Under the knife

Carson had his first ear infection at 8 weeks, and he's had one almost consistently since then. After 5 doctor visits, 3 rounds of nasty antibiotics, 2 chiropractic adjustments, and a whole host of eardrops, tears, and nights of pain and screaming, we decided to bite the bullet and have tubes put in his ears.

The procedure would be fairly routine, but it still meant going to Childrens Hospital and being put under general anesthesia so an incision could be made in each of his little eardrums. We were fine until they wheeled him away on the gurney in his pint-sized hospital gown. As he and the surgical nurses disappeared down the long corridor, Carson looked back to find us. They might as well have taken my beating heart out of my chest, wheeled it away, and said "stay calm...this won't be long at all."


The surgeon reported that it went well, and that Carson had been in the midst of a terrible double ear infection, which they were able to clear and treat during the procedure.

The recovery nurses reported that he woke from the anesthesia "hopping mad and starving." We were able to connect once they brought him back to us; he latched onto me, and his eyes rolled backward. He hummed and cooed, all sleepy-eyed and red-faced. For the first time, our little man had NO pressure behind his eardrums!

It's the start of a new day.

Snow Angels

The snow that never drifts
The transient, fragrant snow
That comes a single time a year
Is softly driving now.
- Emily Dickinson

Happy 2010!

Three cheers to Cindy and Ben, who managed to host another fantastic, family-friendly New Year's Eve party again this year. And another three cheers to the parents, who actually managed to have a "faux" celebration for the kids at 9pm so the adults could enjoy our time when the REAL ball dropped. We're learning.



14 people slept in the Isenhour abode that night. The best part was the next morning, lazing around in our jammies with no agenda.

Below is a shot of the iphone brigade. (editorial note: didn't we just play dolls when we were this age? At least they were playing video games and not texting each other.)

Merry Merry

I knew it would be a good day when Ella raced down the hall in her footie pajamas. "Santa's been here!" we shouted, and I pointed to the plate where only cookie crumbs and broken carrot sticks remained. She had a dozen gifts under the tree, many of which were displayed for immediate shock value. She ignored them all and dove, belly-down, under the tree. After a few minutes of rustling and digging, Ella produced a tiny, one-inch box. It was wrapped with more tape than gift wrap. "For you, mommy. I picked it out all by myself." She was glowing with excitement as she presented it to me, centered in her open hand.

I unwrapped a gumball-machine ring with a gold heart and a tiny blue gemstone. She waited until I tried it on, giggling with excitement and relief at how much I loved it. I wore it all weekend and finally retired it to my jewelry box "for safe keeping" once I realized that my finger was turning green. A decade from now, when she's 14 and claims that I'm "so lame," I'll put it on again and remember the day that my gift was more important to her than santa's loot. Wow.

The next three days were filled with food, family, and fun:






Grandma Erma celebrated her 95th Christmas this year, and Carson's very first.
A happy holiday indeed!