Levi Does Stuff

Two weeks ago our grandson, Liam, was rushed to the local hospital by ambulance then flown to the National Children's Hospital in Washington, D.C. where he spent 12 days.  For most of that time he was on a ventilator and completely sedated... and it all started with a common cold.  I won't go into details now, if ever, but he almost died. While our son and daughter-in-law stayed in D.C. with Liam, my husband and I kept our other grandson, Levi, at home.  Liam is home now, weak but improving.  We are so thankful that our family was spared a horrendous loss and and grateful that we were even blessed with some relief from the stress and anxiety in several ways.

One of those ways was by enjoying Levi's antics.  Not that he didn't have times of "meltdown", but for the most part he was happy.  I wasn't able to get many good pictures of Levi.  He's a cute kid and all, quite photogenic, but he is perpetual motion personified.  Whew!  He wore me out some days!  But his near-constant forward motion and my limited photography skills mean few clear pictures.  Notice how many pictures are of him strapped down in his high chair...

1.  For some reason Levi insisted that all activities be done with a ball in one hand and a plastic egg in the other.  If he dropped one, everything stopped until he picked it up again.
2.  High-pitched screaming was his expression of choice when he was excited.
3.  Levi is constantly looking to see what is next!

4.  Levi took an occasional glance to see if I was still watching.  I was!
5.  I love this picture!  He sat like this, focused on something that I never did see (I wasn't about to disturb his quiet solitude!) for several minutes.
6.  Happy, happy.  Drool, drool.

7.  Levi wanted to put the ball and the egg on top of the table.
8.  He dropped the ball and it rolled under the table.  He worked so hard to get it but it was out of his reach.  Several times he would back up and look to see if it was still there and then stretch his little arm out to get it.  I finally put it in a spot where he could reach it, and he was so pleased with himself for getting the ball back!

9, 10, 11.  Grandmothers teach children things.  It is a fact of life!  Often they are things like crochet, baking, and maybe sewing.  I will teach those things, too, one day, but this time around... I taught Levi to stick out his tongue!

12, 13, 14.  I also tried to teach Levi to point to his nose.  He already had the pointing down pat but his aim was a little off!

15.  We borrowed a stroller from a friend.  It was pink but since Levi doesn't care about those kinds of things, we used it.  He loves going for walks.  I guess I need to get a double jogging stroller so that I can take the boys with me when I walk.
16.  His smile lights up his whole face.

17.  Levi tends to be an early riser (5:30am).  That was perfect timing to have morning coffee with Grandma and Grandpa.  He had milk in his sippy, of course.  This is such a blurry picture, but I love it!  It reminds me of when my Dad used to give my son his coffee cup after he had drained it.  I don't know why but it just seems like a Grandpa thing to do. 

With all the moments of worry, work, and stress, Levi was who God used to keep us going.