For Maddie

This one goes out to Maddie, Peter's special birthday buddy. First of all, congratulations on losing a tooth! That's a really cool thing! Does the tooth fairy come to your house?

You were wondering how Peter got that owie on his foot. On Christmas night he was sliding on a wood floor in his socks. A big splinter from the floor got stuck in his foot! So John tried to get it all out with a needle, but as it turns out, he only got half of it. Then last Sunday John noticed that there was still an owie there, and found more of that splinter in Peter's foot! So they got it out with another needle. Ouch! The next day the place where the splinter used to be started to get really sore and swollen, and it continued to get bigger and bigger. He had to go to the doctor to take the old skin off--he used a scalpel and scissors to cut it very carefully. Peter said it didn't hurt at all when the doctor did the surgery. It just felt a little funny. Now he has to take some medicine for 10 days to fight all the germs. He also has to wash it with special soap twice each day, and keep it covered with special bandages. What a crazy thing to happen from a simple splinter! We're so glad for a good doctor and good medicine. He is healing very well now.

We hope you are having a great week in sunny California, and that you're enjoying your new baby brother, Hayden. I bet you are a really good helper!