Westbrook Central

Break Time

2012-01-19T11:35:00.003-06:00

I might be back in February.

Maybe.

It's been nice taking a break over the holidays.

And then Nathan was in the hospital again.

He is okay now.

Maybe February.

:)

Whirlwind

2011-12-08T21:14:00.003-06:00

Wow...

This month, or season, has been a whirlwind already.

Great time with friends from out of the country.

Really really fun Thanksgiving with family and overseas friends!

Hannah's fun birthday party last weekend.

Fitting in Christmas shopping.

Enjoying Nathan's great health and beautiful smiles (!!!) for the past month.

Having Jayne back as our (now married!) helper - so nice!

So many photos to view, edit, post...

I don't know when I'll catch up. :)

Have a good week/end!

Our New Man

2011-12-06T10:10:00.001-06:00

There's a new man around here...

He's rough & tough

A no nonsense kind of man

Meet

Lego Guy

Christmas Cookies 2011

2011-12-01T15:18:00.006-06:00

We (I) decided to throw caution to the wind today and make Christmas cookies! The big kids and I worked on this project until lunchtime. Lots of prep, then cookie making and decorating, then clean-up. Totally worth the effort. Happy kids are all napping now. :)

and

(soy) milk

Naptime!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T10:00:00.001-06:00

Wedding!

2011-11-28T19:36:00.005-06:00

The beautiful bride

Wedding kiss - Yay!

This may end up as our Christmas card if we don't get another decent one of all five of us!

Congratulations Connor and Jayne!

We love you guys!

...

2011-11-19T16:43:00.001-06:00

Yep...

The Super Friends are gearing up for a wild wedding weekend...

More to come...

Telephoto fun

2011-11-11T12:21:00.002-06:00

I had a little happy accident yesterday while outside with the kids. I hadn't picked up my telephoto lens in about a year, but decided to play around with it while everyone was happily swinging. I hadn't been able to get it focused really well in the past, and just forgot about it, honestly. Today I accidentally figure out how to focus! Made my day. Good dorky fun the rest of the day. :)

It's been that kind of week...

2011-11-10T11:48:00.002-06:00

It's been that kind of week

One where you just want to wear your pj's too long and paint

And drink coffee (me, not the kids, although G would drink it if I let him)

Thank you Target dollar spot for fun cheap projects

Graham painted so long that he said his arm was hurting

This is a new thing for him - to like art projects and sit still long enough to finish something

And this cute little guy played in his pack-n-play

And practiced grabbing onto the sides

He wants to stand up so badly!

It's been a nice week

The agency (sounds so spy-ish) is looking for another helper for Nathan

I'm enjoying just being home with the kids and no one else

Hope you're having a good week too!

Tuesday's Ordinary Randomness

2011-11-08T13:13:00.002-06:00

Painting some Christmas ornaments

Running around in our painting clothes

Doing a funny dance with a beautiful tree in the background

This is one reason I need a reflector for my camera

I love how the tree is backlit & the color is so great

But G is all shadowy

Nice dance, though :)

The Transformer and the Ballerina

2011-11-04T12:31:00.000-05:00

The rest of October

2011-11-01T10:25:00.009-05:00

Wow - it's been a busy month apparently if my lack of blogging is any indication! I think I will do a little bullet point update instead of writing a book about our happenings. :)

*We did some painting outside while the weather was nice (then it got cold, now it's nice again)

* Hannah is learning to read - so exciting! It has also been fun doing creative spelling - she's good at hearing different letter sounds in words. :)

* Graham is learning letters, numbers and how to hold his pencil. He wants to do school just like Hannah. :)

* Graham has developed a love of Transformers, Super Heroes, Star Wars and all things "cool". Such a fun little boy!

* Max, Hannah and Nathan got a cold.

* Nathan's cold developed into breathing trouble that landed us in the emergency room. He was admitted to the hospital at about 2AM with what they thought was pneumonia. Turns out he had asthmatic bronchitis. He may or may not have asthma, but it is not unlikely since Max does. They put him on steroids and breathing treatments to clear up his lungs. Steroids are what made his heart muscles thicken and put him in the hospital for almost a month when he was 8 months old (as a seizure treatment). They started to affect his heart the same way this time, but thankfully he didn't need to be on the medication very long. He is better now! We are home from our 2 day hospital stay (with no sleep) and we now have a nebulizer to use at the first sign of problems in the future.

* We have a new helper who is a constant source of stress for me. This will have to change soon.

* Hannah lost her first tooth. Then her second!

* Nathan is having more seizures lately. Adjusting medication.

* We finally made it to the pumpkin patch! I realized on the Friday before Halloween that if we didn't go that day, that it probably wasn't going to happen. So I trekked out there by myself with 3 kids in tow & we had a great time!

