Two Thumbs Up!

So, as most of you know Isaiah was born with an extra "nub" on his right thumb. Well, we have been waiting a while for the surgery to remove that "nub". Two weeks ago we got a phone call telling us that they had space on Monday June 23rd....provided Isaiah wasn't sick. At the time he wasn't sick and hadn't been sick for a while so we jumped at the opportunity. Needless to say he was fine until Friday when he ended up with an ear infection and laryngitis. So, it was a weekend of worry as to whether they would do the surgery or not and how it would go, etc etc.Anyways, Isaiah walked in to Children's Hospital yesterday with three thumbs up and he came out with two thumbs up! Yay! This should hopefully conclude the surgery portion of Isaiah's life and end his chances of a career as a movie critic!

The surgery was supposed to take 1 hour and 20 minutes and it involved removing the extra bone and moving tendons and ligaments to the outside of his new thumb followed by a cast for 3 weeks. However, the surgery itself took only 45 minutes because when they started operating they realized he had two sets of tendons and ligaments so none needed to be moved. All they ended up doing was removing the bone and adding a bit of fat to the tip of his thumb to shape it better. Plus, instead of a cast for 3 weeks he only needs a bandage for 2-3 days which we can remove and then just cover the stitches with a band-aid. It was a relief to know that it went better than planned. An hour after his surgery we were on our way home and by the time we got home Isaiah was ready to eat! He ran around the rest of the day with Noah and the other kids and has shown no signs of pain in his thumb or anything. So far so good. Thanks everyone for your prayers and I will post pictures of his "new thumb" when the bandage comes off!

BEFORE


AFTER

It was a long day so after a bunch of food and some playing the kids cuddled up on the couch to watch a show before supper. In this picture I asked Isaiah where his third thumb was and he's giving me the "I don't know" hand.

Water Park Mania

Wow, two blogs in one week...you guys must think I've gone crazy...truth is, Greg is in Seattle watching the Brazil versus Canada soccer game (lucky guy), the kids are in bed, and there is nothing on TV. So, what else could I do?

Well, the other day....when it was warm (not like today) the boys and I met up with Cindi and her kids at the Mission Water Park. It was a great time had by all.

I think it is fair to say that the kids spent more time on the blanket "Snacking" then they did actually playing in the water....well, mine did anyways. Here they are after munching on some snacks...Noah was probably eating Auntie Cindi's snacks since mine weren't good enough. But do note that we brought almost the same food...I guess hers just tastes better! Thanks for sharing.

The kids....well Olivia anyways....eventually made it into the water. Noah isn't really in the water but Olivia is. Poor Olivia, she waited in the cold water for Noah to come and stand with her under the rainbow for about 2 minutes but Noah preferred to stay dry. Noah eventually made it through the rainbow, but only when Auntie Cindi went with him.

Isaiah liked hanging out in the train engine....eventually the sprinklers inside the train engine came on and that was the end of hanging out in the train. Poor guy got trapped inside and soaking wet! Not a fond memory of the Water Park.

I had to post this picture because it is typical of Noah and Sabrina. When they are together they tend to always be with each other. Too cute!

The day ended with a group shot in front of the Water Park. We had a great time. Thanks Reids for coming with us...we'll have to bring the Dad's next time!

The Past 2 Months

So, I have been told that I really need to update our blog. I must say, we are very boring people. Other than Greg's soccer, football, and work, not much happens around here so there really isn't much to write. Oh well, here are a few photos from the past couple of months.

