August birthdays

August is a big celebration month in the Healy house, with Ryan and Brendan both celebrating birthdays. This year, we also had a family party planned for Grandpa Healy, who turned 70 the day after Ryan turned 6.

Ryan, who started first grade last week, has matured much in the past few months. I see it mostly in his handsome face. I also see it in the way he stands up to his brother more often.

Brendan, now in fourth grade, is getting taller and enjoys engaging us in "adult" conversations. (He'll greet Ken after work, asking, "So Dad, how was your day at work today?") His maturity is showing, too, as he eagerly takes on more responsibility around the house. His favorite this summer has been mowing the yard occasionally.

So, Ryan at 6:

• He stands tall and remains skinny. You can see his muscles quite well, courtesy of swimming.


• He has not lost a tooth yet, but his two front bottom teeth are in. Hopefully, he'll lose his stubborn baby teeth soon.


• His favorite foods: pizza, hot dogs, BBQ, watermelon, strawberries, bananas, peanut butter sandwiches, ice cream, carrots. He tends to be a tad picky right now. I'm hoping he'll grow out of this phase soon.


• Ryan loves sports. Right now, he's swimming and playing soccer. When he's at home, he's acting out football games with his toys. Future play-by-play broadcaster, perhaps?


• Ryan is a motivated, determined little guy.


• Ryan also has a big heart. He is particularly sweet and sensitive with his little sister.


• He loves Star Wars, is getting into Legos, enjoys Pirates of the Carribean, but remains loyal to his cars.


• Ryan is collecting Pokemon and football cards.


• Ryan is fiercely competitive. I know this will serve him well in many situations, but on family game night, it can be a bit much.


• Ryan competed in his first triathlon a few days before his birthday. He was a bit nervous, but loved it.


• Ryan is beginning to read more and more. I expect first grade will be a BIG year for him!

Brendan at 9:

• He's tall -- 48.5 inches -- and weighs 72 pounds.


• He's grown to love his long, curly hair, but still hates it when I brush it.


• Brendan enjoyed swimming year-round this past year and playing soccer. He'll keep swimming, but he's going to give baseball a try this fall.


• Brendan is also a sports guy and enjoys watching any games on TV with us.


• Brendan is an avid reader. This summer, he re-read the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series, just for fun. He continues to amaze me with the details he can recall from these stories, his comprehension, and his appetite for wanting to read more.


• He continues to love his Legos. His latest challenge: choose a Lego creation from his Lego Star Wars or Lego Harry Potter books, and attempt to build it on his own.


• He was an all A student in his first year to receive grades (in third grade).


• Brendan still misses Michigan. Yesterday, he said, "I'm still not fully settled in."


• Brendan would eat pizza every day if he could. He loves it, along with his newfound love for cheeseburgers. He also loves peaches, nectarines, strawberries, pears, cinnamon rolls, ice cream, brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and tacos made like Grammy's.

I could go on and on, but these are some of the highlights of my sweet boys.

Kelsey is 4

My sweet baby girl is 4. She shared her birthday with Easter on Sunday. Kelsey had a small party with some of her preschool friends last Saturday, and this Saturday we celebrated with our family. What a special day to have the entire Wade clan together!


So, Miss Kelsey at 4 ...

• She is girlie. She loves pink and purple, ruffles and dresses, sparkles and glitter, crowns and wands.


• She is tough. Kelsey doesn't hesitate to fight back when one of her big brothers picks on her.


• Kelsey literally bounces wherever she goes. Rarely does she just walk, but rather skip, jump or run.


• Kelsey loves to do crafts and color. She is just beginning to take more care with her pictures and color within the lines.


• She's eager to begin playing soccer or swimming on the swim team, just like her big brothers.


• Kelsey is taking gymnastics, and she loves it. No surprise, she bounces through the entire lesson.


• She is confident.


• Kelsey takes her "purple gankie" just about everywhere we'll let her take it. And you can tell by its tattered state.


• She is best friends with her big brother, Ryan. They play endless hours together, and she often looks to him for help.


• When Kelsey is being difficult, it's often her big brother Brendan who saves the day. He can reason with and calm her.


• Kelsey loves dogs. So much so, that when I tell her we're going to lunch with Grammy and Papa, she immediately wonders aloud whether their two daschunds will be with them.


• She is in a wonderful preschool class, where she is learning to write Ks, Ms and other letters, to identify patterns, colors and shapes, and recognize opposites. She loves it!


• Picky? No. Sweet tooth? Yes. Kelsey will eat many more foods than either of her brothers, but she is also more likely to eat sweets all day long if we let her. Lunch is typically her biggest meal, as she will eat anything on the table (my plate included).


• She is sweet and lovable! Kelsey loves to snuggle with me and showers me with hugs and kisses.


