoming very vocal!
The house has been coming along pretty well lately. I know Travis doesn't get to work on it as much as he would like, but that's to be expected I guess. He and his dad have been working lately on putting up siding. It's looking really nice. I'll have to post a picture when they get the siding all on.
I'm loving this weather, but I know it's February and we live in Kansas so I know it's all about to end soon. In fact I think they may be calling for some snow tomorrow. I also started leading our church Bible study on the book of Romans. It's great to be able to use some of my teaching skills again and gain a better understanding of the Bible.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
LeAnn
January was a great month for us. We were all healthy the whole month. It was wonderful-- No extra Drs visits for colds! Then on February 1st I woke up with a bad sinus headache, drainage, and runny nose. Unfortunately Trevor got it the next dayand Theo the day after that. Trevor was fine 2 days later (and was never very sick), but Theo and I still seem to be hanging onto it. I just get a headache every afternoon, but I am feeling much better than when I first got it. Theo is much better too. He mainly coughs some in the morning, and then he does pretty well the rest of the day. He is usually still his happy, cheery self. Yesterday Travis started getting a headache. Please pray that we can get rid of this stuff for good.
Trevor's newest obsession is Spiderman and all the characters that go along with it. He has also been enjoying being outside with his Dad helping him build our house. He's also been helping with the farm chores. Last night he started crying when he got back from doing chores because he wanted to bring his #45 cow and calf home to live in our fence by our house. It was so sad! We usually have cattle by our house but not right now. Hopefully we can get some back soon. Trevor has become quite the flirt lately and has been winking at the girls!
Theo now has 5 teeth. He loves to use them too! He is doing really well pulling himself around on the floor using his arms. He gets himself wherever he wants to go now especially if he's after paper or the remote. He has also learned how to throw a fit and to shake his head no if he doesn't want something. He absolutely loves to be outside. If we go downstairs near the front door he starts making noise and gets his excited hands going. He then starts fussing if we don't go outside. We just went outside for awhile to enjoy the wonderful 70 degree weather, and when we came back in he was so mad. Even if it's cold and windy, he still wants to be outside. Lately he has had the cutest expressions and is becoming very vocal!
The house has been coming along pretty well lately. I know Travis doesn't get to work on it as much as he would like, but that's to be expected I guess. He and his dad have been working lately on putting up siding. It's looking really nice. I'll have to post a picture when they get the siding all on.
I'm loving this weather, but I know it's February and we live in Kansas so I know it's all about to end soon. In fact I think they may be calling for some snow tomorrow. I also started leading our church Bible study on the book of Romans. It's great to be able to use some of my teaching skills again and gain a better understanding of the Bible.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
LeAnn
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Our Week
I am happy to report that we had a pretty uneventful week in the Church household, and that we all felt much better this week. It was great to not have to go to any Dr's appointments. Theo had his OT session with Liz on Wednesday. He has therapy every two weeks at our house. He really seems to enjoy his "play time" with Liz and to getting to show off his new tricks. Theo is getting much better at drinking from a sippy cup and enjoys eating graham crackers and other finger foods. He loves to feed himself.
Trevor had preschool as usual on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Thursday was silly hat day at preschool. All morning I kept trying to get Trevor to pick out a hat to wear, and he wouldn't choose one. As we were getting ready to walk out the door he said, "I just want to wear a plain hat because Dinosaur Boy Kid" doesn't wear a silly hat. So he ended up wearing his green John Deere hat. For those of you that don't know Trevor's name is now Dinosaur Boy Kid. He came up with it after he watched Shark Boy Lava Girl. Theo's name (from Trevor) is now Dinosaur Boy Baby. He gets very upset if people don't call him and Theo by the right names.
Over the weekend we went out to eat with some friends, went to play with the Wicoff cousins, visited with both sets of grandparents, and even took a trip to Lamar, MO to visit my great aunt and cousins. So much for a restful weekend.
We're hoping for nice weather this week so Travis can get some work done on our house again. He's almost finished with the roof, and it's looking great. Next up is house wrap, windows and doors, and then siding! I hope you all have a nice week!
Trevor had preschool as usual on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. Thursday was silly hat day at preschool. All morning I kept trying to get Trevor to pick out a hat to wear, and he wouldn't choose one. As we were getting ready to walk out the door he said, "I just want to wear a plain hat because Dinosaur Boy Kid" doesn't wear a silly hat. So he ended up wearing his green John Deere hat. For those of you that don't know Trevor's name is now Dinosaur Boy Kid. He came up with it after he watched Shark Boy Lava Girl. Theo's name (from Trevor) is now Dinosaur Boy Baby. He gets very upset if people don't call him and Theo by the right names.
