Trenton - 3.5 years July

My sweet, sweet Trenton,


I love you so much! You have grown up so much and have become such a little boy! You are incredibly ornery and obnoxious but oh so cute! And the things you say are hilarious. Over the past three months we have taken a break from "school" and just hung out in the summer. Which has been great but also we cannot wait for you to go back to school twice a week :)

For Mother's Day, you spent the entire day walking around saying, "Happy birthday, Mommy!!" And while we were grocery shopping, you picked up a wrapped box of chocolates really excitedly and exclaimed, "here Mommy! I got this for you!! Happy birthday!!". Then of course you were really sad when I told you I wasn't buying it. It was so sad....! But I really didn't want chocolate :) The big guys and Daddy were so sweet though. They bought me cake and flowers and chocolate :)

For Father's Day we took daddy out to dinner and let him relax as much as we could. That all he ever wants to do for Father's Day :) But we had fun taking our annual Father's Day photo and spending time with Daddy!

Speaking of happy birthdays, my birthday was in July and the first thing Daddy did was wish me a happy birthday and kiss me, and you started crying because it wasn't YOUR birthday. You were so mad that I wouldn't share with you. It was pretty funny for awhile, until you were super whiny and cranky the entire day. But it was still a good day! I even share my birthday with one of the BT kids in our home, along with Uncle Travis! :)

We got to take a big vacation this summer and we rented a car to drive down to North Carolina to stay with Aunt Brittany, Uncle Montez, and cousin Kennedy for a few days, then drove down further for a few days at Myrtle beach where we met up with Gig-Gi, Pimpa, and Aunt Amelia. Then again we drove down further to Atlanta to visit for a day before heading back home. It was a very busy vacation with way to much driving, but you boys did great! You had so much fun playing with Kennedy and spending time at the beach. The ocean was one of your favorite parts! You kept wanting to go further and further out into the waves. Swimming has really become one of your favorite things to do.

We also got to spend a few days in Lake Okoboji with our BT guys! Again you got some lake time in with boating and playing in the sand. It was another week of fun and excitement for you. Right after we got back from Okoboji, Great Grandma, Great Grandpa, and Aunt Sherry came to visit for afew days from California! They spoiled you and loved on you for a few days and I have to admit, it was nice being able to have family to keep an eye on you two sometimes :) Grandpa did a magic trick for you with a quarter and now everytime you want something, and we ask if you have any money, you always say, "Grandpa does!" So I guess now Grandpa has lots of money to spend on you :)

An exciting part about the past three months is your surgery! In May, you had a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy. This was supposed to cure your PFAPA. In a good percentage of PFAPA patients who have a T&A, both fevers and other symptoms go away, in another good percentage of patients, the fevers go away, but the other symptoms still come on a cycle. Then in a smaller percentage, the surgery does nothing. I was hoping and praying you would at the very least be in one of the first two groups. Obviously I preferred the first one, but I would be okay with the second as well. We were just so tired of seeing you always sick and irritable and in pain. A three year old should be able to have a much fuller life and not be bogged down by a disease every 6 weeks. Well, about a month or so after your T&A, you unfortunately started getting your symptoms back. You were extremely irritable, hardly ate, complained of leg/bone pain, headaches, and belly aches. I didn't notice any mouth sores this time so that was good. But luckily there were not fevers!! Even though you still didn't feel the greatest, you were able to continue on with normal life! It was the best episode ever and I am okay with occasional feverless episodes as long as symptoms don't get any worse. If the episodes are still on a 6 week cycle, you will be due for another feverless episode within the next week or so. I really hope they are more sporadic still. We are just praising God that you have no more fevers and can live a better life :)

Something that is funny and drives me nuts about you is that you hate shoes. You and Tucker are polar opposites. You take off your shoes and socks the second you come in the door from outside and Tucker wants to put his shoes on the second he wakes up in the morning.

Something I think is adorable is you and Tucker both have a small section of hair above your right eye that curls and hangs down. It is just the cutest thing and I can see you both using that to your advantage when you are older.....

