Tree Frog

During the torrential downpour on Saturday we all got a little cabin fever. Logan was in awe of the thunder and pouring rain, but he does love to go outside and that was obviously out of the question. Michael found a tree frog in the garage and brought it inside for entertainment (I told you we were bored!). Logan wanted to touch it so badly, but was unsure and he really got tickled when it jumped. It landed on Zoey at one point and she was turning in circles trying to get it off, which was hilarious to me, but I have a toddler so my sense of humor is a little different these days. :-) Bailey was trying to attack it, so we finally had to shoo her out of the kitchen. Here's a pic of Logan with the frog on his leg. Still not sure what to think, but very curious, as always...


The cup in his hand goes with the rice cooker. He had just helped me make rice as part of dinner and wanted to keep the cup. He just loves to help. Why is it that when kids finally get old enough to really help you they don't want to anymore? I'm just trying to enjoy this stage anyway. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? It makes Michael and I feel so loved to have our own little helper. Notice the crazy hair from Lo's long rainy-day afternoon nap and the serious look on his face. And Zoey watching from a safe distance. :-)

Michael got some good pictures of the frog. They are posted on the photo website his dad created for us. Click on the new link under "Favorite Links."

Hot Wheels

Last week my mom was having trouble keeping Logan entertained while she did our laundry, among other things, since it was Tax day! The Sears "repair guy" broke our washing machine the day before Logan's leg ordeal and it hasn't worked since (it's a long story that makes me mad to even think about). Yep, he didn't intentionally stop it from working, but it's out of order, nonetheless. So my mom graciously took our laundry, without my even asking, to her house and washed and dried it all! She's so great!

So, anyway, my mom pulled out our Hot Wheels, from when Ross, Holly, and I were little (probably originally Ross', but I'm not sure) and it looks like Logan was very interested in them.

It was bound to happen; he's just got to dump everything out!

Nana Kay's

Logan has stayed at his Nana Kay's today and yesterday and decided to crawl into Ellie's bed. I'm hoping these pictures were taken yesterday since he's wearing the onesie I put on him yesterday morning... Ellie looks a little concerned, but not too annoyed. You'll notice the paci... we had successfully eliminated using it during the day, except for nap time, bedtime, and the occasional car use, but that's out the window since the fracture. Again, you do what you have to do to keep the little one comforted.

The good news is he got another good night's sleep, he is feeling good enough to move around on his own, and he is eating well again. A happy baby makes for a happy mama (and daddy)!

Visit to Nana Jo's & Grandpa Jacky's

Here are a few pics I never posted from a few weeks ago when Michael and Logan visited Nana Jo while I was at work on Friday (or maybe a baby shower). He loves his Uncle Zach, but it takes some time for him to warm up, as you can see.

Here's the famous Kelly look. He comes by it naturally; I didn't teach him this, I promise!
Logan is practicing for his Major League Baseball career, or so Daddy says. :-)


We went to Carlie's (Nana Jo) for a wonderful Easter dinner on Sunday afternoon and Logan enjoyed feeding the fish in the pond. Several pieces ended up on the deck, instead of in the water, but I think he found the activity quite relaxing, regardless. We saw a couple of HUGE catfish, too! We didn't get any pictures, but I'll try to take some next time he feeds the fish or goes for a golf cart ride, another favorite activity. Grandma's houses are so much fun! Lo also got a wheel barrow filled with a book, bunnies, eggs, and other goodies from the "Easter Bunny." One could say he's spoiled, but I say he's blessed.

Crawling!

My mom called to say Logan has figured out how to go from a sitting position to crawling, despite his new anchor. That thing is heavy! Before we know it he may be walking, but I think he's still in pain when he puts pressure on it. Crawling is just fine with me. I'm sure he's pleased with his regained (at least partially) mobility. I never thought I'd be so excited to say my 16-month old is crawling! The most important thing is that his mood is much better; I just want that little stinker to be healthy and happy!

More cute pics

I just wanted to share these pictures that we took not too long ago. This is Logan and his friend, Landyn, who is 6 months younger than Logan. We say they are going to be hunting buddies some day; their daddies already are. Logan was trying so hard to give Landyn his paci.

He finally got it. What a team!

