Rapunzel, Rapunzel Let Down Your Hair!

The girls are obsessed with the movie Tangled.  Its Taylor's new favorite princess.  She no longer wants to be Aurora she wants to be Rapunzel.  That is a defining moment in this little girls life! :) The girls role play alot and play very well together (most of the time)  Sometimes their creativity trips me out.  I was changing sheets and they decided that the fited sheets would be the perfect thing for really long hair.  So the put the fitted sheet on their head and were instantly Rapunzel!  It was so cute.  They twirled together and sang the song from the movie.  Their hair got all tangled together (the sheets got twisted together from the twirling) and they fell down laughing!  This was so cute!

                                                        Taylor with her Rapunzel long hair

                                                   Taylor and Addy dancing together

                                                                           Twirling

                                                                            Tangled!

** UPDATE on Addy's hoarding and her closet.... so its still an issue.  We (I) clean it out ever few days or sometimes I just shut the door.  So the other night we're putting the kids to bed.  I usually lay Jackson down while Nathan is starting our bedtime routine with the girls.  He helps them clean up their room.  So I hear him say "just put it in your closet, Addy"  WHAT!?! So I found out that he is encouraging this as I am trying to keep it clean!  We just laughed b/c its been a cycle of craziness for sometime and he isn't helping!!!! 

Jackson's 1st Birthday Party

WARNING:  A TON OF PICTURES! 

Ok... So I think I had a to much fun planning Jackson's party! (just a little bit)  I really enjoy making decorations and making our kids birthdays special.  So Jackson being our first boy and Nathan's love for sports... what do you think the theme was.... An Allstar party!  You got it! Complete with an obstacle course, sports set up in the backyard... and cracker jacks! :)


                                                               Table set up in the foyer

                              Birthday banners and cupcakes - Thanks Rebecca for making the cupcakes! :)

                                                                       more banners

                                            Wouldn't be complete without an ESPeN banner

                                                                  Obstacle course set up

                              Some of the sports set up... we had soccer, baseball, basketball and football

                                                               Me and my cuz Tina

                                                               There's the birthday boy!

                     Baby Anna.  Jackson and Anna are exactly 2 months apart :)  The Brownds came from GA   for his party!  What great BF we have! 

                                                                        Babies playing

                                                                       Kiddos playing

                                                               Aaron playing football

                                                                     Batters Up!

                                                                    Aaron playing basketball

                                                                   Taylor enjoying the food

             
                          Jackson cracks me up!  He lifts his legs off the grown b/c of the feeling of the grass

                                                       Blake doing the obstacle course

 
                                                         Jackson did the obstacle course too.

Addy

                                                    Robbie (her boyfriend) and Rebecca my cuz

Jackson opening his presents

                                                          My cuz Amy and Aunt Cindy

                                                           Jackson's ready for cake

            
                                                                      maybe NOT! 

We had a blast!  We greatly appreciate everyone who came out and made this day extra special!  We love you!

I've been MIA...

So I need to catch  up.... life has been crazy full of DR appts, painting the house and planning Jackson's 1st Birthday party.  So I haven't posted Jackson's monthly pictures....  So I'm going to catch up in one post!  Makes it easier for me!!! :)

Jackson 11 months old

He is as cute as ever... Jackson started to cruise the furniture the day that he turned 11 months old.  Still NO TEETH!!! LOL  He loves table food and loves to eat. Very happy natured... loves to eat crayons! Jackson is getting into more stuff...  specifically the girls homeschool stuff, that is very frustrating!  I knew it would be hard to homeschool with a baby but GEEZE!  Still a ton of fun and loves to cuddle!

 Jackson 12 months!!!!  He is ONE!!!!

Cruising the furniture really good now, will stand alone.  Hasn't tempted walking yet and STILL NO TEETH!!!  Says "mama" and "dada"  shakes his head no.  Screams when he wants to eat.  Hasn't attempted the baby sign language yet... LOL  Loves his toy cars that we got him for his birthday.  We had Jackson's well check and he is below 0 percentile for his weight and height... he's actually been loosing weight.  They sent us for blood work and we did that.  Everything came back normal.  We are having to give him pediasure 2-3 a day.  Increase his calories.  We go back in about 2 weeks for a weight check and will probably have to see a nutritionist.  But he is a happy go lucky baby!  Just tiny! :)

More on Addy

So we had the urologist appointment last week.  No real answers... I think we're more frustrated actually.  We go back to Children's on the 23rd for more test.  They are doing a renal scan and a VCUG.  Basically her kidney and her ureter are both enlarged.  They are doing these test to see if there is a blockage.  The renal scan is to check her bladder.  They have to place a catheter and put die in her bladder and see what is going on there. The VCUG is an IV that they will also put die and watch it travel to the kidney and this way they can see how it is fuctioning and if there is a blockage and how bad.  This could be as simple as something that fixes itself over time or something that could require surgery if there is a bad blockage.  The DR did say this is a common thing that kids are born with.  We are praying and believeing it fixes itself!!!!  AMEN!!!

