Jackson takes a dive...

I got a call from the school nurse today. It was 12:17. I hate when I see the school number come up on caller ID. My stomach does a flip. Am I the only one? Anyway, I answer the phone and the nurse proceeds to tell me she has Jackson in the office. Immediately I'm thinking some crazy illness has hit because Jack never goes to the nurse (unlike his sister who goes if the wind blows too hard). She then goes on to tell me that he had fallen on the balance beam outside on the playground and hit his front teeth. She wanted to make sure he hadn't lost his baby teeth yet. I told her he hadn't which made her feel better. I guess I should have been more alarmed than I was, but I figured she'd make me come get him if it was bad. So I hang up and go about my day. When Jackson gets home from school I finally get to see the damage. And while at first glance it doesn't look too bad, if I touched his teeth they instantly started bleeding again. And he winced in pain. I was surprised that his front right tooth had come down quite a bit. I figured it would have been pushed upwards, but apparently he hit the gum line which pushed it down instead. He's got swelling and gashes on his lips and cheeks. But it's all inside so you don't notice it just looking at him. I decided to call the kids dentist just to make sure there wasn't anything we needed to do or be worried about. The receptionist told us to come in right away. Um, okay - that freaked me out. We got there and they immediately did an x-ray. After that the dentist came over and first looked at the x-ray. He saw it and said "Youch." Then he came over to J and took a look. He said that what he was worried about was a root fracture but we had been spared that nastiness. His teeth are really loose and the dentist said they wouldn't tighten back up and he'd have to learn to eat without using those teeth until they fall out. He's just now about to lose his first tooth on the bottom so he may end up loosing all 4 front teeth at the same time. Wouldn't that be so cute? For those that aren't squeamish - here's a picture. It doesn't do the damage justice. But it's the best I could get.



Can you see how the tooth on the left (his right) is lower than the other one?

Emma's first win

Emma's first competition. She is the one far back corner on the right. They are great little tappers!

Praise

Our God is so good. He tangibly answered prayer and I feel like He's holding my hand. With all the illness going around I was so afraid Emma would get sick before her competition last week. I prayed and prayed for her to stay healthy at least until Sunday. I knew that if she did get sick it wouldn't be the end of the world, but I just didn't want to put any more pressure on her dance teacher or fellow teammates. The little ones just don't adapt as well when one person is missing in the formation. Well, let me tell ya - not only did she stay healthy through competition, she's stayed healthy entirely! The rest of us all had something. Three of us had strep, the boys had the flu, and yet Emma remained completely unaffected. How amazing is that? I'm sorry, but you just cannot deny God's hand in that. By any logical expectation she should have gotten something, but she didn't. And her dance team took first for both tap and jazz in their age group, and their tap won third place overall in the junior division. Very exciting!
Another reason to praise our loving God is Emma is growing! We had a follow-up appointment with her endocrinologist yesterday and she has grown almost a full inch in 6 months. Her dr. said they should grow about 2 inches a year, so she's right on track. So for now we're in a holding pattern and just letting her be. If she has another drop in growth like the one that dropped her from the 50-75th% to below the 3rd%, then we'll go ahead with the growth hormone study to see if she has a deficiency. If she does, then we would go ahead with the replacement hormone most likely. If she does not, and the hormone replacement would be solely for esthetic purposes then we would forego that option. But who cares about that for now! She measured in at 45 inches tall and 47 pounds (although that was fully dressed in jeans and two shirts, but hey - we'll just ignore that fact). Those measurements still keep her below the 3rd % but she's maintaining a steady pattern and that's all that matters for now. Yay!
Jackson, while the sickest of us all, remained in good spirits throughout his quarantine. He never complained, ate well, took his medicine without a fight, and kept busy most of the time. You'd never have known he was as sick as he was if the Dr. hadn't told us. He's such a good little man! I'm just so thankful he wasn't miserable.
And just one more reason for praise(really there are too many to post). Brian is potty trained! And he did it himself! We still allow him to wear pull-ups simply because he's afraid to poop on the potty (sorry for TMI), and he's constipated most of the time so we never know when he'll go. I just don't want to clean up that mess. But he hasn't peed in his pull-up in almost a week, and he's telling us when he has to go now. So I'd call that done. I'll be honest, I was a little sad to see the last diaper go. I know, I'm pathetic. But I LOVE having babies and I think the Lord knew I needed a cutoff made for me because I'd have probably had at least one more if it hadn't been decided for me.
The kids have spring break next week but we'll be staying home this year. But Dave and I will be traveling in May on a much needed vacation. Our first "true" vacation since our honeymoon 12 years ago. We're both soooo excited.

