School's Out for Summer!

Wednesday was the last day of school. I spent all of Thursday finishing up paperwork and packing up my classroom. I had hopes of getting it all done in one day, but had to return this morning to finish. Five years worth of stuff takes some time to sort/pack/clean!

Trip came with me today. Thanks to some of my former students who came to work with their parents, he had a fun morning and I was able to get everything done. He loved all the attention!

The girls even got Trip to fall asleep in his car seat. (Notice he's still clinging to the balloon!)

Although I'm so glad that the year is over, it was hard to turn in my keys and close my classroom door for the last time.

As soon as we left school, we headed over to the hospital for Trip's last follow-up appointment with the surgeon. He was happy with Trip's progress and said that he's back to normal. He has gained a pound and a quarter since his last appointment two and a half weeks ago, which is great news.

Trip's Dedication

We had Trip dedicated at church today. Enjoy!

Nine Months

The day that Trip turned nine months old was also the day that he got so sick, so his pictures had to wait a little, but we finally got them taken. He is still not totally back to feeling great, but he's well on his way. We had a follow-up appointment today. His wound and tummy are looking good, but he's lost over half of a pound since this whole thing started. He now weighs a little less than 16 pounds. The doctor is not too concerned yet, and said that his appetite for solids should continue to improve.

He has really been enjoying finger foods lately and also likes eating off of a fork since this usually means he is eating something off Daddy's or Mommy's plate. We went out to lunch for Mother's Day yesterday, which he loved because he got to share our meals.

We had a super cute moment yesterday morning that melted our hearts. Trip was lying between the two of us in bed. He was looking toward me, then rolled over toward Kirk. He reached out toward him and said "Dada!" So great!

We're so thankful to have that smile back!

He hasn't figured out how to crawl yet, but will start to rock if we put him in this position. I know crawling is a good developmental milestone, but I'm okay with his limited mobility for now!

Home!

We got to come home from the hospital on Sunday. We were so thankful to get to sleep in our own beds! The dogs were very happy too. They really missed their boy. Trip is still hurting and is much more fussy than usual, but his smile and laugh are back. We will need to continue watching him closely for the next couple of weeks, but he seems to be on his way to a full recovery. We are extremely grateful to my coworkers who have generously donated sub days so that I can be home with Trip while he recovers. We can't imagine how we would have made it through this ordeal without the love, prayers, and support of our family and friends. Thank you for caring so deeply for Trip and us!