Day 30: YAY!

Day 30:  January 30, 2013

 

It was an awesome day!  My phone went off to alert me to the kids' school cancellation.  So after I hung up, I decided to check to see if my results from my exam where up.  I figured it was a long shot since it hadn't even been 24 hours yet.  As soon as I logged on, I seen this!  It was the best feeling.  I was so excited.  I did it!  The last 6 months were all worth it.  It was a stressful journey at times, but so worth it!  But, my children are ready to have their mom back!    Parker is just glad I won't have to study anymore.  :)

 

I have wanted to be an EMT for at least the last 8 years.  At first, I thought I was too young.  And almost 4 years ago I signed up to take the class.  Before the class started I found out that I was pregnant with Thaxton.  His birth was to be during the last few weeks of class.  I didn't figure I could study and take care of a newborn so I didn't take the class.  So fast forward through another pregnancy and a few years.  This summer I decided I was going to do it.  I needed to do it for myself.  I am so glad I did!  So as soon as I get all the info into the state, I will officially be a licensed EMT for Clay Center.  YAY!!

Day 29

Day 29:  January 29, 2013

WOW!  What A Day!

Today was the day to finally take my National Registry Exam!  So all morning I was trying to study, but Thaxton was being a little pill.  He decided to dump Cheerios all over the floor!  :)  Hey, I guess he was having fun right!!  

So, I studied until I was just making myself crazy.  So, I dropped the kids off at Lacey's and went to Hastings to grab some lunch before my test.  I even got to meet Tommy for lunch.  So, that was an added bonus!

I was soooooo nervous for this exam and the check-in made it worse.  I had to have two proof of identification.  They took my picture made me sign a contract.  Had to empty my pockets and even had to take off my watch.  I was lead into the "dungeon".  And then finally, I got to begin the test.  It is a computerized test.  Basically it makes you go until you pass.  It could be anywhere from 70-120 questions long.  It seriously was the hardest test I have ever taken.  After question 70, it just shut off with a little note that the results will be available in 24-48 hours!  Yipppeeeee!  More waiting.  :)  So with answering just 70 questions, I either did pretty good or pretty bad!  :S

So home I go.  They kids came home from school.  He had some killer eggs sandwiches for super and got the mess cleaned up.  The kids were picking up their toys (a.k.a. playing) before getting ready for bed.  I was sitting at the computer seeing if I would find a solution to my broken camera UGH!!!  Anyways, and Tommy was sitting next to me on the phone.

Kyson comes walking up between us, and he starts coughing.  I look down, and he is choking on something.  Tommy grabs him and starts patting his back.  I wanted him to keep coughing and to get it up.  But, no such luck.  He soon quit coughing, and he couldn't breathe at all.  Now at this point, everyone is freaking out.  Adelyn is screaming that he was eating a fruit snack.  Parker is getting Thaxton out of the way.  It was chaos.  I grabbed him and somehow my training just kicked in.  But, he quickly became blue and limp.  Tommy called 911, and he had the ambulance on the way.  I'm still trying to get it out, and I'm really staring to panic.  He finally started to puke!  He puked and would start choking again, then puke again!  Finally, he could breathe.  THANK GOD!!  I have never been so happy to be covered in puke in my life.  The ambulance pulled up and the amazing volunteers came streaming into my kitchen one after another.  I have never been more relieved.   They took Kyson, who was fine now, out of my arms to just check him out.  I walked into the kitchen.  I was so glad that someone else was there to be in charge.  I was shaking, and it was time for Mom to freak!!!

The only thing that concerned me was that he never puked up the fruit snack.  I was scared he inhaled it.  So since he was breathing fine, we drove him to the hospital.  They checked him out and did a chest exam to be safe.  He was fine.  I think the whole ordeal traumatized the rest of us more than him.  He was running all over the exam room.

 

My sweet little boy on the way home form the Hospital.

I am so thankful for the awesome members of Clay Center Rescue!  Now, I know they will all say it is their job.  But they choose that job!  They choose to help people.  Within minutes, I had 8 people who dropped what they were doing running in my kitchen door to help my son!  There is never enough thanks for that!  Now I hope I never have to be on this end of a call again!  But if I ever am, I know we'll be in great hands!!  I am so happy that I am apart of this group!  I only hope that I can learn enough from them to someday be as great as they all are.  They have all set the bar pretty darn high!

