a little reminder...

a lovely woman, and dear family friend sent out something in their Christmas cards that I think is worth passing along...

It seems that everyone is busy and everyone likes to feel even busier by talking about it...we want to encourage you this christmas to step out of the traffic and take a deep breath. Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for those you love, the blessings you have received, and the hope that Jesus brings in this christmas season. drink a cup of hot tea in front of the Christmas tree; listen to a Christmas carol all the way through; read the wonder of the Savior's birth in Luke 2; call an old friend; watch the fire burn in the fireplace; be quiet, be still.
The real miracle of Christmas is that God Himself came to be among us. Take a moment to consider what difference that really makes in your life...let the busy take care of itself; it will still be there tomorrow.

O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie...

now, this whole concept of being still is something that i need to work on. but, i definately think that a real reminder to savor the season and celebrate in the real miracle of Christmas is the simplest thing i can do today.

i hope you get time to do the same...enjoy the season!

yesterday morning i took jackson out for our normal tuesday routine which includes speech therapy at 9am. in the waiting room, i was chatting with a gal who i see every week but never talk to. anyway, her adorable daughter comes up to me, grabs onto my knees and just stares up with the biggest smile you have ever seen. to which, i reply "hey there cutie". her mom apologizes, which i nod off and we start talking. she asks how old jackson is (2 1/2) and if i have any other kids (liam, of course), and if i work (tell her i am in grad school). she then says, in sincerity, "wow, you really have your hands full".

this leads me to my point. this mom, in her late thirties probably, notes how busy life must be for me.

i have to say, i was a little taken back because (did i forget to mention) that her 3 and 4 year old daughters both have down syndrome? i felt like an idiot.

big idiot.

she had no way of knowing that i have been feeling a little sorry for myself lately in dealing with jackson, school and stress in general. and the rest of our conversation centered about all sorts of funny stories about the kids, new therapies/diets, and just normal life stuff. it was great. she had no way of knowing that her small comment would really effect me.

see, sometimes we play the comparison game in life (my truck is better than yours, her boobs are perkier than mine, etc.) you might think that someones situation seems impossible to you. and to keep things in perspective we say "it could always be worse". and that is all true. however, life is hard sometimes and no matter what your life is like, give yourself time to feel bad and then move on.

this is especially true for parenting. nothing irks me more than when parents try to play the comparison game with their children to "one up " the other. parenting is hard work (duh). have a little respect and know that a tired and stressed out parent is sometimes a good parent because they are putting every last bit of effort into their kids.

............lost my focus here, sorry..............

the moral of the story is, that somedays are better than others and no matter what anyone says...give yourself a chance to feel your life and then move on if you are heading down a debbie-downer path.

does that make sense?

awesome. now turn that frown upside down, and go have a shot of whisky. (kidding)

thank you!

i have to give a great shout out to my dear friend Meghan...she updated my sorry blog and I think she did a GREAT job. thank you so so much meg, you are wonderful and so appreciated!

so excited...

this weekend my mom and i are doing another craft fair! Mead High School on Saturday and Sunday. I am so excited because we have been working on getting together some new adorable things. including, these clips (which I know is wierd since I made them...but i love) for only $8 including a matching headband



we also have a few more cute totes like this one ($25)



and just to let you know it's not all business, here is a pic from Liam yesterday while we were putting out christmas lights. i know it seems a little early, but i am so thankful we did them before it was too cold! it was a great family bonding experience.



so.........come see us this weekend, we love visitors!

help wanted...

i am in need of a blog makeover. but, i am not really good at it nor do i have any time. would someone like to volunteer? you would have complete control. (which is kind of scary for me)

Not to brag, but...

Today has been one of those days you dream about...

I got a full nights sleep because my wonderful husband slept with Jackson to keep him down through the night,

Everyone had a tasty breakfast at the kitchen table (at the same time),

The Sunday paper was actually interesting to read,

We worked together to do some household chores (the boys helped sweep and vacuum),

So far, naps are actually happening and going well (at the same time),

And, no major meltdowns or tantrums from either boy!