Well, that's about all I have for now.

Wow

Jackson has been feeling somewhat under the weather for the last few days, but nothing major. He took a nosedive today so I decided to take him to the dr. He tested positive for both strep throat and the flu. I feel so unbelievably sad for him. He must feel just miserable.

So all three kids are on Tamiflu, and I'm praying like mad that Emma stays healthy because she's got a dance competition in Asheville this weekend.

Nothing like a little stress to make the week go by faster, eh?

Has it been 10 days already?

According to my ticker to the left it has been 10 days since I stopped drinking soda. I would have only guessed it to be 3 or 4 surprisingly. It's not nearly as hard as I thought. Now this isn't to say I won't have soda ever again, in fact I'll probably have it tonight. But Dave and I have stopped buying it or keeping it in the house. I will only allow myself a soda when we eat out. And because we're both trying to shed a few pounds, that's not very often. Tonight I'm going out with a group of moms I met at Jackson's preschool last year. A very wonderful group of ladies, actually. And we're going out to dinner for a little girls' night. I had planned on having soda tonight, but now that I saw that ticker I'm thinking I don't need it obviously, so why tempt myself. We'll see.
But I'm excited for my girls night out tonight. Doesn't seem fair to get to go out to dinner tonight, considering in exactly one week I'll be in Charleston with 11 other women enjoying a few days of R&R. But I'll take while I can!

sweetness

My sweet husband went to the store for me on his way home from work. That alone is such a blessing to me. But on this day, he also brought me home these....


and with them in his hand he said "I just wanted you to know how much I appreciate you." Wow - am I not the luckiest wife ever? He - is awesome.

Snow Day #3

Picture post...

We've hit a new phase of life...

I don't know who's more upset, Emma or me. See, we've entered into a new world - Emma is grounded. For two weeks. For lying to me. I'm at a loss. She's lied before, but she was young enough to punish in the toddler-way. Even taking away a privilege seemed sufficient. But not so much anymore. Last night Emma and I were getting ready to go to gymnastics - her favorite activity of the week. I told her to go to the bathroom before we left. Her first mistake was talking back to me by saying "I went when I got changed" - which was at 4:00. It was now 6:00. My response was - I didn't ask if you needed to go, I said go. Do not talk back and just do what I ask you to. So she trots off to the bathroom. At the same time I went into my room to change quick and came back out. I was in there maybe all of 45 seconds. When I come out of my room, Emma is already getting her shoes on. I knew there was no way in the world she could have undressed out of her pants and leotard, gone potty, gotten re-dressed in said leotard, washed her hands and been out in time to be putting her shoes on. No way in the world. So I immediately know she didn't go - so I asked her "did you go potty?" She responded "I did." My response - trying to give her a second chance "Are you sure you went - that was awfully fast" and she quickly responded with "I went!" Damn. She must think I'm so dumb. I called her over to me and said oh so sternly - "you're not telling me the truth, are you?" She stared at me blankly for a moment, and I just about lost it. Sensing this, she finally says "I didn't go." I told her she didn't get to go to gymnastics and sent her to her room. Once she was upstairs I talked to Dave about it and we both felt that keeping her from gymnastics wasn't the right punishment, since we're paying for her to be there. Instead we decided she wasn't allowed to play with her best friend (or any friend for that matter) for two weeks. What's hard about that for her is her friend lives across the street. So Emma has to see her outside playing and she doesn't get to - that'll sting. It's weird - she's not even 8. Where did I go wrong? And why did she choose this to mess up on? All I asked her to do was pee! Sheesh!

New look

Do you like it? If so, head over to www.leeloublogs.blogspot.com. They have free templates you can use or you can request custom templates for a cost. She's also doing a ton of stuff to support two babies that have been in the NICU for months. Maybe you'll want to enter one of the drawings to help support these families. I don't know baby Mia, but Kayleigh is a baby here in Charlotte and I "know" her parents (i.e. read a lot about them, and have seen their work around town). Both babies were near death, more than once, and have had an uphill battle. As of right now they're both winning the battle and it's great to read how strong the love of God has made these families.

So go forth and enjoy!

