Woodchuck Gallery

No wood surface is safe in the Gatewood house these days.

That last photo was taken by Ben's uncle Hal while he and Emilie were visiting from Montreal last week. For more photos of Ben and family, you can check out Hal's Flickr page.

A few weeks ago we took Ben down to OKC for a second opinion by Dr. Digoy, and things are now moving forward quickly. Dr. Digoy said that the cyst that was blocking Ben's airway appears to have grown back. We're going in for an MRI and overnight observation on November 30th, and then Ben will have another laser surgery to take another shot at removing the cyst. The good news from all this is that if the procedure goes well and Ben heals properly, he could have the trach out in a few months instead of years like Ben's other doctor was talking about. We are pumped about that and would love your prayers over the next few weeks.

Kiss You I Must

A short time ago, at a party far, far away in Wagner, Oklahoma, Ouma Kay came across...

...the wisest Jedi master of them all.

Hey don't laugh. You don't want to make him angry.

That's better.

Yoda was gracious enough to sit for a photo op with Olivia and his new friend Super-Kaden. Coincidentally, Yoda also seems to have a problem with direct eye contact.

But as we all know, even Jedi masters can be influenced by the power of the dark side.

Kiss or kiss not. There is no try.

The Great Outdoors

Now that Oklahoma is cool enough for people to go outside again, Ben has been getting in touch with his inner Aussie while sporting his oupa's Akubra.




No it's not the River Dance; whenever we put Ben down on the grass, he does a little jig to keep his feet from touching the ground.


Benjamin shows his appreciation of nature by preparing to consume the local flora.


Grandma put in a special request for a picture showing Ben's scholastic side. In this shot we are reading Touch and Feel Kitten and discussing the philosophical and practical implications of yanking handfuls of kitty fur. Gordo is pretty sure that Ben did not pay any attention to what I was saying.


On a more serious note, it took about 50 phone calls, but we finally have an appointment with a Pediatric Otolaryngologist in Oklahoma City on November 7th. I want to thank Phyllis Thornton for helping us track down someone in Oklahoma who specializes in Ben's type of medical condition. She also directed us to a website that actually describes Ben's condition at birth. Appropriately, it's called CHAOS.

Calvin and Hobbes (or Tigger)

Ride The Horse