Phone-tastic Photos

So, I guess I left this lil ol' blog hanging around doing nothing for such a long while that it's been hard to know what to come back in with.  I've decided a good start would be a camera phone dump of the last week or so.  Sound good?

It's been a nicely busy week this week.  Jack is officially pulling up on anything and everything.  

Not quite cruising yet but oh so close.  He can climb on the hearth and climb into the cabinets.  

He can find the smallest speck or bit on the just-been-steam-mopped floor.  He's CRAZY about reading books and LOVES anything and everything that comes on TV.  He's very vocal but not saying many actual "words" beyond mama and dada and something indistinguishable for "Molly".  So different from Molly at his age:)  (for those of you who don't know--you click on the colored words and it'll take you to a video link).

He's as snuggly as ever and gives hugs and soft, slow, open-mouth kisses as much as you'll take.  And he looks like this when watching you through a window...

See the two bottom teeth??

We had the pleasure of having Maggi over for some fun while her siblings were working it at the swim meet. 

They had popsicles.  And if you give a kid a popsicle, they're probably going to ask for a bath after it (name the children's book I'm channeling...)

We also broke into some new-to-us toys from my sister, Kara, which is always exciting!

We were popsicle-eating fools this week (that's what happens when you have a whole lotta fruit that nobody's eating--why is pureed frozen fruit so much better?!)

We went on a family date night, too (I'm kinda squirming at how cheesy that sounds, ha!)  Getta load of these handsome gentlemen though:

 And Molly felt so special with her necklace on for the evening:

Molly and Jack squeezed out a little piano duet playing this week, too:

She enjoys telling him how it's done:

Ever since she was a baby she has to have music when she sits at the piano.  She loves to play a little and then stop to turn the page and keep going...

Last night we spontaneously decided to rip up the carpet in the family room.  We've known there were hardwood floors under there since we first looked at the house (that's the first thing I do--peek under the carpet everywhere) but at the time we moved in Molly was just learning to walk (and the carpet was brand new) so Ryan convinced me to let it be for awhile.  I mentioned it the other day though and he seemed totally game to get on it...so we did.  So satisfying!

A little last-hurrah romp in the empty room 

And that's how we roll

I just don't get why you'd cover this stuff up!?

The staple trails

He started at 4 p.m. and we pulled the last staple out by 11 p.m.  There are several pretty deep gouges in the wood but, other than that, the floors are really nice.  We need all of our wood floors refinished eventually but I don't even care how long it takes us to get to that point.  This is sooo much better than before!

This morning Ryan took Molly out to breakfast and to Home Depot to grab some wood putty for the interim.

Girl loves her some Waffle House!

 While they were gone, Jack and I had breakfast in and he enjoyed FREE REIGN of the playroom without a big sis to tell him what he could and couldn't play with ;)

Then we enjoyed a lovely book release party for my friend's new book...can't wait to post about it next!

You Grow Girl!

Molly before church today.  She was very proud to have her hair curled for the first time!

Well, Molly's IN!  She's been accepted into phase III of the growth hormone study (see previous post for why this is needed).  This means a few things:

• she will be one of the 70-something children between the ages of 3 and 9 in the U.S. trying out a new treatment for growth hormone deficiency.  She's one of 4 in Dr. Van Meter's practice.
• the purpose of the study is to find a once monthly treatment to replace the usual once daily shot of growth hormone which would be a great advancement in the world of growth hormone patients.
• the difference between the study drug and the regularly used drug is that the study drug has been attached to a protein molecule that makes it last longer thus needing to be given less frequently.
• we trust her doctor implicitly and he has a long professional history with the physician behind the study.
• we can leave the study at any point without penalty.
• it's ALL paid for--the drug, the treatment, the parking, the home-health nurse that administers the drug.  Can I get an "amen"???
• the treatment will continue after the study is over for free until the drug is made commercial. (We were told that Molly would need treatment throughout adulthood--not just until her bones fused.)

We read a long document spelling out the entire study/process and it felt really right and God-sent and peaceful.  This is NOT a matter of us turning our daughter into a guinea pig for medical gain.  Even with blood tests and whatnot she'll be stuck waaaaay less and her growth potential will not be hindered due to testing/placebos/etc.  In face, the dosage should be prime since she's joining in phase III of the study (I could notate that with a 3 but roman numerals look so much more official;).  This is a major answer to prayer and a big relief in this whole process.  We know she has to have treatment. To have the opportunity to have it paid for and make it easier than normal is HUGE and something only God could orchestrate.  And we're grateful!  Thanks for the prayers!  We start treatment with a screening test (to get base readings and such) on June 18th.

In other news...Jack is pulling up...on EVERYTHING:)  Here he is at bedtime tonight before we lowered the matress.