Well, it seems that my procrastination reaches farther than school.  I’ll be better about this, I promise.  Aaron would probably have you believe it’s because I am in a drunken stupor every evening, but this really only happens 5 out of the 7 days of the week.

Now onto tonight’s specials:  babbling, music, and our own version of 6 Flags.

 Sharon-he does babble.  The other night we were, Melanie probably most of all, pleased to hear a bit of “mama” strung in with the rest of his “words.”  Tonight he was especially talkative.  My favorite, however, is the humming.  When he is most content playing with a toy or flipping through a book, Cutler’s tongue makes its appearance and the singsong humming is in full swing.  This being said, he absolutely loves music.  Most preferably it is probably not when I am singing to him, but when it is coming from a toy, and is in tune.

 We are still continuing to see a happy baby.  In fact, his physical therapist is also seeing our favorite side of Cutler.  On Monday, our PT arrived with her boss in tow to take notes and witness the screaming and tears for herself.  Only…there were none.  He played, smiled, and even laughed while working on his reaching and walking.  He gets a kick out of rolling a ball back and forth on the floor, and has developed a knack for scooting it along with his foot as well.  Luckily, this new attitude prevailed for Wednesday’s visit as well, minus the boss.  So we’re all keeping our fingers crossed that Cutler was just testing the woman who visits twice a week, and will play nice from now on.

 The reaching and “tummy-time” are helping to strengthen his core; which is why he’s a bit wobbly on his feet.  Hopefully once he has abs of steel, he’ll be up and running…literally.  And once he is, there will be no stopping him.  Most babies are easy to distract by holding up something shiny, but with Cutler once he has his eye on something he wants to play with it.  Memory like a steel trap with this one!

 We also did well on the eating front today, which is like a rollercoaster ride.  So on the days where we’re on the upswing, we’ll take it!  This morning he was only interested in the baby crack, and then he ate an entire yogurt cup and snacked on some cereal in the afternoon.  This is the most that I have personally seen him eat, although I did a bit of a bad job smearing his face from time to time.  But that’s why someone is reaping the benefits from the invention of the bib, right?

 And yes…there was a literal 7-day cake-eating binge.  I quite possibly ate the equivalent of an entire cake by myself.  Carol-be sure to tell Pat that the chocolate cake was taken care of!

 Once again, I will be better about making a diary entry.  But until then, bon appetite!

Apparently Cutler’s trips to Mason’s last few soccer games and practices is paying dividends.  Looks like he is ready to start just as soon as he can walk without our help.

And finally after all of the fun posts, it is time to discuss Cutler.  So far all is still going good for him.  I wasn’t at the last doctor’s appointment as I was out of town, but the blood work came back good within everything still in the normal ranges.  They did draw blood and sent it off for the test to determine what percentage is coming from the new marrow compared to the original.  Not sure when we will get this back, but will let everyone know as soon as we know something.  This coming Thursday is another big visit for us as Cutler will be put under for what we hope will be his final bone marrow aspirate and spinal tap.  While they are draining the spinal fluid, they will inject one more tiny bit of chemo just in case.  These results, if my memory serves correctly, are usually completed within 24 to 48 hours, so hopefully we will have some very positive news to give by Monday.

As for around the house, Cutler continues to smile and be in an overall great mood the majority of the time.  Today he was even somewhat friendly with the PT and didn’t scream the entire time.  Also, today I decided it was time to replace the car carrier with an actual car seat and let him face forward and he loved it.  He laughed all the way to get Mason and then to Mason’s skating lessons and then all the way home again.  He is really starting to like to “walk” with our help and while watching Mason’s skating lessons he couldn’t stop “jumping” against the wall.  He loves being on his feet.  Now if we could only get him to walk on his own…then again that would mean we would be chasing him nonstop, so let’s take this a day at a time.  🙂

His eating and drinking is all over the charts.  On Saturday he drank two sippy cups full of formula, Sunday he drank a cup of orange juice and half a cup of formula, today he drank nothing.  The same goes for eating, some days he wants nothing but the yogurt melts but then last night he ate a lot of meat loaf and potatoes and tonight he ate some cheeseburger and french fries.  Even more impressive is that he was actually able to drink from a straw, a bit, from a juice box.  At first I was frustrated with his lack of progress, but I am realizing that it will happen when it happens.  After the last incident with the tube coming out, I am just ready for him to get consistent enough to get the tube out and move on to the next milestone.  But again, it will happen when it happens and patience on my behalf is key.

