June 2013

As summer began, we fully embraced the warm temps with a stay-cation and a pool pass!  We traveled to St. Louis and spent a wonderful week with my parents along with Aunt CoCo, Uncle Bob, and Henry's cousins! We hit almost all of the favorites including the St. Louis Zoo, Grant's Farm and the Magic House and the boys had a blast!  Gus decided to break out some of his molars, so there were pretty consistent early mornings, but he was a trooper (and very armed with medication as needed:)!  GG and Papap, as always, were amazing hosts and made the vacation feel extra special with "surprises" every day including smores (smushmallows as Henry calls them) and a water blanket with fishes inside!  Mommas even got to go to a Cardinal's baseball game with Uncle Tom and Aunt CoCo- in the third row behind home base (thank you again Kristin for the tickets!!). It was amazing to take in a game that way and a wonderful memory with the best siblings a Momma could have!  Adjusting to life at home was challenging after all that excitement (!), but it was nice to get back into routine again.

Shortly after we got home we promptly got a pool pass to a nearby neighborhood pool and have already spent a good amount of time fully lathered up and basking in the sun!  Well, maybe more like running after the boys, but it sure feels just as awesome!  Gus is experimenting with water wings and Henry will start swim lessons this weekend!  All good new challenges!

Henry's therapies are suspended for the summer, though school remains in full force!  He had share week the first week in June and enjoyed bringing toys and books about space shuttles, pictures of his family, bubbles and, of course, Angry Birds figurines.  He got kind of used to being in the spotlight and keeps asking when he gets to share again.  We continue to be amazed at the way his teachers have helped him gain confidence, be more independent, and try new things.  Beautiful to see not only physical growth in your child, but emotional as well:)

We will see Dr. Raghveer, Henry's Cardiologist, next week for a follow up appointment, as well as a bone density test (due up his bone breaks earlier this year), pulmonary appointment and dentist.  Henry has been on an inhaler for about two months now, and we feel like it has been really beneficial for him.  I noticed the other day Henry was playing music on a kazoo and Julie and I were amazed that he had enough lung capacity to do this.  Typically, respiratory limitation have kept him from doing things like blow bubbles and blow out candles since his second surgery.  The pulmonologist suggested the inhaler primarily to help with an asthma type reaction in his lungs, and I feel like it's already helped.  We're always cautious with adding another medication to his regimen, but we're so pleased with these benefits for him!

We're excited for more pool time and hope to join family and friends for celebrations soon over the summertime!  Hope the sun warms you and your loved ones as well this month!!

Much love,

Kate, Julie, Henry and Gus