* Jayne is back in town! We were so glad to see her & can't wait for her wedding in a few weeks!

* My Mom & Dad and a couple of friends came over for Halloween. We had dinner, then the kids went trick-or-treating with Max and my parents. The rest of us handed out candy. Fun night! Pictures to come shortly (hopefully). :)

And now you are updated! I'll try to get the Halloween pics up soon. :) Now, on to November!

Oh, the HORROR

2011-10-13T10:16:00.001-05:00

What is it?

What can strike fear in the heart of my 5 year old?

What does she dread???

Yes, the carwash.

That terrible, horrible carwash.

Little Brother is not bothered.

Middle Brother is asleep in his carseat.

Oh finally, her parents have stopped the torture.

The carwash is over.

Everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

We lived through another carwash.

Wordless Wednesday: My New Pillows

2011-10-12T09:29:00.001-05:00

Jayne is in Japan

2011-10-10T22:09:00.003-05:00

Jayne is in Japan for the month of October! She is blogging about her adventures here.

We miss you Jayne!!!

Molly visits!

2011-10-10T22:02:00.002-05:00

My cousin Molly was in town with work over the weekend and came to visit us! We had such a good time & the kids are still asking when she's coming back.

We love you Molly!

Time To Mow

2011-10-10T21:34:00.007-05:00

This is the rye grass that Hannah planted at the fall festival we went to recently. In the photo above it is one week old. This stuff germinates and grows really fast.

Here it is on day 15. Time for a mowing!

Look at that concentration...

Snip, snip...

Ahhh... Freshly mowed grass. :)

First Pumpkins of the Season

2011-10-03T13:24:00.004-05:00

On Saturday we went to a local nursery that was having a small Harvest Festival. Hannah and I worked on crafts while the boys walked around and ate popcorn. Both big kids tried out the bounce house. It was a nice little outing! The weather has been so much nicer lately - finally! We're enjoying being outside again. :)

After lunch we went to play at a park. Nathan enjoyed looking up into this tree - he's like his Mama. :)

Hannah ran around with some nice little girls.

Graham worked on his climbing up the slide from the bottom skills. He's gotten really good at it.

Max and I sat at a picnic table and enjoyed the day. I'm so glad it's October!

A few photos from the weekend

2011-09-25T22:03:00.001-05:00

Wight Savuws

2011-09-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

Whirling, Swirling Jedi Master G

Watch Out!

Wedding Shower Weekend

2011-09-22T09:13:00.001-05:00

We had a great time at over the weekend at Jayne & Connor's wedding shower. Tons of great food and good friends. I can't believe their wedding is in just 2 months! Since the shower was at my house, as a little side benefit, everything is really clean now. :) Ha!
Jayne will be in Japan for the month of October (hello Japanese friends!), and then making final wedding preparations, so we're looking for another attendant for Nathan. The agency we use is having trouble finding someone, probably because we only need someone for 2 months. Let me know if you know anyone who might be interested!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T17:08:00.002-05:00

Oh My Goodness

2011-09-09T10:15:00.000-05:00

I just found this in my unpublished posts. I think it's from April, so N would have been about 18 months old. He was so little!

Much

CUTENESS

"Saturday - in the park"

2011-09-08T17:09:00.003-05:00

(sing with me now)

"I think that it was La-a-bor Day"

Yes, I've butchered song lyrics before and continue to enjoy doing it.

We had a great time at the park on Monday with friends.

We finally had a break in the 100 degree temps & it was beautiful and breezy.

Payed (paid?) for it in allergies, coughs, sniffles and sneezes the next day, but it was totally worth it!

First day of dance was this week

Ballet AND Tap

much excitement

Nathan had a neuro appointment today.

Increasing the dose of his newest med since we're seeing some good changes.

Another EEG in a few weeks to see how everything looks on his current meds.

He is getting over his allergy cold and finally had a good night's sleep last night. :)

Found out our favorite nurse is moving in December. :(

Tomorrow is JBF with my buddy Sonja. :)

So fun.

I'm looking for play costumes for G.

And maybe pants for N.

Have a good weekend!

Where's The Remote???

2011-09-05T10:10:00.000-05:00

Could you throw me the remote, please?

Just some sentences

2011-09-03T16:04:00.003-05:00

I'm having trouble getting photos off of my phone & onto the computer. ???

I've had 2 migraines in the last week - now with nausea.

Hannah started Kindergarten !

I went to my first MOPS (Mothers Of Pre-Schoolers) meeting and loved it!

I'm working on plans for a wedding shower.

I've been up since 4:30AM.

