Houston, we have a problem...but today is truly a great day!

(Enjoying "Obama" cupcakes that one of Daddy's co-workers made and shared.)

Life...

Well we could never appreciate all the good in our lives if we didn't have some bad to relate it to. So in that regard we should always be thankful for the bad times too because without them our good times wouldn't be as good.

Suffice to say I've lost the sight in my right eye. When I close my good eye, I can barely make out any light at all now. Simple follow-up visit today apparently showed more retinal detachment and doc wants to do a third Vitrectomy on Monday. He was notably sad for me when he told me I probably wasn't going to ever see out of that eye again. This time he said he would put in an oil bubble instead of gas...but that stays in for 6 months to a year, then I could choose to have surgery to remove it and if I have any sight at all, it would likely be uncorrectably blurry. Which trust me, the few times I've had blur instead of complete vision impairment, it was actually more difficult to function. He said he would go ahead and remove the cataract lens, but not replace it since I wouldn't be able to see anyway. If I choose to have the bubble removed, we could replace the lens at that time.

We've decided that having the same doctor do the same procedure a third time and expect anything but the same results is a bit stupid...so I'll see another retina specialist in the morning. I don't expect the news to be different, nor do I expect him to be any better since everyone said I was already seeing the best...but I just expect him to be different. Maybe he'll get lucky and seal the hole that eludes my current doctor. Maybe not.

If I haven't shared my life motto with you yet, here it is: Hope for the best but expect the worst!! I adopted that motto when I was about 14 and have stuck to it ever since. That way I'm never really dissapointed and if things turn out better than the worst case scenario, then I am often pleasantly surprised.

So this sucks, but...my worst case scenario from the beginning was that I could lose my vision in that eye so I'm not completely devastated by any means. I'm hopeful a miracle might occur, just not optimistic. As far as how losing an eye will affect my daily life, I don't expect it to be all that much. I've had 5 months getting used to it. My chief complaints are that I have NO right side periphery at all and I have ZERO depth perception now. This is most notable when I pull into our carport trying to avoid the poles and I tend to park too far out because I think I'm closer than I actually am to objects. And I have a difficult time playing catch now. And as my mom pointed out, Fender's friends will probabaly always say I "throw like a girl." I just hope they don't say that I "throw like a girl with one eye." Ha.

Oh well...I am still thankful I have one good eye and I will just pray extra hard each night that nothing at all ever happens to take that one away from me.

So that is enough gloom on this wonderfully historic day! Today our first black President has been sworn into office. Looking around the world it seems so insanely small minded of us for this to have taken until 2009 and the same goes for our lack of having any true women candidates before this year as well. Bolivia, Argentina, Haiti, even China (1968-1972)and others have all had women Presidents and that doesn't even delve into all the historic ruling Queens.

Anyway, while I tend to think today shouldn't be so special just because the skin of our new president is different...you can look around any news story today and be reminded just how important it is. I am proud that in my life time I've never had to give much thought to a person's color or race. I was raised by parents who taught me that prejudice in any form is a bad thing. Racism has never been an issue for me, but even back as early as their generation, it was. My parents can remember going to the movie theater and having separate water fountains for blacks and whites and blacks had to sit in the balcony. Schools were segregated, but their generation helped to change that and integration began. For some reason it has taken our country a long time to make progress, but today is truly progress. And I am thankful that I am beginning to see a time where racial descrimination and prejudice can truly becomes a thing of the past. Today is truly a great day!

My favorite things...

As mom, one of my favorite things Fender has been doing lately is to hold my cheeks with the palm of his hands and pull my head down to kiss me on the forehead. He's started to do it repeatedly at times and it is one of the most wonderful feelings ever!!! At first I was so entranced that I would say "I love it, I love it, I love it" after his kisses so now sometimes he'll say that after he gives me a forehead kiss. Then I guess I started saying "Thank you, thank you" after the kisses and now he'll grab me, kiss me, and say "You're welcome." So cute! Just another phase I hate for him to grow out of. Hard to imagine that the day will come when mom kisses will be "ooey." :( But I know it is coming.

