Prayers, please

Some days it seems like Ricky won't speak in sentences for years, if ever. Today is one of those days. The ASL is such a blessing (Thank you, Signing Time!), but he still only signs one or two words at a time. Otherwise, he is doing very well.

Stas will have tubes put in his ears sometime next month. He may be able to hear after the procedure, but there is still a chance that it will not improve much. It's funny how this all works. You welcome someone into your family, knowing that they will have special needs. You don't know how significant those needs will be, but you happily welcome them into your life. How, then are these things (Ricky's trouble talking, Stas's lack of hearing) so disappointing?

Stas's Glasses

We've finally decided on a pair of glasses for Stas! Mom (still) has to order them, and we will have to wait about 2 weeks after she finally does. We've chosen the- Ha! I'm not telling you yet ;) Maybe I would, except that... "you know who with 51 followers"(I might have to work on passing her up somehow) would not be too happy. Looks like everyone will have to guess* (for now)!


Is it:


A.







B.







C.

or D?

*Unwritten guesses will not be accepted :)

Quick Update

Okay, so you've probably learned from "Ready for Ross" that we are now on vacation in Keystone, Colorado. We are renting a friend's cabin in the Rockies. Unfortunately, I forgot to pack my camera, so photos are limited.

We've gone for a few walks and hikes in the surrounding mountains. We've enjoyed "panning" for gold in a nearby river/stream. We have found TONS of fools' gold, but we think Jimmy may have found a small piece of real gold. On Monday, Mom took all of the kids except for Ricky and Stas horseback riding. Dad took us whitewater rafting on the Arkansas River on Tuesday. Our whole family went biking down a mountain path for a few hours on Wednesday, and we visited some friends for a little while afterward. The boys left to go fly fishing early this morning, and the rest of us walked over to the little shops down the road. We ended up watching a 45 minute Rapunzel play.

We will leave for home early tomorrow morning. *sigh*

Here are some random pictures from the trip:

Bound to Be Bitten

Stas loves to BITE! He hardly ever means to actually hurt anyone. It's more of a sensory thing. I wouldn't mind it so much except that he's still got those piranha teeth! And yes, he is getting stronger- I almost hesitate to practice jaw strengthening exercises with him :)

He not only tests toys or other nonliving things with his chompers. His favorite is...





Feet!!!

You have to watch your feet whenever Stas can get to you- Whether you're on a couch, on a stool, or Ricky with feet dangling from a highchair... learned that the hard way! :O