Your favorite movies are Jurassic Park (the new one) and you call it the "black dinosaur movie". Not to get confused with The Good Dinosaur (which is Tucker's favorite movie) which is called 'the green dinosaur movie". Your favorite shows to watch are Barbie, Hot Wheels, Legos, Masha and the Bear, and Space Racers. Gotta let you be who you want to be!

I love your vocabulary so much. Umbrellas are gorillas and seeds (like in fruit seeds) are called sea-wings. We have been trying to teach you your name, how old you are, where you live, and what your parents names are. I know you know all the answers, but when I ask you, your answers lately have been:
What's your name: Tucker Cole West
How old are you: 4
Where do you live: California

We actually found out today that you decided the Boys Town sign is California. So to you, we really do live in California! One of our BT kids has not had very many life experiences, so we were joking around today that he finally traveled to California! :)

Every morning when you get dressed, you always ask to wear a tank top, and you get mad when we run out (aka Mommy needs to do laundry). Especially if I am wearing a tank top and you aren't....oh boy, the world is over.

Lately you have been super obnoxious toward the BT guys, by throwing their point cards on the ground and laughing, or hiding them, or jumping on their backs. And throwing every couch cushion on the ground to make forts. Its an every day fight....the BT guys have started embracing it though and sometimes help you build forts to hide in :) You do love the guys so much though! There are so many great things that come with this job. You have learned some of the skills the guys are learning and fine-tuning. Sometimes you will teach to Tucker as well. If he isn't listening you will say, "Tucker, you are not following instructions. Say 'ok mommy!'" "good job Tucker!" or other things you have heard us say. It's so adorable, but sometimes I wish you would follow your own advice more often! The main behavior of yours we are working on is not grabbing toys from Tucker without asking and not crying over little things, but using your nice words to ask for something you want.

Some not so great things you are learning from the guys are the teenage slang words. You have said "yo" and "dang bro", "bro", "dawg". I've been trying to teach you that those are bad words :) And you will occasionally correct the guys and let them know those are bad words :) Of course they get super confused and we need to explain to them that those words aren't bad for teenagers to say, but they aren't appropriate for three year olds to say.

Some crazy things have happened recently in our house and I am just so thankful for you and Tucker. It has made me pray even more for your innocence and safety. To not go into too much detail, we have had some major drug problems in our house where numerous kids have taken or been suspected of taking prescription pain meds that are highly addictive. We even found them in our house. Along with that we even had a kid run away and overdose and was in the ICU for a few days. So extremely scary for all involved. And my heart breaks. The thing that scared me the most though, was the fact that these drugs were IN our house. What if someone had dropped a pill? What if you or Tucker picked it up and put it in your mouth? Just by sucking on a pill, it would've made you seriously ill or even killed you. You still put everything in your mouth and have no regard for that kind of safety! This terrified me. This is one of the toughest parts of our job. Having this fear that sometimes high schoolers are so selfish that that don't think of what effects their actions have on others, especially those that can't make the choices to do stupid things or not. My children are sometimes put at risk and it is terrifying. Luckily though, things have calmed down tremendously and my safety radar is back under control. Normally I am loving this job, even though there are tough days, but our week of these issues was draining! I still feel so blessed to be here though and seeing even small changes in these boys lives for the better. I still love that you and Tucker get to grow up with so many big brothers. Being here will teach you the skills needed to succeed in society as well. You will just get the opportunity to learn them a lot sooner than others!

One other change in your daily life that just happened the other day, is no more YouTube. You always sit on the phone and watch toy reviews and little kid songs, but yesterday I saw a video that a mom has posted about a cartoon video with the "daddy finger" song, which is one of your favorite songs. It started out as normal, with the song and characters dancing like Peppa Pig and other little kid characters. Then a few minutes in, it changes to fake Mickey Mouse characters, a family of them, shooting each other and themselves in the head with guns. My stomach just dropped and I felt so sick. I have no idea if some of the videos you have watched have these sickening subliminal messages in them! That breaks my heart to know that you could've been subjected to such horrific images and not even really understand what it was. It makes me sick that people are so dark that they do this kind of thing. So from now on, YouTube is "broken" and off of my phone. You can just play games.

