Vianney's 3rd Birthday

Vianney,

The phrase "Apple of my Eye" applies directly to you. We call you the "Super Kid." YOU are 1,000% PURE joy! I know I say that a lot, but YOU REALLY ARE. Your sweet disposition, easy going ways, lisp, hair, big blueberry eyes, facial expressions, love of food, appreciation of anyone who makes you food, gentleness, and happiness are just a few ways that our whole family especially your parents enjoy every minute of you.

We have found ourselves letting you stay up late with us because you are just enjoyable. You sit next to us on the couch reading your books, bothering nobody, just happy to be alive.

Our nightly saint coloring page and listening to the Saint of the Day is something you will not let us forget. In fact, you slightly panic and repeat it over and over until we listen to the Saint of the Day.


Your speech has exploded since your surgery and you say things daily that make me laugh audibly and call your father at work to leave a voice mail so he can hear what you say.

Last week while doing your hair, you said "Papa's the John. Your the Lindsay Boevers, and Tato's the Poe (Clairvaux.)

I found you today with your dresser cracked a bit with your camera in the crack. You were pretending to take pictures so I asked what you were doing to which you responded:

"I am taking a picture of my Dora's." (underwear drawer) Serious though.



You were precious on your birthday and were literally shaking opening your gifts. Those times are the times I just sit motionless watching you. I could have wrapped up a box of rocks and you would have been grateful. Of course, your siblings were pawing at you to open your gifts. You really were shaking while opening each gift and would exclaim very loudly what each one was.








In your own words, you received for your birthday the following:

1. Dora Peace-Brush (Dora toothbrush).
2. Dora Unnies (Dora Underwear).
3. Cash Rader (Cash Register).

The scanning mechanism beeped so you were beeping everything in our house until 11:00 at night. We let you stay up with us that night and you sat next to me on the couch beeping. You would bring a pile of books and beep them all over and over.

For about a week after your birthday, you told everybody what you received. My mother sent a car that had a little girl on the front that looked similar to you. You opened the card, ditched the money and clung tightly to the card that "looksths like me."

You always bring something to the restroom with you to pass the time, but this was too cute. I found you coloring with your legs crossed.


What I'll remember about your age right now is how you always look forward to breakfast, how you tell me you stayed dry every morning, how I could read a library to you every day and you won't flinch, how you love body lotion, how you are always thirsty, how you love yogurt and granola, how you sing from your soul "Lord, I Lift your name on High", how you practice your memory work at night in your bed although you can't read the cards, how you refer to the ring of memory work cards as "Boston, Massachusetts", how you know all the history cards and asked Papa today what "Allies" were, how a squirt bottle and a rag will occupy you outside for a ridiculous amount of hours, you will never know the delight we get in you watching you walk around our cul-de-sac (always singing), but in your very own little world, how you are still sleeping in our room in your own bed, but how neither of us can bring ourselves to move you out and in with the big kids because watching you read your books in the morning is one of our favorite morning pasttimes, your facial expressions are too numerous to remember but mostly you respond to everything with one of the two phrases "No biggie" or "Whoops a daisies."

We are a nickname family. It is actually quite ridiculous because most of our nicknames don't make sense and aren't even words. Your nicknames right now are Holdren, Holdy, Super Kid, Hulge, John or Johnny. Clairvaux calls you Nonny.

My view every night while preparing dinner unless I send you to look for Papa at the window. Both your little heads stand watching me every night.



You are a parent's delight. Thank you for blessing our lives with your wonderfulness. Thank you for being a sweetheart.

Bottom

I was cleaning the bunk bed room the other day with my backside facing the door.
Vianney walked in and said in her lispy, smokers voice,
"MOM! You have a big bottom!"
She then promptly walked out. Darn.
I resisted the urge to say something immature back like "Well, at least I can style my hair (see above picture.) Truth hurts.
So, I simply said "Thank You."

Vianney on the PT

I've been waiting to potty train Vianney until after her surgery. I tried a couple months ago, but she nor I was ready to do the job.


I am so glad we waited. John had the weekend off so we decided to go for it. She caught on right away. We are on day #4 and she has been dry all day and during naps. She also does the big job which is a big deal. She had one accident with the big job and I showed it to her and that was enough to convince her the rest of her life. She was absolutely appalled.


She is our fifth child to potty train within the first day or two so I do feel confident we got the method down in most regards. What advice can I pass on to you?
I guess it probably depends upon your temperament as a mother. I would rather wait until we can teach them in a couple days instead of battling it for months. I always wait until John is home for a couple days so that at least one of us can be dedicated at all times the first few days to taking and teaching her.


