I heart my Family!

Below are some of our wonderful family photographs that were taken by an amazing, fun photographer (and new friend): Vilma Deckena! She was such a blessing to us as she captured our boys' personalities! I hope they make you smile as much as they do me...

Peepa!

The boys and I visited Mema and Peepa for lunch yesterday (Monday, December 14th) since we're on our Christmas break. They had a great time (as usual) and when Peepa had to go back to work, the boys were so sad.... That is, until he drove his forklift over for the boys to see! Peepa let them climb up and cruise around the shop for a few minutes. Landen and Graden couldn't stop smiling and laughing! :) Peepa was just as happy! The boys are lucky to have SIX great-grandparents still... So wonderful!

Family Pictures!

http://www.gemphotographybyvilma.com/blog/2009/11/02/hirsch-family-session-2009/

Check out some of our family pictures! :)

Dad's 50th Surprise Birthday Party!

Our 1st Trip To The Dentist!

Today, Landen and I went to his first dentist appointment. He did great! He made Mommy go first and was sure to get real close to my wide open mouth. Landen watched closely as I was a "good patient". Landen and I went last week to watch Aunt Rachael get her teeth cleaned. A few weeks before that, he got to watch Daddy get his teeth cleaned, too. So, Landen had a good idea of what was going to take place. I was nervous though, I must admit. Landen acts "shy" sometimes around new people (especially if he's nervous himself). He did wonderful though! He smiled for a picture that they hung on a bulletin board and was quite pleased to receive a sticker, new toothbrush and his own toothpaste! He even got to help count his teeth (which he guessed he had 5)... he's got 20! :) All in all, it was a successful first visit! :)

Landen is "growing up big"...

Another week has passed, another memory made...
Landen tells me this week that he's "growing up big". I asked how he knew this. His reply (of course, quite seriously): "because my legs are getting longer, Mom." Quickly, I assured him that I agreed ... He was definitely getting taller, thus "growing up bigger". Apparentely, this is on his mind because he's repeated himself about three times this week... letting me know each time, that he's growing up into a "big kid". Little does he know that I've got conflicting feelings about this as his Mommy. Pretty soon, I'll leave "Mommy" and I'll become "Mom"... Ah, I still remember when I was "Momma". I noticed the transition into "Mommy", but not as much as I'm noticing that he's entering the "Mom" phase. Sure, I'm proud of him! I know he WANTS to grow up, but I most certainly do LOVE this age...

As if that wasn't cute enough, Landen's teacher told me this morning that he LOVES his family! First of all, they compliment me all the time at how good of a helper he is... not just that he enjoys it or asks to help, but that he really is GOOD at it. (Cleaning, especially.) After telling me this, she asked me who "Pawpaw's Boy" was... For those of you who haven't heard this term, it's what Landen calls his Grandpa Basham (my dad). My dad fell in love with Landen the second he laid eyes on him and instantly started saying things like, "Oh, there's Pawpaw's Boy"... The name stuck and before we knew it, Landen was calling himself "Pawpaw's Boy". Now, he also calls my dad that in return. :) So, according to the teacher, yesterday they told him that he was just so good at being a helper and then asked him how he learned to be that way. Landen's (again serious) response was, "Well, I guess I'm just a hard-worker like my Pawpaw's Boy." Seriously? Who says that? :)

That was yesterday... This morning (like I said above) they commented on how much he loves his family. They knew his Aunt Kris (Kristal) was picking him up today... I told his teacher and supposedly, Landen informed the ENTIRE rest of the staff. He was concerned that they wouldn't know where he was though when she got there. When they asked why and assured him they knew who he was, he told his teacher his name was also "Squid" (Aunt Kris's nickname for Landen since he first swam with her in Florida as a 6 month old!)... :) So funny! I can't believe that he thought Kris would walk in asking for Squid Hirsch. :)

Finally, (as if the above isn't enough to make your cheeks hurt from smiling so big) they made "granola" for a snack this week. After the teacher told me about dad yesterday and decided this morning that this kid, Landen, clearly adores his family; she felt the need to tell me what Landen said about granola. When the teacher asked (before they even started making the snack) if anyone knew what granola was, Landen raised his hand and said, "Oh, yes, I do!! My Aunt Kelly LOVES granola! She eats them all the time!" :) True. Aunt Kelly loves granola bars.