Next month you get to start preschool though! You will be going to Mom's Day Out in the mornings twice a week and then preschool in the afternoons. I thought we were going to have to drop you from preschool since you have still refused to potty train. Granted, I haven't tried extremely hard, but you just keep saying, "I'm not bigger yet". I have even bribed you with things that are off limits until you are five, like gumballs and soda, just for you to be potty trained. It hasn't worked yet. But your teachers said as long as we are working on it and he is in pullups, they can help with that. So that was a huge relief! I am hoping once you see all your other friends, you will be encouraged as well.

Also here at Boys Town, we have made some new friends! There is a newer couple on campus that I've become really good friends with and they have two little girls, five and 1 1/2, We hang out a lot and their mommy and I have already planned arranged marriages :) It would be really funny if you or Tucker did end up even dating one of the Cummings girls! All four of you are great friends and play so well together :)

I am very excited for the next few months and seeing you at school like a big boy! I love being your mommy and watching you grow into this wonderful boy. We had to fill out a questionnaire for preschool today and it asked for words to describe you. We chose caring, funny, ornery, follower. You are the sweetest boy I know and you care so much for others. You are so affectionate toward Tucker especially. You are super funny and the things you say are crazy and make no sense but that's oaky. You are a goofball. You are extremely ornery and try to do things just because you think they are funny. You aren't really a leader, but love to follow what others do. I am hoping eventually you will grow into a leader so you don't follow the wrong people.

Keep loving people and being your crazy self, my child. You are an amazing human being.


I love you sweet boy.

Love,

Mommy

 My Mother's Day photo. Pretty much sums up our life. A happy, cuddly baby, and a threenager who is more intrigued by video games than his mother....

 But we did have a nice Mommy-sons date for Mother's Day with grocery shopping and going out for ice cream while Daddy took the big guys to a movie! I just love it when you have that wild afro going on :)

 But then you are starting to voice your opinion about your hair and seem to not like it in your face :( So I have to actually listen to your opinions (and Daddy's) and get you a hair cut.

 Removing couch cushions for the hundredth time is very tiring

 Cousin love! You adore Kennedy and she loves you so much, she followed you around like a shadow

 Holding hands and taking care of the littles with Aunt Brittany :)

 yehaw Daddy!

 Look at that sweet cousin love

 Impromptu family photos at Aunt Brittany and Uncle Montez' house (and their dog). A couple of cool dudes....

 Beach time!

 You loved the warm sand!

 Even though you weren't thrilled to take pictures, you still love your cousin, aunt and uncle :)

 We are such a cute little family! :)

 Saying "see you later" to Gig-Gi and Pimpa

 Fishing with Daddy is so fun!

 Our annual Father's Day photo! After about 50 shots of each pose, I finally did get some cute photos for Daddy

 Your brother is weird. He tackles you and puts a death grip around you every time he sees you without a shirt on. I guess he just loves that skin to skin contact?

 When you discover a love for fresh cherries, but are also a three year old boy....you make "blood" on your arms....

 One of these girls will be my future daughter in law :)

 Okoboji! You wanted the guys to bury you in the sand

 Great Grandpa!

 Great Grandma!

 Apparently this is the only picture I had with Aunt Sherry :(

 Rockin' the glasses

Happy Father's Day dinner with Daddy!

 Again, brothers are weird

 Sometimes, when three year olds find chocolate they aren't supposed to have, they hide between couches and smear gobs of chocolate all over furniture that isn't even ours because we are in a temporary house while ours is getting new plumbing.....sigh....

 I love all my boys

 Looking for bugs! Never thought I would be excited about bugs

 My heart melts every time I see you hold hands without prompting. You care so deeply for your baby brother and I couldn't have asked for a better relationship for you.

 Chewbacca!

 I wish we would've had your storm trooper mask with us

Tucker: 18 Months

Tucker,

You are one and a half years old!! You are such a big boy; or at least you think you are. I love seeing you play with your brother and try to do everything he does.

