Real Men Wear Kilts!

Real Scots go commando...

Fortunately for all you I am still in diapers...with a onesie...so no bare down there. :) But I thought you might like to see some pics from my recent birthday party (mainly to show off my manly legs and my super cool kilt). Mom hired a bagpiper...well, hired is a bit of a stretch...she begged our neighbor who happens to play for Austin fire department to come over and play a few songs...and, out of the kindness of his heart, he did. He's not a real Scot but he sure plays like one. Mom tested out some bagpipe music on me before asking him (she is still scarred from the time she had our uncle dress up like a dalmatian for her niece and nephew's 3rd birthday...101 Dalmatians themed of course...only to have all the kids scream bloody murder at the sight of him)...um, but I guess she didn't have the volume up high enough or something because it sounded really different hearing one up close and personal. I think this picture may say it all. Hopefully he's not scarred...this was his first kid birthday party gig too.



Of course nothing stops a good cry like buttercream frosting. Mmmm....cupcakes...does it get any better than that?! So, I don't officially turn one til Wednesday...I feel I need to put that out there as some of you thought I literally got a sister for my birthday (that would have been truly crazy - huh? what are those statistical odds?!). Maybe I should say she's the turkey we got for Thanksgiving instead but that just doesn't sound as nice. Dad does call her "Lil Punkin" (Mom's nickname was Punkin when she was little...funny, not sure why she doesn't want to be called "Big Punkin" now?!) Besides, I literally did get her as my birthday present as clearly the other one - you know, the gift of bagpipes - didn't go over so well.



So, speaking of my sister...Naomi turned two weeks old yesterday and is doing GREAT! She breathes on her own, is starting to eat on her own (speaking from experience, I know she will enjoy eating through her mouth much more than her nose!), and is even dressing herself. Well, that last part isn't exactly true...but she is starting to wear her own clothes! She is AMAZING!! From what I hear from Mom and Dad, hanging out in NICU is much more fun this time around. Of course if it wasn't for me they wouldn't have made all these friends there! They say that it's possible that she could be home for us to party together on New Year's Eve. She would have to speed through all of her milestones (which she is already but needs to keep at it!)...so pray that she does!! Dad is asking for double prayers...Naomi home AND only one insurance deductible to pay (yep, yep, we Shewmaker kids cost double because we are so stinkin' cute...well, and because we like to be at the hospital during a calendar change!)


Okay, is it just me or does she need to have her eyebrows waxed?

So, in other news...I met Santa yesterday!!!! I liked him...he's much quieter than Andre the Bagpiper. He asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I told him what every good Austinite would say..."Whirled Peas of course!" ha ha. Not really...I said getting Naomi was enough. Ugh, I lied to Santa...will that put me on his Naughty list? I hope not.



Actually, the highlight of yesterday was going to see a live nativity at the church down the street. I loved hearing about Jesus' birth and how He came to save me. Yep, even little ol' me. Now that's a great Christmas gift. (oh, and, if you are wondering, the Baptists still serve cookies and punch and do some friendly recruiting at their seasonal events)

Hope you too are enjoying the Christmas season!!
Cheers,
Will

MRI (Mighty Restrictive Incubator)

I had the big MRI today and, whoa, that thing seems like a place where you would place chicks so that they grow into big chickens.  That reminds me of the chickens running around in my neighbor's backyard -- hey, "keep Austin weird," right?

Anyway, so I did have the MRI.  Aside from feelings of grogginess -- Mom said it looked like I had too many margaritas, but I told her that they didn't give me any pizza.  Ha!  And Mom thinks I didn't get any of Dad's sense of humor! -- it went pretty well.  But, and this is kinda important, my paramedic looked alot like Santa Claus (for those of you who believe in him, ;) ) so I am a little unsure if I was bad this year or what.  I mean he put me in a long white tube for three hours, and when I woke up for a few minutes, he put me BACK in there!  Are you kidding?  At least I have always been a good sleeper and was able to fall back asleep.

They got all the pictures that they wanted to get.  At least all the ones Dad could convince the insurance company to pay for.   Now I will just have to see what the doctors say about them in the next few weeks.  Dad said something about each one being worth a thousand words and I thought, "I may not be able to write all that stuff on my blog."  Hmmm?  So stay tuned.  I'll be thinking about how to explain it.

Thanks so much for the prayers!   Keep praying for healing!  Jesus healed people all different ways when he was on Earth.  I wonder if he ever thought someone could be healed while laying in an MRI machine?  Wait a minute, he knew about those way, way back when, so surely he did.  Who knows, he may even have special names for our muscles, different that what we call them.  So maybe He will heal me one day soon.

