What to do about Santa Claus

Since 'tis the season, I thought I would share my thoughts about this whole Santa Claus thing so that friends and family can understand where we are coming from! We are teaching our kiddos that the legend of Santa Clause is not real. BEFORE you grab the pitchforks, hear me out! I've included the "Top 5 Reasons" why we don't do Santa later in this post.

However you chose to celebrate (or not celebrate) this season is your decision and I completely respect that.

Before we had kids, John and I decided we were not going to do the whole Santa thing. It came from a place of wanting our kids to understand the real meaning of Christmas instead of being distracted by a the American version of Santa, the man in the red suit.

I'm sure a lot of people who are reading this may be thinking things like, "How could you not let your kids believe in Santa! You are robbing them of their childhood. Santa should be a part of the magic of Christmas! Your kids will ruin it for everyone else."

Don't get me wrong, John loved Santa as a kid. He turned out great and loves Jesus. Heck, he thought Santa was real until he was 12 because he got to vacation every summer in Tahoe with a other time-share resident who bore a remarkable resemblance to the man. I don't believe Santa should be banned from Christmas by any means! We have Santa decorations in our home, I might wear a Santa hat, and we will probably let our kids watch Christmas classics that feature Santa.

For some families, Santa is really important, and I respect that. Some families don't celebrate Christmas, and others like us don't celebrate Santa. This year is the first year Caleb and I have been able to have really amazing conversations about Christmas and the greatest gift of all: Jesus! It has really reaffirmed that this is how we want to celebrate Christmas as a family.

I figured I would lay out my top 5 reasons why we chose not to do Santa in our house. Hopefully this helps people understand us better!

Why we don't do Santa:

1.  Jesus is why our family celebrates Christmas

Jesus came as the most amazing gift, and our family and many others celebrate his birth on Christmas.  From what I've seen, Santa is a big distraction to kids. They spend hours writing their list to Santa, talking about him, focusing their energy and efforts conspiring a way to catch him, and debating the validity of all the magical things they have heard Santa can do. I don't want my kids to be confused about the purpose of Christmas. I want our kids to constantly talk about Jesus' birthday, what gifts they are going to give Jesus, and how they are going to spread God's love to their friends, family, and strangers who need to be shown how much God loves them. There are so many rich and wonderful opportunities to expand our children's capacity to love during this season, and Santa causes kids to be "me" focused and a bit self-centered at times. As cliche as it sounds, Jesus is the reason for the season.

2. I don't like lying to my kids

We firmly believe that telling the truth to our children is incredibly important for building trust and connection. To be blunt, the tall tale of Santa is a lie. I am not comfortable misusing the trust we are building with our kids by lying to them about Santa. If you believed in Santa as a kid, I'm am sure you remember being mad at your parents and going through the kid-version of the 5 stages of grief when you discovered Santa wasn't real. When we read stories from the Bible, my children listen intently. When we talk about God and Jesus, our children believe what we say. In the future they will have so many questions, doubts, personal beliefs, and hopes about God, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus. We want to walk with our kids through the natural process of spiritual discovery with a good track record. We want our children know us as truth-tellers who are honest and trustworthy. Our family will be talking about Saint Nicolas and his life and ministry. He was a kind man who loved Jesus and sought to help others by providing for their needs in secret. We will talk about how we will get to meet Saint Nicolas when we are in heaven together.

3. It's a lot of work

Goodness Santa requires so much parental involvement and work! You have to remember all the things Santa can and cannot do, answer the incessant, "How does Santa (fill in the blank)?", and eventually run interference when your kid discovers clues that YOU might be Santa. Personally it sounds like more time and energy than I'm willing to invest to convince my children that something that is not real is in fact real. Now you might be concerned that my children will spoil your fun if your family celebrates Santa. Don't worry! From what I've heard, it's usually the kids who just discovered that Santa isn't real that are on a mission to spread the gospel of "Santa isn't real!!" to all of their friends who have been fooled. I don't think that our parents were concerned about kids who were Jewish, Jehovah's Witness, or whose families did not celebrate Santa to ruin it all for everyone else. Nevertheless, we will make sure our kids will respect and protect your Santa secret for your children.