-You absolutely love to read! You're pretty demanding as well. When you bring a book to someone they must read it to you right away. And multiple times. I do love how much you want to read though. I really hope it continues throughout your life.
-Prayers at night are so cute with you. You fold your hands and close your eyes and mumble along with our prayers
-Sometimes when nursing in the early mornings you have grabbed my phone and started playing while nursing. That is multi-tasking at it's finest!
-When you walk around the house, sometimes you'll put your hands behind your back and it is so adorable with your baby waddle. You also love to walk backwards
-Lots of growling and screaming. Just because. You walk around the house growling for no reason then scream at the top of your lungs with a laugh following.
-One of the funniest things you do is pretend to be asleep when it's time to get out of the car. You will throw your head to the side and squint your eyes really tight while trying to keep a straight face. You do it in the high chair too. You are such a goofball!
-Another really funny thing you do is when you fall down, you will lay flat on your stomach, or however you fell, perfectly still and not move for minutes, until someone comes to pick you up. One time you stayed down for at least five minutes. You are definitely a very dramatic baby
-Temper tantrums have started, which alongside your drama, they are very elaborate, throw-yourself-on-the-ground-type fits.
-You and Trenton share most of the time, but the fighting has definitely started. You don't put up with Trenton though. You smack Trenton in the face quite a bit unfortunately.
-Sometimes it seems like you just get tired of chewing, open your mouth, and let the food pour out. It drives me crazy because it seems like for no reason at all. Plus it's gross.
-Mr. Independent doesn't like help to do things anymore. You can get up and down the front entry step by yourself now. When I try to hold your hand you yell "no!!" and pull your hand away from me so you can do it yourself.
-When you run, you keep one arm close to your body while the other swings really fast. It's exactly how Trenton runs and I love it!
-You are starting to talk a lot more, though you don't form your own sentences or anything yet. You can repeat a lot of words though or try really hard to repeat.
-You love playing with balls and animal figurines we have, but you also love cars like your brother. It is hard to tell what you are into, since you love to copy your brother so much. I can't wait to see what your interests will be as you get older.
-All the guys love you so much and you love them as well. Even though girlfriends aren't allowed here, the guys try really hard to use you to get the girls to come to them when we are out. It definitely works even though they get in trouble for it :)

-I listen to the guys think money is everything. You need to be rich and by all the nicest things in order to be happy. No matter how much we tell them, they don't hear it. Money isn't everything. Being present is the key to life. Invest in people and relationships rather than becoming a workaholic. Yes, you must work for what you want, but don't forget to build up your relationships. You won't get to take money with you to heaven, but leaving your legacy behind in relationships is what makes you rich. I really hope we can lead you to know what is right. My heart just breaks listening to these boys talk and not hear the wisdom we do have from our experiences. I really hope that we can teach you and Trenton what it means to be rich in relationships.

You are such a caring, lovable, independent little boy and I hope you continue to give Daddy and I all your hugs and kisses because we will continue to eat them up! You are such a funny kid and do the weirdest things. You are my weird kid and I love it. Please continue to be yourself and don't let anyone deter you away from that. You are your own person and it's great to be different! Embrace your weirdness :)

I love you sweet boy

 Putting your tractor to good use! You love riding with your brother

 You love your Ro-Ro!! He is your best friend

 The first time you put on flip flops was an exciting time in your life

 Sometimes, this is how shopping goes....

 I love my little baby!

 Your first Easter Egg hunt! 

 Mommy recycles. I didn't want to buy a new Easter basket so I just got one more use out of your Halloween basket :)

 Easter at the Field House on campus :)

 Daddy helped you put prizes in your Easter basket

 Our annual Valentine's Day photo! 

 Doctor office selfies. You are the one who wanted a ponytail in your hair

 More doctor office selfies!

 Super Bowl time!

