Our church camp

The photos were taken at our CHURCH CAMP over the weekend. It was so much fun and the boys really enjoyed themselves. I just love the people in my church. We have such a wide variety of ages and personalities and we get along so well. It just reminds me how we really are a big family!
Chrissy took heaps of photos over the weekend so I didn't even bother getting my camera out. She got some great shots of my boys too, which I was happy about.

(1) Tyler asleep at the table at lunchtime!
(2) Ethan and my Dad sliding down the hill on bits of cardboard!
(3) Ethan at the Concert on Saturday night. He wanted to sing "Wind the Bobbin up" which is a song they do at Kindy. But he just got SO shy and would only whisper the words. I was still so proud of him.

We had a special dinner on Saturday night and the theme was "Shipwreck Survivors". We had to come dressed in whatever we were wearing when the ship went down. Tyler and I wore our pyjamas! Rob wore a shredded tuxedo shirt and pants, with bare feet. Ethan was a pirate (in fact, there were lots of little pirates who had all been to the same $2 shop!! lol).

(4) My Dad was the MC so he was dressed as the Captain - doesn't he look great?

------

P.S. I would like to thank you all for your very kind comments on my last post. It was so encouraging to hear other people say that they like my work, so thank you!! I'm feeling quite confident about things now, and I will definitely be applying for next year's DT! In the meantime, I'm hoping to just find a bit more time to spend scrapbooking and doing challenges. And I'll keep submitting to magazines and hopefully I'll be published again. The new issue of Up2Scrap should be out very soon, and I'm really looking forward to seeing my layout in there alongside Christi & Ann - yeah, go HBC girls!!

Scrapbooking

So I'm sure everybody who reads this knows that I love scrapbooking.

Many of you are fellow scrapbookers (but not all) and I have to say I am really enjoying getting to know lots of other awesome girls who share my passion for this art.

Lately there has been a lot of talk on the forums and blogs about Design Teams. Lots of people applying and rushing around getting their entries in. And then there is me. I didn't apply for Meg's DT at SE, and I didn't even know about Lisa's one until Christi told me about it. My reason for not entering was that I don't have enough time to complete the requirements. Usually 2 layouts/month and active participation on the forum, etc. I guess most of the time I DO complete 2 layouts/month (often more) but I'm not sure I would be able to do that consistently. I would feel bad if I couldn't keep up.

But there is also a part of me that has been thinking my work is not really good enough for a DT. I've only been scrapping for about 18 months and I know I've improved HEAPS during that time. I'm hoping that I will continue to get better so hopefully next year I will have more chance of getting on a DT, not to mention more time to devote to the job. Christi has been really encouraging, telling me that my stuff IS good enough and that I should seriously think about it for next year. She has given me a confidence boost which is really great.

Next month I will have my work published in Up2Scrap for the first time, which is really exciting for me. I've been submitting layouts to them for a year and I was thinking of giving up. But I kept on trying and voila! Success! I can't share that particular layout here but soon it will be in the mag and I will be able to share it.

I thought I would share a few of my recent layouts. I realised I haven't posted any one my blog for a long time, so here they are!

My wonderful husband

About 11am today, my phone rang. I hardly ever get phone calls at work, and this one was an internal call so I wasn't expecting much. But it was the receptionist, saying "Rob is here to see you" - woohoo!! I love it when he calls in to see me at work. Which is hardly ever, since he works on the coast and I work on the shore (30 min away). Sometimes he has jobs to do on the shore and he can stop by on the way home. He hasn't done that for ages though. He doesn't do many deliveries anymore because he has to pop in and out of work so often during the day, picking Ethan up from preschool and taking him to Kindy, etc. So he's hardly ever down this way.

Anyway, I walked into the reception area and he was waiting there, with a beautiful bunch of flowers. He said he knew I needed cheering up today, and boy was he right about that! The health issues I wrote about a few weeks ago have been getting me down again. They still haven't been resolved, and I've been in quite a bit of pain over the last 2 days. He knew it was bad today because I had taken one of my extra-strong painkillers this morning (I think I left the packet on the kitchen bench).

