Mason milestone {self-entertainment}

Our sweet boy has been one giggly baby ever since he was just 6 weeks old.

He squeals when he sees Kensie. He laughs the moment anyone plays peek-a-boo up close with him. He melts into giggles at the slightest tickle...especially under his chinny chin chin (just like his daddy!). It's adorable. Kensie didn't laugh out loud until she was at least a year old. She was a very serious and observant baby. It's so funny how different siblings can be.

I know I've already posted a few videos of Mason laughing.

But, this week was different. He hit a new milestone.

Laughing without the help of anyone. Without anyone looking at him, making faces, or tickling him.

Just him. By himself. Self entertaining.

And thankfully I was close enough to the camera to capture it.

Enjoy...

Some FYI's:

{1}The metal thing he is playing with is not sharp at all (it's one of those cheap puzzles you solve--like the kind you put on the coffee table and let guests fiddle with. Greg loves those things! ). He is teething like crazy and I think he loves the way it feels in his mouth. Always given under supervision, don't worry.

{2} He has not laughed independently like this ever since. Maybe it had something to do with being overtired and close to bedtime perhaps? Who knows...but cute nonetheless.

You know you married a good man when...

... he makes the baby's bottle {EVERY morning} before he leaves for work so as soon as I hear that siren baby in the morning I just grab it and go...

... he has to work late {again} but makes the effort to come home just before the kids go to bed so he can (a) see them (b) spend time with me until I go to bed, and then (c) goes back to work to finish up into the wee hours of the morn...

... he gets to church early to help set-up chairs, then rushes home to help me get the kids out the door...

... he drives calmly and quietly even though we are at least 15 minutes late to church {after the above situation}. He despises being late to anything--especially church...

... he sacrifices his Sunday afternoon nap by putting up baseboards in the house for 3 hours...

... he makes an emergency run to buy tampons and never complains or holds it over your head later...

... he always notices when I've cleaned...but never criticizes when it's messy...

***

Yeah. I'd say I married a good one for sure.

THE END

My favorite street

I love our neighborhood, especially during this time of year. I have a "route" I like to run or walk regularly. Sometimes I push the the kids in the stroller. And sometimes {if I'm lucky} I enjoy a nice run alone.

Time to clear my head. Relieve stress. Pray. Think. Not think. Just me, myself and I.

And this is my favorite street...

Sometimes, I'll loop back and run it twice before I head home. The trees are what get me. This picture doesn't do it justice. And I'm pretty sure people think I live on that street. They always wave and smile as I pass by their house. So, I wave back...imagining that I do. Little do they know I live 6 blocks away.

Not a whole lot of running though these days. I just finished my second round of treatment on my legs today. It's going okay...but, I'm ready to stop popping the pain killers, take these ace wraps and stockings off, and get back to feeling somewhat normal again. Two weeks down and four more left!

Our bedroom

I like to call our master bedroom "cozy" aka small. There's only enough space for our king-sized bed (which I wouldn't trade for the world!), two nightstands, and whatever you can hang on the wall.



I snagged this painting from an auction at our public library




this mirror as well as both nightstands were left from the previous owners of the house when we bought it. I'll take free stuff anytime thank you very much!


It's weird but honestly, I don't mind how small it is. In fact, our room is the smallest of the three. We don't really "hang out" in our room except for bedtime. And I like that. It's a simple room that meets two needs: to rest and to connect with my husband. That's it.




Found the sign at Hobby Lobby. I would love to incorporate more quotes and bible verses into our room.






The only thing that would be nice is a larger closet (not even worth taking a picture of, trust me). Maybe another post entirely on that whole issue some other time....we have a unique closet system in our house.

Mason photo shoot {she's done it again!}

These photo's don't need any captions. They speak for themselves.

And that my friends, is why we keep going back to this talented lady. She captures babies and children at their absolute best!

Now, if only I can decide which ones I want to frame...hmmmm.




And just for fun, I looked back at some of Kensie's photo shoots to compare.
Here she is at 8 months...now scroll back up and look at the last one of Mason in the bucket.

Are those two siblings or what?!

After-nap playtime

We have a new routine after naps lately.

If Kensie wakes up, I bring Mason in with me to get her. They both squeal with delight when they see each other and Kensie immediately asks if Mason can come in her crib to play.

Likewise, as soon as Mason starts making noise through the monitor Kensie rushes down the hall to "help" me open the door. She climbs up the side of his crib and begs to get in. Mason (who usually wakes up on his stomach) pushes up on his arms as high as he can lift his head to see Kensie's face. He then shrieks with smiles and laughter. How can you say no??

They end up playing together for up to an hour sometimes. So, I just plop down in the chair and peer into the crib as they giggle and play with each other.