Isaiah enjoys "hanging out" at Noah's gymnastics classes. The gymnastics teacher was so impressed with Noah's gymnastics / athletic skills that she wanted to move him into the 5-7 year old class. After much debate we left him in the 3-5 year old class and he's having fun...it isn't very challenging for him but it's fun and he's learning to be around kids he doesn't know! Isaiah can't wait to get out there and start joining in.
Greg went to the last ever Seattle Supersonics game in March and before he left with Tyler Noah and Isaiah decided they should model their shoes. Not much walking went on since they were like skis on the kids! Noah figured he'd wear his Seattle Seahawks shirt for the occasion.
A few weeks ago we headed up to Summerland to visit my parents. We did a lot. We went to Grandma's work to look at the big loaders, diggers, and dump trucks. We went to Summerland Sweets for Ice Cream and candies, we walked into town and went to Penny Lane, we played on the playground, we even had donuts. One day Noah found these earmuffs and wore them everywhere, even when Grandpa took him for a ride on the ATV. Isaiah got to go for a ride too and he really enjoyed his first trip....to the end of the driveway and back!
One afternoon it got really windy and Noah tried to fly his kite....no such luck! So, we broke out the golf clubs instead. I'm hoping one day Isaiah can make it big as Tiger Woods caddy! As usual my dad had the putting green in tip-top shape, Noah only took a few chunks out of the lawn.
The other day Greg and I took the kids to Mill Lake. Noah rode his bike all around the lake and it was then that we realized his 12" bike was just too small. So, on Sunday they had a great sale on 16" bikes....so we got him one. Here he is riding his new bike! Pretty fancy!

Well, that's about it from us! The kids are doing great, Isaiah has recovered from his sprained ankle! Hope whoever reads this enjoys the pictures and I promise to add more soon! We've decided to take up camping this year....I've never been but Greg says it's fun. So, I'm sure you'll soon see pictures of camping, our vegetable garden, trips to Mill Lake, and all the other fun stuff we plan to do...even Dinotown!

Isaiah Turns 1

So, it is official our baby is now 1.....sniff sniff! It has been quite a year and we have definately realized how blessed we are to have Isaiah here. On to the party! We had the typical Falk bash for his first birthday party which included 35 close family and friends. Noah helped pick the guest list which amounted to quite a few people apparently. I don't know so much that he cared but fun was had by all. We had a feast, some gifts, and even a pinata which was requested by the older kids. To our surprise Noah was right in there with everyone...quite a switch from his birthday party where he hid upstairs for the first 1/2 hour. So, I guess both our boys are growing up!

He had a Sesame Street themed party and here he is sitting under his Sesame Street sign.

As usual, Auntie Cindi made an awesome cake for the party. It wouldn't be a Sesame Street party without a Cookie Monster cake now would it?

Here is the Little....or should I say Big Man enjoying his first taste of cake. Most of this piece ended up on the floor but he had fun and surprisingly his shirt stayed white!

Now that he is one we thought he was ready to try sleeping in a Big Boy Bed. Who knew the transition would be so easy! We left his crib up for a couple of nights but he never needed it. He loves his Big Boy Bed. Noah has "lent" his very special blue blankie to help Isaiah sleep. I know, his cherished blue blankie....what a brother! Anyways, he's doing well, he wakes up at about 7:30 in the morning and starts banging on his door so we can let him out! I guess it's almost time for another......ha ha!

Randomness

In the past month we have done a couple of things. One of them was this trip to Chuck E Cheese with Grandma and Grandpa from Mission and Auntie Cindi, Olivia, Sabrina, and Malcolm. Noah and Isaiah both had a ton of fun riding all the rides. The Reid kids had fun too. I think Malcolm had the most fun just putting money into the rides and then getting off....before the ride was over.
We also decided to surprise Grandma from Summerland by showing up at her house a couple of days before her birthday. She was surprised to see me and the kids when we showed up at her work. Greg didn't come....something about a job and work! One of the things we did while we were there was go bowling....or in Noah's words "Bowlering". He had so much fun and scored 86 all by himself with no help. My Mom, Dad, and I also benefitted from the pool noodle bumpers they had in the gutters though we still threw gutter balls...go figure!
Noah figured no birthday was complete without a cake....so, here he is making Grandma a chocolate (his pick) cake. I think his help ended after the batter eating with a face only a mother could love!
Isaiah took a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's as an opportunity to snuggle up in their bed. I think it is a lot warmer and more comfy than his crib.
Well, we came back from Summerland on a Friday and on Saturday Noah had his weekly gymnastics class. He is pretty good at gymnastics.....as is the case with all the sports he tries. Here he is on the pommel horse holding himself up. Noah quite enjoys gymnastics just like he did soccer. As for Isaiah, he is doing well....sick again but other than that he is doing well. That is all from us for now.