Over the weekend we went out to eat with some friends, went to play with the Wicoff cousins, visited with both sets of grandparents, and even took a trip to Lamar, MO to visit my great aunt and cousins. So much for a restful weekend.
We're hoping for nice weather this week so Travis can get some work done on our house again. He's almost finished with the roof, and it's looking great. Next up is house wrap, windows and doors, and then siding! I hope you all have a nice week!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Theo's Back!!
Theo didn't feel very well the last two weeks of December. It started off with the stomach flu and then a sinus infection and cold. He wasn't super sick, but he just wasn't his usual happy self. We hardly saw any smiles and there were no silly head shakes. He didn't even want to play with his toys for long. Finally on Tuesday, December 30th he started acting like normal. That night, he started shaking his head around, eating solid foods again, drinking juice, doing his spins on the floor, smiling, and laughing. We were so excited to see all of these things that we hadn't seen much of the past two weeks.
He is still hanging onto his cold and cough, but he is so much better. Please pray that Theo can get rid of this stuff for good.
Yesterday we had our biannual appointment at Children's Mercy in the Spinal Defects Clinic. It was a long day as we were there for four hours. Theo was very happy at first, and he was really showing off his skills. But as the morning wore on, he wasn't so happy anymore. He got bored with showing off I guess. Everyone was very excited with how well Theo is doing! The only not-so-good news we received was that we may have to do some sort of procedure to expand Theo's rib cage on his left side in the future because it may not develop properly since he only has a lung on the right side. So we are being referred on to a different orthopedic surgeon at Children's who has experience with this. We are thankful to have such a wonderful hospital only 2 hours away.
He is still hanging onto his cold and cough, but he is so much better. Please pray that Theo can get rid of this stuff for good.
Yesterday we had our biannual appointment at Children's Mercy in the Spinal Defects Clinic. It was a long day as we were there for four hours. Theo was very happy at first, and he was really showing off his skills. But as the morning wore on, he wasn't so happy anymore. He got bored with showing off I guess. Everyone was very excited with how well Theo is doing! The only not-so-good news we received was that we may have to do some sort of procedure to expand Theo's rib cage on his left side in the future because it may not develop properly since he only has a lung on the right side. So we are being referred on to a different orthopedic surgeon at Children's who has experience with this. We are thankful to have such a wonderful hospital only 2 hours away.
A Merry Christmas
Sorry I haven't gotten to this post sooner. Our Internet access has been spotty lately. Although all of us except for Travis were a bit under the weather, we still had a great Christmas and felt so blessed to be able to spend it with our families. Trevor and Theo had sinus infections. We took them to the Dr. on Tuesday before Christmas, and got them on an antibiotic. I got a tooth pulled the Monday before Christmas, and then I experienced the absolute worst toothache on Christmas Eve morning. I was lucky enough to get to experience a dry socket for the next 2 weeks. Not fun, but the packs that I had put in every few days helped tremendously. Can you believe that after I got the pack out on Friday (Jan. 2) for the dry socket that I had a filling fall out on Monday (Jan. 5) night? So back to the dentist I went on Tuesday for a temporary filling. I told the dentist I'm ready for dentures, but he didn't think so. Let's just say, we hope that Trevor and Theo don't inherit my teeth!
Anyway, enough about my teeth and back to Christmas!
I am in charge of our Church Christmas Eve Program at Church so luckily I was feeling well enough to do that with the help of Travis, my great husband. We were excited for Theo and Trevor to make their debuts in the Christmas program. Theo was not feeling like himself though. He was a lamb in "The Friendly Beasts" song. He did go up on the stage for a short time, but let's just say he didn't enjoy himself. Trevor had a cute little part to say in the program along with 4 other preschoolers. He said his part so well into the microphone "I would be a little light shining bright always." Then he gave the cutest smirk like see what I can do! The program went well and we survived.
Then it was off to Nana Lou's and Papa Richard's house for Christmas. We were excited to be celebrating Theo's First Christmas. Theo livened up and enjoyed himself! He really liked playing with the curly ribbon and his pop up toy! Trevor was so into opening gifts this year, and reacted excitedly about each gift. He got to help Theo open his presents.
Then we set out the cookies and Sprite for Santa under the tree, and it was time for bed. The next morning we woke up to see what Santa had brought and to open presents at our house. Theo loved all his noisy toys, and Trevor loved all of his dinosaur stuff. Later Christmas Day we went to Iola to celebrate with the Nelson family. Trevor really has the gift thing figured out now. He bought me an Imaginext Fire Breathing Dragon for everyone to "share."
I hope that all of you had a memorable Christmas!
Anyway, enough about my teeth and back to Christmas!
