Jacob is a goof ball!

chloe is excited to be 5 months old

Jacob and his allergies

As most of you know, Jacob has many food allergies, including Egg, Wheat and Soy. Go look in your kitchen, that probably eliminates 90 % of your food. We eat LOTS of fresh and organic foods around here! This child is the one that will stand in front of the refrigerator and talk to the food - I mean it! It's so funny! He loves to eat!

In additionto the food allergies, he also suffers from excema ( which can be so severe his skin bleeds ) and we finally had a long awaited appointment today with the dermatologist and are awaiting lab cultures. We have had to change his bath soap ( some soap actually has soy in it!! ) and are anxious to find out what else we can do to help this little guy.

Jacob is so amazing.. even with all of this and his kidney disease he remains one of those rare people who is almost always happy and just goes about being OK with wherever he is... he is our "Pea".

I will update this as the news develops. We will see the Dermatologist again in a month. Pending lab test results.

The boys & their babies

Ethan & Jacob both enjoy taking care of their own little babies ever since Chloe was born. Recently Ethan asked me for clothes for his baby so we got them a little suit for each and also some bottles so they could feed their babies as well. You will almost never see Ethan without his baby... we think this is so cute... really sweet the way the boys want something to take care of...

~ a rare picture of just my man & I ~

Brandon took this one for us....he did a good job! Thank you Brandon...

Mommy & Chloe love the butterflys!

Brandon & Chloe are so excited about Easter this year, they already have their ears on!

Bunny Brandon... haha!!

Chloe looks super cute in her little lamb ears!!

It's time to play outside!

The boys all love to be outside .... Jacob on the ride on... and he has the big stick! Ethan & Jacob having a stick war! Brandon being silly and Chloe checking out the bright light in her super cute bonnett!!

♥ A little anniversary note to the hubby ♥

Thank you for 3 years and the hope of so many more babe!! It's our anniversary and it's always a gentle reminder of the day when everyone smiled! Remember baby Ethan in his little sailor suit and skeechers? A table he could actually color on! It was such a sweet day, a fun time... the memories that get us through the harder days, called life... Thank you for giving me a ride one day, for 3 beautiful babies...for being such a good friend to Brandon.. for working so hard this past year for us all... and 1000 root beer floats! I pray this next year is good for us all ..... Love you babe ♥ Happy Anniversary Brian ♥

Thank you MBP for remembering our special day ♥

Words of Wisdom from Winnie the Pooh

thank you mbp for posting this where I could see it!

Spatula Wars!! (the buffering on this video is a little rough for some reason, but it's really cute so watch the whole thing! )

Well, I wouldn't give them swords so they settled for spatulas! It's a freezing cold and rainy day here today and the boys look to release some amazing boy energy!! So much fun to watch them play!

A smile a day...♥

Chloe shows off her beautiful smile.....wearing her sweet pooh knit dress.. she gets bigger and sweeter everyday!!

The boys enjoy making paper boxes with Brandon..

Brandon is in AP English( honors ) and they have to present an art project for every book they read. Brandon has (lately ) been wanting to hurry thru his work not doing it very well ) so he can get on XBOX LIVE and play with his friends. I decided to help him practice his craftng skills by making paper boxes with the boys today. The little ones had fun...even Brandon!

What are really big brothers for?

Brandon decided to give Ethan a little ride around the house and as you can see, it was fun for all!! Especially Ethan, who spent HOURS asking Brandon for another ride!

Chloe turns 4 months!!

Chloe looks so adorable in these pictures! I put a headband on her that G'ma Janet had given us ( I swore I would never do this ) and she really looks cute!! She also discovered her feet and I love to watch her investigate them.. so cute. We can't believe she is 4 months old already!!

Brandon is getting so big! I can't believe he was once as little as Chloe, I still remember those days... It does go by so terribly fast!

Our last nero visit... WooHoo!!!

Today was a great day! After speech, Ethan had an appointment with his neurologist. She first met Ethan almost 2 years ago. Back then Ethan had maybe 2 words in his vocabulary and was intensely shy .... she ordered numerous tests... we had an MRI...a (sedated) ABR...numerous assesments... she sent his blood off to get the full DNA breakdown... ( looking for genetic oddities..)... we went thru the Autism screenings.... the final diagnosis came about a year ago. Aprexia of Development/ Speech ... big giant speech delay.. we met the fabulous Miss Laura... and slowly our little guy has opened up a little more each day... just a bit here and there in the beginning...and now, no one can keep track of the new words...every day... talking..talking...never stops talking!! He still has along ways to go but the difference in 18 months is amazing!! We have continued to have follow ups with our neuo dr during all of this. Today we went, and she said the most fabulous words... " YOU DO NOT NEED ME ANYMORE"... he has made so much progress, she discharged him from Neuro!! Yippee!! ( if we ever have more concerns in the future, she will of course always be there ).... it's such an amazing feeling to be DONE... with that... SPeech therey continues, and will for a LONG time but Miss Laura is revered in my home so we look forward to more leaps and bounds in the speech department....Congratulations Ethan!! For the record, Ethan & Jacob pent almost the entire appointment UNDER the table...both being very shy....what goof balls!