I found really cute winter (yes, already) pj's for Hannah & Nathan at Sam's. Love that place.

Max has been doing fence repairs.

Just some sentences.

Should Have Put Their Swimsuits On Them

2011-08-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

You should smell this

2011-08-30T22:41:00.007-05:00

If you know me, you know I love a good curry. Thai curry, Japanese curry, but especially Indian curry. So many spices! I just love it. One day last week my friend Sonja came over and brought all the ingredients for garam masala, a spice mixture added to some Indian dishes. She measured out the ingredients and I toasted the spices. Mmmmmmm... Wow. What a great aroma!

A quick whirl in the coffee bean grinder

And viola'

Fresh garam masala waiting to be savored.

Now I need to get cooking!

Bedtime for Boys

2011-08-24T23:20:00.007-05:00

Nathan was so relaxed tonight after swinging outside for a while. Yes, outside. We had a small break in the weather plus a breeze, so we threw caution to the wind and played outside after dinner. By sunset it was around 90 degrees. It's so sad that we think that is good - "Hey, it's cooled off to 90 - let's play outside!" Kind of pathetic. Anyway, back to Nathan... He was so relaxed that he almost fell asleep several times with his legs in the air like this. Funny boy.

Brothers

I played with Graham while Hannah was finishing getting ready for bed. He is a loyal Cars & Cars2 fan. Such a fun boy. :)

Goodnight.

Sweet Smile

2011-08-22T13:43:00.000-05:00

Just because :)

Standing

2011-08-18T11:11:00.000-05:00

And here is the Little Man standing up in his new walker. He seems pretty happy with it & is learning to move around some. Mostly just sideways and backwards, but occasionally forward. :)

Super Friends

2011-08-17T11:05:00.000-05:00

Back in July we had a marathon day of fun at Grandma's house with the Super Cousins.

These kids are all so great!

My Little Sweetheart

2011-08-16T23:16:00.001-05:00

I can't believe she is about to start kindergarten.

Just can't believe it.

I love zinnias

2011-08-16T11:48:00.000-05:00

Thanks for bringing me zinnias all summer, Mom!

I'm still here, fun with filters & Nathan update

2011-08-15T22:51:00.004-05:00

Me and Mom

Yes, believe it of not, I am still here. It's been a busy and stressful summer in various ways, plus computer trouble, etc. and blogging has gone by the wayside. I'll try to keep up, but no promises. :) In the meantime, while not doing anything on the computer, I've been playing with filters on my camera phone. Fun stuff. The photos on this post are examples of some of my favorite filters at the moment.

In Nathan News, our little man has figured out how to sit up all by himself! He has worked hard at it all summer, and now can sit up like a pro anytime he wants to. I'm so proud of him! He seems a lot happier too. Now he's trying to figure out how to stand up - it will be a while before he can do that - but he's thinking about it.

Just a few weeks ago he got a gait trainer, which I will just call a walker. It's great! It holds him stable so he can stand and learn to walk around. I'll put a picture up soon - it's a lot easier to understand it if you see it rather than me trying to explain. :)

He is still having seizures, and is on a significantly increased dose of his usual medication, plus a couple of add-ons. But, it's working for now, so we're relatively happy with it. (As happy as you can be with your child being on seizure medication, right?) We've seen a huge decrease in big tonic seizures - the ones that look really scary, which is good. He has a lot better eye contact, attention span, and is progressing developmentally. He has started fussing at us when he wants attention, and reaching for our faces when we get close - this is a BIG DEAL! His communication skills have taken a huge leap this summer. It's so nice to have some idea of what he wants.

Okay, off to bed! Hopefully more later. :)

Name This Photo

2011-07-14T11:51:00.001-05:00

Lots of different titles I could give this photo...

Any ideas YOU would like to share?

Wordless Wednesday: RED

2011-07-06T09:53:00.000-05:00

Sprinklers, Swings & Exploding Things

2011-07-04T23:29:00.014-05:00

...or what we've been doing in the evenings

Baby slept through fireworks. Amazing. His new bedtime routine is working, I think. Now he's used to being asleep at a certain time - even fireworks couldn't stop him. :)

Summer - It's Hot!

2011-06-30T17:40:00.003-05:00

Summer is in full swing here in North Texas. The temps have already been in the hundreds, and our popsicle supply is going fast. H & G are on their way outside for round two of playing in the water, so I've gotta run. Oh, and we're also recovering finally from ear infections and viruses. Nathan seems to be the last one - he has a slight fever and a little cough at the moment. Nothing a few more days shouldn't fix. :)

Great Green Gobs, or Lunch With Nathan

2011-06-21T10:20:00.001-05:00

clean baby, clean Aunt Jayne

Mmm... That looks good.

