October 2012

We have not been able to make it to the pumpkin patch this year....I am a bit sad to not get our annual picture...but oh well...I will settle for this one and just keep it real....this is how it goes the majority of the time when I try to get a picture of all three.

We finished up Pee Wee cheerleading and the cheer competition this weekend. It was soooo cold this Saturday morning during the compeition....thankfully it warmed up a bit for the last game of the season that afternoon.

 I sent Snow White and Big AL off with James to the fall festival tonight.....Christian is still cruddy and I have a terrible cold so I thought it is better for us to stay in. I did not get a picture before they left......mom fail....ugh.  Maybe some chocolate will help..... Hope everyone has a Happy Wednesday!

Two!!!

Little man is 2!!! Wasn't it just yesterday he was born??? He weighs 38 pounds and is 39 1/2 inches long. He is wearing 3T-4T even though he can wear a couple of his shorts that are 24 months or 2T. We go for his speech evaluation on Tues and then his other hearing test on Oct. 5. He loves loves his older brother and loves to practice his tackling skills on him...LOL

Christian- you are a joy and a blessing to us!! I just hope this next year slows down a bit!

Trust

Christian had his audiologist appt today. He did not do well with the testing on his inner ears and with the high frequency....so we are being referred to another audiologist for futher and more accurate testing. He has also been referred to speech therapy and since there was a lovely mix up with the doctor and his insurance we have to go back Monday for his second referral for speech....so I am doing that with his 2year check up. Hopefully we can get into seeing the other audiologist quickly so we will know what we need to do and to help him when he starts speech. I admit I did ok with this news until I got into the truck and started to really think about it. It just breaks my heart the thought of him having to struggle with his hearing-for one he is already off the charts in height and weight for his age...and I know he will always being thought of being older than he is...etc...but also I have struggled with hearing loss myself due to being 2 months premature and not having any hearing in my left ear-my right ear has always "made up for it"...I have never had a hearing aide...anyway I just don't want him to struggle.....but then I have to remember that God has a plan for this boy....this happy, sweet spirited boy...and I just need to trust Him! :) 

Are you ready for some football??

This is what our Saturdays are going to look like.....

Emily Grace is loving it!! It was so hot today....I think a couple of the girls ended up getting too hot...but they did sooooooo good! Their coaches are so good with them too. We are looking forward to a fun season and also going to the cheer competition in Oct. Austin thinks he wants to play football next year...so we will see.....GO DAWGS!!

Crazy....

Things have been crazy here!! Emily Grace and Austin have started back to school this week. Em is in the 4th grade and is changing classes with within her grade level and has a locker....can we say this is too close to middle school??

She was so ready to get to class and for me to quit taking her pic!! LOL She is also cheerleading this year and is very excited about that. Football games will start in Sept. so our weekends will get even busier...but it will be soooooooo worth it.

And my sweet 2nd grader....he does love school...now spelling not so much....it is like pulling teeth to get him to study his words. I love his teacher and feel like she is going to be wonderful for him. He has had a growth spurt and has gotten taller...so now we are in between sizes 6/7...some are too short...some too long...sigh...we were going to put him into football this year but with him being sooooooo skinny (and he eats all the time!) we were afraid he would get clobbered. So we are going to just do baseball this year and maybe basketball with upwards and see how he is next year.

He did not want to smile....he was so concerned about people looking at him while I was trying to get his picture...LOL ...he also just wanted me to leave so he could get to class...I had wanted to take pics by the bulldog statue but it was raining.

We were also very, very, blessed to be able to get this:

It is soooooooooooo nice for the monkeys to have rear air (our 99 explorer that I have had for the last 9 years did not have it) and a third row....everyone has space and car rides are much more nicer and enjoyable. We are truly blessed!!

We were able to take a mini vacation to Destin this past weekend (pics to come) even though it rained on Sunday and we didn't get to go to the beach we still had a great time!!! I really love it there! :)

23 months

Christian -you are 23 months old!! I cannot believe how fast this last year has gone by!!! It seems like just yesterday that we were celebrating your first birthday!

Stats:
weight::  39 pounds
height:   36 inches
clothing:  You are wearing mostly 3t's and 4t's
food:  you love to eat what everyone else eats...you really love bread, cheese, pizza, fries, crackers, yougurt,
         cheerioes, chips, chicken, and corn.
words: you love to "talk" and gesture with your hands....we joke that you just jabber...some words are very clear....roll tide, momma, daddy, dog, ball, go, bye, yum, no, yeah, and good. We are going to talk to your doctor next month at your well checkup to see if we need your hearing tested and about your speech.
You are just the sweetest blessing. You love your big brother so much and love to wrestle or should I say tackle him. You love to go places and walk around. You have boundless energy and almost always are happy. You don't sleep well at night..you cry hear and there...not sure if it is till those molars or not....but I would not trade it for anything. I love rocking you to sleep and your sweet snuggles. I cannot wait to see how you grow this next year!

9 years old!!

9 years ago today Miss Emily Grace arrived via emergency c-section (and 2 weeks late!) weighing 9 pounds and was 20 and 1/2 inches long. She had the cord around her neck and under her arm....they were a bit concerned at first...but she was perfect!! Happy Birthday to my firstborn and only daughter! You are a joy and a blessing to raise. I cannot believe how fast these last  9 years have gone by....I really hope the next 9 slow down just a bit.....love you sweet girl!

It's Summer!!

I have had problems with blogger...something with my browers...and then google chrome...hopefully it is fixed and I can remember how to get back into my blog!! LOL

Little man is now 21 months....I cannot believe he will be 2yrs old in three months!!! It goes by way too fast....I am sooooooo hoping he skips the terrible two's. :)  He is 36 inches tall and weighs 38 pounds. He is catching up to his big brother!!! Watch out Austin!! 

