Superbowl Champions

A good cause

As you probably know, our son, Jaden, has a speech delay. He began receiving speech therapy services in May of last year through BACH- ECI(Brazoria County Association for Citizens with Handicaps Early Childhood Intervention).

BACH - ECI is a non-profit organization that provides services such as speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy as well as educational and recreational activities for the kids and their families, respite care, a specialized clinic for children with sensory disorders, and parent support groups. The therapists come to the home, school, or day care - which is wonderful! Services are provided for low or no cost depending on financial ability. All of the evaluations were done at no cost to us. If you do have to contribute there is just one fee per month regardless of how many services you receive or how many times they come and if your insurance pays anything at all (even $5) you don't pay anything. Our cost is $20.00 but our insurance had paid initially and our first bill just came in January for just $20.00. It is worth so much more than that! That is less than my co-pay would be for one visit to a private speech therapist. I certainly would pay it if I had to but the services he is receiving are in all likelihood more beneficial to him because he gets to stay in his envirnment where he is most comfortable and Chris and I are taught how to encourage him throughout our normal daily activities. He sort of gets therapy all day long in a way. It is much more practical for this 2-year-old than trying to get him to sit down at a table for a 45-minute session :)

BACH has certainly been a blessing to us. Jaden is doing so much better. He still has a little ways to go but I have confidence now that he will get there!

There is an upcoming event this March called "Roll 'n stroll". It is a fundraiser to help support this program. Each child gets a free t-shirt and trophy just for participating - this has nothing to do with raising donations. It's not a requirement at all. I just wanted to let people know about the program because it is important to us. If you would like to make a donation please let me know. They can be as little as $5.00. You could sponsor Jaden!

Just click on the word "comment" at the end of this post and leave a message in the box with your name. You don't need an account just click on the "anonymous" box then, click "publish comment". It's that easy. Thanks for listening :)

Holiday visitors

I had just accepted the idea that we were going to be staying at home this Christmas and not traveling back east to see family and friends when we got a call to tell us we would have some company. Then, another. Then, another. Yay!!

Our first visitor was my sister, Megan. Megan was here with us the whole week of Christmas. It was so nice to have her here with us. We all got to celebrate Christmas Eve together with my Sister-in-law, Kelli, Brother-in-law, Mike, and Justin, Alex, and Nicole. It was very special.

Making Cookies with Aunt Megan

Megan got the "ornament kit" this year.

It's an old family tradition that was just between my Mom and my Aunt for years and years. They would wrap up this silly, old ornament kit each year and give it back and forth to each other. When the ornament kit was opened they would laugh so hard they couldn't talk (they still do!). A few years ago, I got it and then it was opened up to the family. This year Megan was christened with it!

While Megan was here we managed to sneak off to take some more senior pictures at the beach. The weather made it kind of tricky because it was overcast and very, very windy but we got some good shots.Our next visitors came on New Year's Day: My Aunt Clarice and Uncle Richie. We had a wonderful, whirlwind visit! The day after they got here we took off for San Antonio. We walked along the riverwalk, ate at the oldest restaurant on the river walk, and visited the Alamo. While we were there not too far away from our hotel actually (we could see the stadium from our room) the All Star High School football game was going on at the Alamodome. My cousin, Sean, is a coach of his high school football team and my Uncle helps him out and this is a big deal for them. It wouldn't even have been on my radar :). We walked over to check it out and my Uncle was able to go inside to take a picture of the field and get a program. He was so excited and I'm sure my cousin was equally as excited to see the picture and program! It was a bonus we hadn't expected.

Anna tormenting Uncle Richie with her hair clip!

Anna tormenting Aunt Clarice with her "dragon breath". She had a nasty pharyngitis/tonsilitis and her breath was horrible!The "team Tyree" knuckle bump with Uncle Richie. Our final visitor was Grandma Judy. Grandma came down on Anna's birthday. We made lots of trips back and forth to the airport but it was sooo worth it! The kids absolutely loved the quality time that they got to spend with each person. They were very spoiled and played hard.

We got to sneak away one afternoon and head to the beach. You can still see some of the damage left behind from Hurricane Ike. Jaden was very cautious at first. When the waves came up to the shore he would run away. Then, he noticed the way it felt when he would dig his toes down in the sand when the water washed away. He started to get used to the way the water felt.

Ready, set...

