March in a nutshell

March was much busier for us, but in such fun ways! We started out the month receiving word that Nathan's daycare (and where Sean had gone since he was 10 weeks old) was closing. Long story short, they were going to be moving locations, but ran into some zoning issues. So we had just short of four weeks notice that we needed to find somewhere else for Nathan to go, and for Sean to go during summer break. Fortunately, we were able to find a place that is closer to home, a little cheaper, and, has the same teaching style/curriculum and atmosphere as ABC. When Jamie and I went to tour the facility, we looked at each other and knew this was it. So Kinder Cassel is now the new home for Nathan (and Sean) during the summer. Pending all goes well with potty training, both boys will be at Judah in the fall. Lord willing!

After that debacle, we moved on to celebrating my OLDER sister's birthday (gotta throw that in there any chance I get). But the real celebration was the decision my sweet nephew, Kyle, made to be baptized. Nick and Kyle were the first two real loves of my life, and I just couldn't be happier - OR PROUDER - of them. This is such an important decision, and one he didn't take lightly. But if you know him, you know he has the biggest heart out of anyone in the world. The coolest part was that Rick, my brother-in-law, was able to perform the baptism. What a special day!





Towards the middle of the month, we were invited to Bloomington to go to Chuck-E-Cheese for Sean's bestie's (Jack) birthday. It was just our family and his, and the kids had a BLAST! Although I'm pretty sure I'm good with stuffed mice for another year or so. The old boys didn't sit still long enough to get a picture, but here is one of Nathan checking out the creepy stuffed mouse.



I decided rather than trying to find a place for Sean to go during his Spring Break, it would be fun to take the week off, and have some Mommy/Sean time. After all, it's been a long time since I'VE had a spring break too! We went to the library, saw a movie, went to the park, (did a little shopping...shh!), and just had some great quality time together. We even gave Sean the mohawk he'd been wanting! What do you think?



Having fun at the library



Sharing the books we checked out with brother (this peaceful picture lasted about five minutes) ;)



The end of the month had us getting ready for Sean's *hopefully* last appointment with the endocrinologist. At least that is what we hoped. I honestly don't think I can even recap my true feelings/that time in this blog. But here goes... On the way to work one morning, I received a call from the doctor's office, stating that Sean's endocrinologist didn't like some of the test results from the lab work we had to send over (we have these labs done before each trip to see her), so she wanted him to have a Sweat Chloride test done. She was concerned he may have cystic fibrosis. Believe me when I tell you that no matter how strong your faith is, no matter how much praying you do, or how much people tell you, "Oh don't worry, I'm sure he's JUST fine."... when it is YOUR child, and you receive this kind of news OUT OF THE BLUE, your world comes crashing down.

It is hard to not assume the worst. It is hard to read statistics that say the average age for a person to live with CF is 37. 37. How is a mother supposed to imagine life without her child? I had so, SO many people tell me it was nothing. That Sean was fine. Did I want to believe them? OF COURSE. But did I? No. The fact is, THEY didn't know. The only one who knew that Sean was going to be okay, was God. I tried to stay strong and not have this be life consuming (we had to wait two weeks to have the test done), but let me tell you, when it is your child, there is nothing anyone can say or do that will help.

I didn't want people to be all doom and gloom, but I wanted them to be realistic that this, in fact, may be the cause for his issues. I wanted people to cry with me - just for a minute. To tell me they would pray for me, for my sweet Sean. That no matter what happens, they will be there to love and support him. Unfortunately, I got a lot of people "blowing it off" or dismissing the silly notion, and making me feel almost stupid for feeling SO sad and concerned. Then I felt guilt. I mean, there are SO many people out there going through so much worse than we were, so what right did I have to be sad?

That was hard. But it wasn't about me. It was about shielding and protecting my child. It was about praying - harder than I've ever prayed before.
And those prayers were answered. PRAISE GOD everything turned out to be okay! I would not wish those two weeks on my worst enemy, however I really do feel like there is a lesson to be learned in all of this. First and foremost, GOD IS GOOD. God's hand was with us during his test and during the results. Second, I learned to really, really be present in the moment with my precious boys. I learned to love them harder, hold them closer. And finally, I learned how to be a better friend. The way I felt by some is a way I NEVER want to make my friends feel. So now I know. I know how to support better, listen better, be a better friend. God truly does have a plan, and I'm SO thankful that no matter what, he was and is always by our side.

Whew. That was heavy. Let's lighten it up a little with a couple of random pictures of my crazy dudes!




I think the funniest moment of March, was when I walked into Sean's room, only to discover he and his brother... well... the picture really needs no explanation.



But wait, it gets better! When I lifted the vent out to dump it in the trash, I found this!



I'm not sure if they were hoarding for the winter or what, but parents... know this. If you are taking a shower and your kids are uncharacteristically quiet, THEY ARE UP TO SOMETHING!!! LOL!