Now that this entire situation is done and over, I can reflect a bit!    I honestly can't think of a time that I have ever been this scared in my life.  We all were.  This situation could have turned out much worse.  I'm thankful it didn't.  I'm thankful for all my kids!  I'm thankful Tommy was there to help out!  I am thankful for the CC Rescue Squad.  And honestly, I'm thankful for the training I had.  Everyone needs to take a CPR class.  It takes only a few hours, and it could save a life!  (totally a commercial, but it is true!!)

Day 24-28

Day 24: January 24, 2013

I love the few moments when all the kiddos (well minus Parker) are hanging out together and NOT FIGHTING!!!  :)  They are just chilling watching Bubble Guppies!

Siblings are the people we practice on, the people who teach us about fairness and cooperation and kindness and caring - quite often the hard way.  ~Pamela Dugdale

Day 25:  January 25, 2013

 

My Origami Owl locket came in today!  I was soo excited to get this.  It is absolutely amazing!!!  Abby was awesome and helped me figure out just what I wanted!  I can't wait to add more to it! 

You can find Abby on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/abbys.OrigamiOwl

Day 26:  January 26, 2013

Oops!  I forgot to take a picture today!!



Day 27:  January 27, 2013

Today, I spent most of the day studying.  I even took my books out pheasant hunting!  LAME!!  But on Tuesday I take my National Registry Test to become an licensed EMT!  I'm sooooo nervous.  How to you study a 1200 page book.  I figure I either know it by now, or I don't.  But yet, I'm still studying!!!



Day 28: January 28, 2013

HA HA HA!  Thaxton learned how to do the magic broom trick!!  He was so excited.  He kept running around in circles around the darn thing.  That is until Kyson went and knocked it down!!!  Got to love little brothers!

On a awesome side note:  I got voted on the Clay Center Rescue tonight!  So, now I am officially a member of the squad, just got to pass my test on Tuesday.  How awesome is that???  I have only wanted to do this for the last 8 years!!!!

Day 18-23

Day 18: January 18, 2012



We made mini apple pies after school today. I have never made a pie in my life, and they turned out pretty darn good. The kids loved them. So, I am pretty proud of myself!!!  We followed this recipe that I found on Pinterest!

http://www.littlebitfunky.com/2011/10/what-i-made-for-monday.html


Day 19: January 19, 2013

Today, we had a fire call.  Thaxton was sleeping when Tommy and I left for it.   But when I got home he was up.  The kids were asking where I was.  I told them I had to go to a fire.  Thaxton was MAD!!!  He kept saying "Me Go!  Me Go!"  I hold him he couldn't go.  Then he told me "Me hat!  Me coat!"  He had his Fire Chief hat and coat on.  So, I loaded him and Parker up and drove them to the fire hall!  The guys were still cleaning up, so they let him watch and then he got to go for a short ride when they backed the trucks in!  He was so excited!  It totally made his day!  Then, he got to put on Blake's "real" helmet.  He wanted to take it home, even though he could hardly hold his head up in it!  :)    He had a good day!!!!!!!



Day 20:  January 20, 2013

Today we met Terri, Brandon, Owen, & Ella in Hastings.  We took all six kids to Valentino's for supper.  Then, we went bowling!  I don't think any of the my kids have ever been bowling before.  They all did really good.  They all beat me!!!!  :)  It was a lot of fun!  I may use the bumper lane next time. 

Day 21: January 21, 2013

Parker finally got to shoot the shotgun he got for Christmas! He was so excited! He did really good too! He even hit some targets out of the air! He is growing up way to fast!!


Day 22:  January 22, 2013

Hey it's late and I need a picture!  :)  Hopefully I am actually an licensed EMT soon!!! 


Day 23:  January 23, 2013

 

He is so adorable!!!

Preston

Day 17: January 17, 2013

My mom posted this on her Facebook status tonight.  I hijacked it for my own.  This is a subject that hits close to home for both of us!  But I want to say that this is the truest portrayal of drugs I have ever read.  It broke my heart!

