Life with a soon-to-be 2 year old

Smiles in the sand!

In just a few short weeks, Theo will turn two.  What a two years it has been!  You know how there are certain times in your life where you feel like SO MUCH life happened, that it couldn’t possibly have been only 2 years?  We feel that way.  Not only has Theo brought us immense joy, but we’ve been able to witness first hand, and in a big way, how big and good God really is.  So, we approach Theo’s birthday, which happens to fall on Thanksgiving this year, with overwhelming thanksgiving for the boy he is, the lessons we’ve learned, and all that God continues to do in him, through him, and through all of the people who have prayed for, cried for, and supported him (and us) along the way.

Theo and Bobby

Our soon-to-be 2 year old is doing extremely well.  With the exception of one short-lived stomach bug, he’s been healthy, active and overflowing with energy.  He’s also learning to test his boundaries, which has put Nick and me into a position of learning to discipline him.  (He has the arm of a Cy Young winner, but without the accuracy, and loves to throw food, toys, or whatever else he can get his hands on.  Biting and hitting are also part of his efforts to drive us crazy!)  He’s growing, developing, and becoming more vocal each day.  After dropping off the height and weight charts pre-transplant, we’re happy to see Theo gaining weight and height.  He now tips the scales at 26.5 lbs (putting him near the 50^th percentile for weight), and 31 ½ inches in height (not quite on the charts yet… but he’s a cute little chunker and doesn’t look obviously out of proportion to me!).  Eating on his own is still a struggle, but he finished a few packets of baby food last week, which was a GIANT step forward.

One of the highlights of the last couple of months has been getting Theo settled into a nanny-share with a great nanny, Emily, and his new buddy, Bobby.  We hear “Hi Bobby” close to 200 times per day at home, and after keeping him away from groups of kids for several months post-transplant, it’s been really fun to watch him learn to play and interact with others.  His interactions are pretty funny.  Theo’s definitely not a fighter – he tends to sit back and let other kids go for the toys, and he certainly likes his personal space (like his mom).  We hope he toughens up a little bit, because right now he’s afraid of hugs from his younger playmate.     

The charmer with his great-grandparents

A very curious Curious George

 Another highlight was a long weekend trip to Florida in October.  It was our first time away together since Christmas, and it was a treat to spend time with my grandparents.  While there, Theo worked his charm on his great-grandparents (I assure you, it worked), and also experienced the beach for the first time.  He was surprisingly unafraid of the water, but terrified of the sand.  You’d think we were torturing him when we set him down in it.  The beach turned out to be the only place where Theo would sit still over the weekend, so it gave us all a break. 

In the upcoming weeks, we are looking forward to some cousin time, first with a trip to Colorado to visit Nick’s family and then with my sisters coming for Thanksgiving.  It’s so nice to be able to plan trips and visits without considering dialysis, transplant, endless amounts of throw up, etc.  We LOVE it!  And we love our families.

I’ve been asked many times how Whitney is doing.  She is fabulous!  She’s told me that she has not felt any negative effects of life without Dubya.  She is active, beautiful as ever, and still one of the most thoughtful people I’ve ever met.  Next June, I’m looking forward to officially welcoming Brett, her fiancé, to the family when they are married.  He won’t be the only new member of the family next year…

Excited to be a family of four next year!

We’re thrilled to share that we’re expecting to meet Theo’s little sister in late March/early April next year.  I’ve been feeling fine, and we’ve confirmed via ultrasound that this baby does not have any evidence of kidney issues at this stage.  I know Theo is going to be a great big brother, and we’re really excited to become a family of four. 

Hope you all have a joyful Thanksgiving!