I know, I know...

It's been way too long since I blogged. I have excuses - do you want to hear them? Didn't think so. I haven't meant to be away so long, but life is life and it happens.

We had a wonderful christmas this year. We spent a week in the mountains with my side of the family. Got to spend some good time with my brother's kids - I just don't get to see them enough. And the adults got to hang out and play games. I love that my family likes to play games - it's so much fun. And while we could watch movies together every night, it's just not the same.
The kids did pretty well for themselves this year, despite the budget constraints. The highlight was Jackson and Emma getting pogo sticks - from Santa. I thought they were a little weirdo for requesting them, but they love them and can actually get on the things. Unfortunately the weight requirements for the sticks are 40-80 pounds so they don't really make them bounce much. But at least they'll get to use them for a long time. Sadly for me that means I cannot play with it, too. I had a pogo stick when I was a kid and I loved that thing - I used to count how many jumps I could do in my basement. I'm sure I drove my parents nuts. I think my highest was in the 140's - yes I was (am) a dork!
The week of New Year's, our good friend Alison and her boys came for a visit. Oh how I wish they lived near us. The kids play so well together and enjoy the same things. Only Emma went off on her own now and then since she was the only girl in a house of boys. And speaking of Emma, while the boys were in town she lost two teeth! And thank goodness she did. I had a call into the dentist to see if she needed to have them pulled. The two top front teeth just didn't want to come out before her permanent teeth came in. Just like what happened with her bottom teeth. This poor girl has such a small mouth that there just isn't room to wiggle. So we spent a good hour one evening wiggling and tugging one of the teeth and finally it came out! She was a superstar - seriously. I was pulling hard and most kids wouldn't have put up with that. I kept telling her I would stop anytime she wanted me to. She kept saying "don't stop until it's out!" She was determined to get it out. So we got one out and decided that was enough for the evening. The following morning, after discovering her $2 from the tooth fairy (hey, she worked hard for that one - worth an extra dollar in my opinion) she decided it was time for the other one to come out. This one was the tooth that has been sticking straight out for some time now - pushed out by the permanent tooth coming in behind it. I was so glad she wanted it out because it was obviously out of place. So we sat and worked on it again, and this one was even more difficult than the first. But once again she was the bravest little thing and we got it out. And yes, the tooth fairy gave her another $2 for that one as well. ;-)
So now school has started, I have Sarah during the week again, and Brian is back to solo-play. And I'd make a pun saying he's pretending to be Han Solo, but that would be inaccurate. He's pretending to be General Grevis, Anakin, or Obi Wan usually. Dave is so proud.
Sorry to slow up your computer, but here are a ton of pics from the last few weeks. Sorry they're not in any kind of order - enjoy!

















The pic above is of Emma in a dress I wore as a kid. It fit her just like it did me in the picture below. Funny thing though - I think I'm 4 in that picture. Emma is 7 1/2. I also think it shows she doesn't really look like me, even though most people say she does. But if you look at the last picture I do think it shows there is a little of me in Brian. I had to add that one because it surprised Dave and I how much it looks like Brian. Weird how kids change who they look like from year to year. I've stopped trying to figure it out!

Happy Birthday baby Ellie!

There is a new member of the family! Elizabeth was born this morning via c-section to Dave's sister Jodi and her husband Jeremy. Both mom and baby are doing great! Ellie was 9 1/2 lbs and 19 1/2 inches long. She is beautiful! We are so happy for them and can't wait to see their sweet little girl in person. Anyone want to come watch our kiddos so we can go to Pennsylvania?

Here's a picture of her...

Emma's school pic

I just found the cd with Emma's school portrait on it. We didn't order Jackson's (for good reason) so I can't post his. Let's just say hopefully it's not a sign of the future - it looks like a mug shot - chin up, attitude on his face. We kept the proof for memory-sake, but wow. Not something I'd pay money to have. ;-) Luckily we had just gotten professional pics of the kids this summer, so we've got good ones of him that are recent.

Here's Emma's though. Probably the best school pic so far for her.

