tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25711285608130827322024-03-12T22:55:57.617-04:00Just 1 StepThoughts, inspirations, and life...Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.comBlogger741125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-6586934554110475122023-12-31T11:34:00.002-05:002023-12-31T11:34:44.722-05:00Greyden Roy at 11 Years Old<div>Dear Greyden,</div><div><br /></div><div>Here we are at the end of 2023, and I'm sitting down to write this life update on the last day of the year just like last year. But that's ok...you're still 11 years old, and better late than never. :)</div><div><br />
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2023/Greyden-2023/i-WfJbSvQ/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2023/Greyden-2023/i-WfJbSvQ/0/46f77fde/L/IMG_8880_edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
I am so relieved to say that this past year has been a better one for you than the year before. Your health has been steady at an "ok" level. You started twice-monthly Humira injections at home last winter, which was definitely traumatic for our family at first, but we've found a process for doing them that seems to be working (numbing cream for 30 minutes, buzzy bee and ice for 3 minutes, you hold the iPad and watch a certain show while I hold the buzzy bee and ice on a nearby abdominal location and Daddy does the actual injection). You get a frozen Dr. Pepper or frozen Coke after each injection, which seems to be a big motivator for you. And the injections do seem to have improved your CRMO. You are only very occasionally limping, and you're able to run and play sports without restriction. I am constantly watching your gate for shifts (which we do see unfortunately) and you do complain of leg pain several times per week, but this is still a great improvement over the year before. We're hoping to do an MRI soon so get a more accurate picture of how you're doing. You've also been taking a higher dosage of iron supplement, which has improved your anemia symptoms. You're not complaining of exhaustion after school every day. And your depression and anxiety symptoms are much better as well. You definitely have down days where you just feel in the dumps, but it's not a near constant like it was last year. You still want to go to all your activities and do fun things and see your friends, and that's a sign to us that you're doing ok (since you previously didn't want to do those things when you weren't feeling well). </div><div><br /></div><div>
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Your EoE also seems to be doing ok as well. We haven't done any reintroductions or doctor's visits for your EoE in the last year, and I think we've all enjoyed the break from the stress. We just continue to do your Nexium twice a day and follow your food restriction diet (no gluten, soy, dairy, unbaked egg, pork, or green beans), and all seems to be going well on that front.</div><div><br /></div><div>
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Thanks to your health being better, you are back to being your super social, energetic, goofy self. You crave constant interaction and entertainment all. day. long. I am so grateful you have school to attend to satisfy some of this need! Your dream life would be to be with friends all day every day with a full planned schedule filling every moment. Almost every day you say to me or your dad, "What are our plans for the day??" and if the answer is "we don't have plans" then you nearly die from disappointment.</div><div><br /></div><div>
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You are still into all the sports. You continue to play in disc golf tournaments when they're available and play courses with your dad whenever he'll take you. You love soccer and continue to play in the local league in the spring and fall. And you still swim several times per week with a local year-round swim team. They have been pushing you to move up to the more competitive swim group, so we're trying to figure out if that's something that will work for you in the midst of all your other commitments and also for our family with our crazy busy schedule. I do think it would be good for you, because it focuses more on technique and improving stroke, which is what really interests you (rather than just swimming lap after lap).</div><div><br /></div><div>
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You are also still in your rock band, The Exploding Bobs, and loving it. Your bandmates have become good friends. You all continue to write original songs (with the assistance of your band instructor) and give great performances of both your originals and covers. You all won the the Battle of the Bands this last summer against all the other bands at your music school, including the high school groups, and you and your bandmates were SO excited. </div><div><br /></div><div>
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You also still play piano and now you consistently perform vocals while playing at recitals. You just recently performed "Talking to the Moon" by Bruno Mars at the recent recital and did so well. Your piano teacher's parents came up to me afterward and told me that they were SO impressed, which is big praise considering that they are very technique-focused when it comes to music. </div><div><br /></div><div>
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You are in 5th grade and it is going well so far. You struggled with your teacher at the beginning of the year, but she left and you now have a new teacher who you get along great with. You are always happy to go to school in the mornings and you're getting good grades, so I would say all is well. Of course your favorite time of day is recess, when you get to play soccer or football with your friends. You always take your bright orange sunglasses to school to wear during recess and carpool duty, and sometimes you take two pairs of shoes if you want to wear a stylish pair inside and a different pair outside. (You crack us up. :) )</div><div><br /></div><div>
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You and Krew still do not do a ton together, and I know sometimes this makes you sad. He is a full-blown teenager now and headed to high school next fall (he unexpectedly jumped a grade just recently) and this impacts your ability to relate to one another. However, we do try to encourage kindness between the two of you, and occasionally we find you hanging out and interacting and try to let it continue without interruption as long as we can. </div><div><br /></div><div>
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You are currently a little above average for height and about average for weight. (At your last doctor's visit in September, you were 4'10" (67th percentile) and 82 lbs (54th percentile).) You finally just in the last month started losing teeth again! You just recently lost a canine and a molar. Before that I think you went about 2 1/2 years without losing any teeth!</div><div><br /></div><div>
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Bedtime is the easiest now that it's ever been, but that might be because we let you go to bed pretty late (usually 10pm or 10:30). You no longer come out of your room very often, and you only seem to get stuck on bad thoughts maybe once per month. This is a big improvement! And also, you still do your nightly thing when we say goodnight every night: you always hug me tight around the neck, wait for me to kiss your cheek or forehead, then turn your face and put a kiss in the center of my cheek. Every. Single. Night. I will say once again that I love this so much, and I know it will end eventually, but I'll take it as long as it lasts!</div><div><br /></div><div>
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Alright I think that's it for this year! We love you Greyden Roy!!</div><div><br /></div><div>
Love,</div><div>
Mom and Dad (you asked me to stop referring to us as Mommy and Daddy recently... ;) )</div>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-33528658456923898822023-12-03T19:12:00.002-05:002023-12-03T19:12:06.820-05:00Greyden Roy: 11-Year-Old Interview<p>Here is Greyden's 11-year-old interview!! As is always the case anymore for posting these videos, he's been this age for several months already. But oh well...he's just all the more "11" in the video I suppose. :) </p><p>Here it is, along with interviews from past years below! Enjoy!</p><p>We love you, Roy Boy!</p>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/231utBHtX4M?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="750"></iframe>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-89462167610124033932023-08-20T17:34:00.001-04:002023-08-20T17:34:04.920-04:00Krewson Lee at 13 Years OldDear Krew,<br /><br />
You are a teenager!!! We are several months into you being 13 years old now, and age 13 has brought so much growth and amazing changes for you. I'm so excited to share about 13-year-old you.<br /><br />
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We'll start with the physical stuff. You have grown by leaps and bounds. You are now almost 5'5" and hovering around the 80th percentile for height. This is incredibly baffling considering that you were below the 25th percentile until age 11! You have continued to wear your aligner braces over the last year and now have straight top teeth (and the bottom teeth are on their way). You also were diagnosed with pectus carinatum and received a chest brace many months ago, but at your appointment last week the pediatric surgeon said that you've graduated to only wearing the brace at night since your chest looks so improved. You've also been exercising a lot more and are starting to develop upper body muscles, which you are super proud of. Your feet are huge - a men's size 10.5 - and you now wear your dad's shirts.<br /><br />
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-rgPjTp6/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-rgPjTp6/0/28664be0/L/IMG_9004_edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-2fMvzq7/A"><img alt="" src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-2fMvzq7/0/3770bbed/L/IMG_9003_edit-L.jpg" /></a></center><br /><br />
School is currently going well for you. You are in 7th grade, and you seem to like your teachers. Your math teacher is helping you prepare to take a placement test in the spring to potentially test into High School Math 2 for next year. We are super grateful to her for this! You still love math and science the most but get good grades all around.<br /><br />
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Last fall was a very rough time for you, right after I wrote your last life update. Starting middle school was difficult and interpersonal relationships were very messy. You were overcome by debilitating depression and anxiety, and it made everything hard. You rarely smiled and cried daily. It was very overwhelming. However, through meetings with school staff, the pediatrician, and starting anxiety/depression medication, we were slowly able to pull you out of it. Now, nearly a year later, you are honestly a completely different kid. You smile, laugh, and joke daily. You are trying to make friends, even when it involves going outside of your comfort zone. You are choosing to exercise because you say it makes you feel better and helps you sleep. We are so incredibly relieved.<br /><br />
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Last fall you started year-round swim with New Wave swim club, and it was a rough go for a while. You felt slow and unskilled and typically walked out of practices within 15-30 minutes. This is also the same time period that you were struggling socially at school and experiencing severe anxiety and depression. However, in the spring you made some new friends and also your anxiety/depression medication started to work, and you began applying yourself at practices bit by bit. Over this summer you swam for your summer swim team at Shepherd's Vineyard, and you saw that you were a valuable asset to your team. You also started becoming more socially confident and talking with your teammates, and you seemed to realize how awesome it can be to be part of a team. You now seem dedicated to swimming, and you asked to sign up for year-round again and told us that you want to go to practice three times per week (instead of the two that we required of you last year). In the month and a half between summer swim and year-round practices starting, you've frequently gone to the summer pool to swim laps to stay in shape. We are so impressed and shocked and excited by this development, and we can't wait to see how the next year of swimming goes!<br /><br />
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-MfCRCm3/A"><img alt="" src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-MfCRCm3/0/e4734016/L/IMG_8997_edit-L.jpg" /></a><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-XzHfVxV/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-XzHfVxV/0/48e77512/L/IMG_9010_edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br /><br />
Over the past year you have continued taking piano lessons again at your own request, and you seem to be truly enjoying it even if you still don't want to participate in recitals (and I don't blame you for that). For fun, your favorite things to do right now are video games, programming, spending time digging or "building forts" in the park, working on a pond for our backyard, fishing (a new friend has gotten you into this), and reading.<br /><br />
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Your dad and I love hanging out with you. You are witty and crack sarcastic jokes, but you also enjoy deep conversations and pondering life together. You are constantly sharing your knowledge about various topics. You seem to be super honest and open with your dad and I right now, which we cherish. When we do have issues with certain behaviors, we talk about them and they're usually resolved pretty quickly without much discipline.<br /><br />
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We love you Krewson Lee, and feel so fortunate to have you as our son!<br /><br />
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-Sq3vxrT/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2023/Krew-Summer-2023/i-Sq3vxrT/0/52d2198b/L/IMG_9019_edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br /><br />
Love,<br />
Mom and Dad
Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-45062355699506662252023-04-01T20:07:00.005-04:002023-04-01T20:07:39.871-04:00Krewson Lee: 13-Year-Old interviewWe have a teenager!!!!! (Ahhhh!!!!)<div>Below is Krew's 13-year-old interview. We switched up some of the questions a bit this year. :) <div>
Past years' videos are below, too!</div><div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Age 13:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 12:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 11:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 10:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 9:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 8:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 7:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 6:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 5:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Age 4:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dwIqw6zBo6k?rel=0" width="700"></iframe></div></div>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-11135083119051712602022-12-31T16:52:00.000-05:002022-12-31T16:52:02.415-05:00Greyden Roy at 10 Years Old<div>Hey Buddy!</div><div><br /></div><div>You are 10 years old!! And also, your mommy here is struggling to do these life updates on time. Here we are, when you've been 10 years old for 5 months already and we're on the last day of 2022. But at least I'm doing them, right? :)</div><div><br />