4. We pretend in other ways

I can understand the allure of Santa from a parent perspective in regards to fostering imagination and make-believe.  Developing my children's imagination and their pretend-play skills is a high priority for me. However, fantasy and reality need  clear boundaries for kids' imaginations to be fully developed! There are many different thoughts on the matter of fostering imagination development (just compare a Waldorf vs. Montessori approach). We gravitate towards the idea that is is the security of reality allows children to enter into wonderful pretend-play scenarios and imaginative worlds. When kids know what is concrete and real, and what is fantasy and pretend, their minds can soar. It's a lot more fun for me to pretend with my kids (with them too knowing that we are pretending) than for me to be the only one who is in on the secret. I plan on soaking up the joy of their imagination, just not with Santa.

5. Santa isn't fair
Santa allows kids to believe that they can get whatever they ask for, as long as they are good. How do you explain to your kid why Santa brought every toy imaginable to one of his or her friends, and another friend got a few much needed needed school supplies from the dollar store? Maybe your child has their heart set on the ridiculously priced "it" toy of the season and you lost your job and will only be able to afford some simple art supplies. Because Santa encourages children to be "me" focused, there may be lots of tears on Christmas when children didn't get what they asked Santa to bring. This isn't fair to parents or kids! We want our kids to develop a joyful and giving spirit, and to become gracious recipients of gifts. John works hard every single day to make a living to provide for our family. I want our kids to be thankful for the time that he puts in at work that allows us the opportunity to buy them good gifts. Another thing that the Santa culture lends itself to is parental shame and guilt about our gifts! Materialism is so tempting around Christmas. When we see on social media all the fantastic presents that a friend's kid got for Christmas, we can't allow ourselves to feel "less than" for not getting our own children gifts that are more reasonable for our budget and lifestyle. For Christmas, our family plans to stick to a $50 per kid gift budget. This is something that may grow over time, but it is something that we will tell our children to keep in mind when they are writing their Christmas lists for us.  During Christmas we want our kids to be thankful and appreciative, as well as generous towards others.

I hope this helped a few people understand where we are coming from (and maybe drop the pitchforks) so that you have a better idea of our hearts.

Please feel free to share this if it seems to you...

Love,
Ebey and John

To my Sons...

My Dear Sons,

There are some things you need to know, and several promises we as your parents have made to you. We have a great responsibility to raise you in such a way that brings the most glory and honor to God. It is our greatest priledge to be your parents and our greatest work that we will ever take on. We know we are called to raise Champions. To raise Kingdom Builders and Mighty Warriors. We are called to raise Leaders. You, my sons, are Leaders.

Oftentimes people will want you to pick sides. They will want you to make a binary choice. Jesus offers a third way, a way that chooses love. Real Leaders choose love. They love the people that hate them and they are passionate about showing people this third way. 

Let me begin.

In this world there are bullies. Our job is to raise you to stand up to those bullies for the sake of others. You might be tempted to think the bullies are villians, and some people will tell you to hate the bullies because they think they are bad people. Do not buy into this lie. Remember the third way? You can love the people for whom you are standing up while simultaneously choosing to see the bullies through God's eyes. God loves them. You are called to love those who hate you. You might need to set healthy boundaries with bullies, but they are not to be treated the same what they treat you and others. You will be a shining light as a warrior of love, and people will be astounded that you have chosen the third way. They will be curious and they will want to learn more about this radical love that does not condemn. 

You will be an amazing listener. Leaders know how to listen. We will teach you to ask questions upon questions so that you can come to understand people who are different from you. You will be the third way. The third way does not judge, it does not put people into a box, and it most certainly does not write off people's experiences and feelings. Through seeking out answers and staying curious, you will come to great understanding and wisdom. You will be diplomatic beyond measure and your thoughtful questions will make people feel safe and loved, and most of all see they will feel known. 

There is something you need to know about WARRIORS.

Warrior Leaders fight ferociously for freedom. Often the freedom they are fighting for is not just their own, but so many others' freedom as well. Sometimes mighty warriors will get hurt and injured by bullies who seek to destroy all that is good and beautiful in people. These bullies attack people's core identity. The things that these bullirs say and do have the power to shatter people's belief that they are valuable and loved. You, my warrior sons, will fight for soul freedom. Bullies will try to bring people down, you will build people up.