 I played with the Face Swap app. I put Trenton's face on your head and your face on Trenton's head :)

 Blowing dandelions! Well, in your case, you are eating them

 We volunteered to help cleanup a park and the guys found a frog for you and Trenton to look at

 Trenton was in the hospital for a week at the beginning of May for his fevers. You did great hanging at the hospital the entire week. Then once we got home you and brother enjoyed some homemade popcicles!

Trenton: 3 Years - April 2016

Trenton,

Since you have turned three years old, you have grown even more! Your language has improved, your fine motor skills keep improving, and of course your attitude is growing. You have the biggest attitude! Though you're brother isn't that far behind you....the tantrums and the dirty looks and the subtle pushing or throwing. Throwing toys when you don't get your way is a huge issue we are having. As well as pushing Tucker (though sometimes he does start it). I know it is because you are three and you are discovering this big new world and your own independence, but still. Three years olds are tough.....

However, you are very friendly! Every kid you see, whether a bigger kid or a toddler, you call them your friend. You go to Mom's Day Out twice a week for a couple hours and you love going to school. You always give me dirty looks when I pick you up. Your teachers get a kick out of that :)

Daddy won free Chick-fil-a for a year a while ago so "Chip-ah-le" is a favorite restaurant of yours. Especially the cool play area.

MANNERISMS
-Always picking your nose...
-I bought you a Hulk toy that yells "Hulk Smash!!!" so now you walk around "Hulk Smash-ing" things with your fists. That toy probably wasn't the best purchase on our part. You are starting to like super heroes though. Spider Man is one of your favorites right now, and you walk around shooting spider webs at people, especially strangers :)

VOCABULARY
-A lot of times before starting a sentence you will say, "actually.....". Then I started catching myself saying that. Apparently that is where you got it from. It's pretty cute though
-When it is cloudy and cold outside you walk out and say "That's so creepy!!" No idea where you got that from
-"I want some grass!" aka asparagus
-Umbrella's are Rain Birds
-In a book you have there is an antelope. You always call it a watermelon. (antelope = cantaloupe = watermelon) The train of thought totally makes sense

PERSONALITY
-You like to make up your own songs while getting your diaper changed. Or any time really. We will hear you singing your own little made-up songs. I can't ever figure out what you are actually saying but that's okay
-After curling my hair one day we had this conversation:
              You: you have curly hair
               Me: yes I do
              You: You look pretty!!!
               Me: Aww thank you love! Give me a kiss
               You: (After kiss) now gimme hug

You know the drill :)
-Another time I curled my hair you told me, "I love you, Princess!"  You already know how to compliment people :)
-You and Tucker mostly get along really well. I love seeing you play together. Except you also definitely have your fair share of fighting and hitting and pushing each other. And it drives us crazy!

We started a chore chart for you a few weeks ago and it has been going pretty well. You get a dime for every chore you do at night. There are six of them, and Tucker does like to help too. It's making our sanity a little better with having a clean(er) house

Potty training has been a pretty big hassle. We tried a month ago but you weren't having it. However, the past couple weeks you have gone twice right before bath time!!
 

FEVERS:
-You've had four fevers since your birthday, along with a really bad ear infection during a fever where you had a blister on your ear drum that was extremely painful. Leg pain has started to appear (or you are able to voice it) when you get fevers, so that is not very fun at all. You still get mouth sores, headaches, belly aches, and extreme irritability during episodes as well. I don't give you the steroid every episode but every few months you'll get it to at least knock out the fevers even though most of the other symptoms stay
-You also had your dentist check-up a few weeks ago and unfortunately since you get mouth sores so often and you don't let me brush your teeth those days, you have four cavities already!! It makes me feel like such a horrible parent, even though I know it is pretty common with PFAPA kids to have multiple cavities. It doesn't stop the guilty feeling though. In a couple weeks we have to take you in to get them filled and you will be sedated for the first time. I really hope we can figure out a good plan to keep your teeth healthy.

