Connor's Adventurous Journey

SOLD!!!

2010-11-05T23:36:00.001-07:00

Once again the roller coaster ride of life has been taking us for many loop de loops!!! As many of you know we have been trying to sell our house so that we can move back east to New Hampshire to be close to Randy's job. Well, it finally happened......we sold the house. It's been a whirlwind really. We received an offer and got everything settled within a couple of days and the buyers needed it to be a 30 day closing. So, we are down to our last 11 days in our home here in Auburn and we are scrambling to find a rental in New Hampshire. We are following a lead on a home in Bow, NH that we are hoping will be settled really soon. We've been selling a lot of our household furniture and such to get the weight of the move down to a more managable level, but it has been tough to do that. I don't know why we become so attached to our things, but we do. It's certainly been an emotional time as we think about wrapping up our life here in WA and heading east to area we know little about without friends and family.

Our closing date is Nov. 17th and then we will stay with my parents in Tacoma until the rental is settled out there and then I will fly out with the kids and meet Randy. We're pretty sure that Randy and my Dad will drive our truck and moving trailer out to NH and then my mom will fly with me and the kids to meet them. It is going to be our next great adventure and all though we are looking forward to the welcome change it will bring our family and the added presence of Randy at home, it is difficult to realize we won't be here anymore.

In the midst of all of this, Connor had his adenoids removed last Tuesday, November 2nd. He is doing really well after the surgery and shows only small signs of discomfort. We didn't have to stay overnight at Children's, which was a miracle in my book. The surgeon was glad that they removed them because the were 75% the size of normal adenoids. That means that he only had access to breathe out of 25% of his nostril space. Poor little fella. We hope that this make a significant difference in the way that he breathes and also fights off infections.

Please continue to say your prayers for us. I will update as we get closer and with all of our new information.

Here we go on the next wonderful chapter of the Robertson's lives!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Happy Heart Day Connor

2010-08-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

Newborn...just home from the hospital.Connor's open heart surgery 23 Aug 2006...7 months oldAnd here he is today....walking and smiling....Praise God!

Daddy's just reminiscing about the past.....and Happy Heart Day Connor!!!

I sent along a couple of extra pic's just because....no real order.... just because.

Happy Heart Day Connor!

2010-08-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

Today marks the 4 year anniversary of Connor's open heart surgery. It is sobering to think about that day as we feared that we may loose him, but as we joined with the prayers of thousands of people, God answered our prayer and healed Connor's heart through the aid of surgery. We are happy to announce that he is in excellent heart health!!!!

What an amazing journey we are on with this special little boy. Althought there remains great challenges and myriads of unanswered questions, he is our miracle and we are grateful for his life each and every day!

As God continues to unfold the story of his life, may we always be found faithful in the fact that we are giving credit to God for giving him strength and endurance and for teaching us how to be the best parents we can be to him.

We love you Little Bug and we celebrate YOU today on the Happy Heart Day #4!!!!
Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Haven't Posted In A Long Time...

2010-08-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

I know it's been an awfully long time since I posted. I am sorry for those of you that have followed our blog for the past 4 years to have so many recent periods of silence. I wish I could say that things have changed for us, but they really haven't. Things are constantly busy with the kids. Connor, now 4 and 1/2 is still battling long periods of colds and infections that keep us down for a while. He continues to be fed by his feeding tube and his smile still lights up our lives! Mackenzie turned 3 in April and she just wants to experience the world in any way she can. She is a dramatic little girl who loves Tinkerbell and Fairies and she craves new adventures!!! Alex will be turning 2 in just a few short weeks. Whew...he's a fast one....always moving and running somewhere. He loves to climb and quite frequently I find him on the book shelves in the family room!!!

We have put the house up for sale by owner and we are praying that the Lord brings just the right buyer to enjoy our wonderful home. It's hard for me to think about selling this place as we have lived so much "life" here in the past 5 years. But, we need to be realistic and we have to get ourselves positioned closer to Randy's work. The commute to Boston is really a killer for him and for our family time together. We don't see him very much and it is really taking it's toll on all of us!

We will most likely move to the state of New Hampshire and rent for a while until we decide on just the right city for our family!!! We hope that things in the economy settle out sometime soon so that we will have a greater confidence to buy something out there! We again, are putting our faith and trust in God that He will work out all the tiny little details of this relocation. Our hearts remain heavy at the thought of leaving our precious families and friends here. So much so, that I cannot even speak of it right now.

The past weeks have hit us hard with pneumonia, sinus infections, coughs and colds. Alex is the last to get it and he's going on a week and a half of not feeling well. Continue to pray for us that better health would come to our home and we would be free from illnesses!

Thanks for continuing to support and pray and encourage us in all our endeavors. We are blessed and we are grateful to have so many wonderful family, friends and followers of the blog!

Some people have contacted my parents in efforts to find out how we are doing and have mentioned that they could not access the blog anymore. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I do hope that you will see this latest update and things will be revived. Maybe it went inactive because I hadn't posted for so long. We are also on Facebook if any of you would like to find us there. Just send a friend request and you can see more minute to minute updates to our lives.

Many blessings and our prayer is that you are all enjoying a wonderful summer!
Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

2010 Has Arrived!!!!

2010-01-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe we are already in our first week of the new year. Happy New Year to all our friends near and far. This will shape up to be another big year for the Robertson's.

Let me catch you up on a few details for the family. Connor is doing well after his tonsil removal. He struggled for about a month or more with continued sickness, but seems to have mellowed out quite a bit and is doing very well. He has been such a joy the past couple of weeks with smiles, laughter and playtime. We enjoyed a lot of family gatherings over Christmas and he survived without sickness.....Praise the Lord!!! Still a bit gun-shy about getting back to school so we will hopefully be able to have home services and therapy here for a while.

Mackenzie is doing great. I'm not sure if I had posted the news that she had fallen in October and slashed open her forehead. She had to have 16 stitches in her pretty little forehead, but she has been surprisingly cooperative about the healing process and putting cream on it to help avoid a terrible scar. During our Christmas trip up to Ferndale last week we had a special day with some cousins and aunties and Grandma R. at a salon where she got her first haircut. She looks like such a big girl now.....still long hair, but now she has bangs. It's adorable.

Alex is exploring the world like quite the little adventurer. He loves to climb and get into everything. He has no fear, and he is curious about everything!!! His giggle can brighten up your darkest mood and he smiles all the time. He is still having a difficult time with teething. Currently he has 7 teeth and working on a couple more, but they are slow on the move. I think he will be a much happier camper once his little chompers are in place and we can put teething behind us.

Randy & I are facing many decisions as this new year ensues. Our biggest news is that Randy has been transferred to Boston, MA as his American Airlines base. This came as a big surprise to us back at the beginning of November. He started out there as of January 1st and this commute is going to be a killer for his time with the family. After much prayer and contemplation, we have decided that it is best to preserve the family and get us to be together more. That being said, we will be moving East.....New Hampshire, that is! WOW.....A cross-country move with our little brood will not be an easy task, but it is a necessity. Randy is going to be getting the hang of things out there first while we decide how we will accomplish this move. I anticipate a spring move, but the timing will be completely up to the Lord's timing for our family. Please be praying for us as we make this transition....it is difficult for us to imagine being away from our wonderful family and friends, but we also see this as the opportunity for our first great adventure with the kids. It's natural that we have totally mixed feelings about the whole situation.

We pray that you are all doing well and are in good health as the days of January quickly pass. It is always our hope that each of you that follow this blog would be encouraged by the words that are written here and by what the Lord is doing in each of your lives individually. Please let us know how you are doing by leaving a comment. We just love hearing from you and believe it or not, your words are always such an encouragement to us.

Be blessed in the days ahead....I will post more news on the upcoming move as soon as I know more details. Thanks for your continued prayers and love!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

We're Home!!!

2009-11-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

We are very happy to be home after our hospital stay. Connor had a very difficult night last night keeping his oxygen levels appropriate. There was a pretty big scare between 1-3am, but after he got some really good coughs out, he was able to breathe a lot better! The ICU staff and doctors were considering transferring us to the floor in the middle of the night and then the oxygen problem happened...that kept us on the unit through morning rounds. I really had to fight hard to get him released to home, but I finally convinced them that he would be much better off at home recovering than being vulnerable in the hospital to secondary illness.

I have to say, we are exhausted and are in need of sleep. You never get a good nights rest in the hospital, and last night was no exception. Please agree with us in prayer that Connor's pain would be minimal. He is such a trooper!!!! He is taking Tylenol every 4 hours and rotating Tylenol w/Codine every other dose. Since we have been home he has been playing so good with little agitation. We thank the Lord that he is doing much better than we anticipated and we trust that this will continue!!!

I will update again in a couple of days and let you all know how he is recovering.
We are all hoping for a good night of rest tonight!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Successful Surgery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

We are so happy to report that Connor is out of surgery and it was a great success!!! We arrived at the hospital at 10:30 and we waited and waited to be called back. Finally we were in the pre-surgery screening area and we were told that Connor's surgery might not happen. Apparently the hospital is so full of patients right now that they did not have an ICU bed available for him to be in, so they put the surgery on hold. By 2:00pm we were told that a room became available and the surgery was a GO!!!! They administered some "happy" medication to Connor to settle him down a bit and then he got the giggles like you can't believe!!! It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. Here he was, getting ready for a big surgery and he was giggling like a silly school girl!!! I guess there really are hidden blessings behind every obstacle!!!

Before they took him in to the operating room, one of the nurses came back and told us that our prayers must really have been answered for this surgery to take place. There were 8 surgeries on hold and Connor was one of two that actually happened. Praise the Lord for that!!! We don't know why Connor was chosen, but we are thankful that he was and that we didn't have to turn around and go home.

About 2:30pm they took Connor from us and headed down that long, ominous hallway to the operating room. We, of course, had prepared Connor best we could to make that long walk without us. We assured him with our prayers as well as the little white treasure box we always send with him into the Operating Room. It contains 2 silver hearts that represent Daddy & Mommy's hearts going with him into the unknown and it also contains a small coin with his name on it and a picture of a Guardian Angel that promises to always be at his side. We have sent that box with him on far too many occassions, but it somehow gives us comfort to send it with him. Before he left us, I once again told Connor the story of his little guardian angel, Herman (that many of you remember that have read the blog from the very beginning). I reminded him that Herman would be there waiting for him when he entered the big white room and he would be doing loopty loops in the corners to make him giggle. We also told him that Herman would sing his favorite songs and whisper in his ears how much we loved him, but that Jesus always loves him more. It is always fun to remind Connor how much he is loved, even if it is in a silly manner.

After Connor was on his way, we headed down to the cafeteria to get a bowl of soup. We sat in our, all too familiar spot, in front of the large fish tank. We remembered vividly all the moments we had sat at that table in tears pleading with the Lord to spare our little boys life. Today, was different story. We thanked the Lord for His faithfulness to Connor over these 3 1/2 years and thanked him for the many miracles that He has preformed for Connor. We asked the Lord to spare him, this time, from pain. Our prayer is that he would have minimal pain as he recovers and that this surgery would accomplish what we sincerely hope it will......better health & an increased immune system for Connor.

Well, it wasn't more than about an hour and we received the page. We called up and sure enough, they were done with the surgery and the surgeon was waiting to talk with us. We knew that everything must have been a great success since it was such a short surgery. There was a spring in our step as we headed down the long hallways here at the hospital. When Dr. Sie greeted us she had a big smile on her face and said that Connor did GREAT. His tonsils were removed as they were the size of unshelled almonds on each side. Comparitively speaking, that is huge compared to the size of Connor's throat (well, to anyone's throat for that matter!). His adenoids looked very good and were quite small so she left those in and she felt that was the best decision. We trust her fully with Connor, so we are grateful that he didn't have to have them out as well. His airway was in perfect condition and looked completely normal and his ear tubes we in proper size and location for his growth over the next year. All things considered, this was a great outcome. Since the tonsils were the only thing to be surgically removed, his recovery should not be as difficult as we anticipated. It will still be rough, but probably only a couple of weeks.

The surgeon helped us better understand that Connor may actually have a better time of recovery not eating by mouth than he would if he were eating. We were surprised, because we were sure this would be the other way around. Actually, with the g-tube, we can make sure that he has proper nutrition and hydration without having to activate the throat muscles, which will be better on Connor for the long run of the recovery. Praise the Lord for answered prayer on this issue.

We are with Connor in the ICU right now and he is struggling to keep his oxygen levels up on his own and is requiring oxygen to supplement his breathing!!! Please pray that he would be able to do this on his own so that we can go home tomorrow.

We appreciate all of your prayers and I will update again later.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Surgery Tomorrow...Nov. 3rd 2009

2009-11-02T21:47:00.001-08:00

We are once again heading into the operating room. Tomorrow, Connor will go into the OR at Children's Hospital for his Tonsil & Adenoid Removal Surgery. We check in at 10am and the surgery is scheduled for 11:45am. We will be posting updates just as soon as we have information both here and on Facebook. Thank you in advance for your prayers for Connor. This is going to be a rough surgery for him. The recovery will be more difficult for Connor than the typical child because he is still exclusively on the g-tube for his nutrition. Typically, children would enjoy milkshakes and popsicles to soothe the pain and swelling post surgery, but Connor will not be able to do those things. We are quite sure that they will give him some pretty strong pain medication for that very reason, but time will quickly tell what he will need.

Randy is home so he will be with us at the hospital which I am very grateful for. My mom will be here with the little munchkins and we anticipate a couple of days in the ICU and then hopefully we will be able to bring him home.

Time to get some sleep before the big day tomorrow. We covet your faithful prayers and encouragement.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Coming up for air.....

2009-09-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in our last entry, we had a big week with Connor starting preschool and Alex turning one. What I didn't anticipate was the fact that sickness was going to befall the Robertson home once again.

Connor did start preschool and made it 3 days until he came down with a horrible cough, runny nose, fever and flu symptoms. Within a day, Alex and Mackenzie came down with it too. Randy came home and he got sick within a day. Yikes!!!! Mackenzie had the croup, Alex had a fever and really bad cold symptoms and I ended up in the ER at Children's Hospital with Connor last Sunday. They diagnosed him with croup, sinus infection and asthma. He is now on an inhaler for some breathing issues.

This past week was spent trying desperately to get everyone feeling better, but it has not been easy. Mackenzie is finally feeling somewhat better after 10 days, Alex is still miserable with an awful cold (on top of teething) and Connor is doing much better, but still coughs with a bit of a runny nose. Randy went back to work today, reluctantly, but felt that he had used enough sick days. There have been lots of sleepless nights around here and I just have to pray that things are going to look up soon.

I'm so torn about sending Connor back to school as we must keep him healthy for his upcoming surgery. I think I am just going to play it by ear for a while and see what my heart tells me to do. We did start Connor on some, much needed, nutritional supplements and a vitamin regime that we really pray will do the trick to build him up in his immune system and allow him to survive the world around him & the germs that are inevitable. So far, we have seen an improvement in his mood and sleep.....let's hope that these results continue to improve his overall health.

We know that many of you are also battling sickness, swine flu and fall colds. We understand what you are going through and we will pray for all of our blogger friends to feel healthy & strong soon. Remember, good hand washing and covering our coughs as well as some simple common sense can help us all feel safer in this germ infested time where sickness seems to be very widespread. We want everyone to feel happy & healthy and we pray that sickness would stay away, so let's all do our part...I guess the Mother Hen in me is coming out....I just want all the little chicks to be well!!!!

Lovebug Hugs & Well Wishes To All!!!
Lori

Big Week Ahead Of Us.......

2009-09-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

Well, this is going to be a big week for the Robertson gang!!! Randy is off at work again and Connor will start preschool on Monday and Alex will celebrate his first birthday on Tuesday!

First of all, Connor. He will begin preschool at Alpac Elementary on Monday afternoon. I am hopeful that this will be the year for Connor to have a great experience at school after last year being such a devastating start. If you'll remember, he got sick in just the 4 days he was in the classroom last year. I am nervous that Connor will struggle with illness again, but we just have to give it a try. I took him to orientation on Friday of last week and it was a complete nightmare. He screamed and cried the whole time. I don't know what prompted such severe outbursts, but it was extremely hard for me and it was an unfair way for him to meet his teacher. Connor struggles in so many areas, I desperately want him to excel in school, to fit in and be accepted and be liked by others. It's really hard when he isn't where the other kids are, they look at him differently and I wonder what his education profile is going to look like. We are so committed to Connor and to his progress in a variety of areas, and education is on the top of the list. I guess that's why this is so important to me that he receives the right placement and the right place for him to try and make strides with preschool learning and social integration. We are putting our best foot forward tomorrow and praying for good results. Please pray for Connor in this area. Pray that he would feel comfortable in the classroom setting and that he would be safe from illness. Pray that the teacher and para-educators would know how to best encourage and boost his learning. Pray that he would have fun with other kids and enjoy learning new things. I know for most kids, preschool is an anticipated step toward independence and expanded opportunities, however for Connor, there are many limitations because of his delays. Call me overprotective, that's OK, but I just want the very best for him and I am worried!!! He will be in school Monday - Thursday in the afternoons from 1:00 - 3:40. I will be taking him to school because it is too much out of my comfort zone to send him on the bus when he's not walking or communicating yet. That one's going to take me a while to feel comfortable with. So, for now it will be me and the bug-a-boo off to school (with the other munchkins in toe as well) 4 days a week. Wish him well tomorrow and say your prayers for an awesome day and a great start to preschool.

OK, now on to Alex. Our little peanut is going to be ONE year old on Tuesday. It's really hard to believe that he is already approaching this huge milestone. It truly seems like yesterday that he was born...maybe that's just because I haven't shed that baby weight yet...Hee Hee. Since Randy is not going to be home, we have opted to celebrate the big #1 on the 25th with the grandparents instead of doing it on his actual birthday. He will enjoy being the center of attention with lots of love & snuggles & presents. He recently recovered from about a 10 day sickness with a yucky virus called Rotavirus. Poor little fella, lost a lot of weight and was just miserable. He's starting to eat normally again and he's beginning to fill out in his little face as well. He's cruisin' all over the place, but hasn't taken any independent steps yet. Probably within the next month he'll be walking all over the house!!! He finally has 4 teeth, that have all come in within the last 3 weeks....literally. Teething has been miserable for Alex. I hope that he can get some more so we can make better strides with eating. He really doesn't like anything he has to chew yet, because he just has those silly gums. But now that he has front teeth we are making a little bit of progress in this department. He remains a constant joy and he keeps me on my toes....he's faster than lightning!!

We enjoyed taking Mackenzie to the Puyallup Fair last Friday on opening day. She just loved the animals and the petting zoo. She has no fear when it comes to animals so she was playing with Billy Goats, bunnies, and even a little baby hen. She also loved being on Daddy's shoulders to see the giant draft horses. Wow, those things are big!! We strolled around all afternoon and she even went on her first roller coaster...Daddy accompanied her on the Tiger Coaster while Mama video taped. She did great and loved the 3 rides that she went on. In fact the next morning when she got up she kept talking about how "very fun" the fair was. The scones and corn dogs were yummy, but boy oh boy, every year they are more expensive....Whew...It was a small investment just to attend the fair for a few hours. I'm not complaining though, we had a great time!!!

That's it for the moment. I'll try to post pictures of our big week soon. Also, our thoughts and prayers go out to our California family members on the news of Uncle Ernie's entrance to Heaven. That was Randy's dad's brother and a wonderful man. We loved him dearly and we are praying for Aunt Shirley and the rest of the family as they find peace in this difficult time.

All our Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Connor & Alex - New Pictures!!!

2009-08-20T15:23:00.000-07:00

Connor's 3 1/2 year photo's --- I know we have been late in posting current pictures...so here you go!!!! Isn't he getting big? We are having so much fun with him and he is such a joy to our hearts!!!!!!!

Connor had such a blast at his photo shoot at Indigo Studios....Russell Lorne did a great job capturing Connor "in his element"!!! Here he is standing up saying "Hi Friends"!!

Alex at 9 months!!!

Such a happy guy!!!!

I love that toothless grin!!!

We are so blessed with these handsome fellas!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

August Update!!!!!

2009-08-16T21:05:00.001-07:00

What a tremendous blessing it is for me to get messages from those of you who are awaiting an update on how things are in the Robertson home. It reminds me that there is a world beyond these walls that cares and loves us beyond measure and wants to know what's going on.

Once again I find myself apologizing for not making time for the blog. These 3 munchkins keep me on my toes around here and summertime also carries its own busyness. So here's a bit of a rundown on life around our house.

July brought HOT HOT HOT weather around here and I thought the boys might just melt up in their bedroom. Unfortunately, they have the hottest room in the house....so those nights were pretty unbearable for them (and the rest of us) because of the heat. We did survive it though and we took off for Eastern WA for some vacation the 19th of July. Myself and the kids went to Leavenworth with my folks for a week and then Randy met us over there at the end of that week and accompanied us to Wenatchee for another 5 days with the Robertson side of the family. Our time in Leavenworth was hot and fun, however, Connor ended up having another 'bout with MRSA. I caught it right away and started treating it, but there's never a calm moment in my heart when that little fella is sick. He ended up coming back home with my parents and we kept Mackenzie and Alex with us for the Wenatchee part of the trip. We endured record high temps with the rest of the state that week and were quite glad that we opted to stay in a hotel instead of trailer camping this year. We had a nice time with family, as we always do and had fun in the pool as well. Randy took some time to get back out on the water and do some skiing, which he hadn't done in 2 years...so he loved that. I was hoping for a day on the water as well to do some skiing or jet skiing, but I realized that my grasp is still not what it should be to do that, so I was with the kids.

This summer has been a trying time with Randy gone so much. It seems that his schedule just doesn't let up and we only have him home for maybe 3 days at a time, but just last week he had been gone for 6 days, came home for 30 hours and now he's gone again for another 6. Whew....it is hard to keep my chin up some days, but I really am trying to manage with a joyful heart. Some days are not as successful as others in this department, but the days keep moving forward.

