A little note..

This is Ethan,showing off his limberness...hehe...all that time at WOGA ( world olympic gymnastic academy ) must have really paid off....LOL

Through the camera lens...

Yes, you have seen this picture before, just yesterday as a matter of fact. I am playing around with a new photo editing technique and I just wanted to show you a different "take" on this picture. I just love the look on Chloe's face and the delicate little way she is holding her hand out.. she holds her hand like this all the time... This little dress looks even sweeter up against all the black & white... there are a few other pictures recently that I have edited like this. I am really loving to ability to only have the color where I actually want it. There is something "timeless" about Black & White pictures. I find that just a bit of color.. is so sweet.
This is a picture of Jacob that I took last night when the boys were playing around.. he's such a funny little man!

Jacob being Silly

Earlier tonight Jacob decided to try and "ride" the sofa cushions, you can tell he was in a giggly mood....so cute!

Prayer Tags

As most of you know, Brian & I have been having a very hard time and we look to Christ to guide us thru everysingle day. God has truly blessed us and works miracles in our lives every day. We wanted to share these little prayer tags with you. Each one was made for a specific child and they each have a prayer, just for that childs unique needs. These are so special to us and we just wanted to share them with you all and thank you also, for all of your prayers.

If you click on the image, it should enlarge so you can see it better. { L click once } I think you will be amazed at how each prayer literally talks about that person... If you notice as well, The Peach for Ethan, the Pea Pod for Jacob, the butterfly for Chloe and the IPOD for Brandon... these are just so unique.. just like our children..

T.G.I.F.

We wanted to give you a glimpse into our day. Chloe enjoyed playing around outside a little. She loves to go out with the boys and really watches them. She got in a little Daddy time here.



She is so terribly cute, isn't she? She looks more and more like a mini - jacob everyday! Even her adorable legs are mini jacob legs...but they are also long like Ethan's...she loves being held up to stand....she is such a little Pixie..hehe when you watch Chloe for a little bit, you realize how terribly petite she really is. Everything about her is so dainty and sweet. Chloe always holds her hands a bit like they are in this pic. She moves them around all day, holding them up and watching her fingers in facination. She reminds me a bit of a Ballet Dancer, they way she moves her hands.. { my mom wanted me to dance ballet sooo badly, but NO... I wanted to read books and climb trees.. hehe.. after all the boys, it seems fitting that I, the ultimate tomboy has a petite princess who will likely LOVE ballet..LOL}

One of my favorite times of the day is right after baths. The boys are all in pj's and smell so clean ( the special soap we have to use for Jacob's allergies smells divine ).. everything has calmed down and they are just so much fun at that time. Watching "Schhoo Shoo's" ( that's how Jacob says "choo choo" ) ... palying around. They take all the sofa cushions into the tent... they read books and lately they carry their books from one room to the other and back again..something that is hilarious to watch.. it's just such a fun time. Tonight, the boys wanted to get the AquaDoodle out and here they are having fun...

Also today, Ethan did get his stitches out. It was rough, but he was very brave and we are all glad it's over. We will need to watch that area for a few days as it continues to heal, but it should be fine. All the kids went to the Dr and everyone looks good! Chloe's ears look "Perfect".. I can not tell you good that sounds!

Chloe Eats Cereal

As most of you know I nurse my children exculsively. In fact, Brandon and Jacob never had a bottle. Ethan had 1-2 per week, after he was 5 months old. Chloe isn't fond of them either. They have all hated pacifiers as well. Chloe used one for the first few weeks but not since. I also wait until they are about 6 months old to start food. Well, today was Chloe's big day...CEREAL... yummo!! Gerber Organic Whole Grain Brown Rice...( now, doesn't that sound tasty..LOL ).

She knew just what to do and grabbed the spoon ( for those of you that remember, Jacob did the same thing )... Chloe enjoyed quite a few bites of cereal with Ethan & Jacob looking on, excited to finally see Chloe eating too... I suspect it will be an adventure...

I also have made all of my childrens baby food...I have never bought baby food in a jar.... I have a stock of peas & carrots just waiting for Chloe....she has a few more weeks to go and then the veggies...yea...hehe..

How are we?

We wanted to give you all a little update on the kids that is from today. They all saw the Pediatrician this morning. Chloe's ears are looking alot better but one is still a little infected. We are giving her a 3rd antibiotic now in the hopes of finally getting this infection to be gone. She is a little fussy which is likely the ears and fatigue.

Ethan's stitches look good and she will recheck on Friday, maybe even remove them then as well. He still has a fever virus and swollen tonsils but no infections.

