The latest on Blakers

Ok, I'm really late on posting about our latest doctor's appointments in Iowa City and if you're friends with me on facebook, you've probably already heard my summarized version of them.  However, I wanted to get down on the blog here our good news x2!  

Oh...and these photos?  They have nothing to do with our appointments, I just liked them a whole bunch and wanted to add them to this post. :)

 A couple of weeks ago Blake was "lucky" enough to have an appointment on Friday AND on a couple on Monday. 

 Aaron took him down on Friday for an orthopedics appointment.  It had been a year since our last appointment.  They were confident that Blake's bowlegs would straighten, but worse case scenario was surgery where they went in and put plates on the outside of Blake's knees.  Ummm...not excited about that. 

 After an x-ray of Blake's legs, the doctor came in and compared this year's to last year's.  Aaron said the difference was amazing!  The doctor said Blake was good to go and we DIDN'T NEED TO SEE ORTHOPEDICS ANYMORE!!  WOO-HOO!!

 Monday was urology and nephrology.  I'll be honest, I was kind of nervous about the urology portion of the appointment.  When we were inpatient in May, they said his hydronephrosis (fluid around kidney) had increased since the previous ultrasound. :( 

 During the U/S, I quickly glanced at the screen and thought the fluid looked better, but I couldn't be sure.  I've seen so many of those things I can kind of tell if things look super crappy. In meeting with Dr. Storm, he thankfully confirmed that Blake's hydronephrosis was improved!!!

 I was sooooo happy and relieved!  Since Blake is still peeing well like a regular boy, we can keep on keepin' on.  Yay!!!

 We saw Dr. Jetton next and as he was playing with the bed, moving it up and down, standing on top of it, grabbing the blood pressure cuff and messing with the water in the sink Dr. Jetton said, "I see he's lacking in energy!"  haha. 

 She didn't really have anything else to say other than she was glad that for another month Blake didn't give her heart palpitations. ;) 

 All in all, two days of appointments with lots of good news.  Thankful heart. 

 That's the latest.  We want to thank Mother Nature for the six inches of rain she sent our way so my kids could have so much backyard fun!

Nature

A couple of weekends ago Aaron was reffing basketball and it was a beautiful 70 degree day.  I loaded up the kids' bikes and went to one of our favorite spots - Grimes Farm. 

 It was picturesque.  I think that as Midwesterners we get stuck in the middle of winter where everything looks bleak and bare and we think it will never end.  Then, like magic, Mother Nature waves her wand and gives us gorgeous blues and greens and puffy white clouds. 

 The kids rode their bikes and I walked as fast as I could to keep up, while also hauling a backpack with water and my camera. 

 We had gotten rain the night before, so the kids had to make sure that they rode through all of the puddles that they could. 

 I don't know the exact distance that we went, but I think it was about 2.5-3 miles, which isn't too shabby. 

 I know "they" say that kids don't play outside enough and that they spend too much time with electronics.  Not my kiddos.  They want to be outside from the moment they get up and we have to drag them inside at the end of the day. 

 To be honest, I am kind of a stickler about electronics.  I think about how much my siblings and neighbors and I played outside and played hard all the time.  That's how I want my kids to grow-up. 

 I feel like the summer is flying by and we haven't really done much yet!  It's after the 4th of July and I feel like we've played a whole bunch of ballgames and that's it. 

 So, here's to soaking in all the summer we can.  Bike rides, walks, trampoline jumping, ball playing and more. 

 And bug finding.  That's what they were doing here.  Fascinated.