We are having a fun summer so far and are working on our bucket list.....library, VBS, movie date with Daddy, park, staying up late, sleeping in, visiting Grandparents, breakfast for dinner, board games, beach, and the splash park....still lots to do!!

Christian just walks around and around the splash pad....he doesn't care to get wet unless it is in the pool. :) My sweet boy just loves to walk and walk!!

Happy Monday!!

Last Day!!

I sent my first and third grader off to their last day of school....they were beyond excited!!

 Last day of 1st grade!! I am so glad that we did not listen to the recommendation of Austin staying in Kindergarten last year...due to being behind in Reading...not only did he improve and meet his AR goal this year- he went above it and on his dibels test they needed a score of 40-he scored 120!! We are so proud of him and all of his accomplishments this year and we know that he will do very well in 2nd grade!! A big shout out to Mrs. Hughes and Mrs. Lassiter for working with Austin this year!!

Last day of third grade for Miss Em!! She loved it and learned a lot....of course she loves her teacher Mrs. Howell too!!! I know she will do great in 4th grade too!!

Waiting down at the bus stop for the bus...

It was a foggy morning.....their last time getting on the bus in the morning on the LAST day of school!!

Also a shout out to hubby- Happy Birthday!!! His birthday usually falls on the last day of school! LOL We love you bunches!!!

Endings

School is about to end.....four days left!! This year has gone by too fast. I remember when I was teaching I was just excited as the kids when the school year was over....still am LOL. But I just can't believe I will have a fourth and a second grader on my hands. Now we are looking forward to summer activies like VBS, visiting family, the beach, celebrating baby girl's 9th birthday (really 9???), our 11th anniversay, Grammie's B-day, 4th of July.....the list goes on....I am hoping they learn to sleep in but I am not counting on it LOL.

Switiching gears....my precious Papa is about to meet Jesus soon and see Granny. His doctor has given him 1-3 weeks (his cancer has come back) and he is not eating. So yesterday we went to see him and say goodbye. I explained everything to Em and Austin and gave them the choice to go and see him. They wanted to go. It was so hard....it just broke my heart. It took him a minute to reconize me and then he held my hands and pulled me into a hug. I wish you could of seen his face light up when he saw Em, Austin, and Christian. I am sad that Christian is too young to remember him. I know he is ready to go but it is hard to let him go. He fought in WWII, Vietnam, graduated from the FBI academy and has been police chief of three towns here in Alabama. He joined the army when he was a teenager and lied about his age....sometime during that he meet Patton who found out his age and sent him home....he went the next day and joined the National Guard....LOL....he was determined!!! He and Granny met during the war when he was wounded and she was a nurse (she grew up in England)...and he had to fight to bring her to the US to get married. I wish I could of written down all of his stories....but I guess I thought I always had time and then sadly life gets in the way. He has always loved me and treated me like his own. (I was "adopted" when I was 19 in college by a christian family which included Papa and Granny-long story there) Thankfully I have gotten to say goodbye and I know I will see him again someday.

7 years ago today.....

7 years ago today I was 37 weeks pregnant with our second child and first boy. I was feeling pretty bad and had been for about 2 days. I only had one week left before I went on maternity leave from teaching......thankfully I already had everything ready for final exams and the sub. After talking with Dr. Hancock on the phone she decided I needed to come in to be checked. We got my in-laws to come and watch Em so we headed to the hopsital in Alabaster. I was dehydrated, had a tempature, my blood pressure was up, and I was having contractions (but not feeling them). Well since I was having a second c-section my doctor decided Austin was coming that day. Poor James had to go home and pack my bag since he won't let me pack or bring one before we left (he was in denial that Austin could come early since Em was so late). LOL  He soon came back with Em and my in-laws.

Em was so much fun in the hopsital while we were waiting for the time of the c-section. So just thought it was so funny to wear my slippers. When it came time for me to go and they wheeled me out I heard her little voice yelling for me....that just brok my heart and the tears just started....and then I am thinking I am not ready for this as we got into the operating room....LOL...like I could do something about it. Thankfully this time it was much easier than when I had  an emergency one with Miss Em.  It just took a few minutes and Austin was born. He was a skinny 7 pounds and 7 ounces and I think 19 inches long. He was such a laid back baby as you can tell in this photo...LOL.

He is such a joy and brings alot of laughter to our family. I cannot believe how fast the last 7 years have gone....I hope the next 7 slow down a bit. Happy Birthday Austin!! We love you bunches and know that God has an awesome plan for you!!!

A Night at the Musuem

The school had a fundraiser for the art program last week. They had a Night at the Musuem them and Em got to participate in the animal exhibit. She was a bit nervous but did really well. I only snapped a couple of pictures because the exhibit was in one of the classrooms and it was pretty crowded in there.

 Austin at his desk with his clay lizard that he made. We ended up having to glue the arms back on because they did not make the journey home well....LOL.

On of Em's artwork that we purchased. We did purchase all of them because they did a good job and we believe in supporting art in school.....it is sad when you think of the difference in a more rural area of what is avaliable to students with art and music then when we lived in the Birmingham metro area and they had it once a week....here they get art once a month and music starts in 5th grade I believe....but other than that the kids really do like school! :)

Play Date

 We went to the park last Saturday to try to enjoy the cooler weather before the rain came in that afternoon. Christian loves to just walk around the park...he laughs as he goes....it is just too cute.

 I was able to get one pic of Austin. Him and Em usually leave us in the dust. He is trying really hard not to smile here. LOL

Miss Em on her favorite- the monkey bars!

 Christian loves the swings. He also went down the slide too...but he lays down to slide down...LOL...love this picture of him smiling afterwards!!