Look at this face...

and you'll understand why I could care less that he peed all over his changing table, the carpet and my feet today.

The Mane Attraction (pun intended!)

So we know it's August. We know it's 80 degrees outside. But we still put our son in his Halloween costume today. And I must say, he is going to be the cutest lion this world ever did see. Enjoy the glimpse! *Note: Mark penned the title of this entry. Surprise, surprise.*

Update

So Boo will not be having the extensive surgery 2. The neurosurgeon believes that the site of his problem is centrally located within the same area as Boo's language and cognition, and feels it would be too risky to cut any portion of that area out. At 1:00 p.m. today they will be removing the grids and the electrodes from his brain and he will be home in a couple of days. It is a bittersweet time for all of us- we are sad that he will not be able to have this procedure, but thankful that we are not on the other side of it without him able to communicate with us. We thank you for your continued prayers and encouragement for him and his family.

Keep praying...

We will not know until late tonight or early tomorrow if Boo will be having surgery 2. His neurologist, after some final testing today, believes it will be a go. However, the surgical team, which includes his neurologist as well as a neurosurgeon and some others, still need to meet and decide as a team. If it is a go, it will more than likely be happening tomorrow- so it will be very short notice! We appreciate your continued partnership in taking Boo to the throne. Thank you.

A Mommy and Her Son

I am enamored by relationships...how they develop, how they unfold, how two people connect, the ways they express their love for one another and so on.

I've had the joy of witnessing the birth of a beautiful relationship before my very eyes...Kelsey and Markus. It's been amazing to watch the way they relate to each other, how they communicate love and the beauty that each beholds for the other. When they lay eyes on one another after a brief lapse the lights go on in our house.

Of course, this isn't news to many of you sons and moms. I am fortunate to share a wonderful relationship with my mother, for which I am eternally grateful. I'm also blessed to have friends that value their moms in the same way.

I am reminded to thank God for these relationships He gives us in our lives that teach us unconditional love and point us to Christ ... and to never take for granted the special people he uniquely places us with on this earth.

Kelsey, you are a wonderful mother and a beautiful sight to behold each day. Thanks for letting the love of God shine through your relationships with Markus and me.

#53 of the 100 things "my kid will NEVER do"...

I knew so much about motherhood before I actually had a child. One of the things I KNEW was that my kid would NEVER be a thumbsucker. Ha! See this photo? And you know what? I'm actually OK with it. Why? Because he can't lose his thumb in the middle of the night, or while he is in the backseat of the car, or while Mark and I are eating dinner. Will we pay for it later? Maybe. But for now, there's really nothing I can do about it anyways. And besides, it's actually kind of cute.

Stay tuned...

Boo has now had 3 recordable seizures, praise God. He had two grand mals in about 10 hours today, and the doctors are pleased with the information they recieved. We will know tomorrow if they plan on proceeding with surgery 2 or not. Thank you again for your prayers and well wishes and please keep them coming. I will update as soon as I hear tomorrow what the plan is.

His first Cowboys game...

Tonight was Markus' first opportunity to catch his team, the Dallas Cowboys, in action. Unfortunately, his intense mommy wouldn't let him actually watch the game... but notice him in this photo. His back was to the TV, yet the little stinker kept trying to turn his head to get in on some of the action. I guess you can't keep a boy from his Cowboys, right ? (just ask his daddy!)

Happy times...

Not much to say today, but had a couple cute pics to post! We put Markus in his "activity station" for the first time last night. It took him a few minutes to get used to it, but once he did he loved it. It was really fun to watch him begin to explore and touch buttons and smile. And how about this little angel sleeping? I know I'm biased, but he must be the cutest sleeping baby ever :).

We're home!

MJ and I returned home from Phoenix late last night. He fell asleep before takeoff, and didn't wake until we were walking up the gate ramp! We were blessed again to have two seats in the back so we could stretch out a bit. Both of us were very excited to see Mark- and I think he was pretty excited to see us too. It's nice to be home, but I certainly do miss that precious neice of mine and my family down there. It was hard to leave them during such a critical time. The update on Boo isn't too exciting- still waiting for seizure activity to begin! I've included some photos of our trip- my brother doesn't normally sport a mohawk, but he and Dawn had a little fun before his brain surgery! Please keep your prayers coming and your notes of encouragement. Love you! Kels

Still doing well...

