Wisconsin, you are miserable and bizarre and wonderful

Despite the beginning of baseball season, the coming and going of spring break, and the optimism around town,

spring has not sprung in Wisconsin (at least not in the warm, springy, outdoor-park-going way that I want it to!). Thankfully, the peculiar city Wisconsin Dells is only a short drive away. The main strip, peppered with cement mega-statues (a flamingo, a carousel, a frog, a red high heel, and dozens more!), provides an entertaining excursion by itself.

 

And what could be more fun than staying overnight in a Coliseum-esque hotel?

You can even sleep under a wall mural of Neptune,

plus spend the next day in the indoor theme park 

and waterpark!

It turns out that running around in a pirate ship was just the getaway to forget the sub-spring temperatures. 

Good times.

Second Annual Rainy Day Regatta

Last year the boys and I had a fun-filled day using recycled and inexpensive craft materials to create some creek-worthy boats, which we sailed that evening. Since Eric was working today and the weather seemed appropriate, I thought it an excellent time to create our 2011 fleet.  

We began at about 8:30 a.m. and--barring a few minor interruptions--worked until 5:30 p.m. The boys sawed, sanded, glued, taped, and decorated with remarkable enthusiasm. Yes, I let my three-year-old use a hot glue gun (and Sharpies!). He was in crafting heaven. 

"Duck Tape Dreamer" and "Lucky Seven" were among the first several boats ready.

 Once we piled them in the wagon, we headed down to the creek,

which, unfortunately, was too low for sailing. The wind was whipping strongly enough that we could send the boats sailing across a neighborhood pond, however, so we set up there. Zachary launched the first raft:

And did those babies fly! It was thirty-eight degrees outside and windy, but we hardly noticed the cold for our excitement. The single casualty was my boat, which succumbed to a high wave on its maiden voyage. (I knew that I had gone heavy on the ballast!) The boys sympathized and tried to think of ways to retrieve it from the pond bottom, the cuties. Maybe we'll paddle out there in the summer and attempt a rescue.

Their more successful boats were across in the pond in a couple minutes, with Zachary's tandem syrup-bottle model setting the record for speed and Jacob's "Water Bottle Wonder" claiming the record for the greatest distance covered. Here's a victory shot:

Until Regatta 2012, then!

Spring, on the upswing

Last Friday I was overcome with a sudden, debilitating headache. I put baby Max in his crib and had the other kids playing Legos so that I could lie down. As the headache worsened, I began to hear a high-pitched sound, become extremely sensitive to light, and feel an intense pressure unlike anything I had ever experienced. I was in bad shape, and I became worried that I could even care for the boys. Holding my head, I rocked back and forth in bed and worried. 

     Then the doorbell rang. It was, of course, my visiting teacher. "Can I come in so that you can go see a doctor?" she asked. She came right in and stayed until Eric returned from work.* The experience was amazing--that she would come at the moment I needed help and that she would be willing to help--and yet it typifies what our family has experienced during the past three months.

Initially it was all about Max. I was taking him to multiple doctor's appointments each week (five one week!) and spending hours each day managing his pain and tending to his dressings. Keeping his wound "clean and dry" required about 20 diaper changes a day (which all needed to be weighed) and multiple dressing changes. And of course he wanted to be nursed or just held day and night. During this time the Relief Society sisters became our family's guardian angels. Someone was in our home helping on a daily basis for the first two weeks. Since then we've had help during every moment that we've needed it. The cleaning, the child care, the errand-running, the kind words, the prayers--it has all been so tender to us. I've observed service both from our family and friends closest to us and by those who literally introduced themselves at our doorstep. In all of them I see a light, an extension of our Heavenly Father's goodness. And I have been so grateful. These have been tearful weeks, but not for the normal reasons: instead of feeling overwhelmed with a new child, I have felt overcome with an ennobling sense of God's love.   

I feel like the beginning of spring also marked the beginning of our self-reliance in our new family situation. Instead of just getting by, we can even be great! Here are a few happy moments:

1. Jacob won first place in his den for pinewood derby. Studly!

2. I love reading to freshly-bathed boys at night! Here, Jacob reads to Michael, Zachary, and Max (on his lap). 

3. Both Eric's and my dad were able to come for Max's baby blessing, which we held in our home. The boys loved a few days with "the grandpas!" (Also, both Eric's and my moms were able to come out closer to when Max was born, but I don't have pictures! It was a hectic time and I forgot to record it well, but we loved having them just the same!)

4. During Max's blessing I feel like I could envision him as an adult. I have such dreams for him, our little darling.

5. The first "warm" day of spring (it was 43 degrees outside!) the older boys put their swimsuits on and filled up this sled with water. They wanted me to pour it on their heads from the deck, but it overturned when they moved it outside. Silly boys.

6. My sister Kim came and stayed for two weeks, and we soaked up every moment of it. It was so fun  getting around town (and getting things done around the house!) with her around.

7. This was great fun: they tied the rocket car to the police car and barreled down the hill, ramming into the fence only once before I made them put on helmets.

8. Jacob was home from sick for a few days with scarlet fever, the poor guy. I set up math and reading centers to do together, and we had fun playing "school."

9. Baseball season is starting! We've almost got an entire infield now.

10. When I have the energy, I run through a beautiful, wooded trail near our home. Tonight we took the boys on a walk there just as the sun was setting, and it was practically perfect. The walk was perfect. Eric is, the boys are. It all is.