The first few days I set the timer for 15 minutes and sit her on the toilet regardless. I give them lots of fluids so they "have" to go and can't hold it. We have our potty treats sitting right by the toilet to motivate.


Once we feel she has the method down and starts telling us on her own, I stop setting the timer. As for the big job, that has always been a little trickier because we laugh that "they own that part of their life." We watch her like a hawk and can tell when it is pending. The first few times is traumatic because they are use to standing instead of sitting down. I gave her books to read and she finally went. Each day gets better and better.


I still put a pull-up on at night, but will work on that next after we have this down. It usually involves just taking them once before we go to bed if they are having trouble staying dry.


I am always grateful when potty training goes smoothly. My mother tells horror stories of potty training. She hated it so I am so grateful God has blessed me with this road so far.




We always laugh seeing their little buns in underwear the first time.

Vianney's surgery

For months, Vianney has snored like Darth Vadar. Her sleep was disrupted by the two mountains lodged in the back of her throat. When I looked back in her throat, I would see NO room for air. Her tonsils were completely touching. We had also recently noticed her hearing not being as sharp only to find that both ears were filled with fluid so no vibrations were detected. h
John and I were commenting that is probably why she is so easy going because she can't hear anything. She is such a sweet child.
I took her in to see the ENT and he said both sides were a 4+ and needed to come out. He also concluded that the fluid behind her ears needed to drain in order for her to hear and for speech development. Dr. Ferris is a father of several children and has been practicing for many years so we trusted his kind judgement. He did admit she was young, but was sure it would only help her.
We were fully confident in the surgery until about two weeks before and I noticed her snoring had gone away and her speech was improving daily. John was confident that we should proceed and knowing my emotional self, I knew I must trust his sound decision making. He recommended tonsils, adenoids, and tubes in the ears.
By that morning, for some reason my nerves were just shaken. I couldn't stop holding her and kissing her. Some days, I wish I could just get a grip. It made me sad when they carried her away down the hall and to watch her sweet face looking over their shoulders at me.

Before surgery: So sweet and completely unaware of what was going on.

We prayed the rosary together while waiting and made a list of our intentions to offer up the struggles for during her recovery.
I commented to John how I will always hold parents with chronicly sick children at the highest level. What a special, special cross God has asked of them. Their reward in heaven will be great.

I was expecting her to be mad, angry, confused coming out of surgery, but it was just the opposite. She never really cried or complained. She ate french fries, yogurt, pudding, grape popsicles, and drank right away. We couldn't believe it. I just kept thanking God over and over that she handled everything so well.

They monitored her for about six hours and we were home that night. The nurses never had to give her any more pain medication after surgery besides Tylenol. Today, I only gave her three doses of Tylenol because she said she was doing fine.
Her night was rough,but after about 4:30 she feel into a deep sleep between John and I and woke up happy and hungry. She played off and on today, took a great nap, drank great, and never complained except for the cold ear drops.

The nurse was so amazed that she didn't cry when the I.V. was taken out.


Personally, I think she did so well because she got to pick her choice of movie without any sibling intervention. We watched Dora, Dinosaur Train, and George all afternoon. She even enjoyed watching the Iowa Caucuses when we would slip those in "looking for George."


Thank you for the gift of this child, skilled surgeons, a kind friend who handled her anaesthesia, medicine, hospitals, my mother and sister who helped with our other children, and in great thanksgiving for her recovery.

It really is the simple things in life that are most important.

Thank you for your prayers

I just wanted to write a quick note of thanksgiving for your prayers. We brought Vianney home this evening around 6:30. We couldn't believe how well she did in recovery at the hospital. Little Sweetheart. I can tell her real pain is starting to settle in. God teaches you so many lessons even through a child having their tonsils taken out. We woke her up at 6:15 this morning and her darling face was so precious, full of smiles and she trustingly took my hand as we headed out the door. She was smiling at my mother.

"Where we goin' mama?" She was so happy to be with John and I and so trusting.
I learned that we must have that same relationship with Christ. We must grab His hand like she did ours TRUSTING. Even though we were about to cause her lots of pain, ultimately WE ARE TRYING TO HELP HER. That is how He works with us. I felt that heart hurt pain that you get when watching your sweet child.

She didn't even question us or try to resist. She just rode so sweetly to the hospital in her pajamas and holding her blanket so excited to be going somewhere.

At times like these, I am so grateful that I know suffer can be used for a greater glory. We can offer everything as a gift to Him. It makes everything all better and can actually turn it into a joyful situation because we know we are consoling His heart.

Thank you again!