Our littlest guy, Alex will be turning the big #1 in just a month (Sept. 15th). I can't believe it's already been a year. Where does the time go?? I wish I knew the answer to this question, but in the hectic life we all seem to lead, it goes without saying that we loose so much time in the process of doing life!!!!

Alex has struggled to get teeth. As of today, he finally had a top and a bottom tooth sneak out from underneath the skin. I think this poor little fella is gonna get 6 or 7 teeth at once...from what it looks like in that swollen little mouth of his. He hasn't been sleeping well, which is always difficult, so I look forward to these teeth coming so we can get back to a normal sleeping schedule. Other than that, he is such a happy little guy and so much fun....He is almost walking, so we are hopeful for independent steps by his first birthday.

Mackenzie continues to be my outdoor girl. She has a great love for rocks. She could stay outside all day collecting rocks and digging in the dirt. That poor girls fingernails just can't stay clean enough for me, but hey, she's having fun. I keep wanting to start the potty training experience with her, as I really think she's ready, but I haven't made it a priority yet. I need to get on this for her sake, and mine. She continues to be a very picky eater, so that is challenging. Any tricks of the trade would be greatly appreciated if any of you are so inclined to share your thoughts. She's a pile of fun and her little, high-pitched voice is a hoot. She says some of the cutest things and we're constantly worried that we're not video taping enough or capturing all of these moments so that we have them forever. Some days I just have to remind myself that I am making a heart memory if I can't get it on film or video.

Connor is a busy little guy too. He is really flourishing with his "gait trainer" walker. He loves to walk and he has taken 7 independent steps on his own so far. We're so proud of him and we encourage him to become more mobile every day. He still loves his water therapy with Miss Erica and he looks forward to it every week. We had another insurance battle over the past month so he missed a couple of sessions, but it looks like that is all getting resolved nicely. Last week we had appointments up at Children's Hospital with his ENT. After doing the evaluation and X-rays, they have determined that Connor needs his tonsils and adenoids removed. They are both quite enlarged and could be a big contributor to his sinus infections through the winter months and his poor sleep habits. We will see his cardiologist this coming week to get him cleared for surgery and then hopefully, we will have the procedure done in early September. It will be a pretty big deal for Connor and they feel that he will, most likely, spend a couple of nights in the ICU before coming home. They prepared me for a pretty unhappy little guy for about 2 weeks, but said that they would provide good pain management for him. I have some apprehension with all of this, but I am trusting that we are moving in the right direction for him.

Our families are doing well. This coming week we will celebrate Dad Robertson's (John) 85th birthday. What a blessing to celebrate our parents and how wonderful they are. Mom Robertson (Ruberta) has been battling a cyst in her knee for a few weeks now. She was in a lot of pain at first and now that seems to be getting better. We are praying that this goes down on it's own so the doctors don't have to do any kind of surgery. Dad & Mom Milliren are doing great as well. Still trying to figure out if they want to sell their house or stay...no decision on that yet. Dad (Bruce) hasn't done near the amount of fishing this year that he normally does, but maybe he'll catch up this fall. Mom (RaeAnn) is busy as ever, but did slow down last week with a UTI, but she is feeling much better now. My brother Bryan just summitted Mt. Adams this weekend...way to go Bryan...I'm proud of you! There's nothing like standing on top of a mountain, huh? Anyway, everyone is busy now and getting ready for the start of school here in a couple of weeks.

Well, there you go...another update on our busy family life. My to-do list keeps getting longer and longer and I find it harder and harder to get things crossed off.....such is the life of just about every mother I know. Keep us in your prayers as always, and know that we very much appreciate all of your love and support for our family.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

He Hears !!!

2009-07-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Every time I see this picture I am reminded of.....yes the worrisome hours of waiting for news of Connor's condition or what's next for him or even if he will make it through....the questions go on and on and remain in our hearts even to this day.

But as I reflect back on Littlebug's Journey I can't help but remember where he came from....and praise God......for where he is today! It would not be so without the prayers of all of you. Lori and I want to deeply thank you for your prayers and petitions on behalf of our precious Littlebug.

And ya know....... I think God has a very special place in his heart for the prayers of his little ones....and I know he's hearing our Littlebug!

Love,
Dad

Reminiscing again....

2009-07-09T11:44:00.000-07:00

A picture of Love....
it can't get
more beautiful than this!

From a Thankful Daddy and
a very lucky Hubby to have such a
beautiful wife as Lori!!!

Love Randy

Happy 4th of July & A Little Info About The Family!!!

2009-07-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day Weekend!!!!

I remember when I used to be so good about updating the blog on special occasions and writing about all of the wonderful things, and sometimes not so wonderful things happening around our house. Well, that was before 3 little firecrackers keep me busy ALL THE TIME!!!! I'm sorry that I haven't updated more, but I simply can't find the time on most days. I know that everyone is waiting for more pictures and more posts, so please be patient with me. I really want to put pictures up of Hawaii, but quite frankly, I haven't even gone through our pictures yet and it's been over a month now. So, again....please bear with me!!!

We had a nice 4th of July. Lots of great BBQ and sunshine. Alex held his first sparkler for his first 4th of July......So Cute!!!!

So this is how we are....
Randy ~ Poor guy had a toothache so bad last week, he ended up in the dentist office twice and finally had a root canal. He's doing much better and back at work as of yesterday, 4th of July! Still flying about 21 days a month for AA and wishing that life wasn't passing him by while he is away from the family. While he is at home, he is doing an awesome job maintain our little garden. We've enjoyed some fruits and veggies from our bounty and I even made a small batch of homemade hash browns the other day with our first handful of baby reds. He's working hard to keep our grass green this summer, which is ending up to be quite a big job. But, it's green and lush....Good job honey!!!

Lori ~ The sea urchin wound has proven to be much more of an ordeal than one would have imagined. Swelling is still pretty great in my index finger and palm and still no feeling yet. I am using it without a cast or wrapping on it so I can get used to not protecting it. Doctor says it may be 6 months or more until feeling comes back. Uuugghhh!!!!

Connor ~ Enjoying pool therapy for the summer since his other therapy's have stopped until the fall. He is walking with a "gate trainer" walker everyday. It is so fun to see him in this little contraption.....He's even run in it a couple of times. He had to go on antibiotics on Friday of last week for a sinus infection so he has been fairly miserable in the heat with such a bad cold and cough. He has pulled his entire g-tube (fully inflated balloon and all) out twice in the last week. He is getting stronger and stronger and his nighttime feedings are getting more and more difficult. We are really seeking wisdom on how to proceed with this dilemma!!! He also had his 3 year pictures taken a couple of weeks ago...they turned out so cute.....I will post them soon.

Mackenzie ~ Growing like a weed and wants to be outside ALL THE TIME!!! We were recently given a big wooden big toy with a swing and slide from our neighbors who didn't need it anymore. Randy has worked tirelessly to get it installed and safe so she can play. She loves it and loves digging in the dirt and picking raspberries and strawberries from our garden. As hard as I try to keep her a girly girl, she digs more, falls down more and has the dirtiest fingernails I've ever seen. Grandma Nanny tells her she could grow a garden under her nails. She finally lets me paint her toenails (which she calls Toneys) so you can't see the dirt as much on her feet. I think she has a bit of a tomboy streak in her....she has bruises up and down her legs from climbing just like you'd see on a little boy!!! Suck a stinker!!!

Alex ~ Still no teeth yet...but he's definitely working on them. He is such a happy fella. Smiling all the time and eager to be with you!!! He is cruising all over the place and curious about everything. He is pulling himself up the standing position and side-stepping around his toys and the furniture. I think he will be walking in no time...Watch out world!!! We finally got his 9 month pictures done and they are adorable. Again, I will post them soon. We now have updated pictures 0f all the kids and that makes me feel good. Alex is really fun to watch....He is definitely going to be our problem solver. He studies things and trys to figure out the way things work without getting frustrated, unlike his sister who gets frustrated easily if things don't work the way she thinks they ought to!!!

So, there you have it...a little more info on things going on in our neck of the woods. We hope you are all enjoying your summer and this beautiful, great NW weather that we are having.

All our Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Say it isn't so........

2009-06-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

This has to be short and sweet because I am typing one-handed. OK, let me explain...briefly! We had a wonderful time in Maui and it was just the relaxation and fun that the doctor ordered!! What the doctor didn't order was the hand injury that I came home with. I was snorkeling one day (toward the end of the trip) and found myself being dangerously tossed into the reef by the crashing waves and changing currents....when all was said and done I got cut up by the coral reef and my hand got smashed into a black sea urchin. I had 117 quills/spines in my left hand. I had one night in the ER in Maui and 3 doctors appointments back home and it's not getting better. The swelling has increased in my left pointer finger and the hand is now in a cast. I saw an orthopedic surgeon today and the final verdict is surgery. I go in tomorrow at 10:30 am for full sedation and hand surgery to remove the major culprit in the tendon center of my hand and to repair the damage. I'll be down for about 3 days with pain meds and then in a cast for 10 days or so.

We are hopeful that everything will heal quickly and I can get back to the business of being a wife and mommy soon. Randy is taking a little time off to be home with me and the kids and Grandma Nanny will be close by as well.

Will post with updated info soon. Thanks in advance for your prayers!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

PS ~ The snorkeling was fabulous and I had the chance to swim with turtles....Too fun!!!!!

Fevers, sniffles and colds all around...

2009-05-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well what a bummer. We are 6 days away from leaving for Maui and all three kids have fevers, sniffles, watery eyes, and colds. I feel like I am coming down with the same stuff. Yuck! I should be thankful that it isn't the day before we are leaving and we just come down with it. We have 6 days to let it run its course around here. How I hope and pray that Randy doesn't come down with it. He just left today, but Connor's had his fever for 2 days now. I'm glad that the majority of errands have been accomplished for our trip and the last minute things shouldn't take more than minimal effort.

Say a prayer that we all get over this soon.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Here's what we're up to...

2009-05-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

It has once again been far too long since I made an update about family life here at the Robertson's. Spring has definitely sprung around here. Randy was able to get our little garden prepared and planted during his last time at home for a few days. Now we just have to feed, water, fertilize and wait for the bounty!! Mackenzie had a great time being a gardener with Daddy. She is our outdoor girl. When she wakes up in the morning it's the cutest thing to go in and get her. You'd think there would be a greeting of Daddy or Mama, but no, it's usually the word "Outside" with the inflection of a question mark at the end. It's so cute. The moment she's awake she wants to go play in the dirt and plink around the yard.

Connor is involved in 3 therapies during the week. Monday's is a big day for him. He has physical therapy here at home with his new school therapist, Matt. They are getting along beautifully. He is genuinely excited to see Matt on Monday's. They've been working on a really neat platform swing that Connor loves. It is really working his core strength and you can tell he is working hard when you see him on it. Connor is sidestepping along the couch and other surfaces as well as pivoting his strength to turn corners and go in the opposite direction. This is a huge accomplishment for Connor. He was fitted for new orthotic shoes a few weeks back and we have just received them last week, so we are now working ourselves up to wearing them every day!!! Monday's are also academic days for Connor. His preschool teacher comes for 1 hour to work with him on educational goals. Right now, they are working on concepts such as in and out and cause and effect type of play. Connor enjoys his playtime with Teacher Noell.

Connor is also involved in occupational and speech therapy on Thursdays. Natalie and Katie work with him on his fine and gross motor skills while trying to incorporate sign language. There is a lot going on in those sessions which I think can be very frustrating for Connor, so we are not seeing progress in this department at present, but we press on. I think Connor's favorite day of the week (other than the days Daddy comes home) is Wednesday because that is when we get to go visit Erica and do one hour of pool therapy. He loves Erica and he loves the water. Splishing and splashing and kicking are a big hit with him. He is doing well with the therapy. It is not swimming lessons, so he isn't learning to swim. He is being challenged in his muscle strength and leg coordination in hopes that we will begin walking skills soon. He is progressing nicely in this area.....Remember, he marches to the beat of his own drum, so the timing may not be perfect, but, as I always say, "He's getting there"!!!

I have mentioned over and over and over again on this blog that we remain frustrated about the feeding/nutrition situation with Connor. He is still not taking any food by mouth. He is exclusively fed through his g-tube. We are becoming increasingly concerned that we need to push him and challenge him to eat by mouth. We try suckers in his mouth to give him a good experience and he will still have nothing to do with it. How we wish for the day when Connor will eat by mouth. This remains a struggle...a big one!!!! Enough said!!!

Alex is just as happy as ever. He has a ready smile as soon as you catch eyes with him. He loves to play and eat!!! He's the chunkiest of all our kiddo's and we just love the sight of that little baby fat on his legs!!! We always say, we could just eat 'em up!!! He is sleeping wonderfully with his brother in the "boys" room. They do so well together. Neither one wakes the other up. It is a great situation, and I can now count on them sleeping through the night, which is wonderful for this mom who needs her rest. Still no teeth yet, but Alex is working really hard on cutting those first bottom teeth. He loves rolling around to get to his toys...no crawling yet, but I think we could be getting close. He babbles all the time and I've even heard him mimick, Mama...but don't tell Daddy!!! At 7 1/2 months Alex is starting to exhibit seperation anxiety. I never really sensed this in either Connor or Mackenzie, but Alex is another story. As soon as he sees you leave his sight, he gets pretty teary eyed. And then, as soon as it started, he is happy again as soon as he sees me. I hope we can help him navigate through this time of finding some independence. No matter what, he is such a joy and makes our days fun.

Randy and I are anticipating a wonderful trip coming up in just a couple weeks. Mackenzie will have the fun opportunity to be in her first wedding....in Hawaii!!! Our niece, Lindsay is getting married on Maui. Kenzie will get to be one of the flower girls and will get to walk down barefoot in the sand on flower petals. What fun!!! So, Randy and I and Kenzie will head out to Maui on May 19th and will have a week of fun in the sun!!!! This will be a great time for all of us to be together, rest and play!!! Grandma Nanny & Pop Pop will be staying with the boys so they will have a fun treat as well getting spoiled by grandparents. We are blessed for their willingness to stay with the kids so that we can have this fun time. There are many preparations to get ready for, but it is all fun stuff. However, I had really wanted to drop this pesky baby weight before the trip....no such luck....I have some work to do to get back to the real Lori!!! I need to step up my commitment to looking and feeling better.

Anyway, that is what's going on around here. Hope all is well in each corner of your world, wherever that may be. If I don't have the opportunity to post before we leave on the 19th, rest assured I will post when we return from Hawaii. You can see I've changed the way the blog looks a little. I guess I thought it was time for a change....It's kinda like changing around the furniture at home, Ha Ha!!! You can continue to view everything the same way as you used to. Please continue to leave us comments when you visit. We LOVE to hear from everyone, some days, it's just what I need. You can also let us know your reaction by checking the appropriate box....praying for you, funny or love it!!! Just thought I'd have a little fun with some of the gadgets that are available to this blog. Thanks again for visiting. You all play a vital role in our family and were thankful for your commitment to visit us here on the blog.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Here's a selection of various Easter, Birthday, Outside and Professional Pictures

The Kids Easter Baskets...Connor (left end) Mackenzie (middle) Alex (right end)...Spoiled little bunnies!!!

It's my very first Easter everyone!!!

Ok, has everyone seen the movie "A Christmas Story"? I know Mama didn't put me in a pink bunny suit....but this is comin' real close guys!!!!!! What were you thinking Mama????

Hey, these bunny ears aren't so bad. I think I like Easter grass!!

You mean I have to start learning to drink from a sippy cup now??? Rats, I love my BaBa!!!

Why is it then when Mama leaves the house....even if it's just for an hour or two....dirt and mud seem to quickly follow????

Getting dirty with Daddy!!!

Making mud puddles...

I just have one question here....Is Mama gonna find out about this????

There's our sunshine girl...Thanks for the pretty sunglasses Auntie Maureen... I wear them every day to get ready for our big airplane trip to Hawaii!!!

I love to chew on my toys!!!

Alex snuggling with Auntie Marsha at the big family birthday party....I was pooped out!!! Thanks for the snuggles and lovies auntie!!!

Connor and Daddy opening presents....Hey Grandpa & Grandma...I love my new set of sports balls. They're really cool!!

Playing with Daddy and my new basketball!!

Mackenzie's 2 Year Portrait!!! Isn't she a big girl. She got to be all dressed up and we even curled her hair with a curling iron for the 1st time. She definitley had the beauty treatment.

Sitting pretty and smiling like a good girl!!!

Being a cutie pie!

I think she really had fun at her photo shoot!!! We got lots of good pictures. Now it's Alex and Connor's turn for their next professional pictures. We'll post them as soon as we get them back.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Easter Pics...

2009-04-15T11:18:00.001-07:00

Just a few pics of Easter Egg coloring....Will post more pics soon. We'll be celebrating Easter tomorrow since Randy is home now.

My little funny bunny boy!!! 7 months old today...where does the time go?

Ready for dunkin' Mama!!!

Connor was not particularly into Easter Egg coloring this year. He was awfully tired, and I realized yesterday that he has 1 new little spot that the doctor thinks could be MRSA again. We're treating it with topical cream this time and it looks much better today.

Our little barefoot princess....Looking at all the colors....
Mackenzie turned 2 on April 2nd. It was her golden birthday because she turned 2 on the 2nd. We celebrated with a Mickey Mouse party and took her to Charlie's Safari....Just Daddy, Mama and Kinzie. I'll post pictures soon.

Who's the fairest bunny of them all....ME!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Insurance News...

2009-03-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

I received great news yesterday from Blue Cross/Blue Shield about the coverage for Connor's feeding supplies.

Here's how it went down.....I had been calling daily to find out what the predetermination review results were and there hadn't been any news in days, until Friday when they told me that they had sent me out a denial letter for coverage of Connor's supplies and formula. When the woman told me this she was aghast at the fact that her company actually sent me a letter telling me I couldn't feed my little boy. As we talked she told me that she was the mother of a 3 year old as well and she just couldn't fathom being in our position. She knew there must be a way to find a positive result to the situation so we began putting our heads together and we came up with a plan. Throughout our conversation I told her that I had prayed before I even called that day and asked the Lord to give me favor with the company and to get a helpful and kind person on the other end of the line. I told her she was an answer to my prayers and she said, "Great...I'm a Christian too!!!" We worked on putting another letter together with procedure codes and diagnosis codes and prayed for the best. She said she would personally walk the letter over to the proper department and let me know the results. Yesterday she called me to let me know that the results were in and we had received full coverage for Connor's supplies. I feel so blessed that she was willing to help us in the process and the battle for our insurance compay to see the need for this.

So, the weight has been lifted for coverage and we can place our order without having to worry. We still have to meet the yearly deductible and if our out of pocket expense of $1500 is not met, then they will cover at 85%. Once our out of pocket expense is met (which it is for this year already....) they will cover at 100%. It is always up to a yearly review, but we are confident that with the help of the nice lady at BCBS we won't have any trouble .

So, there you have it....answered prayer. Thanks for all you advice and prayers on this issue. I am beginning to understand the insurance battle that so many of us face on a daily basis and I realize that not everyone gets good news all the time. My encouragement for those of you who might have similar battles is to never take no for an answer and keep trying. As frustrating as it is, keep calling and keep pushing. With the economy the way that it is, we can't be too frugal with our finances and with our precious treasures...our children. Find someone on the inside of your insurance company who can be your advocate on the inside and hopefully you will make progress and you will get good news as well.

Although we continue to have challenges, this is one I can cross off the list for the moment.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

The Results Are In...

2009-03-21T20:13:00.001-07:00

This afternoon the phone rang and it was Connor's doctor with the results of the lab test on his staff infection....Positive for MRSA. So, it's official, he definitely has it. Now that we know for sure, I will begin the tasks of washing bedding every morning, sanitizing all toys every night, and try to keep him quarantined from the other kids as best I can. He is still in good spirits, however the antibiotic has given him a terrible case of diarrhea. Poor little fella!!!

So far there are no other signs of it on him or anyone else, so that is positive. Since he is highly contagious the doctor urged me not to take him or even the other kids out around other people for at least 5 days, if not 10 just to make sure we don't spread any unwanted germs around. So, we're home bound once again.

I am desperately seeking signs of life and springtime anywhere I can find it and today, just outside my garage door I saw my first Hyacinth of season peeking her little head out...I think she will be a pale shade of yellow from what I can tell of her shell. Thank goodness for beauty in the midst of illness.

Thanks for your much needed prayers. Our spirits feel lifted although the burden of sickness remains. Just a quick update on our insurance situation that so many of you have asked about. Friday when I called the insurance company they told me that they had just sent out a letter dated Mar. 20th that our request for coverage had been denied. YIKES!!!!! The woman on the other end of the phone was both compassionate and efficient in her effort to help me come up with a different plan. She told me that she was also a Christian and the mother of a 3 year old and she couldn't comprehend that her company was going to tell me that I couldn't feed my little boy. She assisted me in coming up with procedure codes that may be authorized, but the final word will come in on Wednesday of next week. Please keep praying that we receive good news on this situation. I still cannot comprehend trying to come up with and extra 4K per month for Connor's enteral (feeding) supplies. "WITH GOD, ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE."

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

How I long for......

2009-03-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

How I long for brighter days of sunshine and less days of dreary, grey rain. I also long for happier days where I can post fun updates about all the things the kids are doing and all the fun adventures we are on.

Unfortunately, today is not that day. I just returned home from the doctor with Connor and he has somehow contracted staff infection with a good chance he could have MRSA. He had been fighting an ear infection, that I thought was well under control until a couple of days ago when I noticed large sores in his left ear. They continued to become more red and irritated and so I took him into the doctor early this morning. The doctor was sure it was staff infection so we started an antibiotic. However, he also said that the appearance of the sores were consistent with the look of MRSA. He lanced one of the sores to get a sample to send to the lab to have it tested. We will know for sure by Saturday. If it is MRSA, then we will stop the antibiotic and start a specific drug that targets MRSA.

