A few family photos

I always love getting family pictures taken in the fall with all of the beautiful colors. My wonderful sister-in-law offered (again) to snap some pictures of us with her fancy camera. And I am so thankful we didn't have to hand over a big fat check to a professional this year because it was pretty much chaos and pit stains from the word go. It is hard work to capture our 3 lovely children sitting poetically still with actual (not CHEESE) smiles, looking remotely in the same direction at the same time. But Rebecca was patient with us and managed to grab a few precious moments in time at this busy phase of our lives. Thank you, my friend, we don't deserve you.

Kindergarten

    

 As summer is winding down and parents and kids are gathering up their supplies and preparing to head back to school, we are preparing for a new school adventure here as well. Eli will be starting kindergarten this fall, and we have decided to homeschool him for the upcoming year. And although for many, the very notion of homeschooling conjures up images of unsocialized kids sitting around in their pajamas watching "educational" cartoons and combing each other's bowl cuts, let me assure you just how far home-education has progressed from that stigma. It would be more accurate to state that we have decided to "alternatively educate" Eli this year, since he will be out taking a variety of classes with his peers just as often as he will be learning from home. The reasons we came to this decision are many and varied, but we came to it with the absolute certainty that this is where God was calling us to follow Him this year. Homeschooling has always been on my radar. However, with all of the unexpected stress, and time, and energy we have been pouring into caring for Gavin and getting him to all of his appointments for the past 14 months, I honestly didn't think I could handle it anymore-or that I even wanted to. John and I have been praying over school decisions for over a year (as in public or private options), knowing that time would creep up on us and catch us unprepared if we didn't. And the more I poured out my heart to God and asked Him to show us where to send Eli, the more my desire to educate him at home grew. Much like Gideon though, my faith was weak, and yet each time I asked Him to confirm His will by keeping the fleece dry and the ground wet or the ground dry and fleece wet, God answered. The confirmation was all around us and eventually, we settled into the idea and started to get excited about it. We are heading into this year with open hands and open hearts knowing that it is going to be a trial. We have not committed ourselves to 12 years of homeschooling, knowing full well that God is full of surprises and that only He holds tomorrow.

I am a bit terrified of course, because this is all very new to me. But after reading what seems like 100's of books on learning styles, teaching styles, curriculum, educational philosophies, socialization, behavior, etc, etc...I am getting pretty excited to get started.

Eli will proudly tell anyone who asks him about kindergarten that he is going to be homeschooled. He thinks its pretty cool that he gets to travel around the city for classes and have mommy all to himself for a few hours a day (sort of, at least). And to me, homeschooling is simply the gift of time with my child that I don't have to miss out on. And the fact that I get to be his favorite teacher.... for a little while longer at least.

The first annual and perhaps one and only Kid's Day

This year was the first where the concept of celebrating Mother's Day and then Father's Day actually meant something to Eli. He watched as the honoree was given a card and a gift and rewarded with breakfast-in-bed and a day of special privileges and allowances. After Father's Day in June, Eli asked us excitedly, "so when is kid's day?" I automatically snickered because let's just be real here people-- when you are a stay-at-home mom to 3 young children, EVERY day is kid's day. Which is why 9 out of 10 mom's idea of the perfect Mother's Day is to be given a cup of coffee, a good book, and just left the heck alone for a while.

But my darling husband, who has always been much nicer than I am, jumped on the opportunity to remind our children just how special they are."Kid's day is coming up in just a few weeks guys." So while we kind of forgot about that whole conversation after a few weeks, Eli reminded us (several times actually) and wanted to get the specific date pinned down on his mental calendar. He had pretty high expectations. He requested cards, breakfast-in-bed consisting of a bacon and cheese omelet, yogurt parfait, and orange juice, and gifts. Norah debated about her breakfast options for a few days before agreeing to yogurt, peanut butter toast, and milk.

So on our first annual celebration of Kid's Day in the Costello house, John and I got up early to cook breakfast for our kiddos and served it to them bedside. The day was spent bike-riding, eating mac' and cheese, playing Trouble, and having ice-cream for dinner. The best part is that Eli firmly believes that this is a National Holiday celebrated by all. But they went to bed happy, knowing the joys of having special privileges and allowances for a day of their very own. I guess a little spoiling here and there is good for all of us.

The excitement of breakfast-in-bed was overrated when we actually tried to wake up these sleeping bears. We call Eli "The Teenager" in the morning.

 

Warming up. And yes, Eli has been sleeping on the floor in the tent John built him for Christmas for 7 months and counting.

And here's our pretty princess alert and fresh at 7am

And warming up to this special treat

Gavin was very supportive, although not impressed as he drinks his breakfast bottle in our bed every single day. Suckers!