Hope everyone is doing well and sorry for the overload of posts.  I just figured it was time to make up for the lack of posts flowing from this creative mind.

Ok, I know I said I would post more birthday photos last Tuesday, but lots of things going on and I simply didn’t get around to it…until now.  Supposedly Kobi took a lot of pictures so I thought I would wait and see if I could post any of those, but we haven’t seen a one.

Also, I apologize for the additional beer picture.  I don’t want you all to think that we sit around drinking with the kids, because we highly emphasize that they do that when we aren’t looking.  It’s just that I had one more picture where Mason joined in as well.  Funny side story is that Mason actually took a big swig and decided that he actually does like the taste.  We are definitely in for trouble when they get older.

Boys will be boys

Cutler perhaps regretting the last drink

Kobi on day four of her 7 day cake binge

Aunt Rachel, Grandpa (with clothes on), Grammie, and Bumpa

Aunt Pat (with all of her teeth)

Cutler unwrapping gifts

Mason helping

Willing to chew through the bag to get to the yogurt melts

Actually taking the time to read the card

Willing to share

Don't mess with Iron Man!

Thinking of starting a new rule around the house for when Grandpa visits…no lounging in your underwear.  Mason might be getting some bad fashion ideas from you…

This weekend we found the perfect toy that both of the boys are thoroughly enjoying and are even playing with together without any fights. 

And it can be yours for the low low cost of having something shipped to you.  We received a gift for Cutler from the Hopkins and Beishir families this weekend and the kids are spending a ton of time just playing away in the box.  Cutler does his happy dance quite often while hanging out in the box.  The box is doing so well, we are thinking of letting Kobi go.  Here are few more pictures from the introduction to the box…

Don’t worry Beishir’s and Hopkin’s, Cutler likes the horse too.  He’s just a bit apprehensive for now, perhaps until his feet can touch.

Yesterday was the anniversary of Melanie waking me at midnight, the morning that Mason and I were to fly to St. Louis for some family fun, to inform me that her water had broken.  Several hours later, Cutler entered into the world almost seven weeks premature.  So, to celebrate we had a packed house this weekend with my parents, aunt Pat, and Nana all staying with us and boy was it a fun weekend. 

We went out to eat on Friday night, where our spoiled Mason insisted on ordering lobster and I went with the kids fried shrimp meal.  He was nice enough to share the lobster with me, but is nights like that where I regret sharing it with him when he was three as he has developed a big affinity for it…with ketchup.  This was the restaurant that Mason likes to dance with the band and of course he went straight out there to show off more of his moves and Cutler thoroughly enjoyed watching his big brother bust some moves and even busted a few of his own.

Saturday was an action packed day as three generations of Frickes worked hard around the house doing a multitude of honey do’s.  Actually I should say two generations of Frickes did the work while the third was hard at work telling us what to do…and surprisingly it wasn’t grandpa doing the orders.  Mason is proving to be quite the task manager and he looks to have a good future in the general contracting business.  Saturday night Melanie took her mom to the Mavs game and had a great time despite the horrible end to the Mavs 13 game win streak.  Unfortunately they called on the way home from the police station where I had to bail them out for getting into yet another drunken fight on the way out of the game with some quiet old ladies in from New York trying to enjoy the game.

Sunday was party day and boy did Cutler enjoy it.  His happy mood just continues to get bigger and bigger over time and although overwhelmed at times with the number of people around he proved to be quite the party animal.  And continued to follow after his mother by hitting the beer pretty hard.  Yes, we have yet another picture of Cutler proving that he is indeed my son.  He wasn’t very fond of his own cake and despite the effort to get him to play in it, chose to focus on the yogurt melts instead.