Ok, that's enough for today.

Before I go, Dad says I should dedicate this song to my sister because the only reason they could ever leave me in the NICU was because they knew that God would take care of me.  So, here you go, Naomi.  I can't wait to see you!

I got a sister...cha cha cha....for my birthday...cha cha cha

...what did you get for yours?...cha cha cha...

So, let me just say that I AM excited about getting a new little sister...REALLY, I AM...but to be honest I was expecting something a little more "age appropriate" for my very 1st birthday. Maybe some board books. A miniature horse (my friend, Noel, has one). Motorized Jeep. etc. etc. etc. But no...my parents went cheap and got me a sister. Well, Dad's saying she wasn't that cheap and that we will be paying for her for a long time. But still.

So, it's true. She's here. Showed up yesterday, completely unexpected. She tried to upstage me - being 9 weeks early (I was only 8...I take after Dad who is always just a little bit late) and weighing a whopping 4 lbs and all - but no....she can't. She doesn't even have her own blog! (She does, however, have all of her abs so I am a teeny bit jealous of that)


Speaking of abs, Wednesday is the big ab reveal day. Yep, yep, despite all the hullabaloo of the sis being born, I am still having my day in the Giant Tube (Giant Tube = MRI machine). This Wednesday...almost all day (yeah, I hope they serve snacks in there!)...I need you to pray, pray, pray. Pray that the doctors will put on their best detective hats and solve the case of the missing ab...or at least put together some pieces of the mysterious mystery! Pray that Mom and Dad will also know what direction to move in next.

I know this is a fast and furious entry...needless to say, I am a little scattered with all the big events of the week...but wanted to let you know the big birthday news and to get you prayer warriors-a-praying! Happy belated Thanksgiving...hope yours was as awesome as mine (had my first turkey and punkin pie...YUM!) I was reminded of how thankful to God I am for His love and His Grace. For friends like you and family. For the freedoms we share in this great country.

Will update more soon...
Love, Will



PS - if it looks like I am smirking in our fall photo, it's because I am. it was cold and rainy, a completely unacceptable picture taking day at the arboretum. I let everyone know. Thus, this is the only one of us that is being published. We will leave the rest for your imagination.

Me Like Cookies!

C is for Cookie, that's good enough for me...COOKIE, COOKIE, COOKIE is for C! Sing with me...or rather, EAT with me! YUM!!

Yep, yep, I had my first taste of cookie goodness today. But that's not why I am singing...it's a tribute to my Halloween costume. You remember the one...my super cool Rainforest blue frog (also know as "THE DART"...even cooler) one. Well, would you believe that some of the trick-or-treaters I ran into thought I was Cookie Monster. Okay, okay, so they were older folks...possibly needing some spectacles, possibly just hungry and tired...and they were a good distance away from me when they started screaming...."Look! Look! It's Cookie Monster!" Seriously?! Have you ever seen a furless, spotted, pointy toed Cookie?! He's a puppet, people! Okay, well, maybe I see some resemblance in the eyes, but that's it.



So, I have to confess that trick-or-treating is a tad overrated. Not that I didn't have fun...I did...but it seems that I got the trick end of the deal with my parents eating all of my treats (along with having to listen to Mom and her friends whine about how bad times must be since no one was giving out Junior Mints!)

So, the day after my big Halloween adventure, I visited with the nice folks at Scottish Rite Hospital who are in the business of helping curvy kids like me. In fact, if you want to learn about some of what they do, you have to listen to Miss Emily (below). I didn't get to meet her but she seems fun (although quite serious with all this talk about college!)
http://www.tsrhc.org/video-emily.htm

So, my doc thinks that my spine looks a little crooked...the big, fancy medical term is scoliosis I think...and would like to start treating it with something called "casting". No Hollywood producers or actors here...this kind of casting involves anesthesia and PLASTER! WHAT?! Hmm...sounds itchy - doesn't it?! Well, I have decided that if I get one (or two or three...as mentioned), I will think of it as my armor! After all, I am WILLIAM WALLACE, GOD'S MIGHTY WARRIOR! Hmm...guess I will need to get a sword to go with it.

Yes, well, the details are still being worked out. I am scheduled to have a brain and body scan (MRI?) soon and then we will understand more about my spine and how that's connected to that missing ab of mine (maybe they are lost in there together waiting to be found?!) Mom and Dad will let you know what they find out and what the plan is.