• You never need a radio in the car with Kelsey. She will sing her original songs without commercial interruptions.

Moving forward

I don't suppose there's any point in trying to catch up. It's been more than a year since I updated this blog. Blame Facebook, hubby being gone for five months, selling the house, buying a house and moving back "home." At least, those are excuses for 2010.

Now it's time to move forward.

In two days, my baby turns 4. I've never had a four year old who didn't come with a baby sibling. We're entering unchartered territory for the Healy family.

I can feel the days getting a little easier as the children grow up. Some days, Brendan needs nudging to get his homework done or brush his teeth, but he'll do it and help his sister along the way. Ryan may have his occasional five-year-old meltdown and refuse my request, but most days he's helpful and happy to anticipate what I need. Kelsey is bubbly and sweet and will fight back if you let her, but she is also eager to dress herself, brush her own teeth, and even help herself to as many fruit snacks as she can find in the pantry.

In short, I no longer have to do everything.

And yet, there is still so much that must be done. Freelance work, laundry, cleaning, playing with the kids, helping with homework, reviewing assignments, paying the bills, doing taxes, shopping, cleaning out drawers and closets, finding a favorite toy or blankie, making snacks for class parties, volunteering at the kids' schools, taking Kelsey to preschool and gymnastics, taking the boys to swim practices, soccer practices and soccer games.

Thankfully, it's this never-ending list that has made jumping into a normal routine in our new city much easier. When we moved to Michigan eight years ago, I had a newborn. There wasn't much in life we had to do except make our well-baby visits at the pediatrician's office, go to the grocery store, and occasionally buy gas.

Now there are few days we have nothing to do. So far, that's OK.

Improvement

Ryan's recovery from his surgery is going much better. We talk openly about what the doctors did, why they did it, and how it's helping him. He tells me he can hear so much better: "I can even hear myself!"

His speech is improving, too. He can hear words better, and therefore, he can pronounce them better. Ryan is also happily coming home from preschool to sing the latest song they've learned. Now I can understand the words much better. It's wonderful!

It's also quieter in his room at night. When he slept before the surgery, he would snore loud enough to be heard two rooms away. Now he's so quiet! It's taken some time to get used to. Before, I never worried about waking him because I knew he couldn't hear me for the snoring. Now he's so quiet, I instantly think he's awake.

The result of sleeping quietly means he's happier during the day, has fewer meltdowns, and can manage a little bit later bedtime.

This is all such a relief. Of course, there's still a chance that the fluid build-up will return within his ears and we'll have to reconsider tubes. But right now, we're thrilled with the results we're seeing.

Guppy Bowl

Brendan attended his first and only swim meet of the winter, the 8 & Under Guppy Bowl in Lake Orion. Ken and I thought it would be a good introductory meet to USA Swimming, which is far different than the summer league he's accustomed to.

We were all in for surprises! The first was having Brendan whisked away by the coaches and being reminded that parents are often not welcome on the pool deck. We hadn't prepared Brendan for any of this, so he was uncertain at first. Next was the coach's insistence that Brendan wear a cap. Neither of us has forced this issue, primarily because Brendan is a boy and he has such a sensitive head. Why introduce a battle with the cap. Still, Brendan went along with the coach, and though he reported not liking it, he wore it for every race.

Brendan swam the 25 free, back and breast. Unfortunately, he had been sick the entire week leading up to the meet. He still swam well, with a best time in the 25 free and matching his best in the back. The breaststroke race was his debut, and he was promptly DQ'd for bringing his arms too far back. That said, his time was good and he has a good learning experience under his belt, er, suit.

The team had a no-show, so Brendan was asked to swim the free relay. I'm glad he did, but as a family, that meant sitting in the stands another 90 minutes or so before he swam. Thankfully, Kelsey and Ryan were incredibly good. They are getting the hang of this wait-around-while-brother-does-his-thing.

Brendan really does enjoy swimming, which is good because after spending 6 hours at the pool for small age-group meet, I'm beginning to wonder what we're thinking.

Surgery for little Ry

I suppose I should just jump in after leaving this blog quiet for too long ...

It's been a little more than two weeks since Ryan had his tonsils and adenoids removed and had fluid vaccummed out of his inner ear. He's making great progress!

Last August, the pediatrician noticed fluid build-up in his ear. She recommended we return in two months to see if the fluid had cleared. In late October we returned, and the fluid had persisted. I admit, I was rather clueless as to what all of this meant. Ryan hadn't complained of any ear pain -- likely has never complained of it -- and he seemed happy and healthy.

The pediatrician had a nurse perform a hearing test, and it was quickly evident that he wasn't hearing much. As I watched the nurse press buttons, Ryan sat in his chair, looking around and wondering when something would happen. Not good.