What a great guy I have! He cares about me so much. I seriously don't deserve that. Having a visit from him really made my day. Not to mention the flowers, which I don't get too often. There is a serious shortage of vases here at work so right now they are sitting in my big grey recycling bin which is half filled with water!! lol :-)
I just want to say … I SOOO love my man!

Jeckel & Hyde

Oh. My. Goodness.
How can my child be such an angel sometimes and then completely switch to being a little monster?
I'm talking about The Two Year Old.

So apparently this is "normal" behaviour for a child of his age. But that doesn't make it easy to deal with! Not to mention the fact that we didn't even go through stuff like this with Ethan. I feel lost!

The main issues are temper tantrums and screaming/squealing. Tyler can throw a mighty fine tantrum when he feels like it. He's been perfecting his skills in this area since the tender age of, oh, 15 months. The screaming has been going on since he could open his mouth. But put them both together and combine them with being Two & Terrible, and you've got a recipe for FAR OUT!

On Monday he had a tantrum that lasted for more than an hour. Yep, an hour. And you won't believe what started it. We were on our way out the door to visit my parents, and he didn't want to take his slippers off and put his shoes on. Normally I would have just let him wear his slippers, but it was persisting down with rain and shoes were definitely necessary. But oh no, he wasn't going to have a bar of it. So he just lay on the floor by the front door and screamed. And screamed. And screamed.
Ethan & I went to Mum & Dad's without him. Rob kindly agreed to stay home and listen to the screaming. I talked to him on the phone later to see how long he had kept it up. A loooong time. He finally wore himself out and stopped long enough to eat some lunch, and then it was off to bed. Where he screamed and cried for another 20 min. MAN!

I know we did the right thing (this time). We took away something he wanted (to go to Mum & Dad's) and we ignored him until he stopped. But the simple fact is we can't always do that. We can't ignore him at the supermarket or at church. So often I find it easier to give in and let him have whatever it is he is screaming about. I know that is probably fuelling the fire a little bit. But seriously, why should I always take the hard road and then have to deal with the tantrums and the screaming, when I can take the easy road and keep him smiling? Most often the things he is mad about are not worth fighting about. He doesn't want to take his shoes off. He doesn't want to put his shoes on. He wants his toys to sit on the table while he eats. He wants to close the microwave door when I've heated his milk up at bedtime. He wants to carry his own bag. He wants me to carry his bag.
Get the picture? These are not things that are going to harm him. He is not throwing tantrums because he wants to eat lollies for dinner, or he wants to paint on the walls. He just wants some control over the little things in his life.

So tell me, please. Am I doing the wrong thing here? I have always tried to pick my battles when it comes to disciplining the kids. I don't want to be one of those mothers who is constantly saying "No, don't do that", "Stop doing that" and "Leave that alone". Although some days it feels like I say those things all the time!! But generally I try to ignore the little things that don't really matter so that the bigger things can be dealt with more effectively. Life would be a mess if I were to pull Tyler up on all the things he gets frustrated about. Yes, I would prefer it if he were compliant and obedient and let me call all the shots. I would like it if he could just do what he is told without handing me a contract with his terms & agreements on it first.

But he is only 2. And he is trying to figure out his place in the world. I understand that. I really do.
Some days that understanding gets me through the worst. Other days I feel like a terrible mother. Why can't I control my child? Why don't other children have tantrums about silly little things? Why is my kid the only one screaming at the supermarket checkout? Are people staring at me because they feel sorry for me, or because they are chastising me? I know, I know. I shouldn't worry about what other people think. Um, that's just too hard for me. Sorry. I always worry about what other people think. I can't help it.

I've just re-read my post and it sounds like Tyler is a demon child on steroids. He's not. He is sweet and lovely and funny and cute!! He is a source of absolute joy in my life. He makes me smile. I am in awe of him. And I love him, with all my heart. I love him when he is being sweet and I love him when he is being awful. I know that is why I am a good mother. In spite of all my failures and stuff-ups, I know where my heart is. I know I am doing my best, and that is all I can do.