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</div><div>This may be a bit of an emotional post for me to write. Life has been a lot for you over the last year/year and a half. Really, ever since your CRMO diagnosis in early 2021, it's been hard for you to maintain your glass-half-full attitude. And we can't blame you for that one bit. You've just been through so, so much. So many doctor's appointments, pokes and prods, infusions, testing, unanswered questions, pain, and bad news. Not to mention the chronic pain, frequent fatigue, and anemia. You now dip in and out of depression and anxiety, which required several months of therapy for you to work through (and you will likely need to go back at some point). You've developed an intense PTSD reaction to needles and doctor's offices after some horrible (honestly, downright traumatic) experiences. And all of this is 100% understandable. Your fight to maintain health is a constant presence in your life, from the multiple medications you have to remember to take every day, to the wondering if it will hurt to walk tomorrow, to the way you have to pace yourself at sports practice so you don't run out of energy. It seems never-ending, and I guess for now it is. Because we don't have an end in sight. Your CRMO is not in remission, and you're still anemic, and you'll actually be starting a new treatment soon which requires injections at home. But you keep fighting, and we're so proud of you. You keep doing your best to play sports and do the activities you love, you keep pushing through the pain, you keep putting on a brave face to see yet another doctor. My heart breaks for you over and over, but we are doing our best to support you and you're able to still smile and laugh most days, so I think we're succeeding.</div><br />
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<div>You are now in 4th grade, and you continue to really enjoy school. You are such a social person, and you crave constant connection with other people. I am so thankful you're able to be in a classroom and get that filled a little bit by outside sources. This year you're doing safety patrol, so you help with flag duty and carpool. You LOVE doing carpool, because it means you get to interact with probably hundreds of people haha. Whenever I pick you up after carpool duty, you seem so energized and always have stories to share with me (because apparently putting other kids into their cars can be SO exciting!!).</div><br />
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You still play soccer in the spring and fall, and you love it (especially the games). You are so competitive! Your CRMO does still hold you back at times with pain in your legs and feet, but you fortunately went through time periods this past year where you felt fairly strong and were able to play pretty well. <br /><div><br /></div><div>
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You also did swim team again over the summer, and afterward you asked to join a year-round swim team! You are now swimming all year long for New Wave swim team. You go to practice about twice a week, and I think it's such good exercise for your body. It is zero impact to your bones, so I don't worry about you injuring your legs (where all your bone lesions are) near as much as I do when you play soccer. You did your first year-round swim meet a couple weeks ago, and you were the heat winner for three of your five races. This made you SO happy. :)</div><br />
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<div>In addition to soccer and swim team, you absolutely love disc golf and seem to have natural talent for it. It's another low-impact sport, so pretty ideal for you. You've done a couple competitions now, and we very frequently find you throwing mini discs around the house for practice. It's also been a great activity to do with your dad, as he loves to play disc golf also when he's not actively playing ultimate frisbee.</div><br />
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<div>You still do piano lessons and ad hoc voice lessons, along with being the vocalist for your rock band The Exploding Bobs. You've now performed on stage quite a few times, and you actually seem to enjoy it. You recently sang for our church (the song "Known" by Tauren Wells) and sang while playing piano at your piano recital (the song "Someone You Loved" by Lewis Capaldi), and you did so well at both performances. There were even people crying in the audience both times (which made you very happy hahaha). I absolutely love seeing you develop your musical talents. For Christmas this year you got a microphone so that you can sing and hear yourself while playing piano in our house. I'm excited to see what songs you learn next!</div><br />
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<div>You and Krew are still going through a stage where you don't do a lot together. Krew is almost a teenager and now in middle school, so this makes sense. However, once in a while we'll catch you having fun together, and it's always nice to see.</div><div><br /></div>
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<div>You are still average for height and weight [at your last doctor's visit where they measured you, you were 4' 7.1" (52nd percentile) and 74.3 lbs (56th percentile)], and you are still on a tooth-losing hiatus (I don't think you've lost any teeth in at least the last 18 months!). We recently reintroduced baked egg to your diet, and you had a completely clear endoscopy, so you get to keep baked egg in your diet! This is such a game changer for us, as SO many baked goods that would otherwise be safe for you do have baked egg in them. (Your list of EoE allergies is now down to gluten, soy, dairy, unbaked eggs, pork, and green beans!) </div><div><br /></div>
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<div>Bedtime is still a struggle for you (and us!) because you have a hard time settling and often come out of your room and say that your mind is racing or you're having bad thoughts. (Looking back, it appears that you were struggling with this a year ago as well). We just take it night by night right now. But you also still do a sweet thing that you've now done for years: when I say goodnight, you always hug me tight around the neck, wait for me to kiss your cheek or forehead, then turn your face and put a kiss in the center of my cheek. Every. Single. Night. Oh how I love this. :) I know it will end eventually, but I'll take it as long as it lasts!</div><div><br /></div>
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2022/DSLR-pics-2022/i-NC39SZw/A"><img alt="" src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2022/DSLR-pics-2022/i-NC39SZw/0/e5db1420/XL/IMG_8817_edit-XL.jpg" /></a></center><br /><div>That's all for now, Greyden Roy! We love you!!</div><div><br /></div><div>Love,</div><div>Mommy and Daddy</div>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-2512160414664741582022-10-22T21:03:00.002-04:002022-10-22T21:03:15.376-04:00Greyden Roy: 10-Year-Old Interview<p>Well this is INCREDIBLY late, but here is Greyden's 10-year-old interview!! He turned 10 years old on July 28th...so I'm almost three months behind schedule. I'm trying to tell myself that I was just allowing him to really get into "being 10" before interviewing him. :)</p><p>Here it is, along with interviews from past years below! Enjoy!</p><p>We love you, Roy Boy!</p>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/231utBHtX4M?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="750"></iframe>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-74287732021139911032022-07-07T21:57:00.000-04:002022-07-07T21:57:05.983-04:00Krewon Lee at 12 Years OldOh Dear Krew, I am so far behind on writing this update. But here we go. You are now 12 years old!!<div><br /></div><div>
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You have been 12 for about 4 months now, and I can honestly say that I love this age. You are just so much fun. You are acting more mature, like a teenager instead of a child, and you are conversational and witty and sarcastic. We have real, deep conversations and can talk through issues. There is very little "discipline" that has to happen anymore, as typically we can just have a talk and resolve any dilemmas.<div><div><br /></div><div>
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You have grown an insane amount (you gained approximately 6 inches in height from age 11 to age 12 and jumped to the 74th percentile for height!), and your voice has deepened and your face has matured. You have started braces (you are doing Invisalign-type, so no one can really tell), and you now wear contacts so we rarely see you in your glasses.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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You still love all things computers and programming. You regularly play Minecraft with and against your friends, and you also spend hours writing programming code that does all kinds of things, from mathematical calculations to creating video games. You also still love building with Legos and tinkering with electronics in your spare time. You now have your own room with all of your Legos in it, so I'll hear you in there digging through your Lego bins at various times. When not on the computer or building something, you usually have a book in your hand. You still go through hundreds of novels per year, mostly fantasy. We often have to tell you to shut a book when it's time for dinner, or to go to bed, or to be present and socialize with the people around you.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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You are a walking encyclopedia of knowledge on various topics, and your nickname this year in school was "The Professor" because you would help teach the class and answer questions when you understood a topic well. You still struggled with your emotions in class at times, but by the end of the year your teacher said she could see a huge improvement in how you handled frustrations. It was so exciting to hear. (And yes, you went back to in-person school for 5th grade after doing virtual school for 4th grade. It seems like it was the right choice, fortunately!) You head off to 6th grade in a new school in less than a month, and I'm both nervous and very excited for you.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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You are still a quiet and emotional kid compared to others, but you are much more in control of yourself now than you used to be, and you seem so much more confident in most social situations. Your anxiety has greatly lessened (or else you just handle it better) and you rarely seem depressed. You no longer go to therapy and are managing life just fine without it, which is so wonderful. Overall, you seem to be very content right now. Yes, you occasionally get moody and grouchy (because I think every pre-teen does!), but really it's pretty infrequent and super manageable.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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Shortly after I wrote your 11-year-old post, you decided to take a break from piano. It was stressing you out too much. And then, after a year, you decided to start it up again just recently. It still definitely stresses you out, but you're trying to push through. I know it's hard for you to work through things that are difficult for you. You also decided to try swim team again this year after not doing it for three years. Your dad and I were shocked and also so impressed. You've not gone to every practice and have only done a couple of the meets, but we're trying to give you space to do it at your own pace. So far you haven't quit, so our current way of handling it seems to be working well enough!<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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We started going back to the ninja warrior gym this past fall and winter, and you really enjoyed that. It was great to see you participating in physical activity that you actually enjoy. I am sure we'll take you back again this fall once swim season ends and we're not at the pool almost every night.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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You are still a cautious rule follower who avoids risks at all costs. We regularly leave you home alone now with a phone, because we know you are super responsible and won't do anything crazy. We can leave Greyden home with you, too, which has been AMAZING because now your daddy and I can go out together without kids or a babysitter!! This is a great new stage of parenting!<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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Speaking of Greyden, the two of you haven't been playing together as much over the past year. I know that your relationship will ebb and flow, and so this isn't unexpected. Hopefully you move into another period of really enjoying each other in the future, but I do realize that you are very different individuals with not much in common (other than living in the same house and having the same parents). At least you are typically kind to each other, and you care about each other's feelings, even if you don't hang out together a ton.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
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Overall, having you as our kid is SUCH a blessing. We love you so much, Krew!!<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
Love,<br />
Mom and Dad<br />
(I thought maybe you would appreciate me cutting out the "Mommy" and "Daddy" now that you're headed to middle school.)</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-49966923232859977172022-04-16T17:14:00.000-04:002022-04-16T17:14:00.523-04:00Krewson Lee: 12-Year-Old VideoI finally got around to recording Krew's 12-year-old video!! He's been 12 years old for a month and a half, but better late than never. :)<div><br /></div><div>He has changed SO much in the last year. It's so bittersweet. Amazing to see him growing into a young man, but sad to know those younger years are gone. :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Past years' videos are below, too!</div><div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 12:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 11:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 10:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 9:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 8:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 7:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 6:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 5:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Age 4:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dwIqw6zBo6k?rel=0" width="700"></iframe></div>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-19450265179260311352021-10-14T20:14:00.002-04:002021-10-14T20:14:13.736-04:00Greyden Roy at 9 Years OldGreyden Roy, you're 9 years old, and oh what a year it's been! Here I am writing your yearly blog post over two months late (as usual), but better late than never.<br /><br />