Needless to say we are praying that this is not MRSA. Our research indicates that MRSA can have tragic results, especially in children with a low immune systems and those who are medically compromised. I have promised myself to stop looking at the information until we know for sure, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried.

Connor is in great spirits and doesn't act like he's sick at all. He doesn't have a fever, which the doctor said was a really good sign. So, we will continue to pray for Little Bug's healing and we will pray that this will be a quick passing infection.

Lovebug Hugs to all,
Lori

Yes....we're all feeling better!!

2009-03-14T10:12:00.000-07:00

I am remiss at posting on the blog....AGAIN!!!! Sorry to all our readers that really want updates on how things are in the Robertson home.

We are all feeling better....It took about 4 weeks, but everyone is on the upside of sickness. Connor has a bit of an ear infection, but we are treating that with drops and he is in good spirits. Alex and Mackenzie are doing great and acting like a typical 2 year old (almost) and a 6 month old.

Randy is gone A LOT and we are struggling with finding balance. Everyone seems to think the life of an airline pilot must be so glamorous.....IT'S NOT!!!!!!!! He averages being gone about 22 days a month and is never home for more than 3 days at a time. It doesn't leave a lot of room for normal family life. I'm not complaining, I'm really not....We are so grateful that in this economy Randy has a job, so we will just pull up our boot straps once again and find a way to survive and thrive in the midst of it.

Connor's schooling has become quite an issue. We have decided that his preschool class is not the best placement for him and we are awaiting a new IEP to discuss other options for him and his educational, developmental and therapy needs. It is a fight, I will tell you that, but this Mama is up for the challenge, whatever it takes.

Mackenzie will be 2 in just a few weeks. I can't believe our little sweet pea is such big girl. She has become a bit of a finicky eater.....that's not fun, but I'm hoping she will grow out of that. She is talking more and more and is really a little chatter box. Some things we completely understand, other things we think she may be creating her own language. We work with flash cards and try to have her repeat everything we say. She's coming along on her animals and sounds, but she seems to only want to "show off" with us. Little stinker!!!

Alex is such a handsome fella!!! He smiles all the time (when he's not crying...Hee Hee) and has the greatest little laugh. He is definitely teething and we know that is miserable for him. He hasn't got the sleeping through the night thing down yet, which is really becoming a difficult thing for me. I do much better with the tasks of the day when I am rested. We have been unwilling to let him cry at night for fear that the other munchkins would wake up, but I think we're going to have to start letting him work it out a bit more on his own. Alex is rolling over sometimes, but not consistently. It will come all in time!!!! He loves to watch his brother and sister make him laugh...it's so cute. He is a big fan of his exersaucer and his Johnny Jump Up!!

Lori is trying her best to stay on top of all the family needs. We have recently transitioned away from Randy's military benefits and into the real world of insurance. It is scary to say the least. We were incredibly blessed by 100% coverage up until March 1st. I am currently fighting the battle of coverage for Connor's home health for his g-tube and feeding supplies. We have been told that Blue Cross/Blue Shield does not cover anything for home health coverage. This is scary because it is about a $4,000.00 per month cost. I am trying to go the route of getting letters to explain the medical necessity of these items and request for coverage. The final word is not in yet, so we are certainly hoping for positive results on this issue.

I know it is a travesty that I haven't posted pictures in a while.....I will honestly try to find time to do that. Quite frankly I haven't wanted to take pictures of the kids when they have all been so sick. Who wants to see sick kid pictures!!! Now that everyone is on the mend, I will try to snap some fun shots of the kids so everyone can see how they are growing.

Thanks so much for all your kind comments and encouragement....we LOVE getting your comments. Sometimes your comments have been exactly what I've needed to get through another day...so keep 'em coming.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

I can't believe it....I really can't believe it!!!!!

2009-02-15T10:42:00.000-08:00

I feel like the plagues have been sent to the Robertson home. After what seemed to be a successful 1st week of preschool, Connor awoke that Friday (the 6th) with a runny nose. By Sunday it had quickly turned into a cough and fever and I ended up in the doctor's office with him last Monday morning. He had a fever of 102.3 and lungs that looked pretty yucky. After a five hour trip to the doctor that included blood work in the hospital lab and a trip to radiology for X-rays and two inter muscular antibiotic shots, we arrived home with oral antibiotics for some type of unexplained infection in Connor's body. He had a miserable night last Monday and then we headed back into the doctor the next day for more shots. He has started oral antibiotics now and on top of all the other symptoms he has a yeast infection caused by the medicine. Poor little fella.

It doesn't end there.....Wednesday Alex and Mackenzie came down with the same symptoms and high fevers....Alex had a fever of 102.4 and Mackenzie had a fever of 102.8. So off we headed to the doctor with the two of them. Diagnosis....Mackenzie has the croup and Alex has bronchitis. Everyone had a miserable night with little sleep and Thursday everyone was worse. We let it ride through the day to see if there was a light at the end of the tunnel, but alas, another sleepless night with miserable sick kids. Friday I ended up taking Connor and Alex back to the doctor (4th trip this week) and I was convinced that someone was going to end up being admitted to the hospital. After X-rays were taken of Alex it was determined that he has bronchial pneumonia and it just has to run it's course....Connor was definitely worse, but since he is already taking antibiotics there was no change in his course of treatment. So we headed home again for what looks like the long haul of sickness.

Ok, now let's top it off....I have picked up the same virus, same symptoms and same high fever. I honestly think America's Funniest Home Videos has secretly installed hidden cameras in our home so someone can get a good laugh out of our misery. Thankfully Randy is pretty well symptom free as he is back on the road, as of yesterday, with American Airlines. My mom has graciously agreed to, once again, bring her helping hands over to help us out. It's now over a week and it doesn't look like there is any end in sight.....yet. I know this will eventually pass, but I can't help but feel totally overwhelmed with why this keeps happening to us. We never thought that we would be the family with the sick kids and the ones who couldn't partake in the normal activities of daily life, but here we are in a place that we never thought we'd be.....AGAIN!!!

So as for school........I don't think we'll be sending Connor back to school as he is just too medically fragile to get any real benefit from the experience. I am so sad because I was so looking forward to this new adventure for him and an exposure to something fun and exciting. We were hopeful that this would increase his leaning ability and his developmental progress, but for the time being it just ceases to be productive to continue because when he (and the rest of us) are sick there is no progress being made.

Well, there you are. I really can't believe that we find our self here, but yet, here we are. I will close now as there are runny noses to wipe and much comfort to give. I know we've asked for a lot of prayer, but we humbly ask for it again. Please pray that we would find some reprieve from the storms of life and sickness around here.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

It Doesn's Seem Possible...But It's Here......

2009-02-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

Connor had his first day of preschool today!!!! It seems just like yesterday we were snuggling him in the hospital after he was born and now look at him.....on his way to school.

Connor is so happy to be starting school today. He woke up in a great mood....smiling at every turn. Here he is having a good healthy breakfast before leaving for his big day. I was always taught to have a good breakfast before school.....how I wish I was scrambling eggs and flipping pancakes for him. I hope that I will be able to do that for him one day, but for this day it's his usual dose of Pepteman Jr. - Full of vitamins and minerals....I hope!!!!

This was the card that I found for Connor over a year ago. I've had it tucked away in a special place just waiting for this day to arrive. It was waiting for him at the breakfast table. How perfect that it's a "Little Bug"!!

Ok Connor....Here's the deal...You are going to school today without me so you better learn lots of fun games to bring home and teach me OK. You're the first one to start school so make sure to remember everything so you can tell me OK. Have fun at school you lucky bug!!!

I'm all strapped in the "bug bus" (aka Mama's van) and ready to roll!!

Arriving at Alpac Elementary....My PreSchool!!!

Hey, I found myself in the big mirror in my classroom. How cool!! That's my new friend Victor behind me.

Here I am with Teacher Noell....Isn't she pretty....She's my new teacher. She made sure the classroom was all ready for me with special chairs and even a special toy that she knew I would love...It lights up, plays music and has balls.....MY FAVORITE!!!

I had a great time in the therapy room.....Lots of fun stuff!!!

Here I am with Theapist Natalie and Therapist Shayleen...They are my new friends...But I can tell they are gonna make me work hard to learn new things...Good for them, I need someone to crack the whip every now and then.

Who would've thought....my first day of preschool and they let me use scissors.....and come to find out, they're standard issue here in preschool. Yippee...
I didn't like them very much though, so teacher Noell used the hand over hand technique to help me learn. I still need A LOT of work!!

Here we are cutting out sparkling fins to put on my fish!!!!

Craft time with my new posse of preschool pals.....Kendrick, Cole, Victor!! I hope we'll be great friends!

How cool is Teacher Noell???? She let me play with shaving cream while the other kids had snack time....That was fun. Hopefully I will be having snack time with the other kids soon, but until then, I like the special attention!!

Look at me.....I'm practicing getting ready to shave.....Don't worry Mama I'm not growing up that fast yet....I was just kidding!!! HEE HEE

Here's my little bro Alex.....Isn't he cute. He's learning new things too. He just turned 5 months old and he is 13lbs 10 ounces. He's still a little fella, but we'll keep him. He loves to sit and play in his bumbo chair and jump in his johnny jump up. I guess we're all jumpers in this family.

Hope you enjoyed the pics. It's off to bed now for some rest....Tomorrow's another day of learning.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Home at last!!!

2009-01-25T11:32:00.000-08:00

We arrived home from MN last night around 5:30pm. It was good to walk into the comfort of our own home and to see the smiling faces of our children. We celebrated our 5th anniversary yesterday as well. Not the type of romantic experience one would hope for an anniversary, but as we all know, we'd do anything for our children.

Exhausted from the traveling is an understatement. I am just whooped!!! Tired, sluggish, headache....Ugghhh!!! The kids had a difficult time sleeping last night, so there were lots of moments in the rocking chair. Randy had to leave for the airport again bright and early this morning as he starts back to work this afternoon. So, life moves on......No change, just the typical grind.

It's obvious that Connor missed his toys and Mackenzie a lot. There have been lots of smiles and giggles which does my heart good. Little Alex is getting back into the swing of things getting Mama's milk without any difficulty....let's just hope and pray Mama's milk comes back in 100%.

I was hoping to post more pictures, but a las, Randy took the other computer with him and that's where they are all stored. I will have to post pictures after he returns from this work trip. I think we'll have a 1 or 2 day turnaround before he will leave again for 6 days.

So here we are. Home!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Packing Up & Going Home!

2009-01-23T19:50:00.000-08:00

There isn't much more to say than this......................We are going home discouraged, baffled, bewildered and down right disappointed. We had hoped for so much more than this for our trip, but for some reason this was not our time for answers. We appreciate everyone's prayers, encouragement and messages. We have heeded the advice given and we will follow up with the Wisconsin doctors over the phone. We just don't have the energy to chase another path right now. Randy has to turn around and fly back out to work in California as soon as we get home, and Lori just doesn't have the strength to deal with Connor and all the doctors on her own if they were to go to Wiscconsin. Plus, it is time to get home to the other kids and to nursing Alex too. We tried to make the most of our stay here and we will post a lot more pictures once we are home. But for tonight, we must find some rest. Today was just exhausting not getting anywhere with the doctor. It literally sucked the life and hope right out of us. In a nutshell, we were told to possibly change Connor's formula, slow down the rate of his feeding and add Benifiber to his formula. All the way to Minnesota for that??????????????? Go figure. Poor little guy is in so much pain from his g-tube site he just screams. It is raw, red and bloody and even that was not cause enough for concern or intervention. We must now go about the business of figuring things out on our own. I don't know how and I don't know why, but this seems to be the case.

Frustrated and Tired.
Lori

Tears are falling...

2009-01-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

We've been released from the hospital after what was a frustrating and unproductive stay. Nothing came of the tests that were preformed on Connor today other than to say that everything is just fine. No dumping syndrome, or if it is it is extremly mild. No Hershenbergs syndrome. His anatomy is perfectly normal so there is no reason that he shouldn't be able to preform typical GI tasks without problem. Well, the problem is that that is not the case. We are so frustrated and angry. I have spent the entire night in tears, Randy is mad and Connor has been screaming in pain because they changed his G-Tube and it is raw & bloody. They released us with the most ridiculous orders and no pain management for Connor. We are glad that Mayo Clinic has been helpful for others, but for us it has been nothing but trouble.

We are at the Ronald McDonald House tonight and tomorrow we will see the original doctor from Monday again. The only things that they have told us are to change the rate of speed at which Connor gets his feedings and maybe that, along with a formula change will do the trick. In their eyes, there is no urgency of finding what is causing the problems, only experimenting with things we've already tried. Granted we are tired, frustrated and far from home, but we are starting to feel that things are never going to change and this was just a major wild goose chase.

Forgive the candidness in which I speak, but it is from an aching mother's heart who is weary from this long battle. As always, we remain hopeful but even that is waning.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

PS ~
I understand our little angels at home got lots of extra TLC and playtime today. How we loved the pictures and videos on Facebook. We are ready to come and see them.

At the hospital

2009-01-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

Well today we admitted Connor to St. Mary's Hospital at 8am. In typical hospital style, nothing really happened until after 3pm when they started taking the blood glucose tests before and after Connor's feedings. They are looking for a dramatic drop in blood sugar to occur if he does have Dumping Syndrome. So far, the levels are not remarkable enough to make any determination. He had 5 episodes today and each one of them were missed by the doctors. We would alert the nursing staff that "this was it" and no one ever came until the episode was complete. So, they will be continuing with the plan for tomorrow which is to send Connor into the OR under sedation for quite a few procedures. The results, I'm told, might take a while, so I don't know what the plan is for us after the procedures are done. We do know that we have a follow up appt. with the original Dr. Tung on Friday at 3:30. So, we remain patient, hopeful and expectant for good things.

Another thing thrown out by one of the doctors today was something called Herschbergers Disease. This is where the muscles and the nerves in the anus do not cooridinate during a bowel movement. They aren't sure, but they will check for it. So far, a lot of talk and not a lot of movement, but I guess it will happen all in time.

We were able to get an available room at the Ronald McDonald House which is right across the street from this hospital instead of across town. I will be staying in the hospital with Connor tonight and Randy will be over there. Depending on what the plan is for Connor, at least we have a convenient and comfortable place to stay once we are discharged from the hospital.

Thanks for all your continued prayers. We still need them very much!!!!

Lovebug Hugs For Tonight,
Lori

PS ~
Today back home Miss Mackenzie had a fun play date with Auntie Shawn. I've seen the pictures over email and watched a brief video of their time together. It brought tears to our eyes to see her having so much fun, but we are happy to see her having fun. It's harder than we ever imagined to be away from the other kids. Our thanks go out to Grandma Nanny and Grandpa for staying with them and everyone else who is stepping in to provide company and fun for them. You are all dear to us.

Pictures from Tuesday!!!

2009-01-21T17:45:00.000-08:00

The start of the day...a big smile!!!

A silly look from a silly boy!!

Playing Davey Crocket with Daddy and Mama on the bed!!!

Davey, Davey Crocket King of the Wild Frontier!!!

Checking into Nuclear Medicine for all of my testing. You can tell by the look on my face this isn't gonna be fun.

Here's the big machine that took my pictures 7 times yesterday. I had to lay still for 4 minutes...It took 4 people just to hold me still for that long.

Mama's taking off my probes.....Yippee, that means I'm done with that test!

Hey Mackenzie, we found Mickey Mouse in Minnesota. What's he doing here? He's supposed to be at home with you in the clubhouse doing the Hot Dog Dance....Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Diggity Dog!!!! I miss morning cartoons with you sis.....I'll be home soon for a breakfast date with you!!

Connor cruisin' along the waiting room floor to Daddy!!

Watch out ahead....It's a runaway Bug!!!

Connor and I went exploring and you wouldn't believe what we found. Daddy took the shuttle to WalMart (he forgot socks...Mr. Always Prepared) and me and Mommy found lots of fun stuff. The first thing we found was a cool beaver and duck pond on the kids unit.

Here we are...see the little ducks?? I'm glad Daddy and Abbey weren't here to see those ducks or there would have been a problem!!!

Mama even found a big fish tank so we could watch Little Nemo!!!

Can you believe it, we even found Noah's Ark.

Here's proof that there really is a Mrs. Noah!!!!

I love to pose with my new friend Teddy Bear!!

Saying a prayer in the chaple!!! Lord, Please heal our little boy!!

Ok, it's time for school. Mama had to get some educational time in with me so we headed to the library for some reading. It's always nice to read a little Elmo and Winnie the Pooh!!

Oh yeah, and Mama had to stop off in the pumping room a few times....That Alex is sure lucky that Mama wants him to have the good stuff.

Playing Music Box Dancer with Daddy...Yep...that's right, my dad, the pilot, knows Music Box Dancer!!!

Sticking my tongue out with Daddy is fun!!!

End of a long day (Tuesday) waiting for the shuttle back to our hotel and we need some rest...can you tell???

Here's the plan...

2009-01-20T19:04:00.000-08:00

Today was a long 7 hour test day. We checked Connor in this morning at 9am to St. Mary's Hospital where we headed up to the 6th floor to Nuclear Medicine. He was administered a radioactive sustance that they proceeded to watch travel through his body for 7 hours. This test is called a gastric emptying study. In typical individuals you would see the stomach empty between 20-40% after 1 hour. When we heard from the doctor this evening with results, she was concerned that Connor's emptying was "rapid". In the first hour, Connor's emptying was 80%. By two hours in was 87%. This could be consistent with his symptoms of pain, vomitting and discomfort when having a bowel movement. This is called "Dumping Syndrome."

Because of the results today, we have been told to admit to the hospital tomorrow as an inpatient and he will be observed with his normal feeding schedule. During this observation, they will test his blood glucose levels after each feeding and during the episode. These results should direct the doctors as to the course of treatment if this is dumping syndrome. If it is dumping syndrome then we will travel down a different course than originally planned. If it is not, then we will continue with the plan which is following through with Upper GI's, Lower GI's, Lab work, and x-rays all done under sedation on Thursday at the hospital. We will definately know more tomorrow, so for tonight we will hold off on posting the pictures of the day. We must let Connor get to sleep and us too because we will board the hospital shuttle at 6:30am. We will have computer access tomorrow so we will post pictures and information there. Please continue your prayers. We definately came here to get on the right path and to find out answers. How we have hoped and prayed for a miracle of healing, but maybe it is a diagnosis that we will recieve. It's all still in the Lord's very capable hands.

For tonight, Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Events of the day!!!!

2009-01-19T18:19:00.000-08:00

Little Bug did not want to go to bed last night...He was up until after 11pm. What a stinker!!!

Connor in his bed...but not wanting to sleep!!

Randy got creative with the way we set up Connor's sleeping quarters. We hung a blanket up with wall tacks to create a barrier so he sleeps in front of the bathroom area and he can't see any light from our area. We played his nighttime sleepy CD from home to make him feel comfortable...let's hope he konks out before 11pm tonight!!!

Just before heading out to the skyway to our appt.

In the hallway outside our appointment area. Mayo Bldg. floor #9

Mama's filling out the book of information on me....WOW...there's a lot she has to talk aobut with the doctor.

Daddy and Connor found an old antique scale....I think Randy's surprised how much Connor has grown...Mama wouldn't even go near the scale...She says posting all these pictures has renewed her energy to drop the baby weight!!! Hee Hee

Daddy and Connor playing in the waiting room before the big appointment.

Here we are waiting for the doctor to arrive in my examination room.

Here we are in the new pediatric floor waiting for the x-ray technician to come and get us.

Mama does a good job of undressing me quick for all these things...

Don't I look cute in my paper outfit!!! Hee Hee...I'm so silly!!

Happy family waiting in the X-ray waiting area.

I'm done with my X-ray and I get to get back in my own clothes...Let's go back to our hotel and play now.

Well, that was my day today. Daddy and Mama are still frustrated with the process here, but we're gonna do our best. Tonight I am fasting after 8pm so I won't get my tube feeding through the night. I will go into the hospital Tuesday at 9am for what's called a gastric emptying study. It will take about 7 hours of x-raying every hour and a half. We'll let you all know how it goes.

We've met lots of people that we need to be praying for. Peter and Wanda need our prayers as do our new little friends Hannah and Addison. We also met a little girl named Anabell that stole our heart. She's a cancer patient and she's so cute. Everyone here has a story and they all need our love and prayers too.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Frustrations are setting in!!!!!!!!

2009-01-19T10:06:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here in the waiting room of the Mayo clinic after Connor's 1st evaluation with the doctor. We are frustrated because they don't seem to have any openings for his procedures until Thursday or Friday which will potentially extend our stay. We said from the beginning that we would do anything for Connor, but it will be frustrating to sit in a hotel for 3 days doing nothing.....waiting!!!!!!! We're here, let's get things done!!!!!!! Ugh!!

The appt. was uneventful in the fact that Connor was a little ham and delight. He didn't have any of his episodes to "show" the doctor, so everything was simply a report of information. We have been hoping that someone would be able to see what Connor goes through to sympathize with his plight and to understand the seriousness of his problems.....but no, not today....he's in rare form which is nice, but frustrating to say the least.

Medically speaking they are looking into doing upper GI and lower GI tests as well as blood work, liver function, thyroid function, gallbladder function, pancreas function, gastric emptying studies and the like. We'll keep you posted on our progress...right now it looks like things aren't going as smooth as we would have liked. But.....we will remain positive and prayerful that we're going to get somewhere here.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

We're Here!!!

2009-01-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

Our great adventure has begun and we are safe and sound in Minnesota. The trip went well and Connor did quite well on the plane and shuttle ride today. We are going to get some sleep and prepare for a big day tomorrow. Here's the pictures of the 1st day of our journey.