So cute to watch them become buddies more and more everyday. I'm so thankful they love playing together...for now anyway.

Just get them taken care of!

Before I get started I want to mention I now have a way for you (my dear reader) to contact me! Check out the address on the side----->

Okay, now on to the post...

Our society today (in America at least) has this mentality that modern-day medicine can fix anything. There is this idea that no matter what a person is diagnosed with, it can be taken care of. Which can be true. Sometimes. And only if you have lots of money, or full-coverage insurance...which is harder and harder to come by these days.

So when it comes to my "leg" problem people have a tendancy to say, "Just get them taken care of! Doctors can do anything now-a-days. You don't have to live with this the rest of your life."


And here's what goes through my brain when I hear this:

I know, people. I have researched them all. Laser treatments. Vein stripping. Injections. Undergoing surgery. There is A LOT to offer out there for varicose veins. And doctors are getting really good at these procedures. Some are more permanent solutions than others. It's overwhelming to know what to do. Are mine bad enough that insurance will cover it? And to what extent? And if our insurance doesn't cover it, then what? How much is this family willing to sacrafice in cash just for the sake of my dumb legs? It could cost well over $15,000...that's close to what we paid for our van. From a Christian perspective, is that worth it??? I don't really think it is. And worse, what if the procedure doesn't work? What if we paid all that money for treatment just to see my legs back to the way they were (especially after another pregnancy). Then what?....and on and on...

So after talking things over with Greg, I decided to make a deal with myself. I would schedule a visit with my family doctor to {at the very least} get my legs evaluated and ask lots of questions. Then I would make the dreaded call to my insurance. If the insurance call resulted in a "NO, we will not cover that..." then I would not pursue it any further. I would just plan on dealing with my veins the way I already do. Case closed.

This next part is where things start to turn around. So if you are still here....get ready!

My family doctor took one look at my veins and said I would definitely need to see a surgeon. This means that insurance would most likely cover it! After a good hour on the phone with the NICEST lady ever representing our insurance my hope started to build. Insurance would cover the extent of my treatments after we met our deductible.

ME: Oh great, always a catch. What's our deductible?

 REP: Ten thousand dollars.

 ME: So we have to pay up to ten thousand before you guys kick in the rest? Awesome. Wait...we had our son in March. I'm sure those hospital bills met our deductible!

---Silence---

REP: Oh yes...I see that on your account now. Then yes, we can cover it as long as it's within the same year. And it looks like your insurance renews on November 1st. So your appointments would need to be done before that date in order to be covered.

ME: Okay. Thank you very much!

REP: You're welcome. Is there anything else we can assist you with today?

ME: Nope!! You have no idea how much you just made my day!

***

After looking at the calender and realizing the limited amount of time I had to get these appointments in I got crackin'! Thankfully, it worked out perfectly. My last appointment is literally on October 31st. Yeah. Cutting it close huh?! I am having 3 treatments (each appointment has to be 2 weeks apart to allow for recovery). I should also mention these treatments are to take care of the deep bulgy veins in my upper thighs and behind my knees--since those are the ones that cause pain. This treatment will take care of my current varicose veins. However, because I've had them in the past I can still get them in the future. So I have to keep that in mind. But, my doctor reassured me that it's still a good idea to take care of them now even if I want to have more babies because (as I said before) they will only get worse. It's like blowing up a balloon. It's hard to get it started but once you do it's really easy to keep blowing. Same with varicose veins. They will only get larger, bulkier and more painful as the years go by.

So, AFTER ALL THAT.....I had my first EVLT (Endovenous Laser treatment) on Monday! It was a short 30 min in-and-out kind of appointment. I laid on a table while they did an ultrasound to locate the vein. Then the doctor placed a needle with a laser on the end of it inside the vein. Numbed it all up...and then zapped it with the laser! Painless and fast. The most cumbersome part is I have to wear a bulky ace wrap from my hip to my knee for FIVE STRAIGHT DAYS 24 hrs a day (I've already rigged up a plastic sleeve so I can shower). Then I have to wear a full length stocking from my hip down to my foot for SEVEN days after that. This will happen 3 times so that's about 6 weeks of wearing ace wraps/ stockings. Fun. But you won't hear me complaining! It will be SO SO worth it.

FYI: There are other types of treatments for spider veins and other blemishes that are purely superficial (insurance does not cover those). I'm not looking for a total transformation. I just want them to stop hurting on a daily basis and hopefully get rid of the lumps and bumps so I can stop being the circus side show at the beach and just go on with my life.

***

If you are a regular reader...thanks so much for sticking with me! I don't thank my readers very often but you are all so supportive and I appreciate each and every one of you! And if you are a recent follower, boy did you come at an awkward time. My posts do not usually revolve around medical problems I promise! So, hopefully you stick around to see my "fun" side.