This is a hands-free lunch for Nathan,

meaning he can do whatever he wants to with his hands.

It gets messy.

He likes to put his fingers in his mouth after every bite, rub his face and head, etc.

So, not every meal is hands-free, or he would need 3 baths a day!

But...

Nathan needs to learn how to put food in his own mouth.

He also needs lots of sensory experiences.

Textures don't seem to bother him
whether on his hands or in his mouth, which is great!

He knows how to pull our hands toward him when we are holding a spoon.
He knows where food comes from.
He just doesn't go and get it with his own hands yet.

messy baby, messy Aunt Jayne

lots of good sensory experience

lots of good practice with his own hands and fingers

full tummy

And now all cleaned up!

Peeps

2011-06-20T10:12:00.000-05:00

Summer is here

2011-06-16T10:14:00.000-05:00

Summer is here in North Texas. Actually is has been for a few weeks now. So, of course it is time for the summer head cold! Last Friday I found Graham asleep in his bed around 11 in the morning - this is not typical. A 3-year-old putting himself to bed mid-morning??? When he got up the thermometer confirmed that he did indeed have a fever. Things progressed over the weekend, sister got in on the action with a stuffy nose and fever too, then by Monday G's eyes were oozing nasty stuff. Sorry for TMI. So naturally I called his doctor to make an appointment, only to find out they were CLOSED until Tuesday morning. Really? So we waited... Hannah was much better and went to VBS. F i n a l l y Tuesday rolled around and I took Graham in to the doc - raging double ear infection. Although, he wasn't acting like he was in pain! Tough guy. Anyway, picked up prescriptions, gave meds, went to bed. By the next evening G had funky hives all over his legs. Called doc, changed meds, went to bed. This morning he is much better and acting like his ornery self. Now Hannah has a pink crusty eye, so no VBS today or tomorrow. I am so sad for her! She was having such a good time. She is really sad too, but taking it well. Apparently pink eye is common after a cold - we've just never experienced it before. Prescription? Wait it out, wash hands often, don't touch anyone else. Like that last one has ever happened - please pray for us! But really, I think we are on the mend now, finally. It's been a rough week, but things are looking up.

I'm ready for everyone to play outside! We got out the pool and the playset is all fixed up. We have squirt guns, popsicles, the sprinkler, and bubbles just waiting to be used. Granted, we have to do all of our outdoor activities before noon or after 7PM, but whatever. We're ready!

Just a-Swingin'

2011-06-15T10:16:00.002-05:00

We've been going outside every night after it cools off to swing before bedtime. Everyone loves it - especially Nathan! Usually he's fussy before we go out, then as soon as I put him in the swing, he calms down and enjoys the ride. He even smiles a little bit if he's not too tired! This is a really big thing for him.

Buzz Lightyear flying through the air
.

I taught Graham how to swing on his tummy and this is what he became. :)

Buzz Lightyear.

I like it.

Mr. Fix-it

2011-06-14T10:23:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago we got a big outdoor playset from our neighbors. It's old and needed some work, so Max has been spending time fixing it up. I'm so happy about it! the kids needed something fun to play on in the backyard and this will be great. But I'm really excited about swinging Nathan. Swinging is so good for little guys like him - he needs more sensory input but isn't able to get it on his own from normal movement. His little body needs more than it is allowing him to do right now. Make sense? Stay tuned for pics of Nathan swinging!

Early Morning Activity

2011-06-03T09:14:00.000-05:00

Guess who got up early and emptied out the toy box so they could play "boat"?

Time to invest in some blackout shades in there. :)

Ballet Beauty

2011-06-02T17:00:00.002-05:00

We did it. We survived our first dance recital! Hannah said she was a little bit nervous, but I couldn't tell - she danced beautifully with a sweet smile on her face. Thankfully this studio has three different recitals. Otherwise, the show would have been 6 to 7 hours long. Whew! Hannah and I went back the next day to see our "big girl" friends dance. It was fun to have a mama/daughter date with her and do something the boys weren't interested in at all. She's already looking forward to going to ballet again in the fall. I'm just glad I don't have to take the kiddos up to the studio in the Texas summer heat! Different priorities. :)

Hard Life For Leia, continued...

2011-05-27T13:16:00.000-05:00

Busy, Busy, Ballerina

2011-05-26T16:37:00.004-05:00

Busy, busy here... We're getting ready for Hannah's big ballet recital this weekend, so there are a million little details to take care of before then. For example, today we tried on her costume (which is so adorable) so I could pin the straps which are a little bit too long, then tonight after everyone is asleep I will sew the straps, and gather the various things we will need to use for or take to her dress rehearsal tomorrow. We also practiced putting her hair in a bun and doing her "ballet make-up". I'm not a big fan of make-up on children, but I understand with bright stage lights their little faces get washed out. Hannah on the other hand was ecstatic about wearing make-up, or more specifically, lipstick. Funny girl. :)

Graham is just concerned that he will get left at home and not get to go to Hannah's "wee-cytaw" (recital). He doesn't want to miss out on anything these days. He's also becoming a big helper and wants to either do things himself or help me do them. So big and independent.