Now the frustrating part... the Urologist DR said that her diarrhea and vomitting is NOT from this kidney thing.... HUH????  Thats why we are here!!!  He said that is why we were going to the GI DR.  Although the GI DR told me that we found out the problem and no need to follow up with him!  WHAT!?  URGH!!!  So back at square one??? I guess.... I need to call the GI and ask a whole bunch of questions. The Urologist said that we had a sonogram b/c of her issues and just happen to find this with her kidney.  OK??? 

Addy Update

If you missed what is going on with our Sweet Pea you can read here and here

So... I forgot to tell you that we had the Upper GI appointment and the Ultrasound for Addison.  It was last week on the 12th.. my birthday. :)  We spent 6 hours at the childrens hospital.  It was nice to have just Addison all to myself... does that count as quality time at the hospital??? :) Make the best with what we got, right!  So Addison did great..  I didn't expect much less.  These sort of things don't seem to bother her at all.  Like filling 6 vials of blood without a peep.  For the ultrasound she laid still and did great, which lasted about 20 minutes.  The upper GI took the rest of the time.  I had no idea what to expect.  She did great for each procedure.  Basically she had to drink a special drink that she didn't like... but drank it anyway.  And they do a series of x-rays to watch how the drink goes from your throat to your stomach and they had to see it reach her large intestine.  Everyone is different so there is no telling how long it could take.  They would take an x-ray and say we've gotta wait.  Each wait time was about 30 minutes and they did 5 sets of x-rays.  Yeah that was a fun day! LOL So anywho... I had to wait atleast 4 business days to get the results.  I just got them this morning.  The result is the blood work is normal, the upper GI is normal.  The ultrasound showed that there is a problem with her kidney, her right kidney.  The tube that is connected to the kidney, the ureter isn't draining urine properly.  So we have to go see a urologist.  I've already made the appointment and it is May 10.  Why on earth do we have to wait so long to see specialist?  That is all the information that I have.  I'm sure we will learn a whole lot more from the urologist.  I'll keep you updated! 

Oh and Addy got an icecream for being so good at the hospital!

Getting Your Heart Right

Today my sweet Taylor asked Jesus to be her Savior.  It was so precious and sweet.  We have been praying since Taylor was born that our children would know the Lord at a young age.  I am so thankful to God!!!  This made my day!!!

Let me back up a little.  When Taylor was 2 years old during Christmas I was reading a book to her about how the candy cane stands for Jesus. I told her then that Jesus could live in her heart she just had to ask.  She immediately responded with "Jesus in my heart, Amen"  It was so sweet and precious.  I was beyond excited!  When I told Nathan about it he didn't feel like she really was saved b/c she was to young to know anything different.  I felt differently because I was there and heard her heart and saw her when she prayed on her own.  Maybe she was to young I don't know... after today I feel like she really was saved then.  But we will probably tell her both stories  b/c they are equally important.  So now back to today... we've been talking about Easter and reading stories in our homschool and Taylor has been asking me sooo many questions and really trying to understand Jesus dying on the cross and His resurrection.  Well as I was explaining it all to her... She asked if we would go to heaven when we die and said Yes if Jesus is in your heart.  She responded with Oh Good cause I have Jesus in my heart! I told her that we have to pray and ask Jesus and she insisted that she had already prayed and had Jesus living in her heart.  But then told me that she would pray with my anyway.  It was so cute and sweet!  She seemed to really know what we were talking about and was very matter of fact about it.  She was very proud of herself and told her Nana on the phone and her Daddy when he came home from work.   I'm so proud of her and so thankful to God that He sent His Son to die for us so that we are saved by His grace!

Almost...

We are almost there... so close I hope I don't jinx it by talking about it...  Payton has shown progress in potty training!!! YAY!!!!  Its been a long road for her too.  I tried before Christmas and she didn't really show any interest.  Tried again for 2 weeks and she didn't progress... any!  Its so frustrating.  Payton would literally tell me... no I want a Pull-Up!  So anywho... trying   I leave the girls bottomless.  So she has been bottomless and yesterday she did pretty good.  She pooped twice in the potty, she has done this before and then go back to not going in the potty.  So I didn't get to excited... but of course we did the Big Girl Potty Dance (I'll show you one day :) and gave her some M&M's and go about our day.  Well today she did great!  No accidents at all!!!!  And she peed in the potty on her own.  ALOT!  I am so excited and proud of her.  I knew one day she would just decide to go... just wasn't sure when that day was going to show up!  Well.... I think it was today. 

Big Girl Payton

Side note:  I have to write this b/c it cracks me up... so potty training Payton and her earning rewards... Addison thinks she deserves one too... after all she pees and poops in the potty to right? LOL So anytime Addy hears me starting to praise Payton... (she can even be in the other room)  Addy SWOOSHES to her bathroom and goes and comes out I want M&M's!!!  It is hilarious!  She cracks me up!  Oh and her closet is full... again... sigh