Some of Fender's favorite things include:
Star Wars: Clone Wars. Yep. Probably not the best for a 2 year old, but he loves it. He has one on DVD and then we watch the new episodes every Friday night that come on TV. He reads all his Star Wars books, especially the Clone Wars dictionary. And we play with our lightsabers pretty much every day.

Noggin is our favorite channel. We don't watch TV all the time, but anytime you turn it on, he's hooked on whatever is there. I highly recommend it for youngsters! He's learning some Spanish and all about animal rescuing with Diego and recently started learning bits of Chinese with Ni hao, Ki Lan. He also enjoys The backyardigans, who are always up for some singing and fun. And we can't go without The Wonder Pets, who fumble their way through helping baby animals in trouble. That's where we learned "What's gonna work? Teamwork!" Despite my best efforts, Fender isn't all that interested in Sesame Street yet. He doesn't even want to watch Elmo anymore, though he still likes his Elmo books and talking Elmo toys.

When he isn't watching TV he likes to play with his trains. He's learned how to open the one we call "Chocolate" and where his battery goes and that he needs the battery to work and how to put it back in and put Chocolate back together again. He isn't a fan of making the trains pull cars...he prefers them "by hisself." (And yes...I know that isn't a word.)

He still loves to color, paint, and draw. He colors real dark and heavy in one spot now, trying to stay in the lines...so you can distinctly tell he's colored shoes purple or a lightsaber blue...but nothing stays in the lines, of course. And he's breaking crayons all the time when he colors so hard, despite our efforts to show him he can color more lightly. Must not look as good, I guess.

And we have no bedtime schedule anymore. Not sure what happened...I guess it was the long lazy holiday schedule, but Fender stays up until 10 and 11PM most nights and is sleeping in until nearly 9AM if left alone. We're going to work on this and pray we get things back to a better schedule. We'll be getting up early for my eye doctor appointment tomorrow so that should help.

Happy New Her...

So finally a Happy New Year post...and only 19 days late.

Pics of Fender and Aunt LaLa having lunch at Olive Garden one day before the New Year. Fender likes lemons...he will still pucker his lips and face, then smile and go back for more until the lemon is all gone. Wow...none for me thanks.
 
 

Baby New Year: New Year's Eve was a lot of fun. However, Fender didn't nap at all that day so we were fairly certain he wouldn't make it to midnight. He fell asleep a little early, but we still got some celebrating in with hats, party horns, and poppers.
 

Ah...if he only knew the kitty will sit right by him when he is quiet and still.
 

Videos:
In his unceasing quest to bond with the kitty cat...Fender tries to make a Great Escape.


I was surprised since Fender didn't like all the silly string at the Christmas Eve party, but he actually enjoyed pulling the loud party poppers on New Year's Eve. This isn't a great video, but you can see him grab hold and not flinch at all. Not like me. I love them but tense up every time I pull the string.


Despite the fact that Fender can say "Year"...when he combined the word to say "Happy New Year" it came out "Happy New Her" every time. For some reason this really cracks me up...not sure why, but it is really funny to me.


.....an update on my eye...which I really should wait to do after tomorrow since I have an appointment, but seeing how often I keep this updated lately I think I better do it while I'm here...

At my last appointment I thought everything was looking great (despite not being able to see yet), apparently I was wrong. Doc saw inflammation on the back of my lens, which apparently isn't where one typically sees this type of inflammation...well leave it to me, huh? He said to consider this kind of like a rheumatoid arthritis of the eye...for some reason my immune system continues to attack my eye so he said I will need to be on long-term care (steroids, immunosuppressants and whatnots for a few years I guess). I said, "Fine. Would you mind if we worked on helping me see again before we talk long-term?" And he said sure.

Next thing I knew, I was agreeing to a steroid shot in my eye the very next day so that the inflammation would go away long enough to have cataract surgery done. FYI...that shot was less than fun. He told me to look up and left, then next thing I knew a needle was poking in my eye and stinging quite a bit for what seemed like at least 10 seconds or more...THAT WAS JUST THE NUMBING STUFF...but thankfully was the worst offender. He but some betadine on my lids and said "now this may sting a bit" and I said "really?" and inside I'm thinking..."you didn't think it necessary to warn me that you are sticking a shot in my eye that burns for a while too?" Next came some metal clamps on my lids to hold them in place I guess (again...would have thought I would need that earlier for the painful shot) anyhoo...the next shot I just felt a "pinch" as he called it and then that was all. And I did see the steroid medicine when it was injected. It looked like a black ink spill in the corner of my eye.