The House of Ick

Well it finally happened. Our house fell victim to the wonderful world of stomach bugs. It has been a very loooooong 5 days, and I'm not going to say we're done yet, but hopefully we are. Emma and Brian were the main victims, although Brian only got sick a few times and then he was right as rain. Emma on the other hand really struggled, had a trip to the ER, and lovely meds to help her along. Both kids seemed better for a full 48 hours, and then Emma got sick again. This time it was much like Brian - just one more time and then she was good to go. Weird. So far Jackson has escaped it, and I pray it stays that way, but I'm not holding my breath. Dave and I seemed to either skip it, or just have mild symptoms. It started on Wednesday, it's now Sunday, and I'm trying to figure out when I will know we're done. Sarah comes back tomorrow so I'd love to know we're not going to expose her to anything. And my mom is coming for a visit as well. Please, if you would, pray we're all healthy and stay that way for a while - thanks!
In other news, the kiddos wrote their letters to Santa yesterday. What a riot! Both older kids want a pogo stick - huh? Where'd that come from? And they both want Wall-E toys - which I've never seen anywhere. Jackson asked for new choles (clothes) and Emma wants a dress and a necklace. Oh, and she wants an Easy-Bake oven...yikes! How many things can Santa say no to? It was so cute though to watch their little brains at work. Brian sat and drew on his paper. He said "I'm going to write the letter D" - and he did! Dave and I were surprised that he could do it. I have always underestimated my kids though...not sure why. They're all pretty darn smart if I can say that w/o sounding boastful.
I have our christmas cards printed, but no letter to go along with it yet. Trying to decide if I'm going to write one this year. So much to do in so little time. Is it just me or did Christmas show up lightning fast this year? Sheesh! I don't have a singe present bought yet - yikes! Oh well, the kids won't even notice. We're spending christmas with my parents and my brother and his family, so cousins will be a good distraction. I'm really looking forward to our week with them.

So Merry Christmas everybody! Hope everyone has a wonderful, memorable holiday season.

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

Sorry I'm so behind, but I just wanted to say I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving holiday. We have had a great time in Pennsylvania, and it will be sad to leave. But next time we come up, there will be a new baby to adore and spoil rotten! We are so excited for Jodi and Jeremy. Can't wait for baby Ellie to get here!

I'll put more up when we get back in town....

Tagged...

I have been tagged by fellow Oct. 05 momma Kristi and I'm supposed to tell you seven things about myself that most of you don't know. Problem is, those who know me personally will most likely know these things. So I guess this is meant more for the fellow bloggers out there that have never met me in real life.

1) I went to college for 4 years, but didn't graduate. (that was 11 years ago and it still bums me out)

2) I do not like any kind of fruit in my baked goods.

3) Part of me really wants to live in Seattle. If it wasn't so far away from everyone...

4) I have three cats and one (large) dog, and I still think about more pets. (this might scare those close to me)

5) I am a MAJOR germ-a-phobe.

6) I have never been a big reader, however I've read 14 books in the last three months. 10 of those since the middle of September.

7) I can play the violin (not well) and I want to buy a piano for the kids (but really it's for me).

So, like I said, a lot of you know all this already, but some of you wouldn't.

I have no idea who to tag, so forgive me if I repeat someone.

I tag Kristen, Dave, Heather, Adrienne, Jacinda, Angela, and Julie. So if you've been tagged, you're supposed to tell us 7 things about yourself we don't know, and then tag an additional 7 friends that have web pages. Enjoy!

A bit overdue...

but here's Jackson through the years in photos. It's hard to believe from looking at the first photo that he would be so healthy now. He's come a long way in 6 years! And I forgot how cute he was as a baby/toddler! (okay - I didn't forget, just hadn't seen these pictures in a long time). Of course now he's a handsome young man. Ahhh - it's just not right! :-)

























Isn't he just the cutest? Oiy - how did we get such good looking kids? They must take after their daddy!

Jackson is flying through kindergarten. We had his first parent/teacher conference and she said he is doing really well. His reading is insane - during his reading eval he read the sight words all the way through 4th grade. His comprehension needs to catch up, but it's crazy how well he reads. And the fact that he learned all on his own. We did not teach him how to read. Preschool did not teach him how to read. It's just the way he's wired. They are going to put him in a 1st grade reading group to start with and see how that goes. He's doing well in all his other subjects as well. He also got the comment "he keeps us entertained" on his report card. It is honestly the exact same comment his preschool teachers made last year. We all know how funny Jackson is. He is full of personality!
And if I can get sappy here for a moment...I love this kid so much it hurts. When I look at him I am just overwhelmed with all the possibilities of what he could become as an adult. I have no doubt he will be amazing.