Four months??

Has it really been over four months since I have posted? WOW. Lots to catch up on! I guess I'll start with February...

February was a pretty calm month. Don't get me wrong, between working full time and two C-R-A-Z-Y boys, I generally don't know if I'm coming or going, but I can't think back to too much that happened in February. Definitely the most exciting think, was a short, but wonderful visit from my sweet friend Amy.

Amy is my friend that lives in Colorado, so fortunately, we have been able to see each other at least once a year thanks to our family living in Colorado. But this time, she came HOME! (Or at least what I like to consider her home.) We spent some much needed time catching up, talking about anything, everything and even nothing, shopping, eating, and just plain being together! I always miss her (especially during a Sonic run, or a trip to the Tuscola outlet), but seeing her in person, getting to hug my dear friend, really, really made me miss her. I treasure the short visit we had, and am already looking forward to the next time we can all get together again!

I think that pretty much sums up February! Moving on to March...

Randomness / Update

Since Christmas, things have not slowed down for us at all. This week, I enrolled Sean in KINDERGARTEN (yikes!) and Nathan in 3 year-old Pre-school at Judah! I'm not sure how this is possible that my kids are this old, but here we are! Surprisingly, I'm doing really well with it. I think the fact that both my kids will be at the same place (which means ONE place for drop off and pick up) is definitely helping. ;-)

Sean is doing really, really well in Pre-school. He LOVES his teachers (so do we!) and has so many great friends. His speech is developing nicely and he can now say "S" very well. He still my little snuggle bug, and loves reading, puzzles, and of course, his Nintendo DS / iPad. He keeps busy with church, and loves that there are so many kids from his school in his class. I'm pretty sure the fact that they get to play at the indoor playground at church on Wednesday nights doesn't hurt. He is a wonderful big brother, is developing such a great heart, and is so loving. This week, he said his very first prayer out loud. I was one proud Mama! "Dear Lord, thank you for my toys. In Jesus name, Amen." We're getting there. ;-) Here are a few random pictures from the last month of my sweet Sean.





Nathan has REALLY changed a lot over the past couple of months. He is talking up a storm, asks if we are going to church or "Papa's house" every time we get in the car, is sleeping in his full-size bed like a champ, got rid of the pacifier, and... wait for it... WENT PEE IN THE POTTY! I know those of you reading who don't have kids don't understand the excitement in this, but let me tell you, imagine winning the lottery. Same feeling. We have been struggling with getting him to even sit on the potty (full clothed even) at school. He will scream. And by scream, I mean top-of-his-lungs, like he is starring in a horror movie, scream. However, this week, he ASKED his teacher if he could sit on the potty! He was still fully clothed, but this was a HUGE step! Tuesday, he sat on it without his diaper on, and today, yes my friends, today I just got word that he pee'd on the potty! I can hardly wait to go pick him up and love on him! I'm just so proud! We haven't been worried about it since he's only 2 1/2, but he has to be potty trained (or housebroken as Jamie likes to call it) before he is allowed to attend Judah, so we've had it in the back of our minds that we only have a few more months. Other than this excitement, he continues to be our sweet, silly boy. You could just eat him with a spoon! (Well, most days.)

Fireplace

One of the things that's great about being married to Jamie, is that he's such a "handy-man". I can't even imagine how much we would have had to pay for stuff if he wasn't able to do it himself.

One thing we've always dreamed about, is putting in our fireplace in our family room. Fortunately, that dream has come true!!! Jamie acquired a fireplace (that had barely, if ever been used) and we decided to put it in our house. Let me tell you, it is SO beautiful! I can't believe how much it adds to our family room. We've used it just about every night and I can't describe how awesome it is!

The pictures below show the progression of the install. From framing the "bump out" in the wall, too the finished product. If you are ever nearby, stop in a check it out first hand!

MVC

We were invited by our good friends, Ryan and Jodi (sorority sister), to come to Peoria for the night to watch a Bradley game. Bradley is in the Missouri Valley Conference (same conference as SIU), and being Jodi's "home team", we've become fond of them as well! Our other friends, Nick and Jill (another sorority sister) live in Morton, which is not very far from Peoria, so they were also able to join us. It's always fun to get together with those girls... we relive a few memories, catch up on family, and usually have stomach pains from laughing so hard! Unfortunately, Bradley didn't win that night, but we didn't care. Getting to spend time together (especially with how busy we all are) was totally worth it!

Me, Jill and Jodi :-)

Merry Christmas!

Christmas was just wonderful this year! Seriously, the kiddos make everything so much fun! We started Christmas morning at our house, just the four of us. Santa filled the stockings so full, he had to move them from the wall to the floor (Sean was very concerned that Santa had taken them)! Sean really, really got into Christmas this year, which was so cool! Nathan, well, he just wanted to eat. All day. :-)

Nathan enjoying drinking from his new snowman cup




Daddy enjoying his, er, I mean Sean's Christmas present



After playing with the toys from Santa, we packed up and headed over to Papa and Ba's house (what Nathan calls Grandpa and Grandma... don't ask about the "Ba"... no clue!) We met up with my sister and her family and did the Caspers/Lance/Stone family Christmas. It's a tradition that I look forward to EVERY year!

