Counting our Blessings

February has been a troubling time for Tony, Butters, and I.  Earlier this month, Tony and I noticed that Butters was having an increasingly difficult time eating and drinking.  Through a trip to the vet, we discovered he had severe deterioration of his jaw muscles, making it virtually impossible to open his mouth.  There were several possible causes, most of which held terrible prognoses.  After a thorough work-up, he was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease, Masticatory Muscle Myositis (MMM). 

Thankfully, MMM holds one of the better outlooks.  With steroid treatment, he will likely be able to live a pretty normal life.  Our vet believes we discovered the disease early enough, before the antibodies in his blood had destroyed all of the jaw muscle.  He has a good chance of at least partial recovery.  Over the last 2 weeks, he has been on high doses of prednisone.  He has been making steady improvement.  Now, he is ably to eat and drink comfortably.  His jaws have regained partial strength.  Each day, he is able to open his jaws a bit more.

This weekend, Tony and I took some time to count our blessings.  It is the simple things… cuddling up with him on the couch, watching him collect his toys in bed, his head-tilt to funny sounds on the TV, the kisses that he gives to visitors, exploring the backyard together… that we love the most about Butters.  He will always be our first little man… our first baby that convinced us we were ready to be parents.  Watching him recover, we are hopeful that our son will be able to know and love him the way that Tony and I do.  We now have hope that he will be here for many years to come.  For that, we know we have a lot to be thankful for.

Weenie Roast

This past Saturday, Tony and I celebrated Baby Bean's (rapidly) approaching arrival with our San Antonio friends.  

We are very thankful to Mamie and Jon for throwing us a great baby shower!

In honor of our baby boy, the day was appropriately themed a “Weenie Roast.”  The meal included Italian sausages fresh off the grill…

…and pigs-in-a-blank appetizers.

The beautiful weather, tasty food, and great company all made the day very special.

Thank you so much to all of our friends who joined us in this day to welcome Baby Bean!  

Good Ole' Fashion Texas BBQ

This past weekend, I had a chance to enjoy some quality time outside of work with some of my co-residents.  It was great to spend a day sharing good food and company, hearing about everyone's lives outside of the hospital.  My friend, Danielle, hosted this special event in honor of her gorgeous daughter turning one-year-old.  It was a true Texas-style party, complete with cowboy-themed decorations, BBQ, lawn games, cold drinks, and perfect weather.

Many young kids attended the festivities.  They all seemed to have a blast, breaking out their cowboy hats and finding plenty of ways to entertain themselves.

The big hit of the day clearly was the plastic ball pit.  I will have to keep that idea in mind for my own future family parties!

It was clear that everyone enjoyed the spread of food and drinks.  There was not a single piece of left-over brisket or cake by the end of the day!

The people weren't the only ones joining in on the fun.  Even Boss Lady, the family dog, was part of the action.  She loved the extra head rubs...

... and cleaning up the bits of BBQ that made their way under the picnic tables.

And, no party could be complete without a themed photo booth.  Families had a chance to "get their mug taken," with the bonus of plenty of entertaining props.

For me, one of the most striking parts of the day was watching the love shared between parents and children.  Seeing all of the families together offered a preview of how drastically my life will change in the coming months.

It makes me even more excited to finally meet my son in the next couple of months

Thank you so much, Danielle, for asking me to capture and be a part of your special party.