Getting Muddy! Pumpkin Patch Part Two

Greetings!

Elsa and Jonas had a busy week. We took them to their NICU follow-up this week. This is the appointment where we sit in a room and different specialists cycle in and out to check for different developmental skills. Elsa and Jonas did great. While they didn't pass all the tests, they came in four to six months behind on a couple, they were champs and tried their best. It was interesting that they were scored on all the tests based on their December 12th birthday and there was no factoring in their four months premature arrival. While we know that when they are school age four months difference won't matter for different skills, we felt that this early on that is still a big gap in time. The great news out of all of this is that they qualify for more services that we can try out to see how they help Elsa and Jonas. The kids rocked overall.

Elsa and Jonas reteamed with their good friend Joshua to visit a pumpkin patch this week. The three December 12th birthday babes went together last year and it is becoming a tradition. They picked pumpkins, rode in wheelbarrows, and ate new foods (white raspberries--who knew?). Great times!

Elsa's first surgery is nearly here and we are nervous and excited for her. We pray for steady hands and quick recovery.

God Bless,

Dan & Jonas & Elsa & Mari

Future Lutes!

Greetings!

Elsa and Jonas took in their first Pacific Lutheran University Homecoming football game this past weekend. They had a great time and each got "future Lutes" buttons to wear proudly the rest of the day. They clapped and were kind of interested in the game. They were more interested in the activity that was all around them...people, cheering, clapping, food...it was a great time for them. Mari and Dan signed the alumni board and included Jonas and Elsa with graduation dates to be determined.

As you might have guessed by the pictures, Elsa and Jonas returned to their favorite pumpkin patch this year. The pumpkins and our pumpkins keep getting bigger but ours are closing the gap. They had a great time and plan on returning at least one more time this year!

Elsa and Jonas both got flu shots this past week and were champs. Elsa cried for a second or two and Jonas barely batted an eye. They are tough!

We have our big follow-up appointment this upcoming week with a variety of nurses and specialists. They will check on developmental progress for Elsa and Jonas. It will be a long appointment but it will be good to get an update on how they are both doing.

Go Lutes!

God Bless,

Mari & Jonas & Elsa & Dan

Lots of little miracles

Greetings!

It was with a heavy heart that we read the news of Children's hospital in Seattle losing two young babies due to accidents over the past several months. We didn't spend any time at Children's NICU but we know that the nurses and doctors in this type of work put on a strong face at work but would be crushed if they made a mistake at work. We are praying for the families and the staff at Children's Hospital.

This recent news made us think back on how many tiny miracles that happened along the way for Elsa and Jonas. We could attempt to recant them but just hit older posts for the litany:). We are so thankful and full of JOY that miracles happen...sometimes not how we expect them...sometimes not as big and as pronounced as we would like them...but that they happen.

Our week was actually quite a fun and exciting week. Lots of play with friends and families. A birthday celebration for Uncle Ron. A lot of fun for all! Words are starting to come more frequently and both kids are really experimenting with sounds!

God Bless,

Mari & Jonas & Elsa & Dan

Nose running? Better chase after it.

Greetings!
A long week in the Lysne household. Three noses were running like faucets. Elsa, Jonas and Mari were sick most of the week. Dan somehow missed out on this cold or at least hasn't caught it yet. When they are sick, Jonas and Elsa have a hard time sleeping through the night so there were some long nights! Today everyone is starting to feel a little bit better and energy is returning to normal.

Dan was proctoring a test this past week and the last question for the last student of the week was a written passage about the movie Born Free and about the lion named Elsa. He thought it was a fitting end to the week and remembered fondly the conversation with the first Nicu nurse that he talked with at the hospital about the movie and Elsa.

Both kids are learning all sorts of new things. Jonas can now knock and Elsa will clap your hands together for you. There are lots of other new skills too...those just happen to be the ones that come to mind.

God Bless!

Mari & Dan & Elsa & Jonas

Focusing in on October

Greetings!