The reason why I'm sharing these stories (besides that I love talking about my boys) is because I'm honestly amazed at what my four year old remembers and associates. It's so neat, fun, and exciting to watch his "wheels turn" and to hear what he tells other people. (Good thing he's only telling the good stories for now...) It's funny that he associates my dad to a hard-worker, Aunt Kris to her fun names, and Aunt Kelly to granola! All in all, he OBVIOUSLY associates them all with LOVE! :) He's so proud of each of us... He's constantly telling people that his Daddy "plays" football and teaches kids (and that he's going to play golf with him and Tiger someday), that his Uncle B teaches numbers and "plays" baseball, that his Pawpaw (Kevin) works at the mail store, or that Grandma Pam is his best friend. :) He always asks when he gets to go to "Pawpaw's Boy's house to see that silly Gramaw Weesa" and let's me know when he hasn't seen his Aunt Rachael in awhile! Everyday he comes home and asks "his Grado" how his day was and reminds him that "soon you'll be able to come to school with me, bud"... I just love those two!

GRADEN GRADUATES...

Graden had his last visit from the Speech Therapist on Monday... He was re-evaluated and actually graduated from his sessions! We are thrilled with his progress. He is actually a little ahead for his age now (based on an average of common vocabulary in his age group)...

So, not only did he catch up, he excelled! (That's my boy!) It has been an interesting year for Graden. Oh, who am I kidding?? Graden's life has been interesting from the get-go! :) He's overcome so many obstacles that I honestly believe he has no limit! Graden is going to surprise us all in everything he tackles (maybe literally, you football fans) for the rest of his life... I'm just so proud of my now-talking-non-stop little Grado! He's such a joy to have around! xoxo

Landen is off to SCHOOL!

Landen started his preschool this fall. He's so excited about it! He loves his teachers and new friends. As cliche as it sounds, I just can't believe how fast time has gone... it's so hard to see him off to school. They tell me he is doing wonderful! Apparently, he's quite the helper and social butterfly. Of course, I didn't expect any less; but, I am his Mommy. According to Landen, his favorite things about school: the sandbox, the "other Landon" (with an 'O', not an 'E'... he is sure to tell you), painting, counting, and making your own snacks! It's obvious (based on this answer) that his days are fulled with excitement. I'm so proud of my little man. I made him take at least 15 pictures before we even left. Then (of course) I had to take a few before we entered the school. He was such a good sport and was sure to smile for Mommy as much as he could stand... honestly, it wasn't too difficult, because he was so thrilled to go that his smile was quite natural! The only problem the whole day was the sun in his eyes! :) Ah... soon it'll be time for Graden to join him... I just can't believe my babies are growing up into little boys!

My Birthday Weekend!

Landen, Graden, and Phil took me out to dinner to Takaoka for my birthday. Afterwards, we took a walk over to Headwaters Park. It was wonderful! Landen loved running through the fountain. We were dressed nicely, but that didn't stop Mommy from joining him! What a great time we had...

Is it really August?

... Sure is! The month of July was busy for us. Seems we had playdates, vacations, weddings, showers, new baby arrivals, and other various parties the entire month. It's alright, though! Spending time with others is one of our favorite things to do. Things start to slow down now as we start August. It will be a nice adjustment as we ease our way into our new schedule once school starts. Landen is really looking forward to starting preschool while Mommy is at school, too. Graden will be hanging out with Keely (our awesome friend who happens to live next door!) until November when he can start preschool too. Can you believe that BOTH boys will be at a preschool already? They really do grow up fast! Both boys are doing well... Landen's newest medicines seem to keep his breathing under control and Graden is talking more and more every day!

Just wanted to give a quick update... I'll post more soon when we hear about where Phil will be teaching next year. Keep your fingers crossed that he gets "a call". Hope all is well with each of you!

OUR PLAYDATE WITH HAYLEE & BLAKE!

Graden following Blake down the slide.


Graden pushing Blake on Haylee's bike...
Andy & Phil must be proud Papas! :)


Graden pretending he is a dog?
He stuck his tongue out while splashing...
Too funny!


