The Puddles

Ben lost another tooth.  He looks adorable with his front teeth missing.  It makes me want to just hug him and kiss his head.  “Always stay this way forever,” I tell him secretly.  I love the missing teeth look.  He loves the tooth fairy.  Assuming mom remembers to crack a window somewhere for the tooth fairy to come in!!

Last Thursday Ben was awarded the Tiger Award.  He worked really hard to achieve it.  He was so excited to have earned it.  He was standing on the podium and he couldn’t stand still because he was so excited.  I went to the Scout shop today to get my Proud Parent ribbon and this “thing” that hold his patches on his uniform.  I don’t know its official name but I got it.  He was so excited when he got home.  Dad couldn’t make it that night due to a council meeting.  Dad was sad he couldn’t be there.  Chris has worked really hard with Ben to enjoy Boy Scouts. That is wonderful to see.  He is the one who really deserves the parent’s pin.  Chris and Ben really earned it together!

So we had a great guest come and visit our Daisy troop, she coming to “work out” with the girls and talk to them about positive body image.  She rocked.  She had the kids moving for an hour and I don’t think they ever realized that this “work” nor did they ever stop for that entire hour.  She had the entire group moving, moving, moving. She changed props with them every five minutes.  I swear she had them play with everything but the kitchen sink.    She was really great!

The girls had so much.  I was frankly exhausted just watching them. You can just see it on their faces.  “This was fun!”

“If you want to come in

DON’T

If anthing no one

in this world

besides Rosie can

NOT come in.

I’ll see you at

dinner.

ML”

I could honestly kill the person who gave Madie this dry erase board for Christmas.  She is communicating way to much.  Now I have to knock before I can go it . . . just because the note says so.  She was a little mad at me when she wrote this note.  I just had to take a picture of it.

Gordon came to stay with us a couple of weeks ago.  G was Ben’s shadow the whole time.  I came into the living room to read books to everyone and there was G right next to Ben.  Both of them had their hands behind their heads.  Cute.  I hope they stay buddies for awhile.  Usually Ben can only handle so much and asks me to hide him from Gordon for awhile so he can get a break.  But that weekend, Ben let Gordon follow him for the entire three days.  We loved having Gordon there.  We don’t get to see him often in the school year.  And honestly . . . going from 3 to 4 is hardly noticeable . . . even with all of the diaper changes.

The coffee pot died.  I mean truly died. Sputtering and moaning.  Then nothing. I am not sure what I am going to do.  The rule is you can’t talk to Mommy until she has had a least a cup of coffee.  No coffee.  And no time today to buy a coffee pot.  I hope that my dear husband decides to make my world better and will bring home a coffee pot this evening after work.  He picked the last one and did a great job.  This one has lasted for 4 years.  Which is a miracle in  our world.

So until the new one arrives . . . lower the flags to half mast.  Hum “Taps.” And put on my black.  I am in mourning.

We went to see the renal doctor today to get an update on all of the testing and to find out what our game plan for Ben’s hypertension was.  Here are the results:

The good news.  The DMSA scan showed two equally functioning kidneys. There was no scarring inside the kidneys and normal looking flow within the kidneys.  The only abnormal test was a high level of the hormone renin.  This hormone is produced by the kidneys in response to a lowering blood pressure somewhere in route to the kidneys or within the kidneys.

The plan right now for Ben is to wait until Ben sees the cardiologist at the end of February.  Since Ben’s high blood pressure is secondary to his heart condition, Dr. Feig (our nephrologist) wants to wait until we see Dr. Altman and have another sonogram of his heart. After those results, they will confer and decide what course of action to take.  If his heart is good, we will probably start to try and wean him off the enalapril.  We will see what that will do.  But we will just have to wait and see.

The not so good news. Dr. Feig is leaving TCH to go to Birmingham, Alabama to become the head of nephrology. We really liked him and so we are not looking forward to changing doctors. But this is life and we will survive.

Ben will go back in May to see Dr. Feig one last time before he leaves and we will meet Ben’s new doctor at that time.  The long term prognosis is that we will be visiting the renal doctor every six months for a while.  There is a possibility that is some narrowing of the arteries leading into the kidneys.  But as long as his pressure is stable under medication Dr. Feig is not interested in doing another test or anything else invasive.  Especially since this is a secondary issue.

At least we know what Ben’s problem is not.  Elimination of issues is a good thing.   It is a wait and see right now.  Until the end of February when we have another set of tests and another visit to another doctor at TCH.

There they were.  Miss A and her friend holding the hymnal in front of them singing the songs with the congregation.  Then they quietly folded the hymnal and brought the bulletin out.  Then they sang the liturgy together (including pastor’s part).  At 4 and 5, these girls may not have understood all of the words that they were singing, but they understood the joy of being a part of a community of people who loved them and who were all singing praises to our God.  It was a good day to be at church!