New baby in the house

We have a new baby in the house. His name is Jasper and he is approximately seven weeks old. We adopted him from the Humane Society. He is full of spunk and mischief, but is also as sweet as can be. The kids are having the best time playing with him. Rob and I were talking about how much he reminds us of Davy, the cat that we used to have. He even looks a lot like Davy. Davy was the first pet that Rob and I got when we got married almost 16 years ago. We have been watching Jasper play and we just can't believe how much his personality is like Davy's personality. One thing that Davy used to do all the time was to steal straws out of drinks that were left sitting out. Rob just couldn't stand it and had to test it to see if Jasper would do it, too. He set a glass out with a straw in it and walked away. Sure enough, within a minute, Jasper spotted the glass and ran over and sniffed it and then stole the straw out of it. Rob and I just stood there and looked at each other. It's like seeing Davy all over again.

Jasper and Holly, our dog, have really warmed up to each other and are playing together. Holly will enjoy having a playmate. Callie, our very old cat, is not so welcoming of the new baby. In fact, Callie pretty much hates Jasper. Callie has decided to stay on one side of the house and will not tolerate having Jasper come near her. Jasper seems to understand Callie just fine and gives her the space she needs and leaves her alone.

I can't believe that it is New Year's Eve already. This year has flown by and we have been through so much as a family. In January we were going through a lot of emotional turmoil. We were facing Emily's upcoming brain surgery, and yet we were being blessed by having Emily's wish granted from Magic Moments. They brought her a playhouse for our back yard and had it delivered before she went in for surgery. February was the surgery and it ended up being two different surgeries. The recovery was hard, but thankfully it was quick and the surgery was a success. Springtime also brought another hospital stay for our family as Ethan was once again very sick with another bout of pneumonia. He spent several days in the hospital on oxygen. It was after that that we saw a new pulmonologist and realized just how bad Ethan's lungs really are. May was another emotional time because the kids were graduating preschool. I couldn't believe that my babies were actually old enough to be going to big school. We also got the chance to go to Magic Moments Family Camp for the first time. That was an amazing experience. In June Ethan was back in the hospital because he had his tonsils and adenoids out. What should have been a simple procedure was a bit more complicated because of his lungs. Ethan had to stay the night in the hospital on oxygen. Ethan's recovery from his surgery was very long and very hard. The rest of the summer was spent enjoying time on the boat and doing things together as a family. Before we knew it, Kindergarten started. I actually had school age kids. How did that happen? What happened to those tiny preemies? I can see so many changes in them since they started school. They have matured so much in just a few short months. Ethan and Emily turned six years old in October. Where have the years gone? Fall was filled with fun times at school and at home. Thanksgiving was spent with Rob's family. We were blessed again by Magic Moments when they granted Ethan a wish and they sent us to Disney World. Despite Ethan getting a stomach bug, the trip was wonderful and created lots of wonderful memories. And of course we all know about my quest to keep Ethan out of the hospital at Christmas last week. What a way to end the year. Ethan has recovered now, and we are ready to watch the ball drop and are ready to ring in the new year. We are hoping that 2009 brings nothing but health and happiness for our family.