Landen the fish. Haylee was freezing.
Blake watched. Graden laughed.
:) They had a good time!


The best part: SNACK TIME!

Childhood Cancer...

Did you know that childhood cancer is the form of cancer that has the LEAST amount of money given for research? That just doesn't seem right to me... Families of children with childhood cancer usually do their own fundraising for research. Why should they have to worry about that when their child is so sick? Why? And, why don't we hear more about this?

I read that today while reading some updates on a CaringBridge website... I got an update from a little girl we know that has Neuroblastoma (Carley Hoffman - who I've mentioned on this blog before). Read: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/carleyhoffman
We pray daily for Carley and other children who we've never even met who are sick. While reading Carley's page, I linked to one of her friend's pages (Parker) and then read on to another: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kayleerivers

The point of me telling you this is that I came across a beautiful 5 year old little girl (Kaylee) who passed away on July 8th... One year and two days after being diagnosed with cancer. Can you imagine? I sat here at my computer and just let my tears fall for this beautiful little girl who brought so much joy to so many people - including her siblings. What a neat family. What a neat story she had, too! It breaks my heart that God needed her more than her family did. Some things just test my faith... I like answers. I like reasons. I like CONTROL. Will I ever learn that God really does have control over everything... that he has reasons... and that he has the answers? I'm not sure. And, I'm certainly not sure that I could handle the loss of a child by giving my heart to God. Could I trust that God would take care of my boys? I don't want to find out. I regret that I complain about asthma.... "GIVE ME A BREAK, MELISSA!" That's what I thought to myself today. How selfish am I? I read Parker's mom's entry on this caringbridge site today and cried. This mom is right!
(Read: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/parkerstasny/journal and read the entry for July 8th.)
I need to live each day as if it really were my last or the boys' last. How many times do you hear that? I try some days and forget others... I take for granted that even though my boys have been over some bumps, they survive. Every day is not a test for them. There are kids with cancer and I should be thankful that God has spared my boys of something so serious. My heart aches for children who fight EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! Parker's mother says "Thanks for listening and love your children as though there is no tomorrow. Today is a gift, cherish it." Again, she is right!

I'm just angry now that I've gotten my tears out! I don't understand why any child should ever have to go through something so terrible to then pass away... why couldn't she make it through? She fought. She did everything right. I hurt for her. I hurt for her family. I hurt because I don't have an answer.

I will pray for her... this Kaylee, who I never had the pleasure of meeting (several states away). Her story touched my heart and snapped me back into reality. I squeezed my boys as I laid them down for a nap just a few short minutes ago. As I walked towards the computer. I stopped in the hallway (between both bedroom doors) and I got down on my knees and cried. I whispered: Please God place love in the hearts of Kaylee's family. Let them know You will take great care of her. And, please help me to live each day as it is Your gift to me and my family. Please.

Landen

Update on Landen (July 7, 2009):
I try to keep everyone up to date on the boys and their health. This past week was a crazy roller coaster… I ended up taking Landen to the ER last Wednesday afternoon. We got to come home Wednesday night. We saw our pediatrician on Thursday and she (like me) had had enough! With every cough and cold, Landen was getting worse more quickly than the cold before… (We had just gone in for a visit the previous Monday – so three doctor’s visits in one week!) She requested that we go see a wonderful, highly qualified Allergist/Immunologist (Asthma) Doctor. We got in on Monday, July 6th. (How do you like that for fast service?!)

So, it is official: Landen has asthma. We were quite pleased with the outcome of the appointment. Although we never want to hear that something is wrong with Landen’s health, we were expecting it. We are thankful that we will now know how to handle his health issues.

After some testing, some crying, and some waiting (over two hours worth), we found out that he is developing some allergies (mostly seasonal) and that he in fact has asthma. It is severe enough that he now has his very own inhaler (with an aero-chamber and pediatric mask attachment). She says that his asthma is “chronic asthma”. He will have it his entire life. Of course, his asthma may go into a sort of “remission” where we may not see any flare-ups or have any incidents for several years at a time… but it will always be there. This is why Landen will now be “inhaling” every morning before he starts his day and every night before bed. Eventually, it may be maintained with one or the other, but for the next three months we’ll be focusing on the treatment so it’s twice a day. The doctor says the good news about asthma is that unlike diabetes and arthritis which can eventually deteriorate the body in various ways, asthma (if treated properly) can be maintained so that it doesn’t get worse (or cause harm in the bronchial tubes). In fact, when Landen is 95 years old, he could still have sufficient lung capacity and similar functions as that of a healthy person without asthma.