*I ended up being sent from the clinic to the ER, where I had a CAT scan. The scan showed all of my sinuses filled or nearly filled with fluid (this condition is called pansinusitis, which is medical terminology for "awful"). The antibiotics/pain medications are managing it well, and I should be back in shape within the next week.

Brave Max

Max and I came home from the hospital last Sunday to a group of excited older brothers. What a joy it was to be there with my sons! 

I was disappointed to leave them Monday morning, when we were to meet with a neurosurgeon to investigate a small dimple on Max's back. Because the dimple was located near Max's spine, the surgeon was concerned that it communicated with the spinal cord, creating a tract that would put him at risk for serious infection. We scheduled an MRI for Wednesday, which required general anesthesia and, subsequently, an overnight stay in the hospital. How brave Max was! At just five days old, he took the monitoring like a champ.

His bravery didn't end there: we ended up staying at the hospital for four exhausting days. We learned through the MRI that Max has spina bifida occulta, marked by a fatty mass that tethered his spinal cord. Without surgery, Max would most likely lose complete function in his bladder and legs. We decided to operate immediately to minimize the risk of infection. So at six days old, baby Max underwent a four-hour spinal surgery. Here he is the night before the surgery:

And here he is post-surgery, holding up his wrapped IV hand:

The days spent in recovery were full for us: managing Max's pain, caring for his wound, and attending to  his blood and urine work seemed to leave no time even for sleep. Although Max received excellent care and loving attention from the hospital staff,

it was a relief to finally unplug him from everything and take him home, again.

Max's prognosis could be excellent--he may need no further surgeries and enjoy full use of his legs and bladder. He may not. For now we are grateful for the gift of this beautiful boy, for the medical experts who have cared so well for him, and for the generous kindnesses shown to us by friends and family.

The (newest) birthday boy

My two oldest sons share the same birthday, which was also the due date for our newest son. We thought that it would be pretty special to have three boys born on the same birthday (have you ever heard of that happening?), and so we hoped that baby boy would arrive promptly on his due date. I even tried to move things along with anecdotal techniques to induce labor at home. Just for the record, these techniques did NOT work for me:

1. Pushing a preschooler in a stroller for 5 snowy miles 

2. Snowblowing the driveway and sidewalk

3. Hauling 10 boxes of boys' clothing from the basement to their bedrooms

4. Cleaning four bathrooms and vacuuming three floors

5. Eating an entire bowl of the spicy salsa at Abuelo's

What finally worked was waiting until two days past the due date until the little guy was ready. I guess that he wanted his very own birthday.

The Story:

     Eric and I raced to the hospital at 3 a.m., just after I started having "serious" contractions--both my grandmothers had their fifth children in hospital hallways, and I didn't want to follow that family tradition! Eric was on call that night and was talking to one of his patients during the car ride, while I was trying not to scream during contractions. Instead I was gritting my teeth, repeatedly slamming my hand against the car door's interior. Can you believe that despite our hurry I still insisted on taking a picture in the hospital parking garage? 

Medication slowed the labor considerably so that I could have my four hours of penicillin (for Group B strep). Eric continued to take call in my hospital room during that time. Eric finished his call at 8 a.m., and the baby was born at 8:01 a.m. Here's the proud dad and his boy:

 Later on that day, my mom (visiting from MD!) and Eric brought the boys over to meet their brother.

 Even for young Adam, it was instant love:

 We're all in love!

 And how could we not be, with a pleasant little face like that?

After spending a day with the little guy, we decided that his name will be Max Raynor Brinton. Welcome, welcome, little one. Sure love you.

Birthday boys

Jacob and Zachary had their birthday last week, and we threw them (nearly) identical parties, one day apart. This was a great plan! We only decorated once  

and even used the same cake!

Here's Jacob, waiting near the door for his guests to arrive:

In both parties, we sent the kids on a "space mission" to retrieve the abducted birthday cake.

 

They had to build rockets and a space station out of refrigerator boxes (a local appliance store donated three huge boxes to us--they would have given me a dozen, but I didn't have the van space to haul them all).

(Here's Zachary's personal spacecraft.)

 After they finished their space missions,

 they had defeated the aliens and could eat the cake.

For Jacob's party, which was a day after Zachary's, the aliens had already eaten five pieces of cake before the boys rescued it (this was the only way we could figure on making a cake last for two parties!). Fun times.

Locals yet?

People in Wisconsin use the word "yet" at the end of a sentence when I would use the word "still." Here's an example:

"Are you 29 years old?"

"No, I'm 28 yet."

It is also used at the end of a question to mean "now" or "soon," as in "Are you coming yet?" or "Will you visit us yet?" Besides the pronunciation of the word "bag," it's the easiest way to sound out a native Wisconsinite. The easiest way to spot out one is by his ice fishing shack. Yes, these guys are the real deal:

Although still obviously greenies, we're getting there! Look at that manly auger (and its manly operator!), barreling through a foot of snow to the ice:

 The boys couldn't take their eyes off the action even long enough for a picture:

They helped clear away snow, flush out holes,

and drill some more.

Then we let a few lines down to try it out. But after Michael and Adam found out that the snow tasted the same as ours at home, they were ready to hike back. 

Next time we'll stay longer and catch our dinner! We're definitely up for some ice fishing again soon, especially since there's a bait puck in our fridge full of "mousies" (ew). Can you believe that I carried this guy to the middle of a frozen lake in the snow and didn't put myself into labor? I guess I've got some time to go yet.