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I guess we should start out your yearly update with the biggest news, because it's impacting your life a LOT, and that is that in March of this year you were unfortunately diagnosed with another rare disease. Your new diagnosis is chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO), which is a very rare disease occurring in 1 to 6 per million people, and it typically occurs in females rather than males. (So you are extra extra special.) CRMO is a condition where your body attacks your bones and causes bone lesions (which might appear as swelling or holes in the bones). We know of six locations where you have had or do have bone lesions, and they have all been in your left (dominant) foot or lower legs, which has unfortunately really impacted your ability to run and even walk at times. We tried one treatment for a while, and it seemed to work but then stopped, so now you have started receiving a different drug which has to be given through infusions. It has honestly been a very tough eight months for you. You have gone through so many doctors visits, MRIs, blood work, a painful surgery, inability to run or walk at times, physical therapy appointments, the first of possibly many 4-hr long infusions, extreme fatigue, and chronic pain. In the midst of this you also had an endoscopy for your other rare disease, EoE (but endoscopies don't faze you much anymore, since you've had 17 of them). Most days you are still able to smile and find reasons to be excited about life, but I've noticed a huge change in your ability to cope with disappointments. While you used to always make lemonade from lemons, you are beginning to struggle to do this anymore. I think it's all just becoming too much. And I don't blame you one bit. Oh, the tears I've cried for you. My heart breaks over and over. But we are doing what we can to help you keep your head up and still enjoy life. And most days I think we're succeeding.<br /><br />
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You are now in third grade and doing very well at school. You went back to in-person class in July of this year, and I think it's very good for you to be able to be around other people and socialize. I do think it's been hard on you energy-wise, as you come home completely exhausted many days (due to CRMO fatigue and another new diagnosis of mild anemia), but hopefully the benefits outweigh the exhaustion. You absolutely love seeing your friends and I really appreciate having others feed into your life.<br /><br />
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You did soccer this spring and are in a fall soccer season now as well, and you love it so much but have indeed struggled during both seasons due to your CRMO. Running can be difficult and it can be painful and scary to kick with your left foot (which is your dominant foot). However, the doctors have said to let you do whatever physical activity you feel able to do, so we let you keep playing. You have told us that you think you are getting better at kicking with your right foot since you've been forced to, and we can tell you are always playing as hard as you can given your circumstances. You are one determined kid. Fortunately you are playing in a low-key league and your dad is your current coach, so you are able to take each practice and game as it comes and just play however you feel able to that day.<br /><br />
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You also did swim team over the summer, and even though your anemia and fatigue made it difficult for you to make it through a full practice or swim meet, you kept right on giving it your all. You did score several points for your team at various swim meets, and I know that made you feel good.<br /><br />
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You are still doing piano lessons once a week and you were doing voice lessons weekly as well at Bach to Rock up until a week ago. Your voice teacher just recently decided to leave Bach to Rock to pursue a different career, and you were DEVASTATED. (So many tears, oh my goodness.) Fortunately, it looks like we may do some private ad hoc voice lessons with him moving forward, which will also be easier on you schedule-wise as you are struggling to have the energy to keep up with all your extracurriculars (which used to be no problem for you). In addition to piano lessons and voice lessons, you also joined a kids rock band last fall as the vocalist. You totally love being in the band. Your name is The Exploding Bobs (unfortunately not your top choice for a name haha) and you've done several public performances and have created two original songs with your band instructor. Your band even won a very small local competition and then took second place in a virtual national competition against other kids your age who are in bands through Bach to Rock. It's so fun to see you perform and hear you singing on stage. You get nervous but you always push through your nerves and do a great job.<br /><br />
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-xKCkMFP/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-xKCkMFP/0/c5d6f3e4/L/IMG_8697_edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br /><br />
You are still very social and love spending time with friends. You prefer to always be with other people rather than alone. Which is sometimes unfortunate, because the time you and Krew used to spend together has really faded out over the last year, and now you two don't hang out very often. I think it may just be a phase that Krew is going through, and hopefully you two will be buddies again soon. You do have your moments of fun together, but they are much rarer than they used to be.<br /><br />
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-mWSRN4p/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-mWSRN4p/0/aef63a11/L/IMG_8692_edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br /><br />
I think you may have grown out of most toys at this point. The things you play most are sports and video games. A new activity you've grown to love is disc golf, and you practice throwing discs at the basket in our backyard ALL the time. You also got a mini disc golf basket with mini disc golf discs for inside the house for your birthday, and you play with it nonstop. You also make your own mini discs out of the lids from your favorite veggie chip cans, and there are now random lids in all corners of our house. All your practicing has paid off, though. You played in a disc golf tournament this summer and won your age group, bringing home a trophy. You were SO excited.<br /><br />
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-5xFfPBk/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-5xFfPBk/0/8fcf8b4b/L/IMG_8710_edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br /><br />
You have now lost eight teeth and seem to be in a tooth-losing hiatus. At your infusion the other day, your height was 4'5.39" (57th percentile) and your weight was 66 lb 9.3 oz (58th percentile). You still do not like any foods that are spicy or garlicky. We reintroduced beef to your diet this year and you had a clear endoscopy afterward, so beef is NOT one of your allergens (hurray!). (That means your list of EoE allergies is now down to gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, pork, and green beans. The list seems so short!) You still love to snuggle on the couch or bed, and you still frequently come out of your room after bedtime, except now instead of giving us random funny excuses, you usually say it's because you can't stop thinking about something that is stressing you out. (Which is very sad but makes sense with how hard this year has been for you.) And finally, you you still do the same thing every night when I tell you goodnight, just like you were doing last year: you always hug me tight around the neck, wait for me to kiss your cheek or forehead, then turn your face and put a kiss in the center of my cheek. Every. Single. Night. Makes my mommy heart so happy.<br /><br />
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-XSsR2bK/A"><img alt="" src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-XSsR2bK/0/ffa6e5a4/L/IMG_8695_edit-L.jpg" /></a></center><br /><br />
Alright Roy Boy, that's all for now. I hope you know you are so, so loved.<br /><br />
Love,
Mommy (and Daddy)<br /><br />
<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-Gc6LKpb/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Summer-Photos-2021/i-Gc6LKpb/0/6de764a9/X3/IMG_8723_edit-X3.jpg" alt=""></a></center>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-55954450198564181432021-08-24T09:05:00.003-04:002021-08-24T09:05:13.201-04:00Greyden Roy 9-Year-Old Video<p>It's time for Greyden's 9-year-old video!</p><p>Grey turned 9 on July 28th! We're still (yes STILL) in the middle of a pandemic, so we avoided a birthday party again this year. But he did get to have a friend sleep over. </p><p>His yearly update with photos will be coming soon!</p><p>We love you Greyden Roy. :)</p><p>(Past videos are posted below as well!)</p>
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<iframe allow="fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="750" height="450" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/10817030922_tWDc24b?width=750&height=450&albumId=262509328&albumKey=k9Zkbb"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/9698184119_QKrNkww?width=750&height=450&albumId=208738213&albumKey=QcBvRS" width="750"></iframe><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/8615894735_bbqBCS8?width=750&height=450&albumId=195755704&albumKey=KCqF8t" width="750"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/7432812746_DtHLNvL?width=750&height=450&albumId=156259524&albumKey=rnB966" width="750"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/6350468211_3qS3s4v?width=750&height=450&albumId=146773052&albumKey=KkMWH3" width="750"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/231utBHtX4M?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="750"></iframe>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-45783704663658195702021-05-30T20:57:00.004-04:002021-05-30T20:57:53.859-04:00Krewson Lee at 11 Years OldDearest Krew,
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You are now 11 years old, and have been for almost three months. It's time for me to write an update on what you are like as an 11-year-old, and the answer is... you're awesome. :)
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Spring-2021/i-tmSX7pM/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-tmSX7pM/0/L/i-tmSX7pM-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center>
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Your 11th year wasn't a typical one. It started with the pandemic shutting things down just as we were planning your 10th birthday party, and so your requested sleepover with some of your friends never happened. Fast forward to a year later, and things are basically still the same. We still aren't really doing indoor playdates with friends (although I think they'll be starting soon), you're still doing virtual school at home, and extracurricular activities are restricted to those that you can do outside (of which there aren't many that you like). You still haven't had your birthday sleepover.
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Spring-2021/i-XQsp26n/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-XQsp26n/0/L/i-XQsp26n-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center>
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In all honesty though, you've handled the pandemic shut down well. You already preferred to often be home, in the quiet, reading a book or working on something on the computer, so the shut down just allowed you to do more of that. You've missed seeing many of your friends, but are happy to play online with them and love when we have outdoor playdates. You've really appreciated doing school on the computer and not being required to go into the school building.
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You are still our more quiet child in social situations, but I don't know that I'd say you seem as shy as you used to. Over the last year, it's like your shyness has developed into a quiet observance of situations. If you have a friend you know and there's an activity you enjoy, you'll join in. If you don't have a friend or you don't like the activity, you'll just sit to the side, usually without emotion. You carry a book with you almost everywhere you go and will just lose yourself in a story if you have nothing else to do.
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Spring-2021/i-BPrBcHX/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-BPrBcHX/0/L/i-BPrBcHX-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center>
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You still absolutely love to read and oftentimes go through one or two middle grade novels per day. (Yes, that is up to ~600 pages per day, depending on the day.) Our current method of obtaining books is that I go to the library about once a week, scoop piles of books off the shelves for you, bring them home, and you work your way through about 2/3 of them (you don't always love my choices). You still strongly prefer fantasy novels, but I've been pushing you into some sci-fi and mystery as I feel like I'm running out of fantasy choices.
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Spring-2021/i-85ML5md/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-85ML5md/0/X2/i-85ML5md-X2.jpg" alt=""></a></center>
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You love taking apart electronics and learning about how they work, and you also love building and designing. Science fascinates you and you know a ton of scientific facts. We'll often find you watching science YouTube videos during your available screen time. You've been learning computer programming in Scratch, HTML, and other programming languages for fun and you like to write complicated programs that do all kinds of fun things. You also started teaching yourself linear algebra this spring by watching YouTube videos. Basically, your brain amazes me.
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You also love doing non-educational/productive things with your screen time. You still love playing Minecraft and your level of expertise in the game kind of blows my mind. You are also a fantastic Mario Kart driver on the Switch. We have a hard time coming close to beating you in our family Grand Prix races.
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Spring-2021/i-dMHxpZ9/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-dMHxpZ9/0/L/i-dMHxpZ9-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center>
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Outside of the science/math/electronic side of things, you also write beautiful expressive poetry when you're feeling emotional or sad or you're given a writing assignment for school. The structure of poetry seems to come naturally to you; in fact, you once wrote a full song's worth of rhyming lyrics for Greyden's rock band in about 15 minutes. (I think it would have taken me hours.)
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You are also still playing piano and have really been improving. We no longer make you play in recitals due to the stress they were causing to both you and us and your teacher, but we do continue to make you do lessons even when you put up a fight. Practicing and getting through difficult sections of songs can be a bit of a struggle (with tears and threats of quitting), but the outcome from the struggle always seems so worth it. The songs you choose and the way you play them is absolutely beautiful. Emotion just pours out of you when you play, and it's not uncommon for you to go to the piano when you are upset and let it all out on the keys.
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Since you've never much enjoyed sports, this year we allowed you to quit both soccer and swim team. However, we do require that you still go along with us to the activities and also find other ways to exercise. We haven't started going back to the ninja warrior gym yet due to the pandemic, but we do hope to get you back into it as soon as we feel the time is right.