Mighty warriors like yourselves are kind and gentle. They are compassionate and giving of their time, energy, and resources. They are welcoming to those who are different than them and they embrace people who need comfort. My sons, we will raise you to love. You will love people so very much. Your heart will break for them and the pain they experience at the hands of bullies. People will say unkind things to people in your presence, and your job is not only to comfort those who are hurting, but to fight back for them. To fight against those bullies who wage war on their souls. Muslims, the LGBTQ community, people of color, women, documented and undocumented immigrants, people with differently-abled bodies, the economically disadvantaged, and those who are "different" will be picked on. You will see it. We will raise you to ferociously scream, "STOP!". We will raise you to see every person as a person who matters, a person whose soul is important and valuable. We will do our best to help you see people the way God sees people: as cherished. There is nobody who can escape the love of God, and you will be warriors for this cause. Your love for people will be contagious and you will be put in a place of leadership where people will be looking up to you and following your lead. Lead with love.

There is something you must know about YOU.
 
The color of your skin matters. People look at you differently. You will face less challenges and opposition than your friends of color will in this lifetime. People are bullied because of the pigment of their skin, the shade with which they were born. This is not right, and this is not fair. People who are white have been born with a skin-weapon of great power that they can either use to destroy those who are oppressed, or they can use it to tear down the walls of injustice and defend people of color. You, my sons, are Kingdom Builders and we will raise you to see in Kingdom Color. We will raise you to break down barriers and stand up for your friends. There is hope, a righting-of-every-wrong. In your lifetime you will see a shifting and rising tide in America. Right now, the pigment of our population is mostly white. This will change. Your peers, your generation, is a minority-majority. Kids under the age of 5 today are over 50% non-white. Get excited!! The color of America will shift and we will raise you to celebrate and welcome this diversity.  We will raise you to stand up against racism and cultural imperialism whenever it rears it's ugly head. You will be a part of the generation that ushers in a beautiful change. You will lead with love.

There is something else you must know about YOU.

Your sex matters. Women are treated differently than men, and this is not right. This is not fair. Let me, as your mother, tell you something about women. God created women to be filled with so much power. The very beating of your hearts was sustained by my body for 9 months and many more through milk from my body. You were knit together in my womb and birthed through my God-given strength. Women are stronger than you in so many ways. However, not everybody sees this great power, even women themselves. As your mother I want you to become like your father. And follow in his example. Your daddy treats me the way every single woman deserves to be treated by men. He treats me with dignity, kindness, respect, and appreciation. He believes in me and values me. This is not the way many women are treated by men. Women are picked on by bullies. Women can be bullies to other women. You are called to defend all that is right and all that is true, and this means standing up for women. You will stand up against rape-culture, misogyny, objectification, pornification, unfairness in the workplace, abuse, and the de-valuaing of women in every way, shape, and form. You will show women who God is through your thoughtfulness and your respect of women. Other men will look up to you as their standard of excellence in your treatment of the opposite sex. You, my tender sons, will create a different culture that honors the innate power and strength of womankind. You will make women feel safe, valued, and loved.

There is something you need to know about US

We, your parents, are completely imperfect. We have failed time and time again to be warriors and to stand up for injustice of all types. We have not had the eyes to see people the way God sees people, and for that we are truly sorry. We have not listened to people and we have brushed them off. We have made people feel unsafe by the words we have said, and the action or inaction we have taken when they are being threatened by bullies. We have made many mistakes and we will continue to make many mistakes. You have our permission to question us and call us out when we are not living up to the standard that Jesus gave us, which is to love God and to love people. We fall short of perfection by a long shot. Please help us to love more fully and love more deeply.

This is something you need to know about God.

God loves you. God loves every single person on the planet. God created every beating heart and every life is beaming with purpose and intentionally. You were created with purpose, and God has placed you on this earth for such a time as this. God desires to speak to you and lead you into your destiny. Go forth in love my Kingdom Building, Mighty Warrior Sons.

Love,
Mama

Photo credit to Hope Curran 

Partner with Us

Hello All!

We have been overwhelmed by the love and support we have received with Mason's upcoming skull surgery. We are so thankful for friends and family that have encouraged us, for the people who have told us they are praying for Mason, and for the wonderful online support we have received from other families who have gone through the same surgery. Thank you so much for showing us so much love!

Mason goes in for surgery in 15 days. Holy smokes. Our baby will be undergoing massive skull surgery. It doesn't even feel real. I feel like everything is normal right now and nothing is about to change. It is probably because God had given me a lot of peace (thank goodness, cause I'm usually a hot mess). What a wild ride it has been so far.