Ba and Nathan reading a quick book before presents



Uncle Rick and Nathan



Aunt Laine and Nathan... being silly :-)



Sean showing off his new toolbelt! He's SO excited to help Daddy!



My four favorite boys: Nick (12), Kyle (9), Sean (5) and Nathan (2)

Christmas programs

Sean's Pre-school Christmas program at school was just beyond amazing. I cannot believe how well all the little kiddos did! There were three classes who each performed two songs, and then they all got together at the end to sing a couple of songs together. There is nothing that warms a Mother's heart more than watching her child sing about their love for Christ and really, really getting into it! I was SO proud of Sean and the amazing job he did! I was so grateful that my parents, sister and nephews came to support him too!

This isn't the greatest picture (it was taken on my phone), but he is on the end of the second row in a red vest. :-)



Nathan's class doesn't really have a program, but they did get in the Christmas spirit!! Their classroom was decked out for the holidays, and each day they did some fun Christmas-y activity! His teacher, Marcella, (LOVE HER) is so good about sending me texts/pictures of Nathan. Here is one she sent with some of the kids in their Christmas gear. Doesn't Nathan looked thrilled? ;-)

Happy New Year!

Hello friends and family! I can't believe it's been two months since I last posted - Yikes! There is so much to catch you all up on, but first, let me say I hope this post finds you all well!

I'll start with where I left off with my last post. December 4th, Jamie and I celebrated SEVEN YEARS of marriage! Although it's not a "milestone" anniversary, I still think it's pretty cool! I can honestly say, each year gets better and better, and I am SO LUCKY to have him in my life! He is THE BEST husband and father I could have ever imagined!

We celebrated by going to dinner at Minnechi's (where we had our rehearsal dinner) following by "Christmas Vacation" at the Virginia Theatre here in Champaign. We watched that movie on our second date, so it was fitting. :-) We just love seeing anything at the Virginia... the atmosphere there is just so cool! We actually managed to get one picture of the two of us, courtesy of Rob (the owner of Minnechi's). This was taken right before Jamie surprised me with my present... a purse I had been ogling over for awhile! He had it wrapped and dropped off at the restaurant before we arrived. Isn't that awfully thoughtful? Here's to 7x7 more years together babe!

Sean - 5 year check up

I promise I'll post pictures from Sean's birthday soon... I have to share all the fun stuff from my FIVE YEAR OLD's party! In the meantime, let me tell you about his five year old check up...

Let me start by saying he is as healthy, and for that, we are truly grateful!!! His pediatrician was very pleased with his growth, although she does want us to continue to see Dr. Green (his pediatric endocrinologist). We only see her once a year, and won't see her again until April. Despite the fact that Sean had to get three immunizations, the visit was pretty uneventful! Here are the five year old stats:

Height: 39 1/2 inches (3.26 percentile)
Weight: 29.6 pounds (0.13 percentile)

Just for comparison, here were his stats from the last couple of years:

4 year stats
Height: 36 3/4 inches (1.51 percentile)
Weight: 26.6 pounds (0.16 percentile)

3 year stats
Height: 34 1/8 inches (0.96 percentile)
Weighed 25.2 pounds (1.54 percentile)

So, he's still not gaining a lot of weight (only three pounds in one year, yet a big improvement from his third year to fourth year), but he's grown almost three inches - IN ONE YEAR! WAHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Although he hasn't grown much since April, he is growing. In regards to the weight, now that the weather is getting colder and we can't be outside as much, I'm sure he'll pack on a little "winter weight"... yeah, that's my excuse too. ;-)

Birthday pictures coming soon!!!!

Halloween 2011

This Halloween was SO much fun! We decided to meet up with my nephews, Nick and Kyle, again this year, and Trick-or-Treat in my parents neighborhood. It's nice that they can see the boys and that they can all be together.

Nathan really, really got into it (which was super cute) and just melted everyones heart when he would say "Happy Halloween" (or what sounded something like that) in that sweet little voice! Sean had a ball as well, but really didn't care too much about the candy... he just wanted to ring the doorbells!
:-)

"Handy Sean"





My sweet puppy (or lamb as everyone called him... ugh!)



Nathan making friends with the real puppy



I just loved how his little tail wagged when he would walk! SO cute!





Nathan was fascinated with this skull that would repeat back to you whatever you said. He kept yelling "BOO" at it, and saying "Happy Halloween". I thought it might freak him out a bit, considering how loud it was, but it didn't seem to bother him at all! I think he would have stayed at that house all night if we would have let him!





My nephew Kyle... aka, the red M-n-M!