Boo continues to improve, praise God. I was able to spend some time with him today, and the first thing he said to me after hello was "Go get me a milkshake". So I took that as a good sign. Today was the first time I actually "lost it" since all of this began. Admittedly, it was difficult to see him in the condition he is in. There is just something about seeing the older brother that has always been my protector and so tough and strong on a hospital bed, hoked up to all sorts of machines and wires... it was hard. I have been holding all my emotions in, I think, trying to be strong for mom and dad and today, after seeing him, was my t ime to break down. I headed to the hospital chapel and someone had left open a Bible on the bench. It was opened to Psalm 42, and I read the following: "Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God I will praise him again--
my Savior and my God!" And I realized that was the only appropriate response- to praise my God and to place my hope in Him. It was a sweet moment with the Lord. But back to Boo now... The electrical activity in his brain has begun increasing since yesterday, and the doctors think it won't be long before he begins some seizure activity which is what we want at this point. His pain is managable and he is able to communicate well. MJ and I will be leaving tomorrow evening- hopefully he will be able to sleep on the plane since it is an evening flight. I thank you again for your prayers- we really feel the Lord's presence here. Love, Kels

Thank you and praise God!

Thank you everyone for your faithful prayers and support! MJ traveled amazingly well, and the Lord even provided for us to have an empty seat next to us for MJ to crash in. We had a great flight! But even better than that, Boo made it through surgery 1 very well. The surgical team was pleased at the results, and he is currently recovering in the critical care unit. He will remain there until tomorrow when he will be moved to his permanent room for the next two weeks or so. I will continue to update as more information becomes available. Boo is aware that people all over the United States (including Puerto Rico) have been praying for him, and he and his family have voiced their appreciation numerous times. I thank you as well.

Please pray...

I know that many of you that know and love us desire to support us through prayer. Right now, I ask that your prayer support would be turned towards my brother, Boo. On Monday he will be having a very significant and risky surgical procedure performed on his brain, with hopes for an even more intensive follow-up surgery August 28th. Information will be obtained during the two weeks in-between that will determine what exactly can/cannot happen on the 28th. He will remain in the hospital from Monday until after the 28th. Please pray that God will have His hand over all aspects of the surgery and Boo's life, as well as his daughter Katie and wife Dawn's as well. Thanks!

We don't like Wednesdays

Why don't we like Wednesdays? Because there is none of this- Daddy and Markus time. Wednesdays are Mark's long days at church, and he barely gets to see Markus. It's a long day for all of us, but we are so thankful that Mark loves going to church and serving the Lord there! By the way- "flying" is Markus' favorite new thing, as evidenced in this picture. He loves to be Super Markus. However, those who are helping him to fly need to be aware that Markus can tend to spit up without a moment's notice, as I learned the hard way yesterday. Welcome to motherhood, right?

Kels

4 Generations

We recently had the awesome opportunity to spend some time with my abuelita (grandma) from Puerto Rico. She stayed with my parents for about 6 weeks, and we loved getting to share Markus with her during her stay. She instantly fell in love with Markus (how could you not?) and I know it blessed her heart to be able to see him. She returned home last week, and we already miss her dearly. I will treasure this photo of the 4 generations.

i can't believe my eyes!

This was Markus' response when he took a look at his baby pictures for the first time...we can't believe how fast he's growing up...and from the look of things, neither can he!

Mark

4 months old, continued

So we just returned home from a Doctor's appt... Markus is a whopping 14 lbs 12 oz and 24.5 inches long. He is in the 50th percentile for both, which kinda boggles my mind being that he just looks so big to me. At 4 months he is sleeping well at nighttime, taking 3 naps during the day, rolling over from tummy to back, sucking his thumb and smiling and talking up a storm. He really responds to Mark and I now, and he recognizes my mom and dad (Abu and Papa) too. He is at such a fun stage and we love having him around! Enjoy a couple of recent pics!

Kels

Happy Birthday to You!

Happy 4 month birthday to Markus today...you are a delight to your Mommy and Daddy and many others. We thank God for you every day and look forward to sharing the journey of life with you...and many Cowboy victories!

Mark

Welcome to our family blog!

Hello family and friends!

Thanks for visiting our family blog. We look forward to sharing with you the happenings of our family. As we share our lives with you, we kindly ask that you would take a moment to respond and share a thought or two. We love you and are glad that God has seen fit to bless us with your friendship.

Enjoy the journey!

Mark