Logan giving his "prayer bear" kisses. A hard moment to catch on camera, but we did it. :-)

Logan's cast

Logan slept much better last night. We put him in his own bed since he seemed to be taking naps so well there and he slept for 12 hours straight! I think he felt much better this morning because of the good night's sleep, but he was still pretty irritable today. The top of the splint was rubbing his leg and it kept moving and rubbing his heal. We've had to re-wrap it several times since yesterday morning and he's very cooperative, but it's just not the same since we took it off the first time. He just hasn't had a good appetite since Saturday so Daddy's been giving him Pedialite. He thinks he's in Heaven when it comes to that (he's eating pretty much whatever he wants because he's been so picky) and being carried around all the time. It's getting old, though. He wants to walk so badly.

Here's another picture of Logan with the splint still on. Our good friends, Bill and Tiffany, let us borrow their bean bags from Bill's childhood. They are perfect for him to comfortably watch his new Veggie Tales and Baby Einstein videos on. You can see he's not the happiest camper, but the bean bags definitely helped.

The doctor looked at the x-rays we brought from Texas Children's and said that he couldn't even see the fracture on the "postage stamp" x-rays. The ER doctor said his leg was fractured, so I have no doubt he saw something, but apparently the x-rays weren't big enough and the fracture really is pretty minor. But Dr. Brock, whom we saw today, said this type of fracture (in toddlers) is usually near the bottom of the leg and heals in 3 weeks with a cast. So, to be on the safe side (and since he still won't put weight on it and the ER doc felt an abnormality in his left leg) he ordered a cast for 3 weeks. And it's only a "short" one that comes to just below the knee, which is much better than the "full-leg cast" that we were expecting to get. The splint came almost all the way up to his hip and made it impossible to walk and challenging to do anything else.

He was so good for the "cast guys" and just sat and watched, as you can see. He even turned down Goldfish because he wanted to keep an eye on them. Everyone else in the Cast Room and even the doctor were impressed that he sat so still and patient. Mostly, I think he was curious, but we're so proud of our little guy! But, I could not have handled the visit (while maintaining my sanity) without help. My mom went with us and entertained Lo while I filled out papers and even held him for a while when he fell asleep in the exam room. Not to mention she sat on the floor next to his car seat on the way there and fed him grilled cheese and french fries to keep him happy (not part of his usual diet, but hey, you do what you have to when your baby is howling because he's uncomfortable, hungry, and tired). Nana Kay is a lifesaver!

He was almost instantly happier and relieved to have that dang splint off. It seems like the cast would be worse, but he can actually walk in the cast if he wants and can bend his knee. Plus, it's much more comfy. The only drawback is that it's pretty heavy. He even got a little shoe to wear over it. He still doesn't want to stand on it, but he's obviously less irritable. I think it may still hurt a little and he doesn't want to lose his footing. He's very careful about things like that. He had a long day; we'll try to walk again tomorrow, but if he doesn't want to walk we'll carry him for 3 weeks. It sure beats 6 weeks!

Smiling again!

Thanks again for all your thoughts, prayers, and offers to help. We really are thankful that Logan's situation isn't worse and today's news was even more encouraging. To God be the glory! There are so many other people we know of right now that could use help and prayers, so it means a lot that you would take the time to think of us.

Logan's 1st Easter Egg Hunt

He didn't cry, but was certainly unsure about the Easter Bunny. He (she?) is a little scary-looking if you ask me.

This looks like a scowl, but the sun really was in his eyes. It sure makes for an amusing picture, though!

Two at one time!

His puppy basket barks and wags his tail when you push a button. But Lo figured out it also holds eggs pretty quickly.

I'm not sure exactly why he was doing his "uh, oh" face, but I think it was because he was so excited and loving all the attention from Aunt Holly and Nana Jo. One of his favorite words right now is, uh ohhhh. Sometimes he says it for no reason, but I never get tired of hearing it. :-)

Our first (and hopefully last) family trip to the ER

Logan did so good at the "Easter Eggstravaganza" at our church on Saturday afternoon. He didn't even cry when we sat him in the Easter Bunny's lap and he eventually figured out he was supposed to collect eggs and put them in his basket. After that got old (and his basket was full) he played on some of the playground equipment. St. Mark's has a really nice, shaded playground and we had never actually been out there. He went down one of the slides, though, and stuck his left foot out to the side and his leg turned sideways as his shoe/leg hit the slide. Michael and my sister, Holly, heard a popping sound and were really worried, but since I didn't hear it or see exactly what happened I was hoping he was ok. We took him straight home and tried to get him to put weight on his leg. He fussed a little and sat down. He wouldn't walk or even put weight on his left leg, so we decided to take him to the Texas Children's Hospital ER.