Butterfly Creek

We went to Butterfly Creek on Sunday.
We had a great time. What a neat place!! Ethan was excited about the farmyard, the playground and the train, but said he wasn't interested in the butterfly house. [Just a bit of background info for you. Ethan detests anything "girly" at the moment ... pink, purple, glitter, sparkles, dolls, flowers, butterflies, jewellery, dresses and fairies. Many of those things I'm quite happy for him to bypass (like the fairies and jewellery, lol) but the loathing of all things pink & purple is wearing a bit thin. He won't even eat pink lollipops!!] Anyway ... he was adamant that he wouldn't like the butterflies, but I knew he would once he saw them. And he did. He was pretty darn fascinated by them, actually. Especially when they landed on us.
I got some pretty good close ups of some of them. The boys also loved the fish and the turtles that were inside the butterfly house.

We also went on the train and walked around the farmyard. Tyler got to feed a lamb some milk from a bottle. He also tormented a poor baby goat by chasing it around until it ran inside the barn to hide under a table. That didn't stop Tyler, who proceeded to climb under the table after it, yelling "there it is!!!" and pulling the poor thing's tail!!
The boys also enjoyed patting the rabbits and the pigs. We didn't let Tyler hold a rabbit by himself for fear the poor animal would be squeezed to death. So he just patted one that Rob was holding :-)

After all that we had a delicious lunch at the cafe, and then the boys played on the playground. We we there for about 3 1/2 hours and it there was just so much to do there. We could have easily stayed longer but Tyler was getting tired and we had visitors coming round at 3pm. I would definitely love to visit again, and bring my parents & sister. If it were a bit closer to home it would be an awesome place for a birthday party. They have a party room and I know a friend from work had her son's 5th birthday party there. But I'm sure we'll be back again at some point, it is a neat place!

Waiwera Hot Pools

It's the long weekend! Today we decided to take the boys to Waiwera Hot Pools for the afternoon. On the way there, we worked out that we hadn't been there since I was pregnant with Ethan - about 5 years ago!! Rob and I used to go quite often before we had kids. And I've lived in this area all my life, so I remember going there when I was a kid.

The day was perfect for it. Slightly overcast, not too hot, but not too cold.
The boys had a great time there. They've always loved going to the pool, but it was their first time at Waiwera. I think they were a bit overwhelmed with the size of the place and the sheer number of pool choices, not to mention the crowds.
Tyler took a little while to adjust to the whole thing, actually. At first I was worried that he had lost all the water confidence he had last summer, when he was constantly in the water, trying to dive in to water above his head and "swim" on his own. But I needn't have worried, because he soon found that confidence again.

We started off by the slides, and we went down a couple of them with the boys on our knees. They enjoyed it, but didn't want to go again. So we went off to play in some of the other pools for a while until they were more settled, and then Rob decided to try again with Ethan. When he came back, Ethan said he had been on the slide "3 times, all by myself!!" So we all went over and the boys spent AGES going on the Kiddie Slide all on their own (we caught them in the landing pool). Tyler looked so cute walking up the stairs on his own! He was so excited each time he got to the top and started to slide down. Ethan really enjoyed himself too.

I did take my camera, but I didn't use it. Too hard when you're always wet and too hard to get decent shots when you are actively supervising young children. Which reminds me, hardly any parents really do that. Sitting by the pool reading a mag is not "active supervision". And why don't the other parents want to swim with their kids and go on the water slides?? Huh? But I digress. I'm sure the boys will remember this day for a long time. We have a discount card so we have to go again soon before the weather gets too hot (it is hard to spend too long there on a hot summer's day as most of the pools are quite warm).

Tomorrow we're off to Butterfly Creek so I'm sure I'll have more to write about then, and hopefully some photos to share as well.

I've been tagged ...