Okay, that's my computer break for the moment. Back to work!

Wordless Wednesday: So pretty I couldn't resist

2011-05-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

2011-05-22T13:14:00.000-05:00

Pretty girl.
Laughing at her Daddy about something.
On the way out the door to church.
What a wonderful daughter!

Umbrella Fun

2011-05-20T12:54:00.004-05:00

They kept asking and asking and asking to play with their umbrellas. I kept saying no. Then I thought, why not? So this week they have played and played and played some more with their umbrellas. Happy kids. :)

Graham really was having fun too. He's just in some 3-year-old-don't-take-a-picture-of-me phase or something. He's a funny boy!

Happy Weekend!!!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T00:55:00.000-05:00

2 years ago - me & G

Spoon Princesses

2011-05-02T10:21:00.001-05:00

Hannah and I made spoon princesses a week or so ago when the kids were sick. Who knew how fun this quick little craft would be! We gathered supplies from around the kitchen and raided our art supplies, and viola'. Spoon Princesses! Graham didn't want to make a spoon man, but he did think they were pretty cool when they were finished. He even brought Woody over to play. After putting Woody's cowboy hat on "Flower", the green haired girl, he decided these princesses were okay for boys to play with too. :)

Ooohhh...

2011-04-30T10:17:00.000-05:00

I love this face!

2011-04-29T10:07:00.000-05:00

I have to clean off my dresser periodically.

I receive various colorful sculptures several times a week.

Usually in the morning.

Before I'm even out of bed.

One of the big kids bursts through the bedroom door,

Exclaiming, "Mama! I made you something!"

Followed by the explanation of what it is, or what it does.

I thank the giver and talk about how much I like it.

Then the giver places it on my dresser so we can all enjoy it.

I have to clean off my dresser periodically.

Then we start all over again.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T10:01:00.000-05:00

New Things for Nathan

2011-04-25T23:53:00.003-05:00

Can you see it?
It's right here.
Right where I'm pointing in my mouth.
This is what's been bothering me so much.
It's a molar.
Not a wimpy little tooth.
A MOLAR.
Yes.
Give me more Tylenol please.
.
Oh, and please notice that I'm sitting up by myself.
Sure, I fall over after a few seconds.
But I'm a little distracted by this MOLAR.

The Boy loves to eat

2011-04-21T11:05:00.000-05:00

Look at that lip closure... I'm so proud

He's come a long way. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-20T11:16:00.000-05:00

Guess Who's Getting Married???

2011-04-19T10:58:00.000-05:00

Jayne!!!

and Connor too

to each other

two of our favorite people

marrying each other

Yay!!!

I'm just busy

2011-04-18T22:41:00.002-05:00

Yes, we're still here. I'm just busy. Life with three little people is a lot busier than life with just two little people. Who knew?

Here is a quick update:

*camera news... White Balance!!! Thanks for the tip, Jayne. :)

*I'm in a cooking rut - anyone have any good & quick recipes?

*Hannah likes math. I'm really happy for her since I don't like it so much. She makes it fun.

*Nathan is getting really strong! His balance is improving too & he's been able to sit up for a few seconds on his own! He could sit up indefinitely if he would only take his fingers out of his mouth and use his arms to balance, but the boy is teething and has his own set of priorities. :)

*N IS teething. He has four teeth in different stages of coming in at the moment. Poor little guy.

*Max and I had a really good, really busy, long weekend without the kids recently! We accomplished a lot of things, slept in a little, and enjoyed being able to talk with each other uninterrupted! Thanks again Mom & Dad for staying with the kids!!!

*I finally went to the Guitar Center with Max. Really not as bad as I've imagined. It was fun to see him in his element.

*The big kids are re-discovering water guns and popsicles - very fun.

*Hannah has a dance recital coming up in May - just got her costume today & it is ADORABLE.

*Now I'm going to sign off and defragment the laptop. Have a good night!

My Personal Shopper

2011-04-14T13:58:00.000-05:00

17 Months

2011-04-04T12:40:00.003-05:00

I had another impromptu photo shoot with the Little Man the other day while changing his clothes. When I put the pics on the computer, it turns out that I had taken 72 photos! Wow. I love digital cameras. :)

Happy Friday!

