First tooth!

We have a tooth!

Levi is keeping the visual evidence under lock and key, but one of these days I will be quick enough to take a photo!

What a week

The past week can be summed up in a few short words: injured daddy, sick baby, sick mama, doctors, surgery, lack of sleep. As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours!

Gib's surgery went really well, and my tough guy is now rockin' a camo cast:

He has battled this injury well - he really has. I know it's been frustrating for him to be out of commission while recovering from surgery, but he has remained so patient and kind.

The littlest member of our family has had a hard week, too. What began as a little congestion became the croup, and I haven't experienced many scarier things than to hear my little guy upset and trying to catch his breath in the middle of the night. It's obvious by looking at him that he doesn't feel well at all, but like his father, he has remained good-natured.

And, lest I be left out of the fun, I've been battling my sinuses. I hadn't had a sinus infection in more than a year, and this one hit me hard.

I can say that our family has shared some cuddly moments in the last week that have added sweetness to our situation. I was reminded today of Psalm 91, that we find rest in abiding in our Heavenly Father. He is our Refuge, and I'm so thankful that no matter what pesky health issues come our way, He is ever-present.

I'm also continually thankful for my two guys. They make life so much better, even when they aren't feeling 100 percent. But I think I speak for all of us when I say that full recovery all around is a very welcome concept!

The chair

Gib and I aren't really sentimental about much "stuff," especially as it pertains to baby gear. Our Little Blaze has plenty of toys and clothes, etc. but we try to stay on the minimalistic side of that world.

However, this chair is an exception:

When Gib's aunt and uncle gave it to us at a shower a few months ago, I thought it was cute, but I didn't realize that it came with a story.

This chair was actually Gib's when he was a wee boy. A family friend made it for him, and the bottom of the chair still has the gift date painted on it.

Apparently, the chair was circulated around extended family, and it's now made its way back to our family.

I have to imagine that Gib loved this chair when he was little because he son loves this chair. He bangs on it, crawls to it, climbs on it, sits in it and has fun tipping it over. It's the perfect size for him.

This little chair is a keeper.

Eleven eleven eleven

While thousands of people were getting married today, our 11/11/11 was spent admiring Gib in a hair net!

This guy was a trooper. Surgery went well, and he's home recovering.

The past week has been a little nutty at our place. In the same weekend that Gib broke his finger, I had two full days of class. Our amazing friends stepped in to babysit, and in some cases, "Gibbysit." Some made us food and all of them offered lots of encouragement. A big ol' thanks to all of you for being your awesome selves. Thanks to my parents for taking Levi this weekend while I finish up class. And, thanks to the man of the hour, the injured one, The Gibster, for being way more patient, entertaining and joyful than I ever would be in your situation!

A POPS date

Gib's parents recently relocated back to Kansas from western Colorado, and we are excited because this means it's actually realistic to meet up somewhat spontaneously! A few weekends ago, they were visiting Gib's sister and decided to head our direction for a late lunch.

We met up at POPS Restaurant on historic Route 66, which is, as the name suggests, a place with lots and lots of sodas. It was a beautiful day, so we spread out on a blanket while waiting for a table.

We were fortunate to get a table outside, where Levi had his first taste of pickle, thanks to his grandpa. I think he liked it!

We loved getting to catch up in person, and Levi loved getting some grandparent attention.

We're looking forward to the next time!

Orange

You may recall that our son was captivated by pumpkins while in North Carolina. When we visited Grammy a few weeks ago, she remembered and was so kind as to supply him with his own little pumpkin patch.

A few weeks after Grammy's house, we went to a birthday party for one of Levi's buddies, where his attention was immediately drawn to… you guessed it… a pumpkin!

Then, he spied the balloon:

Hey! Don't take my balloon away!

Seriously! Give it back!

Our little guy either loves all things resembling pumpkins or he really loves orange. Either way, Happy Fall to him, to us and to you!

Injuries on the homefront

Gib, along with several of his friends, has been playing on a softball team on Thursday nights for the past few months. It's been fun for the guys to get to have "guy time" and play ball together, and although they play in a city church league, sometimes things on the field get a little… ahem… competitive.

And sometimes that extends to the stands where I get… ahem…competitive.

Because so many of their games this fall have been late in the evening, Levi and I haven't attended more than a handful. Last Thursday, the games began early, so there we were, all bundled up with the other team wives and kids. I looked up to see Gib round second base, where he found himself in "a pickle," as I have always heard it called. He was caught in the middle between second and third base, and the other team was throwing the ball back and forth trying to tag him out.

As he sprinted back to second base, the third baseman chasing him down not only tagged him out, but also gave him, in my objective opinion (ha!), a harder shove than was needed, which sent him flying to the ground.

I was livid. How rude! How dare he! THAT'S MY HUSBAND THERE, BUDDY. But Gib got up, so I settled down. Until I heard my husband ask for a medic. A medic. A MEDIC?!

I won't post a photo of his finger because it was gruesome. It bent in directions that a finger was never meant to bend. And my anger flared. Where was that heartless, ruthless third baseman who attacked my husband? Where was he?! (Can you tell that I tend to overreact sometimes?) Could I punch him while holding my baby?

But you know who wasn't mad? This guy:

He remained calm and cool all the way to the hospital, and laughed while in the waiting room. He was polite to the nurses, even conversational. When the doctor yanked his finger straight, he didn't utter so much as a yelp, even though the grimace on his face showed me that he was in some serious pain.

As you can see from the photos, he is currently in a temporary cast until we see a hand specialist this week. We are definitely praying that no surgery is needed.

I want to brag on my husband. It is taking him twice as long to do things, and there are lots of things he can't do right now with only one working hand. In the face of difficulty, he has been so patient and so kind. I am not surprised, for that is who he is and has always been.

When I let my flesh rise up and get angry within seconds, my husband, the injured one, had no trouble finding joy even in the midst of his circumstances. How blessed am I to have him as the head of our family! I certainly have some things to learn from him.