I've been tagged by the beautiful Jenn

1.Things that scare me:
- losing my kids
- bees & wasps
- missing an episode of Prison Break

2. People who make me laugh:
- my kids
- Christi
- Horatio on CSI: Miami

3. Things I hate the most:
- lateness
- people who don't indicate/signal when driving
- crappy stuff that happens at work

4. Things I don't understand:
- languages other than English
- people who complain all the time
- Helen Clark (NZ Prime Minister)

5. Things I'm doing right now:
- eating Hershey's Kissables
- reading The American Journal of Gastroenterology
- blogging (duh!)

6. Things I want to do before I die:
- see my kids grow up & get married
- travel to Europe
- pay off my mortgage

7. Things I can do:
- spell
- cook
- solve Sudoku puzzles

8. Ways to describe my personality:
- determined
- loyal
- kind

9. Things I can't do:
- snowboard
- sew
- burp on command

10. Things I think you should listen to:
- good music
- God
- children playing

11. Things you should never listen to:
- bad music
- blasphemy
- swearing

12. Things I'd like to learn:
- Maori
- how to sew
- how to play the drums

13. Favorite foods:
- chocolate
- pasta
- strawberries

14. Beverages I drink regularly:
- water
- coke zero
- um ... nothing!

15. Shows I watched as a kid:
- Fraggle Rock
- The Cosby Show
- Full House

16. Persons I'm tagging:
- Christi
- Ann
- Lisa

Back from the doctor ...

... and it all went well. So far. I guess the real test will be to see if I stay not pregnant.

The procedure itself actually looked pretty easy. I'm sure I could have done it myself. Didn't look any more complex than dissecting a rat, or a grasshopper, or any of the other things I had to cut open at University.

Rob had Dr Pritchard aka Dr Funny Guy as his surgeon. During the preop consult, he said "now, you won't be able to do the dishes for a few weeks, I don't want you standing at the bench for long periods of time" ... and he said it with such a serious look on his face, it took me a few seconds to realise he was joking!!
Then he wrote us a prescription for condoms since we have to wait for a test at 4 months before we are "safe". He asked "so how many do you want? 120?"
Hilarious.

But the funniest thing happened when we were leaving. I stopped at reception to settle the account, and Rob saw some old friends of ours sitting in the waiting area. I figured they were here to see one of the on-call emergency doctors. But Rob sat down and said "you're not here for a ... you're not here to see ..." and our friends said "Dr Pritchard?!" which led to lots of laughing. Then they called our friend's name, at which point he looked positively white! I gave him the thumbs-up and he smiled, but I could tell he was terrified! SO funny.

So ... no more babies for us. But that's okay. When you've got these 2 little guys, how could you want anything more:

The big "V" ...

Okay, so this is probably pushing the limits of what people find interesting to read about on my blog, but it's a big step for our family and therefore important for me to write about.

Rob is getting a vasectomy tomorrow.
And on Friday the 13th, no less! Of course we are not superstitious, but it was pretty funny when we realised what the date was going to be. Coupled with the fact that the doctor who will be performing it has just returned to work after having hand surgery (!), it gave us a bit of a chuckle :-)

We knew as soon as Tyler was born that our family was complete. All through my 2nd pregnancy we had been wondering whether we should have 2 or 3 kids. We just didn't know. But the moment he was born, I remember this strong feeling come over me, and I just knew that he would be our last child. There was not a doubt in my mind. When I told Rob about it, he said he felt the same way. So there was our answer!

But it took a little while to actually decide how we were going to make sure we stopped at two. I cut out an article on vasectomy from little Treasures magazine and left it on Rob's bedside table. He read it, and said he was happy to do it. Simple! I didn't have to beg, bribe or persuade him that it was "his turn". He made the choice on his own.

At my 6-week postnatal check, when my doctor asked me about contraception, I told her that Rob wanted to get a vasectomy. She didn't try to talk me out of it, but suggested that we wait a bit longer, because Tyler was only a baby and both Rob and I were still young. She said a lot of people waited until their youngest child was a year old. I remember thinking "Why? Would they `replace' that child if he/she died during the first year of life, but not if they died during the second year?" It didn't make much sense to me.

