Fun at the Park!

On Sunday, JP and I took Merit to the park that afternoon. It was so warm that morning so I dressed him in shorts. A north wind blew in just before we left and it was a tad bit colder then I expected. I put a jacket on him, put him in his car and we set out for the park. He didn't mind the cold wind but JP and I couldn't believe how much the temperature had dropped. We had a great time and of course Merit did too!

Learning New Things

It seems as though a light has come on with Merit just in the last two weeks. Things are clicking with him and he is doing something new each day. JP and I are having so much fun watching him soak things up just as if he was a sponge. He is completely addicted to the Cedarmont Kids videos. Have you seen them? They are videos of kids singing old school Christian songs and doing motions with the songs. We've decided that if he is addicted to a video then this is not a bad one to be addicted to. He has two favorite songs. One is, "If You're Happy and You Know It". He knows when this song comes on and immediately starts clapping. He is not very good at stomping his feet yet but this weekend he mastered raising his hands on the, "say AMEN" part. It is hilarious! This evening we were eating dinner and I started singing the song. He raised his hands when I got to the, "say AMEN" part. The first picture is a picture of him holding up his little finger. He does this when the song, "This Little Light of Mine" comes on. I sing it to him when I'm changing his diaper or when he's not happy about something and it completely changes his attitude. He smiles and starts waving his finger. I'll try to get some better pictures in the next few days.

Fun on the Slide

Merit absolutely loves to play outside. It was so beautiful on Saturday so we went to the park. I didn't bring my good camera but I captured this moment with my iphone. Doesn't he look like such a big boy. He is growing up way too fast! We had fun on the swings, going down the slide and running through the playground. The weather was perfect.

Trying to Use Nose Spray

Merit is doing some really funny things these days. He is definitely trying to show us that he is more independent. He wants to do things on his own sometimes, without the help of Mommy & Daddy. This morning he tried to saline spray his own nose. Too funny!

Playing with Legos at Nana's!

Merit really loves going to Nana's house to play. She has way more toys then we do! This week, she captured some cute pictures of Merit playing with her big Legos. So cute!

I Put Them In and I Take Them Back Out

Merit really likes playing with his toy cars. Grammy and Papa D gave him the cutest cars for his birthday and he carries them all over the house. On this particular evening he would put the cars in the laundry basket, push the basket around, stop and take the cars out. He then would start over again doing the same exact thing; put them in, push them around and then take them back out. It was hilarious! I bet he did this 8 or 10 times. He was very focused and didn't even acknowledge that I was taking his picture.

Playing Fetch!

Merit's newest thing is playing fetch with Maui. He absolutely loves to throw the ball and watch Maui run after it. Maui is such a good dog. He fetches the ball and brings it right back to Merit. Merit giggles and runs all through the house doing this.

Fun Times!

We had a great weekend despite being under the weather. Merit is really enjoying riding in his red car and taking the dogs for rides too. He also really likes to watch his Cedarmont Kids DVD's. It is kids singing Bible songs and doing motions with the songs. It is so cute to watch him! He now knows which songs have which motions. One of the songs involved clapping your hands. As soon as the music starts he starts clapping his hands. Another one of the songs involved turning around and now when this song starts he turns around in circles. Sometimes he does this too many times, gets dizzy and falls. It is quite adorable! I'll try my best to capture this in a picture or video.

Mommy Sick Too

I went back to work on Tuesday and ended up at the doctor's office that afternoon. I had strep throat and a sinus infection, double wammy! My oncologist, Dr. Juturi gave me a good antibiotic and I should be feeling great again in no time! I had my blood work done while I was there and it was really good. Dr. Juturi was very pleased that my iron level had gone up a little higher then it was 2 weeks ago. My white blood cell count had also improved. God is so good. He is truly working in my life. I am still praying for Dr. Juturi and her family. We have had some wonderful conversations and we have build a good relationship. Please continue to pray for Complete Molecular Remission for me and for the salvation of Dr. Juturi and her family. Thank you friends and family!

My First Taste of Chicken Noodle Soup!

I thought it would be good if Merit had some chicken noodle soup since he was sick. Well...it didn't go so well. He was fascinated with the soup and watched me intently as I fed it to him. He then proceeded to put his hand in the soup bowl and dig the chicken, noodles and veggies out with his fingers. It was quite funny. I guess it wasn't the best idea I've had. :)

Jello! Yum, Yum!

Merit and I have both been sick this week. I decided this would be the perfect time for him to try Jello. I know...you're wondering why this child has never had Jello. Well...I'm kind of silly like that. Merit eats very healthy, just like his mommy and daddy. Needless to say, he loved it! I had to help him because it doesn't stay on a spoon very well. He kept asking for more. Guess we'll be having Jello every time we are sick!

Doctor Visit

My poor little boy came down with some sort of upper respiratory virus this week. He has sneezed and coughed over and over again. We went to see the doctor and of course while we were there we had to go visit Mimi. She was upstairs working hard. He really loves his Mimi!

Counting My Blessings

I am so thankful to God that the medication is working to make my blood levels normal. I am also very thankful that the medication doesn't affect the way I feel. I am still praying for Complete Molecular Remission and I believe that God will heal me completely. He is good and He wants good things for all of His children.

On another note, lately sweet little Merit has been waking up once in the middle of the night almost every night. It is really wearing on Mommy and Daddy! JP has been wonderful to take over most nights so I can get some rest. However, when Merit does wake up I spend a lot of moments praying over him. I began by praising God for bring Merit to us when he did and I thank Him for Merit's health. I then pray that God protects him from disease, that he comes to know Jesus at an early age and that he becomes a true servant for Christ. Most of the time Merit falls back asleep on my shoulder or JP's. Even though we are missing out on sleep I treasure the moments with him keeping in mind that this is a short period in time that will soon be gone.

Playing with the Laundry Basket

Merit thinks it is really fun to play with the laundry basket. Mimi and I taught him how to get under the basket. He giggled and wanted to do it over and over again. Too cute!

Eating with a Fork

Merit loves trying to feed himself. Last night he was determined to use the fork to eat his chicken and pasta. I know the pasta dish doesn't look quite appealing here but he had destroyed it by mashing it with the fork. It was quite funny!

Pllaying in Asheligh's Crib

Debbie and Ashleigh kept Merit on Monday. He had so much fun playing with Ashleigh. Debbie took Merit into Ashleigh's room to wake her up and then put him in her crib. They both started jumping and laughing.

Riding in Style

Merit and Ashleigh taking a ride together. Obviously they are having a great time!

Eating lunch together

Here is a picture of Ashleight & Merit eating lunch together. Too cute!

Playing in the Snow!

Merit thought the snow was pretty cool. He kept pointing outside and babbling. We took him out for a short period of time time because it was too cold to stay for very long. He smiled when he first stepped on the snow and then looked at us as if asking if it was okay to walk on it. Daddy pushed him in his red car all through the snow. He really enjoyed the ride!

Cruisin' in My Car

Our Saturday morning ride. I bundled him up because it was really cold that morning.