Quotable Ian, Part II

“If you said my name was Buzz Lightyear then I wouldn’t like that very much. If you called me Ian I would like that very much.”

“Uncle Chris doesn’t have hair, he just has a head.”

“Ka-Blast-Off!” (Think “kablam” meets “blast-off.”)

“I want to be a pirate” Why? “‘Cause they go around in a ship in the water with pirates. I would go to school and take Owen and (names other students) and Miss. Carrie. (teacher) and we would go on a boat.” (I just liked hearing him tell this story because I could picture it in my head as he described it, the ship pulling up to the playground, a seesaw being used as a boarding plank for the kids to make their escape, all the while Ian stands at the bow with an eye patch, nodding in approval.)

“Now I lay my head down sleep, I pray my Lord head down sleep, have angels watch my head down sleep, and keep my head down sleep.” (This is his idea of a joke, and I admit I laughed at this… particularly as this followed Pastor Riley’s sermon a few days ago wherein he said that in prayer we should talk to God as if a trusted, best friend.)

Nina’s Baptism, Part I

So much has happened, but let’s go back to where we left off picture-wise and hopefully I can set the record straight some other time.

Once again, it was time to get a Chapman baby’s head good and wet and people came from miles and miles away to see the spectacle! Let me start by saying thank you to everybody for braving plane rides and car trips and colds and screaming kids to visit us, meet our little girl, and scruff the hair of our little boy! Also thank you all for your generosity!

The pictures here came from many different sources — I tried my best to keep it sort of chronological, but I’m going to give myself a break here and just say hey, if it is close, it is good enough. All this stuff happened in one happy weekend! Sound fair? Also, I got different pictures of different people on different days, please don’t be offended if you didn’t make day one – I promise you’re in Part II if you weren’t in Part I! Let’s say we start on June 12th, 2010.

Great Grandma Betty flew in from Florida and hugged Nina. She immediately thought the trip was well worth it! Grampa Dave and Grandma Marcia are not pictured here, but arrived with Great Grandma Betty… sorry I missed you both with the camera on the 12th, but I got you the next day! 🙂 See this image larger.

Nina was in a bit of shell shock about the whole camera thing! See this image larger.

If Ian’s the only one looking at the camera, we probably bribed him with a treat, trust me! 😉 See this image larger.

Ooop, that wasn’t shell shock, that was the pre-nap sleepies! See this image larger.

Aunt Melanie, and Ian’s cousins arrived from Ohio and it was time for some kids to have some fun! See this image larger.

If you can’t tell, Ian truly missed his cousins since last visit! That’s Grandma Barb back there too, nicely directing traffic to keep collisions to a minimum! See this image larger.

And behold, it is Uncle Chris, also making the long journey up from Florida! See this image larger.

*hug* See this image larger.

Grampa Ray helped sort this mess out. See this image larger.

Water enthusiasts and conservationists Ian and Kaylee, cleaned up nice later in the evening to prepare for the morning of Nina’s baptism. See this image larger.

Grandma Sue also traveled north from Florida to see Nina’s big day! See this image larger.

She’s awful cute! See this image larger.

Finally, the star herself gets a good-night bath… See this image larger.

Next entry, the big day! (Funny to think that at this point Melissa and I had only looked at three houses… we would end up looking at over 35 more before coming right back to the first one we looked at with our realtor.

Neighbors

Last night we got home from eating a little early, and Ian asked if we could just sit on the porch… which turned into a walk… which turned into a bike ride… (if you give a mouse a cookie!) I didn’t mind in the least, however; there was something really nice about being able to walk around the neighborhood with him. Everybody was nice to us. One older boy introduced his little brother to Ian so that they could play together in the future. The girl across the street tried to get Ian involved in a game of tag. (He tried to play but his shyness interfered. It was sort of thrilling letting him go and watching him walk away to join them, albeit timidly and short-lived.) There were a lot of helpful, respectful people, and it feels great to be here. I’m starting to think that our neighbors might be the best part of our new house.

