Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Celeste Oldham-Donations Please!!!


Dear Friends,
I'm excited today to post about my amazing sister in law, Celeste. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when she was just 19 years old. She married my brother in law, Matt, in July of 2000 as a healthy, vibrant young woman, but within a few months, she was very sick. Within a year of their marriage, she was completely dependent on others and has remained that way for the last 10 years. She has continued to amaze us all with her determination, faith, and above all, her cheerful attitude. She is convinced, as we all are, that she will walk again and that her miracle is just around the corner. She has tried many different treatments, all of which have been extremely expensive and she has seen improvements over the years, but not the big miracle we've all been hoping for. Her mother, who cares for her full time, recently found a treatment in Mexico that sounds like it might finally be the answer they've been looking for. A man in Salt Lake is said to have gone for treatments and now has complete control of his upper body, which he didn't have a year ago. We are hoping and praying that she will have the same results. These treatments, and her continuing care, are very expensive, and we are asking for any and all donations that could be made. Even a very small donation can make a huge difference and would be appreciated more than you could know. I love Celeste so much. Dan and I got married a week before she and Matt and I have always felt guilty that my life has gone on so easily while hers has been so difficult. They would love nothing more than to lead a normal life, have children, and for her to be able to walk. Please help me spread the word. There is a page set up on facebook with a video about her life and a link for donations. Go here to learn more. Or go here to donate immediately. Thank you so much!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

about a silly boy

This super silly little boy, lights up my life! I realized there are so many funny things about Kellan that I've never posted, so I decided I'd better get them written down before I forget them all. First off, since the picture made me think of it, he is the first of my children to be independent. My 3 older boys have always been content to have me help them with everything and never had the attitude of "I want to do it myself" which can be both blessing and curse. It's minimized the trouble they get into, but it also gets old when you have a 5 year old that doesn't want to dress themselves, see my point? But, Kellan seems to want nothing more than to be like his big brothers. Whatever they do, he wants to do it just the same way. For example, he doesn't like to eat anything that doesn't come with a fork or spoon and is served in a bowl or on a plate. He is not a fan of me feeding him, because obviously he never sees me feed his big brothers. One of his favorite things to do, is play Xbox with his brothers. We have a special (broken) paddle that is his to play with and whenever his brothers play, he leads me to where his paddle is kept and he pretends to play with them, no matter how long they play. He seems to fall asleep in the funniest places lately. And at the oddest times. Below are just a few examples.
Yes, doesn't that look comfy? Laying on Mommy's big ol' pregnant tummy. Well, it might have been for him, but I was suffocating! And below, once again, super cozy. Sitting up on the couch. He is so funny.
Kellan loves loves loves water! And it doesn't seem to matter what form it comes in. Baths, showers, pools, sprinklers, sinks, you name it, he loves it. He has loved baths ever since he was a newborn and the obsession has just grown and grown. I took him and his brothers to the Lehi Legacy pool during spring break and I wish I'd gotten pictures of him. He thought it was the greatest thing ever.
If you've ever heard Kellan talk, you know how funny he sounds. Most of his "play talk" sounds like he's trying to blow his nose at the same time. I don't know why, but he apparently thinks that when you talk, it should come through your nose. It's so funny to listen to. Luckily, when he says real words like "mama", "daddy", "ball", "gank oo" (thank you), "cacker" (cracker), and "baba" he leaves the weird snot sounds out, so hopefully he won't be a weird-o when he's fully talking.

Some of my favorite things about Kellan right now:

When he throws a tantrum, it's usually silent. It's so awesome! We tell him no and he throws himself down on the ground, but he doesn't make a sound. I am crossing my fingers that he keeps this up all the way thru the terrible two's.

He often refuses to drink his bottle when he first wakes in the morning unless I am laying with him cuddling him. He is super affectionate. He loves to give us all hugs and kisses and when he first wakes up, he loves to cuddle. In fact, if he doesn't get his morning cuddles from me or Dad, he usually has a rough start to his day.

He loves my long hair. For whatever reason, he loves to take my hair and rub it all over his head. He's done it so much that I've started playing along. I tickle him with my hair, cover his face with it, or fling it around him and he loves it all.

He would play outside all day if he could. It doesn't matter what we do outside, he just loves to be "out". After all winter of being mostly inside, he is now ready to spend every minute in our backyard. Usually, he is playing in the dirt, until I catch him and make him get out.

He just learned to say "ball" and now wants to play with them all the time. I was walking through KMart yesterday and he saw one of those big cages with giant balls in it and he was so excited. He just kept pointing and saying over and over "BALL! BALL!".

He is a major "Daddy's Boy"! He would like nothing better than to be his Daddy's little shadow all the time. Every day when Dan leaves for work, Kellan tries to put shoes on so that he can go with him. It breaks Dan's heart every time.

Things I don't love so much about him right now: (trust me, it's a small list)

He has discovered the joys of putting things in the toilets-I hate this phase!!!

When he gets mad at me when I'm holding him, he uses his forehead as a weapon. He bangs it as hard as he can into my cheek and it kills! I think some people at the ball park thought I was abusive the other night cuz they saw me getting mad at him, but they didn't see that he'd pulled this little stunt right before.

He loves to walk through my pile of dirt when I'm sweeping. I'm almost done, I've got a nice little pile of stuff to toss in the garbage can, I turn my back to grab the dustpan and guess who I find walking back and forth through the mess? Yep, Mr. Trouble himself. The worst thing is, I can't really get mad at him, because he looks so happy and delighted about it.

I know I'll be adding to this post as more things occur to me, but for now, that is the "Wonderfulness" of my little man, Kellan. I love him so much!