The doctor mentioned that Landen is still young and things in his body are still developing and can change. He will have yearly allergy testing for the next several years (maybe until he’s 7 or so) until we’re certain what he is allergic to… it is important we stay on top of his allergies because knowing that there are things that bother him helps us to avoid those things and keep his asthma (breathing) under control. The doctor calls them “triggers”. There are other triggers as well: humidity, smoke, cold air, dust, seasons changing… basic things that may bother the respiratory system. The doctor made it clear that once his asthma is treated, there will be times when he gets the common cold and he may be able to handle it like a normal, healthy child with no extra steps or medicines (preventative). There may also be times where it attacks his chest (as it does now) and we have to do more steps with the inhaler (or breathing machine). Either way, it’s a relief to know that we can treat him and that we can live with this illness. We’re used to the extra steps. Landen’s been doing his own breathing treatments for years. The doctor was confident in his ability to handle the medicines (as needed) and the use of the daily inhaler. We have moved passed the breathing machine. She was optimistic that by starting him so early (which isn’t normal – usually they’re ‘school age’), he will be better at knowing (and setting) his own limitations. Landen has already displayed the responsible characteristic before having the inhaler… he knows when he needs a break. Sometimes he pushes himself more than Mom would like to see, but he knows his body best. I can’t believe he’s old enough to make some of his own important decisions. I didn’t think I’d have to learn so early to let someone else have control over him… even if it is himself. I’m learning… but, I’m not sure it’ll ever get easier.

So, is it life-altering… sure. But, it’s not necessarily life-threatening. We can live with it. We will live with it. Several people live normal, active lives with asthma. I never thought I’d be happy to have it “official”, but I am. We have a few more steps of course: tests, check-ups, allergies, and so on… but it’s all things that affect what we already know to be there. I finally feel confident that it can only get better from here. Up to this point, I’ve said that the worst part is the up and the down… the not knowing what caused it or what made it worse. I’m thankful for his overall good health and count my blessings that we can move on and treat him properly. I have a great pediatrician who has been so patient with all my calls and questions… I’m thrilled to know that she personally called the new doctor before we came in so that I didn’t have to relive the entire health history/background. What a nice gesture. The new doctor says that she (our current doctor) has done all the right steps (with even some extra along the way) and has maintained Landen for as long as she could… and it’s still even “early” for most patients his age (usually they wait another year or so). That makes me feel good and proud of my doctor and her (our) decisions thus far.

Thank you for your continued prayers and patience. I know I can be a pain… I worry. I stress. I even forget my manners… but I never forget who’s been there for me to listen, give advice, pick up Graden… you name it: I’m grateful. I’ve said this to many people: I always know that Landen’s health could be worse (much worse), but it doesn’t make it easier when you’re actually going through it (it’s been a long road of unknowns). When it’s actually happening, when he’s sick – he’s all I see and think about. I forget then that it could be worse, because when he can’t breathe, I’m not sure that anything else could be worse at that moment! When I’m actually watching him try to catch his breath and he can’t even finish his sentence. It’s tough as a mother to watch him struggle, wondering if I can really perform CPR on my own child if I had too… Wondering if I can remain calm and take care of the situation and do all the right steps and make all the right decisions fast enough… I’m glad to know that I know now what to do. I can fix it on my own first – and fast – or maintain it enough to have time to get him more treatment.

After every hospital visit, I come home and we just sit. I hold Landen for as long as he’ll let me. I give him lots of hugs, love and attention… and before I go to bed that night, I thank God for walking me through it. I try not to question it. It’s not important anyways. What’s important is that we made it back home… and that I got to kiss him goodnight… and that he was comfortable, breathing nice and slow… and that tomorrow brings a new morning full of laughter, smiles, and use of his great imagination!

SPRINKLER PARTY!