2011-04-01T10:48:00.000-05:00

Sweet Treat

2011-03-31T17:51:00.007-05:00

Aunt Jayne wanted to make chocolate covered graham crackers with H & G.

OK!

She brought over the ingredients...

Melted the chocolate...

They dipped graham crackers and sprinkled colorful dots...

. Mmmmmm... Happy results!

Kiddos

2011-03-25T12:14:00.001-05:00

Hannah
age 5
still loves pink, purple, princesses, little animals and ballet

Graham
age 3
still loves cars, cars, cars, fruit and wrestling

Nathan
age 17 months
still loves family, bottles, fruit, his toy mesh ball, and chewing
.
.
Love these kiddos
:)

Wordless Wednesday: Hard life for Leia

2011-03-23T10:11:00.000-05:00

Sweet Sweet Boy

2011-03-21T12:09:00.000-05:00

March Madness

2011-03-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Graham is 3!!!

2011-03-17T11:50:00.004-05:00

My big boy is 3.

When did that happen?

He is such a great little guy.

Toy Story alien cupcakes.

He had the hardest time making up his mind...

Toy Story party or Mater & Cars party???

In the end we did a little of both.

(R & H)

He has been happily playing with all the new cars and trucks he got as gifts.

Thanks again, Everyone!

Can't resist...

2011-03-03T11:25:00.000-06:00

...the car nap

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T14:50:00.002-06:00

Nathan Update

2011-02-23T17:30:00.002-06:00

I've been meaning to write a little Nathan Update for a while now, but life never wants to slow down for me to be able to get it done. So... This may be short depending on who needs me, who is crying, who has lost something that only I can find, who is hungry or thirsty, etc.

Nathan is now 15 months old!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And that's as far as I got. This time I'm just doing bullet points. Short and sweet. :)

*Nathan is 15 months old

*2 weeks ago he had tubes put in his ears to drain fluid, help with comfort, balance and hopefully improve his hearing a little bit

*the docs were pretty sure he had congenital nerve damage on one side and were planning to give him a hearing aid to amplify the hearing he did have

*can you imagine trying to keep a hearing aid on a baby???

*Anyway, tubes were placed, the audiologist comes out and starts to explain how they chart his hearing, all the while I'm staring at the chart and noticing that is looks normal. I interrupt her and say that it looks normal to me - she exclaims - Yes it is! We were all shocked and excited. She said she kept checking to see if she had the right baby. His hearing is NORMAL. Praise God - we're so thankful for this gift to Nathan!

*He was on extra seizure meds for a week after the surgery to help with the break-through seizures he seems to have when he goes under anesthesia

*His seizures are back to about what they were before the tubes

*He is overall much more alert and interested in his environment! He is getting used to the new and louder sounds and is being startled a little less than last week.

*He continues to be the best sleeping-through-the-night-baby EVER

*He is officially allergic to cow's milk :( He breaks out in a tummy rash.

*He likes broccoli and blueberries, and really everything he's tried except for peas.

*He has one tooth, and it looks like 2 more on the way. This may explain why it's hard to get his fingers out of his mouth. He's constantly chewing on them. The past few days he has taken a pacifier - I'm hoping this will help keep his hands free for other things like reaching for toys, food, etc.

*In therapy he is working on weight bearing through his upper extremities, sitting balance, reaching for toys, and adding different textures to his food (which he does not seem to mind at all).

*He loves to watch his big sister and brother.

*He loves his Daddy.

*He loves his Aunt Jayne. And expects her to feed him!

*He is just about the sweetest little guy around!

Wordless Wednesday: The Car-supial

2011-02-16T13:22:00.003-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-15T23:25:00.000-06:00

Hope you had a good one.

Don't Mess With My Kids

2011-02-05T11:21:00.011-06:00

They're organized

They'll take you down

You've been warned

Happy Feet

2011-02-05T11:06:00.000-06:00

Snow Day & The Studio

2011-02-01T12:24:00.008-06:00

Yes, it's snowing (or icing) in North Texas again! It started with lots of rain last night, then moved to sleet/ice pellet/snow in the early AM hours. I woke up around 4AM because it was so noisy! Anyway, the roads are icy and not expected to get any better during the day so Max is home from work. Can you say - excited children???
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Hannah told me after breakfast that she was going to help Daddy clean the office. Shortly after, I started hearing strange sounds and snippets of music coming from the office. They were having a great time playing with his recording equipment and effects. ...I mean cleaning. :) I got some really cute video of Max singing "My Girl" to Hannah, but I've been forbidden to post it! Also a fun rendition of "Wild Thing" with Max and Graham. I love these people!

