Pumpkin Patch Visits

We have been to the pumpkin patch twice this month, once with my Mommy & Me group and two days later with my sister, friend Colleen, her son, sister and niece.

The first visit was to Bates Nut Farm (the same place we went last year) and it was so hot that none of the toddlers were really up for picking or posing with pumpkins. Who could blame them? 102?! In October!

Lucas did get to ride his first pony, although he wasn't that in to it. I'm blaming the heat.These were the only two decent photos out of 70 (!) that we got:

Two days later, it rained and was even chilly. Mother Nature, I'm not sure what you're up to, but the cooler weather made for much happier photos, that's for sure.

This time we went to the petting zoo first....

and then Lucas came face-to-face with his first scarecrow.

It's hard enough to get one toddler to pose and smile for the camera and downright impossible to capture two. What you don't see in this photo are four grown women jumping and dancing all around and making funny noises behind the lens.

Nothing worked, but it was a fun Fall outing anyway. Both trips.

before THAT surgery...

As excited as we are for Lucas to get a 2nd cochlear implant, we haven't begun to think about it much yet. Why? Because he has another surgery scheduled for this Monday. When we met with his CI surgeon about the 2nd implant, we also inquired about his "ear pits" that discharge and sometimes get infected. He decided he wants to remove them prior to CI surgery.

For surgical purposes, they are classifying these ear pits as branchial cleft cysts. I would love to take a picture of them, but they're almost too small to photograph. It looks mildly similar to this, although Lucas's placement is slightly lower and more to the left.

this is not Lucas's ear...

They're really quite unnoticeable. In fact, when we took Lucas to see the geneticist for testing, the doc missed them during his examination. I had to point them out to him as being "abnormal." The pits are a congenital birth defect, and were at first thought to be just divots. But, the holes are actually canals that lead to sacs, and they drain, and sometimes even get infected. The infection part is worrisome, as he needs no extra risk of infection in his head. That's why they're being removed.

Surgery is on Monday. I got our arrival time this afternoon... 8:15 AM. I am thankful for the early time. I'm actually pretty nervous about this surgery. After his last surgery in June, I have concerns about how he will react to the anesthesia again after surgery. As he ages and develops more language, he becomes more aware too. 4 months ago he didn't ask too many questions, but I don't know how he'll act this time. I've gotten out doctor bear and the doctor kit, and we're going to role play. That's the best I can do to prepare him.

Your prayers for an easy procedure and a quick recovery are appreciated. I'll blog about how it goes.

Take a little time out of your day to really let go...even a few minutes. Just take the time and watch what happens.

When you release a deep breath, think of the muscles letting go of the bones. On the next exhale, think of the brain, the mind, and the cranial muscles letting go of thoughts and worry. On the release of breath, think of letting the heart and muscles around it relax. Each release of breath becomes a deep cleansing and letting go on many different levels: physical, emotional, mental, and other levels we're not conscious of.