Breakfast-in-bed party of 1 was lonely, so they decided to eat together in Norah's room

Such sweet kiddos

 

.......The remainder of the day's events were not captured on camera, but just know they were totally awesome.

 

 

 Ending with ice-cream for dinner!

Is this thing on?

Since I've fallen way too far behind to give a detailed account of all the happenings in our crazy, busy lives of late, I will borrow from my favorite FOX "News by the numbers" segment and fill you in with just the important stuff.

147-is the number of doctor's appointments I have driven Gavin to in his almost 10 short months of life. That is not a typo, I actually went back and counted. Need to be organized much?? This kid has a rap sheet a mile long and just about every specialty and sub-set of medicine has gotten their hands on him at some point.

6- has been the average number of appointments per week since Gavin was 3 weeks old.

3-is the number of ways I bribe Eli and Norah during above appointments. Tablet games, stickers, and lollipops. Because finding a babysitting 147 times just isn't possible. And they have been amazing through it all.

52- is the number of days until Gavin's cochlear implant surgery is scheduled. May 24th. We are finally in the home stretch! Praise God.

100,000- is the average cost of getting bilateral cochlear implants. Thank goodness for insurance, and secondary insurance, and a husband who is gainfully employed to cover the rest.

65- is the number of days until Gavin turns 1. And what a birthday present he will be receiving. If all goes according to plan, Gavin's implants should be getting activated right around his birthday. He will finally be able to hear us tell him how much we love him.  And oh what an earful he is going to get from me!

And that is the quick and dirty version of  a very long and trying past few months. We are thankful for God's leading and the peace we are feeling for Gavin's upcoming surgery. This passage has been my sanity check throughout the uncertainty and fear of this whole process. I hope it can be a blessing in your life as well.

" Oh people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears you, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it."

 

-Isaiah 30:19-21

 



8 months

Happy 8 months old to this sweet little one! The time has flown by as well as dragged on painfully slow, depending on which day you are asking me. This handsome boy continues to charm us with his steely blue eyes and ever-emerging personality. He is the world's best snuggler, hands down. Just put him up on your shoulder with a soft blankie and his binkie, and he will mold into the crook of your neck like he's been glued on. It is my favorite thing.

I noticed that in most of the pictures I capture now, Gavin is sans hearing aids. That would be the result of two very determined little hands being on continuous ear patrol and immediately ripping off foreign offenders as soon as we get them in place. Usually by the time we turn around, Gavin is happily sucking away on his $3,000 teethers. Its been a bit challenging to say the least.

We are keeping busy with multiple weekly doctor's appointments and therapies in preparation for Gavin's upcoming Cochlear Implant surgery, which will hopefully be in June. Eli and Norah have really been troopers through it all as I drag them to doctors all over town in support of getting Gavin the best care that we can. They only want to know 1. "Do they have stickers there?" and 2. "Can we play a game on your phone?" Everything else is pretty okay as long as I answer yes to those questions. 

Gavin's genetic testing for hearing loss came back negative, which lets us know that we did not pass on any recessive hearing loss genes to either Gavin, or our other kids. This was a huge relief for me. While it would have been nice to have an answer as to the "why," I can live without that knowing that our kids shouldn't need to worry about this in the future with their own children.

And while I could go on and on with boring details and all the research I've been tackling on hearing loss, Cochlear Implants, surgeries, and the like, I will spare you of all that and just leave you with the cutest little face you're ever going to lay eyes on.

tomayto, tomahto

and yes, that's how you spell it...don't worry, I googled it.

Although I am behind on posting about Gavin, family vacation, and the start of preschool, all I really want to talk about tonight is tomatoes. Everything else seems like too much work. Or maybe I am just hungry?

We have been enjoying a huge bumper crop of late summer tomatoes from our garden. I was careful this year not to overwhelm myself by planting too many varieties of things that produced more than we could eat or store for the winter. And with a new baby and the garden feeling a bit more like an extra chore than a hobby this year, I'm thankful I kept it simple. But nonetheless, the kids still come in from "harvesting" in the back-yard with armloads of tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, and greens nearly every day that need to be eaten.

We have been canning jars of pickled peppers (John's new passion), making big batches of fresh salsa weekly (John's food addiction), storing away homemade marinara sauce in the pantry, and freezing ziplocks full of creamy tomato soup for the cold months ahead. The kids really love to help with all the preparations and it's been fun to have the whole family involved with and enjoying the garden this year. And its cheap family entertainment that keeps us all hanging out together in the kitchen, so the stored food is just a bonus to me.

Here are two of my favorite tomato recipes I've found this year that are oh-so-delicious and way too good not to share.