It's actually good for us all to have a strictly at home day with no other plans. The kids and I have been battling yet another cold, so we needed another good day to just wear fleece and watch movies! The big kids are feeling much better and don't have fevers so far today. They were the first to get sick, so Nathan and I should be on the mend soon too just like the big kids. Actually I feel much better today - just sound bad now and I'm coughing some. But I slept well, except for the noisy precipitation! Nathan was the last to get sick, so he's still not feeling great and has a low fever. He's having a good nap at the moment. :)

I hope you stay warm and have a great day! Any maybe a lollipop two. :) That's our plan.

Wordless Wednesday: Lunch as Art

2011-01-26T09:48:00.001-06:00

Tea Party

2011-01-24T09:50:00.000-06:00

A few days ago we had a spontaneous tea party. The kids helped make blueberry muffins, then we had a tea party lunch. Mmm... It was so good on a cold day.

I don't think we've had any tea parties that G can remember. In the past it was just me and Hannah making muffins and drinking "apple tea" together when he was a baby. I think he enjoyed himself.

Nathan had fun watching and having lunch too. What a sweetie.

Sweet Face

Kissy Face

Have a good day!

The Brothas

2011-01-21T10:36:00.000-06:00

Hey Guys, look interested.

Good job.

Okay - look disinterested. Good.

Now - WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN

Check.

Now, one of you look cute & slightly devious, and the other get all contemplative.

Yeah. That's it.

They take direction well, don't you think?

;)

Hey, I want in on the action too!
.

Notice the brothas different reactions to Hannah...

Graham: (evil laugh) Ah, my sister!

Nathan: (adoration) Ah, my sister!
.
Ha!

Birthday Boy

2011-01-20T20:26:00.004-06:00

Our buddy Hayes turned two years old!

We had a great time at his party last weekend.

To Infinity & Beyond!!!

Aren't these cupcakes awesome?

That Aunt Amy is a creative one.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HAYES!

We love you!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-12T10:38:00.001-06:00

3 Days Later

1/11/11

2011-01-11T11:21:00.001-06:00

Happy 1/11/11!

Just enjoying the fun number today.

Choices, choices...

2011-01-11T10:26:00.000-06:00

Here is another little snippet of Graham from Christmas. So many choices of things to play with! Here he is caught in a moment of indecision.

Play with the new James train or the new Henry train???

What a dilemna.

Camo Climber

2011-01-08T12:33:00.001-06:00

We went to the park a couple of days ago. It was good to get out and breathe some fresh air, even with the cold breeze. Hannah ran around making friends with other children while Graham investigated the equipment. I think we have a climber. For months he has been trying to climb up the slide from the bottom up. He slides down then immediately tries to go back up the way he came down. Today he did it! He was so happy. Even his huge coat didn't slow him down. Then I saw him do this...

Brave boy! It gave me a heart attack, but he did it by himself! Yes, we have a climber. :)

December Daily: Year's End (late)

2011-01-02T12:44:00.021-06:00

It was the last day of the year.
We packed it with three different events with family and friends.
We didn't get home until 1AM.

Event #1: The Dallas World Aquarium with the W's

This is a really interesting place! The name "aquarium" implies "fish, etc. only" in my mind, but that is not true. The DWA has three distinct levels, all housing different types of creatures. The lower level is the actual aquarium with underwater life, then the second and third levels are rain foresty with monkeys, birds, sloths, a waterfall, and even and anteater. I know I missed a lot of things and it was really busy this particular day, but we had a great time!

Max and Hannah watching the pygmy marmosets - they are so cute!

Here is one up close

Gramma pointing out something to the kiddos

This place is Gramma heaven :)

From the JAPAN tank

Nathan had a great time being somewhere new, people watching, and playing with his new toy.

This is one of the larger tanks - everyone enjoyed seeing the manatee here.

Me & G

Star fish - trying to escape I think.

From the FIJI tank

And then there was the shark tank tunnel.

Oh my....

I'm not a big shark fan, but this was my most favorite part of the whole place.

There is a glass tunnel at the bottom of the tank for people to walk through.

Various sharks swim all around you.

It's amazing.

Event #2: Dinner & Belated Christmas with the W's

Group photo at the end of dinner.

I took less and less as the night progressed!

...on the way to event #3

Event #3: New Year's Eve party at the M's house

Vince & Sonja with Baby Heidi

smiliest baby ever!

(although not in this photo - it was late!)

The guys played some epic save the world game while the ladies relaxed. :)

All in all a great day. The kids did really good! Hannah stayed up the whole day until we got home at 1AM. She was really tired the next day! The little boys snuck in some naps in the car and in the stroller. Wow. I can't believe it's 2011 now!