Hello, my name is DRUGS

I destroy homes, tear families apart, take your children, and that's just the start. I'm more costly than diamonds, more costly than gold, the sorrow I bring is a sight to behold. and if you need me, remember I'm easily found, I live all around you, in schools and in town. I live with the rich, I live with the poor, I live down the street, and maybe next door. My power is awesome; try me you'll see, but if you do, you may NEVER break free. Just try me once and I might let you go, but try me twice, and I'll own your soul. When I possess you, you'll steal and you'll lie. You do what you have to just to get high. The crimes you'll commit, for my narcotic charms will be worth the pleasure you'll feel in your arms. You'll lie to your mother; you'll steal from your dad When you see their tears, you should feel sad. But you'll forget your morals and how you were raised, I'll be your conscience, I'll teach you my ways. I take kids from parents, and parents from kids, I turn people from god, and separate friends. I'll take everything from you, your looks and your pride, I'll be with you always, right by your side. You'll give up everything... your family, your home... your friends, your money, then you'll be alone. I'll take and take, till you have nothing more to give. When I'm finished with you you'll be lucky to live. If you try me be warned this is no game. If given the chance, I'll drive you insane. I'll ravish your body; I'll control your mind. I'll own you completely; your soul will be mine. The nightmares I'll give you while lying in bed, the voices you'll hear from inside your head, the sweats, the shakes, the visions you'll see; I want you to know, these are all gifts from me, But then it's too late, and you'll know in your heart, that you are mine, and we shall not part. You'll regret that you tried me, they always do, but you came to me, not I to you. You knew this would happen. Many times you were told, but you challenged my power, and chose to be bold. You could have said no, and just walked away, If you could live that day over, now what would you say? I'll be your master; you will be my slave, I'll even go with you, when you go to your grave. Now that you have met me , what will you do? Will you try me or not? Its all up to you. I can bring you more misery than words can tell. Come take my hand, I'll take you to hell!


Where do I start?  My brother is a DRUG ADDICT!.  As I am writing this, I am trying to decide if I should.  What will my mother think?  What about my brother?  But this is our truth.  I'm not going to point fingers or talk about poor choices.  I am going to tell you how addiction has affected me.

This was my brother before drugs.... 

 

He was a brother, a son, an uncle, and a friend. He was a smart kid with a bright future. He was an excellent football player and golfer too. He was involved is so many different things.  He was funny and could always brighten up your day. He had a sense of humor that was unmatched.  He was a harder worker and never gave up on anything. He was a "popular" kid. He was always surrounded by friends. He was a lover. He was always willing to help someone in need.  He was my little side-kick growing up. He was my friend. 

Wow!  I feel like I just wrote his eulogy.  And, in a way I guess I did.  But, he is still alive.  He is just an addict.   

This is my brother......

He is currently in jail.  This is NOT who my brother is.  This is what DRUGS have made him.  Drugs are a criminal, a thief, and a liar.

Preston is one of a kind.  He is my little brother by 8 years.  We use to have so much fun together.  I took him snipe hunting, studied his spelling words on the way to school, taught him rap music, watched him grow up, watched him excell at sports, and watched become a young man.  Those 8 years between us were perfect.  Just the right age difference to become really good freinds.  I will never forget our 3 a.m. talks on the front porch.  We would talk about everything and anything, and we would laugh until we couldn't breathe.

 

When I had Parker he was the first on there to hold him.  He become an Uncle.  And he was really good at it.  When Adelyn came around he was even better.  Those two had a special bond.  I don't know what it was, but Uncle P was absolutely in love with that little girl. 

 

Preston came to live with us for his Junior and Senior year of High School.  My house was ALWAYS full of teenagers.  It was fun.  I enjoyed having them all.  They were a wonderful group of kids. 

 

I'm not sure when the drug use really started.  We started to see a shift in his attitude.  He started coming home late.  But to be honest, I think by the time we noticed it was already too late.  We tried heart to hearts.  We tried punishment.  As an entire family, we tried interventions.  We tried everything we could think of.  By the time he graduated from High School, he was a Drug Addict and a stranger.   I stood there and watched him destroy himself little by little until he was nothing but the drug.  And, there was nothing any of us could do. 

 

Drugs are something that I didn't understand.  And, truthfully I still don't.  I am not a drug addict, and I don't know if there is a way to complettely understand unless you are one.  But I am a sister to a drug addict, and that is not an easy thing to be.