Creamy Tomato Soup: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michael-chiarello/homemade-tomato-soup-recipe/index.html
(don't let the stock photo sway you from making this...it turns out so much creamier and melt-in-your-mouth good than the picture implies. Is that even a picture of tomato soup or is it a meat marinade?)

Roasted Roma Tomato Sauce: http://kitchengrrrls.blogspot.com/2011/09/homemade-roma-tomato-marinara-sauce.html
I promise you will like it or I will eat your leftovers. Roasting the tomatoes before making the sauce=brilliance. Why didn't I think of that?

Now go get cooking!!

An Update...

God's grace is sufficient for me today. If I start thinking about tomorrow or next week or sometimes even the next hour, I quickly become overwhelmed by all that needs to be done and overcome by fear. This is the greatest lesson I have learned over the past week. I have to trust God to help me through just today, and let everything else go.  Some days its a lot harder than others.

Gavin received his hearing aids on Friday and we have been trying to adjust to our new normal. We didn't realize that our biggest challenge with hearing aids would be trying to keep them on our squirming, kicking, head thrashing baby. And although they are the smallest size they offer, they are huge on him. It is the constant battle to put them in again and again, hour after hour, day after day as he cries and pushes us away that has been the most draining emotionally. We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a device that is supposedly the best for keeping the aids in place on small infants. Hopefully that will make things easier for all of us, especially Gavin, who doesn't understand why we are forever pulling and poking at his little ears. In the meantime, as I write this Gavin is sleeping in the swing wearing Norah's pink-bowed headband as a temporary fix. Poor guy.

We are noticing that Gavin is more interactive and interested in his surroundings with the hearing aids, but we have no way of knowing at this point how much he is actually hearing. Eli and Norah acclimated to their brother's new gear without much fanfare and they are laying their sweet hands on his ears daily and praying for God to heal them. I love to listen to their innocent, simple prayers. "Work ears!" and "Jesus, make these ears open right up" and my favorite of Norah's-  "Jesus pray that Gavin can hear me"

The next several months will be those of watching and waiting. Gavin's hearing will continue to be retested as he grows to gauge how much sound he is able to gain from the hearing aids.  The levels will be adjusted as needed and we will continue to talk and talk and talk to him to give him as much language and hearing opportunities as possible. 

And look at his sweet little face? So much personality already at only 2 months old. I just love him.

Gavin

I have been putting off this post for several weeks now. My heart had been too heavy to put into words the emotions I've been feeling and I just wasn't ready yet. And although I'm not sure I'll ever really be ready, I know we have friends that read this blog who care about our family and the happenings within it. The past 8 weeks with our sweet Gavin have been ones full of great joy intermixed with great sorrow. At 4 weeks old, Gavin was diagnosed with profound, bilateral hearing loss at a routine screening test. The type of loss he has is unexplained, it is life-altering, and it is permanent. And we know that Gavin belongs to a God who doesn't tremble at any diagnosis and can completely restore with a touch of His hand. So while we pray for healing every day, continuously, and will not cease; we are also taking the necessary medical steps on the path of helping Gavin to start hearing sounds. I am most heartbroken as a mom knowing that my child might someday feel different than other kids and will have to work harder and struggle more to gain skills that come naturally to most. I want to protect him from the hardship and pain that can come from having a disability, yet I know I wont always be able to. And it just kills me.

God, in His kindness has been giving John and I many small reminders of His presence and tender care for our family throughout this process. It truly has been a depiction of the 2 Corinthians verse "For when I am weak, then I am strong." We have been wrapped in love and support by our families and friends and covered by their prayers. John is my rock, always there to remind me that everything really will be okay and to pull me in for a warm hug when I'm losing my mind.

It has been a busy few weeks of appointments with audiologists, doctors, social workers, and care coordinators. We have been overwhelmed with information, pamphlets, programs, forms, and insurance uncertainties. But next Friday is a big day. Gavin will be fitted with his first pair of hearing aids and will be able to hear our voices for the first time. I am anxious to see how he reacts when he realizes our house isn't the quiet sanctuary he originally thought.

Thank you for your prayers and all the love you've been sending our way. God is good, even when we don't understand. 10,000 reasons for my heart to find.

A day to celebrate

Father's Day and our 6 year anniversary happen to fall on the same day this year. John went to enjoy a morning of golf with his dad and all his brothers and I was pretty proud of myself for getting 3 kids fed, dressed, reasonably clean, and out the door on time for 9 o'clock church. Granted, I did start getting ready at 5:30am but that's besides the point. And my lovely sister-in-law Rebecca greeted me at the door with a helping hand and an icy-cold Starbucks coffee, which kept me awake during the service.

Last year we were riding roller coasters, dining on steak, and enjoying a fancy hotel overnight on our anniversary. This year we are snuggling a new baby, ordering take-out, maybe a little wine, and spending the night at home. It may not be very glamorous, but a quiet night in with my best friend sounds pretty alright with me.