Photo Shoot

Our neighbour Anne has set up a "Photo Studio" in her basement and she needed some guinea pigs. So, I sent over my two pigs and look what happened? Anyways, here are my 3 favorite pictures from the shoot.

Winter Pictures

So, just before Christmas we had to take Isaiah to Childrens for an ultrasound and meeting with the Renal (Kidney) Doctors. Last year at this time we were hearing only bad news about Isaiah, so this year it was great to hear that his kidney is doing well! Yay! They say it is growing like it should be and is functioning well so we don't have to go back for a year. I must say this news made for a great Christmas. And, as you can see he looks great...even though he is sick all the time he is doing better than I had imagined. Zay has also started walking....well taking about 10 steps by himself. Unlike Noah he gets into everything and anything...Greg's poor TV is now used as a climbing post!

And here is Noah. He is a great kid who is growing like a weed. This year he understood what Christmas was...the birth of Jesus. He was a little disappointed though when he woke up on Christmas morning and Santa had already been here. Last year he saw Santa but this year Santa had already left?! Strange. Anywho, he had a great Christmas and was spoiled as usual. Just before Christmas he finished soccer and is now doing Gymnastics. He has only had one class but he loves it so far. Noah already writes his own name, knows all the letters and can write most of them, knows where he lives on a map (along with other places like Disneyland), and can count. It is getting harder to outsmart him. Looks like we are in trouble!

As I mentioned before, the boys had a great Christmas. Here they are wearing their new robes Santa brought them. They were spoiled. It even snowed on Christmas Day. For Noah's first Christmas it snowed up in Summerland and for Isaiah's first Christmas it snowed too. Fun. I dont' remember it ever snowing on Christmas when I was a kid.

We have had a ton of snow here lateley and here was one of the snow days. Greg and Noah built about an 8 foot high snowman in our front yard and here are the kids in front of it. Noah just got his own toboggan so it better snow again!

Aquarium

So, Auntie Kim's mom (Donna) had some free tickets to the Aquarium and since Auntie Kim and Uncle Kyle had already been they gave us their tickets. On Saturday we took the boys to the Aquarium. Noah had a blast. His favorite area was the tropics which had sharks, tropical fish, tree boa snakes, caymans, and even sloths (all things found on Diego). He also really liked the Jellyfish which he found in his "Aquarium Book" made by his big cousin Olivia. Thanks Olivia!


So, they have these bubbles you can stick your head into and see frogs through....Greg thought it would be funny if him and Noah made some fish faces. He was right, it was funny.

Isaiah had a good time at the Aquarium too. He rode in his stroller and enjoyed looking at all the fish, whales, seals, and animals. Here he is by the kids play area just after lunch time. Such a happy kid, you can't even tell that he is sick...still!

Here are Greg and Noah looking into the shark tank. I tried to get a picture of the sharks and turtles at the same time but it didn't work. Noah is pointing the shark out to me in case I couldn't see it!

In Noah's words, this was the best weekend ever. We went to the Christmas Parade on Friday, the Aquarium on Saturday, Elliot and Julle came over Saturday night and we had pizza and cake, and on Sunday it snowed. Wow...what a weekend! Can't wait to see how he feels about Christmas!

Fall Falk Family Fotos and Update

My two trick-or-treaters on Halloween....Spiderman and Leo the Lion! Surrounded by their huge pumpkins grown by Grandpa from Summerland. Thanks Grandpa.

Noah's favorite thing to do now when Isaiah wakes up in the morning or after his nap is go and climb in with him. By the time I get there this is what they are doing. Isaiah is smiling....yes, he smiles with his mouth wide open and Noah likes to copy him.

The boys got some new "Winter Jammies". Noah picked Diego (shocking) and Isaiah....well, I picked his because they were cute....tool jammies with a toolbelt stuffed with a drill and hammer. FUN!

So, Christmas is almost here and not much is new with us. Noah is playing soccer and after a couple of rough weeks where he wouldn't participate he is now doing everything and having a great time. I'm not going to lie, he is by far the best 3 year old out there hands down! As for Isaiah, he is doing great. He just got over a bout of pneumonia (which may be common for him in the next couple of years) but is doing great otherwise. About a month ago he started cruising along furniture, crawling, and walking with someone while only holding one hand. I'm not sure he will walk by 9 months like Noah did but you never know....this kid is determined.

