Busy Weekend

I think "Busy Weekend" should be the title for almost all of our weekends! This summer has been crazy, we keep grabbing every opportunity for Tucker to swim and have fun, since now he can get wet:) Well Friday was not a "fun" day, we made the trip to Houston and back in one day. Mrs. Mia and Mr. Ricky drove us, so it was nice to spend time with them and have a few stops along the way. But Tucker was NOT happy to be in his carseat that long! He slept for the trip there, but on the way back he was wide awake. He talks a lot now, but about 70% of the time we don't understand him! So he was screaming "hotoa, hotoa" for a long time, and we all laughed, guessing what he was saying....over halfway home, I realized he was crying for a hotel! He wanted to stop and get out, poor baby. I told him "we're not going to a hotel, we are going home." He was not pleased. We also hit roadwork twice on the way home, he kept screaming "go! go!" and "get out truck!". For those of you who don't know, Tucker has NEVER asked to get out of a truck before, haha! So we knew he was tired of traveling. The reason for two trips in one week: a screw-up at the lab. They did not get the orders from me on Tuesday, but in my defense-they did not ask me for the orders on Tuesday! So we went to admitting on Friday, and they informed me that the lab was likely closed....I said "okay, we'll go to the ER. We are not coming back another day!". So it turns out the lab was still open, but we had to wait awhile for someone to be called upfront for us. Tucker was pretty happy to be there, but once Chris and I took him to the back, he freaked out! The lab people had to call around to see if they had any of the blood from Tuesday...apparently not! On Tuesday they took 5 vials, so we were hoping they would only take the other 4 they needed....but the guy re-took all 9 vials, along with a urine test....which brought out Tucker's best friend, the "pee bag." Yes, it is pretty gross! On Tuesday the blood draw was super easy and quick, but since that blood was nowhere to be found....of course the stick on Friday was rough. The blood came out so slowly that the guy asked us if Tucker had a clotting disorder. Um....no, unless there is something going on that I've never heard of. Tucker cried big tears and screamed "ow" the whole time, so Chris promised him a new toy and a bag of chips afterwards. Missy met us in the lab (her son Samuel is still inpatient) and took us up to Samuel's room. The lab guy didn't have a urine collection kit, so Missy got one from one of the nurses upstairs. Chris and I attached that to Tucker, and he played with Samuel's toys for awhile...Samuel was too tired to get out of bed. After awhile we collected Tucker's urine, which was a task in itself! Then Chris called the lab guy, and met him out in the hall to give it to him. The guy had to call us back to let us know if it was enough, luckily it was! We said our good-byes, then we headed home. We stopped at Red Lobster for dinner...the one in Baton Rouge closed years ago, so it was a treat to eat there! It really was yummy, although Tucker did not appreciate it one bit! He did like looking at the live lobsters, though:) The Red Lobster was right next to a ToysRUs, so we took Tucker over to stretch his legs and pick out a prize. Chris kept disappearing and coming back with 3 or 4 toys at a time!! Mrs. Mia and I told him "it is not Christmas!", but Chris can not help himself! This is why I do the Christmas shopping, haha:) Chris has such a big heart....he would buy out the whole store if we let him. We ended up with two toys; we bought one and Mrs. Mia bought the other, and we left the store. We got home around midnight. Saturday was my brother Dylan's 18th birthday. Our family waited for a little brother for a long time, and I will never forget the day Dylan was born! I was 8 years old, and we didn't know if the baby was going to be a boy or girl. My Daddy came out to a full waiting room and announced "It's a Boy!" and no one believed him! My Aunt Wendy asked to see him personally to confirm, haha! That really was one of the best days in our family's collective history. We celebrated Dylan's birthday at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's house. Morgan and Grace had spent the week there, and it was time for them to go home. Tucker played with his cousins, he always loves that! On Saturday night my mom took me to see the Baton Rouge Little Theater's production of the Sound of Music. I had been wanting to go all summer, but I was always busy! So we ate at Zea's (yummy!!) and then saw the show. It was great, and I will be singing the songs in my head for awhile:) Chris stayed home with Tucker, and Justin and Jackie came over to watch horror films with them....yes I am serious, but luckily Tucker did not watch the movies, he just made huge messes in the kitchen while the movies were on. So after spending the evening with Tucker, here are Jackie's and Justin's thoughts: Jackie: "Tucker is like a little tornado." Justin: "It must be hard to keep things cleaned with him around." Yes, it is! That is why sometimes the house looks like it does....some days I just pretty much give up! On Sunday Brad and Sarah's friend Kyle took us all out on his boat. Tucker was very excited to go, but he was not excited that we made several stops on the way. He cried at WalMart, the gas station, and the Ice place (because no, we could not get ice at the gas station, it was too expensive), but he grinned from ear to ear as soon as he was sitting on the boat. We rode around Blind River, I don't know the area very well, but we spent several hours there. Kyle drove us to the Sand Bar, which is a shallow area where even I could touch. We got out there and floated around, and once again, Tucker amazed both Chris and me with his swimming! He just floated all around with his little floaties, kicking so hard like he was actually going somewhere:) He did not like it when Chris or I would try to pull him around and carry him. We got back on the boat and rode away, but then we passed my Uncle Joey and Aunt Susan in their boat, with Gina, Addi, and Molli on board. So they turned the boat around and we all went back to the sand bar to swim with them. I told Tucker we could swim with Molli, and he jumped up, then said "Mohi, pool." He calls any water a pool! I told him it is a lake, but he still called it that. We all swam for a little while, but then we were ready to call it a day. Being out in the heat all day was pretty exhausting, and we all got kind of sunburnt. Tucker rarely shows sun on his skin...as pale as he is, you think he would burn easily. Of course we put sunscreen on him! But I also put sunscreen on us, and the sun just comes through. With him, it's like his skin literally can not hold pigment, we have always joked that he is albino, but yesterday for once his cheeks were a little red. When we got home I put Aloe gel on myself and Chris, so Tucker requested "lotion" and put his arms out for me to apply it. Then he put his face up to me, so I put the aloe on his cheeks....about 10 times later, I finally told him it was over! So after this weekend I have decided Tucker needs more rest! The new issue of Complex Child Magazine came out today, and as timing would have it....this month's edition is about Mito, just days after Tucker was diagnosed. So one of the articles is all about Mito kids seeming to be okay, then getting run down and having something minor set them way back.....well, hmmm, that is NOT something we want to happen! We really do run on all cylinders, almost too much for any kid, let alone a kid with energy problems. I think Chris and I just want Tucker to experience so much, and he just loves so many activities, so we never say "no" to any ideas. Our fall calendar is already jam-packed, but luckily many of those activities are "adult" activities, so maybe Tucker can spend some quiet time with his baby-sitters:) Tucker is going to be attending school 8 hours on the weekdays, and I'm sure that will be enough activities for him. My mom told me the other night that Tucker has experienced more in his 4 years than any of her kids did by age 10....and he spent the first 9 months of his life in the hospital, and the next 3 years on a vent!! So I guess we could dial it down a bit, it would do us all some good:)