As many of you have asked how you can help out our family in this time of need, and we finally have some answers!

Here are some ways you can partner with us:

1. Pray for Mason daily
Pray in whatever way the Spirit leads! Pray for healing, an easy recovery, for God to use the doctors to bring about restoration, or however else you are led to lift up Mason is prayer.

2. Attend and participate in a time of prayer for Mason on Sept 25th at Flood Church.
We will be praying for Mason this upcoming Sunday from 10:20-10:45am, directly after the 9am worship gathering at Flood.  If you would like to join us please do! We meet at Kerney High School, located at 1954 Komet Way in San Diego. Feel free to text or message me if you have questions!

3. Donate blood in Mason's honor at your local Red Cross Blood Bank
Mason will likely be receiving a blood transfusion during his surgery. I will be his direct blood donor since we are a match. If you are in good health and are able to donate blood in his honor at your local blood bank, please do so! Let's help other babies and adults get the blood they need through your generous donation!

4. Pray and fast during Mason's surgery on Wednesday October 5th 
We are inviting friends and family to pray and fast during Mason's surgery from 7:30am-1:00pm PST on October 5th. Spiritual fasting is the practice of intentionally going without food for a particular spiritual purpose. If you feel lead and moved to do so, consider fasting breakfast and lunch while Mason is in surgery, and pray for him during this time. You can do this at work, at school, at home with the kids, or where ever you may be during this time.

5. Donate to Cranio Care Bears
Cranio Care Bears is a non-profit organization that provides care packages free of charge for children who will be undergoing surgery for craniosynostosis.  Mason will be getting a care package from this wonderful organization that has helped thousands of families journey through this difficult surgery. Making a donation to Care Bears will help them continue to provide care packages to kids and families in their time of great need.

Thank you so much for partnering with our family!

Much love,

Ebey

Partner with Us

Hello All!

We have been overwhelmed by the love and support we have received with Mason's upcoming skull surgery. We are so thankful for friends and family that have encouraged us, for the people who have told us they are praying for Mason, and for the wonderful online support we have received from other families who have gone through the same surgery. Thank you so much for showing us so much love!

Mason goes in for surgery in 15 days. Holy smokes. Our baby will be undergoing massive skull surgery. It doesn't even feel real. I feel like everything is normal right now and nothing is about to change. It is probably because God had given me a lot of peace (thank goodness, cause I'm usually a hot mess). What a wild ride it has been so far.

As many of you have asked how you can help out our family in this time of need, and we finally have some answers!

Here are some ways you can partner with us:

1. Pray for Mason daily
Pray in whatever way the Spirit leads! Pray for healing, an easy recovery, for God to use the doctors to bring about restoration, or however else you are led to lift up Mason is prayer.

2. Attend and participate in a time of prayer for Mason on Sept 25th at Flood Church.
We will be praying for Mason this upcoming Sunday from 10:20-10:45am, directly after the 9am worship gathering at Flood.  If you would like to join us please do! We meet at Kerney High School, located at 1954 Komet Way in San Diego. Feel free to text or message me if you have questions!

3. Donate blood in Mason's honor at your local Red Cross Blood Bank
Mason will likely be receiving a blood transfusion during his surgery. I will be his direct blood donor since we are a match. If you are in good health and are able to donate blood in his honor at your local blood bank, please do so! Let's help other babies and adults get the blood they need through your generous donation!

4. Pray and fast during Mason's surgery on Wednesday October 5th 
We are inviting friends and family to pray and fast during Mason's surgery from 7:30am-1:00pm PST on October 5th. Spiritual fasting is the practice of intentionally going without food for a particular spiritual purpose. If you feel lead and moved to do so, consider fasting breakfast and lunch while Mason is in surgery, and pray for him during this time. You can do this at work, at school, at home with the kids, or where ever you may be during this time.

5. Donate to Cranio Care Bears
Cranio Care Bears is a non-profit organization that provides care packages free of charge for children who will be undergoing surgery for craniosynostosis.  Mason will be getting a care package from this wonderful organization that has helped thousands of families journey through this difficult surgery. Making a donation to Care Bears will help them continue to provide care packages to kids and families in their time of great need.

Thank you so much for partnering with our family!