The shot is supposed to last up to 3 months, at which point I guess I'll have to have another as part of the "long-term" care. Tomorrow I see the cataract surgeon for evaluation and then will hope to have the surgery next Wednesday. It is so hard to believe I've been without sight in one eye for the past five months. Crazy.

Christmas is winding down...

As our vacation was coming to an end we took a walk through the forest down to the pond; Fender helped clean the cake pans for Grandmother and was a really great boy on the drive home. The drive home from Grandmother's is an 8 hour drive and other than about 30 minutes of sleep at the very beginning of the trip heading through Memphis, TN, Fender was up the whole time!!! He had a couple of books to read and a couple of toys to play with if he wanted, but he was more than content to play with his hand towell whether trying to fold it over and over; drape it over his legs to where it "covers the toes"; or just put it over his face and play hide and seek. We are ever so thankful the monotony of a simple towell did not wear off at anytime during the journey.

Not really a tale of two big wheels...

...more Christmas prezzies, more time with family, more fun fun fun...

Uncle Chuck is always fun...


Reading with Aunt Sara...


Being silly with cousin Frank...


The girls baked Ginger Bread Cookies just for me...:)
Sitting with Lynn and cousin Loryn (right)



...opening gifts at Grandmother's.




...yes...a boy can have too many gifts. How are we to teach him that family, health, and love are really all that matter when so many toys make a little boy super happy. Oh well...I guess today's lesson is...appreciate all you have and don't take anything for granted. There are many kids less fortunate...perhaps it is time to clean out some of our old toys and share them with others.


How can I ride two big wheels at the same time???


...get cousin Riley to help!


Solve this? No problem...

A Hopewell Christmas...

After a lovely night's stay at Fred and Barbara's...with the exception of Fender's 4:45AM dire need for some chocolate milk, we woke up to a true southern breakfast complete with a mound of eggs, tons of bacon, grits, homemade biscuits (and for future reference if I mention bread with a meal be it biscuits, rolls, whatever...just assume they were the homemade...slave over...wait for rising...kneading...that sort of bread because that's what any respectable family in Mississippi just does.) and more. Eventually we were all dressed (and for the duration of this trip you can pretty well assume wherever we are, Drew's brother and family are with us too. So we ALL eventually had breakfast, dressed, said our thank yous and goodbyes and headed North to Hopewell to visit the matriarchal side of the family. This part of the journey is only a four hour drive.

Today's big event, as is traditionally the case, took place at Daddy's Aunt Linda's home. The women way out number the men on this side. It starts with Great Grandmother Powell, she had three daughters (one is Drew's mom) and this get-together typically involves all three of the daughter's families at the very least. Sometimes it also includes some of Great Grandmother's siblings, but not this year. Every year we take a huge group photo. I won't name everyone, but will note that Fender's Godmother is the one standing in the white shirt on the right and she, Great Linda and Great Grandmother keep Fender in a solid supply of books and if you know Fender at all, you know he LOVES him some books!
 

Fender and his Grandmother.
 

Cousins Riley, Cameron, and Fender playing in the woods out back with big sticks.
 

Not all these presents are for Fender, but he did get about that many by the time we were through.
 

Cousin Cameron is three years old and later this year, God willing, he will be an older brother.


...and don't get too excited...much like the fun, lengthy Christmas season we just had...there are plenty more fun, lengthy posts and pics to come. Just going to take another break and give you guys time to catch up. :)

Road trip...

Our little Fender is an excellent traveler! I hesitate to say that out loud prior to any trip because I tend to think that this one is the one where he finally becomes that kid in the back seat driving the parents crazy the entire length of a 16 hour vacation drive. But while it lasts I would do him an injustice not to say how much we appreciate his self-reliance and composure this past journey and all prior (plane trips included) since birth.

The day after Christmas Daddy loaded up the car after Momma did all the packing...(what's gonna work? teamwork!)and we drove to our first destination to visit Fen's Great Grandmother Boswell and other members of the Boswell clan. This leg of the drive is 5 1/2 hours. When we arrived, Drew's brother and his family were there, having driven all the way from Tampa, Florida. Now THAT's A ROAD TRIP!!! And major kudos to them for making that journey every year with two kids in tow.

