Kellee One, Peacock Zero

Maybe my sensibility was off, maybe I've become cold hearted, maybe I'm the boss and not the peacock! But last night against my better judgment I released a very excitable dog on that peacock who dared to wander back into my yard! And I forgot that the gate was still open, so...
Rest assured the peacock is still alive, although he may need therapy for the rest of his life. My reward for the dog's hard work is a collection of ALL of the peacock's beautiful feathers. Lucky me. And lucky peacock that this was his mechanism for survival. This bird shoots out all his feathers when he is in danger in order to move faster, otherwise I fear Echo would have had him for dinner for sure (and I might have felt guilty). I'm betting that that maybe the last I see of the peacock in my yard, at least for this season!

Delerious with Sunshine

We aren't quite sure what to do with so much sunshine. It's been hot and sunny for a couple weeks (and no one is complaining). The kids go to bed exhausted because we play outside all day in the glorious sun, trying to soak it all in to clear out the cobwebs of a long rainy winter. I've never seen so many smiles! It's been fantastic to get out the grill, the sunscreen, the hats, the sports equipment, the shorts, etc. David has even had his top off the jeep!

It's funny, though, the boys keep referring to all the things they want to do here this summer. Like water fights and swimming pools; and I have to remind them that this may very well be our summer in Belgium! It's just not that predictable...

And alas, I see rain in the forecast for tomorrow! Well, it was absolutely, wonderfully, fantastic while it lasted! (And maybe if we're lucky we'll see it again before the summer is over.)

Six Lbs. in Two Months!

That would be Finley's weight gain, not mine! It's hard to believe my little baby is already not so little. Some would say he has put it all on in the cheeks. I love his big round smiles and coos. And he has this really cute swirly belly button:



I'm sure he won't think it's so cute later; but he's just my baby now, so I'm going to run with it as long as I can. I'd love to tell everyone he's perfectly healthy, but many of you know, and for those of you who do not, his kidneys are not properly developed. Apparently this is a very common occurrence, especially in boys. The urine doesn't properly drain from the kidneys and the ureters, mostly on the right side. We could see this on sonograms while I was pregnant, but my OB kept telling us that it would go away before he was born. Well, it didn't and I had no idea what to expect.

Unfortunately, I still don't know what to expect. We have been through many tests starting the day after he was born. The health care in Belgium in good; I have confidence in them. However, I just don't understand French. So, during our trip to the U.S. this summer we have an appointment with a specialist at John's Hopkins. If for no other reason, I'd just like to get the facts in plain old English. I do know a main side effect is Urinary Tract Infections, and normally the doctors would put a baby with this condition on antibiotics right after they are born. We opted for a wait-and-see approach with Finley so he would not become resistant or allergic to the antibiotics.

So, as of now he is doing fine and thriving all on his own. Plenty of wet diapers and no infections. I have to just keep believing he is perfect in every way and hope this is something he will grow out of as he gets bigger. And bigger he is getting. I sure hope to share this sweet boy with everyone as soon as possible. I know you will fall for him, just as I have!