Much love,

Ebey

Mason's Skull Surgery

Happy Monday!

If you have been following Mason's journey on social media, you may remember that he was diagnosed with Metopic Craniosynostosis (skull fusing too early) at 5 months of age by a Neurosurgeon and wore a cranial band for several weeks to help his skull reshape. He had amazing results from the band, and a recent eye exam showed that as far as we can see, his brain is not under any intracranial pressure from his skull fusing too early. We are praising Jesus for this amazing news!
 
As of right now, Mason George will be undergoing a major skull surgery in the beginning of October to open up the part of his skull that fused too early so that his brain has enough room to continue to grow and develop. The surgery is very intense and will require a 4-6 day PICU stay afterward. We have the most amazing team of doctors at Rady's Children's Hospital. The results that this surgery will offer Mason are life-changing! I will go ahead and answer some of the most common questions people ask when they hear the news that our son needs skull surgery... hope this helps!

OK, so what does he have again?? How did he get it?
Mason has craniosynostosis (kray-nee-o-sin-os-TOE-sis), meaning that part of his skull fused too early. For him, the metopic bone (the one right in the middle of his forehead) is the one that closed to early. As his head grew, this caused his temples to be pinched, a ridge developed on his forehead, his eyes became quite close together, and his eye brow shelf is almost flat. Looking down on the top of his head, his head looks like an egg and is very narrow at the forehead. 3 in 10,000 kids have some form of craniosynostosis! So how do kids develop this rare and unique variation? Craniosynostosis can be related to a syndrome, it can be genetic, it can be influenced by the position of the baby in the womb, and it can be related to how the brain grows. In Mason's case, it is likely that his skull fused too early because of the shape of my pelvic bowl, but we will never know for sure! 

He looks fine, why does he need surgery? 
He is pretty adorable, I have to say! Unfortunately, craniosynostosis is a progressive condition. Most experts recommend surgery between 6-12 months to ensure the best possible outcome while the skull is still malleable. There are three main reasons why surgical intervention is needed: medical necessity, preventing future problems, and for cosmetic reasons. We are so thankful that he does not fall into the medical necessity category. Those babies are suffering from intracranial pressure (ICP), headaches, non-stop screaming, and significant developmental delays. Often they need emergency surgery. Mason will be having skull surgery to prevent future problems and for cosmetic reasons. The problems he could face if he does not have surgery include: development of ICP, restriction of brain growth, developmental problems, challenges with speech, behavior-related disorders, eye problems, breathing problems, and several other similar challenges. As his little baby head becomes a toddler head, a kid head, a teenager head, and finally an adult head, it will become progressively shaped very different from his peers and look kind of like a mouse (eyes, nose, and mouth close together). I originally though it would be ridiculous to put him through surgery for cosmetic reasons. In the case of pediatric plastic surgery, cosmetic means "to restore". Our team repairs cleft lips, facial injuries, and several other conditions involving the skull. They give kids a better life and bring restoration to their faces so they can go out and be world-changers. We want Mason to have the best chance to grow into all that God has intended for him.

So what do they do during the surgery?
*Not for the faint of heart. Skip over this if that is you*
Mason will be under general anesthesia. He will be undergoing two procedures during his surgery. He will have a Cranial Vault Remodeling with a Fronto Orbital Advancement, in short CVR/FOA. Basically, the team will be reshaping his skull and moving the front of his eye bones forward. The surgeons will make an incision from one ear to the other along the top of his scalp. The scalp will be partially removed and the Neurosurgeon will remove the front of his skull from his brain, the part that is fused, along with part of his eye socket. The plastic surgeon will reshape all of these bones, and then they will be placed back on his brain with re-absorbable devices to keep it from fusing again. His scalp will be sewn back up and he will be moved to the PICU for recovery. One huge bonus? He will have an awesome scar with an awesome story!

What is the recovery like? 
I have heard from other moms that it is very, very hard. For a few days Mason will have a drain in his skull, his eyes will swell shut, he will likely have a hard time eating, and he will be uncomfortable. I can stay with him 24/7 if we want to, which is amazing! My mom will thankfully be coming down to help out during the week of surgery and recovery, and I am hoping to have more family come to San Diego after he is released from the hospital to help out with Caleb. Everyone keeps telling me that babies bounce back really quickly and they are superstars compared to us adults. Two weeks after surgery moms will often say other than a scar and a whole new face, you would never know their kiddo was a cranio surgery warrior.