Today he continued to prove that he is recovering based on his mood.  Despite little sleep, he woke with a smile and the smile continued throughout the day…minus his visit from the physical therapist.  We don’t know what it is, be just does not like her whatsoever.  Unfortunately the momentum of an incredible weekend came to a crashing halt tonight as I heard Melanie yelling from me from downstairs.  While being put to bed, somehow his feeding tube came out and a full controled panic set in throughout the house…except for Mason who was watching cartoons and Kobi who was practicing 99 bottles of beer on the wall in her room.  I’m still not sure she knows it happened.  🙂  Anyway, thanks to the on call support of the surgeon and Melanie’s smooth hands, we were able to put it back in and reinflate the balloon that keeps it from coming out, thus avoiding a trip to the ER.  We were told this would happen and so it helped keep us a bit calm, but it was still an interesting way to get the heart rate elevated.  I am hoping that helped burn some of the calories consumed through out the weekend festivities. 

For now, all is well and the doctors continued to be impressed with his numbers.  All areas are within normal range and we have cut back yet again on the cyclesporin and if everything looks good this Thursday we will cut back to once a day on it.  Once we are able to completely eliminate the cyclesporin, we will be able to have the central line removed, which puts us one more step closer to a normal childhood and more importantly one more step closer to playing in the pool with me and Mason.  This Thursday they will be drawing blood to perform the test that tells us what percentage is coming from which marrow.  Please pray for a much better ratio than we saw in the first test.  The following Thursday, they will perform a spinal tap and bone marrow biopsy, which will hopefully be the last required.

A lot of people have asked when we will know if it is a successful transplant and the doctor told us this past Thursday that they will usually determine it a success after two years.  I remain confident in God’s healing power and the fact that Superbaby Cutler is continuing to be healed, but I still ask that everyone continue to pray that God will continue to keep the leukemia at bay.

Below are a ton of pictures from throughout the weekend.

The smile, up close and personal

He has taken an affinity to Mason's toys

And perfected the Dr Evil laugh when he gets away with stealing them

You tell anyone I took this one and you will find yourself swimming with the fishes

The one thing he likes better than yogurt melts...GUACAMOLE...for BREAKFAST

The best way to deal with all of these fools running around my house

Beer, it's a family tradition

Dancing on a table after beer, another tradition (no pole comments please)

Cutler and his drinking buddy (Kobi)

Team Fricke

"Seriously? No zoom? It's 2010, not 1910!" thought Cutler and Mason

Big Bro, with the invention of digital copies why are there seven people taking pictures?

Not reacting well to being sung to

Big bro handling the fire fighting duties

Yogurt melts were used to make it look like he was enjoying the cake

Finally it would appear that Cutler is truly enjoying being home as his eyes are really starting to glisten.  As Kobi wrote, he is finally happy to not be held all the time and enjoys playing.  Below are a few videos taken this past week.

Hi all!  This is my first attempt at what Aaron has dubbed “The Nanny Diary.”  I feel like to do this, I first have to introduce myself to those who I have not yet met.  So here’s my life in 50 words or less:  I was born and raised in small-town Wyoming, and recently graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in psychology.  And while I am missing the mountains with all my heart, I love the lack of snow and subzero temperatures!  My mother and Melanie are first cousins, and, thanks to Google, I now know that that makes us first cousins once removed.  Now that I’ve fulfilled my narcissistic tendencies, I’ll turn to the little man that has brought us all together.

When I first arrived in Texas, I was introduced to the most stubborn person I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.  And for those of you who were blessed enough to know Alma Jeanne, this is saying a lot.  Cutler began our relationship being a bit indifferent and fussy, but in the past month I can see big changes.  He is getting out of the needing-to-be-constantly-held stage, and is really liking standing and playing at the coffee table.  And in the past few days, I feel like I have finally passed his test, because he is now offering me his pacifier.  While he might be a little offended that I don’t put it in my mouth, it’s heartwarming to be on the end of this time-honored gesture.

He is also making baby steps (pun intended) with the physical therapist.  The first few times that she came Cutler refused to be held by her, and would scream incessantly.  Now, he’ll let her hold him while continuing to scream incessantly.  He has made improvements with assisted walking, and will lift up his head and attempt to push himself up while lying on his stomach.  So while we aren’t yet chasing him around, he is definitely getting there!

I’ll let this be the appetizer for later entries.  I hope that this finds you well, and if there is an area that you are curious about, feel free to ask!

Nanny Kobi

Further proof that Cutler is mine. Thursday night it was pizza, today it is beer!