Summertime, Summertime, Sum, Sum, Summertime!

Like everyone else, we are enjoying the summer and nice weather. Max is adjusting very well to everyone and everything. Max likes to "swim" in the little pool and is also a great little helper. He loves to help pick up and help with chores as best he can.
His palate continues to heal and close after reopening after his surgery. The lip repair is on hold for now as the doctor says he wants to see if the palate will close fully without repeating the surgery. If the palate doesn't fully close in the coming months, he will repair the palate when he does the lip/nose reconstruction. I was hoping he would have the lip repair done sooner but he does fine as it is and I would rather have the doctor do as much as he can each time, than having numerous hospitalizations.
We had his hearing test repeated to evaluate the effectiveness of the ear tube placement and also check for conductive hearing in his left ear which was previously diagnosed with microtia with atresia. Well, his hearing in his right ear is within normal limits which is excellent considering the fluid he had and also being born with CL/CP (which causes problems with hearing, infections etc). The extra great news is he has conductive hearing in his LEFT!!! I always thought he might be able to hear as he always seemed to respond appropriately to my mother when he talked to her on the phone. The doctor said he could hear her and that the phone amplifies the sound in just the right range for Max to hear. He said he has some loss but he can hear with that ear!!!!! He may even be able to get a hearing aid for that ear if needed.
Here are some recent pics and happenings of late.

Max and Daddy at Barnhardt Island beach. The head gear Max has on is to help prevent water from getting into his ear. We also place ear putty into his ear opening to doubly protect it.

L to R Cousin Luci, Sonja and Uncle Dean (obscured by Sonja) at Barnhart Island Beach

Our community has a festival every year in which there is a small carnival, a parade, fireworks, diaper races and other activities. On the night of the fireworks, a life long friend had a party on her land on the riverfront and my sister Vicky's boyfriend Billy's band played for all. The kids had a GREAT time and danced their little hearts out! Here is a picture of them doing just that!

In August, We took a trip to Lake George and visited the "Magic Forest" and Six Flags Great Escape, Splashwater Kingdom. The kids had such a blast (and we did too). Here are some pictures from the trip.

Max likes to share with his sister.

Sonja is pretty proud of herself "driving" the bug ride.

The pool that "Spirit the Diving Horse" dives into!

The garbage can Barnaby.

Max and Sonja dancing to "Jingle Bells". This area displayed many old sleighs. Maybe Santa's sleighs

A very large turkey. Max just loved the birds that were here.

Smokey the Bear.... Teaching the children..... Only YOU can prevent forest fires.

Dan, Max and Sonja in a small trolley. We took this trolley over the covered bridge that you see below and also took all on a ride along the upper part of the "Magic Forest".

Max, Sonja and me in a small chapel, complete with pews, alter, stained glass and font, only in miniature. So cute and a perfect place to teach young children the proper way to behave in church.

Sonja, Max and me in the Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater pumpkin. Below is a picture of my sister and me taken when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I thought it was so cool to get a picture of the kids in the same pumpkin that my sister and I were in, and remember so fondly.

This is a very old "Sleeping Beauty" exhibit and it is animated. the children love watching it move and listening to the music.

Awwwww.....This picture warms daddy's heart (and mine because Sonja's driving with beach bars no less)! ;>)

They had a "Safari Trolley" that traveled through the woods which had various scenes along with corresponding sound effects.

I love this picture!!! They look so cute holding each others hand!

There was an ol' lady who lived in a shoe, she had so many children..... she adopted them from all over the world!!!! Oh... my dream come true!!!! Maybe Sonja and Max will have a little brother or sister from Africa, Ethiopia, Nepal or the U.S.A.!!! :)

Sonja pressing the buttons on the nursery rhyme displays. When you press the button, it plays the nursery rhyme of the display. These are the same ones that I pressed when I was a little girl, not much older than Sonja. The displays date back to the 1950's!!!!!

The "Magic Forest" is Santa Claus's summer home! Sonja was delighted to have her picture taken with him but Max, as you can see, wasn't about to let the guy with the red suit get too close. He kept his eyes on him just in case he tried to make a quick move towards him. Max was very willing to wave bye bye to him as we left.

Santa told Sonja he would see her Christmas Eve!!!! Sonja talked about it for days. We even visited with the reindeers and feed them! We gave Donner and Blitzen some food as we were pretty sure Rudolph was given plenty of food by other kids.

The "Lone Ranger" Max

Blowing the smoke from his six shooter.

Sheriff Sonja with her double barrel pink pistols.

On Sunday, we went to Six Flags Great Escape. The kids had a BLAST!!! I think they went on every ride except two or three. They saw many of the Looney Tunes and Disney characters. This theme park has the largest Disney attractions etc outside DisneyWorld! I was so glad we brought them here as well. I debated whether two theme parks in as many days would be too much, but they had no problem. We plan on bringing them again for Oktoberfest and Halloween Fright Fest.

When I was a little girl (many moons ago :), this park was called "Storytown". It still contains the same exhibits and attractions that was here years ago. My family came here every year for two weeks in the summer from age 5 until I was 15 years old or so. Seeing Sonja and Max enjoying themselves here brought me back to when I was a kid. We will continue my family's tradition with Sonja and Max and make this a vacation stop every year along with Magic Forest. Maybe the next time we come we will visit "Animaland", and when they are older,House of Frankenstein and Dr. Morbids, Then it will REALLY be continuing the family vacation tradition.

