The important things in life...

Tripp is still hanging in there.  What a trooper.  If it weren't for this stupid trach, we would be smooth sailing... I don't know what it is.  It's either just drying up with 3 humidifiers running in the house, or the sores are coming back underneath the trach, or it's just a film that's building up fast inside the trach causing him to have trouble breathing.  Lately, he's been doing the same kind of breathing (that pulling from his chest) that he was doing before the trach.  It's like no matter how much I suction, you can still hear it in there.  And that is making it really hard for me to leave him for any amount of time.  It's hard for anyone else to want to keep him.  It's scary for me and I do it 24/7.  I can't imagine how everyone else feels.  I mean how much longer can he go breathing like this, I don't know.  But I will tell you that he amazes me more and more each day.  He certainly gets his strength from up above.  Pretty much the only time he's not smiling is when he's in pain or can't breathe.  Other than that, he's like a little butter ball of happiness.  And we are enjoying every single second of it. 

CHEESE!!  Can you see his little yellow teeth?  And his bo-bos.  

This is his mouth at it's BEST. 

And he can still smile this BIG! 

Daddy and Monkey Butt...

Mommy and Monkey Butt...

(in my robe, I know... sorry but that's my wardrobe.)

Monkey Butt Tripp... 

I just cannot believe that it has been 9 1/2 months since he was born!  Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday and then other times it feels like it's been 9 1/2 years!!  But I know one thing... I would NOT trade him for anything in the whole wide world.  He has changed my life ONLY for the better and has taught me patience, selflessness, and most of all real love.  I mean if you really think about it... how many people worry about all the wrong things in life... people worry about how much money they have, or they're always in a hurry, or they worry about who said what and who did what.  You know what, who really cares??  What happened to worrying about actually spending time with your family and cherishing every moment you have with the people you love (like sitting down for dinner.)  Or what about doing something nice for someone without wanting recognition, because it really doesn't even mean anything when you do something nice so that YOU can get credit. You're supposed to do nice things because you want to help someone else.  I mean, really think about it.  We only have ONE life.  That's it- ONE life.  Why would you want to spend your one life worrying about things that don't really matter?  It's like people get so caught up in everything else that they forget the real reason we are here... to serve God and to love each other as God loves us.  That's what is going to get us to the next life... not money, not material things, not ugliness.  We just seem to ignore that fact.   You don't even know if you're going to be here tomorrow... or if the people you love will be here tomorrow.  So why waste the time you have?  I mean, say you're here for 80 years... it seems like a long time, but just look at how fast it goes by??  I feel like I was just in high school yesterday, now I'm married and my son is almost a year old!! It's crazy!!  Sorry I don't know where that sermon came from... I just think about that a lot.  Having a sick child really makes you think about those kinds of things. 

To change the subject... Tripp had his friend over this weekend.  Randy's friend David and his wife, Leanne came over with their little boy, David (he's the III, too like Tripp.)  He is just adorable and it was so cute to watch Tripp react to another baby.  He doesn't see or play with other babies very much (well, at all.)  And it was nice that Randy and I got to hang out with another couple.  Something else that was long overdue and much needed.  He are some pics from their visit. 

The boys...

Baby swap... 

And look how much they've grown since then---