Going Under the Knife

My little man is having eye surgery tomorrow morning. And it's my fault. Rather, it's my genes' fault.

Those of you who have been around Isaac in the last year and a half or so have probably noticed that his eye increasingly crosses in. We first started noticing it when he was 2.5, and it has been getting worse since then. After seeing three different opthamologists, we're finally convinced that surgery is the best way to go. So tomorrow morning, at 9:30 am, Isaac's eye muscles are going to be readjusted. Please pray for peace for all of us (probably me more than anyone!), skill for the surgeon, and a completely successful operation that would NOT require subsequent surgeries. Unfortunately, this kind of surgery comes with a 20% chance of needing a second surgery...which we would obviously like to avoid.

One day, probably when he's 8, I'll give him all the gory details of how they pull out his eyes, sever the muscles, and reattach them. He'll think it's cool then. For now, he just knows that he's going to the hospital, the doctor will give him some special medicine to help him sleep, and when he wakes up, Mama and Daddy will be right there, and his eyes will be fixed. I told him his eyes might sting later that day, but that I would make him a special treat for dinner. (He is his Daddy's son, and has already chosen pasta :).

I had a similar issue at birth, and had this surgery at 18 months old. Thankfully, I only needed one surgery, but because of it's early onset, I lost my binocular vision (a source of endless wonder and entertainment for some of my friends in youth group days). I'm really glad that Isaac's outlook is a lot brighter, but very aware right now that we are at the mercy of a surgeon's hand and our God's mercy on Isaac.

Thanks for your prayers, everyone. We'll post an update tomorrow.

Lemon Blueberry Bread

I have two very eager helpers in my kitchen. They are both short, clumsy, and a little too inexperienced to function as good sous-chefs, but I'm trying to be a good mom and let them help anyway. Our kitchen, while no longer microscopic, is still a little short on counter space, so it takes a little extra patience to let them haul in chairs and crowd me out of my own space. But it's a good cause, right? I want my kids to help one day, and I want to involve them in the cooking process. But sometimes it just seems like more work than it's worth...

Like on the day I decided to make lemon blueberry bread. I don't make it that often, but Mom made tons of it for my wedding, so it has a lot of good memories attached to it. Plus, it's really yummy. In a moment of brilliance, I figured we 3 could whip up a double batch of blueberry bread before I got dinner on the table. I know all you moms of preschoolers are laughing about now. But everything was going pretty well, until I started squeezing the lemons. After laboriously juicing the too-small lemons I had, I finally had enough. That's when Claire leaned over to grab something Isaac had, Isaac batted her hand away, and ... CRASH! Down went my lemon juice on the floor, into a million pieces went my measuring cup.

But I"m working on being patient, right? And kids are kids, right? So I heroically sweep up the glass, get out the mop, clean the floor, and head to the fridge for another bunch of lemons. Isaac, convinced now that the purchase of a new measuring cup is going to put us in the poorhouse, is too intimidated to cook any longer. But Claire forges on. She is motivated by the reward of licking the beater at the end.

After juicing another batch of lemons, I remind Claire once again, "DON'T TOUCH THE LEMON JUICE." And she tries, really she does. But she lost her balance on the chair, steadied herself on the counter--and wouldn't you know it--the measuring cup. Down goes the juice. Did I mention that I had just mopped the floor earlier that day?

ARGH! But I mop the floor again, look at the clock, which reads, youreallyshouldbeinthemiddleofmakingdinnerrightnow, and get out another 120,00 lemons. This time I don't let go of the measuring cup for even a second, and the juice miraculously makes it's way into the bread. Victory! Except that Claire leans forward, pushes the chair a bit on the slick floor, and faceplants on the tile.

Those are the days where I just have to laugh, because the day is getting too ridiculous to do anything else. And I make sure, when Vance bites into the bread he loves, that he knows how much it cost :).

37 Weeks

I knew I should have gotten Vance to take a few pictures about a month ago, when I was still feeling cute and pregnant. Right now, I mostly feel ready to explode. But that's okay, because I hopefully don't have that much longer...right, Baby?! Do we have a deal?

Even though I feel massive and increasingly like an 85 year old woman trying to heave myself off of furniture without any functioning abdominals, I feel pretty healthy overall. I'm still trying to work out as much as I can, and we're swimming a lot in the pool. We are all very impatient to meet this new little Whitaker, although I am starting to have bouts of intimidation at the thought of the impending craziness. I've felt a bit overwhelmed with the parenting challenges that I already have, so adding another baby on to that can be pretty scary. I'm trying to prepare myself for a rough transition period--but after going from 1 to 2, I do know that it is just that: a period.

I already can't imagine our family without this new little mystery girl, and I can't wait for all the cuddles a few weeks will bring my way!

La Playa

This is Florida, after all, so when we get a chance, we head down for some white sand, blue water, and free fun.

Teaching the kids how to make drip castles was our latest activity. They really got into it!

Summer on the Porch

Although Isaac still insists (on a nearly daily basis) that when he grows up, he will be "a farmer and a daddy", he still has plenty of room in his heart and schedule for construction. He found this foam block in the trash and went to town. It took days to get all those little foam balls out of the lanai, but it was worth it :).

And speaking of finding time, Isaac has plenty to spare. He often wants to go swimming right when I'm getting dinner on. The resulting conversation usually goes something like this:

Isaac: Mama, can we go swimming now?
Me: Honey, I don't have time right now...I'm making dinner. I'm sorry, honey.
Isaac: But I have time! We can go swimming! I have 5 pounds of time!
Claire, these days, is more occupied by serenading anyone in a 2-mile radius with her latest extemporaneous vocal compositions. My shyer child comes completely out of her shell, even around strangers, if she is holding this miraculous device in her hand. It doesn't hurt to wear the "dancing dress" (the ultra-touristy flamenco dress we got her in Spain--a total hit). She's got lungs, that one. And remarkably good pitch for a 2 year old. She may have a future in the performing arts :)

But her fortissimo arias tone down into hushed lullabies when she is putting her babies to bed. She loves her babies these days, and is constantly seen rocking, singing, walking, and comforting them. She sings them her favorite songs ("Jesus Loves Me" and the "Gospel Song"), pats them and says, "Don't cry, sweet-heart" when something scary is going on, and changes lots of diapers. She's also quite the disciplinarian. It looks like she has another future in store for her as well...

I'm Back

No, we didn't move to Timbuktu, or get drowned in all our FL rain, or have a baby, or fall of the face of the earth...

But I did lose my camera card reader--and with it, all motivation to post. However, I finally hauled myself, my larger-than-life baby bump, and 3 kids (one was borrowed, for all you math majors out there) out to Best Buy in the pouring--and I mean POURING--rain to buy a new card reader. So I'll put up a few pictures from our summer, and try to catch up on life before the next baby arrives and chaos descends again :)