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You still aren't a fan of school, although you've been grateful to do it from home this year with the ability to shut off your camera when you don't want others' eyes on you. You still get easily frustrated and caught up in self-defeating emotions when dealing with overwhelming assignments. And sometimes your struggles with anxiety and depression get much more intense and bleed over into our home lives. This past year has been very up and down in this regard, so you've been seeing your therapist every 2-3 weeks and we've been working with your teachers to find the best way to help you get through school.
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You are still a rule-follower, cautious, and avoid most risks. When others want to do something that may backfire or cause injury, you will stubbornly say, "NOPE." When your daddy or I do see you doing something that seems dangerous or risky, we actually trust you with it, because we know that you will only do things if you are confident that you can succeed.
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Spring-2021/i-QGgng8x/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-QGgng8x/0/L/i-QGgng8x-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center>
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You love your family and close friends and seem to cherish time with both (which your dad and I will appreciate as long as we can get it!). You definitely show a hidden side of yourself when around people you're comfortable with (and if you're in the right mood), and you'll become super chatty and confident and start cracking jokes or throwing out sarcastic remarks. It's fun to see, and we don't always know when that side of you is going to show up.
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Spring-2021/i-mwf5bMD/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-mwf5bMD/0/L/i-mwf5bMD-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center>
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You had a growth spurt over the last year and jumped from 24th percentile to 38th percentile, which is super exciting! It's been amazing to see how you've grown and changed over the last year. Your body structure and your mannerisms are looking more and more like a teenager instead of a young child. Your face is maturing, your hair is getting darker, and your voice is getting lower. You still prefer to keep your hair long and prefer to not wear your glasses if they're not necessary. You've lost a bagillion teeth in the last year, to the point where we weren't sure there were any baby teeth left. You recently pulled out another tooth while we were at the pool, and when your dad and I heard about it, our mutual reaction was to ask, "Was it a baby tooth or an adult tooth??" (Yes, we were very slightly concerned that you'd gotten in such a habit of pulling teeth out that you were now pulling out the ones you actually needed to keep.)
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You and Greyden are still great friends and interact and play together super well. Of course you occasionally get upset with one another or yell at each other, and lately there has been more and more shoving and attempts to show physical dominance over the other. But all in all, you get along great. It still shocks me, since you seem to have so few interest in common and are basically complete opposite personalities, but somehow you make it work. And I will take it. :)
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Spring-2021/i-6czXHpF/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-6czXHpF/0/L/i-6czXHpF-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center>
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Alright I think that's it buddy. We're so proud of you and love you so much.
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Love,<br />
Mommy (and Daddy)
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2021/Snoke-Boys-Spring-2021/i-vGd7h8z/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-vGd7h8z/0/X2/i-vGd7h8z-X2.jpg" alt=""></a></center>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-54667397049271464772021-03-23T21:50:00.001-04:002021-03-23T21:50:08.411-04:00Krewson Lee: 11-Year-Old InterviewKrew is now 11 as of March 5th! We shook things up this year and did his interview outside. :) Take a watch below if you'd like to see his personality at age 11. <br />
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Past years' interviews are below, too, for your viewing pleasure if you're interested. :) <br />
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We love you Krew!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 11:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 10:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 9:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 8:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 7:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 6:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 5:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Age 4:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dwIqw6zBo6k?rel=0" width="700"></iframe>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-5799209228008278212020-10-04T22:10:00.003-04:002020-10-04T22:10:41.765-04:00Greyden Roy at 8 Years OldHey Greyden Roy!!<br />
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You turned 8 years old on July 28th! I usually try to get these birthday posts written within two months of your birthday, but I missed it by just a couple days this year. :)<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2020/Boys-SummerFall-2020/i-Q7tfxM4/A"><img alt="" src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2020/Boys-SummerFall-2020/i-Q7tfxM4/0/2f423a05/L/IMG_8339_edit-L.jpg" /></a></center><br /><br />
You are still our energetic, social, chatty, cup-half-full kid. Not much keeps your spirits down. If something upsets you or doesn't go your way, you very well might cry, but the tears are usually short-lived and you're laughing and cracking jokes again before long. I described you with the following words in the past two years' posts (6 years old and 7 years old), and they are still 100% true, which is pretty neat to see: "happy, joyful, goofy, excited, outgoing, determined, social, and energetic. You always look forward to every day, finding something in it that you expect to be fun or exciting. Every night during prayers you say, 'Dear God, thank you for today and thank you that it was so much fun...and please let us have a fun day tomorrow.' You cry easily when you have expectations and they aren't met, but you get over it quickly and are grinning again before long. Really, nothing keeps you down; you are always making lemonade out of lemons." These words still perfectly describe you. You even still pray that same prayer every night. <br />
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You are doing very well in school and have managed the at-home virtual schooling quite easily. You are signed up to do all of this year (second grade) at home due to the pandemic. You sure do miss seeing your friends and teachers though. We have a couple friends you do get to see in person, and I know you are so thankful for that. You really crave social interaction. <br />
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You continue to love all sports, but this has been a rough year for sports due to the pandemic. So far, two soccer seasons and a swim season have been cancelled. We will have to wait and see what happens with basketball in the winter. In the meantime, you have developed a strong interest in disc golf and have been playing it with your daddy very regularly. (We're very thankful to have found an outdoor socially-distanced sport for both you AND your dad. ;) ) Almost daily, I see you in the backyard practicing putting discs into our disc golf basket (thanks to our awesome neighbors who gave it to us!), and you have begun gathering quite the collection of discs.<br />
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You honestly haven't been playing with a ton of toys over the past six months, but when you do it's usually Pokemon cards, Bey Blades, or a game. You mostly spend your free time playing sports or doing something active in the playroom or outside. It's really strange to see you and Krew phasing out of having a lot of toys.<br />
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You are still doing weekly voice lessons and piano lessons, which we've fortunately been able to continue via Zoom. You sing around the house constantly (whenever you're not talking), and you switch among a ton of different songs and tunes. We'll even hear you singing the notes to songs that Krew has written on the piano. Oddly, despite your singing talent, love of attention, and desire to belt out a tune 24/7 at home, you do not like singing for other people. This is something we are trying to work on, to help you to be willing to perform. You did sing "You Had A Bad Day" at a mini showcase this past February and did so great, but you've been resistent since then to participate in any of the virtual showcases. Hopefully you'll give performing another try soon! <br />
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We are realizing more and more that you are not a very sensitive person, in contrast to some of the other people in your family. ;) For example, you rarely, if ever, get emotional or upset by a movie, and you typically show little reaction to bad or sad news. You're also not very sensitive to being cold or hot, to bright lights, etc. (We notice these things because we other three people in your family all have extreme sensitivities to either movies (me and Krew), materials (me, Krew, and Daddy), sounds (me, Krew, and Daddy), lights (Krew and Daddy), smells (me and Krew), temperatures (me), etc.) Not you. You have been known to wear shoes that give you blisters without complaint, rarely claim to be cold or tired, don't care whether there's bright light or darkness in your eyes, and can handle lots of chaos and sound. The other day we caught you wearing two different size sandals on your feet. When we pointed it out, you admitted you'd had no idea. Things just don't really bother you. I guess your one area of sensitivity is your food (and this makes sense, given your history with food allergies and so many food restrictions and diets). You do not like food that is too hot, even remotely spicy, or the wrong texture. You really do not like cinnamon (you says it's "spicy") or black pepper or too much garlic. There are also certain foods that you have an incredibly hard time swallowing and we will occasionally allow you to spit a bite in the trash when we realize it's going to be very hard for you to swallow. You are an incredibly slow eater, and 99% of the time you are the last one done at dinnertime. The rest of us often leave the table before you finish, otherwise we'd be sitting there for what seems like all night.<br />
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You love to talk nonstop and we often laugh about it. (This is sometimes part of the reason you are the last one done eating.) If there isn't much to talk about, you will narrarate what is happening around you. We found out recently that Krew has been having a hard time falling asleep at night because you talk to him and ask him so many questions after we put you two to bed. One morning Krew seemed more energetic, and your daddy commented on it. Krew replied, "Oh yeah, that's because Greyden stuck to my 'one question' rule last night." Lol.<br />
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You are busting with energy and excitement and hate to sleep (hence the keeping Krew awake at night with talking and questions). You still go through weeks where you'll come out of your room almost every night after we think we've gotten you tucked in. Your reasons for coming out of your room vary...sometimes you say your brain is racing, sometimes you tell us you have an ailment such as a toe cramp. (Yes, you claimed to have a toe cramp a couple weeks ago.) Just tonight after dinner you pronounced, "I wish we didn't need to sleep." When I asked you why, you replied, "Because it's boring!" Then Krew piped in, "Oh, but it makes you feel so refreshed!" Lol that's our boys in a nutshell. So opposite.<br />
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Speaking of Krew, you guys are still best buds. It really makes my heart so incredibly happy and grateful. You rarely fight with each other despite your differences. (And you have more differences than similarities, that's for sure!) Somehow, at least for now, you get along great and play together all the time. It is such a blessing. I don't know how long it will last, but your daddy and I will enjoy it as long as we can.<br />
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You have now lost six teeth (four on bottom, two on top) and you have another one that is very loose. You still appear to be about average for height and weight, but we'll find out at your 8-year checkup which is a week from now.
Another thing I want to remember about you is that, for apparently more than two years now, you've done the same thing every night when I tell you goodnight: you always hug me tight around the neck, wait for me to kiss your cheek or forehead, then turn your face and put a kiss in the center of my cheek. Every. Single. Night. (Sometimes multiple times in a night if you're really trying to delay bedtime.) It brings so much happiness to my heart!<br />
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I always like to give a small update in these yearly posts regarding where we stand with your EoE. Right now we are in a holding pattern - you are not well enough to reintroduce any new foods, but you are not unhealthy enough to require us to remove any additional foods from your diet or to try new medications. In the last year, we first found out that rice did NOT trigger your EoE and you got to keep it in your diet, which was SO exciting! We now eat rice all the time. We also discovered that you do for sure react to green beans, so those are on your official allergen list. A follow-up endoscopy the end of this August showed that your esophagus didn't look visually great despite following a diet and treatment regimen that had it completely healthy back in December 2019. Fortunately, your biopsy numbers from the scope were not horrible, and so your GI said that we can wait a year before doing any more follow-up or food removals from your diet (assuming you do not become symptomatic). So that is a big relief! Right now you cannot have gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, beef, pork, or green beans, with pork and green beans being your two endoscopy-confirmed allergies. Just as was the case last year, you have not had any of your cyclic vomiting episodes in the past year. That means you have made it over two years without an episode!! This is such a relief. Maybe the cyclic vomiting syndrome is really in the past.<br />
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Alright Roy Boy, I think that's all for this year! We love you so much!!