Jacob is perfect. He See's the GI Dr on Thursday and we will keep you posted on that front. For all of you who thought of this and called, no he does not have Kawasaki syndrome but thank you so much for your thinking of that and calling. It tells me that so many of you truly care for these beautiful children. We are all anxious to solve the riddle of Jacobs rashes..

In the meantime, we will be home for a day ( gratefully ) and Ethan is not in Speech this week ( sadly ) . we hope to get everyone on the upswing in the next few days.

Thank you all for all of your kind words and prayers.

Peach's Stitches

On Monday evening, after bath time the boys were playing as I chatted with Brandon on the phone. Chloe had used a pacifier in her first weeks and although she gave it up literally months ago, the little keeper cord that held it ( which was a large pink plastic flower ) was still hanging out in the bins where all her little things are stored downstairs. Jacob got it out and was goofing off. All of the sudden he starts to swing the little flower and it just nailed, and I do mean, nailed Ethan right below the lip. Blood was everywhere. I immediately hung up on Brandon ( sorry munchkin, I did call him from the hospital ) and tried to calm Ethan. After getting him all cleaned up I realized that this was a very deep gash. I called Brian, who came home from work and we took Ethan to the hospital. The process of stitching him up wasn't fun but he was very brave.
He got 3 stitches in right below the lip. Jacob was very sweet and of course, Chloe was a trooper thru all the chaos. She always is. We soon took our little tired brood home and tucked them all in. Now hours after bedtime. In the morning, they were all tired and Ethan is very proud of his little blue stitches.

if you look close in the right side of his mouth, there they are...the little blue stitches...amazing how something so little...yes, you know...LOL

Just hangin' out...

The Boys love to be outside

Before the rain settled in, I was able to take the boys on their favorite walk. I was carrying Chloe in her sling, so there aren't any pictures of her but she loves to look around and of course, watch the boys





LOOK AT OUR LITTLE TREE HUGGER!

On the mend

We are happy to pass on the word that our little Pea is doing a litle better. He ran a little fever today and wasn't quite up to speed, but he did play and eat. You could tell he was rallying. We are taking extra precautions with the kids right now in light of the recent Pig Flu outbreak. We are not going anywhere this weekend and we are having no visitors. Trying to stay within our own "unit" so to speak. I just don't think I could deal with another Flu outbreak this year ( Feburary, as you may recall was harsh ). Chloe is doing well. She is teething with no teeth in sight. She plays and laughs and loves to watch the boys. They shower her with hugs & kisses all day long. She is still on the breathing treatments, and they are really helping. When we don't do them, she starts to sound like a mac truck again! We hope you are all well and stay well!



For those of you that recall Ethan at this age....always with those two
fingers in his mouth!! This is what Chloe usually looks like alot of the time. Hehhee...she really is a blend of everyone...

Jacob is sick...

Today, amid all of the chaos around us over the Swine Flu, Jacob woke up late, had no interest in food or choo choo trains and in general just layed around. His fever started at 101 and then went to 103... I was very concerned. My little diesel was not up to par. The house was so quiet. Ethan tried to help as we just gave Jacob motrin and tried to help him rest. After lunch, when he still wouldn't eat and the fever was not coming down. I called our fabulous peditrician, and we got him in within the hour. ( We are so blessed with the most amazing Ped .. she's just amazing ). She ran some labs and Jacob did not have the Flu ( thank god ) and she swore it would be strep after she looked in his throat and saw how red it was. But, that came back negative as well. He and Ethan both just finished antibiotics for their ears and we know that those are one of the triggers for those horrible rash's he gets. We opted to not medicate at this time. We are going to treat as a fever virus and make sure he stays hydrated and takes motrin. If he worsens, I call her and even go to the ER if it is the weekend. Due to his kidney disease, we have to be very vigilant with fevers as they are one of the 1st signs that he may have an infection. Luckily, I have managed to keep him infection free thus far ( with alot of help from God )... Jacob is resting now and we all hope he is back to running all over as usual soon.

Taking the advice being given we will not be taking the children anywhere like malls, stores,playgrounds, etc for at least the next week. I am even considering not taking Ethan to speech as the therapist is in and out of several school districts... all of which are closing schools so rapidly it's hard to keep up. As you all know, I have spent enough time in Dr's office's already.

Chloe has a check up with the Ped next week and Jacob also has an appointment with the GI Dr to look for possible bacteria/lessions in the bowels... as a cause of the rash's.

Please say a prayer for our little guy. He doesn't get this sick often and it's so scary. Pray also that Chloe and Ethan don't get it as well.