We had dinner with Great Grandmother and visited a bit then drove over to Aunt Barbara and Fred's for the night.

Fender goofing off while we get the car loaded for the drive.
 

Chad and Drew's families with Great Grandmother Boswell.
 

Clearly this is Fen and Great Grandmother. She's so much fun. Always a hoot. Doesn't she look just like Maxine from those greeting cards?
 

Riley and Fender with the enormous bears at Fred and Barbara's the next morning.
 

Christmas Day...

After a fun-filled morning with stockings, presents, trains, and more...we dressed for the day and drove down the street to deliver YiaYia's Christmas stocking that Santa left for her at our house. She was thrilled and said this has been one of her best Christmases ever. Fender counted washers with her (a thing he does with her everytime he visits and has done so since before he was a year old as I recall). There is a long screw with 9 washers and he brings it all to her, empties them into her hand and proceeds to put them on the screw counting them one at a time. He typically does this only one time and when they are all on, he walks them back over and puts them in their place. It is something to watch.

Anyhoo...this particular morning, after the washer counting, he helped her open her stocking. We stayed a bit longer, then headed over to my cousin's house for their recent (now in it's third year I believe) tradition of a mexican Christmas Day lunch complete with two kinds of enchiladas, tamales, and more. It really is good and a nice change of pace from turkey and ham of the season.

At the luncheon, we watched some old home videos of the greek side of my family that my cousin's husband converted to DVD. My mom was on there, running around less than a year old, in a pretty white dress. And I got to see family members who died many years ago, including my granddad and even his mom! It was something. And it reminded me to get a move on converting the old reel-to-reel movies I have from my other granddad's side of the family. After lunch, we came home and the boys played most of the day with all their new toys while I tried to clean up the Christmas destruction and packed all day. It was a glorious Christmas!

Counting washers with YiaYia...


YiaYia's stocking...


A Fender kiss... (Aren't these two just peas in a pod with thier purple and spikey hair styles?)


...and one in return.


Fender, Garrett, and Connor...


How Fender sizes up to Ironman...


Greek family...


Enjoyed moving the net around more than kicking the soccer ball into it. Kicks with his left foot, though. Apparently that makes him a "true" lefty...whatever that means. I just know he is left dominant for sure...those balls and frisbees don't go as far when he uses his right.


Here's a fun crazy close up of my freaky eye. :) The one that looks tired and droopy is my "good" eye. I am just tired and droopy from lack of sleep. :) My bad eye (right) stays dilated all the time even though I haven't had it dilated in over a month. I go back this week to make sure things are as good as they seem and hopefully make progress toward cataract surgery and get me some sight back folks.


...taking a break from updates now but Christmas in Mississippi still to come. :)

Christmas morning...

***Warning...Santa secrets revealed...skip down to pictures if you don't want to find out some of the magic about how Santa gets his job done.

Aunt LaLa stayed over again this year so Santa commissioned his helper elves (Daddy and me) to put together, not only stockings for the three of us, but for Aunt LaLa and our YiaYia too. We had a late, but fun night putting it all together for Santa. And on Christmas morning Fender awoke to a small train set running beneath the Christmas tree. It was the star of the show and he is still playing with it daily.

Daddy and Aunt LaLa both got small lumps of coal in their stockings because they had been a bit naughty this year. But since they weren't terrible, they still had plenty of fun stocking surprises as well. In fact, Santa got Daddy a brand new camera. I tell you that list must be updated by the second because it seems magical to me how he knew our other camera had been fated to break completely when it hit the tile floor during the silly string frenzy that very same night.

In addition to the train set and stockings, we opened up presents from other family who couldn't be with us and Fender was blessed with numerous gifts too many to list, which included an indoor basketball goal, an outdoor soccer goal, an Indiana Jones Mr. Potato Head and lots more. He plays with everything and really enjoys the oversized coloring books that Santa left him. My gut feeling is that he probably won't be a soccer star like his Uncle Bobby. He likes to run out and kick the ball in the net when he sees it set up, but then the novelty wears off until the next outdoor sighting. Now on with a few pictures.