bicycle neophyte

As promised, here is the video of Thomas on his new bike. It hardly qualifies as a video, really--it's just a clip. But you'll get the idea. He improves daily!

jingle bells

and yes, that little voice was Thomas's. it is worth adding that "Jingle Bells" isn't his absolute favorite Christmas song. that honor goes to "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"--Bruce Springsteen's version, of course.

post-Christmas

(pictures to follow, of course: as soon as I get them off the camera!)

Thomas would say that Christmas was great. He was especially thrilled by two things Santa delivered: a new bicycle and a pair of kid-safe scissors. He definitely feels like a big kid now. The bicycle was discovered (by Santa, of course) at Toys 'r' Us a couple of months ago. The word 'hummer' and the H16 on the side were particularly appealing, for obvious reasons. Thomas is fond of telling people that he got a 'rescue-hero-hummer bike' from Santa. I am not sure where the rescue hero part comes from, but if he's into rescuing, that's fine by me.

Anna talks far less about what Santa brought. Although she wants to use her scissors when Thomas is using his, she has not yet ridden the bike Santa brought her. Far more interesting fro Anna at the moment is Angelina Ballerina: instead of riding the bike, she wants to try cartwheels. Of course she can't, yet, but I think some gymnastics and ballet are in our future--and not the distant future, either. Among the various Christmas gifts, she is particularly enjoying new Kipper videos and a new book--How Do Dinosaurs Go to School?

Iain didn't quite get into the Christmas morning frenzy in the way Thomas did. Predictably, his big fun of the day was the boxes and wrapping--particularly taking the torn paper and ribbons out of the boxes in which it had been put in the great clearing-up after unwrapping gifts. I am not sure how to link the short video I took of him playing in the paper to the blog, but I will try. (and if I figure it out, there's a bit of Thomas bike-riding to include as well...) He loves being pushed around on his new trainer-trike. It is a complicated little bit of equipment, complete with sound effects and music. A description would be practically useless: I promise a photo!

As for us parents, we're just happy they were happy. And tired! We finally arranged for a babysitter to come so we could attend midnight Mass on Christmas eve. Only a college student (whom Thomas calls "college Mark" since he started at UGA in the fall of 2006) would be willing to come over to babysit at 11: 30 on Christmas eve! Then Thomas was down the hall, Anna at his heels, at 5:00am, exclaiming, "Look, Santa brought a new bike!!" So what we didn't get for Christmas was a lot of sleep! But so it goes, and I was glad both that we made it to Mass and that the kids were happy on the day. Near Emory there used to be a billboard--one of those at the bus stop--advertising what appeared to be beer with caffeine. The caption simply read: "you can sleep when you're thirty." I remember thinking then, as I have many times since, "not if you have kids!"

The photos to come will, of course, be worth far more than these (less than a thousand) words. So don't give up!

m

...a lot like Christmas

yesterday morning I was awakened by a little voice next to me singing 'Jingle Bells.' it would have been far cuter if it hadn't been so early--well before 6, I think. the children are getting ready for Santa, and so are we, if a bit more slowly. of course there will be pictures, soon. in the meantime, I am supposed to be delivering a few encyclopedia articles to an editor who will remain nameless.

strep

Just when you think you're getting back into the swing of things...a glitch. Anna and Thomas were home from school yesterday with strep. Neither acted the part, having had antibiotics starting Wednesday. But grown-ups (at least this one, with whom they were kind enough to share their germs) recover more slowly, so I couldn't keep up. Fortunately we were all able to get it together to get to their holiday program at Coralwood. Anna did better than she ever has, both in noticing us down in the front with the camera, and in following along--even singing the words of the song! And Thomas did very well for his first time in front of an audience. Pictures will follow, of course.

postcards from California

Resurfacing

After tumbling through the month of November, we--should I say I?--are coming up for air. Pictures to follow, as soon as I figure out the software that came with the new camera.