I am in charge of our Church Christmas Eve Program at Church so luckily I was feeling well enough to do that with the help of Travis, my great husband. We were excited for Theo and Trevor to make their debuts in the Christmas program. Theo was not feeling like himself though. He was a lamb in "The Friendly Beasts" song. He did go up on the stage for a short time, but let's just say he didn't enjoy himself. Trevor had a cute little part to say in the program along with 4 other preschoolers. He said his part so well into the microphone "I would be a little light shining bright always." Then he gave the cutest smirk like see what I can do! The program went well and we survived.
Then it was off to Nana Lou's and Papa Richard's house for Christmas. We were excited to be celebrating Theo's First Christmas. Theo livened up and enjoyed himself! He really liked playing with the curly ribbon and his pop up toy! Trevor was so into opening gifts this year, and reacted excitedly about each gift. He got to help Theo open his presents.
Then we set out the cookies and Sprite for Santa under the tree, and it was time for bed. The next morning we woke up to see what Santa had brought and to open presents at our house. Theo loved all his noisy toys, and Trevor loved all of his dinosaur stuff. Later Christmas Day we went to Iola to celebrate with the Nelson family. Trevor really has the gift thing figured out now. He bought me an Imaginext Fire Breathing Dragon for everyone to "share."
I hope that all of you had a memorable Christmas!
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Our Christmas Letter
Dear friends and family,
Merry Christmas from Travis, LeAnn, Trevor, and Theo! We hope this letter finds you in good health and good spirits as we celebrate this most special time of year the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
2008 has been an eventful year for our family. Our highlight of the year was on February 27th with the birth of our beautiful baby boy Theophilus Lee. After spending 13 days in the ICN (Intensive Care Nursery) at Children’s Mercy Hospital, we were overjoyed to bring him home. We are pleased to say that Theo is doing amazingly well thanks to the prayers of so many. Trevor, who is now 3, is a wonderful big brother and is our little entertainer. He was excited to start preschool this fall and has met many new friends there.
Since I miss giving my students tests, I have decided to have a little quiz with our Christmas letter so you can see how well you‘ve kept up with the Church family this year. Don’t worry, there won’t be any grades given for this one. It’s purely for fun! Good luck!
1. What big project did Travis decide to take on in September?
A. Restoring the 53 Chevy C. Building our house
B. Building a swing set D. Getting Trevor to bed by 9:00
2. What is the name of Trevor’s imaginary friend?
A. Max C. Spike the Dinosaur
B. Diego D. Friend Owl
3. Which of the following are true about Theo?
A. His nickname is Booga.
B. He loves sleeping in his own bed all night long.
C. He once spun around on the floor 7 ¾ times in a row!
D. He has a smile that can light up any room!
4. What has LeAnn enjoyed the most about being at home this year?
A. No papers to grade C. Getting to devote her time to being a mom
B. No state assessments D. No recess duty in the freezing cold
5. What life lessons have we learned this year?
A. Life is precious!
B. Always count your blessings!
C. Believe in miracles and the power of prayer.
D. Put your faith and trust in the Lord and He will carry you.
*Now it’s your chance to see how you did. Look at the next page for the answers.
1. Although Travis would probably rather be restoring the 53 Chevy, and I know he’d love to have Trevor to bed by 9:00, the correct answer is C- building our house. After our family grew again, the “shophouse” is feeling just a little too cozy. Travis, with the help of his dad, is doing a great job with the house. We only wish the weather would cooperate more. I am just amazed at all that goes into building a house. Thank goodness Travis knows what he’s doing because I sure don’t. This will be our major project of 2009. Travis also stays busy with the day to day activities of the farm and is a wonderful Dad.
2. Even though Trevor has been obsessed with dinosaurs for the last 9 months, the name of his imaginary friend is Friend Owl. I think it may have something to do with Trevor being a night owl himself. Trevor has developed quite the imagination this year. In fact you never know what to call him or Theo because he is constantly changing their names to things like Max, Ace, Tarzan, Rudolph, and Blitzen. He loves to play games on the computer. In fact he is helping me type this letter right now. He is really looking forward to Christmas this year!
3. Although we wished Theo loved sleeping in his own bed all night long, this one is not true, but the other 3 are. He has earned the nickname Booga by Travis and I because he often has a stuffy nose, and we just both started calling him that. On Thanksgiving Day, Theo was so excited as everyone cheered him on while he did his spin 7 ¾ times in a row! Theo adores his big brother and loves watching him act crazily. He also enjoys playing on the floor with his tractor and musical toys. Lately he has been enjoying his singing snowman and dogs. Unfortunately his favorite thing to eat is paper, but pears are a close second. He amazes us daily!
4. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a full time mommy after Theo was born although it definitely has it’s challenges. I do miss the teachers and students at GEC, but I don’t miss grading papers, state assessments, or recess duty in the cold so the correct answer is C. It has also been nice to be able to be at home to help with the house decisions. I enjoyed being in a women’s Bible study at Church called “The Frazzled Female”, but I am still working on that one!
5. We have learned many life lessons this year and have met many amazing people through our journey so the correct answer is all of the choices. We feel truly blessed by the amount of support we have received from our family and friends. We have learned what it means to walk by faith.
We hope you enjoyed learning a little more about the Church family happenings in 2008. We pray that you have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2009!
Love,
The Church Family
Merry Christmas from Travis, LeAnn, Trevor, and Theo! We hope this letter finds you in good health and good spirits as we celebrate this most special time of year the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
2008 has been an eventful year for our family. Our highlight of the year was on February 27th with the birth of our beautiful baby boy Theophilus Lee. After spending 13 days in the ICN (Intensive Care Nursery) at Children’s Mercy Hospital, we were overjoyed to bring him home. We are pleased to say that Theo is doing amazingly well thanks to the prayers of so many. Trevor, who is now 3, is a wonderful big brother and is our little entertainer. He was excited to start preschool this fall and has met many new friends there.
Since I miss giving my students tests, I have decided to have a little quiz with our Christmas letter so you can see how well you‘ve kept up with the Church family this year. Don’t worry, there won’t be any grades given for this one. It’s purely for fun! Good luck!
1. What big project did Travis decide to take on in September?
A. Restoring the 53 Chevy C. Building our house
B. Building a swing set D. Getting Trevor to bed by 9:00
2. What is the name of Trevor’s imaginary friend?
A. Max C. Spike the Dinosaur
B. Diego D. Friend Owl
3. Which of the following are true about Theo?
A. His nickname is Booga.
B. He loves sleeping in his own bed all night long.
C. He once spun around on the floor 7 ¾ times in a row!
D. He has a smile that can light up any room!
4. What has LeAnn enjoyed the most about being at home this year?
A. No papers to grade C. Getting to devote her time to being a mom
B. No state assessments D. No recess duty in the freezing cold
5. What life lessons have we learned this year?
A. Life is precious!
B. Always count your blessings!
C. Believe in miracles and the power of prayer.
D. Put your faith and trust in the Lord and He will carry you.
*Now it’s your chance to see how you did. Look at the next page for the answers.
1. Although Travis would probably rather be restoring the 53 Chevy, and I know he’d love to have Trevor to bed by 9:00, the correct answer is C- building our house. After our family grew again, the “shophouse” is feeling just a little too cozy. Travis, with the help of his dad, is doing a great job with the house. We only wish the weather would cooperate more. I am just amazed at all that goes into building a house. Thank goodness Travis knows what he’s doing because I sure don’t. This will be our major project of 2009. Travis also stays busy with the day to day activities of the farm and is a wonderful Dad.
2. Even though Trevor has been obsessed with dinosaurs for the last 9 months, the name of his imaginary friend is Friend Owl. I think it may have something to do with Trevor being a night owl himself. Trevor has developed quite the imagination this year. In fact you never know what to call him or Theo because he is constantly changing their names to things like Max, Ace, Tarzan, Rudolph, and Blitzen. He loves to play games on the computer. In fact he is helping me type this letter right now. He is really looking forward to Christmas this year!
3. Although we wished Theo loved sleeping in his own bed all night long, this one is not true, but the other 3 are. He has earned the nickname Booga by Travis and I because he often has a stuffy nose, and we just both started calling him that. On Thanksgiving Day, Theo was so excited as everyone cheered him on while he did his spin 7 ¾ times in a row! Theo adores his big brother and loves watching him act crazily. He also enjoys playing on the floor with his tractor and musical toys. Lately he has been enjoying his singing snowman and dogs. Unfortunately his favorite thing to eat is paper, but pears are a close second. He amazes us daily!
4. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a full time mommy after Theo was born although it definitely has it’s challenges. I do miss the teachers and students at GEC, but I don’t miss grading papers, state assessments, or recess duty in the cold so the correct answer is C. It has also been nice to be able to be at home to help with the house decisions. I enjoyed being in a women’s Bible study at Church called “The Frazzled Female”, but I am still working on that one!
5. We have learned many life lessons this year and have met many amazing people through our journey so the correct answer is all of the choices. We feel truly blessed by the amount of support we have received from our family and friends. We have learned what it means to walk by faith.
We hope you enjoyed learning a little more about the Church family happenings in 2008. We pray that you have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed 2009!
Love,
The Church Family
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