Just getting dropped off at SeaTac at 5:45am!!! Wow that's early for a Little Bug!!

Daddy's giving Little Bug the drill on checking bags and gives Mommy a hard time that she's overpacked....In Mommy's defense, she just had to have outfit options for me, you never know how we might need to dress. Options are always good in Mommy's eyes!!! Hee Hee

Ridding the tram at SeaTac to gate N11...Whee...........This is fun Dad!!!

Getting ready to go through security...I can't believe they make you take a 3 year olds shoes off!!!

On the plane making our reservations for the Go Rochester Direct Shuttle.

Waiting for the shuttle in Minneapolis....I'm so tired!!!

Playing on the floor in our hotel room. Hey guys, can we go to the pool soon!!!

We'll post more tomorrow. Keep praying for us!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Randy, Lori & Little Bug

We're Off To Mayo....

2009-01-17T23:22:00.000-08:00

The bags are packed and stacked by the front door. Kids are tucked into bed and we are scuttering around doing last minute things to prepare for our trip. This will be short so that we can go to bed soon.

Please be praying specifically for Connor tomorrow that he will be peaceful on the flight and shuttle ride to Rochester.

Tonight as I reflect upon the week ahead and I anticipate what is about to happen for Connor and for us, I am quiet in my heart and I am hopeful and trusting that God is in the process of working a miracle for Connor. I am reminded of a song that I used to sing as a teenager in our youthgroup. I want to include the lyrics here because I would hope this is how all of our blogger friends and family can be praying for us.
The song is entitled, "I promise to pray for you"
I promise to pray for you, to lift you up before the Lord. I promise to always speak your name before His throne. That new life in Him you'd find, that He'd give you peace of mind. I promise to pray for you, God's love to embrace you."

When I was running last minute errands today the above song came to mind and I was singing it over and over in the car. The part that says, "that new life in Him you'd find, that He'd give you peace of mind" made me think of Connor finding a whole new life ahead, free of pain and aggitation and a new sense of peace and calm within his little body.

Please pray for us. We will keep posting daily so everyone knows how we're doing and what is going on.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Big News!!!!!!!!! Mayo Clinic here we come!!

2009-01-14T17:20:00.000-08:00

As so many of you know we have been praying for a long time that we would be able to take Connor out to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota to see if they could help him. Well, as of Friday at 9am I received the phone call from Mayo that Connor was accepted as a patient and they want us out there for his first appt. on the 19th at 9am. WOW.............So here we go, off to Minnesota on Sunday and then anywhere from 5 to 10 days at the clinic. They've told us to be prepared for 5 days in the clinic with a possibility for more, but there's no way to tell that until they evaluate him on the 19th. Yet another grand adventure for Little Bug.

Connor turned 3 years old on Sunday the 11th. I can't believe our baby is 3 years old already. The timing of this trip just couldn't be more appropriate. The best gift we could ever give Connor would be a life of good health and happiness. We feel that this is our time to get to the bottom of things that have been a mystery for Connor for so long. Please join with us in prayer that he would be a great little traveler on Sunday and that the week would be helpful and miraculous. We've seen God do an awful lot of things for Connor and we trust that this endeavor will be no different. As you pray, would you ask that God would give clarity to the doctors that will see Connor. The first doctor that we will see is Dr. Jeanie Tung. She will do all of the initial evaluation and decide upon the treatment plan. We are trusting that she has understanding, compassion and unconventional wisdom that it will take to get Connor moving in the right direction. As you will remember from the very beginning with Connor he has had unexplained bouts of pain and agitation with all things regarding the GI tract. He has been a mystery to every doctor that has seen him and although they verify that there is a problem, they cannot identify what that problem is. We are desperate for Connor at this point. It is getting worse and he has got to find some relief so he can get on with his little life and be free of pain in his body.

The plan is in motion for the trip, but it isn't without hiccups along the way. Randy is gone in LA on reserve for AA until Saturday night, then he flys home for us to leave Sunday morning. I got struck with some kind of physical illness yesterday that left me flat out. I'm trying to ween the baby for now until we get back, get things set up for travel, lodging and transportation while in Minnesota and determine the best comfort for traveling on a plane with Connor. This is a HUGE endeavor for us. My mom will be staying with the two little ones until we return home.

There is so much more to report at this time but the details will have to remain sketchy at best. Connor will be starting preschool when we return from Minnesota. He was supposed to start this past Monday but we decided to preserve Connor's health before taking him on an airplane and spending our time in Minnesota. We are excited about his class and his teacher and all the people that will be working with him. He will get to work with a Physical Therapist, Speech Therapist and Occupational Therapist. He will also continue with swimming therapy which has been a great asset to him in strength building. He will be in school for 2 1/2 hours Monday - Thursday.

Tuesday of this week we had a great appt. with a child neurologist that was able to give us some vital and informative information regarding Connor. We've been waiting for this appt. for over a year so it had been much anticipated on our part. He was able to assure us that no brain damage occurred during Connor's first year of life in the hospital. This has been of significant concern to us because of all of the drugs and narcotics that were administered to Connor over those dreadful days in the ICU. The significant delays that we experience with Connor are most likely the culprit of Connor's level of daily pain and the amount of time and effort he puts into not only managing pain, but anticipating it. The doctor was hopeful that when we get his GI issues figured out, treated and under control, we will see a whole new little boy emerge with new skills, greater understanding and greater cognitive development. This was all good news to us.

Mackenzie and Alex are so enjoyable and growing like weeds. Mackenzie is nearing 2 years old in April and she truly is little miss independent. She has a mind of her own and spirit just like her mama!!! Alex is 4 months old now and doing quite well...not sleeping through the night yet, but hopefully that will emerge soon.

Randy and I are truckin' right along with the busyness of family life and the transition of his schedule with AA. He is gone about 23 days a month with his flying schedule which leaves us "winging it" quite a bit!!! Thank the Lord that his grace is sufficient for us and for our needs. I would really love to go on and on about things that are happening at the current time, but my moments are limited to get things done before leaving for Minnesota. Please pray...pray...pray...and ask everyone you know to pray for Connor during this time of exploration into his physical illnesses. We are trusting for great things for Connor and incredible insights from this trip. We will have a computer with us in Minnesota so we will update the blog frequently with progress and prayer requests. Please keep checking back. We will also be able to receive emails so we would love to hear from you with your thoughts, comments and encouragement.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

CATHCHING UP ON PICTURES!!!

2008-11-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

Hi everybody...thanks for stopping by to say hi and see our family!!
Enjoy the pictures that Mommy posted. It's been a while so some of them are old, but at least you can get caught up on how we're doing. Enjoy!!!

Connor and Daddy on his first day of pool therapy. Get ready Connor, you're gonna have a blast.

Daddy and Connor and our pool therapist, Erica. We're playing the kicking game. Erica is getting my "kickers" warmed up.

Erica says, "Ok Connor....1, 2, 3" and I jump into her arms in the pool. Soooooooooo Fun!!!

Daddy helps Erica with my kickboard exercises. They're fun because I get to splash!!

Splash, Splash, Splash!!!!!

Hey Alex, would you like a drink of my water???

"I do my own stunts" Such a cute gift for Alex from Uncle Gary and Auntie Lynette. Thanks guys!!

Playing in the dirt with Daddy!!! He lets me get a lot dirtier than Mama does. I love dirt!!

Uh-oh....someone's in the dog house!!!

Eating dirt is fun....really it is. Don't worry, I'm just getting a little extra iron in my diet. Mama is mortified, but Daddy loves a dirty girl!!!

Oh what fun. Let's do this again tomorrow Dad!!!

Alexander just 3 days old.....Where did the past 8 weeks go??

Hey, who's that in Kenzie's dolly buggy??? Oh, I guess that's Alex. What a fun toy he is in the family.

Connor standing up in his new big boy room that he shares with his brother. This was taken the first night we were home from the hospital with Alex.

Mackenzie loves putting her pop beads on her cheeks. What a silly girl. She's getting her first cheek hickies....they better be her last! Hee Hee

Saying goodbye to Daddy at the airport when he left for training.

Ok Daddy, we'll see you in a month. Have fun in Dallas and come home quick!!!

3 generations of the Robertson boys!!!

Alex was a little cow for Halloween. Got Milk is so appropriate.

Connor wearing his "Super Suit"! It helps his posture and balance. What a cutie!!!

Pumpkin patch pictures.....Soooooooooo Big!!!!!!!!

Hey Mom, I like this flower best!!!

I don't know what you people think is fun about this pumpkin patch....It's cold and these big orange things are cold and hard....I want my Mommy!!!

I've got the best smile of the bunch!!

Getting my zzzzz's before we leave for the pumpkin patch.

Starting to smile....Ahhhhhhhh

I'm getting bigger everyday.

Hi Daddy.....I miss you. Come home soon, OK!!!!

Our little peanut!!!

Our little fashionista!!!!

Mom, I thought we had the talk that I don't like to wear hats????

All right, I'll be a good girl and wear it....but only for 10 minutes...GOT IT!!!!

See you later....Hope you enjoyed the pictures. Come back and visit us again soon.
Lovebug Hugs,

Connor, Mackenzie and Alex

We found the Great Pumpkin!!!!

2008-10-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

....and here we are all dresssed up at the pumpkin patch all ready to find the perfect pumpkin....

.....and Connor found it........

...and as you can see he's pretty happy with his find!

Alexander Scott Robertson....Our Newest Shining (or should I say Shooting) Star!!!!!

2008-09-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true...The tiniest Robertson has arrived...Alexander Scott!!!!

23 days early Alex decided to make his appearance on the morning of a full moon. Who says there isn't something to that whole gravitational pull thing...Hee Hee!!! September 15th @3:52am he was born to two very surprised parents.

Just hours before we had been watching the funny new video release Baby Mama!!! How ironic!!! I went to bed at 10:30 feeling heavy with contractions but figured it was just par for the course for these last 2 weeks before being induced. At 11:05pm my water broke and then it was off to the hospital. Let's just say, that was off to the hospital after we packed our bags because that wasn't even done. We arrived at Auburn Regional Medical Center at about 10 minutes to midnight with contractions coming about every 2 and 1/2 minutes!!! I felt much more in control and focused this time around so the breathing exercises really helped out. After arriving at the 3rd floor birthing center we were checked into our room and I immediately began asking for the epidural. They said it would take a little bit of time because they had to place an IV and make sure I got one bag of saline solution in me before the anesthesiologist would even come in. So the race began for the epidural. I think I was more excited for pain management than I was for the arrival of Alex.

And so the breathing race began and I was doing well managing each contraction knowing that if I could make it through the next hour, I would probably get some relief with the epidural. Whew...the bag of saline solution was complete and the anesthesiologist was on her way....Yippee!!! She walked in the door with all of her tools of the trade and she began the process. I couldn't believe all the things happening at once. Mind you the contractions don't stop so I was trying to breath through those at the same time the blood pressure cuff was going off every minute and the nurse was reading off the numbers to the doctor to make sure I was in a good place for the insertion of the needle. Then, it happened.....that big needle was entering my spine and I could feel the weirdest tickles in my lower back and it started to freak me out. I was calm and collected but freaked out on the inside. My left leg went immediately numb and I thought for sure something had gone terribly wrong because I could feel my right leg but not my left. I thought for sure they were going to have to do it again, but then then the doctor said, no it will eventually get numb....Don't Worry (yeah right......I'm a woman in labor and you're telling me not to worry!!!!!) It was about that time that the doctor said they were going to try a test dose of the medication....all seemed to go well, so they taped me up and laid me back down on the bed. No sooner was I laying down and the epidural drip had started that my blood pressure plummeted to a startling 52 over 40....I was in panic as they scuttered around to get me oxygen and epinephrine to get my blood pressure back up. It was a moment of reckoning as I literally felt my body rise above the bed and I could literally see Randy sitting off in the corner and I was pleading with God...Don't take me now!!! Then, they couldn't find the baby's heartbeat and I was sure they were going to wheel me off and do a C-Section. I was seeing spots, hearing bells and then it all settled down.....I could answer questions and the drama was over. I know it was probably only about 5-8 minutes of panic, but I was not prepared for the epidural to be the most hair-raising moment of the morning. Randy was finally able to come by my side and hold my hand and that brought me the greatest relief of the morning. As we talked, he admitted that he, too, had a moment of panic where he asked the Lord not to take me now. So we were both thinking the same thing at the same moment.

The nurses began monitoring my contractions a bit more closely as they were becoming increasingly intense. And then the moment arrived, I dilated from a 5 to a 10 within ten minutes and it was time to have Alex.....but the doctor wasn't there yet, so the nurses kept saying, "Oh, just breathe through those contractions and we'll have a baby as soon as the doctor gets here." "But, but, but I have to push NOW!!!!!" And thankfully, the doctor walked in and said, "OK Lori, show me that baby...." 1 push then 2 and he was delivered, 3:52 am. Alexander Scott Robertson....6 lbs 7.9 ounces and 18.5 inches long. Just a little peanut!!!! He has dark hair just like his sister did and a little button nose just like his big brother and big sister.

We were discharged on Tuesday morning and were home by noon!!! What a whirlwind for not even expecting to deliver until late next week. I must be honest, I am relieved and so happy that Alex is here safe and sound, but my body is going through a lot. I wasn't expecting to feel so incredibly sore, weak and in pain. Alex is nursing well, but the contractions that come when he does and the cramping that go along with it are, at times, unbearable. Continue to say your prayers for a quicker bounce back than I am currently experiencing and more rest. With the other two, I felt pretty good a few days in, but this is different for sure. The nurses, family and friends all tell me that after #3, recovery is much more difficult. So, we remain in prayer for strength and energy to enjoy our growing family.

Randy is doing great and enjoying the new little bundle of joy. The kids are both responding quite well to their new little brother. They have been gentle and loving (so far) and it's been a joy to watch them around baby Alexander. They are both still sick with colds, so that presents it's challenges and now Mackenzie is about to sprout 2 or 3 new teeth at the same time.

Grandma-Nanny, Lori's mom, is with us and is helping out with so much. She has been such a trooper with us and the kids, we couldn't be more grateful to her!!!

I am going to try to post a picture here so you can see little Alexander.

We will continue to post as we find strength and energy. Thanks again for all your prayers!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Randy, Lori, Connor, Mackenzie and Alexander

The Latest!!!!!!!!!

2008-09-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

Well, here's the latest...

The past 3 weeks we've been in a bit of upheaval!!! We had a leak in our hot water tank that caused damage to our main floor laundry room, bathroom, Randy's office and hard wood floor. We were removed from the house for 8 days while construction and repairs were done and we finally got to come home this past Monday evening. The repairs and the floor all look fabulous, but let me tell you, this was very poor timing for a home improvement project. We came home to piled up furniture in our kitchen and dining room, a layer of dust over the entire surface of the house and general chaos in the house!!!! Not really the picture of resting and nesting before baby #3 joins the family.

While we were away, we stayed with Lori's parents and they were a huge help with the kids. During that week my blood pressure went sky high and I ended up in the hospital for a good part of a day to do a non stress test on the baby. After a few hours on the monitor, it did come down nicely, but needless to say the doc put me on limited activity and lifting and mild bed rest. I'm now going weekly to the hospital for the non stress tests and blood pressure checks as well as my weekly apts. with my doctor. The blood pressure remains high, but it does mellow out when my activity level is low. So, with all said and done, my Mom decided to come home with us last Monday and she has been staying to help with everything...the kids, apts., cleaning...etc!!! She has been more than a God-send....she's been our lifesaver!!!

Randy is in his final weeks at the squadron before his military retirement ensues at the end of this month. He will then transfer his service to the inactive ready reserves (just in case he is able to find another flying job with another squadron...he's trying hard to leave his military options open!!) He will then be going back to American Airlines at the end of October and will be gone for training for about 5 weeks and then he's hoping to be placed on the 767 out of LA, CA. When he left AA 6 years ago he was flying the MD80 so he is really hoping to upgrade to the 767. We all have mixed emotions about his absence, but we have to at least give this option a try and see if it will work for our growing family. If it doesn't, then the Lord will have to give specific and quick direction as to which road we are to follow. These things are all heavy upon our hearts and minds as we prepare to welcome the new little guy!!!

The kids had been doing great until mid this week.......and then......BAD COLDS INVADED!!!!!!!! Connor came down with it first and is miserable, then Mackenzie woke up with it. They are both stricken with runny noses, cough, grumpiness, hoarse voices and an inability to sleep through the night!!!!! Aaaauuugggghhhhhh, not exactly the picture I was hoping for just days before the baby comes. I took Connor to the doc yesterday and I'm hoping that it is just a bad cold and it will be done within a week or so. Now the pressure is on for none of the adults to come down with it. Say your prayers dear blogger friends....say your prayers!!!!!

Friday was my doctor apt. and ultrasound and the baby looks good. At this point he is 6lbs 12 ounces and is developing right on track. The doc says if my water breaks we will obviously have the baby then, but if it doesn't we will plan to induce around the 23-25th. He couldn't do it on the 24th because he's taking his wife to the Neil Diamond concert.....isn't that hysterical. I'm glad I'm also a Diamond fan or I just might be irritated at this point in the game. The baby's pediatrician is going on vacation the 25th , so he's asking us to induce on the 23rd (which is my brother's birthday...nice present huh, Bryan??) and my doctor wants the 25th so we'll see who wins this battle. I'm certainly ready....with high blood pressure, puffy feet, legs and hands and overall just plain uncomfortable, I can't wait to have the baby. Currently I have dilated to about 2 1/2 for those of you who really like the details!!!

So, there it is in the proverbial nutshell. Say your prayers for us as we all feel like we're running on empty. Just about 10 days to go and then a different type of "busy" sets in. We'll keep you posted on the status of baby and we'll post more pictures of the kids soon. Thanks for all your prayers, encouragement and comments...they are always appreciated and welcomed with open arms.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori and the whole gang

Call us Crazy....but we did it!!!!!!

2008-08-21T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yep....that's right we did it....that is...we ALL went tubing on the Columbia River while camping at Confluence!!! I can hear it now....are they nuts!! Well, we probably are but life is too short to...as Grandma would say.."wait for better weather"...so we gave it a shot and climbed in the tube and said HIT IT !!! And as you can see Connor is saying, "Look..No hands...piece of cake...can't you go any faster". However Daddy put the cabosh on going to fast cause he was worried about Mommy going into LABOR!!! AUGH. Yeah I know what you're all thinking....YOU GUY'S DID THAT AND LORI IS 7 AND A HALF MONTHS PREGNANT...and you took the WHOLE family out, at the same time....you guy's really are nuts!!! But life goes on and like I always say...enjoy life while ya can! But just so you don't think we are totally irresponsible...Larry Lewis was our boat driver who was briefed throughly prior to the launch and the speed was held at a slow enough pace so as to avoid any danger whatsoever. There am I off the hook now?

Love Dad

ps...you'll all be happy to know that Lori did not go into labor! (Thank the Lord)

We Survived the Camping Trip !!!!!!!

2008-08-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

.....And here are the Happy Camper's.....we survived but got a little "pooped"!!! We started out Sunday the 27th of July and made it to 3rd of August!!!....and towards the end of the week Connor got it all figured out.......
.....camping is for kicking back and takin life easy!!! That's my boy....he's got the right idea!!! The question is why can't Mommy and Daddy do this....AUGH!!!!

By the way if you can't tell this is Daddy doing the posting so if the grammer and spelling is way off you'll know why. If I can write a complete sentence I'm thrilled so "bear" with me Ok. I'll probably be writing more of these blog entries cause Lori is about ready to explode with our next family addition!!!! Alexander Scott Robertson is supposed to be due 8 Oct but I think he has other plans and wants out now!!!!!

Well that's it for now.....I'm not the best writer but I'll do my best to post while Lori is waddling around trying frantically to find any comfortable position to relieve the pain that Alex is foisting upon her....you'd think he has a punching bag in there the way her belly moves!!!! AUGH!!!

Love Dad

A Camping We Will Go.......

2008-07-27T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we're off on our grand adventure of taking the kids on their first real camping trip. 8 days of hot sun, fresh air, and family time. Not to mention no sleep, complete overstimultion for the kids and bare bones survival for Dad & Mom. Hee Hee!!! Actually, we are really looking forward to this week with the kids and our family. We will be having lots of fun. Our prayer is that the kids will adapt well to sleeping in close quarters and that they will do well be outdoors all day long. They are both feeling happy and healthy, Praise the Lord, so we will trust that the coming week will be a real memory maker.

We will post lots of pictures of our trip after the 4th when we arrive home and recover for a couple of days. I hope you all have a wonderful week and that you enjoy your family as summer really is coming to a close in just a few weeks.

Lovebug Hugs,
Randy & Lori and the kids

Are you kidding me is right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-17T18:41:00.001-07:00

If any of you have looked at the comments on the previous post you will notice my dear friend Amy's comment...."Are you kidding me"....So, she was right......I need to sit down for a moment and post a new message. Amy, this one's for you!!!!!!!!!!!

It seems as of late, that I start out all of my posts with an apology of why it's been so long since I posted. It really is amazing to me how quickly the hours in the day fly by around here. Actually, the truth is, at the end of the day I feel like it just snapped on by and I can't believe it's over and it's time to recharge and do it all again the next day. But at times during the day it feels like we are in some kind of alternate reality where we spin, suspended in motion and time doesn't move. I must admit, I don't understand the clock of motherhood.