I hope the kids fall in love with Lake George like I did (and always will). I know Dan is secretly hoping that when the kids get older they will want to come here for Americade too!!! I know I will!

These three outlaws were caught cattle rustlin' and runnin' moonshine....Don't be fooled by their baby faces.....they're the meanest hombres' to cross the Rio Grande!

Sonja was sooooo happy that she was able to ride in Cinderella's pumpkin coach. She is a HUGE Cinderella fan and wants to watch the movie over and over again.

Sonja very happy getting her picture taken with Cinderella and Bat Max!

Super Sonja riding her mer-horse.

*BIFF* %BAMM! POW! Bat Max.... the caped crusader, saving damsel in distress Sonja.

"She's drivin' this thing like a MANIAC!" Sonja was using the control bar that makes the dragon go up and down. She was making it go up and down so fast, their heads were snapping back and forth. I was laughing so hard I could hardly breath! People watching their children on the ride were also laughing just as hard. Surprizingly, Max and Sonja loved it all the more!

After a great day at Six Flags, Max and Sonja are pooped right out! Needless to say... we were too!

Yeeeehaaaaw!

A little redneck fun.....wheelbarrow rides!! They love this!

Daddy's little helper!

Hey Gars on! ...Waiter! .....You ova there!.... I need some service ova here!

Yah, Yah, ah, I want the biggest plate of pasta ya got! And put a rush on it will ya!?

(tapping fingers impatiently on table) I'd like some food ova' heeya!

I hope you're going to give me some more of that?

The "picnic pumpkins"

Max and Sonja having some fun painting. They made some beautiful paintings and also made "Father's Day" gifts for Daddy and Grandpa. When all was said and done, our table had some extra decorative accents (red and yellow paint)! Thank goodness our table is old and needs to be replaced, but we will wait a little while until the kids get a little older (and their paint stays mostly on their paper!).

Max is so excited because I gave him his very own cup of paint!

The aftermath!

Every year and throughout the year, we get together with our friends who we traveled with to adopt our daughters. They all get along wonderfully and are very much like sisters. Sydney and her parents Ronna and Dave hosted our most recent get together and we all had a fantastic time. The weather was beautiful, the food great and fun was had by all. I couldn't stop laughing watching the kids play on Sydney's inflatable bouncer. The kids had such a great time, I think I'm buying one for Max and Sonja!

Max, always thinking about food!

Sonja, Maiya and Sydney

Our friends, Ronna and Dave's beloved dog "Balto".

Sophie and Sonja enjoying some ice cream

Sonja's Forever Friends

Max, Sonja and friends having a ball!

Sonja's Forever Friends

Max, Sonja and friends having a ball.

Max's Surgery

I love this picture!!!!!

The sweetest of peas!!!

Max after some pre op medication. A little groggy but he still wants to play. He loved the little doctor kit at the hospital as it is simliar to the one we have at home. Maybe an indication of his future profession?

Our little sleeping beauty waiting for her little brother to come out of surgery.

Dan taking a nap while waiting for Max to get out of surgery. I swear he could sleep anywhere!

What a sweet little face!

Max had his palate repair surgery on June 1st. The staff in the PICU did an excellent job keeping Max's pain level tolerable. You could tell he did have some discomfort but that of course is expected. I stayed at the hospital with the exception of going to the hotel room to shower a couple of times.

The sleeping accommodations at the hospital are not the most comfortable to say the least, but it's a place to lay your head down. The chairs pulled out into beds that were more like boards. Not the best situation for someone with my back problems but at least I could be with my little guy.The staff would provide me with sheets, a pillow and blanket.

The staff was always asking if we needed anything and were very attentive.

Max was doing very well but then developed a reaction to the antibiotics. I discontinued them as it was on a Friday evening and I was unable to contact the Dr.s office. I called them on Monday and they said just to D/C it and see how things go.

A few days before his post op appointment his palate repair opened right in the middle where the cleft was the widest. This is not an unusual thing and with moderate to severe clefts (Max's was/is moderate) it sometimes happens. Max's Dr. said it will sometimes close on it's own in time. We are to see him again at the end of July and if it is not closing, he will repair it at the same time as the lip to minimize the amount of times he has surgery. It wasn't done like that initially because it would have been very difficult not to stretch out the lip while doing the repair that Max needed done.

Max also had a tube placed in his right ear for drainage of fluid that frequently accumulates in children born with clefts. His left ear was diagnosed with microtia with atresia which basically means he doesn't have a patent ear canal in that ear. Most patients with one sided microtia leave things alone as long as the hearing in the other ear is good. Max has excellent hearing in his right ear and did even prior to the tube placement. The specialists will continue to follow him and his progress.

He will be evaluated by a local speech therapist next Thursday after which they will decide a plan according to his needs. They will come to our home and give him therapy but I'm unsure how often. Sometimes they come in once a week sometimes more, depending on the needs of the client. Max is already saying a few words but it's difficult for others to understand him like we do. I think he has made big strides since his "Gotcha" day.

I hope this doesn't come acrossed as bragging or boasting but we truely feel so blessed to have our beautiful kids. They are so lovable and smart and we just couldn't imagine our lives without them. We have been given the greatest gift in the world, the gift of life. They make our life complete.