Elsa met with her eye doctor again this past week and we have scheduled her first of two cataract surgeries. Cataract surgeries with young kids are a bit different than for adults in that they have to perform the surgery while the child is asleep and that the precision is a bit less. The doctor explained this by saying that hundreds of thousands of adults get cataract surgeries so the base for the math calculations is really good, whereas the number of small kids that get the surgeries is small so they don't have the wealth of knowledge from the previous surgeries as they do for adults. That being said, our doctor is the regional expert and as he put it this past week, "I'm 66 and could retire but I love what I do." We appreciate the passion! The recovery time for the surgery is month with eye drops every two hours for the first week and then gradually down to a couple a day towards the end of the month. We will be turning pro in eye drops.

This weekend was a flurry of events. Jonas and Elsa went to their first PLU football game. And what a game it was! PLU defeated Cal Lutheran, ranked in the top 20, with a host of big time plays on both offense and defense. Elsa loved the cow-bell that she got to wave for a bit and Jonas watched the game intently. It was a great outing and the kids got to see lots of people.

On Sunday we celebrated our niece's birthday. Elsa and Jonas hung out with a house full of kids playing and laughing. (Elsa didn't laugh as much--she was a bit tired). It was a great time!

We are looking forward to a great week ahead and are glad to have the surgery scheduled for Elsa in October.

Pictures: Elsa hanging outside of "Narnia" (hallway closet); Jonas with his gear; birthday party pictures. Videos: Elsa riding the horse (camera work was a bit off).

God Bless,

Dan & Elsa & Jonas & Mari

Dogs and Cats

Greetings!

A great week is in the books. Jonas and Elsa went to the Puyallup Fair this week and had a sleepy and fun time. They saw a cow and talked briefly with her. They loved scones and crumbs were left everywhere as evidence. On the way home from the fair they were also able to swing by Dan's newly built school. Quite an adventure and their naps were well deserved in the afternoon.

Elsa and Jonas discovered the three apple trees that are in our backyard. The trees are not in the best location, a little on the small side, but always produce a ton of small, half-dollar sized apples. Both kids now make a bee-line for the apple tree and try to grab as many as they possibly can. We have curtailed the unlimited grabs and are now limiting them to one apple a day. Once they have their apple, they have a death-grip on it and will only give it up if they have fallen asleep. And then it is still a struggle.

As the kids vocabulary continues to develop, they have taken to making two animal sounds. Elsa has met several cats and now makes a soft 'meow' when asked what a cat says. Jonas has met a couple of neighborhood dogs and will now make a snorting sound like a dog sniffing a hand.

We have a big week ahead with Elsa seeing her eye doctor to schedule some surgeries. We hope the appointment goes well and we can get the eye surgeries done and dusted in the upcoming month.

Pictures: Jonas in the x-box 1.0.; Elsa slow dancing with Mari to Waterloo by Abba (daily ritual).

Videos: Jonas prepping to dance to Mamma Mia (the abba musical);

Go Bless,

Mari & Elsa & Jonas & Dan

Twenty pound club.

Greetings! It seems like only last month that we were getting ready to have a feeding tube placed in Elsa. What a difference a month can make. We had our monthly follow-up meeting with the GI specialist to see how Elsa and Jonas were doing. Last month, he had told us how amazing Elsa was (we really didn't need to be told that but we sure liked hearing it from him). This month, Elsa and Jonas weighed in and both are members of the illustrious twenty pound club. Elsa weighed in at 20 pounds, 3 ounces and Jonas came in at 21 pounds, 3 ounces. Both are on the charts and making progress.

The doctor told us that he has never had a patient that he has consulted on for many many months and then recommended surgery turn it around and not require surgery. Quite an amazing little (big) girl! At the end of the appointment he also said that he didn't need to see us next month...he put us on a three month check up. Way to go Elsa!

Jonas's weight gain has slowed down a bit and is typical for kids at this age. We are going to bulk up his food a bit to give him some more calories.

Both kids continue to do the things they should be doing at 20 months. It is quite a busy time at our house!

Pictures: Grandma Jeanne & the kids at the zoo; Jonas and Elsa playing with their cousin Kate!

Video: Playing with a custom x-box system.

God Bless,

Dan & Mari & Elsa & Jonas