Wow. That's a lot of heavy and scary stuff. How are you feeling about it all?
I am at peace finally. We will continue to pray daily for healing and restoration for Mason's skull, and for God to reshape his facial bones. My heart's cry has been "God, whatever brings YOU the most glory, lead us down that path". I am fully trusting that Jesus will be glorified through this journey with Mason. I have connected with so many moms through social media who have gone through this surgery with their babies, and it very reassuring to see life on the other side of this mountain. I fully trust our Doctors and the level of skill and experience they have with performing this surgery. I still get scared and upset that my baby has to go through this, and then I am reminded God created Mason to be extraordinary. Why would I want him to be "normal" when he was born to stand out?

Mason and his Neurosurgeon Dr. Meltzer

Normal skull shape in the middle, and variations of early skulls fusion. Mason's is at the 11:00 position

 

Typical infant skull CT scan

 

Mason's CT scan. Notice the front of the skulls has fused and the eyes are closer together

 

Rough visual of the surgical procedure. Not exactly now it will be done, but its close.

Ireland

Well.... we are back from Ireland and I feel like we've settled and adjusted back to SoCal life.

It was such an amazing trip and I feel so grateful that we have the privilege and opportunity to travel over the pond with our family. I figured I would share a bit about our time traveling and some of the experiences we were able to have!

Why Ireland?
My parents have been a couple of times in the past few years and they wanted to bring the whole family back for an extended trip. My mom reserved the place we stayed in over a year ago! My dad's side of the family is of Irish heritage (remember my maiden name was Curran??) and my mom's side of the family is Scottish/Scot-Irish (MacFarland). It was also a bit of a "return-to-our-roots" type trip. We stayed for two weeks in one spot and did a bunch if day-trips to the surrounding area.

The Travels
Traveling with kids was MUCH better than I expected! They were troopers and both boys adapted super well to strange sleeping arrangements and long hours in the airplane and car.

Both kids slept a bunch on the plane and on the car ride to Clifden since we did a red-eye. The biggest challenge was John learning to drive left-hand STICK SHIFT on the left-hand side of the road (which, by the way, are tiny 2-lane roads with no shoulder). Our car was a weed-wacker several times, so you are welcome road maintenance! He was a pro by the second day. Amazing how the brain works!

The Players
So who came to play in Ireland? Our family of four, my parents, my two sisters, my brother and his brand-new wife Kristen, my grandma, my aunt and my cousin. It was a full house of fun and love. Caleb was in heaven and Mason's cheeks got kisses a plenty!

The Place.
Ok. Where we stayed was a dream. I can't believe my mom found the perfect place for us. The estate is situated outside the tourist town of Clifden, in the beautiful Conamara region on the west coast. The place we rented is a former B&B and restaurant, complete with 6 front bedrooms with en suites, two living rooms, a huge dining room, a chef's kitchen, and a separate wing with a living room and two bedrooms (that's where our family stayed!) And if that doesn't make you drool, imagine the beach and rugged Irish coastline 200 yards away. All in all spectacular.

The food
Believe it or not, we never ate out except in the airport! Some of my family did, but mostly we ate home-cooked meals (that chef's kitchen made is really easy). Thankfully Ireland has tons of gluten-free options in grocery stores, and in my opinion they are better than U.S. products. We ate well! The gluten-free ginger biscuits were serious amazing and I miss them dearly.

The Adventures
We had so many amazing and beautiful adventures. Everything, and I mean absolutely everything, is green and lush. Since we were staying on the coast, we saw so many beautiful rugged places where grass meets beach and sea. Caleb and Mason slept in the car during long outings, and John and I would just wander and get lost driving somewhere beautiful on our way home. We would usually do one long day adventuring, one day at home or staying local.

The weather
It rained a little bit almost every day we stayed in Ireland! Apparently Caleb doesn't care if it's raining or sunny, he played outside rain or shine with Grandpa Danny (aka Bacon Danny). One day we even went swimming in the ocean! We had to pry Caleb out shivering. He kept saying, "Want-t-t-t-t to do-o-o more ---- s-w-w-wimming!". This kid. The weather didn't slow us down and it was a welcome chance to the San Diego summer heat.