224 Arbor

(August 7th) It is hilarious to think that we’ve been at the new house for a week already. It was wonderful to see family and friends in action helping us out. And wow did we need it. All the happenings with Nina, Ian’s digestive issues (which we now believe to be a symptom of the stress the move itself caused, perhaps mixed in with a typical virus of some sort) and my deadlines made it impossible to know everything that needed to happen and when it would happen. Little details and some pretty big ones slipped through the cracks for all of us, and although what was left to do seemed like it could not be, the heroes around us made it possible. Grandma Marcia cleaned so much I thought her hands were going to fall off. Grandma Sue watched over Nina like a hawk and lent a hand throughout her stay, and when Ian ran around, she kept up the pace. Grampa Dave packed and packed and packed and moved and moved moved. My buddy Greg showed up to help empty pods, and everything all came together nicely. I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart!

Ian was not happy to be sleeping in the new house for a few nights, opting to sleep in his closet and a few other oddball behaviors, but he’s adapted relatively fast. Seth has been the most fantastic, he’s rolled with the punches like he was expecting the whole deal. Good kitty. If only all of us could be so flexible!

(August 12th) Melissa and I got sick from food poisoning about three nights ago, and have been sort of reeling ever since, sorry. The kids did not get it, and are fine. Grandma Barb flew up to help us unpack and clean up a bit. Nina’s appointment with the skull-doctor-measuring-guy ended with the prognosis that she’s pretty much within “normal” spec for her head shape. Sure it can look a bit goofy if you look at her head form on top, but you see, she’s not done growing. As long as she doesn’t have any other developmental issues, her skull should come into form.

Sorry this entry is short and to the point, but I’m still battling a deadline, and feeling a little iffy thanks to the aforementioned food issue.

The house itself is still taking some time to get used to. Just looking around I’m finding a lot of things I’d like to do differently. Our old house reflected our style after 8 years, so understandably this one needs a little time to grow into our lives.

June Seems Like So Long Ago

June 2nd, one of the first times I gave Nina a bottle, and she grabbed that thing right out of my hands! See this image larger.

I’ll be honest, since this one she’s never quite pulled it off as nicely, but consider me impressed! See this image larger.

For awhile on Mondays I’ve been taking the kids to the park outside of Mommy’s work, so that Nina can get lunch directly from the source we all know and love — while the rest of us eat someplace like Jimmy John’s as we did on June 7th. Hello, Kitty Butt! See this image larger.

And that’s it! I know, I know, you’re sitting there thinking “Wait, what, I waited months for THIS?” Don’t worry, next entry starts a slew of images from Nina’s Baptism, and that’ll last us a good four solid entries, I bet. Sorry this one’s a wee short as a result, but it turns out we didn’t take a lot of pictures between June 7th and the 13th.

Ooh Child, Things Will Get Brighter…

I called a lot of people but I should write here as well… Nina does not have Cystic Fibrosis. Melissa forbade me from digging through the internet and finding everything there is to know about it — and this turned out to be a good call. As it is I’m probably bordering on an ulcer, why push the envelope?

Melissa made a care page entry, which I will share below. Also I am going to take time out tonight to try and set up a few blog entries as a both a catch-up and celebration.

Melissa writes:

July 23, 2010–No CF!!!
Posted 10 hours ago

Just received results from the sweat chloride test, which confirmed that Nina does NOT have Cystic Fibrosis. Praise God! Thanks to everyone for your prayers and support. So glad the results came back quickly for this one and are conclusive. Will make for a much better weekend!

Now just waiting on results from the CT scan to confirm the blocked nasal passage and corresponding next steps for surgery. But that conversation may wait until our next scheduled appointment with the ENT on August 19, as the surgery was not classified as urgent/emergent. I’ll keep you all posted if I learn more.

My “go to” verse for all things Nina related:
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Thank you God for being so much bigger and stronger than I am, and for always carrying me and my family through these trials. I feel so weak and helpless most of the time. Even when I worry, doubt and break-down, you are there. Your grace really is sufficient for me. I give you the glory.