June 23, 2009
Sprinklers + Popsicles = FUN in the SUN!
Row 1: Grace Graber, Grant Graber,
Joey Lengacher, and Dylan Graber
Row 2: Savanna Graber, Lucas Hertig,
and Vance Knoblauch
Row 3: Camden Knoblauch,
Graden Hirsch, and Landen Hirsch

TRACTOR!

Daddy stopped by with his tractor
before he went to work...
The boys loved pretending to drive
the tractor!

ONE MONTH LATER...

I've said it a million times... TIME FLIES! Especially with two toddler boys! This past month has been busy. We've had a couple of weddings, some parties, and some schedule changes. Phil is working landscaping (which he loves!) all day, Monday through Saturday, even when it rains. Landen, Graden and I stay home and keep busy. We even mow the yard so that Daddy doesn't have to deal with it when he gets off work late. I watch two boys and one girl... here and there through the summer and will pick back up to full time in August when school gets ready to start. We enjoy it very much. They're great kids. I'm still in school - finishing up my last week of summer sessions. (Thank goodness!) It'll be a nice break before I start back up in the fall. Right now, I'm only enrolled for two classes, but I'm thinking of taking more because I got a large grant to pay for my schooling... such a blessing! I'm so thankful for so many things in my life these days!

Speaking of blessings... I'm going to be an Aunt in January! My little sister, Rachael (who I suppose isn't little, she's almost 24 already!) and Derek are expecting their first baby. I can hardly stand the wait to find out the sex of the baby is... :) Congrats you two! Babies are wonderful... and even though everyone says your lives will never be the same, they won't be... they'll be BETTER. Sure, some days take a lot of work; but one little smile or giggle or hug or "thank you, mommy" makes it all totally worth it!

Landen and Graden are doing great! Both just had back-to-back doctor visits that went WELL! I couldn't believe the relief I felt to have doctor's actually say to me that "things are looking good". Graden recovered fast and wonderfully from the tubes in his ears. They'll stay in for a few more months yet, but his ENT said that his ears weren't even slightly pink. Graden past his hearing test with flying colors. That's a huge step. He's still participating in "speech therapy" once a week, but when we went for his 18 month evaluation they told me he was "up to speed" and right where he needed to be! Ah, words a mother loves to hear! I can understand him so much better than just two short months ago and others have told me the same. Thank goodness!

Landen is getting taller every day. He talks to me like I would talk to an adult... the conversations we have just crack me up! He's into asking questions and telling me how things work. It makes me smile just thinking about it as I type. His second follow-up after having new medicines for over two months went well. So far, we're controlling his allergies and asthma symptoms well enough on our own that we won't have to go to see a specialist just yet. This is good news, because at his age things can still change. Landen has been such a trooper and can take all his medicines on his own - no compliants. That just tells me that he KNOWS they make him feel better! Ah... finally, finally!

Someone recently asked me about Graden's past... I'm not sure why that this time more than normal I had a hard time answering. I started out by simply saying, "he's lucky to be here". There are just those days when I realize that I'm not exaggerating when I say that. When telling other stories, I can make comments like "how horrible" and "it's so sad"... whenever I tell Graden's story, though, I know that I'm not just saying those words: I mean them with my whole heart. It was horrible and I never want to relive it; nor do I ever wish anyone to go through it. It's amazing to me every single day (literally) that he's here and that no one knows how he started if I don't tell them. It really makes my faith stronger for sure!

So, all in all, this past month I've been preoccupied enough that I haven't even posted pictures! Sorry for the slack. I'll get better and work on getting some pictures up in the next few days! The boys have freshly shaved heads, so they're looking pretty handsome!

Enjoy this beautiful sunny weather and some good laughs! :)

Dinner with Papaw & Gramaw Weesa!

FUN WITH PAPAW!

SCORE!

BASKETBALL!

SHOOT!

DINNER WITH PAPAW

AND GRAMAW WEESA!

More doctor visits...

Well, we went to the doctor yesterday for two follow-up appointments... Mostly good news!