With that being said, things are moving right along here in Robertson land. Busy...YES! Hectic....Yes! Hot.....Yes! So there we are in a nutshell..Busy, Hectic and Hot!!! Hee Hee!! To be frank, this Spring and early Summer have been difficult with sickness. It seems that our Little Bug has just not been able to catch a break. It started before Easter with the "unidentified sickness" which turned out to be a horrible intestinal virus. We then started to work on gaining some of his weight back (he lost over 8 pounds!!! Yikes!!) and then he came down with a cold and ear infection. After the round of antibiotics his ears seemed better, but he just has not been able to kick the sniffles, runny nose, coughing and irritability. Poor little thing. He tries so hard to be his happy little self and then he coughs so hard he blows snot bubbles......Uuuugggghhhh!! What's a mom to do except wipe the nose, give snuggies and kisses and wait 10 minutes and do it again. He is still struggling through whatever this is. His doctor seems to think it's time for him to see his ENT doctor and be checked for Adenoiditis. So the appointment is set, but we can't get in until Sept. 8th. So until then, we will weather the storm best we can and hope for more good days than bad days.

On other notes, Connor has started a new NDT program, which stands for Neuro Developmental Training. It seems to be an excellent therapy for him, and they are specifically working on muscle strength for standing and walking. He is responding quite well to the new therapists that are working with him, but you can tell he is exhausted after these therapy sessions because of how much they work his little body. The course meets 4 days per week, once a month for an hour and it will continue until December. We are hoping for great results from this program as it certainly is a huge commitment to attend all of the sessions. Connor is also doing his physical and oral therapies once per week on Wednesdays and he is on a waiting list for a pool therapy program that we hope to start soon.

The first of July Connor had an appointment with his cardiologist in Tacoma and he was really pleased with what he saw. He had an Echo and the results were completely uneventful, which is great!!! His heart function is near normal, exactly where they expected it to be and we got another 12 month bill of heart health. Next year when we go back, if things are still the same, then we will get an 18 month break and then after that it will be every 5 years. Boy is that ever great news. I never thought it would be possible that it's actually his heart that is doing the best!! Praise the Lord for miracles and answered prayer.

Little Miss Mackenzie has had a few issues of her own, like teething and sniffles, but nothing that a little Tylenol can't handle. She is officially all over the place. She is walking, running, climbing and getting into everything. She babbles all the time and says a handful of words that we can recognize. She plays the "How big is Kenzie" game and "Peek-a-boo" and puts her hands on her head for Uh-Oh. She's teaching her brother a lot about the world...like stealing toys and pulling hair....All things typical for siblings!!! Mackenzie is such a joy to watch and she really is great with Connor.

Randy has been gone a lot with military trips so that is always hard. I am so grateful for his hard work but also always anxious to see him come home. He is due back from another trip late this weekend and then we will be packing up to head east of the mountains for our annual Robertson Family camping trip to Wenatchee,WA. This will be our first time back there since 2 years ago when Connor was life-flighted back to Children's Hospital (Oh, that's a day I will never forget). We are hoping for a good and uneventful trip as this will really be the kids first camping trip.

I am officially in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy and feeling all of the normal woes.....tired, hot, huge, and ready to have this baby. Doctor seems to think that baby will come end of September so that is what we are planning for. So, just about 9-10 weeks to go and our new little bundle will officially join the family. As many of you already know, the baby is a boy, so I have been busy with moving Connor out of his room and transitioning our guest bedroom into the "boys" room. I have the painting done and all of the moving and creative touches will come once we come home from camping. Once the boys room is done, then Mackenzie will be moving into her brother's old room and I'll be giving it a girly makeover. I'm trying to be done with everything by the end of August so I'll have a few weeks to just prepare for baby and keep up with the family.

Whew...that was a lot of info, but I realized I haven't done that in a while. Forgive my lack of posts, but I'm just hoping that those of you who are parents understand the busyness of family life and the lack of time for personal moments to do things like posting on the blog. I guess I value sleep more than anything these days, so when the kids go down, I really try to go to bed as well.

We all hope that everyone is doing well and having a great summer. We have had such beautiful weather the past couple of weeks it truly does feel like summertime. After all the rain we had, I was beginning to wonder if we'd ever get a summer, I guess I was wrong. If we wait patiently, all things really do turn around.

At the moment we are specifically praying for a few things if you would like to join and agree with us. First of all that Randy would get another set of active duty orders, even if it's just for 31 days so that we can reset our medical insurance. As of now, we will be out of medical coverage at the end of September....right when baby comes. If he can get reset on his orders, we will at least get another 6 months of medical which will be perfect for Connor's needs and the new baby. Secondly, we are praying that Connor would experience good health and we could figure out what is making him not feel good or what is preventing him from feeling better. Thirdly, we are still praying these 3 things for Connor...Steps, Words and Bites!!!! Simple to some, but HUGE for Connor. Mobility, Communication and Nutrition by mouth are critical to his development, so we want to see him succeed in all of these areas and we are doing everything humanly possible to help him, but it really is time for the Lord to intervene and give Connor yet another miracle. Fourthly, we are praying that Mackenzie would transition nicely with the new baby. She has become accustomed to having a lot of attention and playtime and we want to see her accept the baby. Lastly, we are praying for a healthy delivery of the new baby and an easy transition from 2 kiddo's to 3!!!! I know that's a lot to pray for, but if the Lord were to impress even one of our requests onto your heart, we would greatly appreciate your support in prayer. We know we serve a big huge God and nothing is too difficult for him. We've seen that in the past and we trust it for the future as well.

Well dear friends I hear the munchkins in the background so I must attend to them now. I trust this update finds all of your families in good health and we would love to hear comments from you again. I know it's been my fault for not posting, but I'm back on the blog now and hope to be more consistent.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

PS ~ I know you've all been waiting for pictures.....so here are a few photos from Father's Day you'll enjoy!!!!!

Swing time with Daddy and Mama after lunch on Father's Day. This is the park that is right down the walking path from our house. The kids love to go swinging!!!!

There's nothing sweeter than contimplating life with Daddy!!!

Hey Daddy, I love you....Happy Father' Day!!! Little Bug

Daddy and his two little bundles of love. (Miss Mackenzie is quite the stoic in this picture....not the normal expression for her, but she does have a mind of her own!!!)

Believe it or not, this is Connor opening up his mouth to the first strawberry from our little garden patch in the back yard.....Way to go Connor...Now you just have to learn to eat them.

Mackenzie showing off her stair climbing abilities....She is so fast up those stairs......

This was a gift that the kids gave Randy for Father's Day!!!

Another gift for Randy from the kids.....Below is a close up so you can read the words....and yes, those are Daddy's hands. It was unavoidable....I had to pose it!!!!!

How cute it is to see my boys being silly!!!!

Daddy, you're tickling me!!!! I like it though, please don't stop!!!!

Oh so serious....

But not for long......Here's a little bug smile to make your day......
Bye, Bye everybody. Thanks for stopping by to watch me grow!!!

Lovebug Hugs from all of us!!!!!!!!

It's A Bright Sunshine Day!!!!

2008-05-16T15:02:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody!!! I'm feeling so much better and I'm having fun flirting with Mama!!!!
Enjoy the sunshine....We're headed to the park as soon as the Little Sweet Pea wakes up!

I know this picture is over a month old, but Mackenzie wanted to say hi to everybody too. Her shirt says "Everybody loves a blue-eyed girl!!! Mackenzie has 8 teeth now and her hair is growing every day....and she even has natural curls that are developing. I'll snap more pics later.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Silence isn't always golden...Here's an update!!!

2008-05-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

I wish I could say that we have been having so much fun around here the past 2 months that we just haven't had time to post....unfortunately that has not been the case!!! Since our last post sick...sick...sick Little Bug has been SICK...SICK...SICK!!!!! We spent one week in and out of the hospital ER, doctor's appointments and tests...UUUGGGHHHH!!!!!! Connor was so sick and weak that we just couldn't figure out what was going on. He had constant diarrhea for nearly 3 weeks, he lost nearly 7 pounds and he had unexplained symptoms that left everyone baffled, once again. Randy was on a military mission for a good portion of the rough spots and we missed his support more than you can imagine. After much deliberation with Connor's doctor's and his GI specialist, they ordered a great deal of blood work and had us come to Children's Hospital for an Endoscopy to be done under sedation. Even in the toughest times Connor is a trooper and he did well with the invasions of medical technology. They were looking for signs of Celiac's Disease and Krohn's Disease as well as any other markers of an intestinal disorder. Praise be to the Lord that all of the biopsies did come back negative!!! His blood work also came back normal and the GI doctor told us just this past Friday that it was her opinion that Connor somehow got struck with a horrific intestinal virus that took nearly everything from him. She soberly told us that children just don't drop a third of their body weight in times like this and survive, so once again the Lord has had his healing and protecting hand upon Connor and upon his little body.

We had been concerned for weeks that two of his fingers on his right hand and become so swollen they looked like the Michelin Man!!! (So sad looking!!!) The specialists ordered blood work to look for early onset childhood arthritis, but once again, the tests were normal. Thanks be to God for saving us again from "just one more thing!" We will still be following up with a Rhumatologist, but at the moment it looks like we are safe from this diagnosis.

At the moment, Connor has gained back 3 pounds and he is still trying to catch up. They had to put him on another high powered calorie diet and a formula that is predigested so that his little system would accept the nutrition we are trying to give him. We had to stop regular food altogether and we are back to his continuous G-Tube feeds throughout the night as well as his 5 small meals (of formula) during the day. There are little nerve ending Villi in the opening to the small intestine that are damaged because of the virus that hit Connor. But, the good news is that if we give him mild and adequate nutrition, those Villi will completely regenerate themselves within about 6 months. So, herein starts another journey. One step forward, three steps back!! I can't tell you how happy I am to watch Connor play with his toys, make his happy sounds and smile and giggle again. We went almost 2 whole months with such a sick and weak little boy that sometimes he would just collapse and fall asleep. Now he is back to his normal, happy, healthy schedule and doing 150% better.

I'm sorry for not posting information or even a prayer request, but as you can imagine, it has really been crazy around here. Mackenzie celebrated her 1st birthday on April 2nd (she was sick too!!) and she is acting more and more like an independent one year old. She has taken 3 solo steps so far and then she realizes she's walking and she drops to the floor to crawl. We have a feeling that walking and running are right around the corner. She's talking all the time. We can officially understand Da Da and all the other babbles are a great story in the making.

Baby #3 is growing rapidly and all is well. Doctor says this is a happy, healthy baby and after the sequential screening that they had me do, looks like baby is just as typical as they come. We were so thankful to hear the news and put our silly fears to rest. Upon viewing the ultra sound two weeks ago, there was unmistakable evidence that this little Robertson will be a boy!!!! We were also thrilled at this news!!!

Despite being a bit tired due to circumstances and stress these last 2 months, I am feeling great. I had migraines for almost 2 weeks straight, but they have now subsided and I couldn't be happier that they are gone. Quite frankly, I think it had more to do with worrying about Connor than anything else.

Randy is doing well and leaving again on Monday for another 11 day military trip. He is busy with his squadron and trying to make good decisions on where he will be working after his military retirement date in late July. More than likely, he will be back with American Airlines, but he is still pounding the military pavement to see if there are any other flying squadrons he could get on with. He has been enjoying dog training again this Spring and our dog Abbey just passed her 1st senior hunt test last weekend.

Our families are all good and busy. My brother just returned home from his annual trip to Washington DC with his students. His family is doing well and I think everyone is anxious for summer vacation. Randy's brothers and sisters are all busy with their kids as well and in fact we were blessed with great news a couple of months ago that our sweet niece Kacey and her husband Dylan are expecting their first little baby in November. This was fun news for me because I have never gone through pregnancy with a close friend or sister, so now Kacey and I will have growing bellies through the summer months together. We just said goodbye to my folks on Mother's Day morning as they left for a 2 week trip to Israel. They were so thrilled to get this great opportunity and I'm sure they are having the time of their lives. Randy's folks just left our house a couple of hours ago as they were here overnight for a visit with our Uncle Harold and Aunt Sandy. We've had a great visit with them and we look forward to their trip back through town on Monday.

Well, how's that for a much overdue update. I know, your next question is, "Where's the pictures of the kids?" Well, to be honest, there hasn't been a lot of picture taking over the past couple of months, but I will try to at least dig up a couple and see if I can't post them a little later. I am just hearing the sounds kiddo's awaking from their naps....Man I wish naps lasted longer.

Anyway, thanks for all your comments, prayers and concerns the past weeks when I did not post. Never fear, we're always here, just maybe too involved with circumstances to get to the computer consistently.

Enjoy the ample amounts of sunshine I hear are headed our way here in the northwest the coming days. I know I am planning many trips around the park and OUT OF THIS HOUSE!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Sick...Sick...Sick!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-03-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Our Easter was less than desirable around here as the kiddo's were and are sick!!!! In fact, their Easter outfits still hang on their closet doors with tags still on them and their Easter baskets remain unopened on our buffet. Connor came down with the croup....so bad that I almost took him to the ER, but Praise the Lord I remembered a medication that our doctor had given us if Connor ever started coming down with croup. It is a one time dose and only works at the onset of croup. Thankfully it helped, but didn't heal the situation. Mackenzie also came down with a miserable cold virus on top of teething. Needless to say it has been quite challenging around here. Randy got home from his military trip on Easter night to a pretty yucky situation. Monday morning, I woke up with the crud as well. My parents had been so willing to come and help out with the sickies over the weekend and brought us Easter dinner, but then Grandma came down with the crud too. I sure hope this is what our pediatrician calls the last hooray before Spring. We are laying low and trying to feel better while trying to get the kids sleeping through the night again.

I will try to update more with pictures when we're feeling better.
Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!!!

2008-03-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

It is Daddy's birthday on Sunday the 16th!!! What a bummer that we will not be able to smother him with kisses and hugs, but he is gone in territories unknown to us!!! So Daddy, wherever you are, we hope you are safe and that you are feeling all of our love and kisses today on your birthday....and everyday!!!! Hurry home so Mommy can spoil you with all your favorites, OK!!! We love you so much!!!!!!!! Happy Birthday!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Connor, Mackenzie, Itty Bitty Baby, Abbey.....and Mommy of course

Here We "Grow" Again!!!!!!!!

2008-02-25T14:22:00.000-08:00

Connor & Mackenzie are so excited and Daddy and Mama are a little surprised.....WHY???? Another Robertson baby is on the way!!! Pink or Blue, we don't know, but it's official....here we "grow" again!!!! New baby is already a very special part of the family and he or she will join us sometime in early to mid October. Wow.....3 under 3!!!!!!!! Some might think we're crazy, we just think it's fantastic!!! So let your prayers begin to reach heaven for this new little bundle of joy. Our prayer is for a healthy, happy baby and an easy pregnancy for Lori. So far Lori is feeling great (just a little tired...but c'mon...you've got to at least give her that!!!) and no morning sickness. We're just about 8 weeks along and we will definately keep you all posted on this most exciting news for our family. Thanks for celebrating with us as we enter another leg of our journey. It just keeps getting more interesting and exciting around here.

Lovebug Hugs,
Randy, Lori, Connor, Mackenzie and Itty Bitty Baby!!!

Happy Valentine's Day Daddy!!!!!

2008-02-14T18:22:00.000-08:00

Hi Guys....I'm wearing my "14" shirt because today is Valentine's Day. I'm a heart-breaker, at least that's what Mama says!!!!

"World's Cutest Valentine" is what my shirt says, but I move so fast these days it's hard to get a picture of me sitting still so you could see it. Mama says I'm quite the wiggle worm, but I do a really good job of wiggling right into everybody's heart!!!!

My "Perfect Valentine"!!!!! This was taken a few weeks ago on our 4th Anniversary get-a-way!!!

We want to send all of our love out to our Daddy. It's Valentine's Day and he has to be far, far away. We miss him alot. Especially all the sloppy hugs and kisses he gives us.....constantly!!! Mama's keeping up with the sloppy, messy kisses but she's gotta be getting tired of kissing us and not our Daddy. Mama says we're waiting to celebrate the big day for hearts until Daddy comes home. But, we've been having a lot of fun today. Connor's therapist came today and she brought us the coolest balloon!!!! It says we're "Berry Sweet"! And then Grandpa and Grandma-nanny took us all on a date for Valentine's Day. We all packed up and went out for an early dinner. We did pretty good in the restaurant, but truth be told, we really like it at home the best!!! Thanks for dinner, it was great!!!

We really do miss Daddy and hope he makes it home to us really soon. We love you Randy and we can't wait to see you!!!! You're the best Valentine ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day to Daddy and to all our friends everywhere!!!
Lovebug Hugs,
Lori, Connor and Mackenzie

My Oh My, The Time Does Fly!!!!!!!

2008-02-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been almost a month since I last did an update. Things are truckin' right along here in "Robertson Land". We have been busy with all the normal things of life....teething, doctor's appointments, and the like!!! Randy is away on a military trip at the moment so things have been rather busy!!! He is due back sometime next week so we are all looking forward to his return. My goal is to get to bed early tonight, so off I go!!!!!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Birthday Pictures!!!

2008-01-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

If you've never taken the time to double click on a picture to take a better look, let me urge you that this is the post to do it. We captured some wonderful emotions from Connor and his smile, his laugh, his surprise, his wonderment are all so precious it will warm your heart. I know it does mine....So take a closer look and see what I mean!!!!!

Looks like Connor's going to have some fun presents to open!!! Would you look at all those birthday cards!!! Thanks everyone for remembering Little Bug's 2nd Birthday!!!

Oh my, where do I begin?????? How 'bout we start with the toys????? Yeah, that's the ticket, let's start with toys!!!!

Here we are celebrating Connor's birthday with Grandpa and Grandma-Nanny. We will be celebrating again with all my Robertson cousins in a few weeks.....Man, I love this birthday thing!!!

Gettin' comfy with my dad!!!

Horsin' around with my Daddy!!!! He makes me laugh so hard...I love him!!!

You gotta be kiddin' me.......That cupcake is not going anywhere near my mouth, it's got FIRE on it!!!!! No wonder I'm freaked out to eat food.....Who puts fire on food anyway???? Silly people!!

Hey now that's better, I'll just sit here and smile with my cupcake and with my Daddy!!!

I'll lick my lips like I took a bite, even though I didn't!!! Maybe next year!!!

Mackenzie sitting with her Grandpa playing Old MacDonald Had A Farm....Oh wait, I'd better smile, there's a camera near by.

I don't know why adults think that kids like getting clothes for their birthday... I was goin' in for a 2nd look to see if there was a toy tucked under that funny, white, noisy paper but sure enough, it was just clothes....But they were cool clothes....Camo pants just like my Dad's!!!!

Ok, can we get back to the toys now????? I sense a talking book is going to be under this paper. Sure enough....My first book reader with lights and sounds!!!

This is our infamous family birthday hat. In our house everyone, and I mean everyone (even the dog Abbey) wears this hat on their birthday. It's a little big yet for the kids, but through the years they will grow into it!!!

Showin' off my Birthday Boy shirt!!! There's no mistaking who's having a birthday!!!!

C-ya later....Thanks for coming to take a look at my birthday pictures. I had a great time turning 2. Here's to another great year......no hospitals and lots of milestones ahead for me!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Little Bug

Having Fun Playing Bouncy-Bounce....Sorry For The Blur!!!!

2008-01-11T20:31:00.000-08:00

I know they're blurry, but c'mon how could I not take pictures of this happy little guy????

During a game of bouncy-bounce before bedtime tonight, Connor was in rare form. He loves to bounce up and down on our lap and he will laugh and shreek with delight the whole time. Tonight he was really goin' to town and smiling from ear to ear. Imagine me trying to snap a picture during this mayhem.....he's wildly bouncing, I'm trying to hold on to him so he doesn't go crash, bang, boom and then trying to stabalize the camera in the other hand. Hee Hee Hee.....what a scene, huh????? Anyway, I was feeling up for the challenge and snaped these pictures.......I know, I know they are blurry, but you can at least get the feeling of how much fun he was having on his big #2 birthday night.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Guess Who's Two??????

2008-01-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday To You

Happy Birthday Dear Connor

Happy Birthday To You!!!

Little Bug is turning 2 today!!!!! It's hard to believe our little guy has transitioned into a little toddler. He was happy and smiling today when I peaked into his room a little before 7am. He was showing off his new found skill of pulling up on his knees and trying to get out of his crib!!! Yikes!!!!! We are definately going to have to put his crib down to the lowest postion now. I've been trying to snap a good picture of him all morning but he is so active and moving all around that each one has turned out blurry. You'd think this big 2 year old had ants in his pants......Hee Hee Hee!!!! Anyway, if I get a good picture of Connor today I will post it later. Just wanted to take a moment to tell the world that our little miracle is 2 years old today. Thank you Lord for your continued miracles in Connor's life. More to follow when I get time...and pictures too!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Happy New Year........2008!!!!!!!!

2008-01-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

As you can tell we have been VERY BUSY since the week after Thanksgiving and we have neglected to update the blog. SORRY!!!!!!!!!! We have had many fun visits with family and friends and lots of trips back and forth doing this and that!!!! I'm sure you are all waiting for pictures of the kids at Christmas. Well, we do have some pics, but we just need to find the time to sit down and download them. We have also been battling teething with Mackenzie and 2 year molars with Connor. Yikes......We've had fussy babies and sleepless nights....UUUGGGHHH!!! Anyway, we do hope that everyone had a memorable Christmas and fantastic New Years!!! I will be posting in the next couple of days with more info and lots of pictures.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Guranteed Laughter Ahead!!!!!

2007-11-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

Ok, We've really gone nutty this time, or shall I say "elfy"!!!! No matter how "elfy" you think we are, it will be worth a huge pile of laughter if you click the links below......Be careful...... You might get "elfed" too!!!!! Remember to turn up your volume and definately watch both links.

Thanks Sarah for this cute idea!!!!!!
Be patient, it may take a minute or two to load.......but it will be worth it!!!!!!!! Hee Hee Hee!!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9620287855
http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9619300321

Lovebug Hugs,
Elf Randy
Elf Lori
Elf Little Bug and
Elf Sweet Pea

Pictures That Will Make You Smile!!!

2007-11-26T15:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!

Hey....Don't take my turkey and don't even think about swiping my mashed potatoes and gravy!!!