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Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-32915867775885968542020-08-16T20:35:00.000-04:002020-08-16T20:35:58.323-04:00Greyden Roy 8-Year-Old Video<p> Grey is now 8!! Way to keep growing, buddy. :)</p><p>Below is his yearly video!! He was bummed this year to not get to have a party due to the pandemic, but he still had a good birthday nonetheless. :)</p><p>I've posted past years' videos as well! Enjoy!</p><p>We love you Greyden Roy!</p>
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/6350468211_3qS3s4v?width=750&height=450&albumId=146773052&albumKey=KkMWH3" width="750"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/231utBHtX4M?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="750"></iframe>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-67765292636107575872020-05-03T22:14:00.000-04:002020-05-03T22:14:46.312-04:00Krewson Lee at 10 Years OldDear Krew Krew (as we affectionately call you these days),<br />
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You are 10 years old! I just can't believe you are now double digits. The past decade has flown by and has been so enriched by having you in our lives.<br />
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You are still our quiet, subdued, introspective, contemplative, creative, highly sensitive, and emotional child. Boy do we love you.<br />
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We've seen you mature so much over the last year, both physically and mentally. You are now participating in activities that challenge your body, like ninja warrior and bike riding with tricks, and you are getting so much stronger when it comes to handling frustration, fear, and other difficult emotions. You are sometimes even willing to step outside your comfort zone without much persuasion, which is something we've never experienced with you before. It's been so amazing to watch.<br />
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You are still on the smaller side (24th percentile for height as of last week) but fit in well for your grade. You continue to wear your hair long and would probably let it grow past your shoulders if we let you. You got glasses last summer when your eyes worsened and you finally admitted you couldn't see the board at school. You will only wear the glasses at school, when watching TV, and sometimes when playing the piano. Otherwise you prefer to leave them off. You have not lost any teeth since last year, but one of your molars is loose (which is freaking you out).<br />
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Early last summer you experienced a scary 3-week illness that exactly matched the (mis?)diagnosed mono that you had the previous fall. You underwent various blood draws and tests, and we took you to a UNC pediatric infectious disease specialist and also an urgent ophthalmologist appointment when you said your eyesight had turned fuzzy. We never did figure out what was wrong with you. You met many symptoms for juvenile idiopathic arthritis, but the markers didn't exactly match up and your body started to heal before the doctors were able to reach any sort of conclusion. It was an incredibly scary time. You were having daily rhythmic fevers that reached 104, severe fatigue, lack of appetite (you lost 5 or 6 lbs which is a lot on your little body), a rash on your face, pain in your ankles and knees and wrist, and fuzzy vision. I am so incredibly grateful that the illness has not returned. If it does, we have the number for the infectious disease specialist and we are supposed to go straight to him instead of wading through the pediatrician and referral process. Hopefully that never happens! Due to having the sickness twice in the same school year, you missed 29 days of second grade. However, your teacher was incredibly supportive and helped us get you through it without issue.<br />
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Right now we are the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, so we're not leaving the house, but before this all started you were actively enjoying weekly ninja warrior classes at the nearby gym and you had begun attending a weekly computer programming club at the local coffee shop. You were also very much into riding your bike, which fortunately is an activity that we've been able to continue during the pandemic. Lately you've been learning to do tricks on the bike, which has resulted in a few wipeouts (including a pretty scary one that resulted in a lot of deep scrapes and you nearly passing out), but you always get back on and that's so impressive.<br />
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You have stopped playing on soccer teams, but you still join in with your brother and friends for practices for fun and exercise. Last summer you did swim team and we were hoping you'd do it again this year, but we're not sure if there will be a season due to COVID. Actually, we don't even know if the pool will open this year, but your mommy sure hopes so. <br />
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School is going well for you most of the time now. The schoolwork is not hard for you, but dealing with the emotions of the day sometimes still is. You especially struggle when something doesn't immediately make sense to you, you feel a lot of pressure, or you feel like a lot of people are looking at you. You were having a really hard time last spring, and so we had you attend therapy for about six months. Amazingly, by fall you had seemed to outgrow the need for it (which was so exciting), and you haven't needed to go back since. You recently began attending AIG classes which started triggering some anxiety relapses, but overall you are doing so much better. <br />
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You are such a creative kid. You will spend hours designing and building things. You have a bin in the garage full of old electronics which you combine with items around the house to build contraptions. Oftentimes if you're nowhere in the house, I'll find you in the garage, cutting or drilling or putting things together. You still build with Legos quite a bit, usually designing things on your own rather than following instructions. You also build on the computer. You've been getting more and more into coding and have created computer codes that do all kinds of awesome things on the screen. You've built an entire dormitory in a Roblox game which is now 3 or 4 stories high and has all kinds of crazy features in each room. You are also creative with drawing and coloring, both using paper and pencils or markers and also using paint features on the computer screen for school. It really blows me away. I am not creative at all. I'm good at copying things, but I'm not talented at coming up with ideas. You are absolutely full of new ideas, all the time.<br />
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You are still very cautious and an extreme rule follower. It is incredibly uncommon for you to do anything risky or that might not be allowed. Something happened recently and you accidentally damaged something, and you came to us crying because you were so disappointed in yourself and also expected to get in trouble. Instead, your daddy and I told you that we were proud of you for taking a risk. I think you thought we were nuts.<br />
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You still avoid large groups of people but absolutely love your closest friends, and you reveal your goofy, sarcastic, jokester side when you're with them or with family you feel comfortable with. I'd even say you get a little hyper-crazy at times. You keep us all on our toes. :)<br />
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You are still learning piano, although we've let you sit out of the last couple piano recitals because they are so stressful to you. However, you love to express yourself through playing the piano when you're feeling emotional. In fact, you've even written some songs, which you go and play when you need a release. Again, not something I could ever do. I don't know how you do it. And I love watching you when you're in your element. I've been known to stand to the side and watch you play with tears in my eyes. You feel the music so deeply.<br />
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You have been a great big brother to Greyden, and you guys are still the best of friends. I am especially grateful for this right now during the pandemic, when you mostly only have each other to play with. You two spend almost all day every day together. You do step away from Greyden sometimes to read a book in your favorite corner chair or in your bed, because you do need much more quiet time than he does.<br />
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Speaking of books, you are still an incredibly enthusiastic reader. You read literally hundreds of books a year. You usually read a full novel every day and a half or so, but sometimes it's even more quickly than that. You like to read multiple books at a time unless one really sucks you in, and then you focus only on it (and usually finish it in half a day). I have a hard time keeping up with you, and when the library was open we were stopping by once or twice a week. Fortunately, we managed to collect a large pile for you from the library before the pandemic shut everything down. You've been working your way through that and have also been reading a ton of digital books on your iPad through an account the school provided you with. Your favorite genre is still fantasy and it's sometimes hard to get you to venture outside of it.<br />
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Alright buddy, I think that's about it for now. We are so proud of you and feel so blessed to call you our son.<br />
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Love, Mommy (and Daddy)<br />
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Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-20291110284545157782020-04-03T11:27:00.000-04:002020-04-03T11:27:22.120-04:00Krewson Lee: 10-Year-Old InterviewKrew turned 10 years old on March 5th! Yay!!<br />
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Below is his 10-year-old interview so you can see what he's like as he crosses into the age of double digits. I did this interview with him a couple weeks ago, but with the pandemic going on it's taking me a while to get it uploaded. :)<br />
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Past years' interviews are below, too, if you'd like to compare and see how he's changed. :)<br />
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We love you Krew!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 10:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 9:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 8:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 7:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 6:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 5:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Age 4:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dwIqw6zBo6k?rel=0" width="700"></iframe>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-72763366017089479582019-11-19T21:30:00.000-05:002019-11-19T21:41:15.672-05:00Greyden Roy at 7 Years OldHey there, our 7-year-old Greyden Roy! Also affectionately known as Grey, Grey Grey, and Roy Boy. But you prefer just "Greyden". :)<br />
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You are such a fun kid. I love 7-year-old you. You make us laugh so often. Last year I described you this way, and it still matches you to a T: "happy, joyful, goofy, excited, outgoing, determined, social, and energetic. You always look forward to every day, finding something in it that you expect to be fun or exciting. Every night during prayers you say, 'Dear God, thank you for today and thank you that it was so much fun...and please let us have a fun day tomorrow.' You cry easily when you have expectations and they aren't met, but you get over it quickly and are grinning again before long. Really, nothing keeps you down; you are always making lemonade out of lemons." That is still you, buddy. Our little lemonade maker.<br />
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You think basically everyone you know is your friend, no matter who they are. You crave socialization and will follow us and talk nonstop if we don't find something to distract you. Even with a tv show or game in front of you, half the time you'll still be talking to anyone within earshot, narrating what you're seeing on the screen.<br />
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If you're not talking, then you are often singing. You turn much of life into a song. Whether playing with a toy, coloring, cleaning, or just sitting around (or even on the toilet), you're often singing about something. Sometimes you sing a song you know, sometimes you just make something up. The overall reality though is that there is almost always noise coming out of your mouth. (As I type this, in fact, you are singing a new verse you made up for "Baby Shark Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo". And today I was on the phone with your daddy while you were near me and Daddy said, "What is that sound??" And I said, "Oh, that? That's Greyden singing." Daddy said, "What is he singing??" and I said, "I have no idea.")<br />
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Shockingly, this characteristic of yours to be always making noise has not carried over into school. In fact your teacher says you do great with staying quiet and following instructions. This surprises me, but I'm very glad. :) You actually truly enjoy going to school, and you're doing well in all your subjects. In fact, as I write this, you are on trackout and yet you are at the table doing some optional worksheets from school for fun. You still say that recess and PE are your favorite parts of school, but you seem to enjoy the challenge of learning and schoolwork as well.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-dTXtsqS/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-dTXtsqS/0/0a44d957/L/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20129%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You are still right around average for height, weight, and BMI. Your eyes usually still look brown but can appear hazel if the light hits them right. Your hair continues to shift from light brown in the winter to blonde in the summer, then back again. You are a full-fledged lefty and also prefer to use your left foot to kick. You lost your two middle bottom teeth over the last year and just recently lost your first top tooth, which has really changed your smile. I took your 7-year-old pictures for this blog post before you lost it, though, so you won't see the gap in these pictures. :)<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-RMBRg6M/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-RMBRg6M/0/b3171ee8/XL/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20108%20edit-XL.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You have switched from singing in Glee Club to doing individual voice lessons, which you love. You still are reluctant to sing in front of people, which is a bit of a bummer, but I've been told that you'll develop confidence for it over time. You also are still doing piano lessons and are moving along pretty quickly with those. Soccer is your favorite extra-curricular activity and I'm pretty sure you'd go to a practice every night if it were an option. You played up in the U10 league this past fall season and did really well, even scoring quite a few goals. It's so fun to watch you grow in confidence and skill.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-fLkrcmw/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-fLkrcmw/0/422242f8/XL/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20117%20edit-XL.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
