EDIT TO PREVIOUS POST...

It's NOT fun anymore...

PROGRESS

Our first day's work...

Today we finished the dining room and moved into the kitchen a little bit. (I can see that tearing up the linolium and boards in the kitchen is going to be a pain!)

Jake took a picture of me cutting the planks to the right size. We're hoping with me doing the cutting and Mick doing the snapping together we'll get rolling along fast.
We moved all the furniture into the completed room and plan on starting the living room tomorrow.
It should go pretty fast.
It's actually kind of "fun" except for the MESS and moving furniture around.

WE'VE GOT OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US

With our "leftover" tax return this year (after we paid for Kyle's braces and Davis' surgery) we decided to do a little bit of remodeling. Our carpet has HAD IT, so we went to Costco with coupon in hand and bought us some new laminate flooring. We love the look of the antique hickory and pray that it will look great in our house. So, after loading 43 heavy boxes of laminate in the store...and then unloading it when we got home (in the rain)...we have boxes everywhere.

And we were so excited that we've already tore up the flooring in our dining room...
So, in the meantime, our living room will look like this... But hopefully, very soon our house will look like this

(the picture that comes with the laminate). Too bad the flooring doesn't come with the furniture and fireplace in the picture too.

Update on Davis' Hearing

Tuesday, Davis and I drove to Spokane to meet with the ear surgeon. First, the surgeon and I discussed Davis' history with hearing loss - the age I first noticed his hearing loss, what doctors have suggested or done for him, if I have family with hearing loss, etc. And after looking over his hearing tests and looking in his ear, the surgeon thinks Davis was probably born with his hearing loss.

He said Davis has conductive hearing loss, where sound is not being transmitted into his inner ear. The surgeon thinks Davis has a disorder(s) of the small bones in the inner ear. There are three small bones interposed between the ear drum and the small hole across which sound is transmitted into the inner ear. When these bones are fused or broken there is a conductive hearing loss. And that's what the surgeon thinks is going on. He doesn't think Davis' hearing loss is due to scar tissue.

The surgeon told us that with this kind of hearing loss, hearing aids will definately work well and that there is also good surgical treatment. He said they would put Davis asleep for the surgery, but when they perform this surgery on adults, they keep them awake.

Then we discussed the social issues some older children have with wearing hearing aids, the risks of surgery, the statistics, etc. He also told me that 1 in 7 children with Davis' hearing loss that DON'T do something for it will fail a grade - which I found very interesting and scary.

So, after hearing everything the surgeon had to say, Davis said he wanted to try surgery. Mick and I feel that if we have a chance of FIXING his hearing with surgery and not have to deal with trying to make Davis wear a hearing aid - we want to try surgery too. So, we tentatively scheduled him for surgery on Thursday, March 5th. In the meantime, I will continue researching everything I can.

GOING PRIVATE

I'm going private...

please email if you'd like to be "invited" to view my blog! It'll be worth it. ;)

mickandjodi@gmail.com

First Five

The first five people...

to leave a comment on this blog will receive something made by me.

However there are some limitations

1. I make no guarantee that you will like what I make.

2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done this year. (might take a while)
4. You have no clue what it is going to be.
5. I reserve the right to do something really fun.

Here the catch, if you choose to do this. You must post this on your blog and be ready to make something for five people too. This will be fun! When you receive the fabulous item I make you, you must post a picture of it on your blog.

STRIKE A POSE!

We were at our good friends' house last night and Jake and Bennett were having a great time with their daughter's dress-up clothes.

Aren't they adorable??

Update on Davis's Hearing

It's been awhile since I've posted about our concerns with Davis' hearing loss, so I thought I'd post an update. Since I last posted, Davis has chosen a hearing aid (it's shiny silver and little) and he is "willing" to try it out. But we need to get a doctor's medical release for him to wear it. At that appointment, the ENT suggested we consult a surgeon in Spokane because he thinks his hearing may be fixed with surgery. So this Tuesday, Davis and I will be taking a road trip to Spokane and meeting with the surgeon. I'm hoping and praying he'll be able to answer some questions for me and help us know what to do.

2008 Badger Mountain Bazaar

My booth was very crowded this year (and this picture doesn't even show it all). And my brother took this picture after some things had even been sold. I didn't have things rearranged before he took this picture - that's my excuse for it looking so chaotic anyway.

Pinewood Derby 2009

Here's Kyle showing off his car proudly. This was his 2nd year and he was still just as excited as his first year.

Davis watching the races - patiently waiting for his car's turn. Can you tell it's his 4th and last year?
Here are the two proud McDonald boys with their medals and certificates. We never seem to actually win a race, but they still love getting their individual prizes (thank goodness).

Only 6? more years to go??

Phase One of Kyle's Ortho Adventures...

First he got a palette expander put in...

Next, he got braces put on his top front four teeth. He chose the color "midnight glow."
He did a GREAT job!! Phase 2 in 6 weeks.