Nolan's Valentine's Day Loot

Nolan was extremely excited for his preschool Valentine's Day party. I took a video of him going through his loot - he was just too cute with his enthusiasm for the little Valentine's Day cards and candy (except for Conversation Hearts, which he calls "Bad Candy").

Still Here

At the Snowflake Festival: Tummy Hurting

I just realized how long it has been since I last posted (and how long it has been since I have read anyone's blog)! Things are fine in our neck of the woods - just insanely busy! Dennis has been going on various business trips and the snow is approximately 1 mile deep (I might be exaggerating a tad, but it is deep).

We have had two rounds of the stomach flu, one flat tire with a bent rim due to a very nasty pothole, and a heating system that decided to quit functioning. Fortunately, we are warm and well again, though we are still a one-car family for a while.

Nolan is still having stomach pain occasionally, and it can be crippling. Other days he seems to do fairly well: his reflux has been acting up again, no doubt a consequence of the recent tummy bug. I have heard stridor twice in the past week, which is quite upsetting. Hopefully it is simply a flare-up due to his cold, though the returning and worsening reflux symptoms do make us quite anxious. Hopefully things will settle down as Spring approaches: he has a follow-up with the ENT in late March. A friend sent me a link to an Aero-Digestive Center at Cincinatti Children's, so if the laryngomalacia returns or the reflux remains uncontrollable, we have a good center to travel to for a second opinion.

I have gathered all of the paperwork required for his Universal Pre-K application. His clearance from the pediatrician, birth certificate, and immunization records will be submitted this week. He will also go to an afternoon creative arts program that Matthew currently attends: they do really wonderful art projects! Matt has created murals in the style of Eric Carle, drawn with charcoal, and worked with clay in this class - I am very excited for Nolan to get the same opportunity next year.

Matt is getting registered for Kindergarten, and we are quite excited for that. He has some urology concerns, primarily due to a constant wetness, that we will address this summer if he hasn't "dried up." There is a treatment called DDAVP (Desmopresin) that should help him, if the need arises. Hopefully we won't be adding a urologist for Matt, just as we are removing the urologist from Nolan!

We are also getting ready for a family trip to Park City, Utah, for some skiing and family fun. Both boys are excited, and hopefully the flight will be a little easier now that they are three and five. I plan on visiting the Dollar Tree to load up on cheap flight entertainment supplies!

This winter has been quite brutal with the utter lack of sun and constant snow: the kids can't even play in the front yard, because they have to climb into it! We are supposed to have weather in the 40's next week, though, with some sun. Surely things will get warmer soon!

Our mailbox, when the snow was still only 3 feet deep