Favorite Time of the Year!

Well, it's June.  It drives me crazy that I don't have the time to blog more frequently like I used to be able to.  But, that's life I guess.  Since my March post, our child entered into another stage of modern childhood... he got a cellphone.  We've been looking at getting him one since he got the go kart.  We just needed a way to keep up with where he was in the neighborhood.  My mom asked me to take her to get a new phone one day, and on the way there, it dawned on me that we could use her old one for Reece.  So, Reece was very thankful to Granny for helping him get a phone!  He's been very responsible with it, so we are proud of him for that.  Of course, the go kart is broken down (yes, again), so he's not getting around the neighborhood much at the moment.  A month or so ago, he started having problems with the left wheel just stopping, and the go kart would only go in a circle.  Closer inspection revealed that one of the gear boxes was leaking hydraulic fluid.  So, we took off the motor and gear box and shipped it back to North Dakota.  The guy sent us a new motor and gear box, and our awesome friend came and put it back on for us.  We were so excited thinking it was going to be fixed finally, but nope.  Same issue.  So, the guy thought it might be the brakes.  He had us take those off, and that still was not the issue.  Now, we can't get the brakes back on and the other motor (the one he didn't replace) has completely stopped.  Nick and I are both frustrated to tears.  The guy said he's sold 50 units, never had a problem, and we've had every problem you can have.  Reece has been pretty bummed that he can't get around and have the independence he had, so we are just fervently praying we get this resolved quickly.  We did learn the motors are power wheelchair motors, so our DME guy (who has always been awesome) is going to try to troubleshoot for us.  We actually meet with him today because Reece has outgrown his stroller wheelchair he's had for 5 years!  We have to get fitted for the next size up, and Will is going to talk to us about the go kart as well. 

This is one of Reece's best neighborhood buds, Mr. Billy.  Reece visits him frequently for "man time."  When Reece was first getting to know him, Mr. Billy offered him a drink, and Reece cautiously asked "It's not a margarita is it?"  At least he knows to be cautious when someone new offers him something to eat or drink!  Ha!

We celebrated my 33rd birthday at Char this year. Yum!

Reece hosted a Mario Kart tournament one day.  They were so serious about it!  

We watched Sydney, our niece, graduate from East Central Community college.

Reece took 4 weeks of swimming lessons this year.  He's still not proficient in it, but we are so proud of him for going underwater and even jumping off of the diving board!  I think once his confidence builds up, he'll really take off!

One day, Reece had a neighbor friend over playing.  It was time for him to go home, and Reece asked to walk him home (just up the street).  I told him he could, and then I walked out to check on them.  It seems they got distracted when another neighbor's sprinkler system came on.  Pretty soon all of the kids on the street were squealing through the sprinklers.  This is what makes my heart smile so big.

Reece had his last day of 2nd grade with Mrs. Warden.  He finished it off with all A's for the year.  We are so grateful to our school for being so accepting, patient, and kind to our little boy.  Third grade, here he comes!

Speaking of... Reece had asked me to sign him up for the school's baseball camp this year.  I was a little apprehensive, as I always am when he asks to participate in a "typical" sport, so I emailed the coach to ask if he thought it would be ok.  He didn't hesitate in telling us to sign Reece up, and he would make sure he had a great time!  I think some people were surprised when the little dude hit the ball so well!  I always go in apprehensive but come out on the other side so proud of what God does through Reece and how he knocks people's socks off!

This is what I found when I took off his socks after the first day of camp.    These little feet have come so far in 8 years.  That red dirt means a lot to me. 

We also just got back from the beach recently.  Our good friend got married, so we went to Orange Beach for the wedding, and then the three of us drove on over to Seagrove Beach for a few days of family time.  We'll be on the road again in July for our big Escobar Syndrome meet up in Texas.  We are sooooo ready to see our friends!  Here are a few pictures from our beach trip...

Dinner at Lambert's!

Rehearsal dinner... so handsome!

 Just one of the guys...

We went crabbing in Seagrove, and we caught a little crab and... 

Two big crabs!  We had to explain to Reece that these had their claws tangled up.  We weren't quite ready for that conversation yet.  

Fun in Seaside!

 Playing ball with Daddy in Seaside!

Gelato time!

Relaxing on the beach!

Dinner at Old Florida Fish House on our last night

So, on our way home from the beach, Nick was driving, Reece was playing his video game, and I was reading.  We hear this loud noise that sounds kinda like the the bumps they put on the side of the road to wake up drivers, so I thought Nick was hitting those.  But I look up to see a huge RV coming over on us.  Turns out that sound was him hitting my car.  We are so thankful that the guy realized he was hitting us and went back over into his lane.  It could have been a lot worse.  Back to the shop the Subaru goes...

Yesterday, we went to see Jungle Book as a family.  Then we split because Nick had guys' night with the small group guys.  Reece and I decided to have a mother/son date night at Biaggi's.  Love this little guy!  Even though he says things like this...

"Mama, how old are you again?"

"33"

"Oh ok.  You've been there a couple of years then.  On the old side."

"What?!  I'm not old!"

"What?  I mean, you're on the younger side of the old side."

Reece had his annual checkup a few weeks ago. He's pretty average for his weight for his age, but height has slowed down again.  We are back in the 1st percentile.  This is not surprising.  Short stature is part of Escobar, and then he has the added factor of short parents.  Dr. Denney expressed a little concern urologically speaking, which was odd because I had expressed some concern to Nick just a couple of weeks prior.  Nick said after we left, "Your motherly instinct is amazing.  How you can pinpoint stuff like that!"  So, we are headed back to our old urologist in a couple of weeks to put to bed any issues.  Please pray that it's not anything for us to worry about or that would require surgery.  He had an appointment with pulmonology yesterday and got a good report!  His lung function is good.  However, because of the fact Reece has a hard time closing his mouth (not because he's talking all the time, ha!) but because of the muscle weakness there, they have yet to get a good reading on his lung volume.  

In July, we have his appointment with his orthopedic doctor in Memphis.  I have a big worry about his right foot.  It seems to pointing outward a lot more than what's normal for him, and he's complained of frequent pain in that heel.  He's also complained almost every night with knee pain in his left knee.  So, I'm hoping we can figure out what's going on.

I'm headed back to work next week, and Reece is headed to VBS with Nick's parents in Carthage.  I always end up missing him while he's gone that long, so I'm hoping it goes by fast!  

With love, 

Beth