Logan was so patient. He had vending machine snacks and a fruit cup for supper (but we did find some whole milk, which he was excited about) and he didn't fall asleep until 10:30pm because he was in a strange place without his noise maker and he really didn't fuss at all. His favorite part was making laps in a wheelchair while we waiting for x-rays. We read every book we brought about 15 times, but at least that kept him happy. He is my angel baby, I have to admit. He just watched the nurses and doctors as they examined him and cooperated completely, even for x-rays.

Here he is trying to share a Cheerio and then eating it. He thought we were on a field trip until we got home and he realized he couldn't bend his left leg. Sorry the pictures are so small; the only cameras we had were the ones on our cell phones.

After 7 1/2 hours and seeing at least 4 nurses, 2 doctors, and having 3 sets of x-rays done, he was diagnosed with a tibia fracture, which at his age is referred to as a "toddler fracture." It only occurs in children under 3 and is the most common leg break in children in that age group. It's a spiral fracture and happens when the leg twists in just the wrong way. I read that, "an unsteady toddler may have fallen with a twist, or the child may have gotten his/her foot caught and fallen, twisting it while trying to free his/her foot," which is in line with what the doctors told us. It's hard to pick up with x-rays sometimes, which is why he needed three different trips to radiology, with multiple angles before they found it and knew how to treat it.

He was fitted with a splint and we were told to follow up with the Texas Children's orthopedic group within a week. I called this morning to make an appointment and the earliest they could see him was April 24th. Meanwhile, Michael calls me from home with Logan and says the splint is coming off. That didn't get us in any faster. And even the doctor Logan's pediatrician recommended doesn't specialize in pediatrics, which is important, I think, at his age. After calling multiple other doctors several times, I finally found a pediatric orthopedic doctor who can see Lo tomorrow during his "work-in" period and I really liked the nurse. She told us how to re-wrap the bandage ourselves.

I don't know that Logan would have been an angel while getting his leg wrapped, but luckily he fell asleep right before the doctor came in to put the splint on. He was so exhausted that he slept through the whole thing. We covered us eyes up so the lights wouldn't bother him, but you can see that paci sticking out!

Logan took a great nap yesterday in his crib, but last night was pretty rough, again. He slept with us so we could keep an eye on him. Now I'm about ready to sleep on the floor next to his crib, rather than have him crying and kicking us half the night. He just can't seem to find a comfortable position and wants to twirl my hair, which puts him to sleep, but not me! We felt like we had a newborn again. He'll eventually get used to that thing on his leg, but right now he's still mad about it and throws a fit when he gets frustrated. I don't know who he gets that from...

Logan will probably get a cast and have to wear it for 4-6 weeks, but I'll let you know exactly what the doctor says after tomorrow's visit. I'm sure Lo will find a way to get around in it soon enough and be used to it before we know it. We are just very thankful that his injury is something that can be easily treated and should heal completely with no issues. Not that a leg cast on a 16-month old for 6 weeks will be "easy," but it could be a lot worse. And for that, and for all of you who have prayed for us and sent your concerns our way, we are counting our blessings. Thank you so much.

Mills Benefit

I wanted to post the flyer for the benefit for Bryan and Dylan Mills, but I'm not sure how to post a PDF or even if I can. The benefit is at Pelican Junction in Baytown (1307 S. Highway 146) on April 18th at 10:00AM. They will have BBQ plates, live and silent auctions, a motorcycle rally, a car show, live entertainment, 50/50 pots (I don't know what that is), and several raffles.

The flyer says to contact Sonny Mills (409-656-5198) or Heather Davis (713-932-5562) for more info. They are also still greatly appreciative of donations to the funds set up at Wachovia Bank or Chase Bank.

Bryan was released from the hospital on Tuesday. The doctors were reluctant to let him leave, but Dylan will be transferred to the Shriner's Hospital in Cincinnati soon and Bryan wanted to be able to see Dylan before he leaves. Bryan's doctors don't think he needs to make the long trip to Ohio. It sounds like Dylan must be more stable now if he is being transferred, but he obviously still needs our prayers for continued healing, successful surgeries, and no infections. Bryan needs our prayers for continued physical and emotional healing. The whole family, including Emmalee, needs prayers for continued strength and comfort through this trial.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Mills-Shriner story on KHOU

Shern-Min Chow did a story last night on the Houston Channel 11 News (KHOU) about the lack of burn treatment centers in the Houston area and featured Bryan and Dylan Mills' story. Search "Shriners" on www.khou.com if this link doesn't work:

http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/khou090317_mh_children-burn-victims.465e8079.html

Dylan is continuing to improve, but still has a long road ahead. Thank you for your continued prayers.