Noah's 3rd Birthday

Noah turned 3 on October 11th and we decided to celebrate! On thursday we went out for his birthday dinner. We were going to let him choose where we went but we really didn't want to go to McDonalds...so the parental unit decided where we would go and we ended up at White Spot. Noah had a Cheeseburger Pirate Pack with a strawberry milkshake and strawberry ice cream. Then on Saturday we had his party with family and friends. Here are some pictures of the Spiderman party....we weren't able to convince Noah to dress as Spiderman...a little shy perhaps?!



As ususal Auntie Cindi outdid herself in the cake department. Here is Noah's Spiderman cake. Deliciously Amazing! Thanks Auntie Cindi!

The kids (with help from the adults) painted their own shirts during the party. I think they had fun and hopefully they enjoy wearing their new shirts.

With 11 kids at the party they needed to have somewhere to sit and eat their lunch. Here are some of them enjoying the feast at the three tables. On the left Olivia, Malcolm, and Riley and on the right Jacob, Noah and Quinn.

Noah was a little shy with all the present opening attention being placed on him. So, to prepare himself, he opened presents in his car in case he needed to make a quick getaway! Just kidding, he only lasted in the car for one present and then he sat down with the other kids. Overall the party was a success. Noah had fun and was spoiled (as per usual). We can't believe he is three already...wow time flies!

Pumpkin Patchin'

So, every year we take the (was kid now) kids to the pumpkin patch. This year we decided to go while it was still semi-warm and dry out. Who would have thought that would be more fun than cold and rainy? Anyways, we had a great time at the Apple Barn. There were about 10 other people there so it wasn't too crowded. We checked out the animals, the pumpkin patch, and the playground. Isaiah had a blast and so did Noah. We didn't get any sizeable pumpkins as Grandpa from Summerland is bringing some big pumpkins down (pictures to follow later) for the boys. We did get some mini-gourds and have named them Jimmy and Jerry...a la Veggie Tales.



Here's Noah in the Pumpkin Patch looking for the perfect pumkin....which I'll have you know he never found.

In our house we like to play a little game called Where's Isaiah. Usually he is just in the excersaucer, his crib, or the bumbo chair...not this time. He really did come with us to the Pumpkin Patch and is in this picture somewhere. Where's Isaiah is played like Where's Waldo only he is missing the funny outfit and glasses. Can you find him? Good luck.

Isaiah...always smiling...especially when surrounded by dirt, bugs, weeds, and pumpkins. Don't worry, we immediately brushed him off and wiped him with a wet wipe (like I would let him stay dirty)!

Finally, the boys! How cute are they? They are by far the cutest and most wonderful boys in the world!

Little Man

Isaiah is growing up and always wanting to stand and walk. His big cousin Brody had this cool Jeep walker and he gave it to Isaiah to use....he loves it! Of course, Noah is always along for the free ride!

Cutest Boys Ever

Noah and Isaiah decided to try on some halloween costumes today....we know it's a bit early but there appears to be some interest in "Spiderman" these days.

Earlier in the day Noah decided to make a quick trip to the store where he purchased one Isaiah....value "46". To Noah anything and everything are 46...we're not sure where the number came from.

Yesterday Noah and Isaiah decided to play at the activity table together. Isaiah spent most of the time laughing at Noah who was making goofy faces and noises.

Vacation

We went on our first (and perhaps only) summer vacation this weekend up to my parents house and here are a few pictures from that trip. The first one is of Noah on the fence in my parents backyard. As you can see they have a pretty nice view of Okanagan Lake and Naramata. The other two of Isaiah and the boys were taken at the beach we found in Summerland. Noah loved it because there was the lake, a waterpark, and a playground all beside each other. Needless to say we spent two days there! We also celebrated Isaiah's 5 month birthday by going to Summerland Sweets for ice cream...he didn't get any of course but had fun anyways. We had a great time relaxing and going to the beach.