A Moment

Show and Tell

Every Friday the kids in my class are allowed to bring in an object to show to the class. The boys usually bring in books, cars, sports stuff, figurines/action heroes. The girls usually bring in dolls and stuffed animals.

Today I had a very unique object.
A little girl in my class loves dinosaurs. Today she brought in what I thought was a rock, but the bag was labeled " Dinosaur Poop". I laughed hard, very hard!!! It was petrified poop! It came with a description and everything.
Hands down this was the most creative show and tell I've ever seen.
She was proud to tell us about it. The other kids went from staring at her to looking at me laughing hysterically.

I took pictures of the description and the poop! How could I resist?!?
The description is sideways but please read :-)

Gotta love kids!

Birth Defects Study

Over the last month I have been taking part in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS). They tell you that they are interviewing mothers who have given birth to healthy babies and mothers who have given birth to babies with birth defects.

Which one am I? I am involved in this study because of Emersyn's Craniosynostosis. At this point we are still unsure of exactly when the cranio took place. It could have been in the womb, at some point after she was born, or it could be genetic. I truly believe it happened in the womb and wasn't discovered because of the swelling from the vacuum assist. Regardless, I was added to a mailing/contact list because of Emersyn's surgery.

I was contacted by the NBDPS and asked if I would do an hour long phone interview. This was a paid interview. Yup, I made $20 for answering questions. For me it wasn't about the money. If I can help provide research on birth defects and maybe find some answers, then I'm happy to help.

The phone interview was all about my health and lifestyle prior to Emersyn being born and while I was pregnant with her. They ask about food, exercise, drugs illegal and OTC, drinking, people in your household, and a million other questions. Some of the questions I thought were useful and others were quite ridiculous. For example, How many apples and/or pears did you eat in a 7 day period prior to giving birth to Emersyn? ARE YOU SERIOUS PEOPLE!!!!! I can't even remember how many I've had to eat this week, and you want me to remember what I ate prior to pregnancy and while I was pregnant? That was well over a year ago!!!!!!! And how about this one.... Did you snort or smoke crack cocaine while pregnant? I think I actually laughed out loud at this one! After a split interview, meaning 2 separate phone calls to finish the entire thing...yes it took more than an hour. Surprise. There were so many questions that I did one half on a Saturday while the kids were sleeping and the other half at 8:30pm on a Tuesday night. I was very happy to help but glad it was over. Some of the questions could be useful, but others were just flat out stupid. Now after finishing this phone interview, the lady asked if I'd like to take part in the cheek cell swab kit. Zack & I did talk this over before participating. There was no harm in doing it. Like I previously stated, I'd be happy to help if doing all of this would give data in finding answers for the cause of birth defects in babies.

Onward.....the cheek cell kit came in the mail. I guess I didn't realize how hard it would be to swab a infants cheek. Zack swabbed his cheeks, I swabbed mine. Done! The kit said to swab each cheek for 30 seconds. In my mind 30 seconds didn't seem like a lot of time. That was until Emersyn started chewing on it, blocking the swab with her gums, gagging,trying to grab the stick, and smiling, and BOOM...what a failure. I did get a chance to swab each cheek, but not even close to 30 seconds. That would be inconclusive data if you ask me. I did mail in the completed kit knowing that nothing would probably come from it. I tried and that's all that counts. On a side note, I did get an additional $20 to do this kit. I thought it was nice that they paid the participants.

Not sure the questionnaire or swab kit will be useful, but it makes me feel good that I participated. I want to be proactive in helping others. I'm sure many, many other woman participated in this study, so it will be interesting to see what is concluded from it all. It might be nothing since there were so many areas for error. Oh well.

Once the study is completed, all participants will receive a newsletter stating the findings.

If anything great comes from this, I'll be sure to update :-)

Just another....

Just another picture of my little ones.
I'm like paparazzi, more like a mamarazzi. I'm always taking pictures of my sweet angels.

Bath Time

Bath time = Party time for Dylan & Emersyn. My kids love taking baths, it's as simple as that.



We recently introduced bubbles into the bath. Dylan likes to make beards and chest hair like Daddy. Yup, I'm laughing as I type.

Dylan has so many bath toys, but yet bubbles can provide an hour of entertainment. Go figure.

And then we have our little water baby.She started off in a plastic infant tub, moved to the cot inside the tub, to now full baths. She is a nut. She loves to splash, dunk her face in the water, and laugh as she looks at her reflection in the overflow drain. In this particular picture, she was clapping for herself after she dunked her face and choked on water. (as if that was fun)

Below is a video of her in the tub. I'm hoping it works.

Little Mover

I typed my last post on the computer (vs. cell) and forgot to include the pictures.

Our little girl is moving and grooving!

My Crawler

My little ladybug is finally on the move. Last Thursday, 10 months and 5 days old, Emersyn started to crawl. Yes, Yippee, Yeah, Hooray, Wahoo! We are very excited.

I had pulled out the paperwork I saved from Dylan's physical therapist, and we began working with Emersyn at home. Why pay for services if we can try to help her ourselves?!? So I have a feeling with our assistance and the fact that she was now ready to move, allowed her to finally meet the crawling milestone. Better late than never!

