Life's Little Joys

I was watching my friend Jen's kids this afternoon and I got the chance to hold her new baby Merich. As we sat down in the rocking chair I was remebering how sweet it was when I used to do it with Joseph. Merich was a little fussy and I began to sing to him and he calmed right down and just stared at me. Now maybe it was the moment or the fact that I was holding a new baby boy, but all of a sudden I was flooded with memories. It was nice to be given a chance to remember some of the best days of my life.

It was funny as I sat there holding little Merich I was amazed once again by how small, precious, cute and fresh from heaven these sweet spirits are.

We are so lucky to be given such a huge and wonderful responsibility from our Heavenly Father. While Ben and I are waiting patiently for another sweet spirit to enter our home, we are so grateful for the opportunity we have to raise Joseph.

I know some days are hard, and we as moms find ourselves loved, frustrated, tired, sometimes mad, happy, overcome with joy, constantly working on paitience, and many others but we are so blessed.

It's goes by so very quickly I hope that we will all take the time to stop and enjoy those little moments when we have the chance.

* SUNBEAMS *

So this year Joseph has joined the official ranks of the BIG kid primary. He is loving everything about it.

On his first Sunday in there our friend Jessica was sitting next to him and she had to get up and do something, well the wonderful primary president came over to sit by him and he told her NO that is Jess's seat. Only certain special people may sit next to him and it has been Jessica every week. Thanks Jess for making him feel so welcome in primary, We love you.

Then today during singing time, Joseph was doing a great job and the primary chorister commented on how good a job he was doing and Joseph promptly responded with " yeah I'm a Rockstar" I guess we have been playing Rock Band to much at home.

Pay it Forward

I got this Pay it Forward challenge from my sister Heidi's blog. I thought it was such a great idea and am way excited about it. If you would like to join me just follow the instructions bellow.

This is how it works: The Pay it Forward Exchange is based off of the concept from the movie "Pay it Forward". I will send a hand made gift to the first three people who comment on this post on my blog requesting to join the PIF Exchange. All the gifts will be made and sent out some time within this year. How exciting to not know when your surprise package will arrive! What you need to do in return, is pay it forward by making the same promise on your own blog. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS PROMISE TO POST THIS SAME 'PAY IT FORWARD' MESSAGE ON YOUR BLOG, WHICH MUST BE ACTIVE IN ORDER TO PLAY. YOU WILL PAY IT FORWARD TO 3 PEOPLE WHO COMMENT ON YOUR BLOG. I'd love for you to join me. Will you? Other comments are welcome but only the first three will be my Pay it Forward recipients. Come and join me, who doesn't love a gift or giving gifts???

Why oh Why?

Why is it that when we as parents are doing something for our children if they don't think it should be done that way it becomes a WW III battle?

Earlier this evening I gave Joseph a haircut and a bath nothing new but for an hour all you could hear coming from my house were his screams. I kept reassuring him that he was fine and that this is something we have to do but all I got in return was crying and dirty looks.

In the end he forgave me and we went about the rest of the evening but I just wish he could truly understand that it is all out of love.

The Story Continues ......

So last Monday night after starting Joseph on his new round of antibiotics we ended up in the emergency room. An hour after he had taken his medicine his eyelids on top and bottom began to swell and we were worried that it would move to his throat. We were lucky when we arrived at the hospital because they were able to get us in immediately.

The Dr. took one look at him and confirmed our original diagnosis of an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin and that the swelling in his eyes, hands, and feet were just part of the reaction running it's course and not the new antibiotics (whew). So she prescibed some more Prednisolone for the swelling and told us to come back if it didn't help. ( Yeah right Joseph was already fed up with Dr.'s there was no way he was coming back.)

So a few days passed and our little man was starting to act like himself again and Ben and I were thinking we were in the clear boy were we WRONG! Thursday evening Joseph refused to move his left arm and the slightest touch would send him into hysterics for hours, so we packed him back into the car and were headed back to the emergency room when we decided to call our personal nurse and ask her advice( Thanks for the help Mom.) She suggested we alternate Tylenol and Motrin and that should help.

He has been having joint pain all over the last few days and the Tylenol and Motrin were helping some until last night. The joint pain moved into his legs and hips, he was miserable and we were up all night long. So this morning we went back to the Dr. needless to say Joseph was less then thrilled with this decision.

The Dr. was worried that he may have what they call Kawasaki Disease where his platelet count is elevated and may affect his heart. His results came back and his platelet count is higher then it was last week but not high enough to where it could be the Kawasaki Disease. So she thinks it may be something called Serum sickness and in that case his joint pain could last another 2 weeks, she prescibed some more Prednisolone and wants to hear from us tomorrow. If he isn't improving she is going to send us to a specialist.

We sure hope that our little man gets to feeling better soon, as his wimp of a mom can't bear to put him through any more tests and watch him suffer. Ben has been wonderful to just sit and hold him for hours and pull these all nighters with me.

My Poor Little Angel

Well I am learing very quickly that Joseph and Ben are more like each other then I thought. When ever Ben gets sick it's never a simple cold or flu there is always more to it. Well a few weeks ago Joseph got a cold, which turned into croup and an ear infection.

So just as we were getting that under control with antibiotics Joseph developed this terrible rash from head to toe, so Ben and I immediately started researching possible explanations. Just when we think we have it figured out ( we assumed it was an allergic reaction to amoxicillion) we couldn't be more wrong.

It turns out that the rash is from an infection that he still has. So the doctor has given us a new round of different antibiotics and we are hoping this works, because if not he has to go in and have more blood work on Wednesday.

Joseph has been so brave and good natured through this whole experience, which breaks our hearts because we know that he is in lots of pain and there is nothing we can do. He has been trying really hard not to scratch and Ben and I are seriously considering tapping mittens to his hands but we haven't yet.

If you have any suggestions on how to help relieve his pain we would love to hear them. We have tried Benadryl, Oatmeal Baths, Hydrocordizone cream, Calamine lotion, etc.... and so far nothing has helped.

Joseph sleeping just after we found out he was sick the first time.

Joseph's back today and the rash goes all the way down.

Joseph's Stomach, hands, and arms today and it also runs down the rest of his front.

Long Long Ago in a house on Galapago.... Prom Night

Today Ben and I were clearing out some junk and we ran across these pictures and felt that they should be shared, just so everyone could see how the Mobley jungle came to be.

Prom night

Wedding Day

We sure are glad that you guys are together and have such a beautiful family. We love and miss you all so very much.