If you don't mind, could you say a little prayer

Early Tuesday morning, we take Vianney to have her tonsils and adenoids out and tubes put in her ears. I know I am ridiculously over emotional, but if you would say a little prayer for her I would be most appreciative.



What breaks my heart is that she is so very sweet and I know she is going to be in pain. She just lives a happy little, easy going life and I know the pain will be hard for a while. She never causes anybody grief or rarely ever unhappy. She has no idea what is about to hit her. We have lots of fun food planned and whatever movies she wants but still.

Of course, I'm having all sorts of ridiculous last minute doubts like "she really doesn't need it" and "can't we wait just a while longer to see if her issues clear up on their own." If I didn't trust our doctor so much, I would take her and run very far away from the hospital. I am praying it is a quick procedure and she handles the anesthesia just fine.



Oh, the heartache to love a child. Thank goodness for John. I D.O. N.O.T like making these decisions. Thank you for your prayers for our sweet girl.

Now isn't that Sweet?

I glance down the hall to see this lovely view! I thought, "Oh, how sweet. John is reading to Rose. Then I thought, "Why is John reading to Rose in the hallway?"

So, I walk a little closer and realize Zellie is there too. I continue to ponder "How sweet! He is reading to Rose and Zellie in the hallway. Why is he reading to Rose and Zellie at the end of the hallway?"

I now walk in front to see two little joeys tucked in the pouch enjoying the book also. Look at that little marsupial!



She says "Dis!" (this) to everything or "Babies!" Over and over and over. The little spark likes to read though and will sit still forever. Our favorite book though is "Water Babies." The end is always thrilling when we say "Water babies love the deep blue sea."

A little bit of Vianney by my side

Vianney's just that kind of kid that is fun to look at and upon further hearing inspection of her voice, she's just fun to listen to.




Her soft, white blond curls are any mother's dream. She is just an easy kid to have around. Not that she never loses her cool, but she's easy to calm down. She just flows with our go.




I overheard her talking to Clairvaux the other day. The conversation went as follows after Clairvaux dumped her bowl of food onto the ground.


Vianney (in a firm tone):
"Cware, don't drop bowl over side, UNNER-TAN ME?"

She then realized her approach was a bit firm, so she very quietly repeated herself and got very close to Clair's face.

"Cware, don't drop bowl over side, unner-tan me?"



We decided to take her to see an ENT doctor because she snores like Darth Vader and is a mouth breather which is an indication of enlarged tonsils/adenoids/etc., etc. Sure enough, she was a "4+" on both her little punching bags, but they want to wait to take them out until she is older because of certain risks. I find that if I keep dairy products away from her she seems to do a bit better. So for now, she won't be much fun to have as your hide-and-seek partner because she is a heavy breather and will give you away every time. Just listen for the breathing.



I love you just the same.

There's nothing like a Dollar Tree Birthday

I celebrated my 34th year of life in July in fine fashion. If you've not experienced a Dollar Tree Birthday, well you are missing out on all the good things in life. I've requested this now for a couple years and every year proves to be better than the last. The only strict instruction I give John is that he takes pictures and remembers the things they say.
I was greeted at the door and ordered to put on my party hat.

Lillie always organizes the banner making.


It is fun to me because they can pick from the whole store what they think "I" would like best.

Here is the run down the gift selection (not in order by favorite):

From Dominic:
Dom selected this angel bell. We pray the Angelus at noon and he thought this should replace our school bell. Perfect.




From Lillie:
She went through terrible distress trying to figure out what to give me reported the male parent. Lillie knows my heart so she couldn't figure out whether she should satisfy my sweet tooth or buy me something elegant.


Lillie got me lilies.
Two packs of M&Ms and Vanilla Wafers.


From Rose:
Rose is a simpleton. She is precise and decisive and always proud of her selection.
Good ole Aunt Rose.




From Zellie:
Zellie won the "Please let me take you to the Dollar Tree everyday" award. I guess she was unstoppable in the cute antics department. John said she was dropping lines left and right. I think she was shaking when I opened her gift due to proudness. She KNEW I had been wanting a watch so what better gift than a princess watch which I might add has a flip top (take that!!) and matching purple necklace and beads.








This was her first selection...ROPE which she thought was yarn. If only.


From Vianney:
A party hat. She was just glad to be there.



From Clairvaux:
Ole' Johnny he is a character. He had Clair's little note wrapped up and in her hand.







My dear Kristi took me to our favorite spot, The Oven. You are good to me.

I am spoiled. It was a wonderful day. Since I take them out to breakfast on their birthday, they each wanted to take me out individually on my birthday for breakfast. Oh my.