This video was taken Thursday...Day 1 of crawling.

It's been a few days and each day she becomes a little more confident. She started off a bit wobbly, but is slowly fine tuning her skill. She is everywhere and in everything. It's awesome to watch her work so hard and finally be successful. Dylan never crawled so we are ecstatic! Check back with me in a few weeks when she is into more and going up stairs. HA!

Congrats to our little crawling ladybug! We are so proud of you!

10 Month Babies

Occasionally I like to post pictures of the kids at the same age. It's fun to compare their cuteness.

Crowder Park

What a beautiful day for the park. Bees buzzing, children laughing, people walking their dogs, the smell of fresh cut grass, flower buds emerging on the trees. Spring is here!

Dylan ran around with a smile on his face. He is now at the age where he can climb and go on just about everything. He loves slides. Emersyn hung out in the stroller, eating goldfish, taking in her surroundings.
This is the park that has a walking trail around it and a pond in the middle. We love looking at the turtles. Sometimes we see ducks and fish too!

As always, I captured the moment.

Family Fun

The weather this week has been dreamy! High 70's to low 80's.
Spring is here! We took advantage of a beautiful day.

St. Pats Day Treats

I made some St. Patrick's Day treats for the kids teachers.

Pretzel treats are super easy to make.
Square pretzels, chocolate discs, green M& M's.

Happy Green Day!

Photography Apps

I am addicted to the photography apps on my phone. I've always loved taking pictures, but now have the ability alter them. I can add tags, color to B & W, collage, add filters, etc. I'm learning about new apps and techniques all of the time and I love it. Sometimes I like the raw photo best though.

The only problem with this is that it's all done via cell phone. Most of the time I don't mind, but I do have a regular, quality camera. I'd like to find a good editing software and really learn to use it. That's on my things to do list :-)

Until then I'll continue to have fun with my phone apps.

Thought I'd share some of my latest and greatest creations.

Official

Last year on May 9th I took a year leave from Wake County Public School System. My intentions at that point were geared to being a stay at home mommy.

As most of you know, we did not anticipate Emersyn needing skull surgery. That was a slight financial setback for us. I stayed home from May to October. I loved every minute if it. Due to the amount of medical bills we had, I got a job at a learning center/ daycare. The same place Dylan already went. That way I could work & see them too.

Months have now passed and I had to let my school know if I was returning from leave in May. That would be the one year mark. While I would love to go back, financially it doesn't make sense. The county hasn't given teachers a raise in years. The cost of daycare for 2 kids would cost me more than my monthly income. We'd be in the negative each month. Not to mention the meetings, hours of school work I bring home, and the time away from my kids.

So I finally submitted my resignation letter. I didn't think it would be hard but it was. I stared blankly at the form for what seemed like forever. I really love teaching and hope that someday I will be able to return. Maybe when Dylan starts Kindergarten??? There's a scary thought! Dylan turning 5!!
Onward... I completed the form, sealed it in an envelope, and placed it in the mailbox. When I put the mailbox flag up a sad feeling came over me.

It's official.

Mommy and Me

Today was a beautiful day for the park.
Emersyn was sleeping so I took Dylan to our neighborhood park. We had some quality Mommy & Me time. He needs that every now & then.

We played on the climbing structure, looked for turtles in the pond, made music with sticks, and laughed.

A funny moment: Dylan said "Mommy, I think my shadow pooped". Yes, he pooped his pants! But the creativity is priceless! We changed him and continued to play.

Spring is here!

Must Love Dogs

The love between our kids and dogs is a very sweet thing. The dogs love to lay in the same room the kids are playing in, give them kisses, check on them when they are upset.
In return the kids love to pet them, feed them food :-), and snuggle up next to them. Blitz and Emersyn are buddies. He makes her laugh so hard when he licks her hands, toes, and face. It's funny to watch.

Must Love Dogs!!!

(I took these with my camera phone. If you want to see the full view, click on the actual photo. I'm not sure why it only shows the partial photo. )

Emersyn is 10 Months

10 months is here already? Where did my little baby go?

Emersyn is becoming her own little person. She has always had her own personality that defines who she is. She is now more aware of her surroundings, has become very attached to her family, and reacts to the world going on around her. She is a happy little girl who brings a smile to so many faces.

This baby girl is a Mommy's girl. Don't get me wrong, she loves her Daddy, but currently prefers me. I know it's just a phase, a phase that will pass. But for this moment, I thoroughly enjoy it!

Emersyn has learned to clap. She claps her hands when music is playing or when someone is singing. Did I mention she loves music?! She loves to dance to pretty much anything that has a good beat.

Her eyes are still blue. At this point I don't think they will change, or I'm hoping they won't change. They are a beautiful part of who she is. It's like looking into the ocean.

Some random things about Emersyn....

She loves bath time! She will be our little fish. She splashes and tries to dunk her face in the water.

She sleeps the night (7:30-6:30) most nights.

Her hair is on rapid growth. I don't want to cut it for she might look like a boy...eek! So for now we use headbands, bow clips, make top of the head ponies, or just go natural. I can't wait to put little pig tails in!