But it's not just soccer. You are obsessed with all sports - watching them, playing them, practicing them. You frequently kick a ball around the house or have a football in your arms. And you know basically every team in football and will look up game schedules and scores on a regular basis. You play soccer in the spring and fall, basketball in the winter, and do swim team in the summer. And in any sport you're playing, whether on a team or in the backyard with a friend, you give it your all. Because, apparently, sports are very important!<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-4GWgt6C/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-4GWgt6C/0/377777f2/XL/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20127%20edit-XL.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
Your favorite toys and activities right now are Pokemon cards and (again) sports, with some Bey Blades, Hot Wheels, and Nerf guns thrown in. You still love the iPad, Wii, and X-box. Lately we've been playing Super Mario Bros on the Wii together as a family, and you and Krew think it's great.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-H7kLx3p/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-H7kLx3p/0/ddba4cf9/L/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20207%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You are still a distractible little guy, although it's not as bad as it used to be. For example, we no longer find you in the bathroom with your hands under running water because you forgot you were washing them. And you now manage to focus enough when eating lunch at school that you <i>usually</i> (but not always) get to eat your dessert before you run out of time. But you definitely have some "SQUIRREL!" Syndrome tendencies. We still have to remind you to keep eating at the dinner table at home or to keep doing a chore if we've asked you to do something for us. I think sports are about the only activity where there's not a chance you'll be pulled away. Somehow, this distractibility hasn't been an issue at school so far. You seem to save it all for home. :)<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-NF56KhQ/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-NF56KhQ/0/2662d9d0/XL/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20118%20edit-XL.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You and Krew are really getting along pretty well right now, and we are so thankful. You two will play and play, with only occasional fights or disagreements. The only thing I've noticed is that you've started getting a little more rude and mouthy with each other, telling each other when you think what the other has done is wrong. But otherwise I'm incredibly grateful for your relationship right now and how healthy and complementary it seems to be. <br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-DDZT53Q/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-DDZT53Q/0/03535b2b/L/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20226%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
We changed GI doctors shortly after I wrote your 6-year-old blog post last year. At that time, you had been having EoE symptoms for about 9 months and we couldn't get them to stop. Under guidance of the new GI doctor, we changed your medication, doubled your dose, and did 9 months of waiting and two endoscopies before we finally got you healed. At your last scope the end of August this year, your esophagus finally looked good and you were symptom-free. We were sooooooooo relieved!! Afterward we decided to reintroduce rice, so you've been eating that for the last two months and you've loved it. You have another scope in two weeks (your 14th one), on December 4th, to find out if the rice appears to be an EoE trigger for you. We are praying that it is not, because it has made your diet so much easier to be able to eat it. If you are able to continue eating rice, then your list of food restrictions will be dwindled down to gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, beef, pork, and green beans. (That probably sounds like a long list to many people, but compared to where we started, it's fairly short!) As for your cyclic vomiting syndrome, I don't think you've had any episodes since I wrote your 6-year-old blog post, which is also so wonderful! Over a year episode-free - wow.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-Pdb9GdR/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-Pdb9GdR/0/513ced9f/XL/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20113%20edit-XL.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
Just over the past month or so, I've noticed you've finally stopped coming out of your room every night after we put you to bed. Prior to that, it was still a nightly occurrence. Sometimes you'd come out even two or three times. I'm really not sure what's happened or what the difference is. We did not set down any new rules or give you extra discipline. Maybe it's something you've just grown out of? Maybe we've been getting you to bed so late lately that you actually fall asleep when you lay down. (You typically don't fall asleep until at least 10pm, and you've had a lot of bedtimes between 9pm and 10pm lately.) Or maybe it's just a phase and your nightly reemergences will start up again soon. :)<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-wfkGCTL/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-wfkGCTL/0/56155ce6/M/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20136%20edit-M.jpg" alt=""></a><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-sK3mKfx/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-sK3mKfx/0/f9dfc2df/M/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20135%20edit-M.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
And, speaking of bedtime, you still do the same thing you were doing last year when I wrote your 6-year-old blog post. You always hug me tight around the neck, wait for me to kiss your cheek, then turn your little face and put a kiss in the center of my cheek. Every. Single. Night. It always floods my heart with warmth and happiness.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-Dr2vWGT/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Fall-pictures/i-Dr2vWGT/0/bda9efa8/L/DSLR%20Greyden%207-year%20photos%20132%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
Alright Roy Boy, I think that's all for now. We sure do love you!!<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Mommy (and Daddy)Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-92116944778870075212019-08-12T11:46:00.001-04:002019-08-12T11:48:38.777-04:00Greyden Roy: 7-Year-Old InterviewOur Greyden Roy is now 7 years old as of July 28th!! (I seriously can't believe he's this old.)<br />
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We had the usual multiple mini birthday celebrations with various family and friends, and he was thrilled to receive some great gifts including an abundance of Pokemon cards and related items. I'm planning to do his 7-year-old photo shoot this weekend and will post those pics and a detailed update on him once I get the pics edited. :)<br />
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For now, below is his 7-year-old interview. And because I always think it's fun to compare, I've posted his past years' videos below, also. :)<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="750" height="450" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/8615894735_bbqBCS8?width=750&height=450&albumId=195755704&albumKey=KCqF8t"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/7432812746_DtHLNvL?width=750&height=450&albumId=156259524&albumKey=rnB966" width="750"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/6350468211_3qS3s4v?width=750&height=450&albumId=146773052&albumKey=KkMWH3" width="750"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/231utBHtX4M?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="750"></iframe>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-65060834945256426652019-06-03T11:15:00.000-04:002019-06-03T11:22:25.585-04:00Krewson Lee at 9 Years OldDearest Krewson Lee,<br />
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We are now well into your year of being 9 years old! You turned 9 nearly three months ago, but I am learning to be ok with getting these yearly updates completed months after your birthdays. I figure, at least I'm actually doing them at all, right? :)<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-zSz8Qnj/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-zSz8Qnj/0/22da4608/L/DSLR%20040%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
We sure love you, buddy. You bring such depth and feelings to our lives. You continue to be our introverted, sensitive, and introspective child. You react to everything around you with emotion and as a result remind us of the deeper parts of life.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-GbG36jK/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-GbG36jK/0/8612d5d5/L/DSLR%20015%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You continue to be smaller for your age (19th percentile for height this year). You still have your longish blonde hair (which you are very attached to) and gray-blue eyes. At your wellness doc visit this year, your eyesight was not as perfect as it's always been, but the doctor said you can probably wait another year before needing glasses. (You did not like this news about future glasses one iota.) You've lost eight teeth so far and I'm relieved that they're coming in pretty straight (although with a large adorable gap between the front two).<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-PV9PL5d/A"><img alt="" src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-PV9PL5d/0/f2e835f6/L/DSLR%20026%20edit-L.jpg" /></a></center><br />
Your absolute favorite pastime (other than screen time, which I'm pretty sure is every kid's favorite) is reading. You read, read, read, read. Your current obsession is middle-grade fantasy. It is not uncommon for you to read an entire novel or more in a single day (especially on the weekends or when tracked out of school). You go through series so quickly that we've resorted to going to the library and walking up and down the middle grade aisles to find new books for you, because I've run out of recommendations from others.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-XPKkcdN/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-XPKkcdN/0/9e93cb6f/M/DSLR%20005%20edit-M.jpg" alt=""></a><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-JXXXzRz/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-JXXXzRz/0/3432ca47/M/DSLR%20006%20edit-M.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
Another favorite activity is ninja warrior obstacle climbing and jumping, so we may get you involved with that more in the fall at a local ninja warrior gym. Your daddy built you and your brother a small ninja-warrior-type gym in your playroom for Christmas this year, and you two have had a blast in there. Right now you are being kept busy with soccer and swim team. Despite having a decent amount of natural ability, soccer is not your favorite due to the unpredictability of whether you're about to get a kick to the shins or a ball to the face. Therefore, you don't do a whole lot of actual playing on the field. However, you keep requesting to do soccer because you love seeing your friends on the team. You seem ok with swim team (and actually are a very good swimmer!) as long as the water or air are not too cold. If you feel cold then you become quickly discouraged.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-hTHJZh2/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-hTHJZh2/0/9c73dff9/L/DSLR%20019%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You are still taking piano lessons, although the daily practicing at home is a frequent point of tension between you and me. You do NOT like making mistakes, and making mistakes is part of learning to play. So we frequently hit stand offs during our practice sessions after you've struggled with a certain piece of music. You will say that it is too hard and you cannot do it, and then you will refuse to play again despite all my prodding and encouragement. On the other hand, if you decide you like a certain piece of music, you will go to the piano and play for 30 minutes straight all on your own, frequently adding to the music with your own improvisations. The way you seem to "feel" the music as you're playing has brought tears to my eyes as I've watched you. I hope we can continue to get through practicing and lessons so that you can continue to have music as an outlet in the future.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-jb7JRgh/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-jb7JRgh/0/76cb547c/L/DSLR%20041%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
Your favorite school subject seems to be science. You love learning about the world and have hundreds of facts memorized, which you'll share whenever the opportunity arises. You do well in all your school subjects, but you really do not like writing. You also get frustrated in math because you can get the right answers but cannot always understand the ways the teachers want you to get to the answer (unfortunately that's Common Core for ya).<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-cCMvC76/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-cCMvC76/0/9f15b715/X2/DSLR%20049%20edit-X2.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You still love building and designing, and you make frequent Lego creations or other creations out of supplies you find around the house. You also love taking apart electronics and figuring out how they work. You have a large bin in the garage full of electronic parts that you play around with on a regular basis.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-GKjxWZV/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-GKjxWZV/0/ed77eceb/L/DSLR%20017%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a><br />
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You are still cautious, careful, and responsible, always following the rules and watching out for your safety and the safety of everyone around you. If something seems unsafe, you will basically refuse to do it.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-HRJtxJd/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-HRJtxJd/0/2dedfa4c/L/DSLR%20035%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You are still very emotional and can switch from hyper-joyful to devastated crying in a split second. You feel everything so incredibly deeply, and anxiety and frequent bouts of depression have become a regular part of your life. After implementing diet changes last spring, we saw incredible improvements, but the last few months have been a struggle again. You are also incredibly hard on yourself and very upset whenever you feel that you've done something wrong or are incapable of doing something the way you think is best. So we are doing all we can to help you at home, and you've also begun seeing a new talk/play therapist. You've only had a few session so far, but I am feeling hopeful because you seem a little more relaxed and a bit more able to handle yourself after each session.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-zvCnMPr/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-zvCnMPr/0/87fba1d0/L/DSLR%20023%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
Although you are most commonly quiet and subdued, you also have a very goofy, wisecracking, sarcastic side that can surprise people. You love to crack jokes and make people laugh, but you save that side of yourself for those you feel safest with. When that side of you does come out, you can even get a little bit hyper-crazy.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-qmcnMpP/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-qmcnMpP/0/3ab45fd0/L/DSLR%20018%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a><br />