Thomas has the line of the day, though. Anna, Thomas and I were talking about what they wanted to be when they grew up; Thomas was debating about an area of specialization in the medical profession--starting with, oddly, the comment that he wanted to be a "blood" doctor. When we got to obstetrics, I explained that obstetricians deliver babies. That sounded good, he said, "but I don't want to deliver babies; I want to deliver big kids."

Halloween

Iain didn't really see the point. His expression says it all: "Mommy, put down the camera and pick me up. Now!" He did look cute in his costume, but he wasn't interested in being photographed.

Anna enjoyed being a fairy princess. A pink, frilly costume was just the thing for her. She liked the whole event--dressing up, saying, "Trick or treat!" and collecting candy. So far she has not shown much interest in eating the candy, which is probably just as well. Even after it was offered, she asked for more pretzels. One day that will change, and then I will long for the pre-candy days. I'll enjoy this while it lasts--and try not to eat too much of the candy myself. (Iain has discovered he likes Three Musketeers bars--but he isn't likely to get many of them!)

Thomas will not be of any help with the candy-eating, although he probably enjoyed Halloween even more than Anna. He chose his fire-fighter costume with glee, and Saturday he went to a costume party at a friend's. By Wednesday he was fully prepared for every aspect of the holiday. He frequently said, "I'm so excited!" And so he was. He happily trotted up to the few houses we visited, and announced, "Trick or treat!" Even while amassing his candy, however, he admitted he didn't really like it. But he wanted to make sure he got some all the same. I guess for him full participation in Halloween rites doesn't involve actually eating the candy. His fourteen M&M's, which he counted proudly at the dinnertable tonight, still sit there long after he's gone to bed! He unfortunately removed his costume before I got to him with the camera. But since he still wants to wear it, I will most likely get a photo in the next week or so!

Between October the 19th and today, we've been going non-stop. I have focused my writing on the projects at hand and scribbling teaching notes. Despite my best intentions, there just hasn't been time to blog--or much time to take photos of the kids, for that matter. It is certainly the case, though, that no news is good news as far as Anna is concerned. She continues to improve, and will return to her usual schedule (which means leaving on the bus before 7:00am) Monday. Her eye surgery has been postponed until the 14th of December. While she may have been physically recovered enough to undergo surgery last Friday, we felt that it would have been too much emotionally and psychologically. Recovery from the surgery she will have (to correct a lazy eye) is generally quick, and Anna should not miss more than a day of school. The surgery will be on a Friday, and, if all goes as expected, she should be back to school the next Monday.

But there will certainly be photos and news aplenty between now and then.

Thomas's birthday

Thomas's birthday party was a great success. All the kids seemed to enjoy themselves. Lots of cupcakes and a super playground--what more could a preschooler desire? It has been a busy week for us. Between teaching, Lewis's current book project (the deadline looms) and the kids being off school Monday, we have not stopped! And the busy time of semester occupies our usual help--babysitters from Candler!

Enjoy the photos and check back for more over the weekend!

Anna gets ready

At least it looks like she's ready to go out--shopping, perhaps?! One hates to ask. What isn't obvious from this distance is that she's got those sandals on the wrong feet. All this to show that she is really getting back to her usual self. She still doesn't like getting undressed at bath time, and protests, "I got hurt!" To which one can only say, "Yes, you certainly did."

We have no idea how long it will take to wean her off the TV. She was allowed to watch TV constantly in the hospital, and has been allowed rather a lot of 'screen time' since coming home. Slowly, we're reducing her hours, if for no other reason than that the Doodlebops are driving us absolutely mad! More time at school this week will help, as will her steadily increasing energy and interest in the usual range of things.

Iain's birthday!

Iain's birthday was a great success. In the morning he experienced forward-facing car travel for the first time. This was probably rather more exciting for the parents, but he seemed to enjoy it as well.

Iain's party guests began to arrive around 4:00 in the afternoon. Tommy treated those daring enough to his own mojitos, and there was enough food to feed twice the crowd we had. It comes of being Italian, I suppose. A couple of brave souls (in the under 10 set, of course) even went for a swim! Thomas finally admitted defeat, and asked for a towel through chattering teeth. Anna had to content herself with a new Doodlebops DVD, since she is not cleared for swimming for 5 more weeks!