♥ Chloe at play ♥

It's so much fun to watch Chloe play a little ... she really is a go getter! This is actually a large butterfly ( of course ) and it's one of her faves!
We were all outside and Ethan kept bringing Chloe & I little flowers.. I put them in our hair... how sweet is that guy? What a peach! Chloe enjoys the fresh air and loves to watch the boys play .. no doubt thinking " I will be down there chasing you soon "

They are't afraid of Bobby Flay

Here are my two little guys the other day, they found their old aprons and just had to wear them! When Ethan was almost 2, we bought him a play kitchen and both the boys have had so much fun playing "cook". Ethan has always been a big fan of Emeril and Jacob shows a certain fondness for Giada... ( of course..LOL ) ... Last summer, they insisted on wearing their aprons everywhere. .. it was cute and they still look so terribly cute in them!

Simon Says? Brandon Says...

This past weekend, Brandon was playing with Ethan and started asking him where his "nose, ears, hair, etc " were.. I actually made them stop so I could go grab the camera -- LOL... I thought this was so cute!
Ethan is quite the cut up!

yes, I did scold Brandon for getting that close to Chloe...

The boys talk about "Bee"

The boys have both been playing outside alot lately. They love it and would spend all day out there if they could. Ethan & Jacob both notice everything and are quick to call our attention to anything they see... especially the bugs.. Just yesterday I was able to capture a little video of them both talking about "Bee"


If you are wondering why I keep asking Ethan "what does the Bee say?" it's because, earlier he had been making the Bzzz sound and it was really cute...

I was only able to get a tiny bit of Jacob but it's awfully cute!

♥ Chloe is 6 months old ♥

We just can't believe that our little baby girl is already 6 months old. She was showered with kisses from both Ethan and Jacob all day. What a doll. Chloe is playing, and chewing on everything. She is teething and we are anxious for her to get her first little tooth.... she will begin eating food soon, as usual I will be making it all. We can't wait to see what she thinks. Chloe sleeps well ( most of the time LOL ) she is really paitent ( most of the time LOL ) and she loves to watch everything around her. She chuckles ( alot like Jacob ) and has the most amazing smile! It's been 6 months of pure joy and we are looking forward to so many more.

I admit I still can't get enough of the tiny little feet... we were remembering this weekend how when we first brought her home, we could actually see the bones in her fingers....she was that tiny.... they grow so fast.
** we have been so busy with the boys and trying to get everyone back to normal ( whaever that is LOL ) that I haven't had a chance to post in several days.. I have lots and will post hopefully soon.....

Chloe is ready for summer...

Chloe is showing a little tummy today...hehe...ready for the bikinnis already! Chloe is such a captivating baby... those dimples!! O my goodness... We are happy to report that although Chloe is not a 100%, she is beginning to feel a little better. She rally's a little thru the day and then needs to rest. we are hopeful our little Pooh will continue to feel a little better each day!

These are 2 of my boys....

With so much attention going to Chloe these days and Ethan getting so much for his amazing progress in Speech, I sometimes worry that Jacob and Brandon fly under the radar, so to speak. So I am making a little post, just for them.

BRANDON


When I look at Brandon, I just can't believe that he is almost 14! Just yesterday he was the baby. The first one I ever took home and people will tell you that I never put him down until he could walk! He is amazing. For years, it was just he & I. Precious memories for both of us. He was always there, during some of my toughest years ( long before Brian & the babies ) he was always by my side. We survived, together. We had nothing, and found something, all together. He is an amazing older brother. Brandon has a completely hands on relationship with all the babies. I love watching him hold Chloe.... he has taught Ethan WORDS... the boys love to play with him and Brandon knows how to hold their hands to cross the parking lot, refill the sippy cups, he understands every word Ethan says and tries to say. Brandon can and does buckle the boys into the car seats, correctly....
Now, don't get me wrong..Brandon is not perfect - after all he is a teenager..LOL... he can have a rotten tone of voice, he sometimes talks back, he often misses the laundry basket and has been grounded for months now... he doesn't complain. His Dad has high standards and Brandon works hard to meet them...he eats nonstop... and don't get me started on the 45 minute excuses for why he didn't do better on a test or was late to class... LOL... but, when I look at him, I just see that little kid who sat on the floor and handed me the Kleenex when I cried. Brandon is my munchkin.. he is my first Hero...