The End
I really miss Ireland. More than the country I miss my family. It was so much fun learning new card games, adventuring, laughing, eating good food, and spending time with the people I love most.

Back to Blogging. Life Update!

It has been so long since I have blogged!

Well... almost a year actually. Wow. That went by fast. We have a new little dude in our family that I am head over heels for. Our second son Mason! He is just the sweetest. Watching Caleb grow into being a big brother has been such a joy and pleasure to watch. I swoon daily. Mason has had a bit of a rough start in life, with several medical concerns and complications that have kept us on our toes (and frequently at Rady's Children's Hospital for appointments).

I have been feeling like the story we are living right now is worth sharing, and I hope in some way what I write about can help someone else out there. I will go a quick "life update" for 2016, and in the next few weeks/months I will be expanding the details!

December 2015
Mason George Sorenson was born at home on 12/18/2015 in the middle of the night. Shortly after his birth we discovered he had some medical complications that we needed to get addressed right away. We took him to our family doctor the next day 12 hours after he had been born, and she referred us to see several specialists at Rady's Children's hospital in San Diego. Our midwives wanted to rule out the possibility that Mason was having seizures, and he was born without a sucking reflex. Mason would NOT nurse or bottle feed consistently for 12 days, so John syringe finger fed him milk I pumped around the clock. We ended up having Caleb fly up to spend Christmas with my family so that we could take care of Mason and get him the help and care he needed.  It was an incredibly challenging, stretching, and stressful beginning to Mason's life, and yet through it all I felt like God drew me and John so much cloer together and closer to God. It was amazing to have so many highs and so many lows so close together. Mason finally started nursing so that was a huge win! Our whole family was reunited after a week apart and the transition to 2 kids began!

January 2016
We had a better idea of what was going on with Mason's health, and he had his tongue tie and lip tie released when he was 4 weeks old.  Caleb turned 2 on January 10th, and we celebrated his birthday in late February. Caleb slowly started warming up to Mason and asking him to watch him play, jump, and do belly flops. Caleb had a language explosion at the end of the month that was so fun to watch! John went back to work and I started figuring out this whole "Mom of Two" thing. Seeing Mason smile for the first time was so fun! Caleb became engrossed with the trash trucks and we began making sure we ran out to our alley to watch them every time they came by. Rain or shine. Those trash trucks always have their biggest fan Caleb cheering them on and saying "DUMP IT!!! DO IT TRASH TRUCK!". So fun!

February
Mason had a LOT of CST (craniosacral therapy) appointments in Solano beach, 25 minutes away from our home. It was so tiring taking a crazy toddler and a fresh babe on those long outings, but it was so worth it. Mason became a nursing champ and I could not have been more thankful considering how much prayer, work, and effort we had but into making sure our little dude could nurse. I started taking Caleb and Mason to Pacific Beach Park with a few other moms and it was a blast. Caleb definitely needed to be around other kids his age! We had Caleb's 2nd birthday bash at that same park. Grandpa Danny came to visit and helped me a lot. I was able to sneak in a few quick swim workouts but Mason wasn't too keen on being left at the Y yet. We were able to start giving Mason a bottle after his tounge tie had healed, and he took it like a boss with a little help.

March
My friend Danielle got married and John's good friend Alex got married the same weekend, and we had a blast attending both weddings. I started pumping to donate more consistently because my friend had her 2nd baby and needed a bit extra milk to help her baby out. I started meal planning this month and that really helped out out grocery shopping and we nearly stopped eating out this month! Caleb started getting really into reading this month, and Mason slowly gained the strength to push up on his forearms. Mason started sleeping epic hours at night and I finally felt like I was getting a much needed and well earned rest from all of the crazy weeks we had those first few months.

April
My grandma and Aunt Kate came to visit and we got to use their timeshare afterward! We visitied Cabrillo National monument with them and went on a little hike. We used their timeshare and our friends and their son stayed with us for an extended weekend. It was so much fun and the toddlers had a blast! At the beginning of the month I noticed Mason's forehead had a vertical "bump" down the middle of it, and I started asking my chiro and CST who he should be seen by to take a closer look. We got a referral to see a neurosurgeon for a consultation in May. In mid-April, Caleb was really really sick for almost 2 weeks. He had pediatric herpedic gingivitis, and it was TERRIBLE. It was a rough time. I spent a lot of time on google and worrying a bunch about my sick toddler and my infant with a skull malformation. In mid-April I decided to take a facebook break and that was such a rest for my soul. I had become utterly addicted to my phone and I was craving deeper relationships in my life, and I felt like God was inviting me to peace out from Facebook as a social media outlet. It was the hardest thing to do but it was sooooooo good.