The party itself had two high points, especially from Iain's perspective. First, the cake:

Iain regarded the cake first as a new toy of sorts. He explored the texture and consistency before considering tasting it! He did enjoy smearing me liberally with icing and crumbs as well.

Second: his bear.

Anna goes back to school

Yesterday Anna went back for her post-op check-up with Dr. Kanter and was cleared to return to school. I took her for an hour on Tuesday, but today she went back from 9:00 to 1:15. Her normal school hours are 8:00 to 2:30, but we thought a couple of shorter days to begin with would help ease the transition back to school. For the next six weeks her activity level is restricted (insofar as one can keep Anna quiet), but she can partcipate in normal classroom activities.

Iain's big day is tomorrow: he'll be a year old. I will certainly post the obligatory cake-covered-baby photos over the weekend! Although he's not likely to understand what all the fuss is about, we thought he should have some anyway. Besides, it seemed like a good excuse to invite a few grown-ups for drinks on a Friday afternoon.

Thomas, on the other hand, is practically counting the days until his birthday. Next Friday, he'll turn 4! I can hardly believe it. It is a school holiday, so there may be a special trip as well as the party on Saturday morning. Unlike Iain's party, Thomas's will be all about the kids!

Latest news

The best news as regards Anna at this particular stage of the post-op period would be no news, of course. Yesterday evening, however, she had a fever and had to go back to be evaluated by the doctors at Egleston. Fortunately, it turned out to be nothing surgery-related. Thomas and Iain have both had colds, and Anna's fever was probably related to her runny nose, not to her recent operation! The most difficult thing for us now that she's home is keeping her from playing to vigorously--and keeping her out of the pool, as those who have seen her in the water may well imagine. She will be allowed to go back to school (we assume) following her post-op check up with Dr. Kanter on Wednesday.

Anna is home

Anna came home today! She's recovering well: on our walk today, she and Thomas were their usual silly, giggly selves. I hope to post some cute photos of Anna on a wagon ride with Iain this morning at the hospital, but as I wasn't the photographer, it will have to wait. I did want everyone to know, however, that Anna is out of the hospital and doing wonderfully. She has her post-op checkup next week, and we expect that will go well also. She has come home on a couple of medications, which is a challenge, since Anna hates taking medicine. We're working on creative solutions, and hoping she's not on the medication long!

Life is returning to normal (the usual chaos, that is) at the Ayres household. Thomas and Iain may get their share of the spotlight again soon. Iain's big achievement of the week: learning to drink from a straw. The third child just has to keep up, I guess! Look for more news and photos in the coming days.

Anna goes for a ride

Anna has been out and about in the wagon yesterday afternoon and this morning. She is sitting up and eating bagels and watching TV. With all that, plus a new dog puppet, things are looking good. We hope today she will go home, but we have to wait for Dr. Kanter's say-so later today.

Anna's recovery

Good news: Anna was moved from the cardiac ICU to the stepdown unit today. She is still groggy, but has asked for a drink and watched some TV. Lewis will stay over with her tonight, so he's in for hours of Bob the Builder. We still hope to be home Thursday or Friday. She can receive visitors, but she isn't particularly interested in anyone but Dad--and Bob the Builder, of course!

Anna's surgery 3

Anna is recovering in the cardiac ICU. Her surgeon was pleased with the outcome of surgery and estimates a day or two in the ICU. After that, she'll be in a room in the cardiac stepdown unit, where she will spend a day or two. We look forward to her moving from the ICU, so that she can have a visit from Thomas, who is understandably anxious to see her. If everything continues to go well, Anna will be home by the weekend.

Anna's surgery 2

Anna's out of surgery. It went well. We are waiting to see her in the cardiac ICU.

Anna in surgery

Anna has gone into the operating room, just in case anyone's checking regularly. There is a computer in the waiting room, so I will post updates. It will be a few hours...