Graden: Doc says Grado is growing like a weed! Still a little short, but we can live with that. Of course, he's built like a brickhouse already, so she's curious to see how that changes (and if it doesn't, just how good of an offensive lineman he can be!). Landen too was always on the big side, but his body changed so much about this time (before his 2nd birthday)... even his looks changed. Doc listened to his chest and it was clear! This was GREAT news because we were allowed to go this morning to get his tubes in at the hospital. (Yes, we're already back home!) It went well... ENT Doc says that Graden's ears were more infected than he even thought so a lot of fluid drained out. (This is a good thing.) He also said that he was surprised Graden could hear at all! Poor kid! So, all in all, we're over a big hurdle... Graden will be sensitive to sounds for 5 days or so and we should notice a BIG change in his vocabulary - he should begin learning/hearing all sorts of new tones/sounds... This is VERY exciting for Mommy. We've been working like crazy with a speech therapist and on our own. Graden is picking up new words, but still needs help with certain vowels and such. I can't wait to see how this all changes and watch his progress. He's playing right now as I type - jabbering tons already. Thank goodness! Our regular Doc says that he's "tough"... his coordination and motor skills are excelled (I think he has to make up for the language barrier) and that his personality is just wonderful. (Mommy already knew that!) :) Graden has been watching Landen "potty" and is showing a big interest! I asked Doc what she thought and she said go for it... So, we'll be doing a little potty training early. Graden tells me if he went in his diaper and wants a new one... plus, he's been taking off his pants and sitting on the little potty... Wish me luck!

Landen: Well, we're on a bit of a roller coaster with Landen. For the past month he's been taking Singular every night before bed. Originally, I noticed an improvement for his breathing. He could definitely play longer without getting winded as easily as before. This was great! However, now that the "counts" (pollen and such) are up, we've been having trouble controlling his "allergy" symptoms - which in turn affect his breathing (asthma symptoms). He's been downright miserable by the end of the night. So, instead of just going straight to an allergy/asthma doctor - who will perfom "allergy tests" (which will be painful for Landen) we're going to try some "seasonal" allergy meds. This just means we'll be increasing our daily steps. We'll be doing nasal spray, eye drops, an allergy specific medicine and keep the Singular. The issues lie in that if his allergies flare up, his breathing does too... and we have to keep the breathing under control. So, we've got it mapped out. We do a large combo to start, then will stop one and then eventually another and keep on the allergy specific med or just Singular (which can be used for allergies - not just asthma). Then, once it's been in his system, hopefully we can just maintain his symptoms. The goal is to see if it is in fact "seasonal" - with hopes of it being that - so that we don't have to go to a specialist just yet... hopefully we can maintain it on our own. (And, hopefully he can grow out of these allergies.) We'll still do breathing treatments as needed... but we're on the path for gaining an inhaler (when he comes of age). The poor kid! It's definitely affecting his lifestyle, which as a mother is hard to watch. He's so good about taking breaks. I taught him to feel his chest and heartbeat. He knows if it's hard and/or fast, that it's time for a few minutes of rest... He tells me about how he checks his "heartBEEP" all the time. :)

Landen will be four in September! I can't believe how fast it's gone. Depsite that we've had ups and downs regarding his health, he's been a great kid. Graden followed in his footsteps and even as we approach the "terrible twos" ... NOTHING has been "terrible" about it! How did I ever get so lucky? :) Landen wants to be "independent" and Graden is trying stunts that his big brother does, but overall... they're great kids! :) Ah, I love these boys.

So, all in all, I feel like we're moving in the right direction. Every night before I drift off to sleep, I say a little prayer for my doctor! We are so happy with her (and the ENT)! It's such a wonderful feeling to know that both the boys are in great hands! Both boys are happy as usual... and every day I'm home with them, they teach me something new. Being a mom is fantastic! :)

Love to you all... Enjoy the beautiful weather and long weekend!

LANDEN'S NEW BIKE!

LANDEN GOT A NEW BIKE!


"HI, MOM!"


PAPAW FOLLOWING ALONG...

HE'S A NATURAL!

Mommy's Day!

Our family on Mother's Day! The boys took me out to a nice dinner and then we stopped at a park on the way home to play outside! It was a wonderful day and weekend! Landen kept telling me all day we were "best friends" and "happy mothers day"... I loved it!

Playing on the slide...

Ring the bell, Landen!

CUTE STUFF!

Weeee! Mommy & Grado on the swing!

Our play date with Rae and Rian at Haylee and Blake's!

Izzie's 3rd Birthday Party!