ballgame

Amy and I got to go to last Sunday's dbacks game. Southwestern College gave alumni free tickets and food vouchers. It was a nice gift, and I got to see Tim Reed (long-time friend of my father, one of my old profs) and Brent Garrison (family friend from Palmcroft, president of swc).

Sure we were in the nose bleeds, but we still had a great view.

And I got to spend the afternoon with my lovely bride. Isn't she amazing, folks? Love you, beautiful.

Thank you, Ogles (though you never read my blog), for giving us the afternoon without kids so we could enjoy the game together.

isaiah is hot stuff

Check out the majesty, the beauty, the Icy (Isaiah, that is).

A bit of an update: Amy is doing well, and the pain meds are working fine (she's not having to take but two pills a day - unless she's a lot more active for whatever reason). Isaiah got circumcised today (the Dr. said he slept through most of it - he also had his first bit of sugar at the time). Aidan and Kate are now sleeping in the same room (as of Sunday night after we brought Isaiah home for the first time). It has been a challenge to make sure that Aidan and Kate are getting enough sleep, since they love each other and love to interact. They were completely and utterly exhausted tonight, so hopefully they'll sleep well and wake up tomorrow refreshed. We've had people over helping us a ton (THANKS!) including Mike & Francy (agoo & zsa-ji), Grandma Irene (Meema), Ben & Amanda Fagerlie, and now Melissa Hundley (she's going to be spending the next few nights with us while her townhouse has some work done). Amy might not say much, or ask for much, but she is extremely grateful for all everyone is doing (and so am I - especially as I started teaching summer school today and need all the help around the house I can get). JoAnn Blackford has put together a list of ladies who've volunteered to bring us meals over the next two weeks. THANK YOU ALL!!!!

kate's birthday celebration continued

Kate had two birthday parties.  The first one was on her actual birthday, Friday (5/16), with just Amy, Aidan, and I.  The second one, this past Wednesday (5/20), involved Agoo & Zsa-ji and Nannie & Poppie, as well.  She got to have chocolate cake (as you can see).  Isn't she just absolutely adorable?!

can't believe this is not posted already

Here's a beautiful picture of three generations.

Francy Ogle; Amy, Aidan, and Kate Van Liew.

little suns fan

We were over at the Ogles' this afternoon.  Well, our A/C busted, so, yeah, Amy was tired of being pregnant and sitting in a hot house, so we went over.  Aidan and I played out in the back yard for quite awhile.

The Ogles were gracious enough to let us hang out there, and, actually, Amy and the kids are sleeping over there because of the A/C, but I have a bike and I need to be at school and let Amy have the vehicle, so I am sleeping at home alone.  AHHHH!  Oh, yeah, and isn't Aidan quite the studly and cute little man?

So, these pictures are of Aidan and how cute he is, not about our A/C, but, hey, you needed an update on our lives, right?

He's my little suns fan.  Also, he keeps expanding his vocabulary.  He is getting really good at saying a lot.  (Wonder where he gets the talkativeness from?  Didn't think so.)

I don't know how he would stack up to others, and that doesn't even matter, but I believe he is incredibly awesome and quite intelligent.  Wait...he's still a sinner in need of a Savior.  Pray for that for my children today, would you?

Oh, yeah...and the Suns beat the Warriors tonight, just fyi.

two thou shalt not count, unless thou dost then proceed to three

Aidan was excited that he got to have fire on his cupcake.  Nanny, Mike, Francy, Amy, and I all sang him happy birthday before Amy helped blow out the candles.  The candles and balloons were definitely his favorite things of the day, though he does love his cars.

He started eating the cupcake.

He really doesn't like having sticky stuff on his hands.

He had to stop eating because of his hands.

He just could not go on with sticky fingers.

happy second birthday, buddy

It was Aidan's second birthday Monday, March 31st.

Nanny, Agoo, Zsa-ji, Mama, Daddy, and Sissy were all in attendance for a party the Friday before.

We got him some balloons for his birthday.

One of them sang "Happy Birthday."

You have to hit it to get it going.  Aidan loved that.

Amy helped Aidan as he opened up his presents.

He got a large blanket with some cars that he can "drive" on the blanket's roads.

kate gets a visit at PCH

The Ogles came to visit Kate in the hospital back in November.

kate plays with zsa-ji

This is at our new house that we moved in to back in October of 2007.   Francy, a.k.a. Zsa-ji, was over helping out, and got to play awhile with Katelyn Anaya.

another kate update

Kate is not coming home for at least another 24-48 hours, the doctors said this morning.  We're hoping that will mean tomorrow, but we'll see how Kate progresses.  This is because Kate lost another 3rd of an ounce from yesterday to this morning, even though she did so well eating from the bottle (though still not sucking).  Kate ate 24 ounces of liquid today in three meals, and was going to get one more feeding of 6 more ounces before sleeping for the night.  In between dinner and the last feeding, Kate got an "NG" tube put in her nose down into her stomach.  This is because, even though she ate so well yesterday, she still did not get enough calories in order to gain any weight.  This feeding tube will allow a long term, slow feeding over 10 hours while Kate sleeps (that is, if she leaves the tube alone).  Kate, within the first 3 minutes of having the tube in her nose, took it out.  She's amazingly resourceful, I have to say.  While it was good that she ate more yesterday, and even more than that today, it was a more emotional day today as our nerves are starting to come to the surface and we're becoming more edgy with each other.  We felt that she had done so well yesterday and that she should have been coming home today, but that wasn't the case.  We put our faith in that instead of the knowledge that the LORD knows best and has His glory in mind, and that's what we need to be all about.  There are so many things grabbing for my attention right now (choir concert Sunday night, barbershop practice for a performance on the 30th, college and career at ncc, all on top of what's going on with Kate).  Amy's been quite the trooper through all of this, I have to say.  This will be good for us, as the LORD trains us through this and we also learn physical care for a baby not eating well.  I'm wondering how the LORD is going to allow us to use this knowledge to help others in the future....  As a last note for tonight, I got to see Aidan again!  WOOHOO!  I love my little buddy.  He smiled when he saw me and we played and laughed for a while before I put him down for a nap while I ate with the Ogles and then woke him up and brought him home.  I very much appreciate the Ogles taking care of our little man for the past four days, but I really needed to see and touch my son.  He hugged and kissed me.  My heart needed it after this week's excitement.  Quite a blessing from the LORD, truly.  It's on to church tomorrow for Aidan and me (which was supposed to be our baby dedication day for Kate before the congregation at ncc), and then we'll see what the doctors say about when we can bring Kate home.  Pray that it'll be tomorrow and that Kate would have gained weight.  Pray that the LORD would be glorified in it all.