Pray for the docs who will be collaborating (practicing my big SAT words again) on my treatment plan along with Mom and Dad who possibly have some big decisions to make. Of course if you are into gigantic, mountain moving prayers well then go ahead and pray for healing. No matter what though, I will continue to be thankful for another day to play. There is JOY, JOY, JOY down in my heart! Where?!...



Good night, my friends!
I love you much,
Will

Huge praise!

We saw the first surgeon today and were impressed with how remarkably intuitive he was to Will's little body. a huge praise to God for answered prayers...and thanksgiving to you who prayed. As this is only the beginning of our long journey, we ask for continued prayer as you travel along with us. Mark and I feel very blessed to call you friends and family.

Love,
Dana

The Grin Reaper

Top o' the morning to ya!
Using "the google" combined with some fact finding research on "the wiki", I was looking to bring a rockin' Scottish greeting to you fine folks this morning. However, this is far more fun than a simple "Guid Morning!" So you might be thinking I've gone all Irish on you, but no...this phrase, in its original form comes from the Kiwis (no, silly, not the fruit...the people) The perfect response to it is "and the rest of your day to yourself!" Soooo much more original than "Hi, how are you? Fine, how are you? So, what do you think of the weather? Fine, how about you?"

Actually, the weather is NOT so fine here in Austin. Yep, yep, 88 is better than 100 but where is the fall/chili/pumpkin latte weather love? Plus, I want to be able to wear my super cool hoodie out in the hood. Check this out up top.

So, my MoMo (Mom's Mom) loves, loves, loves a good bubble suit (for those of you unfamiliar with the term, it looks something like this http://www.etsy.com/listing/48612180/smocked-personalized-bubble-gingham) - basically one stitch away from being a girlie-girl dress. Now, no offense to you bubble lovers out there (seriously!) but my Dad said that he and I are more "overall wearing kinda guys", reflecting back to his days of wearing his backwards baseball cap, shorts and boots I think. Mom says though that she's even seen Dad in a baby picture dressed in something like this (proof even on a video) but he denies it. Maybe he is in D-E-N-I-A-L.

Thus, the war...well, not really a war (Dad says I sometimes exaggerate like my Mom!)...but certainly a battle of "Wills" has gone on regarding my wardrobe. So, MoMo bought this as an "alternative". Um, yeah, are these even sold at the Bubble suit store? I must admit, I feel very hip. Very much like a pirate scavenger. AARRRrrrr. Very GRIN REAPER!

So, speaking of Halloween...here's a sneak peak at my costume. It's a MoMo original. When she brought it to me, she asked me if I knew that there are really blue rainforest frogs. She thought I made them up or something but nooo.. She checked with a buddy of ours who has her Ph.D in Frogology (she really does) and she confirmed it. I will not be a poisonous one like this though... http://www.aqua.org/animals_bluepoisondartfrog.html. Yeah, you may be wondering why I am going as this for my very 1st Halloweeen...and may clearly be concerned for my future costumes...but it's because I had no say in the matter. I am not one yet. Mom says that then I will be able to make my own decisions.



In other news, I got a new cousin yesterday! Her name is Anna Leigh and she's super cute...well, until she cries. Then she's not so cute. Is my baby sister going to cry? I hope not. Please let me know if any of you are able to take me in when she comes home. Hey, I think I will send out a care calendar for signups!



and, finally, the real reason for my post. Did you know the Rangers are one step away from the World Series? so cool. I have been rootin' on Josh Hamilton by wearing my lucky 32 jersey! Oh, take me out to the ballgame...sing with me....


Okay, okay, that wasn't it. The real reason is because Mom, Dad and I are going to meet with a plastic surgeon here in Austin tomorrow. And then next week we head to Dallas to meet with another one along with the nice folks at Scottish Rite. Please pray for us and the doctors. Pray even for a miracle of healing as God still does those! HOORAY for GOD!!! He has already done so much in my short life...I am truly blessed.

Cheers,
Will

THANKSGIVING

Whew...what a week!! Is it Friday yet?! Not that I don't love all days ending in "Y" but this week I have had my own share of "whys" to grumble about...