 

When this all started I was pissed.  Why couldn't he just stop?  Didn't he know he was messing up his life?  Didn't be care about the rest of us?  Why couldn't he see that we all loved him, and cared about him?  Didn't he see what he was putting this family through?  But I have learned that a drug addict is very self-centered.  The only thing they care about is getting that next fix.  We didn't matter to him.  Heck, he didn't matter to him.  The toughest part about that for me was watching our relationship disappear.  He was no longer my little brother in the way that he was.  He was no longer the Uncle I needed him to be to my children.  The person I loved gave his life to drugs.  

 

Next, came the guilt.  In my head, I have come up with a million and one things I wish I would have done differently.  Now, logically I know this is not my fault.  This was a choice HE made.  But, trying telling yourself that.  This sweet little boy turned into an addict while living under my roof.  I feel like I failed him in some way.  I wasn't there enough, or paying enough attention to him.  How could I miss all the signs?  Still to this day 5 years later, I still feel at least a little responsible.  And trust me I wish that would go away.  But, it probably never will. 

 

Then came acceptance in a weird messed up form.  I eventually accepted the fact that this is the life he chose.  I can't make him quit.  We have tried countless time.  We forced the rehab.  They worked for a little while.  And in that little while, I loved it.  I had my brother back.  But, it never lasted.  It got to a point that I found myself waiting for a phone call he was dead.  I'm sorry to say when he went to jail I was glad.  I knew for the most part he was safer in there.  I eventually had to set boundaries for my kids and myself.   My children deserved to have an Uncle who was fun, loving, and loved to spent time with them.  Not one who showed up at their birthdays high.  I put up a wall, and a high one at that.  Right or wrong that is what I chose to do.  He wasn't allowed around my house, my kids, or myself unless he was sober.  Try convincing yourself that is the right thing to do!  It came a little easier to me than some in my family.  I had children to protect.  I didn't want my kids to know this drug addict.  I wanted them to remember Uncle Preston.  And honestly, I didn't want no part of a drug addict around my children.  And Preston for the most part has respected that.  I have never received a phone call from jail from him.  Ever! 

 

But now I think mostly I am in a grieving stage.  I MISS my brother.  I miss having him around.  I miss him hanging out with my kids.  This summer after his 3rd (I think) rehab, he was doing really well for awhile.  He would stop and play with the kids.  He took Thaxton on a ride in the tractor.  He took Parker to spent the night with him.  He laughed.  He smiled.  Gosh, how I miss his smile.  I miss his witty sense of humor.  I miss those bright eyes that have turned so dim and empty.  I miss his hugs.  I miss hearing "I love you Sis".  I MISS MY LITTLE BROTHER!!!  I would do anything in this world to have him back.  And that is the hardest part of this all.  I can't do anything!  It is all on him. 

 

Through the last 5 years we have all been through hell with my brother's drug addiction.  But, despite that, I still have hope.  I know he can get better.  He will always be a drug addict, but I know he can become a recovering drug addict.  I know the little brother that I love more than anything is in there somewhere.  I have seen glimpses of him.  I know some day he will find the strength and the courage to overcome this.  I know I will never know his pain.  I know I will never understand why he walked down this path.  I know I will never fully grasp the hell he lives in on drugs.  But, I will never give up on him completely.  I pray to God to help him overcome this addiction, because I believe only God can save him from the powerful grip drugs has on him.  Because in the end, DRUGS have taken him to hell and back!



 

Day 17

Day 17: January 17, 2013

 

 

Here is my picture for the day! Parker being a goofball after we we put the other kids to bed!

I want to blog about something different tonight though. To stick with the 365 I added this picture I took today, but my post is going to be on a different subject. I just couldn't take a picture of that!

Day 16

Day 16: January 16, 2013

I went grocery shopping tonight!  I HATE grocery shopping.  I go maybe once a month.  Of course, I have the little milk and bread runs, but I usually plan a once a month trip.  This time I made it close to 6 weeks.  My kids were complaining.  We had no food.  Of course we had food, but not the snacks they wanted, and to be honest we NEEDED groceries. 

This month I vowed to be organized.  I had my price match list and my coupons, and a shopping list.  I was proud of myself.  I always forget my list!  I have said for the last few months that I was going to plan out monthly meals in advance, but this time I actually did it.  Well kinda.  I have all the meals wrote down.  Just don't have which for what day.  But hey it is progress. 