Go!
Then, he was just in! No more playing around in the sand. Good thing I remembered to bring some towels :)

Baby legs

I know it may not be the most financially responsible thing to do in this crazy economy but whenever I see something for a baby that is really cute I just indulge myself and get it. This is my last baby, afterall!
The other day while I was wondering around Target (all by myself, how wonderful!), I found these little things called "baby legs". They are sort of like leg warmers, Iguess. But they are lightweight and you can wear them in pretty much any season. They just protect their little legs and look super cute with just a onesie on. There were lots of different styles and I'm sure I'll be going back soon to get a couple more!

In motion! He gets really excited when he sees me (and especially the camera - he's got to try to grab it) and he tries to move way too fast.

"Why can't I have the camera?"

Anna is 6 years old!

Our oldest child, Anna, turned 6 this month. I told her that she wasn't allowed to but she didn't listen! She was so excited about it that she was even asking how many days until she turned 7. She's already looking forward to 2010. This is not fair! They should not be allowed to grow up this fast! I'm going to start a petition...

Here are some pictures of the birthday girl:

Luke is 10 months old

First of all, I am way behind! Luke turned 10 months old on January 11th. He is now like 10 and a half months :)

Here's an update:

He weighs 26 pounds and 6 ounces! He is 31 1/2 inches tall! He wears 18 month clothes, a size 5 diaper, and 6 wide shoe! He is such a big boy. But, he's still nice and soft and squishy like a little baby and I just looove to squeeze him!

He babbles a lot. Mostly mama, baba, and screaming (happy and mad screams). He still hasn't said "dada" yet. Maybe Chris will have to wait like I did for Jaden to say "mama". He said dada at like 7 months but didn't say mama until like 18 months! I had to wait for a long time.

He is walking some. He started taking some steps about a week or two before he turned 10 months old. While my Mom was visiting he took about 4-5 steps on his own before falling down. He can no walk about 5-6 feet at a strech. If he gets too excited he falls down much quicker but if he takes his time he can stop, get his balance, and move on.

He is on a food strike. Hard to tell by his size, right? He absolutely refuses anything that comes on a spoon or fork. He'll eat french toast pretty reliably but that's about it. "Sometimes" foods include cheese, blueberries, peanut butter toast, and peanut butter crackers. He's making me a little stressed but I'm trying not to get into a game with him over it. I set food down, walk away, and act like I don't care. Last night it worked a little better and he ate pretty good. I'm not too, too worried since he's got quite a bit of reserves :)

He is a very curious little guy and very fast. You can walk into another room and he's already half way up the stairs. Our warning cry for that is "code red". It's not unusual to hear Anna yelling "code red, code red" for us to come and get him. His newest things to do are close doors (leaving him on the inside unable to open them back up) and to dump things out of boxes or containers. He also loves to unplug things. He is a wee bit obsessed with outlets and it's a constant battle. The other day while I was painting I had the cover off the outlets so I could paint around them. When I stepped away I think he must have gone over and touched it because he was crying very hard. Later, after I covered everything back up he went over to sit by it and started crying just as hard as he had before. This made me think that he must have gotten shocked but maybe he'll stay away from now on. It's been a few days and he isn't messing with the outlets anymore. They will stay covered for the next few years regardless. I don't trust him.

He is so, so sweet and we love him more than anything. We are so thankful to have this little blue-eyed heartbreaker in our lives :)

All she wants for Christmas is...

her two front teeth!!!

I've been meaning to post this for a while now but the holidays got away with me and then I got sick so, I'll be trying to catch up over the next week or so. I couldn't believe the timing. It was cute to listen to her singing "all I want for christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth" around the house. Even though we all knew what she really wanted was a Hannah Montana doll!

Inside-out day

Yesterday Luke turned 9 months old. So, today he has officially been out in the world longer than he was inside of my belly. I can't take credit for the idea. I read about it on another mother's blog and thought it was a cute idea. Although I really, really enjoyed hosting him in my belly for those 9 months (it was my priviledge) I am proud of all the growing and developing he's been doing on the outside.