-Melissa

Presently: Kid Update

From our CarePage via Melissa:

The tests for Nina have been scheduled for this Thursday (July 22). We start off the day with another physical therapy appointment for her head/neck from 9-10 a.m. at Mary Free Bed. (Nina’s first physical therapy appointment was today and she did great!) We go immediately from Mary Free Bed over to Spectrum Health/Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital for a 10:30 a.m. sweat chloride test, checking for Cystic Fibrosis. I know the sweat collection takes at least 30 minutes, but not sure how long the entire appointment will last. Our final test on Thursday is the CT scan at 1 p.m. to confirm whether Nina needs surgery for her blocked nasal passage. I was asked to bring Nina tired and hungry to that appointment in hopes of feeding her on-site and having her fall asleep for the scan. Otherwise, they will have to sedate her. Please pray that everything aligns on Thursday so that she will fall asleep at just the right time! The scan itself is only suppose to take about 5 minutes. I’ve been told that results from both of these test will take approximately 3-5 days, but I’m not holding my breath. We’ve been through this waiting before, so we’ll just see.

I must say a public thank you to God for coordinating all these appointments. I had not mentioned Nina’s scheduled therapy times to the referral coordinator who scheduled these additional tests, and amazingly I don’t have any meetings on my calendar at work on Thursday. I’m sure God really had a hand in all this planning. Amazing!

Now an update on our other child–sweet 3-year old Ian. He has been having intestinal issues (i.e. loose bowel movements/diarrhea) off and on for a couple weeks now, so we decided it was time to take him into the doctor to find out what was going on. Daran took him yesterday (Monday, July 19) and found out that Ian has lost a pound since his last appointment on June 23. The doctor was concerned about the weight lost so prescribed Zantac to see if that would help calm any stomach acid he has and hopefully correct the diarrhea to get him back on track with weight gain. The doctor also told Daran that we have 10 days to “fix” the problem or Ian would be referred to a GI specialist for further testing. (When it rains, it pours!) Please pray that this issue resolves itself and that there is no underlying problem(s) causing this symptom. Please also pray that Ian is willing to take his medicine–he spit out the dose this morning.

Daran and I are hanging in there and keeping ourselves occupied. Thankfully we have just bought a new house and are moving at the end of next week (also in God’s plan I’m sure!). This “distraction” has helped to keep our minds off worrying 24/7. Please pray that God continues to coordinate all our schedules as perfectly as He has so far, and that he will give our family the peace, patience and perseverance to get through the next several weeks… especially as we wait on test results for Nina.

Blessings to each of you!

The Perfect Storm

The reference of the title is from the incident made famous by a relatively forgettable movie, wherein three large storms coalesced into one very large, very nasty storm, sinking a fishing boat and her crew. However our perfect storm has to do with the end of July — and I’m asking everybody to bear with our family for a little bit while we weather through it. What are our three large storms combining together?

1.) Packing, moving, and un-packing.

2.) I have a work deadline that falls right around closing day, if not precisely on closing day for the houses. That deadline represents the potential for three more years of work.

3.) Most importantly, Nina’s test this upcoming Thursday for cystic fibrosis should be analyzed by then, and while obviously the result could be a very happy thing, it is the worry ABOUT that verdict that contributes to our perfect storm.

Updates to the blog may again be spotty at best, and I apologize for that. I’ll squeeze them in when I can.

I love you all. Prayers if you have time and the inclination, please.

Presently: But Wait, There’s More…

We took Nina to an Ear, Nose, Throat specialist this morning — as usual, Melissa beat me to the punch on updates, and I don’t really have the heart to say all this my own way at the moment, so here’s what she wrote:

Today Nina went to see an ear, nose, throat (ENT) specialist in hopes to undercover what has been causing her constant drippy nose. The appointment was definitely needed, but very hard on Daran and I as the list of issues for little Nina continues to grow.

The physician did a couple of tests on Nina to help determine the possible causes for her congestion and drippy nose. He used a scope to look down her nostrils and into her throat (which Nina did not like at all), as well as performed a routine tympanogram to check the fluid levels in her ears (because that’s just what ENTs like to do). The tympanogram did confirm that Nina has fluid in both ears, so a 3-week course of antibiotics was prescribed to help treat the ear infections. The scope procedure uncovered several issues.