The kids were with their dad so I had plenty of time and room in the Suburban.  Usually I take them, but after tonight I think I need to brake myself of that habit.  I got out of their a lot cheaper than normal.  And, I could go later so they are nobody there.  It was awesome!!

I took Tommy along so he could push a cart and buy me dinner!  He even had fun!  Or so he said!  He was a trooper!   :)  So two carts fulls later, I have all my groceries for the next month and some happy kids!

Wow!  I just wrote a blog post about grocery shopping!  Hmmmm!

Day 15

Day 15:  January 15, 2013

My little Adde Bear sleeping!  :)  I was going in to check on her, and she was all wrapped up in the covers with only her head poking out.  She was adorable.  I ran out to grab my camera and what do you know.  She rolled over.  I swear these kids know when Mom has her camera out even in their sleep.  But none the less, she is totally adorable. 

Day 14

Day 14:  January 14, 2013

So, I know the last few post have been about Thaxton, and today is the same.  But he had a long tough day today.  Heck the entire family did! 

Here is a run down of our day:

6:30 a.m.
FINALLY woke up to the alarm that I managed to hit snooze on for 30 minutes without even realizing it.  We made a mad dash to get up, get dressed, brush teeth, and pack our stuff, and load the car.

7:03 a.m. 
We arrived at Children's Hospital.  Hey only 3 minutes late!  :)  We checked in and were lead back to the C.A.R.E.S. Unit at the hospital.  They weighed him and measured his height.  They checked his vitals, and I changed him into his cute little hospital PJs.  He got to play around with some bubbles for awhile when the nurses were getting the rest of his stuff ready!!

8:00 a.m.
They then started an IV. The poor little guy.  He was such a trooper.  I had him sitting on my lap with his chest against mine and his arm pinned under mine.  There was 2 nurses, a PA, and a Child Life Specialist trying to assist with the IV.  It took 3 tries to get it in, and my incredible strong, brave little boy never once shed a tear.  He was absolutely amazing.  IVs hurt like heck!!  All the nurses were amazed at how strong he was.  Our main nurse told me she had never seen a 3 year old take that the way Thaxton did.  I am soooo proud of him.

8:20 a.m. 
They gave him two different medicines to make him go to sleep.  The first one he drank like it was good, and then the second one they had to spray up his nose.  He took everything in stride.  He was such a good boy.  We didn't have to fight them at all.  After the meds, they turned out the lights and he cuddled with Rob.  It didn't take long, and he was sound asleep. 

 

8:45 a.m.

Thaxton and I then went down for his MRI & MRA.  I got to stay with him the entire time.  The laid him on the MRI table.  His arms and body were strapped down.  They put ear plugs & headphones on him, and his head was lightly taped down so in the event he woke up, he won't hit his head on the MRI.  I was given a chair, magazines, ear plugs, and some headphones.  He did really good until the very end of the MRA.  Every once in awhile, his leg would twitch so I was watching his leg.  About the forth time, it went from a twitch to a kick.  I jumped up and ran over there to try to keep him calm, but with the headphones and the loud MRI he couldn't hear me.  At that point, they stopped and brought him out.  He was a little freaked, but fine.  He fell right back to sleep when he got him back to the bed.  They missed the last two pictures, but the tech thought they would still be okay.  So back to the room we went.

 

10:10 a.m.

Once back in his room, another tech came in to do his Echo.  He slept through that entire test too!  :)  It was pretty cool to get to see his little heart beat on ultrasound.  It reminded me of when I was pregnant with him! 

 

10:35 a.m.

Thaxton's test were all done, so we had to try to wake him up.  We changed his diaper, wiped him down with a wash cloth, got him dressed, and tried to give him some juice.  He was trying so hard to open his eyes, but they were soo heavy.  He was kinda adorable.  He slowly came around, and was excited when he got to pick out a toy because he was such a brave boy.

 

11:05 a.m.

We got to leave.  I was a little nervous driving home.  He was still really sleepy, and they told me I needed to monitor his breathing on the ride home.  Great!!  How do you do that from the drivers seat?  I moved his car seat to the passenger side of the car so I could see him better and off we went.  I didn't even make it to Interstate 80 before he was sleeping so hard I couldn't wake him up.  His poor little head kept falling forward, and he buried his mouth and nose in his coat.  I couldn't get him to wake up so he could move his head.  So at Gretna I stopped.  I felt like a new mom worrying, but the nurses scared me a little.  I tried to lay his car seat back more, and I shoved a pillow under the bottom to keep it reclined like an infant seat.  It might not have been that safe, but at least I knew he could breath.  He slept through the whole process.  So, off we went again.  I'm pretty sure I checked on him every 5 seconds.  He slept the entire way home.

