Owen Update 2014

Hello long lost Owen's Warriors! I have done a VERY poor job of blogging for quite some time now. Can I blame my laziness on throwing another kid into the mix?
I have good news and bad news where Owen is concerned. Let's start with the bad and get it over with. About a week and a half ago, Owen had his absolute WORST seizure we had ever seen. Up to that point, Owen's seizures consisted of a combination of head dropping, limb flailing, minor eye rolling/staring, and/or slight momentary shaking. This one was different. It lasted longer...probably around 15 seconds as opposed 2-5 seconds. It was the longest 15 seconds of our lives; it seemed like 2 hours. His entire body was convulsing. His eyes rolled back but for much longer than usual. He fell asleep after it was over, and luckily, we haven't seen another one like it since. However, the worry and constant fear--not to mention the mental image of our sweet little boy struggling--is still present in our minds. Seizures are sickening and evil!
The good news is overall Owen is doing awesome. He had a checkup in December with his epileptologist. He slightly increased one of Owen's seizure meds (which could have caused the bad seizure he had), along with discussed inserting a feeding tube. I know what some of you are thinking, "A FEEDING TUBE?! I THOUGHT HE WAS DOING WELL?!" Owen's doctor brought up a feeding tube a year and a half ago and we were terrified to even look into it. We thought it meant giving up on him. We thought that would be his only mode of nutrition, through a tube. However, after speaking with other parents and researching, we now know that Owen could still eat the same way he has been. The feeding tube will be used primarily for supplemental purposes, helping him gain a little more weight and decrease the risk of aspirating. Soooo, I think we are going for it and will see how he does. He has a consult with a GI specialist at the end of the month and then we will schedule surgery after that.
As far as developmentally, Owen is doing great! I received an awesome note from his teacher yesterday. He stood against a wall for 5 plus minutes and played with toys. He is still sitting independently (he will even sit through a seizure sometimes!). He's grabbing, transferring toys, laughing appropriately, shaking his head yes and no (most of the time). We feel like his little personality is finally showing its face! He likes to tease. He likes grandpa and papa's singing (might be the only one:)). He laughs when his brother Dex gets into trouble. It's a pretty awesome thing to see him change and grow.
Owen and Blake are best buds. It melts my heart. They sit up face-to-face and play together. Sometimes Blake will cry until Owen is sitting in front of him. They steal toys from each other. They stare at each other, and they have the most endearing looks on their faces. There is just too much cuteness going on with these two, I can hardly take it.

 

Side note: Blake is 6 months old and a nearly perfect baby (I might be a little biased on this one). I didn't realize babies existed like this! He sleeps about 10 hours at night (with an occasional nighttime feeding about once or twice a week), he is an avid blankey sucker like his big brother Dex, and all you have to do is say hi to him to get him to smile. He talks, he laughs...he is just a little ball of sunshine. Now if he could only grow some hair....

 

 

 

Halloween 2013

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

 

From Alvin, Simon, and Theodore

 

 

 



Cassidy and Taylor's Wedding

What a weekend! Gavin's little sister Taylor got married yesterday and all of the boys were ringbearers. These pictures will show you how incredibly bad I am at having a camera ready at all times....I didn't even get a picture of the bride and groom. Duh. Taylor looked beautiful, the wedding was (so I'm told) wonderful, all of the kids cooperated nicely and all walked down the aisle perfectly, and everyone had a great time at the after party! And that's all that matters, right? BUT, I'll give anyone who wants to read further a little recap of how the boys REALLY did.

Blake pooped all over his ringbearer outfit, oh, an hour before the wedding. Dex refused to nap after waking up at 5 am, and with the exception of the 2 minutes he perfectly walked down the aisle, he was a holy terror the remainder of the time. Owen pooped four times in a few hour time span (does anyone know how hard it is to change a 6-year-old's diaper in a public place? One with amazon legs at that?) And SINCE Blake crapped all over himself, he was conveniently hungry extra early....RIGHT in the middle of the wedding ceremony. So as I hinted at before, Blake and I were stuck in a van during Cassidy and Taylor's big event.