May
Aunt Hope came to visit and Caleb was in heaven. She cleaned our place and it was lovely! I started the process of clearing out our shared patio area to make it more kid-frienly. On May 12th we met with Dr. Hal Meltzer at Rady's. He is the head pediatric neurosurgeon. It was great to finally meet with a specialist who could confirm what I thought was going on with Mason: craniosynostosis. It's a scary word and it can be quite a scary condition when you start to google it. Craniosynostosis is when the skull fuses to early. In Mason's case the metopic suture that runs from the soft spot on top of his head down to his nose is the one affected (see images below!). We learned that he might need an incredibly invasive surgery that involves cranial vault remodeling to correct the fused suture to allow room for his brain to grow and develop typically.  We learned that this massive surgery would have to wait until 9-10 months of age before it would become safe enough to operate. Dr. Meltzer referred us to more specialists, and we started seeing the Cranial Technologies team at DOC band to get him fitted for a DOC band to hopefully help his head shape widen a bit. At the end of the month we met with a pediatric plastic surgeon named Amy Gosman, and she told us Mason likely will indeed need surgery in the fall. It was so hard to hear that. On the upside, we stayed with John's parents for 2 night at the end of the month and that was such a treat! We saw Uncle David for a few hours too.

June
Mason started wearing his DOC band full time 23 hours a day and I painted it to be like a Minion! Everywhere we go I get stopped and people say "Oh my GOSH! That is just the best!" We were given very little hope of this medical device doing much of anything for Mason's skull shape, so we decided to pray. We prayed for healing. For God to move and smooth Mason's forehead through the use of the DOC band. We prayed for a miracle. And God said yes!! By the second week of using the DOC band, the clinician was astonished. She said the textbooks say that this shouldn't happen. So far, the movement and growth that they have seen in his skull shape is incredible and nothing short of a miracle. We are in awe of God! In June Caleb also started taking swim lessons at the YMCA. He would live in the water if he could. But swim lessons were not his favorite. He wants to do his own thing and had a hard time waiting his turn. Gotta live and learn!

July
Well here we are! My brother got married on June 2nd in San Luis Opispo area. It was such a celebration to see him and Kristen tie the knot! Caleb was the reluctant ring-bearer in their wedding. For several days surrounding the wedding we stayed at a beautiful estate with my whole family. It was an extended party weekend and I never wanted to leave. I would totally move into a family compound! July has been fun so far! We have a date for Mason's skull surgery on the calendar for the fall and a few more issues popped up that we are keeping an eye on. He has a concave chest, as well as several developmental delays related to gross motor and fine motor. Mason has most enjoyed rolling over this month and cutting his first tooth. Yay for chompers and babies on the move!

Photos!!! December and early January.....

In Labor! It was a long 48 hours.

My family! A few hours after Mason was born

Syringe feeding this guy

Getting his EEG done, All clear!

Syringe finger feeding. This team was amazing.

Christmas at Rady's Hospital

Our cute guy

These two both wanted uppy.

How we roll at the hospital.

February-March

Swoon!!

You know what he's doing with that face....

Our CST Dr. Chelf! Magic worker!

Grandpa Danny being silly

Happy Birthday Caleb! Hummus and candles. Perfect!

Ruby! His love!

April-May

Trash truck hunting

He loves his umbrella

posed sibling shot

Gammie and Aunt Kate came to visit!

Living the high life at Aviara

Aunt Hope!

The CT scan. Answer to prayer he didn't need anesthesia.

CT results. Metopic (front) suture is fused. His facial features are pinched and his eyes are closer together as a result.

our banded baby!

June-July

I had to make him Mason the Mini Minion!

plotting how to get more milk

Back of the band. "Kingdom Builder. I am fearfully and wonderfully made"

Enjoying some band-free time while reading

This is how I roll!

My brother's wedding

see that smooth forehead?? Thank you Jesus!

My big dude!

bird's eye view of results from the band over 6 weeks. the bottom of the screen is his nose area

we side-cared a crib for Mason and Caleb likes to crash it sometimes