She has two favorite friends at school, Trent & Gia, who she plays with daily.

She loves her singing doggie, baby doll, knocking over blocks, playing with things that don't belong to her, and putting EVERYTHING in her mouth.

No signs of teeth. Keep in mind, Dylan's first tooth came in at 13months. We are late teethers.

She loves drinking water from a sippy cup.

She eats pretty much all table food. Loves fruit and any kind of noodles.

We call her Emersyn, Em, Ladybug, princess. School calls her Em and Emmie (Not a fan!).

She just started standing with some confidence, but not for very long. She is still very wobbly. Now when I say standing, she isn't pulling up yet, so it's us putting her in the standing position. We are trying to build her confidence in standing while peaking her interest at the same time.

I'm happy to say we have made progress in the standing flat department. Emersyn was standing flat, but then decided standing on her toes was better. According to our pediatrician, standing on toes could lead to other problems, so we've been working with Emersyn frequently. She is doing much better and I am confident with our assistance she will be just fine.

On to crawling....Emersyn is working SO hard to crawl. She sits up and transitions with ease, but is still having trouble moving forward. She will get on all all fours, sometimes with her booty in the air like a downward dog pose, and then proceed to flop back to her belly. Not being able to crawl doesn't stop her. She always gets to her desired location. I dug up my physical therapy documents from Dylan's sessions to help us out. We've been working with her for 2 weeks and already see improvement. She really wants to move, so with her ambition, and our assistance, I truly think she will crawl soon. We are going to give it a few more weeks. If she isn't pulling up independently and/or crawling, we might just have her evaluated. It could be nothing, it could be something. If anyone is going to be an advocate, it's going to be us.

I L.O.V.E this little girl with my entire existence. She makes me a better person. Her smile lights up the room, and her laugh is contagious.

I had to include a picture of her and the sticker. This month she left it on her shirt for most of the time. It wasn't until the end that she discovered it. Once found, game over!

Happy 10 Months to my beautiful angel baby!

New Do

I got my haircut today. Nothing fancy, just a cut. My hair was heavy and long and needed to be cut.
I wish I was adventurous and tried a new do, but I just can't bring myself to do it. I can't go short because my face is already round enough. Bangs are not for me and I find myself critiquing others bang choice. Maybe it's because I was scarred as a child. Sorry Mom!!!
So I got a simple cut with a small layer in the back and angled in the front. I'm a low Maintenance girl. I don't like to spend forever doing it, and MUST have the ability to wear it in a ponytail.

I tried taking a picture of myself and it turned out geeky. Ha!
So here is...

Marble Tracks

Dylan's Pops & Nana sent him money for his birthday. We took him to Toys R Us and let him pick something out.

He picked out a marble tack set. Daddy was thrilled with his choice.
I must admit, it's very cool, and a toy he can grow into.

Best Gifts in Life!

Sick Again

Dylan is sick again. I've tried cleaning, opening windows, and being extra germ cautious. The world of daycare is a giant germ bank. So no matter how much I have him wash his hands, change his clothes, he still gets sick.

Friday he started with a fever, cough, and runny nose. The fever carried on over the weekend. He was grouchy and not eating. If you know Dylan, you know how grouchy he gets when he's hungry. Naturally he wasn't hungry because he didn't feel well. Not even for ice cream!!! Now that's sick!! Monday rolled around and Motrin wasn't helping. He still had a fever. After a visit to the doctor, we found out he had pneumonia. How he got that is beyond me! Many things are going around, but that's not one of them. The fevers, the chills, restless nights, no eating, it all started to make sense.
Did I mention, my already underweight guy, lost 3 lbs!!

Dylan received a breathing treatment at the doctor. It seemed to loosen things up a bit. We were sent home with a nebulizer and a prescription. The meds are once a day, the nebulizer is every 4 hours today, every 6-8 Wednesday & Thursday. Hopefully that's enough to kick this germ party out of his system.

Now... Onto a 3 year old using a nebulizer. NOT fun! It's a battle every time. He has to wear a little dinosaur mask that covers his nose, mouth, and chin. The actual machine itself is loud, and the mask looks uncomfortable. He wears it for 10-15 minutes to breathe in the Albuterol. I have him watch cartoons to distract him. The Albuterol, the drug he's breathing in, is like crack. After the treatment he is jittery, hyper, and totally not my sweet little boy. All symptoms are common according to his doctor. I can't wait until he is off this stuff. I know it helps but the side effects are crazy.

I am frustrated with this cold season. My kids catch everything. If its not Dylan, than its Emersyn. I'm pretty much at the doctor with one of them every week, or every other week. Zack tries his best to help. He's already used a bunch of his sick days. He makes more money, so it doesn't make sense for him to be the one staying home. My boss is probably getting irritated with all the appointments and sick days I have to take. Not to mention all of the scheduled well visits, and Duke appointments Emersyn has for her head. I'm sick of my kids being sick. When we ( Zack & i) get sick, we still go to work because we don't have time to take off. We've used it all on the kids. Arrrr germs!!!

Hoping for a healthy Spring season!

Pictures: pouting & not listening at the doctors. The mask for the nebulizer.