Anyway, the whole idea got put on the back burner for a while. The next time I mentioned it to my doctor she said "great idea" and handed me a brochure! Eventually, Rob got around to making the appointment, and now it's really happening. I'm pleased, because it is what we both want. But at the same time I feel a little sad. I'm completely happy & content with my 2 beautiful boys, and I have very good reasons for not wanting to have another baby. But part of me is still sad that the possibility is no longer there.

Anyway, wish us luck! I say "us" because I am going to be there to support him. It is the least I can do! He was there for me during my hideously long (22h!!) drug-free labour, as well as the much shorter drug-free one. He was there by my side through it all, I don't even remember him taking a coffee break. So I figure sitting next to him for 45 min and stocking up the freezer with frozen peas is not too much to ask ;-)

Job description - Mother

JOB DESCRIPTION - MOTHER (aka Mum, Mummy, Mom, Mama, Mommy)

POSITION DESCRIPTION:
Long-term team players needed for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organisational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities.
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 kmph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and co-ordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organise social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute and an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap plastic toys and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION
Virtually none.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION:
Get this - you pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that university will help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.

BENEFITS:
No health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stockoptions are offered.
However, this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life if you play your cards right.

Hey, I'm glad I got this job!!

Health update

Well, I finally have an update on our health issues I posted about last week.

I had my scan on Thursday as well as some blood tests. The results came back yesterday and everything is completely normal. Which is a relief, but still doesn't explain why I've been having the symptoms I've been having!! So the doctor has proposed a "watch and wait" approach, and hopefully the problem will just sort itself out. Oh, and she has given me some medication which should help. I'm happy about that, but don't want to be taking it unless I have to. We'll see what happens from here.

Rob took Tyler to the doctor yesterday to ask about his cough and the possibility of it being asthma. She listened to his chest and said it sounded really really good. She's confident it isn't asthma, just a cold that has lasted for 2 months! Well, it had gone away a couple of weeks ago, and then he picked up another cold.
Oh, and one of his grommets (tubes) is falling out. Great!! I wasn't too happy to hear that, but there's no point worrying too much at this point. We're hoping that now he is a bit older, he won't be prone to ear infections anymore and even if the grommets fall out, he won't get any more infections. Fingers crossed about that one!!

So ... thank you to all who posted their comments and sent prayers or healthy vibes our way. It was much appreciated, and as you can see we've both ended up with a pretty good outcome. Thanks Lord!

Our weekend

Rob was at Promise Keepers this weekend, so it was just me & the boys. That prospect was great, because I don't get a whole lot of one-on-one time with them. I have every Friday with them, but we usually have jobs/chores to do and I have 4h of work to do at home as well.

The weekend didn't turn out quite the way I had hoped. Both of them were sick with colds (again!) which made Ethan really lethargic and sleepy (but extremely co-operative and obedient, so I can't really complain too much, LOL) and Tyler really grumpy and grizzly. I took the kids round to Mum's on Saturday. We were going to take them up to SheepWorld but Tyler's bad mood put the kybosh on that. So it was just a matter of getting through the day. He cried about almost everything, had tantrums about everything else, and was generally not a happy camper. I think he really missed his Daddy too, which made things worse.
But ... Rob had a really good time. I love it when he goes to PK, he always comes home a better husband (if that is even possible). I kinda wish I was a guy so I could go one year! It sounds great! :-)

On Sunday we enjoyed some family time.
After church we had lunch at Mum & Dad's with Norman, Yolanda, Kurt & Rueben Murray and Donovan, Beryl & Joshua Lewis! They are all South African friends of my parents' and really lovely people. Kurt & Rueben played tirelessly with my boys (bless them!) and sweet baby Joshua slept for most of the afternoon! He's my parents' "adopted" grandson, since Donny & Beryl don't have their parents here in NZ. He's got a little black afro and he's sooooo cute!

