Happy Spring!!!! Nothing like a trip to the Dallas Arboretum for inspiration! Hope you are taking time to stop and smell the roses...the tulips... the azaleas and all their festive friends.







So, you know that moment when you realize that you are in fact becoming your parents? Not that my parents aren't seriously cool - seriously - but when you find yourself doing things that they do....jammin' to 80's music, wearing socks with flip-flops, eating green veggies and salads and talking about "poopin'" and all, picking your nose (well, okay, I am the only one doing this publicly)...you start to question "is this really who I want to be when I grow up?!" I had one of those moments this week...and I think the picture says it all. Yes, I definitely belong to momma. "Hi, my name is Will" (you say back "Hi Will") "and I am a ThinMintaholic". So, you may be thinking to yourself a) what kind of mother is she? and b) has he no regard for swimsuit season?! I'll answer these later.



Another thing you might be wondering - as I often do after eating an entire box of Thin Mints (love the oxymoron here) - is it true that stripes really make you look chubbier? um, yeah, TRUE indeed. So, if you happen to be over 14lbs and wearing stripes, I suggest you sit in a striped chair to detract from said chubby-stuff. Unless of course, you're me and can eat 5000 boxes of Thin Mints and not gain an ounce. Don't hate me.



So, back to swimsuit season. I'll be sitting this one out. No, not because of the Thin Mint situation...nor because of stripes as clearly I would be the first to buy a stripey swimsuit! But because WET CASTS R SMELLY! This is true fact (yes, a lot of what is on this blog is made up but this has actually been tested). Now, for those of you who watched "Friends" back in the day, you may appreciate Mom and Dad's rendition Phoebe's hit "Smelly Cats"....oh, Smelly Cast...oh, Smelly Cast...or maybe not.

May 10th is the BIG DAY! I am going under again and when I come up, I will be wearing one of these numbers. Not this exact one of course...but you get the idea. http://girltomom.com/my-dark-places/mothers-of-special-needs-children/attachment/7th-cast-trip-123 Every couple of months I will get a new one so if you have some awesome cast designs, send them Mom's way. Who wants boring ol' white??!

I will be wearing this getup for the next year or so to help my curvy spine (those in the biz call it "scoli") be straight. Never fear though, I will be back to doing my own stunts within a week or so. Nothing can slow William Wallace, God's Mighty Warrior, down...not even a silly ol' cast. But Mom and Dad ask that you pray anyway...for the newness of it all...and that God's glory would be seen throughout this journey. Continue to pray also as they seek out 5 pack ab specialists.

Isaiah 41:10 - "Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Ah, that is good news as is the Good News of the Lent Season...Jesus' death and resurrection!! The gift of salvation! HOORAY!!! Happy Easter!

Love, Will

PS - Dad says that I need to say something about Naomi - as if someone might think that's some other girl in the picture (refer back to previous posts...I'm not allowed to date until I'm 40!) So, I will say this...For Lent, I gave up biting her and this has come back to BITE me! Hooray for God's grace!

She loves me...She loves me NOT!

Naomi, that is. I am still too young to be thinking of girlfriends. Well, and add to the fact that Mom says I can't date til I am 40! Is it me or does that seem a little extreme?! Anyway - my little sis came home almost 2 weeks ago (I know, I know...I've fallen down on my bloggin' duties but, seriously, you would too if you had to live in the state of chaos that I am in! RESCUE ME! Sometimes Mom is so loopy she tries to put Naomi's newborn dipes on me - along with accidentally spiking my bottle with some seriously strong caffeine. I am not minding the last part so much as I need a boost from all the late night wakings from that noisy sister of mine...she sure squeals and snorts a lot...do you think they accidentally picked her up at a farm?!...but I may be a little young to be hittin' the Sbux drive-thru!)

So, here are a few sweet moments shared with Naomi since she left the NICU...yes, that's us getting in the car to ride home. And the next ones...well, that's where the title of this comes from. She loves me...She loves me NOT! (okay, in all fairness to her, I did try to bite her. and for the record, she doesn't taste as good as she looks)








So, I'm sure most of you have heard that our city's slogan is "Keep Austin Weird" Why, we want to keep it weird I don't know but we do. So, Mom has always loved this (guess cuz she's weird) and has secretly coveted the tie-dye "Keep it weird" t-shirts that you see the tree-huggin'-subaru-drivin'-organic eatin' folk wearing around town. So...Dad, being the romantic that he is, bought her one for their anniversary. Seriously, nothing says LOVE quite like tie-dye. Here's a little glimpse at Mom's shirt (she wears it a lot these days...something about how spit-up doesn't show-up?) and Naomi who is clearly "keepin' it weird"! PEACE! on a side note: we live in a subdivision called Convict Hill and Dad has cleverly come up with our own slogan (which we hope to make lots of money on so don't try to "steal" it)..."keepin' it criminal". So, this has me wondering...do we live on the wrong side of the tracks? Should I be concerned for my safety?!! Well, I can always chase the bad guys with my new wheels which are DYNO-mite!!!