There's no question that he is a big boy. He is solidly in the 18 month size clothing. Jaden actually wore a shirt I bought to Luke today. The sleeves were a teeny bit short but not much. And he's 20 months older! I'm not sure how much he weighs but the last time I put him on the scale he was almost 25 1/2 pounds. But, it's not just that. He crawls all over the place and gets into everything he can. I swear sometimes he's got "go go gadget" arms or really sticky fingers because he can grab stuff off of tables and countertops. And for a big guy he's pretty quick. I call him "little Warren" sometimes for Warren Sapp (I watched a lot of Dancing With the Stars this season and he was big guy that was quick on his feet).

I continue to try to soak up all of the wonderful "babyness" that he still has about him - the way he curls his feet when he's stilling on the floor, the way he grabs his toys with his fat little hands and slobbers all over them, the way his skin feels so smooth and soft, the little grunts and makes rasberries with his mouth.

I am so thankful for this beautiful child. When I got pregnant with Luke I was caught off guard. He was a bit of a surprise. Now, I can see more clearly God's plan for us and how he fits into our life. He completes our little family.

Just pics of Jaden

The fake boo-boo

What a mess!

I think Luke is entering the age or stage when he's going to need a bath after just about every meal. After this picture I took him to get a bath and found 3 pieces of apple cinnamon cereal bar stuck to the back of his hair! There were bits of food floating in the water.
He is boycotting "baby food". He pretty much doesn't want anything that is delivered on a utensil. He was eating some of my spanish rice tonight (yeah, I know - spanish rice?) as long as I was using my fingers. When I tried to give him some off of my spoon he refused.
Also worth noting: today I couldn't see him so I went to look for him. Guess where I found him? On the steps! He was about 5 steps up. He made it around the corner enough that he was hidden by the wall. That little stinker! He is just going to be 9 months old tomorrow. I wish he'd slow down and just be a baby for a little while for a change. Things are moving too fast for me!

Snow!!!! In Texas!!!!!

Needless to say, I was very surprised tonight when I saw little snow flurries as I was headed out to the store. While I was driving they kept getting bigger. There was even some sticking to the cars and roof tops! I never thought I would see know in Texas. Yesterday, it was 70 some degrees. Go figure?

Guess the maid had the day off...

A few days ago when Anna was about to leave for school in the morning this is what she said to me:

"Could you put my closet back together? I like it when I come home and everything is cleaned up!"

I have got to start making my kids clean their own rooms...

My first "paid" photo session

I took some pics of my friend Laura, her husband, and their beautiful dog Scout for their Christmas card. She totally didn't have to but she paid me with a bottle of wine! I think that might be the best way to get paid. I have such a hard time picking out wine. It was soo good! I was planning on saving it to drink with them but Chris and I ended up drinking it during our Thanksgiving. I know the brand so I'm sure I'll pick up another bottle :)

After she sends out her Christmas cards I'll share some of the others. I don't want to spoil the surprise.

My first book review

I have agreed to read some books and provide reviews on them. I'm really looking forward to it! I've been so wrapped up in dirty diapers and baby bottles (which I do love, don't get me wrong) but this will be a nice way to use my brain for something else. An escape for a moment...

My first book is "My Little Girl" by Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas:
As a big fan of Tim Mcgraw’s music I have to admit I was pretty excited to read his book. I was a little curious as well since it’s a children’s book – not really something I would have expected from this country singer. It turned out to be very sweet story that was well written. It’s about a Daddy and his daughter spending the day together. The little girl looked forward to a “better than chocolate ice cream with sprinkles” kind of day and was disappointed to learn that her Daddy’s plans were completely “ordinary”. They simply spent time together and enjoyed all the wonderful “ordinary” moments that people usually miss along the way. It’s wonderful enough just to spend time reading to your child but this book helps to remind you of what really matters – being present in the time you spend together with your child wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Tim McGraw does a great job of showing us all how to turn the “ordinary” into “extra-ordinary”. All you need is a little imagination and love. There’s no need to go to great expense or make extravagant plans to impress your child. They will cherish the moments you spend together as much as you do!
One last thing – even though this story is about a father and a daughter I think any parent and child would enjoy the story. I know I enjoyed reading it to my daughter and son. Read the book and be inspired to go out and make your own “extra-ordinary” moments with your child!

I swear I am not making it up

Luke is starting to babble. Both of my other children began by saying "dadadada". Not Luke! He says "mamamamama"! Chris can confirm this is true.

Right now he's got all the little developmental milestones covered for the first year according to my little Gerber chart with the exception of walking. He crawls, pulls up, cruises, now says Mama! My little Mama's boy!