Mackenzie's pretty in her special Thanksgiving dress!!!

These two munchkins just make me smile....Both are little miracles to be thankful for!!!!

Pooped out from a busy day!!!

Smiles follow Mackenzie wherever she goes!!!!!

Ahhhhhhhh, just resting for a bit!!!

Morning music time with Daddy!!!

I love profile pictures...there's a sweet innocence about them!!!!

You'd think she'd be used to all the picture taking but she still gets that "surprised" look!!!!!

Pucker up....I'm comin' in for a big wet kiss!!!!!!!!

Aren't toothless grins the best?????????

What a ham!!!!

Pink 'lil leopard girl!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

We Are Thankful!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-11-21T23:33:00.000-08:00

We are thankful for the family that God has blessed us with.
Our oldest son, Connor....A miracle, a fighter, an overcomer, a picture of God's love.
Our youngest daughter, Mackenzie...A joy, a beauty, a picture of God's grace.
The love Randy and I share. We are two people committed to a life of fidelity, commitment, Christian virtues, fun, adventure, and family.
Our extended families that bring us not only joy, but strength and faith.
Our friends that bring laughter and thoughtfulness to us daily and encourage us and support us through our journey.
Our country and the freedom we experience.
Our ability, with God's help, to see beauty around us every day even though things aren't always beautiful.

This year at Thanksgiving we step back and we take a moment to ponder the most spectacular blessings of God and the littlest of details.
We thank God that we have not spent an overnight at the hospital with Connor in over a year.
We thank God that Connor has not had to undergo surgery this year.
We thank God for the beautiful & fast birth of Mackenzie.

It goes without saying that WE ARE THANKFUL.
May we never forget to stop and remember and name the blessings of God upon our family.
May we always carry with us an attitude of thankfulness.
May the gratitude that we feel reflect upon those we love and upon those we call family and friends and strangers as well.

We are thankful for our blogging community that has been our support and encouragement. We love sharing our life with you.....the good, the bad, the happy and the sad. Thank you all for being a voice of love in our lives.

We are thankful and we trust that you are too.
May God be glorified as we gather with family and friends this Thanksgiving Day.
Let us all join hands around the world today and say.........
We Are Thankful!!!!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

PS ~ We will post family Thanksgiving pictures this weekend!!!

Another Milestone For Little Bug!!!!

2007-11-08T21:05:00.000-08:00

Daddy and Mama are sooooooooooooo proud of Little Bug because today, November 8th 2007, marks a GREAT....HUGE...milestone................What is this milestone you ask???????????

1 Year hospital free!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You see a year ago today Connor was discharged for the last time from Children's Hospital and has not been admitted to the hospital since then. Outside of occasional clinic appointments we have not been back to Children's in all that time. This is such an accomplishment for us and a huge milestone for Connor. As many of you know that have followed the blog for this past year and half, there were times we wondered if we would ever bring Connor home. We looked at the archives of the blog for last year at this time and we couldn't believe what we saw. We saw a puffy-faced little boy who was still medically frail. We both commented on how God shielded our eyes from how bad things were over our times in the hospital. We can truthfully say that Connor is improving day after day and we couldn't be more proud of him. What a beautiful day that we celebrate this incredible accomplishment for Little Bug.

Daddy and Little Bug gazing at the "You are Special" plate that comes out every time we have a special event in our house. If you look close there's even one candle in his Turkey & Rice dinner tonight. We know that there are still challenges ahead of us and many milestones left to conquer, but we are all up for the challenge and we look forward to each day ahead where we make progress for Connor's future!!!

Lovebug Hugs and Happy Anniversary Connor,
We Love You,
Daddy, Mama, Mackenzie and Abbey

Mackenzie in pink!!!

2007-11-05T18:33:00.000-08:00

Ok so here's the deal...We took our first shot at entering Mackenzie into a photo contest so we're asking for your help. She needs your vote to win. All you have to do is click on this link http://links.mkt457.com/ctt?kn=2&m=1157016&r=ODg1NzcwMDE5OQS2&b=0&j=MzU3NTA4NjgS1&mt=2&rj=MzU3NDU3NTES1 and it will ask you to register. You do need to fill out this form and when you press Submit another window will pop up that tells you to check your email because your vote has not been cast yet. Check your email and follow the link to finalize your registration. Once you click on that link a window will pop up that has a whole bunch of offers...You do not need to do anything with that page. You will notice at the very top of that page that it says you are now registered and you can cast a vote once each day. Now you can exit out of that page and you're done. Go back to www. greatamericanphotocontest.com once every day and vote for Mackenzie. When you log on again just press the search botton and type in Mackenzie and choose Washington and press Search. You will see the above picture and then, vote for Mackenzie every day if you'd like.

I know it probably sounds like a whole lot of trouble to just vote, but we're so curious to see what kind of votes she could get. Thanks and we'll see what happens at the end of the month.

What a silly girl!!! Crooked smile and all, we think she's the cat's meow!!

I know it's a little blurry, but couldn't resist posting this cute picture I snapped today of Mackenzie all dressed up in her pink fur vest and jeans.....you'd think we were going to a party or something.....Nope, just Target!!!! Hee Hee

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

All Dressed Up!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-31T19:34:00.001-07:00

All the Robertson's enjoying a little Halloween Fun....Connor was a Dragonfly, Mackenzie was a Sweet Pea and even Abbey joined in with a "Boo" bib and a "Bug" basket for treats!!!

Mama and Sweet Pea!!!

Hanging out at Grandpa and Grandma Nanny's house!!

Mr. Dragonfly looks tired........I think it might be time for this Little Bug to go night night!!!

Connor says, "But hey guys.....I'm a dragonfly....I want to fly!!!!!!!!!"

Oh sooooooo sweet and fuzzy!!!!!!!!

Is it necessary to have a leaf on my head???????????

"Do you people realize how hot it is in this thing???? When will Mama and Daddy figure out that I just like to be free and easy in normal clothes????"

Daddy and his little love!!!!!!!!!!

Mama hanging out with Connor havin' a little giggle time!!!!!

Daddy has to get some Little Bug lovin'!!!!!!!!!!

Daddy is soooooooooooo silly......He stole Connor's Dragonfly hat and tried to scare everyone....Boo!!!!

My silly boys!!!!!!!!!

Here's Connor standing up for his costume photo!!!!!!!!! I know, I know.....One day he really is going to kill me for dressing him up like this......But don't you agree, I just had to!!!!!!!!!!

Oh boy.....Mama says it's time for a costume change 'cause I'm tooooo hot!!!! My little onsie says "I'm so cute it's scary!"

The final result.......

Ahhhhhh....Little Bug's out of his costume and hanging out in his pumpkin onsie with his Grandpa Bruce!!

Two Lil' Pumpkins Pooped out and ready to go to bed!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Halloween & Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Pictures As Promised...And Lots Of Them!!!!!

2007-10-26T10:57:00.001-07:00

I know it has been some time since I last posted a good number of pictures. Well, for those of you who are our faithful followers, family and friends....Here you go. Our latest adventure was to the pumpkin patch with the kids (who are still sick, but we thought the nice warm, fresh air would do them good). Enjoy the pics!!! The remainder of the post has a smattering of pictures from the past couple of months that I hadn't made time to post yet. Have fun peering into our little world!!!

Little Bug and Sweet Pea with the pumpkins.

Mackenzie, are you standing up????

Uh Oh.....Little Bug is beginning to melt down....

Daddy and Little Bug at the petting zoo...

Daddy and his best girl....(except for Mommy!!!)

Ohhhhhhh......So cute!!

Mama and her favorite 'lil pumpkins!!!!

A family pumpkin portrait!!

"Hey Dad, Is the Great Pumpkin from Charlie Brown here???"

Uh Oh....Another meltdown with Little Bug!!!!

"Well....I think we should really talk about that crying brother of mine. Don't you think he could be a little quieter.....I mean, c'mon, I'm trying to have a photo shoot!!"

Ok, now that's better.....Here's a smile for ya!!!!

"Great....I think I'll take this one! Can we buy it Dad? Pleassssssssseeeee?"

"What if I just stand here and be really cute????? Then can we buy it?????"

"Now Connor, You stay right here and smile so we can take your picture, OK?" "Well Dad, I don't think I'm gonna smile, but I'm gonna think about it!!!"

"See, I told you I was gonna think about it!!!"

So many friends and family have asked about those purse cakes that I constructed last weekend for our church girlfriends event....Well, here they are. They really did turn out cute, if I don't say so myself.

Mama with her friends Susan and Shawn at the Girlfriends event.

Little Miss Mackenzie trying to drink out of a big girl cup......I mean an adult glass!!! She thought it was pretty fun to feel the glass on her lips....She even got to taste fresh pressed apple cider that Daddy made in Wenatchee. Yum-Oh!!!!!!!!!!

Daddy and Abbey on their hunting trip in Twisp, WA.

Ahhhh, My wonderful, rugged, hunting guy!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh, I love this man!!!!!!!

Daddy pressing homemade apple cider in Wenatchee, WA with Uncle Harold, Aunt Sandy, Cousin Wayne, and Kaitlin and Sydney.

Daddy picking apples to bring home so Mama can make fresh applesauce. He even picked pears from the family orchard in Dryden and Mama is going to attempt to make pear sauce too.

Our cousin Brayden with the Fireman and the Firetruck at the Skagit Co. Buddy Walk in Mt. Vernon.

Grandpa and Grandma-Nanny Milliren at the Skagit Buddy Walk.

Uncle Bryan and cousin Bergen at the Walk!!!

Ronald McDonald even showed up at the Buddy Walk in Mt. Vernon. He had all the kids laughing and dancing.

Mama and our friend Ian at the Buddy Walk. Ian was Little Bug's roommate in the ICU at Children's during the late summer of 2006. Ian is doing great and is going 3 days a week to preschool. Way to go Ian....We love you!!!!!!!!!!

The Skagit County Buddy Walk Gang!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks everyone for walking to support Little Bug and all people with Down Syndrome.

Little Bug playing with his toys!!! You can tell this was a day that he was sick with the croup. Poor thing was pale as a sheet!!!

"Hey.....What's this stringy, sticky stuff Mama put all over my tray????? I think they want me to eat it!!!"

"Yeah, I don't think so guys!!!!!!!!!" Oh well, we tried!!!!

Daddy, Mama and Mackenzie with Pastor Mike at Grandpa and Grandpa Robertson's church in Ferndale for Mackenzie's Dedication. You might not be able to see it really well, but Mackenzie is dressed up in the same dedication outfit that Mama wore 37 years ago. The same dress, slip, socks, bib and bonnet. The shoes were a gift from special friends!!!! She looked adorable!!!

Bellingham's Buddywalk Beauty!!!!

Mama & Little Bug making their way through the 1st mile of the walk.

Daddy and the Bug-a-boo doing the final leg of the walk.

Grandma's are the best!!!!!! All of Connor's grandparents came out despite the weather to walk for Connor!!!! We are all so blessed!!

There we are...Connor finally woke up for the final steps of the walk. This was taken right before we got to the finish line!

Here are a handful of Team Little Bug members.... You can see they all are wearing signs on their backs.

There the go...Team Little Bug....FYI...At the Bellingham Walk Uncle Loren and Aunt Kathy came in first with some other kids and at the Skagit Co. walk our friend Teacher Kerry came in first with her dad for Team Little Bug....Yippeee!!!!!!!!!

Mama and Little Bug with the Big Buzzing Bee!!!!

Mackenzie having a snuggle moment with Auntie Shawn...Ahhhh!!!

Daddy and his sweatshirt kiddos....."Hey Mackenzie....Are you sucking on your brother's toe?"

Yup....I guess that would be a yes!!!!

So relaxed with Daddy after a walk around the park!!!

Daddy, Mama and Mackenzie when she was dedicated at our church with Pastor Dan. This was the Sunday that Grandma-Nanny Milliren was in the hospital so none of the family was able to attend. This is why we had her dedicated twice.

Spinning pretty as a ladybug on her tummytime toy....Would you believe shes already outgrown this? Where does the time go?????????

Connor says, "I am not going to smile......No, I am not going to smile at all!!" Mackenzie says, "Fine! Then I'll do all the smiling for you!!"

Connor says, "Geezzze.....You always steal my thunder!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ok, here's the deal.....Let's just both be cute......OK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, it's settled.......Cute as can be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you enjoyed a little window view into our life!!!
Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Sick Kiddos..........Uuuugggghhhh!!!!!!!!!

2007-10-22T09:03:00.000-07:00

Team Little Bug at the Bellingham Buddy Walk!!!

Daddy and Little Bug on the walk looking out over the river. This was after about an hour of Connor constantly crying and then having to hold him the entire walk. He refused to go in his stroller. Mama carried him the first mile and Daddy did the rest!!!

A bit of reprieve from the rain.....

Ohhhhhhhh.......A Daddy and his son!!!!! Gotta Love It!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a long day Little Bug conks out on Grandpa and Grandma Robertson's floor......

Hi everybody......
Wow, you are all being so patient as you wait for an update and yes, more pictures. I apologize for my lack of posting in the last view weeks.

The skeletal details.....
Buddy Walk was a great success. The first weekend was fun, however the weather was terrible, cold and windy and Little Bug was not in good spirits. Two days later he came down with the croup and has been sick ever since. Mackenzie picked it up yet another two days later and she has been sick ever since. The second weekend of the Buddy Walk we didn't feel comfortable taking the children out so Randy stayed home with the sickies and I went and walked with team Little Bug. The day was perfect. Weather was bright and sunny and everyone was exuberant to be there. The only bummer was not having the whole "Bug" family there in person. I wore a picture of Connor around my neck so everyone knew who I and team Little Bug were representing.

Randy has been gone for the past week doing what he enjoys......Hunting over in Eastern Washington. I think having children have made an indelible mark upon him because I hear he has been taking lots of pictures and hiking instead of hunting. Our nephew Kyle was the only one of the group that had any success.

With Randy gone and the kids sick it has been a challenging week. Thankfully, my mom is feeling stronger day by day and she was able to come up and help out a few days. Thanks mom for your energetic help with the kids!!!!

On top of everything this past week I went into the cake construction business. We had a our first "Girlfriends" event at our church and I had the pleasure of helping out. I got a wild hair in my head that said, "Yeah, I can make purse shaped cakes!!!!" Pursonality was the theme so we used a lot of purses in the decorations. The cakes came out so cute, but I was so glad that Grandma Nanny was here helping with the kids because otherwise it would have been impossible.

The past two days have been extra challenging as I think the kids are getting sicker. More coughing, more runny noses, more, yes you guessed it, diarrhea. Yuck!!!!!!!!! I think yesterday alone I changed more than 20 diapers between the two of these little darlings!!! We all know this is the life of a mom, but I must be honest, it has been a very tiresome few weeks. Hence the result of no updates......Now, I think you understand.

I'll post a couple of pictures and then when Randy gets home I'll have some uninterrupted time to post more photos. Thanks for all your prayers and for all your support of the Buddy Walk. We raised a total of $1500 between the two walks.....Whoooo Hooooo!!!!!!!!! Way to go team Little Bug!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Update!!!!!!!

2007-09-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody ~

We have all been busy around here. Connor has been working hard on reaching a new milestone.....crawling! We're not there yet, but we are working hard on getting him to use those knees and arms to get him around. He's sitting up for hours at a time now and it is so fun to watch him be independent and play with toys on his own. We feel that he will become a much more content little guy once he has movement. He expresses great frustration when he can't get to his next activity on his own. We are so proud of him and his progress. We had a disappointing hearing screening a week ago, but we believe that their findings were misinterpreted and not accurate for what we know Connor can do. They, however, want Connor to undergo another hearing screening under sedation so that they can accurately assess his hearing levels. We are confident that it will be fine and we are praying that Connor will get through this with flying colors. At the same time they do the test, they will also be putting ear tubes in as they found that he had a bit of fluid on his right side. I'm told that ear tubes are nothing to be scared of, so we are trusting the Lord that this will be the case for Connor.

We are all anxiously awaiting the Buddy Walks coming up on the 6th and the 13th. For all of you who have sent Connor a donation to Team Little Bug, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We know we set quite a lofty goal in raising $2500, so if you have been considering a donation, it is not too late. We have a ways to go in our fund raising efforts and every contribution will be greatly appreciated by this great organization. The information you need to donate is this.
Please make checks payable to The Arc of Whatcom Co. attn Down Syndrome Outreach & send them to:
1309 57th Drive SE
Auburn, WA 98092
Thank you so much for the contributions to Team Little Bug!!!

Mackenzie is growing like a weed and she is definitely cutting teeth. Tonight she has a fever of 100.9 so we know that it may be a long night of fussiness. She is generally a happy kiddo who loves to smile. She is very observant of everything around her, especially her brother. I think she believes that Connor is there for her pure enjoyment. She laughs at all of his funny sounds and squeaks and smiles at him when he jumps in his jumperoo. Sweet Pea will be 6 months old next Tuesday. It's hard to believe she is growing so fast. She's rolling all over the place and likes to sit in her brother's Bumbo chair and sit assisted in the Boppy pillow. What a big girl.
She's still nursing, but we all look forward to introducing food to her after the Doctor's OK!!!!! Sleeping is still a rough go for everyone. Mackenzie will go for about 5 hours and then it's up every 2 1/2 to 3 hours (insert a big yawn from Mama!!!) Connor does fairly well at nighttime, but he often wakes up with fits of crying that we have been chalking up to teething, but we wonder sometimes if it could be something else.......like a bad habit to get us to come in and check up on him. So, sleep is something we like to dream about, but it doesn't seem like we get long enough stretches to allow our minds to dream. Oh well, Randy always says we'll get plenty of sleep when we're old. Hey, wait a minute, I already feel old!!! Hee Hee

Randy is busy about working out at the base and he has been informed that his military active duty orders will be ending here at the end of the month. He has been called back to fly with American Airlines, which is a blessing, but it all comes with the bitter-sweet reality that that means Daddy will be gone an awful lot. We are praying that God will help us with the right direction to move forward and for a decision that will be beneficial for all of us!!! He remains faithful in his commitment to us and he is so helpful when he can be. I am blessed beyond measure to have this man that I love so dearly!!!!

I am currently busy with the duties of Mommy hood!!!! Our days are spent doing the normal Mama and baby things and, I'll be honest, sometimes I feel a bit buried by it all. But, thankfully I am rewarded day after day with kisses and hugs and smiles that melt my heart and cause me to want to do it all again tomorrow. I have also taken up a new venture that I'm thrilled about. For all of you that are Mom's to little kiddo's you might want to check out a very fun line of kids clothes that I'm representing in Washington State. In fact the trunk just arrived in my home about 2 days ago, so my whole living room looks like a children's boutique.....It's Beautiful!!!! Anyway, if you live in our area here, feel free to stop over and see the kids and check out this new stuff.....we'd love to see you. Or if you'd like to check it out online go to http://www.chezami.com/ to see it. I think it will be fun to meet other moms of kids and provide a fun outlet for me to play dress up with the kiddos. Hey, if you like what you see and choose to pick something up, just enter my ID #447203 and I will make sure to inform you of future sales and specials or the dates that new merchandise will be out!! Ok, that's the end of my commercial.....I'm having a good time and trying to be creative with my time and efforts so that I don't get swallowed up in the long hours of baby days!!!!

Update on Grandma Nanny. My mom is doing much better and is home from her 10 day stay in the hospital. What a scare that whole thing was, but she is back up on her feet and she is trying to get back to her normal activity levels. The doctor is monitoring her closely so that they can get her blood levels at the right place, but other than that, there are no changes to her lifestyle. We are so thankful that God saw fit to place his healing hands upon those blood clots and now we just have to continue to pray that she would become stronger day by day.

I think I have updated everything for the moment. I will try to post new pictures soon. We are working out the kinks of a new camera so be patient!!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

PS ~ We want to send out our deepest prayers to the Collins family and their extended family in Riverside, CA. Many of you have seen comments from our dear friends Rip and JoAnn . The Lord saw fit to call one of his mighty warriors home to be with him a couple of weeks ago. Rip Collins was and is a man that I personally looked up to and saw as a great man of faith. Our hearts go out to JoAnn at this time and to the entire family. How we wish we were still in Riverside so that we could give you all of our love in person. May the splendid character of this great man live on in the lives of his family and those that were closet to him. We are all better people and stronger in our faith for knowing and loving Rip!!!

How To Donate To Team Little Bug

2007-09-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody.....
Thanks for being patient with me as I figure out how to best instruct all of our blogger friends to donate to Team Little Bug for the upcoming Buddy Walks. After looking into many options, we chose to go with the most accurate way we know how and that is simply sending a check. At this point we don't have a good option for online giving that will provide everyone with a tax deductible receipt, so we feel a check is the best. I know, we're still living in the dark ages of paper checks.....so please bare with us.

In the last post, we challenged our blogger friends to help us raise $2500 for Team Little Bug. Please read the post below if you did not get the update. Your donation checks can be made out to The Arc of Whatcom County Attn: Down Syndrome Outreach and you can mail them directly to us:
1309 57th Drive SE
Auburn, WA 98092
We will take all of the collected donation checks on the day of the walk and turn them in to Down Syndrome Outreach and they will issue a tax deductible receipt for any donation over $25.00. As checks come in we will keep you all posted on where we are in reaching our goal.

Thanks in advance for your willingness to give in Connor's name. We are excited to present this wonderful organization with a great donation.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

PS ~

As many of you know my Mom was taken to the hospital on Saturday for 5 separate blood clots. 2 in each of her lungs, for a total of 4 clots in her chest and 1 extrememly large clot in her left leg. It is a miracle, to say the least, that Mom went to the doctor and we are so very thankful that her doctor saw the urgency of this situation and sent her immideately to the hospital. After many tests, the ultrasound and CT scan concluded that the clots needed attention. She has been hospitalized since Saturday on a heprin IV and coumadin, both of which are blood thiners. She has been in a bit of pain in her leg but that seems to be getting better day after day. Thanks for all your continued prayers for my mom and for her quick return home. Thanks!!!!

Challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-08-30T22:07:00.000-07:00

Ok blogger land....the time has come for a challenge..............

As many of you know from previous posts, Connor was chosen to be in the Smiles of Life calender for Whatcom County 2008. We are anxiously awaiting the reveal of his page in the calender which will occur on Sept. 9th!!!! The calender is sponsored through an organization called Down Syndrome Outreach of Whatcom County. Each year throughout the country in October the National Down Syndrome Society in conjunction with local agencies puts on what's called a Buddy Walk to promote awareness of Down Syndrome. This year we are proud to put together "Team Little Bug" and walk in both the Whatcom County and Skagit County Buddy Walks. The walks will occur on October 6th in Whatcom County and October 13th in Skagit County. You can go to http://www.buddywalk.org/ for more specific details, times and directions to the walk if you'd like to join us for either of the events.

Over the past year and a half so many have asked us if there is anything they could contribute financially to Connor. We have always felt uncomfortable with that subject because God has been so faithful to provide everything for Connor 100%. The time has come where we finally know how to answer that question; You can support Connor in these upcoming Buddy Walks. We have set a goal of $2500 to raise in Connor's name for the upcoming Buddy Walks. The funds that are raised are 100% tax deductible and the moneys are used for the promotion of awareness and education for people with Down Syndrome. We believe that this is a very reachable goal for all of us and a very worthy organization to contribute to. We would be honored if you would choose to support Connor in the walks and give to this most amazing organization.

So the challenge is out...........$2500 in donations by October 6th 2005.
Here's how it could potentially breakdown:
500 people give $5.00 each
250 people give $10.00 each
100 people give $25.00 each
50 people give $50.00 each
25 people give $100.00 each....you get the picture!!!! Give in whatever direction your heart leads and be confident that the Robertson's are thrilled with each and every penny raised to support Connor and other kiddo's like him.

We are currently awaiting instructions on how you can give online in Connor's name but we wanted to get the challenge out so that you could be thinking and praying about how you might like to join with us and help. We will be posting info very soon on how and where you can donate in a secure manner and receive your tax deductible receipt.

We can't wait to see what the supporters of Little Bug will do and we will be so pleased to post the results of the challenge. There are no limits.....nothing is to small and nothing is too big!! Thank you for even considering the possibility of giving and for being part of the process to help to advocate the rights, promote the potential and abilities, and to create a supportive and inclusive community for Connor and for others with Down Syndrome. Watch out world......here comes Team Little Bug!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's see what we can do!!!!!!!!!!

Postings will follow with instructions on how you can give.

Lovebug Hugs,
Randy, Lori, Little Bug & Sweet Pea

A Year Ago Today..........

2007-08-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up with grateful hearts.........
It was just one year ago today that Little Bug fought the fight of his life. He went into the operating room for the 5th time and had Open Heart Surgery. We cried and we waited and we prayed with all of you for a miracle to transform in Little Bug's heart.

This was Connor when he returned from the operating room. We had received the news from the surgeon that the surgery went better than expected, "Beyond his wildest dreams" was what was said about the surgery. Connor had a long road to recovery, but a year later......

He is a happy little boy who just loves life with all of his being!!!! We are so proud of you Little Bug!!! We love you with all our hearts and we Celebrate "YOU" today.

Whenever something special happens in our home, that person receives the You are Special plate. Today that plate is entitled to Little Bug. It doesn't have the usual flatware that we use at meal times. It is tailor made for Connor. Syringes, feeding tube and baby food. Our prayer is that on Connor's 2nd anniversary of his Heart Repair we will see a fork and spoon and food he can eat by mouth. That is our biggest prayer right now for Connor. He's come so far, we know he will go the rest of the way.

Just to think, last year he couldn't really "do" anything because he was so sick and because he was hospitalized with a breathing tube. But now he is rolling all over, sitting up, laughing, babbling, playing happily, jumping in his jumperoo, gaining strength everyday, and off his feeding tube expect at nighttime and mealtime. We have come a long way.....ALL OF US!!!!!!

And now our happiest times are usually found in the bathtub......

Here's Little Bug in the tub and he just found a friend in his reflection.... Hee Hee Hee (Thanks Morgan for your inspiration to get a picture like this of Little Bug!!!)

A year ago we were apprehensive, worried, sad, yet trusting the Lord for a miracle. Today we are happy, expectant, content and trusting the Lord for each new milestone for Connor!!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Randy, Lori, Little Bug and Sweet Pea

Why I Love Being A Mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-29T20:42:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's true, being a mother isn't always beautiful....

You know the drill, poopy diapers, puke, dirty clothes, dirty babies, dirty house, endless spills on the floor, spit-up on your shoulder, no sleep, baggy eyelids, dark circles, a to-do list a mile long, crying that just won't end, teething, shots, doctor's visits......shall I go on??????

But, this is why I love being a Mom.........

A smile from our Little Bug that just melts your heart on a day when it's so hot you can hardly breathe.......

And the look of surprise on our Little Sweet Pea's face when she realizes she's the cutest girl in the world!!!!!!

Aaaahhhhhhh............I love being a mom despite the job description at times.......

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

PS ~
I've been trying all weekend to post a longer message with an update and lots of pictures but I'm have a difficult time uploading to blogger......I will keep trying. Hope these pictures satisfy your desire to see the Robertson Kiddo's!!!!! Hee Hee

Swimming Pool Fun.....

2007-07-14T23:39:00.000-07:00

Summertime fun in the pool with Daddy and cousin Olivia!!!
(Daddy and Mama broke down and bought a pool for outside to help beat the heat on the hot days....it's really fun!!!)

Miss Mackenzie beating the heat on her towel in the shade!!!

Peek-a-boo Mama, I see you!!!!!!!!!!

Wow this duckie is fun!!!! I can sit up in it all by myself without falling!!!!!

Hee Hee......watch me splash Daddy and Mama!!!!!!

Spending the day at a friends house where there is a beautiful indoor pool.....We all had a blast swimming with our floaties and with cousins Olivia and Brayden!!!

Cousins Olivia and Brayden playing on the big bug with Daddy!!!!

Mama and her two favorite kiddo's (Grandpa Bruce is there too, but he got cut off....Sorry Grandpa!!!!)

Look at that happy family enjoying the water!!!!

Hey now, let's get something straight....I want to go into the deep end of the pool where all the fun stuff happens....GOT IT!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Brother.....Now what am I supposed to do???????????

Ok, I'll just take a bite out of her...then she'll know who's the boss and who's drivin' this fun boatin' machine!!!!!

I love you Daddy.......Don't you think we look alike????

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

The Answer To The Paul Bunyan Surprise.....

2007-07-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

Because you have all asked what the mission by Paul Bunyan and Tim the Tool Man Taylor was, here is the comment that Daddy posted on the blog entry entitled Mission Accomplished.

Daddy said...
WOW Honey I'm still astonished at what you've done!!!!!!!!! THANKS!!!!! Well to let all of you know out there in blogger land....Lori my hard working and loving wife has done an amazing feat! You see just before I left on this last military trip I cut down a huge tree in our front yard and didn't have enough time to haul it all away. So most of it was left in the backyard of which Lori helped me or should I say SHE hauled it there for me, so that when I returned I could finish the job.Knowing full well that when I returned I would be faced with a monumental task of logging for a few days Lori decided to help her hubby out and do it herself!!!! AUGH....Yep Lori the logger...or Paul Bunyan's helper...she is fantastic!!! And mind you this was not a branch or two this was a whole tree!!!! She cut, stacked, removed it all!!!! Honey I hear Weyerhauser is looking for a few good lumberjacks! But not only was she lumberjack but she also pressure washed our whole patio and fixed up the backyard as well...weeding.. trimming plants and making our yard more livable. You see I had given up on it because of our precious little beast Abbey...a very active black lab we got as a puppy....and puppies like to dig and chew and totally annihilate things which she did in short order to our backyard! But thanks to the hard efforts of my beautiful wife.... Daddy can now spend quality time with her and the kids instead of working for days out back... probably only doing half as nice a job as she has done in ONE DAY !!!! Yep one day!!! Wow is she ever efficient!!!! I guess that comes with being a busy Mommy!Thanks Honey..this is truly a gift not only do I thank you but my back does too!!!

OK Gramps....I'm not going to forget you either...You see Lori did have a little help...Grampa Milliren came up and helped Lori with all the "lumberjacking" and the use of his truck to haul it all away and I hear he can swing a mean chainsaw with the best of those Weyerhauser lumberjacks! Oh and he also pressure washed our back deck off which is quite a job!! Thanks Gramps for all your hard work! You've both done a fabulous job I sincerely appreciate it!!!!!

Oh and last but not least.. I can't forget Grandma Milliren....none of this would have been possible without her vigilant watch over our "littlebug" and "sweetpea" so Mama and Grandpa could practice their chainsaw and axe swinging routines...thanks Grams!!

Love Randy and "his non aching back"

2007-07-10T08:43:00.001-07:00

We received great news yesterday at Little Bug's cardiology appointment. He hasn't seen his cardiologist in 5 months so they were so excited to see how Connor had grown and to hear about all the new things he is doing. After his echo cardiogram we got the good report that Connor's heart function is perfectly NORMAL and HEALTHY!!!!!!!!!!! Praise the Lord for that fantastic word, NORMAL!!!!! He received a bill of health for 12 full months and he also dropped another medication off of his list. That means we are down to only 2 meds that he is taking. Slowly but surely we are making excellent progress towards normal. I will update more on how he is doing in all areas soon. We have our neice Olivia with us until the 17th so we have lots of fun things planned.

Oh, by the way, thanks for commenting Graham, WA. I was apparently wrong in my assumption of who the 100,000th visitor was to the blog. I will confess, I thought it might have been Tammy because I know how addicted she and her wonderful family are to the blog, but I was wrong. According to the comment, it was Kim Vallone. It's nice to know you visit often to check in on us. Thanks for letting us know who you are, I feel like we've made a new friend.

Have a wonderful day and I hope everyone finds a way to beat the heat around here. It's supposed to be in the high 90's and may even reach 100 here in Seattle over the next few days.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

All American!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!!!!!

The Patriotic Robertson Family!!!!!!!!! A fun day at Les Grove Park in Auburn, WA!! This was the first parade and festival that the kids have ever been to. We all had a great time.

All American.....All the way......Little Bug loves to have his bare feet in the cool grass.....especially on a hot 90 degree day like today!!!

Daddy and Little Bug getting ready to take a train ride around the park.....Wheeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!

Daddy, Little Bug and the Engineer!!!! Thanks for the ride Mr. Train guy!!!!!

Mackenzie Joy lookin' pretty with her flag!!!

Little Bug rarin' to go to the next exhibit......'cmon guys, let's go!!!!!!!!!!!

Little Bug got to meet a parrott today!!!!

More play time in the cool grass with Daddy!!!!

Ohhhhhh............Somebody's sleepy sleepy!!!!!

Oh Brother......There goes Mama again doing a photo shoot.......

Ok Mackenzie.....Here's a secret for you......If you don't always do what I say, then I'm gonna have to bite your ear off.....Got It??????

Hee Hee Hee.......Little Bug thinks he's the boss telling me those secrets to make me scared.....I've got some news for you big brother.......

I'm gonna smile pretty and tilt my head and my Daddy and Mama will give me anything I want......

Big All American Girl smiles......

Whew.....I'm getting tired of this photo shoot Mama......My tongues hanging out and I'm hot and tired and Mackenzie looks scared out of her shorts.....Can't we just stop and go watch fireworks??? Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Mama I said NOW..................I'm TIRED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The end of a great day with our All American Kids!!!!

Lovebug Hugs & Happy Independence Day,
Randy, Lori, Little Bug & Sweet Pea

100,000!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-07-03T22:20:00.001-07:00

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe the time has finally arrived that we made 100,000 hits on Little Bug's blog!!! Someone in Graham, WA logged on at 10:15pm (PST) and the ticker changed over to 100,000!!! We can't believe that our story has touched so many lives and that people are still committed to checking in on us!!! Our hearts are filled with deep gratitude to each and every one of you for coming into our lives daily to check in on us and to continue reading our journey. We plan on keeping up on this avenue of communication for a long long time....so don't go anywhere. We have many more adventures to share with the world and we have many more joys to celebrate and requests to pray for. I plan on writing a post real soon to update all of Connor's medical info for those of you who are interested. To all of our faithful blogger family we wish you a Happy 4th of July!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

PS~ Whoever you are Graham, WA that logged on at 10:15pm on July 3rd.......leave us a comment and let us know who you are!!!!! We have a sneaking suspicion that we know who it is but I won't reveal it until we get a comment, ok......Hint...Hint...We think we saw this person at a wedding over the weekend....and a beautiful wedding at that!!!!!! Let us know!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mission Accomplished!!!!

2007-06-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

This is for Daddy (wherever you are!!!)
Hi Daddy, it's Little Bug. I wanted to sneak into the computer to tell you that the mission is accomplished. Mama was working on a surprise for you and, let me tell you, Paul Bunyan would be proud....In fact I think Tim the Toolman Taylor would be proud too....(You know that guy from the Home Improvement show!!!) Are you curious yet????? We can't wait for you to come home and get you Father's Day surprise!!!!! You deserve it Daddy 'cause you're the best!!!!!!

See you soon. Sweet Pea says hello and I wanted to let you know that I got another tooth!!! Love you Daddy!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Little Bug

Saying Goodbye To Grandma Ruth!!!!

2007-06-19T21:23:00.000-07:00

With grieving hearts we said goodbye to Grandma Ruth today. Last Friday, June 15th, Grandma Ruth (Lori's Grandma) went home to be with the Lord at 2:50am. Lori and the kids were there when Grandma took those final breaths on this earth. Randy had just left on a military trip earlier that morning and was unable to be there, but he was there in spirit. Today we had a beautiful memorial service and burial for Grandma. She is with the Lord in Heaven now and although we grieve her loss in our family we know she is healthy and whole in Heaven. Grandma was a beautiful lady with a beautiful heart. We miss her already but we are so grateful that she did have opportunity to meet both of our kids before she passed away. She had seen Connor a few times and Mackenzie only twice. I will cherish the days that we had 4 generations represented in our family and I will forever feel her absence.

Thank you for all the love and prayers over the years for my Grandma. It was wonderful to see our extended family today from all over the state of Washington. May you all feel the comfort that only the Lord can give during these days when we miss her most. The pictures below were taken just a month ago on Mother's Day. We love you Grandma!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Randy, Lori, Connor and Mackenzie

Happy Father's Day Daddy!!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-17T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, it's Connor and Mackenzie here. Mama let us out of her sight for a few minutes so the little sweet pea and I made our way to the computer as quick as we could. It's Father's Day today and our Daddy is overseas on a military trip. We are so sad that we can't kiss all over him and slobber him with love....we love to do that to our Daddy.

There are so many reasons that our Daddy is the BEST. First, he loves us with all his heart. You'd think he'd won the lottery each and every time he sees us....especially me, Little Bug....I think he likes me best....Hee Hee!!! (Shhhhhh...don't tell the little sweet pea that because she'd get all bent out of shape....) Our Daddy is always so happy to see us. He flies us around the house and he kisses us all over. He loves to throw us way up in the air and listen to us giggle. Well, at least I giggle, sometimes Mackenzie just looks like she's gonna throw up or something, but I still think she likes it. Second, our Daddy's the best Daddy because he works so hard for us. He has to be gone a lot and he hates that, but he is always faithful to his job and to defend our country's freedom. We are so proud of you Daddy. Wherever you are today, we hope you know that we love you so much!!!! Third, we love our Daddy because he let's us have all of our toys out at the same time. Mama has these silly rules that we have to play with only 1 or 2 toys at a time so she can keep things tidy around here......Well, not our Daddy. He let's us have the whole floor covered with toys at the same time...Everywhere you look you see toys when our Dad's watching out for us. He turns on all our musical toys and you'd think a parade was traveling through our house. It gets really noisy around here and we love that. Fourth, we love Daddy so much because he lets us wear our sleepers all day long. (Mama hates that!!!!) He says it's easier to change us in sleepers rather than putting us in clothes. We love to roll around in sleepers....Way to go Dad for letting us have it our way....It's kinda like eating at Burger King...you know...Have it your way!! Fifth, we love Daddy because he gives us light shows at bedtime. He plays the moon game with us and lets the tap light rise over the crib just like the moon...then he zooms it around the crib and swoops it down so we can touch it. We laugh so hard.....it's the funnest game. Sixth, we love Daddy because he plays his guitar and sings silly songs to us. He makes up the words and the tunes sometimes and they're always about us. Thanks for being such a creative Daddy to us.

Well, we could go on and on but I think Mama is catching on to the fact that we're not where we are supposed to be right now. So Daddy, wherever you are we want you to know that we miss you and we love you. Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy in the whole wide universe!!!!! Can't wait to celebrate with you when you come home.

Lovebug Hugs To You Daddy!!!!
Little Bug and Sweet Pea

PS ~ Hey Dad, Mama's working on a surprise for you......I think she might be turning into Paul Bunyan!!!!

New Pictures....FINALLY!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

Pretty in pink in Mama's dress that she wore 37 years ago!!!!
(I think this means were going to be taking lots of pictures of me in this dress.....Enjoy!!!)

Me and Mama.....Ohhhhhhh

Having a little bit of tummy time in my pretty dress!!

Smiling for the camera!!

So concerned....How many more pictures is Mama gonna take?????

I'll just sit here and be cute as a sweet pea so Mama can get the pictures she wants.....

Mama and Sweet Pea........

Daddy and his little girl!!!

Hanging out with Mama after a costume change....Hee Hee

Daddy and Little Bug getting ready for some snuggle time....

Snuggle time.....Are you kidding me???? I want to play!! I want to fly!!! Look at me....I'm serious, get me flying Daddy.....Ok, I'll flap my arms real hard and see if I can go....

I love my Daddy!!!!

I'm sitting up with my dog Abbey!!!! I don't sit up all by myself all the time, but occasionally Mama and Daddy catch me sitting up with a little help from my puppy dog!!! Mama says, "Don't worry", I'll be sitting up in no time!!

Hey Dad, let's just hang out for a while......I like hanging out with you!!

Oh Dad, don't cry......I promise I won't grow up too fast!!!!!!

Sweet Pea hanging out with her orange Binky!!!! (Man I wish these Binky's came in other colors to match outfits.....Uggghhh....What's a Mama to do?????)

Too Cute.......

Hanging out with our neighbor's, The Foxes last week when we had our first fire in our fire pit...We even made smore's. This was Connor and Mackenzie's 1st bonfire!!! If you look real close you will see that Connor and Mama are roasting a marshmellow.....yummy!!!!!

Connor and Mackenzie having play time with Daddy when Mama had to run errands....Wow, look at all the toys out at one time!!! Daddy must be on duty!!!!

Hey, is that Mackenzie in Connor's Bumbo chair?????? I guess she needs to start working on her sitting up skills too.....

Hope you enjoyed the recent pictures.....I know it's been a while!!!

Lovebug Hugs,

Lori

Fun With Hats.....

2007-05-28T22:56:00.001-07:00

During our Ferndale visit, Randy and Connor had some excellent Daddy-Son time out on Grandpa and Grandma Robertson's porch. Little Bug had a big boy wool hat on and Daddy had been up in the big red barn so he had on his overalls and baseball cap. Family dog "Hunter" was close by with tennis ball in mouth in hopes that there would be play time.

Connor you look like you should be in Moscow with that wool cap on......So cute!!!!
My precious boys........How I love them!!!!!

And then there's our Sweet Pea. She is dressed up in her little outfit that makes her look like the Statue of Liberty. If only we had a torch for her. Actually, I have a pink and white "girly wand" but it didn't make it in the picture. I will post a picture like that soon, but I have to wait for the perfect opportunity to snap the photo.

Ohhhhhhhhhh, so sweet!!!!!! This is Kenzie trying on her Sunday hat for Grandma Robertson to re-size for her. She is just adorable in the whole outfit!!!!

Laura Ingall's, watch out........Mackenzie's comin' to Little House on the Prairie!!!! Hee Hee!!!

Hope the photo's made you smile, I know they sure make me smile!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Having Fun With Pictures....

2007-05-25T17:26:00.000-07:00

Mackenzie Joy is starting to smile and coo when we talk to her......She's so cute!!!

I think this is the beginning of a laugh!!!

Ok, here's a little personality for you!!!!

Who couldn't fall in love with that baby face???

So sweet!!!!!!!!

An angel dropped from heaven and landed softly in my arms.....Mackenzie Joy, I love you!!!!

Baby hands.......couldn't you just nibble on them?????

Our favorite Little Bug!!!!!

Mama and Daddy love you so much Connor. You have the most precious little baby face. Don't ever loose that sweetness that is smothered all over you!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Off Again.............

2007-05-25T09:23:00.001-07:00

Well, after a very short couple of weeks home, Randy is off again "into the wild blue yonder"..... I know I say it all the time, but boy do we hate it when he has to be away from us. There is a certain kind of quiet that takes residence in our home when Randy is not here. Notice I said a certain kind of quietness. Believe me, our house is not quiet. If it's not Connor babbling his Ma Ma Ma's or Dad Dad Da's or Bop Bop Bop's it's Mackenzie crying or starting to coo. There isn't a dull moment around here let me tell you!!! Anyway, see you soon Daddy. We can't wait for you to come home so we can enjoy the sunshine and afternoon walks together.

We have been so busy over the past couple of weeks. We packed the kids up and headed for Ferndale for 6 days. It was interesting traveling with 2 kiddo's and ALL their gear. Who would have known that we would barely have enough room to pack our own bags, in a mini van no less!!! Between the pack and play, the jumperoo, the bouncy seat, the bumbo, the toy bar, the bags of clothes, the diapers, the dog.....we were packed to the hilt!!!! I felt a little like The Clampet's driving down I5. Good thing we didn't have Grandma in a rocking chair on the roof!!! Hee Hee!!!