Two weeks later we visited a pediatric ENT and had a more comprehensive hearing test. Again, he failed the test. The ENT, quite matter-of-factly, informed me that Ryan would need tubes in his ears. That was the only course of action; and it must happen quickly to restore his hearing and prevent further damage to his ear drum.

Hubby and I didn't feel comfortable with this solution. In part, I just didn't care for the way the ENT insisted that this was our only option. Hubby was more concerned that tubes would pose multiple problems for our young son who loves to swim. Hubby has had ear problems since early adulthood, and he knows what kind of trouble it can cause.

So I spent time researching the tubes online, and at the same time, began wondering whether another issue was relevant: Ryan's snoring. As fate would have it, that week Brendan complained every night because of his brother's very loud snoring. Google, my hero, delivered some interesting information. Indeed, snoring in children is indicative of enlarged adenoids, which can lead to fluid build-up in the ear!

We called the doctor and requested a follow-up visit. The doctor was quite surprised to see us, if not completely confused. We explained that we felt as if all of the bases hadn't been covered in our previous visit: snoring and swimming. The doctor began to apologize. Apparently, those are two common questions that he should ask during a standard appointment. He went into a lengthy explanation of the three ways to treat fluid build-up, even giving us the cultural preferences around the world. In the United States, tubes are most common. In Australia and the UK, removal of the adenoids and tonsils prevails as the clear choice.

Again, as fate would have it, the doctor had spent several years practicing in Arizona, where he rarely suggested tubes as a first option because everyone in Arizona swims. He explained in Michigan, he never gets objections from parents. In fact, though, he is the only doctor on U-M's staff who would consider performing alternatives to tubes and is happy to do so.

How relieved we were! The change in plan was a good choice, though it did require a much longer recovery period. On the day of surgery, the doctor removed an enormous mass from Ryan's throat. He also suctioned out a rather thick fluid, enough that would have made hearing as difficult as listening underwater.

Ryan handled the surgery so well. He was brave and calm, despite being nervous. The nurses and doctors were kind enough to allow me to walk with him in to the OR and hold his hand while they administered the gas. When he woke, he was understandably scared and upset. But he was mostly tired, and quickly fell asleep in my arms.

The recovery was OK. I wish doctors did a better job of addressing the truly stressful parts of recovery: what your child's emotional and psychological response may be and how to get your child to take medicine that tastes terrible! Those were the battles we faced in the next few days. I think the psychological effect will last much longer. Perhaps this will change Ryan forever.

Ryan may still need tubes. If the fluid returns, then that will be the next step. He'll return in mid February for another hearing test and post-op visit. We're crossing our fingers all is good.

How quickly the days pass

I cannot believe it's been so long since I posted anything noteworthy on this blog! I apologize. This fall has been incredibly busy, following a summer that passed by like a whirlwind. Perhaps this is indicative of life with three children, and life when those three children begin participating in activities and school. It's crazy!

A quick update:

• Thanksgiving was fabulous. Our friends the Newmans and Galloways joined us again, which has become our holiday tradition. The kids enjoyed a craft while I finished preparing dinner. Then we chowed on some delicious food! Afterward, the kids watched a holiday movie or played while the parents enjoyed dessert.
• I have just recovered from two weeks of a flu. Brendan had it after Halloween. I thought the rest of us had escaped, but no such luck. It was miserable. Ryan had a mild version and Kelsey seemed to be fighting some sort of bug but never ran a fever to speak of.
• Brendan is in his second week of swim school at a local swim club. He's enjoying it. I like that the coaches take a no nonsense approach, which seems to benefit our very social son. He's learning drills and gaining more strength and enjoying it. I am experiencing life as a year-round swimming parent, which means I sit in a 100-degree natatorium for an hour while it's 15 degrees outside. Wow. I have to pack everyone a summery outfit to bear the heat inside, while shoving loads of winter stuff in the locker. Fun times.
• Kelsey is really enjoying preschool! She's hesitant some mornings, but she loves the projects they do and playing in the sandbox.
• Ryan and Kelsey performed in their school's Nativity Play last week. How darling! Ryan's class played the handbells, quite well I might add, and performed the play. Kelsey's class joined all the other classes in singing three songs, which included hand movements. They did awesome!
• This is our last week of school before the holiday break, which will be action-packed. We're going to the indoor waterpark Kalahari one night. We'll visit with friends another. Then it's Christmas and all that surrounds this wonderful holiday. After Christmas, Grammy and Papa arrive for a nice, long visit.
• Finally, we are thrilled with our Horned Frogs! We're not so thrilled about being in the "Separate But Equal" Bowl, but such is life. Ken and I will be attending the game, which is perhaps the best Christmas present ever.

More updates soon, I promise!

Fall clean-up

Cleaning up the field, one leaf at a time.

Cutting edge fashion

Butterfly Kelsey