Looking down into Nina’s throat, the physician noticed her voice box was red and raw suggesting Nina likely has reflux. Zantac was prescribed to treat that. Looking into her nostrils, it became clear that Nina’s right side is structurally blocked (with extra tissue/cartilage/something) and no air is getting through. This abnormality will require surgery to open the passage and is an inpatient procedure (at least one night in the hospital for recovery, but could be longer). A CT scan of Nina’s face will be performed to confirm the blockage before the surgery is schedule. This is not an urgent/immediate surgical need, but will happen soon (guessing sometime this summer). No specific dates have been discussed as the next step is the CT scan. The physician also stated that this blockage explains why the right side of Nina’s nose is constantly dripping. Since the mucus cannot go backward down the nasal passage, it has no choice but to slowly drip out. Sadly, the fact that her left (unblocked) nostril is also dripping constantly was a cause for concern.

Because of all the mucus present on Nina’s left (unblocked) side, and due to the fact that she has been coughing/choking a lot lately, the physician recommended that we have Nina tested for Cystic Fibrosis (CF). A sweat chloride test will be performed to rule out this diagnosis (and oh how we are praying that the test does rule this out). A referral coordinator at the ENT office will be scheduling both the CT scan and the test for CF. A follow-up appointment with the ENT physician has been scheduled for August 19 to discuss all of the test results and determine next steps.

Prayer requests:
Please pray for quick scheduling of the CT scan and sweat test, and that the results would come back conclusive (no gray areas) and in a timely manner (hoping we don’t have to wait until August 19 to learn results). Please also pray that CF is not the diagnosis for Nina. (I/we are dealing, as best we can, with all the other “treatable” issues, but CF really scares us.) Pray for wisdom and peace for Daran and I; knowing how best to care for Nina and advocate on her behalf with all the various care providers. I specifically pray that none of details of her health issues falls through the cracks, which could negatively affect outcomes of the “bigger” issues. Finally, please pray for big brother Ian–that he would continue to have quality one-on-one time with mom and dad and not feel “left out,” and that he won’t get scared by all the doctor/hospital visits that Nina’s been going to lately. (He has been so great and such a supportive big brother so far.)

Blessings to each of you.

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. Psalm 130:5

Presently: Chatterbox

Ian told Mommy a week ago that he had spotted “a Comerican flag.”

Ian has started referring to Mommy as “my Mommy.” It isn’t said in a way that sounds possessive, it is said in the same way that one might say “my love.”

Just now Ian handed me a card from a game “I have a letter for you! Two letters left… one for Connor and one for Kaylee…”

On Saturday (10th) Ian had his first real play-date at somebody else’s house. Elena and Scott were kind enough to take Ian into their home to play with their daughter Rowen, whom I think is about a year older than Ian. It also turned into his first sleepover. This probably sounds early for such a thing, but this was mostly Elena and Scott doing us a huge favor — Melissa and I needed time to pack. I woke up in the middle of the night and missed him greatly.

The next day (11th) Ian had his first movie theater experience. We saw Toy Story 3. I think he enjoyed the venue, but the movie had some pretty scary parts. Mostly Ian was upset with the overall plot, which was not going the way he wanted it to. Mommy took him outside into the lobby (this was a Father’s day present for me, so I got to stay) and Ian looked around at the brightly colored walls and lights. “It’s happy out here.”

Unfortunately Ian’s such a non-stop stream of words that I don’t catch all the fun stuff he’s been saying, or don’t remember.

Yesterday I told him that if Nina (very drowsy at that moment) happened to fall asleep, we’d be able to play a bit more. So he started singing “Twinkle Twinkle” to her.

Other fun stuff: “We’re going to blast off and go to otter space and go to Africaaa!!!! And go to our new house!”

There’s a Mr. Tire on Alpine that Ian referred to as Humpty Dumpty.

He claims that the mice in Hickory Dickory Dock were running up the clock to get away from a monster.

He named a rainbow colored bear that he owns “Savannah” after a girl at school.

Another moment ago Ian took his first serious unintentional roll down the steps here at 139 Highlander Dr. He’s fine, but the next house has much longer stairwells.

He’s definitely full-swing into the “Why?” phase.

“Mommy, Daddy, look! A big circle!!!” (said while we drove on the on-ramp to the highway… which is a big circle.)

In general his brilliance is just hilarious. Seems like every day I get a little shock from something he does or says. When he wants to do something that you don’t, it is funny how much of a battle of wits it is already turning into and he’s really not that old yet. I should probably get back into playing chess or something. 😉

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