My superstar

Logan got these glasses in his goody bag when he "modeled" at the Liberty County Aggie Mom's Tea Party in February. I just put them on the computer and had to share them!

We thought we had lost the book that he's carrying, then I found it under the couch one day. Logan was so excited and wanted to sit down and read it right then. It's "Moo, Baa, La La La" by Sandra Boynten. I love her books and that one is especially cute.

Yes, he's wearing the Michael Jordan onesie again. He just loves the outfit his cousin gave him. :-) And it goes great with the glasses, don't you think?

I took this a while back when the weather was dry and we discovered that if Michael rubbed a fleece blanket on Logan's head his hair stood up like his Aunt Holly's did when she was a baby!

Website for Dylan

Here is a website that has been set up for Dylan Mills. It has an update as of Friday afternoon.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dylanmills

Recent Pictures of Logan

Here are some pictures my mom took the other day (ok, last month, but who's counting?).

Here's Lo eating some of my dad's slow-cooked oatmeal in the high chair that Holly and I both used when we were little. :-)He's just starting to use the spoon by himself more. An article about feeding toddlers on his doctor's website says, "By 12 months of age, your child will begin to use a spoon and he should be able to feed herself completely by 15 months of age." Yeah, he could probably feed himself, but do you know how messy it would be to let a 15-month old feed himself yogurt and applesauce? We draw the line there. He can feed himself pretty much everything else, but that will have to wait until he's a little more coordinated.

Here he is demonstrating how big he is. You ask, "how big is Logan?" and he raises his arms and you say, "soooo big!" Aunt Kari taught him and it's too cute. Notice he's also wearing the Michael Jordan onesie cousin Kaleb gave him.


Here are Logan's Valentine's Day pics at Aunt Holly's. My mom actually took these a couple of days before Valentine's Day, but she didn't have any assistance and she had trouble getting him to cooperate. He loves the camera, but he wants to touch it!



Here's Lo and Rufus, one of Aunt Holly and Uncle Josh's dogs. I'm not sure what he's doing, but he's always busy, busy these days.

I hope to post more pictures soon if I ever remember to get them off the camera!

Update on Bryan and Dylan

Here's an update from Sonny's (Bryan's brother) mother in law:

Little Dylan is still in very serious condition but we are encouraged by what is happening. He is still heavily sedated but he has been breathing the whole time on his own, which is very good. He had surgery to place a trach on Tuesday but it was purely a precaution. He responds when he hears his mother's voice or the machines beeping by turning his head toward the sound. He had pigskin grafts to his neck, chest, and abdomen yesterday. We were very encouraged that they did that so soon. His little eyes are still swollen shut but the doctors' believe that they will be okay when the swelling goes down.

His daddy, Bryan, is going to remain in Hermann Hospital in Houston for a while. He has second degree burns to his arm, shoulder, and side and third degree burns to his ankles and legs. I do not know how far up his legs the burns go. All the skin was burned off the bottom of his feet. He is in a great deal of pain and, of course, is very worried about his son and feeling guilty that he could not get to him. Sonny spent a couple of days helping his dad tear down the part of the house that was burned. The Baptist Men on Mission, a group of retired men from our church, are going to help them rebuild the house. Wiley had built the house himself the first time. Several benefits are being planned. One is a barbecue at the VFW hall in Cleveland on April 5.

God answers prayers; thank you for your prayers (I know the family appreciates them more than we know) and please keep praying!

Prayer request

This family needs all the prayers they can get, so I'm asking everyone I know to pray. "On Sunday Afternoon March 8, 2009 a house fire broke out in Tarkington leaving Dylan Mills (17 months old) and his father Bryan Mills seriously burned. Dylan was flown by helicopter to a Shreveport Burn Center, and Bryan is in Memorial Hermann’s Jones Pavilion Burn Unit. They are both undergoing multiple surgeries and could use all the help that we can get. Any and all donations are greatly appreciated! Please keep the Mills family in your thoughts and prayers."

Bryan's parents house also burned down in the accident and they didn't have homeowners insurance. Obviously, that isn't the main concern right now, but the entire family is going through a LOT right now and all need our prayers and support.

There are two accounts set up to for the family.