HOSPITAL:
-On April 26, you started a fever again. I gave you the steroid on the 27th and then took you to the doctor since there was a case of viral meningitis on campus. Luckily, it was just your normal fevers. After the steroid your fever went away right away like usual, but you were still pretty lethargic, whiny, and sleepy. Then on Saturday, you woke up with 104 fever and said your ears hurt, so we made you another appointment and you had a double ear infection. Even after amoxicillin, the entire weekend we could not get your fever below 103 even with Motrin. On Monday, we went back to the doctor and your temp was at 106.1. Your doctor admitted you to the Boys Town Hospital right away, mostly for dehydration, but to also see if you happened to have something else. For the next few days you were on the IV, and had Motrin and Tylenol to help with your fevers. They kept returning every 4-5 hours and would be up in the 104-106 range. The first couple days you were still so miserable even between fevers but eventually you started perking up when the temp was low. All of us got really excited every time your fevers hit below 102. Normally 102 would be a bad thing, but not in your case! We had a really hard time getting you to eat and drink at all for the entire 11 days of your fever, until Friday.

Everyone in our little Boys Town community had been so helpful and wonderful during our week in the hospital. We had people praying for us, bringing us food in the hospital, making dinner for our Boys Town boys, and even offering to babysit Tucker for a few hours. I absolutely love our community and the support we have for each other. Plus it is an extra positive that we don't have to pay for any hospital bills!! Such a huge blessing.

Your rheumatologist changed your medication to remove the steroid during flares and now take a twice daily medication called cimeditine. It tastes gross so it makes it so much more difficult. While in the hospital we had such a hard struggle getting you to take Motrin and Tylenol, I can't imagine how the rest of our days are going to play out. You make yourself vomit practically at the site of a syringe and we've tried hiding it in everything imaginable but somehow you always know! You are the wrong type of kid to have a periodic fever syndrome.

We have you scheduled for a tonsillectomy on June 7th to remove your tonsils and adenoids. We are praying you won't have anymore fevers between now and then, especially since we are going on vacation in a couple weeks to North Carolina! I'm nervous for such a major surgery on my little baby boy, but we are hoping for the high success rate to cure you on your fevers and all your other symptoms. It can be a 1-2 week recovery time as well. Plus you hate taking medicine so it's going to be fun trying to get you to take your pain meds.


GUYS:
-You love your guys so much! Even though if you ask some of them you bully them :| The fact that our 16 year olds feel bullied by our three year old means we have much bigger issues to work on. But you are just three. So you sometimes argue and yell and get angry. You also sometimes spit and push. But those are all things we are working on teaching you. Sometimes they just don't realize that they were once three years old and had to learn that those things are not okay. Although some are still needing to learn...!
-All the guys really do love you and you consider them your big brothers. I am so glad you have the opportunity to grow up with eight older brothers at all times.



I love seeing you grow every day. You are learning to use your manners without being reminded and it is such a sweet moment to hear you say thank you and please without being reminded. You have such a kind heart and love your brother so much. You care for him and share with him (most of the time) and watch over him. When we say our prayers every night, it is starting to become your prayer where you thank God for things (like your bed and Roosevelt, and your baby brother). I hope and pray that you grow up learning that God loves you and you can always trust in Him.

I love you sweet boy

 Mommy played with the Face Swap app :) You can hardly tell

 Such a weirdo.....We were eating dinner one night and Daddy and I looked up to see you making this face at  us, for no reason!

 Blowing Dandelions!

 We volunteered to clean up a park for Christian Service with our house and the boys found a frog for you to see!

 Doctor office selfies! Tucker wanted to wear my pony tail :)

 More doctor office selfies!

 Our first family hospital photo

 I love my little sick boy

 Playing in between fevers with the fun shopping carts

 Someone so small takes up so much space!

February 29th was Rare Disease Day, and since you have a rare disease, we hope to bring awareness to other autoimmune diseases. Maybe one day, even when you (hopefully) grow out of PFAPA, you will contine to bring awareness. I hope to God that you won't remember all the pain you've been through, but maybe one day you will change the world :)

We put you and your tractor to good use

This was the first Easter that you have been well enough (or big enough) to actually enjoy the Easter Egg Hunts!

Yes, Mommy recycles. I didn't want to buy you a new basket for Easter so instead I got one more use out of your Halloween basket :)