On a side note... this neuro dr is in the same hospital where Chloe was in the NICU for a few days ( the LONGEST days... ) when she was born.. ( we actually brought her home from the hospital and the next day she was transported by ambulance to the NICU downtown - a story for another day) it's the first time I went back since bringing her home.. and I couldn't help but think about those days...how dark and scary... how grateful I am that she is here... I can see her window when I drive by.... we spend 2 much time at the hospital but I am lucky.. my children all came home.... I am blessed....many times over!!

My kids are all getting so big....

Just the other day I was lucky enough to catch all the kids in the cutest moments... I just can't believe how big everyone is getting. Chloe is always so happy and adorable in her new hat... Jacob is shedding the last "baby" and all boy....Ethan is almost 4 and it seems like he was just the baby! I think they look adorable all caught in a moment one day.

Nothing cuter than this....

This is my day , today....

This has been one of those days when I long to stop with the laundry and dishes...push the bills aside and just sit down and ... fingerpaint...play hide n seek....marvel in the little things my children find such joy in......I love watching them play and Chloe is just beginning to play a little...so sweet..... I love my babies and sometimes you just have to put everything down and play...♥

On the mend....

We are so happy to announce that after Tuesadays ER scare, Chloe ( Pooh ) is feeling so much better. For the first time in 3 days for Chloe and more than a week in general, there are no fevers in our house. Chloe's congestion is so much better. She is tired , but on the mend. She was sooo sick and we were all so worried about our little Pooh... she is a trooper! Ethan and Jacob are also feeling so much better and are back to their loony selves... LOUD... hehehe... Thank you all for all your prayers and well wishes....it was not a fun week and I am glad things are getting back to normal! Seen above, Jacob at his favorite windowsill in the house ... Ethan checking on Chloe.

Chloe is now 12 lbs 2 oz and 24" long!! O my!

♥ All mommies should post this somewhere where we can see it everyday... so we remember what really matters most - when we are doing laundry!

IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer). I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband. I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life. I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's' More 'I'm sorry's.' But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute, look at it and really see it, live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!! Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us.

Chloe is playing!

Chloe just loves her little gym. You lay her down on the mat and she just looks at all the colors and toys in wide eyed wonder. She wiggles and scooches herself all over, until she is facing a completely different direction and then she will reach out and grab a link and hold on! It's so much fun to watch her really just beginning to play ♥

Jacob "reading" from his favorite book on Trucks...

Now this is more like it....the men all helping to vacume!!

♥ Valentines Day 2009 ♥

For Valentines Day, Brian surprised Chloe and I with beautiful PINK flowers! We loved them! Thank you Brian!

Despite having raging ear infections and Flu on Valentines Day, Ethan and Jacob both had fun with their baskets and little surprises! We had a quiet day with the kiddos! Brandon bought me an adorable Valentine stuffed Tiger and I love him!!

We hope you all had a fabulus Valentines Day ♥

Houston, we have a problem...

We are so sorry we haven't added anything in a week....we were hit by a monster Flu bug and mommy spent almost a week in bed, gasping....uuugghh...right about the time I was starting to feel a little better, all the kids started showing signs of catching it. Chloe ( weighing in now at 11 lbs 13 oz ) has her first ear infection and is having a hard time with that. Ethan has fevers and runny nose....Jacob has fevers and massive runny nose, but he's so stubborn he will not admit he's sick and keep going at warp speed!! What a trooper....It's been an adventure here and I will add so new pictures and videos in the next days to make up for the lack there of lately. We hope you are all well and healthy!!

I will never tire of looking at Chloe's 1st Christmas Pictures...so cute...so much fun...what a blessed year it was!!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

At the bottom of this blog there is a much larger slide show with many,many more pictures! It was so amazingly special this past year! Christmas was quiet and Chloe made it perfect. I can only hope this year is at least as good. what a blessing! We hope your holidays were equally fabulous!

Check out some more of Jacob's 2nd Birthday!!

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Ethan's baby....

We went shopping today ( Walmart ) and Ethan just fell in love with a baby doll, he had to have it. We got it, thinking this is not going to last...and he has carried his baby all over ( very.. gently ) all night... it's sooo cute!!