New surgery date

We have just heard from the hospital that Anna's surgery will be Monday morning. This is good news, since we have all been thrown a bit by the postponement and not knowing when the operation would take place. Fortunately, it seems that she is the first patient on Monday morning--we just hope that it remains that way. I did have one photo from pre-op, but it's on my phone! Anyone who knows how I can get the picture from the phone to the web is welcome to email me with the information!

We will keep you updated! Thanks to all for your concern and prayers.

pre-op news and notes

The most important pre-op news is that Anna's surgery has to be postponed until next week, because the cardiac ICU is full. Dr. Kanter (Anna's surgeon) and his staff expect next Tuesday to be the day. It could be as early as Monday, though, if enough patients move out of ICU into the stepdown unit and no babies in need of immediate surgery are born over the weekend. We are fortunate never to have had this occur for Anna's earlier surgeries.

Anna enjoyed playing with the toys and talking to people in the pre-op clinic, but was not especially keen on having vital signs checked. And drawing blood--well, who enjoys having blood drawn? Fortunately both Lewis and I were there for that, since Anna needed one parent who wouldn't pass out! But after it was over and I picked her up, the first thing she said was "I need DAD!" It is all over now, and she won't have to repeat any of it even if her surgery isn't until late next week or even early the week after. Whew!

After the party

The day after Anna's birthday and party, cupcakes and balloon lingered. Iain got his chance to smear cupcake everywhere--I see it as a foretaste of things to come on the 5th of October--and Anna proved once again that she doesn't miss much. The photo of Iain and the cupcake speaks for itself, but Anna's balloon shot deserves comment. I wanted to get a photo of Anna with her "happy birthday, Princess" balloon, so I pulled it down from the ceiling and was about to hand it to her when Thomas reached for it. I asked him (Anna was looking at the television, apparently paying us no attention), "Are you a princess?" He promptly replied, "no," having become quite insistent on his boyhood and non-princess-ness lately. But Anna turned to me at the same moment and said, "yes," and reached for the balloon.

In other news, Anna had her six-year-old well check today. She's doing fine, measuring 39 and 3/4 inches and weighing 39 pounds. So, she still can't ride on all those amusement park rides that require riders to be 40 inches, but she can still get a free ice cream at Bruster's. Being not quite 4o pounds means she stays in the carseat for now! We will post the schedule for her surgery on Friday after her pre-op visit tomorrow.

Anna's birthday

Anna had a great birthday! She had just a few friends over, to play and swim, and to eat cake, of course. Quite possibly her favorite present was a copy of Dr. Seuss' Sleep Book. Both Anna and Thomas love the storybook and video versions. But our copy was twenty years old at least, and in a very worn book with lots of other stories in it. So a fresh, new copy was just the thing. the weekend was fun for all, and even involved Iain in some very messy cupcake-eating. (Photos to follow...)

Iain's big day

Iain's favorite foods: yogurt, and anything he can feed himself. Hence his delight in a very ordinary meal. Smallish bits of fettucine turned out to be just the thing. Of course, his brother and sister are the pickiest eaters in the world and would have none of it. We hope that Iain's attitude toward food evolves differently than theirs did. They would eat most things as babies, too.

Apparently the pasta gave him the energy boost he needed to start walking in earnest, which he did this evening. For the first time he took the hands offered to him and crossed the floor, laughing all the way. He was certainly pleased with himself! His biggest adventure so far has been walking from the couch to the TV, so we're not signing him up for the next 10k.

If I were giving each child his or her turn, it would be Thomas's turn for news. It just so happened, though, that Iain had the Big Events today. Thomas's milestones are farther between, now, and many of them look small: he can just about say a "th" sound instead of the "f" we usually hear in names like Bethany and Catherine. (Somehow we managed two babysitters with that sound...) Besides his obsession with hummers, he is all about construction. We frequently hear that he's laying concrete, painting and making foundations. This all comes, I think, of having a new cul-de-sac of houses under construction in the neighborhood.

Next time it will be pictures from Anna's birthday party, barring any huge events between now and Saturday!