Wachovia Bank under Bryan and Dylan Mills in c/o Jennifer Wood& Chase Bank under Dylan Mills

Please contact Jennifer Wood or Amy Ayers for any other information regarding donations or the family:
Jennifer Wood – 281-659-7492 or jenicwhe@yahoo.com
Amy Ayers – 936-402-4317

Please also pray for the family of Paul Mitchell, who passed away on Jan. 29th, especially his wife Joanna and young children, William and Ashlyn. Another request is for the family of Brad Wims, who passed away on March 2nd, including his wife Jenny and their young children, Zeke and Kaelyn. www.thewims.blogspot.com

This is all so sad, and all I want to do is cry and let the weight of these tragedys get me down. It's ok to be sad, but I know that I cannot let the devil keep me in dispair, because it is he who puts these negative thoughts in my head. For we know that GOD calls us to cast all our anxiety on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We know He listens to our prayers and answers them in His own time and in His own way. All we can do is offer them up to heaven and trust His perfect grace to see us through. This last paragraph is more for me than anything; somehow writing it out is therapeutic and reminds me of God's promise. But I hope it comforts you as well in these troubled times. We have to treasure every moment God gives us!

Logan's first haircut

Logan got his hair cut a couple of weeks ago. It was sort of unplanned so we only have pictures with the camera on my phone (sorry they are so small), but at least we captured it some how. My mom was watching Logan that day. I was supposed to get my hair cut at 4pm and my mom was supposed to get hers done at 5pm, but she got the times confused and showed up before I did. So she went ahead and had hers done since Sela, who cuts our hair, is pretty fast. Logan sat in her lap with the little kid's cape on and was apparently very well behaved.

Then I showed up and got my hair cut. Then Sela shaped both our eyebrows and offered to cut Logan's hair. He just needed a little trim in the back, but I figured I would take him to one of those kid salons so he would tolerate it better. He was feeling right at home, though, so I figured, "what the heck?" He sat in my lap in the chair, she put the cape on, and went right to work. He was busy playing and didn't even notice until she pulled out the trimmer (you know, the buzzer thing) at the end. He was curious, but didn't fuss at all and was pretty still. Now he looks just as precious as ever and doesn't have a crazy-wavy hair when he gets out of the bath tub.

Logan's 1st Birthday

Logan turned one on December 18th, but we celebrated on December 13th with family so that it wasn't too close to Christmas. It was great! I wanted to keep it small so he wouldn't feel overwhelmed; he's going through that stranger anxiety phase right now and even family that he doesn't see often enough are "strangers" to him. I know he'll outgrow that soon enough, but I wanted his big day to be special for him, not just us. He warmed up to everybody really quickly, though, and enjoyed his first taste of Chick-fil-a nuggets.

He didn't really open his presents. I felt silly opening presents I wrapped, but I have a feeling I won't be doing that again next year. Plus, he got a lot of great presents from other family members. Once the paper was off, he was very curious about each gift and would get so engrossed in a toy that he didn't even notice I was opening a new one. He was a little overwhelmed by all the new toys, books, and clothes and so were we. We are so blessed with such generous and loving family and friends.

This is the first gift he opened (I opened) and he was so fascinated that he couldn't focus on anything else.

Then we opened a Build-a-bear dog from Aunt Holly. She recorded a message so you hear her say, "happy birthday, Logan" when you push his paw. He thinks it's pretty neat, but you can see he's still got his hand on that piano.

So I just took the piano away so he would pay attention to me opening other presents and then we opened a lawn mower and it had his undivided attention. Uncle Rick couldn't get it put together fast enough. They were trying to figure out how to get the handle to stay up and finally realized it's not supposed to. Logan didn't care either way, as you can see.

And here is your stereotypical 1-year-old playing with one of the boxes. (It wasn't a computer) :-)

We sat him in his high chair and sang happy birthday to him and he just loved it. He got this big grin on his face, like he was thinking, "all this, for me?" Then I blew out his candle and set his little mini-cake on his tray. He just looked at it and wasn't sure what to do. I guess he knew Daddy was watching and he had better not make a mess. I finally fed him some with a fork and he decided it was not half bad. The only sweets he had had before that was a few bites of pumpkin cheesecake at Thanksgiving. Needless to say his little taste buds were in shock, but in a good way. There's no turning back now.

He eventually tried to turn the plate over, so we put his cake right on his tray and he went to town. He never really got icing everywhere, like I was expecting, but I did find blue icing in the cracks and crevices of his high chair the next day. He absolutely loved it and ate almost the whole piece, mostly cake not all icing, thank goodness. And the best part is he still eats his peas!

He wasn't too sure at first...

When he realized how good it was and how he had everyone's undivided attention and how we all laughed when he made this face after taking a bite, he did it every time.

Whoops!

I want to thank all of our family for helping me with Logan's party, including Michael's dad for taking the great pictures and letting me use them on my blog. His are the ones with the border. He says he's not good at indoors and photographing people, but I have to disagree.