<a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-fsVxZ63/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-fsVxZ63/0/6070c01e/M/DSLR%20043%20edit-M.jpg" alt=""></a><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-Z5GZ2B4/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-Z5GZ2B4/0/a1fced3f/M/DSLR%20046%20edit-M.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You don't like crowds or being the center of attention, but you absolutely love your close friends and are happiest with you're with them. You are also incredibly dedicated to your family and become broken-hearted when one of us is away from home for very long. Although I don't know you'd say so, I think your brother is your best friend. You boys get along amazingly well for how different you are from one another, and you can sometimes play all day long without even a little fight. You do have your squabbles and disagreements, but for the most part you support each other and love each other very well.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-W97wZ3k/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2019/Spring-Photos/i-W97wZ3k/0/dfa3bd44/L/DSLR%20125%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
We are so thankful for you, buddy! We love you so much. Until next year. :)<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Mommy<br />
<br />
Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-8908024245437008132019-03-17T21:38:00.001-04:002019-03-17T21:57:09.543-04:00Krewson Lee: 9-Year-Old InterviewKrew turned 9 years old on March 5th. What! Last year being a single digit!! <br />
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Here is his yearly interview. This year it just so happened that I captured many of his personality quirks and how he responds to and handles life. It makes me so happy to watch this video. It's very Krew-y. :)<br />
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Past years' interviews are below, too, if you'd like to compare and see how he's changed. :)<br />
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We love you Krew!!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 9:</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" scrolling="no" width="700" height="380" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/8132905413_xPkS9d4?width=700&height=380&albumId=188589790&albumKey=GnPGXX"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 8:</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="380" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/6957425761_qQpLdHs?width=700&height=380&albumId=156259524&albumKey=rnB966" width="700"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 7:</span><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="380" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/5809761226_sb2rw27?width=700&height=380&albumId=73544487&albumKey=8Nmzxp" width="700"></iframe><br />
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<span id="goog_1376229821"></span><span id="goog_1376229822"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 6:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tCC3BeACLmQ" width="700"></iframe><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Age 5:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T9AQRGvArog?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="700"></iframe><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-size: large;">Age 4:</span><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="380" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dwIqw6zBo6k?rel=0" width="700"></iframe>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-39185827783238772382018-10-02T21:28:00.000-04:002018-10-02T21:34:23.434-04:00Greyden Roy at 6 Years OldHey Greyden Roy, it's time to write about you as a 6-year-old!<br />
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You turned six on July 28th. You sure love your birthdays. You usually talk about them for months ahead of time and then expect lots and lots of celebrating (which is exactly what happened this year).<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-jr5Rzbn/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-jr5Rzbn/0/975e2ad1/L/DSLR%20-%20Grey%206-year%20photo%20shoot%20022%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You are right around average for height, weight, and BMI. Your eyes still typically look brown but can show a smidgen of green in certain lighting. Your hair was light brown last winter and blonde again this summer, but it really seems as if it may have turned blonde now even at the roots. We will see come this winter. :)<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-BDqPnVF/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-BDqPnVF/0/d3081143/L/DSLR%20-%20Grey%206-year%20photo%20shoot%20036%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
You started kindergarten in July and you LOVE it. You are actually disappointed when you have school breaks because you like going so much. You are doing great with your math, writing, and reading (you actually taught yourself to read simple books over the last year!). Still, I'd say your favorite part of the school day is probably recess or PE, because you love being active and you love playing with friends.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-s5CXZBb/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-s5CXZBb/0/aaa0a82e/L/DSLR%20-%20Grey%206-year%20photo%20shoot%20042%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
If I had to describe your personality, I would say the best words to describe you would be happy, joyful, goofy, excited, outgoing, determined, social, and energetic. You always look forward to every day, finding something in it that you expect to be fun or exciting. Every night during prayers you say, "Dear God, thank you for today and thank you that it was so much fun...and please let us have a fun day tomorrow." You cry easily when you have expectations and they aren't met, but you get over it quickly and are grinning again before long. Really, nothing keeps you down; you are always making lemonade out of lemons. <br />
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You crave interaction with others and really don't play alone well. In fact, being told to play alone is one of the few things that will quickly send you into tears. You usually don't mind being the center of attention or having others focused on you. You love to talk, talk, talk and you love being with friends. You love to act goofy and make silly faces and talk in a baby voice (which drives us a bit batty at times). You are incredibly competitive and would prefer to turn everything into a competition if possible. Sports are your favorite, basically all of them. Your favorite teams are Notre Dame, Panthers, and NC State, just like a year ago, and your sports jerseys are still your favorite shirts. You currently play soccer in the spring and fall and swim on the swim team in the summer, but you also love to practice basketball in the house or play football in the backyard. You also do great throwing a frisbee (no shocker there for anyone who knows your daddy). You pretty much always prefer to be active, but will sometimes settle down to read a book or draw.<br />
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You get distracted SO easily, and your daddy and I have gotten to the point where we just laugh about it because it's so "you". You get distracted while getting dressed, while walking places, while doing chores, while brushing your teeth, while going to the bathroom, while eating. We frequently have to remind you to take another bite during dinner (because you're so busy talking) or to keep cleaning up your toys (because you've noticed something and have started talking about that thing to anyone who will listen). We often hear you singing in the bathroom and have to remind you to stay focused if we're in any sort of rush. We bought you a watch that beeps every day when you have ten minutes left for lunch at school, in an attempt to help you finish your food on time. Still, most days you come home and your dessert is still in your lunch box, and you tell us it's because you "ran out of time". <br />
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Your favorite toys right now are hot wheels, bey blades, and anything sports-related. You love to play games still, and it's one of my favorite things to do with you. You also still love the iPad and video games, and you and Krew have been playing the Wii or X-box quite a bit. <br />
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Krew is still your best friend, and it makes me so incredibly grateful. You two do everything together and honestly very rarely ask for a friend to come over because you have each other. You really support each other through your different personalities, strengths, and weaknesses and are quite the team. It makes my heart sooooo happy.<br />
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Over the last year, you successfully reintroduced chicken, peanuts, and tree nuts and got to keep those in your diet. We also tried reintroducing pork and green beans, but those foods failed and you had your second worse scope results ever. We tried green beans again after you healed, but you became symptomatic again and it's now been many months of lingering mild symptoms. You struggle with stomach pain and esophagus spasms, and occasionally food gets stuck in your throat. We increased your medication dose (per your allergist's suggestion) to see if it would help with the symptoms, and it did seem to, but still you haven't been symptom-free long enough to reintroduce another food. We are planning to look into trying a new GI doctor to see if we can get a new viewpoint and some fresh advice. Other than your EoE, some nightime leg pains, and cyclic vomiting syndrome (which has unfortunately happened three times since your 5-year-old blog post), you really are a healthy kid. You don't get stomach bugs and rarely get colds or flu-like sicknesses. We are very thankful for that.<br />
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I mean this with love, but I must say that you have always been incredibly clumsy child. Fortunately, over the last few months, you seem to finally be figuring out your body a little more. You are still frequently covered in bruises and scrapes, but you seem to be falling and slamming into things a little less. Just in the last couple of weeks, your daddy and I have noticed that you seem much more in control of your body on the soccer field. And I actually don't remember the last time that you tripped while running down the sidewalk, which is such a huge relief. <br />
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One of your favorite ways to start sentences when explaining something is by saying, "Well, exactly...", which is super cute. I was shocked to look back at a video from a year ago and realize that it was sometime over the last 12 months that you learned to say your Rs and Ls. I didn't even remember that it was a struggle for you! But you definitely have them down pat now. Which is a good thing, because you absolutely love to sing and have now joined a nearby Glee Club, where you learn songs with a few other children and sometimes perform for the local farmers' market. You are also now taking piano lessons and really seem to have an interest in music. <br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-kfVxH9F/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-kfVxH9F/0/dfc5c79c/M/DSLR%20-%20Grey%206-year%20photo%20shoot%20045%20edit-M.jpg" alt=""></a><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-5ZHHCkP/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-5ZHHCkP/0/ca374d28/M/DSLR%20-%20Grey%206-year%20photo%20shoot%20048%20edit-M.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
One of our biggest struggles with you is still bedtime every night. Due to your EoE and maybe some growing pains, you seem to feel pain and discomfort a lot at nighttime. Probably five out of seven nights you come out of your room complaining that you are experiencing pain in your stomach, throat, or legs. On the nights you aren't experiencing pain, you come up with some other ridiculous reason for getting out of bed (you can't get your covers on the right way, you feel an itch, you are thinking about something, you have a question, etc.). It is a very rare night that we put you to bed and don't see your face at the top of the stairs within the next hour, voicing a concern. Sometimes your daddy and I have a hard time controlling our tempers when you come out of your room three times in 30 minutes. But then, you've been this way ever since we can remember, so I'm not sure why we expect otherwise. I really don't remember a time when you didn't get out of bed at night. You rarely fall asleep before 10pm, and sometimes it's even 10:30 or 11 depending on the night. <br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-7D7prfh/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-7D7prfh/0/19062cde/L/DSLR%20-%20Grey%206-year%20photo%20shoot%20040%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
Along the lines of bedtime, there is something you do at night when saying goodnight that I never want to forget. It is one of my favorite things that you do right now. You always hug me tight around the neck, wait for me to kiss your cheek, then turn your little face and put a kiss in the center of my cheek. Every. Single. Night. And oh my gosh how it melts my heart.<br />
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<center><a href="https://snoke.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-6RzZd6q/A"><img src="https://photos.smugmug.com/2018/Greyden-6-Year-Photos/i-6RzZd6q/0/0c26d7ad/L/DSLR%20-%20Grey%206-year%20photo%20shoot%20041%20edit-L.jpg" alt=""></a></center><br />
Alright Roy Boy, I think that sums you up pretty well at age 6. We love you SO much!!<br />
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Love,<br />
Mommy (and Daddy)Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-78011626569891778132018-08-13T13:25:00.003-04:002018-08-13T13:41:51.192-04:00Greyden Roy: 6-Year-Old InterviewOur Roy Boy turned 6 years old on July 28th! As is typical, given all our extended family who visits with us at different times, his birthday celebration lasted a couple weeks. He had several mini parties with relatives, and we also had some friends meet us at the nearby park on his birthday morning. :) <br />
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My usual yearly blog post with fancy pictures will be coming hopefully soon. In the meantime, below is his 6-year-old interview! I've also included his 5-year-old interview (same questions) and 4-year-old interview (different questions) for fun if you like to compare. (The way his voiced changed from age 5 to age 6...oh my goodness I couldn't believe it!)<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/7432812746_DtHLNvL?width=1920&height=450&albumId=156259524&albumKey=rnB966" width="750"></iframe><br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://api.smugmug.com/services/embed/6350468211_3qS3s4v?width=750&height=450&albumId=146773052&albumKey=KkMWH3" width="750"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/231utBHtX4M?rel=0&showinfo=0" width="750"></iframe>Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-81318739304720595692018-05-06T22:12:00.002-04:002018-05-07T07:24:00.815-04:00Krewson Lee at 8 Years OldDear Krew,<br />
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You’re 8! It’s so great! (Yay for cheesy mom rhymes!!)<br />
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Of course I am two months late writing this again, as I am with every one of your birthdays or your brother’s birthdays. Since I have to find a good time to take photos of you and then edit them, and then I have to write a long post, it just takes me some time. But I always get it done eventually. :)<br />
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What can I say about 8-year-old Krew? We sure love having you in our lives. You make us smile and warm our hearts daily. You love deeply and love to show people that you care through your words, hugs, and drawings. I have countless cards with hearts and poems on them where you've expressed your love for me. It's adorable.<br />
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As I say almost every year, you are our sensitive, introspective, and inquisitive boy. You are very consistent in those characteristics. <br />
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Also consistently from years past, you are still very cautious, careful, and responsible. You follow the rules, do not like to take risks, and are always concerned about safety.<br />