Anna

Anna is still far more likely to be sporting her swim goggles (which, incidentally are pink, not the blue ones pictured) poolside than diving for treasure in the shallow end with Thomas. Still, she enjoys the combination of splashing and dress-up that is the essence of goggle-wearing for her. Thomas and Anna continue to play in the pool most afternoons, although the water temperature has dropped to the upper 70's. Chilly! We will keep the pool open until after Iain's birthday, but swimming will stop well before that.

Anna's heart surgery is going ahead as scheduled, barring illness or fever in the days preceding the surgery. Her pre-op appointment is on Thursday the 20th, and her first meeting will be with the Child Life department. She will tour the hospital with someone trained in helping little ones know what to expect on surgery day. We hope that this experience will help prepare her for the waiting and getting ready for surgery on Friday. The good news, as far as she's concerned, will be that she will be allowed as much TV as she wants that day!

Mr Personality

As Iain grows up--it's hard to believe he'll be a year old in just less than a month!--his personality more than keeps pace. It just might be that he walks less than he might because he's better at chasing Anna and Thomas when crawling. And he gets into everything in a way neither of them did. He keeps us on our toes! Anything in the kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, or on the floor is worthy of investigation, as far as he's concerned. He regularly empties the cupboard in which baby food and snacks are kept, as well as the drawer with all the plastic containers. One of our favorite Iain-isms, though, is his babbling: he really does say goo-goo and ga-ga quite a lot.

everyday stuff...

Thomas continues to amuse himself with the legos. He'll have to wait for the smaller ones until Iain is older and won't eat them! So far, he seems satisfied. His main complaint is that Iain regards whatever he builds as destined for demolition.

Anna will be having surgery in a couple of weeks. Between now and then, we're looking forward to having her 6th birthday party on the day--September 15th. Her desires for that event: ice cream, party hats, and DAAAAD!

Iain's first ice cream cone was exactly as you would expect: messy. But he seemed to enjoy it (despite it being so cold...) and ate the whole thing. His walking is coming on slowly. Now he walks 2-3 feet before deciding crawling is faster! He has also discovered books, and become quite an adept page-turner.

Thomas and Iain's summer

Thomas's big achievement this summer has been learning to swim. At the beginning of the summer, he refused to jump off the diving board wearing his swim ring. Now look at him! We have all enjoyed the pool this summer, but Thomas has discovered the water in a whole new way.

His other obsession of the summer:

Although it may not be obvious to all from this photo, Thomas is grinning because he's touching a Hummer. We even visited the local dealer in July as a treat. Fortunately we found that even the H2 only seats 6 people. I say fortunately, since we've been discussing the possibility of a car that would allow us to take along Aunt Sara and Uncle Cedric, for example, when they come for a visit: that would mean 7! So I was off the hook: Thomas is not agitating for us to buy a Hummer.

A post for today would be incomplete without a mention of Iain: he took three steps today. That's his longest journey to date, up from two steps yesterday and the day before. More on him , and pictures, in the days to come!

surgery news

Anna's eye surgery will not take place this Friday, 24 August as planned. Her cardiologist thought it would be best to postpone the procedure until after the heart surgery. Both surgeries have been rescheduled. The heart surgery is likely to happen the 21st of September and the eye surgery 5 weeks later, on the 26th of October. We will keep you all updated.

Check back for news and photos in the next day or two!

m

just adding a photo as our summer winds down. on August 13 Anna and Thomas start school! between now and then, Lewis will be attending the Oxford Patristics Conference, which will keep him in the UK for ten days. so it is unlikely that I will be adding news between now and the 12th, when he returns. if I did, it would be nothing more than the record of the chaos and adventures that characterize my days and nights alone with the three children!

beach

Anna enjoyed our trip to the beach in late June!

anna's next surgeries

We've created this blog so that friends and family can keep up with the goings-on here in the ayres/volpe household, especially as Anna is due for two surgeries this fall. In late August she will have eye surgery; in October she will undergo her third heart surgery. While it will be less involved than the first two, it is still open-heart surgery.

But we intend to keep up with the good news, too: Anna's developmental progress, Thomas's latest feats and inventions, and Iain's milestones. And, of course, there will be plenty of photos...as soon as I work out how to upload them!