Later on in the afternoon Rob took Ethan to watch the North Harbour quarter-final at Albany. It was Ethan's first live rugby game and he really enjoyed himself. Although Harbour got thrashed by Otago which was not quite so cool! And I made sure Rob took photos I can scrapbook the event :-)

Yesterday's happenings

When I went to pick up my boys from preschool yesterday, I was met by a VERY excited 4-year-old.
His best friend Devon has been away in England on holiday with his Mum, Dad & brother Cody. For 3 MONTHS. And now he's back!!!
Ethan has missed Devon SO much. I told him a couple of weeks ago that Devon would be coming home during the Kindy holidays (which finish this week) and that he would see him next Monday when Kindy starts again for Term 4. So Ethan has been pretty excited about that. But then yesterday Devon & Cody were at preschool (unexpectedly, since they usually go on different days to my boys) and apparently there was MUCH excitement when they arrived!
When we left preschool, Devon & Cody had their faces pressed up against the window, shouting goodbye at the top of their lungs. Everybody was just so happy!! It gave me a warm fuzzy feeling :-) And later on last night, Ethan told me that Devon had kissed him when they saw each other. Awwww!

In other news, Tyler did wees in the potty last night! Again, there was MUCH excitement from the entire family!
Rob was getting Tyler ready for his bath while I was cleaning up in the kitchen. I heard some shouting and cries of "good boy, Tyler!" and wondered what was going on. Then I heard him say "let's go and show Mumma" and next thing I know here is Tyler, in the nuddy, walking into the kitchen with Daddy holding a potty. And there is something yellow in the potty. Yeah!
I don't remember Ethan using the potty quite so early. And even then, he wasn't ready for proper toilet training until after his 3rd birthday. It never bothered me, I just wanted him to lead the way. And when he was ready, it only took 5 days to train him.
So using the potty at such a young age is kind of uncharted territory for us! We'll just follow Tyler's cues, like we did with Ethan. He may not be ready for ages yet, but it is a good first step. And boy, was he PROUD of himself!
As for me, I was so excited I got the camera out! I'm sure he'll hate me for that when he is older :-)

Health issues

Me/. Sorry, I'm not going to launch into detail on this one, except to say that I've been having some health issues lately (some of you already know about them). After going to the doctor on Friday, it was decided that I need to have a scan and some tests done this week. Of course I don't want there to be something wrong with me, but I do want an explanation for the symptoms I've been experiencing. So in some ways I hope that the tests DO show something, just so that I can have a proper answer and hopefully get it treated and fixed.

Anyway, I'd appreciate prayers for this. I probably won't know anything until next week, as I'm getting the tests done on Thursday.

Tyler/. There is another "potential" health issue in our family. It may not even be an issue, but I've been thinking about it a lot and we're going to get it checked out. It has to do with Tyler's persistent cough. He had a cold which started in early August, and it hasn't really cleared up. For the past couple of weeks, he's just had this nagging dry cough. He no longer has a runny nose or any other symptoms, so I don't think we can still call it a cold. The doctor prescribed some medication for it (not a cough medicine, but an anti-asthma medicine), which was supposed to dry it up. But it hasn't really worked. He's been coughing most of the night, and a good part of the day as well.

All this got me thinking about asthma.
I know that in infants, asthma is commonly triggered by a cold or respiratory infection (as well as temperature changes), that there are often no signs of wheezing or shortness of breath (just a persistent cough), and that 2 years of age is one of the most common times for developing asthma.

Last night I was talking to Rob about it, and reading some of my medical books to find out more. At first he seemed dismissive about it, but after I read him some of the information from my book, I asked him again what he thought. I said, "don't you think it could be something like that?" and he just looked at me with a really sad face and said, "I don't want him to have asthma". I know exactly what he means. Of course I don't want him to have asthma either. But just because you don't like the possibility doesn't mean that you should ignore it. I told Rob that, and he agreed.

So ... we've decided that if Tyler continues to cough this week, we'll go back to our GP next Monday and ask her about it. Hopefully it isn't asthma, but I want to get it sorted out. A cough that lasts for 7 weeks is not normal and it can't be much fun for Tyler. I just want him to be better again.