This morning when I was up feeding Gavin at 5:30, John woke up and wanted to show me this video he had made me for our anniversary before he left. I was a little bleary-eyed, but it still made me cry. It is extra sweet to me because John isn't the most technologically savvy man (no offense babe) and I know he worked hard to figure out how to put this together for me. So here's 6 years of our marriage in about 4 minutes.

And Happy Father's Day John! Thanks for partnering with me not only in life, but also in parenting our kids. I couldn't imagine anyone else to share all the ups and downs with. And thanks for working so hard to provide for this growing family and for doing it with a smile on your face. We love you! 

Big Girl Bed

 Norah is a crib-baby no more! I was kind of dreading her transition into a big bed because she can be pretty strong-willed and I thought she would give us more of a challenge than Eli did. But we've had 3 good nights so far and she hasn't gotten out of bed once. It actually works in our favor that she is a tiny peanut in a giant queen bed because she's a bit afraid to get down without some assistance. Eli was pretty pumped about the big move as you can tell from his expressions below. I bet it wont be long before these kids are begging us to let them sleep in here together.
And now I hope to get a few last minute changes accomplished in the nursery before baby #3 comes to fill up the empty space. Only 3 more weeks to go!

Finally!

After 12 years and 230,000 miles, John finally traded in his beloved 99' Corolla that he has been driving since he turned 16. And his wife is very relieved that he is now driving a reliable, safe car and no longer has to crawl in the back seat to open the driver's door from the inside. He always said he planned to drive the Corolla into the ground and I think he can check that goal off his list because that car is ready to be pushed off a cliff into oblivion. And although it was the car that he picked me up in on our very first date, I am not sad to see it go because if anyone ever deserved a new car after years of sacrificing his own comfort and pride in order to put his family first, it is definitely John.  Enjoy those leather seats babe, you earned em!

Weekend Getaway

Friday afternoon we packed up our van and headed down to the "big" city of Cincinnati with the kids for the weekend. John surprised me on Wednesday by telling me he had taken Saturday off work (which is a rarity for his job) and we made plans, booked a hotel, and left town for some much needed quality family time that has been lacking a bit lately. Because we knew if we stayed home we'd fill the weekend with mulching, cleaning, and projects on the to-do list instead of relaxing and having fun together. We didn't have too much of an agenda and tried not to worry about sticking to the kid's usual schedules. The hotel we stayed in downtown happened to be hosting an annual tattoo festival as well as a quilting convention so it was an interesting mix of biker dudes for the kid's to stare uncomfortably long at and old ladies to coo over them and pinch their cheeks. Every ride in the elevator came with a prayer that Eli wouldn't blurt out something awkward about our fellow passengers.

We filled our days with adventures to kid friendly hot-spots, lots of eating out, and plenty of pool time. John was in the pleasin' mood, saying yes to all the kid's requests and lavishing us with a weekend free from the budget and obsessively checking our bank accounts. Vacation daddy is a pretty fun guy, we really liked him.

Here are the photo highlights

Our city room with a view...mostly of a parking garage, but we still enjoyed it

Pool time with daddy and a few tattooed folks

You can't visit Cincinnati without indulging in some Graeter's ice cream. It is home of the original location after all.

Snuggles with daddy in our ONLY bed

Thanks to a mini-sized pack n' play that Norah could easily climb out of, we often had two snugglers in our bed

Duke Energy Children's Museum at the museum complex downtown

A beer at noon from a local brewery? Why not, we're on vacation!

This local cupcake store just looked too enticing to walk past...

so we got half a dozen of their most popular flavors to try. And I think I finished off about 4 of them

Newport Aquarium across the bridge into Kentucky. A super cool place for kids and adults

Practicing with chop sticks at an Asian restaurant

A horse-drawn carriage ride at dusk through the city. Eli begged and begged for this one and it was quite lovely.

 I assure you the kids had much more fun in the carriage than you might assume from this picture, yikes!

A sleepy boy who didn't want to wake up Sunday morning

Family devotional time before breakfast on Sunday, complete with a sing-a-long of the Watoto Childrens Choir's "Cast Your Burdens" (thank you YouTube and yes, I'm sure we disrupted a few of our neighbors)

A peaceful breakfast at my favorite restaurant, First Watch, that was just a few blocks from our hotel.

And by peaceful, I mean we played a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode on my phone for the kids and had a 15 minute date of coffee drinking and conversation before our food came, Ahhh, technology!

chocolate chip and blueberry pancake eating champion

Fountain Square and a beautiful sunny day

pigeon chasing in Fountain Square that soon turned into...

chasing each other in Fountain Square

And a final swim in the pool before we were forced to check out of our room and head back to reality