JACOB



Our ( not so ) little "Pea"... Jacob was a marshmallow baby.. and now the most accurate way to describe him is to say that if the stay puffed marshmallow man hit a mac truck...you would have Jacob! He is big and loud all the while being so hug gable. The best little kisses, he's got the greatest pucker! Those eyes, those cheeks, that hair!! He will have girls swooning!! ( I dread those days - LOL )
Jacob tries to do everything Ethan does and does it all. He loves to run and planes and is addicted to trains. Jacob is the one who always has sticky fingers, and doesn't care if he is dirty ( Ethan is the diva ) .... He is one of the happiest people. Always smiling and laughing. Very affectionate. Jacob was born with kidney disease requiring constant watch. Daily medications and twice yearly (often painful) tests and sonograms... he has food allergies, eczema and unexplained rashes ( that blister and bleed... PAIN ) we are headed to the GI Dr about those in 2 weeks... But you rarely hear complaints..he just makes himself happy and content no matter where he is. I wish we could all be like that. Jacob is such an amazing little man. This is the one that will literally stand in the door of the refrigerator and talk to the food! We love watching him run, and play, he learns something everyday...he is all at once, afraid of nothing and a mommies boy.... Jacob will go far and we can't wait to see what he does tomorrow, knowing Jacob it's going to be funny!!

I hope you enjoyed this little glimpse into the oldest and the youngest of my boys...Ethan is our Peach and I will make a post just for him soon.

Just a quiet day at home

We had a quiet day at home today. Ethan had speech and he and Jacob played outside this afternoon. It's amazing how little it takes to make the boys so happy... we always think we need to give them so much but really they are happy with a stick and the fresh air... they would spend all day outside if they could. Chloe is still under the weather but is now able to get some rest. We are hopeful that she is on the mend. Thank you all so much for all of your prayers.


For those of you that don't know, one of Chloe's favorite things to do is look at her own hands. We find her many times in a day simpy holding her hand out and simply gazing at her beautiful fingers. It really is so sweet.




Chloe has very strong legs and will support herself if you hold her up now. We can see her running around after all the boys before we know it!

Chloe's Progress and more breathing treatments

We wanted to let all of you know how Chloe is doing, since being placed on medication ( for an ear infection ) and breathing treatments last week. Chloe's breathing is alot better, but gets bad again without the breathing treatments, so she will continue to be on them. Her ear infection is persistant and has not reacted to the medication she has been on, so she started a new med today. Chloe's sinuses and are very clogged and swollen ( as you can imagine ) so she is starting a 4-5 day regimine of itty bitty tiny baby steriods.... we hope this helps with this. We are also hopeful that the new medication will help with her ear infection. Our poor little Pooh is such a trooper thru it all. She loves to cuddle and watch the boys play. She is really rolling all over and plays with her toys a little now.




Chloe is also growing, she is 12 lbs 5 oz and 24 1/2" long...some long legs!

( she has actually lost weight since last week from being so sick )

Thank you all for your prayers. We pray that our precious baby girl starts to feel better soon ♥

Ethans amazing progress

As most of you know, Ethan has suffered from a serious speech delay and it's only with a tremendous amount of hard work and an angel of a speech therapist that he has begun to really speak more and more.... he's not always very clear, but we know what he's trying to say. This fall he began to put a few 2 word phrases together ( Mommy home ) etc,...now, we have a 3 word phrase and we are all so excited!! We wanted to share this little conversation that I had with the little man today..


Ethan...Cheese
Me.... Cheese? You want Cheese?
Ethan... yes, cheese
Me... OK... how many cheese ( cubes )?
Ethan... 2
Ethan ... 2 cheese
Me... you want 2 cheese cubes?
Ethan... yes
Me... say please
Ethan... please
Me...again
Ethan ... please
Me... please what?
Ethan... 2 chesse please ( a 3 word phrase!! )

yes, he got the cheese.... quite a few more than 2.. LOL!

Chloe loves to laugh

Here is a picture I got of Chloe just today. She cracks herself up! I think the big duck shows how petite she still is... such a sweet little pooh....

Princess Pooh is on a roll

I was able to get a few clips of Chloe today, just starting to really move around.. she rolls over and over and over... also pullling knees up to try and scooch herself across the floor...look out...she will be chasing the boys before we know it!

The video is a little rough, I actually ran to grab the camera while I was making the boys dinner and I am sure you cna hear them behind me...pushing and shoving as always! LOL...

Jacob and his allergies

We apologize for the delay in getting this information out to you all. We do have several small children! In regards to Jacobs allergies. We are awaiting an appointment with a GI specialist to see if he has any bacteria or lesions or anything in his intestines or bowels that would be causing the horrible rashes. This is what his Peditricain feels is the next right move, after his rash's have stumped the entire dermatology department at the hospital. We do believe that the rash is not a symptom of his food allergies, which we continue to learn about. We have also stopped tub baths for the boys and are doing showers ( to help his skin in that it is not submerged in dirty water ) Luckily, both boys are at the right age and are having a blast in the shower. We also changed shampoo - again! We will continue to keep you all up to date on this front. Seen in the little clip ( above ) that I got of the little guy today, Jacob is still his happy little self despite all of this! ( He goes back to the renal dr soon so there is a dreaded VCUG in this little guys future.. )