We had a fantastic and busy few days up North. Visiting family and friends is always a highlight for us. The kids were great travelers and no one got sick!!! The reason for the trip centered around Connor being chosen to be in a calendar for Down Syndrome Awareness in Whatcom County. We were all so excited about this for Little Bug. We got his first real haircut and got him some fancy new duds so he would be polished for his photo shoot. What fun it was to watch him being a star. The first few minutes of the shoot he wouldn't smile for anything. You should have seen us. We were working very hard to get him to crack a smile, but he just looked at us like we were fools. Then, finally, Randy started to do the airplane game with him and he started pumping those chubby little legs like Rudolph on Christmas Eve and we saw some smiles. The photographer was GREAT!!! She got down flat on her back and let Randy do the airplane game right over her so she could get Connor's smiles close up. She was able to snap some fantastic shots and we can't wait for the calendar to be revealed at the end of summer. We will keep you all posted on the progress of the calendar and many have already asked how they can get one once they come out. It is my understanding that you can purchase them through us or through the Whatcom County Down Syndrome Awareness website. I am waiting for word back from the coordinator on how best to accommodate requests for the calendar. Stay posted and I will let you know how you can get one if that's your desire.

After the photo shoot we walked around Cornwall Park and took some pictures of our own. We realized that we didn't have any pictures of the 4 of us, so this was a perfect and fun opportunity to take some family pictures.

We hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day and we hope you have the opportunity to pay respect to all the men and women who have fought so bravely for our dear country and lost their lives. I personally say thank you to all the brave soldiers that have been dedicated, even to death, to spare the lives of those of us living in our great USA. I found a little bit of history that I thought was interesting. In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

She conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need.
So, if you see a red poppy over the weekend you will be reminded that the "blood of our heroes never dies!!!" Happy Memorial Day!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Dear God........

2007-05-17T23:41:00.001-07:00

Dear God, I'm growing up so fast....Please help me to stay little so I can get snuggled and cuddled forever!!!!!! Amen

Mother's Day!!!

2007-05-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have followed our blog from the beginning, you will remember that last year I started a tradition of writing a letter to our children on Mother's Day!! After all, this day is a day to honor the heart and spirit of a Mother and my heart and spirit are captivated by our children. So this year, instead of writing to Little Bug only I will be writing to both our kiddos.

My dear sweet children, Connor & Mackenzie,
Today is Mother's Day and I feel so blessed and called of God to be your Mama!! There isn't a single job on earth I could take that would fulfill the longings deep within my soul to be your mother. I remember many years ago when I did not have children and how I would long for the sounds, smells & cuddles of little ones. I would dream of what it would be like to scoop you up in my arms and calm your fears and settle your worried hearts. I would wonder if your eyes would be just like mine or if you would have your Daddy's eyes. I would hope that your eyes would look deep within mine during the wee hours of night and find rest and solitude and safety. Now I know the true depths of all of those feelings. I know the truth of a Mother's love and I know that I would scale the tallest mountain to save you from hurting or plunge to the lowest depth to wipe your tears.

I have realized something about myself by being a mother. I have learned that, for me, life would be void of meaning if you were not in it. You both have become my sun and my moon, my true north!!! You guide me and you challenge me and you can't even talk yet!!! I see the way you look at me and I know that you are seeking direction and guidance from me. Some days, that is a very heavy load to bear. I feel tired at times and I want to fall into a deep sleep, but then I realize that you will need me in just moments and I have to put off what I want to give you what you need. Notice I didn't say what you want, I said what you need. I am striving to provide you all of the things that you need to grow and to learn and to flourish in our beautiful world. You both are so little right now, and I am very aware that you will not stay this way for long. I want you to know that I am truly enjoying the "baby days" that we are experiencing. Our "baby days" are so fun. I see smiles and I hear giggles. I sense that you trust me to be a good Mama and to help you grow big and strong. I know we have our days where there is more crying than smiles and there are more poopy diapers than "clean" ones. But hey, that's what I signed up for and every day is an adventure being your Mom.

There is something that you both need to know. Before you both were born your Daddy and Mama had great adventures together. We traveled and we saw the world. It was so fun and we are so glad that we took the first year of our married life to do that because life is much different now that you both occupy our time. But don't ever think that we won't have adventures with you because we have big plans for fun times together. We can't wait for you both to get bigger so that we can experience the world together. And by the way, I know I tell you both all the time when we sit and snuggle, but it bears repeating.......I am soooooooooooooo in love with your Daddy. He is the light of my life and the great love of my life. I will forever tell you the story of our love and I will forever love your Daddy with all of my heart. I realize that one of the greatest ways to teach you about love is to show you. So, I want you to always feel secure that Daddy and Mama love each other with their whole hearts and we will ALWAYS be together and be an example of true commitment and true love.

You both bring different things into my life. Connor, you have taught me how to pray in a deeper way than I have ever known. You are my miracle child and I thank God for our journey with you. I am so proud of you and the fight that you have within you. You have been an inspiration to the world and you don't even know it yet. I pray for you every day that you will be a mighty man of God and you are definitely showing me that my prayers are being answered. I appreciate your gentle character and your gentle touch! Our snuggle time and Mama and Little Bug "make out" time are the most precious parts of my day. Oh how I love your kisses!!! You have taught me how to laugh louder and heartier than I have ever laughed. I love the way you look at me and click that little jaw of yours.....It's sooooo cute. You're learning to wave now and I think it's adorable to watch you clinch your little hand back and forth. You have brought depth into my life as well. You have taught me about faith and how to trust without limits. I am forever thankful for your beautiful touch upon my life. I love being your Mama Little Bug!!!!

Mackenzie, you are the newest addition to the family and tomorrow you will be 6 weeks old. How fast time is already passing as I watch you grow and mature. You are so different than your big brother. You have your own time schedule (as we learned when you were born!!!) and you let us know if we are late with anything you need. You have brought an incredible sense of beauty into my life. I look at you and you are so gorgeous. I melt at the very sight of you. I want to say, "She looks just like me", but to be honest you look just like you. You are my Little Sweet Pea and you bring me great joy just watching the way you are beginning to explore the world. I can't wait to teach you the ways of being a "little girl" and then one day the ways of being a "woman". You have a tender grace about you that is really hard to describe. I sense gentleness in your touch and I know that you love me. You also have "spirit", and Little Sweet Pea, you just can't get by in life without some of that!!!! I can tell you are always going to let your Daddy and me know what you feel about things and why. This is a good trait and don't let anyone tell you differently. I will teach you how to express your strong opinions with respect and with humbleness. You are my second born, but my first little girl. I love the connection we share as Mother and Daughter. How I pray that with each passing year that connection will only grow and flourish into something more beautiful than I ever dreamed. I love being your Mama Little Sweet Pea!!!

I've been a Mom now for 16 months and in those months I have learned many practical lessons.
1. Never neglect snuggle time with my kids.....even if it's 3am!!!
2. Don't rush.....the more I rush, the later I become (especially on Sunday mornings!!!)
3. Pray every day.....sometimes more than once for patience and more hours in the day!!!
4. Play...Play...Play!!!!! Never forget to play with my kids, they are only young once!!
5. Buy batteries in bulk!!!!! Every toy we own requires batteries, so save a buck and buy them at Costco!!!
6. Bedtime is hectic, just embrace it!!!!
7. The sounds of my baby's cry can do things to my body that I never thought possible...wear breast pads!!!! All you mother's will know what I mean....Sorry guys, I just had to be honest!!
8. Dinner time is always fussy time.....Get used to it, and get prepared!!!!
9. Life is no longer about me. Pick an outfit that will look good for at least 3 days and don't worry if someone sees you in it all three times!!! (This one's a tough lesson for me!!!)
10. Love Daddy all the time becuase he will be the one to rejuvinate me and make me feel like a woman!! I love you Randy for the all the ways you love me!!! I am blessed by your love!!
11. Finally.......LOVE!!!!! Love beyond limits and love beyond bounds. I only have one chance at mothering my little ones so no matter what the situation is, LOVE!!!!

I will never get these days back. I can never repeat a single minute of your lives so I must be cognoscente of my every move. How I love my life as a mother and how I love being your Mom, Connor and Mackenzie. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to stretch myself in every way possible and for making every step of the journey worthwhile. I am blessed in more ways than I can imagine and it's all because I am your Mama!!! So to both of you on this Mother's Day I renew my love for you and my commitment to caring for you in the most honorable and excellent ways possible.

Thank you for giving me a Happy Mother's Day!!
Mama

Busy Days While Daddy's Away!!!!

2007-05-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

Little Bug in his new Rainforest Jumparoo!!! He Loves jumping to the jungle music and hearing the animal sounds in his new toy. It is GREAT exercise for him and we can already see the strength beginning to build in his legs.....You go Connor.....Jump Away!!!!!!!!

Little Bug jumps so hard and fast that sometimes he puts himself right to sleep. Poor Little Bug, I guess it's time to go Night Night!!!!!!!!!

Here is our Little Sweet Pea getting ready to leave for her 1 month doctor check-up!!!! She has her little lips perched just like a baby bird waiting for a worm.....I don't think I'll feed her worms, but maybe it's time for a little snack...Hee Hee!!!

Here's Mackenzie Joy having her first tummy time play with Daddy before he left on his trip. Hurry home Daddy so you can see how strong my head and neck are getting.

Little Sweet Pea nuzzled into Uncle Les last weekend. What a blessing to get snuggles from the family!!!!

Mackenzie Joy all dressed up for the first time in a little denim dress for our first shopping outing with Connor, Mama, Grandma R. and Aunt Kathy. "I'm tired of shopping Mama, I'm gonna take a little rest, but you keep shopping, OK. Don't forget to buy me lots of fun stuff and Connor too!!!" Hee Hee ( I think these kiddo's have Mama wrapped around their little fingers!!)

We have had many busy days since Daddy's been gone. Randy made sure that we were covered with help during his trip so we have had Grandma-Nanny Milliren, Grandma Robertson, Aunt Kathy, Aunt Lynette, Aunt Maureen and Aunt Marsha & Uncle Les, Erica, Carly and Haley all stay with us at different times. We also had visits from Kim and Tracy, long time friends of Lori's who were so thrilled to meet both children. We can't forget Grandma Phyllis and Grandpa Norris and Amy & Gary and Linda too. We've had so much fun with all of our family here. Little Bug loves to have all the new faces around him to play with and Mackenzie loves to be snuggled so it has worked out well!!

Connor is completely over his sickness and cold and I (Mama) am feeling back up to speed after my sinus infection. We have enjoyed the sunshine and taken walks in the park and even a shopping trip to North Bend outlet mall.

Connor had an appointment up at Children's Hospital in the ENT clinic and everything looks good in his ear canals and ear drums. He had a little bit of fluid in his ears but Dr. Sie didn't think anything of it after she heard that he had had a big cold for a couple of weeks. We go back in 4 months to have a routine hearing exam and there is no need for concern, everything looks like he will test out just perfect!!! He is having more food go through his feeding tube during the day and he is down to 12 hours of formula at night. We are making slow progress to get food in his tummy, but still no luck getting him to take volumes of food by mouth. Still a prayer request to get that mouth excited about food. While we were at the hospital on Monday we went up to the ICU to visit the nurses and doctors that became our lifeline last year when Connor was in the hospital. They were all delighted to see Little Bug and thrilled to see how well he is doing. Connor made everyone smile with his babbling and his grins!!! It's always exciting for us to say thank you one more time to the large team of people that helped to save his little life!!!!!

Mackenzie is doing better and growing well. Her 1 month appointment was fabulous! She weighed 9 lbs 8.8 ounces so she is growing at a beautiful rate. She is starting to do better at night and we think she's going through a growth spurt because she seems to want to eat all the time the last few days. After talking with our pediatrician, he confirmed that Mackenzie officially has colic. Since she exhibits the same pattern of fussiness each night at the same time, this is the criteria for colic. He mentioned that it should peak around 6 weeks and hopefully by 2-3 month go away all together. So we will hang in there and hope for quick changes in her patterns and pray for sleep to get easier and easier. Randy is going to see such a difference in the kids when he returns. Hopefully we will see him by Friday sometime so we are ready and excited for his return!!!

I want to say Thank you to everyone who helped to make Mackenzie's baby shower a beautiful event on Sunday. We had so much fun and she received all kinds of beautiful gifts. I personally loved to visit with all the family and friends that attended and I loved to watch the excitement of everyone as they held Mackenzie and Connor too. Thanks for the beautiful day!!!!

I must close for now as I hear the Sweet Pea awakening from her nap and Connor beginning to let me know he wants me back to play with him. I hope you enjoy the recent pictures. We will post more when Daddy comes home!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

It's A Cry-Fest Around Here......

2007-04-29T13:22:00.000-07:00

Today Randy left on a military trip for the first time since Mackenzie was born. The kids were sleeping (for what seemed to be only a minute or two...) when Randy walked out the door, but there I was, PJ's and all, standing in the doorway with tears in my eyes. I know I am so blessed to have a husband who is dedicated to our country, but it is always so hard to watch him drive away knowing full well where he is going.

I think of his sacrifices and the things he misses while he is gone and I am, once again, flooded with pride and thankfulness for the man that he is. Randy is such a help with the kids. He loves bath time with Connor. They can play in that tub for so long and I never know who is more disappointed when I come through the door saying, "OK, it's time to get out!" I love to hear them giggle and play and splash in the water (no matter how big a mess they make!!). Randy has even been brave enough to get Mackenzie in the bath for a short minute to wash her up and get her clean.

If you spent even just 5 minutes in our home, you would definitely hear the rumblings of laughter as Randy plays "airplane" with Connor. They go zooming through the house and Little Bug shrieks with delight!!! You'd think we'd taken him to Disneyland or something. As they fly around Connor does this super cute thing with his legs. He pumps them back and forth so fast I think he thinks he's making Daddy go faster and faster. Randy calls it his Rudolph move!!! Maybe he's training to be part of Santa's reindeer team this year. Oh how I love to see my boys playing. Randy is an awesome father!!! All of these things I know he will miss over the next couple of weeks of being away. Again, I am blessed that he doesn't have to be gone for months at a time. My heart goes out to military wives who have to be by themselves for months, even years at a time. But especially on the days that Randy leaves, it feels like we won't see him forever.

So, it's a cry-fest around here today. I'm missing Randy. Connor's missing Daddy. And, Mackenzie.....well, she doesn't know why she's crying, but let's just put it this way, she won't stop. It's 1:00pm and I'm still in my PJ's with the same sad eyes that were standing in the door way at 8:00am this morning. We'll find our rhythm in a few days I'm sure, but for today I've told myself, "It's OK to be sad!!"

So honey, if you get to read this when you land in places unknown, know that we ALL love you and miss you and can't wait for your safe return to us. Thanks for your sacrifices for our family and be assured I will be holding down the fort while you're gone (or at least I'll be trying to that is...HEE HEE!!!). Rest up too....Reindeer training must resume upon your return!!! I love you sweetheart!!!!!!!!!!

Over the past year these blogs have become a personal expression for me and quite honestly a window into my heart and soul. I've expressed pain, worry, anger, fear, happiness, joy, faith and most importantly love. I won't apologize for the personal nature that they sometimes take because that is just who I am. I guess you could simply be privileged to feel like part of our family, because I know that's how we feel to have so many "family members" out there in blog land.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Still Holding On........

2007-04-24T21:11:00.000-07:00

It has been close to 3 weeks that we have all been sick around here. Yesterday, Lori went to the doctor with a whole new set of symptoms.....Diagnosis......Sinus Infection!!!! Uuuugggghhhh....I honestly can't believe that we are not well yet. Thankfully Randy is feeling 90% better and Connor is on the mend. The doctor gave me amoxicillin to attack the infection so I am hoping to really feel better in a couple of days. We want so badly to experience the fun and exciting days of newborn times with Mackenzie, but unfortunately we are just surviving around here. I know we need to post more pictures, but quite honestly, we haven't taken any. I do promise that we will get on top of this and become more normal, but today is not that day!! Mackenzie is doing well, but she is exhibiting a great deal of fussiness and sleeplessness at night. We are praying that this turns around soon. So, we are still holding on to our sanity, but some days it feels like it is just by a thread. Thankfully, we know that this too shall pass!!!!

Connor had his synagist shot today to ward off RSV. He is such a trooper, he didn't even cry this time. The nurse said, "I don't know how you guys have raised him to be such a good boy, but I have never seen a child react so happily to a yucky shot like this before." I was so proud of him!!! If I could have, I would have taken him out for Ice Cream as a special treat!!! Speaking of ice cream or food in general for that matter, we have a special request. We are trying desperately to transition Connor from his feeding tube to eating by mouth. We want so much for him to enjoy food in his mouth and understand the connection of eating and feeling full so that he can get rid of this feeding tube and backpack. Now that he is becoming more mobile with rolling over, the backpack is becoming quite cumbersome and quite frankly, a danger too. We worry that he is going to pull the tube out completely and hurt himself. Last week we had to take him to his feeding tube doctor and we came up with a plan to give him more pureed food through his tube. This way he is getting more calories and his stomach is getting used to digestion, but we haven't addressed the issue of eating by mouth.

Connor has 2 wonderful therapists that work with him. One for physical therapy and one for oral therapy. We really want to be aggressive in this area, but we also know that Connor has developed some oral aversion that we have to conquer. Here in lies our request. We know that God has a special interest in Connor. He has answered so many prayers for our Little Bug and has intervened to save his life on numerous occasions. So we know that this is not outside of the realm of possibility for our God to answer this prayer for Connor as well. We know that God wants the best for Connor just like we do and that he can heal this eating issue. We would ask that you would join with us in praying for Connor to make strides with his eating. We are specifically praying that he would tolerate volumes of food instead of just tastes of food.

To many of you this may seem like a silly request because you have never dealt with a feeding tube before, but let me tell you, it is a BIG DEAL!!!!!! Each step that we take to getting Connor more normal in his behaviors is such a victory to him and to us. Thanks in advance for your support and prayers for this issue. We know that we have a big God and we trust that He can do this for Connor. We are looking forward to sharing the good news of answered prayer in this area soon.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Connor & "Kenzie's" Play Time......

2007-04-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

Connor is such a trooper....He's starting to share his precious playmat with his little sister. She's not quite sure about this whole play thing yet as she likes to be held....but soon she will be playing with her big brother and stealing his toys!!!! What a blessing children are!!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Climbing The Mountain To Better Health......

2007-04-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

We're not there yet, but we are definitely climbing the mountain toward better health around here. Connor is still not feeling well, and Randy and I are still sniffling and coughing. Mackenzie is doing well, but we are concerned that she may be getting a slight cold. She's been very fussy, with watery eyes and little sneezes. How we pray that we can all beat this soon. Thanks for continued prayers.

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

My Oh My, Little Bug's Got The Crud Too!!!!

2007-04-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official......Daddy and Mama gave Little Bug the same awful crud that we have. Poor little guy.....Daddy took him in to the doctor today and sure enough, he's fighting off the same thing we have. Thankfully, Randy is nearing the end, but Lori is still feeling lousy!!!! Mackenzie is fairing quite well at the moment!!! We seriously need health to cover our home soon!!!! This is the worst sickness that we have seen in years (baring Little Bug's last year in the hospital)!!! We really look forward to having more visitors and Connor can't wait to show off his new little sister. Plus, Little Bug would love to have visitors come and play with him so he can show off his new found skill of rolling over!!!!

By the way, Mackenzie has a website that was provided by the hospital. It is now available for viewing and comments for 120 days. Please feel free to visit at :
http://www.growingfamily.com/webnursery/babypage.asp?URLID=7Y6S4P7H3G
(Simply copy and paste the entire yellow portion above into the address line of your browser and press go!) To leave a message for Mackenzie please scroll down to the "Add Your Message" section, click on it and enter our last name (Robertson) and leave a message to be printed out for Mackenzie's baby book. Thanks!!!

Continued prayers for better health are certainly appreciated!!! Thanks so much for all your love!!!

Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Sickness Has Descended......

2007-04-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately the happy Robertson home as been smitten with sickness. Randy came down with a terrible cold last Friday that put him out of commission for nearly 5 days. During that time it was passed to Grandma Nanny Milliren and Aunt Kathy who were here helping us get transitioned. Last night Lori got hit hard with the same thing and now Daddy is left to play Mr. Mom. This cold and flu is AWFUL!!!!!!!!!! Chills, sweats, fever, cough and running nose on top of serious body aches. Not a good combination for trying to get nursing down with a new baby and care for Little Bug. Randy is doing an AWESOME JOB!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to personally say THANK YOU to him for rising to the occasion and giving me some time to recoup and sleep. He has been caring for both children last night and today and he brings little Mackenzie Joy into me every time she needs a feeding. I am blessed beyond measure to have Randy here with me. Praise the Lord he is not out flying a trip. I don't know how I would do it. Please say extra prayers that our two little angels will not be stricken with the same thing. We appreciate all your comments and loving words of congratulations for Mackenzie. She is doing great and is getting more beautiful each day. We have pictures to post of Easter, but you'll understand the delay in getting them up. Little Bug is still trying to figure out what that high pitched cry is in the house, but generally, he is adjusting quite well. As any new parent bringing home baby #2 we worry that we're not giving Connor enough attention, but chances are he is definitely getting plenty of love!!!!

We covet your prayers for healing in our home!!!!
Lovebug Hugs,
Lori

Sleepy, Sleepy Time.....

2007-04-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

Little Sweet Pea sleeping on the couch......

Mackenzie Joy taking a sweet little nap with her hand curled under her cheek on Easter afternoon!!!!

Aren't sleeping baby pictures the best?????

Lovebug Hugs,
Little Bug, Daddy, Mama and Mackenzie Joy