New Year

2011-01-01T08:06:00.001-06:00

Bye-Bye 2010

Hello 2011!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

December Daily: A Sampling

2010-12-30T13:08:00.003-06:00

Here is a little glimpse of the fun Christmas gifts we received.

Hannah with one of her little pets

Graham with Lightening - not new, just always in hand

Max with his iRig - turns his phone into a guitar amp (or something like that)

a fun night!

December Daily: New Food

2010-12-29T11:39:00.002-06:00

I baked a big ham for Christmas Eve dinner.

Guess who tried ham for the first time that night?

Nathan loved it!

December Daily: The Finish Line

2010-12-28T12:02:00.001-06:00

Continuing Education = FINISHED!!!!!

The weight has been lifted. :)

December Daily: More Continuing Ed

2010-12-27T22:09:00.000-06:00

Six more hours of continuing education today. Just four more to go.

December Daily: New Friends

2010-12-26T11:16:00.001-06:00

The kids & I stayed home from church - still coughing & tired.

Hannah and I played with these cute little guys while the boys took naps.

December Daily: Christmas Day

2010-12-25T08:50:00.001-06:00

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

December Daily: Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T13:45:00.002-06:00

The finished gingerbread house with adjoining racetrack

(the gingerbread neighborhood is really going down hill)

A sleepy baby
on antibiotics for an ear infection
on the mend

Aaahhh...

It's another pj kind of day for us here at the house of Christmas Contagions. Really, it's not that bad, just recuperating from our Christmas cold. Max got sick too, but he rebounds so fast it makes me jealous! Today we're all coughing less and feel like eating more - a good sign.

Yesterday I took Nathan to the doctor since we were coming up on a long holiday weekend and I wondered if he was getting an ear infection. He had been feeling much better, then started acting like he felt bad again. People with Down Syndrome are more prone to get ear infections, so I thought we would play it safe and take him in. I'm glad I did! An infection was just starting in one ear, so now he's on antibiotics and something for his cough.

I made three trips to Walgreens yesterday... Once to drop off N's prescriptions, once to pick up his prescriptions, then the last trip to return the wrong medicine and pick up the right one. !!! It pays to read the material they give you about your prescriptions. I knew that N was supposed to get an antibiotic and something for his cough. When I got home and looked at the meds more closely I realized that we had an antibiotic and an anti fungal - used to treat ring worm. I quickly googled to make sure that this particular anti fungal wasn't used for coughs (you never know), then called the pharmacy. I figured that the doctor's handwriting was just so terrible that they couldn't tell what he had written, and that was the case. They said, "it starts with a G, has some scribble, a U, and more scribble". Scary! I don't know if the anti fungal would have hurt him, but it definitely wouldn't have helped him!

Anyway, today we're doing better. We canceled our Christmas get-together with friends just to be safe. No one wants the gift of coughing. That's sad, but we'll have a nice low-key night. I may or may not cook, the kids will open presents, then off to bed early! And really, even though we're sick, we're all together. :)

December Daily: Wrapping

2010-12-23T10:38:00.000-06:00

Hannah loves this paper with "gorgeous ordamins".

I do too.

December Daily: Gingerbread

2010-12-22T12:34:00.008-06:00

Lots of rest today.

And maybe a fun project...

Full of sugar & creativity...

Graham with his racetrack

Hannah with Phase I of her gingerbread house

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We're all still under the weather, but feeling better today. Less coughing, less sneezing, a little more energy. A good day so far!

December Daily: Sick & Busy

2010-12-21T12:19:00.003-06:00

A busy day...
Lots of tea
Lots of Zinc
A trip to Sam's for Christmas Eve Dinner supplies
Seven hours of continuing education
More tea
church
More tea
Bed
A busy day...

December Daily: Calm Before the Storm

2010-12-20T11:50:00.004-06:00

This is from yesterday after church, so the children are totally dissheveled. But cute, no? I meant to get a photo of them at church in their dressy clothes, but I forgot and left the camera in the car. Oh well...

Today this picture does not look so dissheveled to me after all. This was right before we realized that we were all getting sick - me included. Nathan had been sick since Thursday evening, but the rest of us had been fine. Until yesterday. Now Nathan is better, but Hannah has a fever, Graham is a fountain of snot, and my throat hurts. Sigh. Max is hiding at work - I don't blame him. Maybe he can escape! It's not all bad though. The kids are happy, just a little bit subdued. And acutally I feel better than I did yesterday. (Maybe all those zinc lozenges I've been downing are paying off!) So for now we're just taking is easy, watching movies, playing legos, and staying in our pj's.

Hope you all escape the crud!

December Daily: After Dinner Entertainment

2010-12-19T10:27:00.002-06:00

Ballet with a red spotlight. OOOooooo......

Great little entertainers.