All in all, it was a great day and we were happy to have been a part of it!

My handsome men

Blake and his god daddy, Austin, aka the fifth Duck Dynasty brother

Silent, serious Blake

Chatty Kathy Blake

Sweet Owen



Owen's cousins Leyton and Paige walked Owen down the aisle.
He had a sign around his neck that said, "Here Comes the Bride"...
they were so cute. They took their job so seriously; they were so proud to push
Owen down the aisle, and they practiced so many times throughout pictures
to make sure they had it down.:)

CONGRATULATIONS AUNT TAY-TAY AND UNCLE CASSIDY!!!!

Kindergarten Stud

Owen has finished a solid week and a half of big boy, all day kindergarten. It has gone pretty well, I think. Although he has been extremely tired some days, we have gotten mostly positive notes home. Here's our almost-6-year-old on his first day:

Waiting for the bus, ready to go!

Gavin went on the first day to check out Owen's new school
and helped him get settled in; I had a house full of Klug and Metro kids so I could't go.

Blake's Baptism

Blake was baptized this morning. How'd he do? Well, not very well. But he did give us some insight into the little #*$% he's going to be in the near future. He whimpered and fussed throughout the entire baptism....until literally the second Father Debes stopped talking and was finished. Dex Jr.? I think so. God help us.

As good as a family picture will get with this crew

In the words of the photographer (Rachel), "Check out that action shot."

 

Blake's godparents Amy and Austin

Grandma and Grandpa

 

Papa and Nana

Left to right: Owen, Ryann, Alden, Max, Kyla, Kael, Kendall, Blake, and Dex
Metro cousins

Thanks to everyone who came and shared in Blake's special day!

Owens New Wheels

We recently purchased a new chair for Owen. After my awesome run-in with Bambi's mommy this last fall and having to drive Owen around in the Camry for a month, we realized that Owen needed a secondary, lightweight, more portable chair for situations like this. (I lost count of the parts we broke off of Owen's green chair because it is so heavy, big, and awkwardly-shaped...getting that sucker into the trunk was nearly impossible for this weakling.) I am so far pretty pleased with the chair, with the exception of it not reclining and the harness being too big for his tiny little frame. We are waiting for a smaller harness that fits him tighter and will keep him snugly in place. On a positive note, this chair has foot straps to keep his hyper little feet still (this feature was a necessity for church; I am through holding his loud feet down to keep him from disturbing others!) Without further ado, here's Owen's new ride (with a peeper in the background)!

Blake Steven Klug

After years of nagging my mom about never having any pictures around of her last-born child (that'd be me), I am FINALLY getting around to posting pictures of MY last-born child almost 3 weeks later (hey, at least I have taken pictures!). Blake is a great baby, and he is showing promising signs of developing normally. I hate that Gavin and I have been constantly looking for developmental positives--oh,--since the second he came out, but that just comes with the territory I guess. Blake is bearing weight on his legs, beginning to track sounds and objects with his eyes, nurses like a champ, holds his head up very well, communicates through crying...all signs that for now we can breathe easy (like parents EVER breathe easy?!) We are incredibly happy right now, and yes, our family feels and IS complete.:)

Blake's stats at birth:
Weight: 7 lbs. 15 oz.
Time: 9:24 pm
Height: 20 in.
Date: Tues., July 9th, 2013

Blake right after birth

Family picture in the hospital; yikes

Grandma and Grandpa

Kendall, Rachel and Max

Kyla

Ryann

daycare buddy Alden

cousin Kaelynn

Nana and Papa

We're home!

proud brother:)

grandma Annie and great aunt Jayne

Alyx, Paige, aunt Alisha, and Carly

aunt Tay-Tay and soon-to-be Uncle Cassidy

I can't lie and say this was his first bath at home;
he screamed bloody murder throughout his first bath.
This was a much calmer second bath a few days later.:)

Mason and Leyton; these two cracked me up, they were so excited
to meet Blake!

Skip ahead a couple of weeks, and this is a current picture
of our little man decked out in his Sunday best. Almost 3 weeks old!