Here's another keepin' it weird picture...or as Dad likes to think, being "inventive". There sure is a lot of creativity that goes into some of the meals around here, especially when he is left in charge. The barely recognizable foods there are yogurt, smoothie, raisins, and blueberries. Maybe that meal should be called "keepin' it REGULAR" ha ha.


Okay, okay, one more story. People are always asking about me and my ab...it goes something like this...
"So, he's missing an ab...what is that called?"
"Nothing. He's just missing part of his ab."
"Well, what do you mean? Surely, that has a name. What's it's name?"
"No name."
"Are you sure?"
"Um, yeah, pretty sure"
Yeah, so no one has really seen a case of the missing rectus abdominus ...at least none that we've met!...so I guess we can make it's name up ourselves. Any ideas? I am thinking my special club can be called the Dead Ab Society. CARPE DIEM!!

So, since none of the docs have seen this before, they aren't exactly sure what to do about it totally. Long-term and long ways off, is surgery. They can do some pretty cool things using the other muscles I have. Short-term is the casting gig I told you about. 1 year of casts (a new one every two months) to help support my spine for awhile. Mom and Dad have signed off on this so be on the look out for a Cast Signing Party come April!!! Can't wait!! Until then, I will be doing lots of squats and crunches and more carb loading to get myself ready!

So, I know this is a cheesy play on words (what's new from this blog - huh?) but I can't help but think of the verse in I Peter..."Cast all your care on Him, for He cares for you" That's what I am doing...how about you? Ah, I am so loved...by God, by my family and by you. Thank you for praying for me and my sister. We are blessed beyond measure.

Have a blessed day, friends.

Will

PS - please do not call CPS on Mom and Dad...Naomi didn't bleed when I bit her! Thanks!

Dad's Resolution:

Do not wait til the coldest day of winter/last minute to figure out how to install the new carseat! (is it just me or does he look like some fella named Ernest?)

New Year's Resolution #1...More Mac'n Cheese Please!

Happy New Year!! Hope you and your family had a fabulous time celebrating Jesus' birthday!

Hard to believe that we are already 12 days into the new year - huh? Well, I am only making 1 resolution and that is to eat more mac'n cheese. You see, my sister is already weighing a whopping 7 lbs and I am afraid that if she keeps up this pace, she will be in her big-girl-forward-facing-super-fun carseat before me! (I weigh 16.5 lbs...now don't go beating up on Mom...the girl feeds me...even had icecream for breakfast the other day...shhh...but I use up lots o' calories compensatin' for that missin' ab of mine) This would just not be right. So, I'm carb loading. and that's why I'm wearin' my "I MOOSE EAT!" (from Yellowstone) bib. Send me your best pasta recipes please. Actually, just send Mom a note to stop eating my mac'n cheese before it gets to me - please.

Well, okay, maybe I will also resolve to wear footie pajamas. ALL DAY. EVERY DAY. Seriously, eatin' mac'n cheese while in your footies rocks. Comfort food dining at its finest. Why do you think Snuggies were the must-have gift this Christmas season?!! (this is me sporting my off-the-shoulder version)



So, speaking of being resolute....Mom and Dad had to have a chat with Naomi last night. They are having a bit of NICUrosis (the process of having a child in the NICU so long that you start to have crazy thoughts like "where is the nearest EXIT and how can I get my girl's wires off and through it without being detected?")...Dad was so into the plot that he timed Mom running with me in her arms and, determining that he was faster, said that she should drive the getaway car. Mom actually offered cold hard cash to one of the doctors. True story. So, they have pleaded with her to be good...just for one more night. A mere 24 hours of "maturity" (um, sis, yeah, stop gulping down your milk and gagging like Mom when she consumes a cupcake in one bite!) Breathe in...Breathe out. Everyone together now....

So, yeah, Sissy could be out on good behavior as early as tomorrow. (Pray that she at least fakes being "grown up" for today) Hmm...that felt funny, calling her Sissy as that's what we also call the furry thing running around our house. May have to call her Sissy Too or Lil' Sis...or make up a new nickname (any ideas?).

Have another prayer request...Friday is my follow-up with the 5 pack-ab doc. He's giving Mom and Dad the 4-1-1 on the MRI results. Should be interesting for sure since the only thing the radio guy (the doc that reads MRI right after it's done) said was "missing part of his ab". "Um, yeah, knew that...thanks" Hoping that me starving for 12 hours while being sucked through a tube is going to give us more info than that! Also, M&D need to decide whether or not I am going to that Casting Call in Dallas soon. Decisions, decisions.

A huge thanks too for all of your encouragement!! We experience God in a powerful way through you. So glad you are on the journey with us!

Cheers,
Will

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.