Birthday Kids and New Snow

First up in the photo category is Master Quin. This is one from his actual birthday (if that weren't obvious). It took us five kids before we figured out the easiest way to do cake was in nothing but a diaper. The hat was an impulse purchase at Party City, but I thought it'd be cute. And it is. Isn't it? Wouldn't it be fun to get a picture of him every birthday in his prince hat? I can see him at 27 complaining that his dorky mom insists on doing this every year. Well maybe.

He is doing considerably better in the health department. We saw the ENT Wednesday who, thankfully, has a conservative approach. He determined that indeed he still had fluid in his ears (though he had just completed a round of Augmentin). Evidently the fluid has turned to a glue type stuff that, though not infected, isn't draining in time to miss getting infected again with the next bug that happens to land on poor Quin. This has been going on since Thanksgiving, and therefore, it was not my imagination that he has been miserable for months. The thing we're trying now is another two week round of heavier antibiotics to give the gluey-fluid time to actually fully drain in hopes that a combination of spring weather (eventually) and a growing child will result in no new infections. We go back in three weeks to re-evaluate. At that time if fluid is still there, we'll talk tubes. In just the couple of days since then I can tell he feels better though. He's happy again and he is babbling endlessly. I think the fluid was surely begining to affect his hearing, so I'm even more glad that we proceeded with the ENT guy. Maybe he will feel good enough to tackle walking soon too :)

Next we have Emma. She loves to be photographed and is becoming quite the poser! This is one of many that came out well. I purposely tried to scale back on her birthday pictures as I usually takes way too many. It is so easy when you have such a willing subject :)

I am sure many of you reading watch the weather occasionally. I guess you probably saw the huge snowstorm that hit yesterday into this morning. Yes it is all true. We got the biggest snow of the year. At least 18 inches is our guess. The wind is blowing it everywhere and there was a drift over the tail of Tim's car. It is pretty though, that is for certain. I do love the snow. Last year we got snow in April, so we can get more. The old snow had just begun to melt last week and I even went out without a coat on Thursday, but I didn't think it was really spring yet. Tim and the kids shoveled most of the morning and the walk is done and the van is uncovered. Tim cancelled church Thursday night when the icing first began and then we had to cancel the Pizza Night at church last night. This snow sure can throw a wrench into plans pretty quickly! It still has been a very mild winter this season.


I forgot to mention that today is the first day since last Sunday that I'm not coughing! I went to the doctor on Monday and am finally feeling better. The top of the microwave looked like a pharmacy this week. Faith, Quin, Me, Tim and Hannah were all on something this week. For that reason alone, I do hope spring is coming. The mild winter seems to have allowed all those germs to survive and infect my family. It has been a difficult time and I'll be glad to see health restored to us all.