Easter Weekend

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. On Saturday, my parents, sister and nephew came over for Easter dinner and an Easter egg hunt.
Oma helped Owen hunt for his eggsPreston helped Nathan Logan got a few but was really more interested in playing with his new climbing dome Cooper enjoyed his first Easter egg hunt.Russ hunted some eggs and my Dad and I took all the pictures and videos. Every one had a great time. The weather was perfect, about 86 degrees.

Easter Sunday morning we took Nathan and Owen to the morning service with us. They did a wonderful job being quiet. Preston taught our class and Logan made some great crosses and bookmarks. I tried to get some good pictures of our boys on Easter, but as you can see, I never really got one.

The Greatest Gift

The greatest gift was given almost 2,000 years ago and it was so profound it is my greatest gift even today. Each year as we celebrate this Easter Season of Jesus dying to forgive me and rising to conquer death I am more and more in awe. God is teaching me so much about His love through the love of my children.

Every time we go to Mia's grave, as we did this afternoon, all I can do is thank God. Thank you for loving my daughter enough to do what is the best for her even though it was very painful here on earth. Thank you for giving her a perfect place to live filled with your perfect love. Thank you that I will be able to spend eternity with her, only missing this brief life on earth. I look forward to the day I will meet my Savior in heaven and when He embraces me in His arms, there I will find my daughter too. Thank you, Father, that all of this is possible because your own Son died for me and rose for the gift of my eternal life. Thank you that one day my husband and three boys will be there too.

When Jesus came to this earth He came so that we could have life and have it abundantly. Each day God uses my three boys to show me an abundant life. He provides his abundance through healing and progress in the development of Nathan and Owen. He provides abundance through the wonderful personality and character he is molding in Logan. He provides abundance through the wonderful husband/father He has given to this family. (And, the husband/father takes this opportunity to edit this post to say that it is the wife/mother who is the amazing inspiration.)

Logan up to bat

I am a proud daddy!

Spanish Market

Today was Spanish Market at RDS. The kids wore their sombreros and went shopping for some Mexican goodies. They had to speak Spanish to make their purchases. Class photo at Spanish Market.Class photo with everyone yelling belly button in honor of silly Logan.They sampled some authentic Mexican food and had a pinata after lunch.
We all had fun on the play ground after lunch.

Fairytale Land at Samford

Sunday afternoon the Samford drama department created fairytale land. We saw all the Disney characters. A few of the highlights for Logan were the Old Lady's shoe slide, the egg hunt, sword fighting with Captain Hook and eating a yummy cup cake. Nathan and Owen enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Bubbles

Bubbles...bubbles...bubbles



Bubbles...bubbles...bubbles

Head, sholders, knees and toes...we got just about everything checked out this week

We had a busy doctor/therapy week. It is a real blessing to live in Birmingham where we can see so many specialist in such a short distance from our home. We meet so many people that drive hours for their appointment.

Monday: I stopped by the Bell Center to drop off the boys application for summer and beyond. I had the opportunity to meet with Betty Bell and take a tour of the facility. I was very impressed with their facility and programs offered. I can't wait for the boys to get started. On Monday afternoon, Owen, headed to Children's South for a CT-Scan on his brain. One of his doctors wanted to make sure he did not have PVL. We found out today that his scan was clean. Praise God!!!!

Tuesday: Both Nathan and Owen had great visits with their PT, Kristi. She brought them their new gait trainer. Both boys are really enjoying it. Later that morning we were headed to the main Children's Hospital for Owen to see his pulmonologist. He put Owen doubled the strength of Owen's regular inhailer while also adding some steroids and nebulizer treatments every 4 hours. Last week Owen had a barium swallow study that revealed he had grade 4 reflux. Upon hearing that his pulmonologist schedule him for a modified swallow test next week. This test will go through different foods to look at the flap in his throat. The other one was just barium to look at his food going from his stomach to his intestines.

Wednesday: Both Nathan and Owen visited with their PT, Jane. They had good visits and always like seeing Miss Jane (even if Owen does cry some).

Thursday: This morning Nathan and Owen visited with their OT, Andrew. They did a great job, though both seemed a little tired and not fully engaged in their activities. This afternoon Nathan and Owen went to see their ENT and Children's South. Both of them have fluid on their ears and will be getting tubes put in. Also, they will have their voice boxes looked at while they are under for the tubes since both of them were on the ventilator so long and have such quiet voices. Currently they are schedule to have their tubes on May 3rd. Owen will need clearance from his pulmonologist before the surgery, but Nathan should be good to go.

Now, I bet you are wondering where Logan was this entire time...school in the mornings and then CiCi picked him up and he had a great time playing at her house two days this week. She also dropped him off for his swim lesson at Samford for me. Right now Logan and I are drawing garages and watching the Wonder Pets!!!!

Gait trainer

Yesterday, Kristi the boys PT, brought over a gait trainer for Nathan and Owen to use with their walking. Nathan loves to move all over but does not have the strength/stability to walk on his own yet. This apparatus gives him the support he needs to be mobile. Owen enjoys being in it too. He is not moving quite as much as Nathan, yet.





I have some video of Nathan walking in the gait trainer today. Unfortunately I can not get it to upload. Here is a link to the video http://gallery.mac.com/prestonhite/100011. It is the only video and the one that starts with Nathan. There is one other picture of Logan and Russ (which is cute too).

Race Without Limits

This morning was our big family race. The weather was perfect and we were so blessed to have so many friends and family come out to join us. Over 6 months ago we started raising support for UCP. Our team raised over $1200!!!! Thank you so much for your generous donations. We actually were officially recognized over the load speaker at the race a few times for having raised so much! We had a great team of people running with us: Don, Dave, Sarah C, Sarah L, Welles, Susie (NICU nurse), Elizabeth, Maryam (NICU nurse practitioner), Kristi (physical therapist), Logan, Beau, Gracie, Mom, Ranae, Cooper and Russ. Each team member wore a little sign showing they were running in support of Nathan and Owen. Cici, Pawpaw Bill and Papa, as well as Theresa Hayes (Gracie's grandma), also came to cheer on the runners (and get some time with the grandkids). Here are some pictures of our morning.

Lining up at the start of the 8k
Our support signs.
Susie stretching before the race.
Welles, Don and Preston after the race.
Susie, Maryam and Elizabeth running in the race.
Logan stretching before his run.
Starting line pictures.



Logan crossing the finish line.

Gracie crossing the finish line.
Logan, Gracie and Beau after running the fun run.
Cooper after the fun run.
All the family race participants.

Oma and Owen
Preston and Nathan.
Oma, Owen, Ranae, Nathan

Park fun after the race.