Milestones

Riddle: What do baby girls, walnuts, and PICC lines have in common?
Answer: They are all milestones. February 5 was a day of milestones for three of my children.

Ricky: Elizabeth, Rick's beautiful wife, had a sonogram today which revealed that she was carrying a baby girl! Our Jon will have a little sister and will become him a big brother. This sweet baby girl will be number 18 in our official grandchildren count. The score: Boys-11, Girls-7. She is coming in June, and all of us are very excited to get her here. Hurrah for our new baby girl!

Mindy: Mindy's little Zach has allergies to eggs and dog dander. When he is exposed to those allergens his skin breaks out into a very uncomfortable rash. A few days ago he was snacking on trail mix in the car. When she looked at him the side of his face was swollen! So she took the mix away from him and today tested him piece by piece to find which little tidbit was the culprit. Ah ha! It was the lowly walnut that caused him the problems. The list of no nos is growing: No dogs, no eggs, and now no walnuts in the house. Hopefully this will be the last addition to the list. That is a great discovery. Now she will be able to control his environment better. Maybe now his skin will clear up and he won't suffer any longer. Down with walnuts!

Shelly: Today Dylan's doctor gave them the great news that he no longer has to be hooked up to that old ball and chain--the PICC line. He had the great pleasure of pulling it out himself. It has been 10 long weeks since he left the hospital and had to stay plugged in. Shelly and Dylan called on their way home from the doctor to share the news, and I could hear the ecstasy in both of their voices. Dylan can go to school, swim, spar, jump on the trampoline, fight with his brothers, clean his room, and do all the fun and not-so-fun stuff boys do. Yes, he can be Dylan again. Shelly can sleep all night, swim, and get her refrigerator back. A celebration is in order!