Baylor's Birthday Weekend

I don't even want to get into Baylor turning EIGHT.  Or how that means he'll only live under my roof for ten more years.  Or about how it seems like yesterday that our adoption agency called and said there was a newborn baby boy waiting for us at Osceola Regional Medical Center.

So much has happened in eight years, but somehow it's gone by like a flash.  This birthday was particularly special to Ethan and I after the health scare that Bay had last year on his birthday.  

Long story (kinda) short:  He had serious swelling on the inside of his knee and was beginning to limp.  At first I thought it was a baseball injury, but it never seemed to heal.  We ended up at an orthopoedic surgeons office and he was concerned that it could be some sort of tumor and ordered several tests and set us up with an oncologist who would meet with us in a couple of days.  Needless to say, they were the most agonizing two days of our lives.  We were a complete mess.  The word oncologist completely paralyzed me. 

We finally made it to the appointment with Dr. Porter, the oncologist, and he said the words that I will never forget as long as I live.  "This doesn't look like cancer to me."

I can't tell you one word he said after that.  

It turned out to be a really bad staph infection that had eaten a hole in Baylors bone, so he went straight into surgery.  This all happened on his birthday.  Greenville Memorial, Dr. Bray, Dr. Brownlea and Dr. Porter will always have a special place in our hearts, because of how good they were to our little man.  They brought him Legos, cards t-shirts--truly did everything they could to cheer him up on his birthday.

We will love them forever for it.

After a few days, he was off his pain meds and ready to leave with his favorite gal, Savi.

Six weeks of intravenous antibiotics (and no school) later, and he was as good as new.

God was good to us throughout that roller coaster ride and not just because he gave us the answer we so badly wanted.  

We experienced him in a new, powerful way as he worked through doctors, nurses, family, friends, teachers and neighbors to help Baylor make it through.

We are so grateful.

That being said...we were in the mood to CELEBRATE this year! 

So we went to Lyon and climbed trees with our three crazies.

My nerves were FRIED watching Kennedy clip and unclip her carabiners.

Our view on the walk back--the Basilique Notre Dame de fourviere. 

Munchkins running loose on basilica steps!  Keeping it classy.

The next morning I "ran" the Lyon half marathon.  Definitely won't be posting my time here!  The kids loved giving high fives as people passed.

Lyon is awesome for lots of reasons, but mostly because they have a Starbucks.  

And a big metal flower arrangement on the highest.  Random.