 

 

1:22 p.m.
We made it home.  He woke up and was happy to be home.  He actually was back to his old self running around the house with his brothers and sister.  He is so resilient, and he totally amazes me.  I love that little boy so much.

7:45 p.m.

The rest of our day was routine as usual.  Thaxton contined to eat everything in sight and had no side effects from the meds.  So bedtime was routine, except for the fact that he got to sleep in his new car bed!  What a great way for him to end the crazy day!  To bad Thaxton had other ideas.  After all he did sleep all day!  :)  So instead of sleeping in his bed, he decided to chill on the couch with mommy and Me.

 

8:09 p.m.

So we are sitting on the couch watching TV.  I was exhausted, and really I was wishing the adorable little boy on my lap would just fall asleep.  My phone rang.  It was an Omaha number.  It was Dr. Oliver calling.  Which to be honest scared me to death.  We were told that we would hear from him within 24-48 hours.  So why was he calling he at 8:10 p.m. the same day? 

 

Well, Dr. Oliver confirmed that Thaxton did in fact have a stroke on the left side of his brain, thus effecting the right side of his body.  His best guess was that either it happened in utero or at the time of birth.  All of his other tests looked normal.  His heart is fine!!  He is at an increased risk of seizures so those precautions need to be put in place.  But, in the end this is what the doctors and Thaxton's therapist thought happened all along.  But now it was confirmed.  There is nothing we can do about the stroke now.  Nothing will change besides quarterly trips to Omaha to see the neurologist.  The only way to help Thaxton now it to continue what we are already doing.  Since he was 18 months old, he has met with Speech, Occupational, and Physical Therapists.  And we will continue to do this.  He has a great team that has already helped him soooo much.  He can jump when 8 months he couldn't.  He can speak in small sentences when even a month ago he couldn't. He is constantly amazing me.  I'm confident that he will keep improving.

 

I got off the phone, and I actually kind of wanted to cry.  I have been pretty optimistic through all this.  And, this could have turned out so much worse.  But, still something inside of me wanted to scream!  My little boy had a stroke!  This sweet little boy laying here next to me had brain damage!  Of course, I went through the events of his birth in my head.  Was it something I did, or could have done.  After all, we knew something was wrong when he was born and wasn't breathing, but I never assumed this. 

 

Not even 5 minutes into my pity party, Thaxton looks at me, puckers his lips for a kiss, and says "ov ouuu mommieeee".  That is all it took.  I am grateful for this little blond hair, blue eyed boy.  I am grateful for the fact that he is here, when something so much worse could have happened.  I am grateful that he is just the way he is.  I am grateful that he is strong and brave, caring and thoughtful, loving and patient, and most of all determined.  I am not worried about his future.  He will become the person he was meant to me.  He will push through and conquer.  I have no doubt.  It may not always be easy for him.  In fact, I know it won't.  But, he is loved.  He is my little boy!!

Day 13

Day 13:  January 13, 2013

Thaxton and I are sitting in a room at the Rainbow House in Omaha.  Tomorrow is going to be a big day for us both.  Thaxton has a MRI, MRA,and an Echo all scheduled for tomorrow.  We have to be at the hospital at 7 a.m..  I'm a little nervous.  I'm a little scared. 

As I write this, my sweet little boy is lying next to me snuggled up on my pillow watching Eon Kid on Netflix.  Now, I have never heard on Eon Kid before, but it is kind of a super hero cartoon where the good guys always win.  After Eon Kid does some ninja move flying through the air and kicking the bad guys butt, Thaxton looks at me and asks "Me do that?"  My sweet little boy who has trouble running, doesn't use his right hand much, and is hard to understand unless you are around him a lot wanted to know if he could do that.  My answer???  "Sure, Buddy!  You can do that!"  And, I meant it.  He may never be that graceful, but I have NO DOUBT that this strong little boy can do anything he sets out to do.  He will overcome any obstacle in his path.  He already does on a daily basis.

