LIfe is busy!!!

Sorry for the lack of updates lately.  Life has become VERY busy!  David is doing pretty well!  We are settled into the dialysis routine.  He is not cramping as much regularly because they try not to take him below his dry weight...but it is still very much treatment to treatment.  Overall he is doing well.  I forget if I already blogged about it or not but they did something with him for his hook-ups that is called Buttonhole.  Basically when someone gets hooked up to dialysis they put two 15 gauge needles in your access (typically a fistula like David has).  Well so they don't destroy the fistula by poking it at the same place each time with sharp needles...they move up and down the access and poke at a different spot each time.  Well....since David's fistula is not in a straight line and goes a little deep in his arm one of the techs suggested early on that they "buttonhole" David.  This is basically where for 9 hook-ups in a row they stuck the needles in the same place at the same angle (and the same person did it).  This basically formed a channel into his fistula.  It is almost like an ear piercing into his arm.  Now they use what they call a "blunt" needle (trust me.....it is not blunt) but the blunt needle does less damage to the access.  So for most people they don't stick them in the same place....but for David they do stick him in the same place every time.  It's kinda confusing but it is working well for him!  It even cuts down on the bleeding time after treatment!!!  (Top two pics...Finnick,  bottom pic..Oscar!)

Well like I said we have been busy.  We added a new family member to our family!  We have been thinking for a while of getting Oscar (our 4.5 year old black lab) a brother to play with since he was spending a lot of time home alone while we were at dialysis.  We started looking for a year old black lab and ended up with a 9 week old black lab puppy.  Meet Finnick!
  My (alice) heart fell in love with him when we went to look at him.  He was the only one out of his brothers (there were 4 of them total) that paid attention to Oscar and to us!  So we knew he was the one.  However...since he is so young....he needs  A LOT of attention.  Oscar gets annoyed with him but they are doing much better!  Even now they are both in the yard laying together enjoying the wind!  Finnick has kept us super busy but he is super sweet!!  He is almost 11 weeks old now and growing like crazy!!  If I can figure out how to post pictures on here I will do that soon!  

We also found out.....WE ARE GOING TO BE AN AUNT AND UNCLE!!!!!!!  We have 7 nephews on David's side of the family...BUT now my sister is pregnant and I am SO EXCITED!!!  I don't know if I am more excited for her and Jason or my parents to be grandparents (to a human...they are already the best grandparents to my boys!)

We have also been enjoying the nice weather!  It is so wonderful to have a large fenced in backyard for the boys to play in so they aren't barking at each other in the house!  We spend a lot of time outside while daddy is at dialysis!  We have been busy working in the yard and scooping a lot of poop!!  I have been trying to work out at every chance I get and David comes and walks with me and a co-worker some days when we have a chance.

I (alice) am looking forward to Spring break in another week.  I look forward to getting some stuff done around the house and spending the days with my boys! I also have some photography things lined up that I am SUPER excited about!  I just did engagement pictures for David's cousin and his fiance!  I am almost done editing them!  I am very pleased with them so far!!!

Well I guess that is the short version of what is going on right now!  Life is getting better than it was a couple of months ago.  We are adapting and adjusting.....growing and learning!

Hopefully I will figure out updating pictures! 
~Alice and David,  Oscar and Finnick
(**Edit**  If there are any r's missing in any words please forgive me....for some reason my r button is not working right and I have to slam it in order to type!)