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Interestingly, we’ve discovered that at times you will decide that you cannot or should not do something (such as write a school paper that you don’t feel equipped to write according to your own personal standards) and you will adamantly refuse to do it no matter the rules. Your teacher even commented on this, mentioned that she’s had to learn work-arounds with you, because if you decide that you cannot do an assignment well enough, you will absolutely refuse to try no matter what anyone says. I tried to discuss this with you once and sway your thinking. I told you that you get grades at school, and that if you do not do any writing at all you will get a bad grade. Then I said, isn’t it better to write something and get an average grade rather than write nothing at all and get a bad grade? You replied by telling me that you don’t care what grade you get, all you care about is if you think it’s written the way YOU think it should be written. (Insert mom face palm emoji.)<br />
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You will react similarly in other situations, such as soccer practice and piano lessons. Some of it seems to be issues with perfectionism, a lot of it seems to stem from your struggles with anxiety.<br />
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Anxiety has been a hard thing this year. You’ve struggled with both social and situational anxiety. We had you seeing a therapist for a while, and we also do some workbooks together to help you with cognitive behavioral tactics. Your daddy and I are also reading books and listening to podcasts to learn how to best help you. It’s been a relief to see some progress lately, now that we’ve figured out some methods that seem to help you.<br />
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You also have times of what appears to be depression, which usually lasts a couple weeks to a month. We haven’t been able to figure out what triggers these episodes or what helps you eventually pull out of them. However, we’re always watching you carefully, ready to get some outside help if we need it.<br />
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You feel things so deeply, both emotionally and physically. You still avoid almost all movies and sad or scary stories. It’s rare that a day goes by without tears springing to your eyes over something. Sometimes it’s that you’re concerned about another person or worried you’ve done something wrong, and sometimes it’s because your socks are too scratchy or a sound is too loud or you feel too hot or too cold. Oftentimes it’s because you’re being asked to do something that makes you feel anxious, and you become so overwhelmed that you can’t help but cry. But I love this sensitive side of you. It makes you YOU. You wouldn’t be Krew if you weren’t tender. And because of it, you tend to see more quickly when others are hurting and reach out to try to offer comfort.<br />
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I't's not all tears and struggles with you, and I don't want to give that impression. You are also a very smart, witty, and giggly boy. You crack jokes and frequently use sarcasm (I credit that acquired skill to your father's influence). You can be goofy and silly and so much fun.<br />
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And interestingly enough, if you get overly comfortable or self-assured with someone, you can swing to the opposite end of the pendulum and become CRAZY. You’ll become loud, somewhat obnoxious, hyper, and smart-alecky. It’s something we’re working on learning to manage together. ;)<br />
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You have great body awareness and control, and when you put your mind to it you can do well at many athletic activities including soccer and swim team. It is usually the mental component that causes you to struggle. You get incredibly anxious when you think about others watching you, which causes you to panic and shut down while playing sports. But with enough encouragement and external motivation, we’ve kept you active with both swimming on the swim team and playing soccer. We've give you the option to switch to different activities, but you tell us that if you have to do something then you guess you'll do sports. (Insert mom shrug emoji.)<br />
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You are also still taking piano lessons, and it’s so fun to watch and listen to you read music. The last recital a couple weeks ago was hard for you due to all the people watching, but with a little extra encouragement you DID IT and we were SO PROUD of you!!<br />
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You love to read and it makes me so happy to see you in your bed or on the couch with a book in your lap. Your favorite things to read are nonfiction books full of facts and graphic novels (long comic books). You are also still very much into Minecraft and will spend hours playing it if we let you.<br />
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You are an amazingly creative child, coming up with all kinds of fascinating ideas, drawings and other artwork, and creations out of Legos. You also love to learn about science and really enjoy science kits.<br />
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You are still small (17th percentile for height), but we don’t notice it as much because you are one of the oldest kids in your grade and so you look average next to most of your friends. You’ve lost six teeth. You have longer hair now because you requested to grow it out, and I think you wear it well. :) Also I think your eyes are looking more and more gray rather than blue.<br />
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Alright buddy, I think that’s it!! We love you!!<br />
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Love,<br />
MommyKara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-48350666238168263262018-05-03T15:26:00.000-04:002018-05-03T15:27:43.701-04:00I'm getting better.Slowly but surely, I’m getting better.<br />
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I felt a surprising lift in my mood within a day or two of seeing my integrative doctor last Wednesday. I’m not sure if it was because I’d finally realized what was going on and had it acknowledged, or maybe because I was feeling the effects of the supplement I’d added back in several days earlier.<br />
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This past weekend, alternatively and unfortunately, was pretty low for me. Every conversation, every activity, everything I did, it just hurt. It hurt down to my core, like I had just experienced some great loss although I hadn’t. I felt both raw and numb, if it’s possible to feel those things simultaneously. I don’t even know how to explain it. My gut hurt, my heart hurt, my soul hurt, I just hurt and didn’t want to be experiencing anything. I wanted to sleep until I knew it would go away. <br />
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Dave encouraged me last week to let myself cry more, so I tried to let myself do that over the weekend whenever I was in a safe place. Ironically, our pastor’s sermon this past Sunday was about pain and learning to safely express it and cope with it rather than trying to ignore it and letting it pass on to hurt other people. I took in a lot from his message, but one of the most fascinating things to me was when he said that toxins are actually released when we cry tears of negative emotions, but not when we cry tears of happy emotions. We are literally expelling the ugly things when we cry an ugly cry. So I’m officially trying to let myself ugly cry a little more. It’s apparently good not only for my soul, but for my body too.<br />
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This week, probably starting on Monday, I felt the cloud begin to lift. I no longer was feeling a heavy dread 24/7. Greyden had some slightly alarming EoE symptoms over the weekend and then on Monday also, and Dave and I found ourselves trying to somewhat quickly contact his doctors at the beginning of the week to decide on a plan of action. It took a couple days, but as of yesterday the doctors all agreed that it appeared that Greyden is having an allergic reaction to green beans and we need to permanently remove them from his diet. Of course this made me a bit sad for him, because the kid loves green beans. I was texting a friend about all of this and without even thinking I typed to her, “It could be way worse.” And then I was like, whoah, where did that come from. That’s an old Kara thought. That’s a “this sucks, but we got this” thought. That’s not a depressed Kara thought. And that was the moment that I knew my depression must really be healing. <br />
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There have been some other signs I’m getting better, including a new passion to write some support blog posts for other parents of EoE kids. I found a void in others’ lives and I want to help fill it. And again I’m like, where is this coming from? How do I all of a sudden have the energy and drive to do something for others, something that requires effort? And then I’m like, praise the Lord, it’s because I’m feeling better. The real Kara, the Kara I want to be, is slowly starting to emerge. <br />
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I’m on my way back. Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2571128560813082732.post-90123503162574799532018-04-26T15:13:00.000-04:002018-04-26T15:13:41.902-04:00[My] Symptoms of DepressionFor me, from what I can remember, it started with moments, then hours, then days, of feeling overwhelmed with life and all its responsibilities. It all just seemed like too much. At first these feelings would come and go, but then they started to stick around.<br />
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I found myself looking at my friends’ difficulties around me and my heart breaking for them and then I started wondering how anyone had the energy and motivation to continue fighting through their lives.<br />
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I started becoming tired, needing more sleep but never feeling rested.<br />
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Then I found myself wanting to explode. I felt so overwhelmed, but I felt like no one saw me. They didn’t see who I really was, what I was struggling with, and I then I simultaneously felt overly demanding and guilt-ridden for wanting that recognition.<br />
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I felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. No chance of feeling carefree ever again. My life was doomed to be a long, tired fight. A fight against disease, mental health, hard parenting, health problems, people dying, hard diagnoses, exhaustion, mean people, people who didn’t get it and didn’t care.<br />
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I just wanted to sleep so I didn’t have to deal.<br />
I didn’t want to clean the house. Too overwhelming.<br />
I didn’t want to cook. Too much energy required.<br />
I didn’t want to read fiction or anything light-hearted. Entertainment seemed frivolous when the world was so wrong. But then sometimes I wanted to escape my pain so I would decide the book or a funny movie was worth it. (Jumanji actually did me a lot of good last week.)<br />
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I looked around at other people with problems, and they seemed fine. Did they not see how messed up this world is? How were they ok?<br />
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The little things that used to make me smile didn’t feel worth smiling about anymore. I tried to smile anyway though.<br />
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I felt like lashing out at my kids and my husband. Not all the time, but much more than normal. I tried to hold it in, pray through it. What was wrong with me?<br />
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Eventually it felt like there was a hole in my chest.<br />
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And maybe people who’ve never felt depression don’t realize this, but depression can hurt. Literally hurt. You can feel like you’re in pain 24/7. For me, it hurts in my chest. I feel like there is a hole in the middle of me. And simultaneously, I feel like there’s this heavy, dirty blanket I’m carrying around over my soul, everywhere I go, and it makes even the best, happiest of scenarios feel bleak and heavy and muddy.<br />
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I met with my integrative doctor yesterday. She looked at my health history and found a couple possible supplement changes that could have unexpectedly triggered my body to go into depression, so we switched those things around. One of them I had actually switched on my own a couple days prior. She also gave me some new supplements to support my brain and help it calm down and heal. We are meeting again in 7 to 10 days to see if I’m seeing any improvement. She agreed that if we can’t get me healed, antidepressants are a reasonable solution. I’m so thankful to have found a crunchy professional who helps me with my health issues in a natural way whenever possible, but who also acknowledges that sometimes conventional methods and medications are warranted. <br />
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Already last night I felt better than I’d felt in at least a week and a half. And today a song came on in the car and I felt my heart leap with happiness and joy for a split second. And then I thought, “Whoah, what the heck was that???” and I realized that that feeling had been completely absent from my life for quite a while. I used to feel it many times a day. My eyes teared up, but they were good tears, because I suddenly felt tangible hope that I would be ok again.<br />
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I share all this info because yes, it’s therapeutic to do so, but also because I really, really, really don’t want others to have to suffer through depression and not realize it’s happening. If you see yourself in any of this and it’s been more than a week or so, please please talk to someone. Depression affects everything. It makes it hard to maintain quality of life, hard to maintain relationships, and honestly, hard to maintain your relationship with God. I don’t know why God allows depression and other mental issues, and gosh it’s frustrating because everything seems impossible when your head and heart are aching and nonfunctional, no matter what you say or read or do. <br />
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Also, some people may disagree with me, but in my experience, very little of depression is a thought or heart issue. It is a physical illness. Your brain is misfiring. Your body is not working. Sometimes it's a response to a traumatic experience. Sometimes it's a bodily response to other life stresses and changes. Sometimes it's just your body stops working the way it should for one reason or another. Trust me, when I’m depressed, I know what thought processes I SHOULD be having. I’ve studied lots of cognitive therapy recently for helping Krew with his struggles. I know much of the Bible, I know much of God’s truths, I know what it is to pray and feel close to God and surrender and know He’s holding me in His hands. But when I’m in a depression, which I’ve now experienced several times? Those things are all still in my head, but I can’t process them. I know them, but they’re inaccessible. They make no sense. And because of this, I know I have to heal my body first. Once my body starts to heal, then I can start thinking those right things again and get myself the rest of the way better. But until I get some bodily healing (which for me has been through medication or supplements), trying to climb out of depression is pretty futile. <br />
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Alright, I think that’s all for now. Hopefully these depressed posts will stop soon. Thank you to all of you who have reached out recently to send love and support or let me know you’re praying. It means the world to me. You all rock.<br />
<br />Kara @ Just1Stephttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15807231820370637387noreply@blogger.com0