• why, oh why, does Mom have to sing that "Rise and Shine and Give God the Glory, Glory song EVERY morning?" (actually now that I think about it...it annoys Dad more than me. Sometimes I even give her a smile for her efforts)
• why, oh why, did my Monday begin with this seemingly nice nurse dropping something liquidy in my eyes, making them all blurry and cross-eyed? (have you been there? feel my pain? there is not one fun thing about the eye doctor. not one)
• why, oh why, did I get not one but two shots at the drs office this morning? and I have to come back for more because two flu shots must be better than one? WHAT?! and I may actually feel like I have the flu but I don't because I got that fun shot? WHAT?! And the Tweety bird band-aid is NOT making me feel better about all this.
• why, oh why, can't we be born with all of our teeth? this one at a time thing is killing me. Not only am I in pain (we're talking real pain as in "I need drugs, people!"), I am drooling like a St Bernard. I try to stop myself but I just can't. Kinda like Mom and her latest pregnancy addiction - Newman O's (Oreo wanna-bes)!
• why, oh why, does Dad think sucking snot from my stuffed up nose with one of those big, blue bulby things is FUN? Seriously, I think he looks forward to that at the end of each day. WEIRD.
  

But Mom and Dad have reminded me to be thankful in all things. "Oh give thanks to the Lord, fro He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting!" (Psalm 107:1-2) This is so true!! I have LOTS to be thankful for. God's love and grace. My parents. My MoMo, Grandmommy and Grampy. Lots and lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. My buddies. College football (Dad is teaching me all about the various positions and plays!). Scout. My exersaucer. Silly songs (I like to shake my bootie to them!). Dad even told me to thank the nurse who gave me the shots this morning....personally, I think that's taking it a little too far.

Okay, some other things to be thankful for...

• my NICU buddy, Reece, is home from the hospital and didn't have to have surgery! YEAH GOD!!! I've been praying for him because he has been through A LOT. Keep praying for him. Also, a huge praise for my buddy, Henry, who made it through his surgery and is doing great. Thanks to all of you for praying for them.
• being taller. Okay, okay, I know that's a weird thing to be thankful for. But, hey, I'm a guy. I am also named William Wallace and as you know, legend has it that he was like 8 feet tall or more. One doctor thought I might end up half that size (of course he did look at my parents and remind me that I had not exactly gotten the luck of the draw when it comes to the tall gene pool) but NOoooo. I am also gaining weight...so much so that I may actually graduate to new clothes soon. That makes me happy because I am oh-so-tired of the ones I've been wearing for the last 9 months! I like to eat so much now that I sometimes SCREAM at my Mom when she doesn't have my "baba" already prepared for me...which leads me to another thing to be thankful for..
• My baby sister, Naomi. Yep, I was vying for a brother...and yep, this means I will have to share a bathroom with a messy girl (this coming from my Uncle Brent who supposedly has some experience with this) I am trying to be thankful but I think it will just have to be one of those things that grows on me. The idea of having to share anything at this point is unthinkable. Dad says that when he was little his favorite thing to say to his brothers when they were not loving their little brother as they should was "Jesus SAYS share". Personally I like Mom's dramatic childhood saying better..."LIFE ISN'T FAIR!" Oh yes, back to being thankful...
• talking. I do lots of it. Mom says I take after Dad. Dad says I take after Mom. Hmm?! Well, much to Dad's chagrin, I am saying lots of Mamamamama and Babababa these days. He's accused Mom of "brainwashing" (not sure what that means)...I say that "I WILL NOT PERFORM on DEMAND! You people named me WILL and I WILL say what I want to and when I want to!" Hmm...maybe that's why they named my sister, Naomi, meaning "pleasant and delightful"
  

Couple of other random things to share with you. Hope you are sitting down for this one...it's one of those things that could appear on a Dateline special. Yes, it's true...I have 2 different color eyes! Cool - huh? Well, Mom freaked a bit at first (shocking!)...she needs to stay off the internet...but has come to accept it as another one of my "unique features". My blue eye belongs to Daddy and my hazel one to Mommy. And, well, if I seem a little squinty in my pictures sometimes..well, that's part of it too. Something about trauma during my birth?! Um, yeah, buddy! But the dr said my eye sight is perfect (well, for a kid my age) and shouldn't ever be an issue. Whew...

The other thing is that I will be seeing a 5pk ab specialist at the end of next month. And having an MRI the month after that. Keep praying for me please. Pray that Mom and Dad find the right doctor and that I don't completely lose it in the MRI machine (yeah, yeah, I know they give you drugs or something...so maybe the prayer is that Mom doesn't LOSE it while I am in the MRI machine)

As always, I am thankful for your friendship and prayers. I am one blessed boy! Hope the fall (well, when it gets here...it's 100 in Austin!) reminds you of God's plentiful harvest.

Love, Will

PS - today is my three-quarter's birthday...in other words, I am a little over 5 in dog years.