So tomorrow morning bright and early, we will seek out some answers.   The doctors believe my son had a stroke in utero.  They are looking to confirm that.  So as long is that is truly what happened, nothing will change.  The damage is done.  We will just continue all the rehab and therapy we already too.  As bad is that sounds, I hope that is what they find.  I want answers, and I pray they don't find something worse. 

But no matter what, I am thankful I have this sweet, adorable, loving, little boy lying next to me.  I love him just the way he is.  I will love him no matter what.  He is my son!!

Day 12

Day 12: January 12, 2012 

I know I skipped a day, but I'll add that when I get home.  I am trying to write this post from my iPhone.  I would maybe at least use the iPad, but trying to get that away from Thaxton right now would be a HUGE mistake.  :)

Thaxton's new car bed!  He is super excited about it.  It was a little sad to take down his crib and give him a big boy bed.  :(

 

 

 



Day 11

Day 11: January 11, 2013

Parker making his duck tape wallets!!  He has become quite the entrepreneur.  He is so inventive.  I call him my little MacGyver.  I'm pretty sure if I was every in a survival situation I would want this child with me!  I really can't wait to see what you grows up to be!

Take 2.....Days 1 - 10

 

 Day 1-10,  January 1 - 10, 2013

After a lot of prompting from my 9 year old, I am going to try this 365 project blog again.

 I did truly miss taking daily photos of my children and my daily life.  I came to realize that I looked forward to writing in this blog, and sharing my experiences if not only for myself.  But, last year was a rough one.  I had a ton going on in my personal life.  I wasn't ready and didn't want to share with the world.  It become hard to share my images and talk about my life without talking about the bad too.  I decided to quit.  If I couldn't be honest, I didn't want to share at all.  It wasn't fair to me or my children whom this blog is ultimately for. 

So, here I am.  It is now 2013.  I will give this another go.  I'm sure in time pieces of the last year with make its way here.  It is a story.  It is OUR story.  However painful, sad, joyous, happy, or messed up it is, it is my story.  It is the story of my children.  But, for right now on January 11, 2013 we are in a better place.  So, we are going to look ahead.  I'm going to enjoy my children!  I'm going to enjoy my life. 

It took me 10 days into this new year so finally agree to give this another whirl.  So today, I am starting off with days 1-10.


January 4, 2013

The kids playing Just Dance 4 on the Wii!  They all do an awesome job!

January 6, 2013

Adelyn and Parker cuddling on the couch not even 20 minutes after they were fighting like crazy.  I guess they don't realize just how much they really do love each other.

January 8, 2013

 Thaxton, my little future fireman.  This child lives and breathes any thing to do with a Fireman.  He loves dressing up and playing with all of his 20 firetrucks.  I absolutely love this image.  I have stored this away for the future.  How fun will it be to pull out someday in the event he does go one to be a Fireman.  :)

January 9, 2013

My little Kyson!  He has grown soooo much in the last year.  He has developed his own little personality and attitude as well!  :)  He is so much fun.  He is laid back, sweet, lovable, fun, quiet, and independent.  He has a cute little grin that get me every time!  He prefers to hang back and watch the chaos take place.  I swear he is thinking to himself that we are all totally crazy!!  Don't get me wrong he does have a little developing attitude.  Most times it comes out do to his extreme independence.  But even his fits are extremely adorable.  For now!!! :)

   

 

 

 

January 10, 2013

Parker  is truly an "old soul".   He is caring, passionate, and loving. He is creative and inventive.  He is an awesome big brother, and a wonderful son.  I am truly lucky to have him as my son!  His big brown eyes are complete the window to his soul.  He takes care of his younger siblings, most of the time! :)  And, he tries to take care of me as well.  It is not unusual for me to get breakfast in bed, or a thoughtful card from him.  In the last year, he has grown up way to much.  He loves to hunt.  He is constantly coming up with new things to make.  The most recent venture is making wallets out of duck tape.    What other kid asks for roles of duck tape for Christmas??? 

 My Adelyn with the bright blue eyes!  She is a ball of fire.  She knows what she wants and goes until she finds a way to get it.  She LOVES her brothers.  She is caring, lovable and thoughtful.  She has an attitude much bigger than herself.  She loves to talk, and does that REALLY REALLY well.  She has went from my little girl hanging on to my leg into a strong, independent kindergartner.  I have loved to watch her blossom.