Five on Friday

1. On Wednesday we signed Zack up for kindergarten. He will hopefully get into a full day class. It is hard for me to believe that he will start in August.

2. We were hoping to sign him up for tee ball this spring, but he missed the age cutoff by 17 days. BOO!!

3. Zack's eye is doing great after surgery. He is being a trooper with the drops. He is going to have to wear glasses though after both cataracts are removed and eyes are healed. I think I'll go somewhere with buy one get one free glasses, because I'm sure between him and Addison they won't last long.

4. Speaking of Addison, she is currently obsessed with dinosaurs and loves to ROAR! at everything. It is very helpful though at dinner because she loves taking dinosaur bites.

5. I'll leave you with a picture of Addie from last weekend. It looks like we should have a nice sunny day tomorrow. We should be able to get outside and hopefully someone in the family will look at my camera.

Can We Fix It?

It only took me two weeks, but here are some more pictures from our trip to The Children's Museum in Indianapolis.

But, first an update on Zack's cataract surgery. He is doing great. We went to the doctor yesterday and got his patch removed. He hasn't noticed a big improvement in vision. I'm sure his age has a lot to do with it. The doctor said it will improve though as the eye heals and the stitch comes out in 2-4 weeks. He will have to wear glasses because the lens implant prescription was estimated as to what he will need as an adult. He is being a trooper with the drops, which makes my life soooo much easier. We have 2 more followup appointments and then the right eye is getting fixed on 3/25.


The kids had a great time at the museum and the new Bob the Builder Exhibit.

Benny and the kids


Dizzy and Addie


Lofty and Addie


Wendy and Addie


Plumber Zack and his assistant


Addie working the ice cream shop

Zack's Surgery

This morning Zack had the cataract removed from his left eye. The surgery went really well and isn't slowing him down one bit this afternoon.

Here he is before going back to surgery. They gave him some "goofy juice" to help ease the anxiety.


and after the surgery. It brought me back to his days in NICU. Even then he didn't like hospitals. The nurses had to put his IV in his forehead because he pulled it out of his hand and he kept trying to remove the feeding tube.

It took us a good 20 minutes to get him to wake up. In hind sight, I wish we would have just let him sleep it off. He woke up and immediately started freaking out screaming, I can't see! I can't see! He wouldn't stop grabbing at the patch and got it off successfully once. We finally got him to settle down with some fruit snacks and a promise of a wagon ride in one of the Riley Hospital red wagons. The anesthesia then starting wearing off and he hasn't messed with the patch since then.


heading home




Zack requested McDonald's for lunch, so we stopped on our way home. He and I went to the restroom while Ryan got the food. Ryan found a table and Zack was walking in front of me. There was a grandfather looking man sitting at a table by himself. Zack climbed right up across from him and started talking. I had to grab him and tell him that wasn't his dad. The doctor chose the worst eye to do first, so I hate to to think what he'd see with only the left eye.

We go tomorrow to have the patch removed and see what he can see. Next month the right eye will be done.

Happy Valentine's Day

One Step Closer to Big Girl

Addison has been down to her last paci for about 2-3 weeks. On Sunday she finally chewed a hole in it. I promised myself that I wouldn't buy any more pacis for her once this one came up missing or broken. I got weak and bought a two pack after watching her beg and freak out without it. On Tuesday I asked her teachers how many kids in her class still use a paci. There answer was only one child uses a paci. I asked, besides Addison? They answered that Addison doesn't and has never used a paci since she joined their room in August. My jaw dropped. She has never asked for one and sleeps the whole two hours without a problem. I was completely speechless and had been bamboozled by my two year old.

Tuesday night we became a paci free household. At bedtime she looked like a drug addict going through withdrawals. Her body shook, she kept biting her nails, and mouthing a paci sucking motion. Her incentive for losing the paci was to see Bob the Builder at the children's museum in Indianapolis. Today she collected on my side of the bargain.

Now we just need to get rid of the diapers and she will be stripped of all things baby.

We just love the new entrance into the museum.




Addie had to pay her way into the museum with her pacis. Luckily the lady had a grandson that gave his pacis to Santa and understood what she was doing.


The pacis were accepted as payment and we were off to meet Bob the Builder and his crew.


More pictures of Bob and our visit to the museum to come.

The Children's Museum

We spent the day in Indianapolis at the children's museum. It has been about one year since we were last there. I wanted to wait until Addison was over the put everything in your mouth stage before we went back. The kids had a blast and we renewed our membership, so we have many more visits in the future.

The water table is always a favorite.
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Addison couldn't wait to get on the carousel. We rode it two times in a row and she would have stayed on all day if I would have let her.


Zack is always facinated with the pool ball run.


and some detail shots of the run.


Their special exhibit was Barbie. Addie loved looking at all the dolls, playing dress up and PINK everywhere. Ryan and Zack too their time catching up to us and Zack couldn't wait to get out of there.


Addie in her dress up clothes


My supermodel working the runway. I was surprised that she ran right for the runway and knew what to do, although she got a little shy at the end and put her hand in her mouth. I wanted to check out the "Be a Photographer!" area, but I couldn't get Addison away from the dolls and dress up.

Eyes

Zack was born with genetic cataracts. Last month he went for his yearly checkup and the ophthalmologist said they have moved in the past year and are now affecting his vision and it may be time to remove them. He referred us to a pediatric ophthalmologist in Indianapolis and tomorrow we will get his opinion. I'm hoping that we can wait on surgery until he is older, but I'm also not looking forward to the option of glasses and all the issues that will come with them and a rowdy four year old boy.

We were told a year ago that Addison had them too, but at her checkup last month the doctor couldn't find any cataracts on her eyes. She will go back in a year for another look, hopefully the gene really did miss her.

This picture was taken as soon as Zack saw me take a picture of Addison and her babies. The only time I can get him to cooperate for the camera is after Addison gets her picture taken.