Seriously though, it is all kind of amazing. Maybe it is because of the unusually sound sleep I got but I feel really thankful today. Being a parent is not the most glamorous job most days. But, I think it is easy to forget what a gift it is. I mean, I have friends who have a hard time getting pregnant, staying pregnant, being pregnant or all three. It is easy to forget that even if my day seems to be going slower than the year, my boys really are a miracle.

I love being a mom, and if you tried to take away my sleepless nights, doctors visits, spit up stained shirts, minivan, diapers, toys that I constantly trip on, cheerio embedded carpet or Phil & Ted stroller...I would be really mad.

Plus, I really love my stroller.

In short, I want to thank my uterus for making my title as mom possible.

{love you boys!}

so much has happened...

I have been thinking about what to write in this blog for a long time...so much has happened to our little family

For starters, Liam turned one! We had a big celebration with all our friends that just happened to include a big bouncy castle. It was so much fun, I highly recommend it! It was a crazy year since Liam was born and we just wanted to have a full day of fun with the kids. It was perfect and definately gave us some playtime that we all needed!

Just before that, we moved! We found a lovely family to rent our home so that we could move in with my parents. It was a very quick decision that has turned out to be an even bigger blessing than anyone had initially intended. Words cannot describe the sense of calm that has come over everyone that has been a wonderful effect of having extra help. This leads us to the big news that happened just a few weeks ago...Jackson being diagnoised with autism.

For about the past year and a half, we have been trying to put everything together with Jack. Autism just happens to be it. He has been going to therapies at least 3 days a week during that period for what we thought were just "developmental delays" in the hopes that he would catch up and be "normal". Well, it wasn't quite that simple. Luckliy, we have a wonderful team a pediatricians here in town who recommended we take a visit to Seattle Children's Hospital last spring. They got an initial baseline of Jack's behaviors so when we went in September they were able to track his progress as well as administer a standardized test. In our case, it was the ADOS which is fairly common in areas around UW.

Very long story short...there was some confusion about autism and all that it meant for us. But we learned something simple that i hope will help; there are three main developmental areas that they look for in order to classify.

Social Interaction
Communication and Speech
Odd or Unusual Behaviors

Here's the cheat sheet...if you have delays in social interaction and odd or unusual behaviors, you would be classified as having "asperger's syndrome". If you have delays in communication as well as either social interaction or unusual behaviors, you would be classified as being having "autism spectrum disorder". If you have delays in all three areas, you would be classified as "autistic". Does that help?? In our case, Jackson has delays in all three areas. It gets really confusing for people when you also note it is possible to have "autistic tendencies". It's a big umbrella.

I know that people have strong opinions on whether or not to "label" their kids. For us, it was a little adjustment but then we realized that the only thing that changed is that it is much easier to get the services for Jack that he needs. It's a lot to digest at first, but all ending up good.

I would encourage anyone with concerns with the development with their kids to keep searching for answers when you know in your heart that something is wrong. Just as in our case, once you push throught the uncomfortable stuff, the support and help you can get is a tremendous help. On the days I feel like I am going to lose my mind if I have to see another doctor, I lean on my support system and humbily remind myself how much worse it could truly be. I get a reminder everyday we sit in the waiting rooms of hospitals, clinics, and therapists. Besides, Autism does not define Jackson. He is just the same adorable little guy that I have gotten to know over the last 2 1/2 years. Love him to death! LOL

If anyone wants or needs more information start at www.autismspeaks.org. It is a great source that I refer to often. They even sent me an awesome "first 100 days kit" that is perfect for families needing support or some guidance.

Lastly (sorry I ramble), I have to thank my parents and wonderful husband for all their support. Moving in together was a great decision that works for us, and I could never express what having laundry done or dinner made by my mom has meant for me and my stress level...love you!

Cupcake Couture has the first event of the season...take a look at the blog!

For some reason, I had some extra energy today and decided to go with it. This is what I did...Got up early to shower before Jackson awoke, which meant I had to try and entertain Liam in the bathroom while I attempted that. Then woke Jack up to go to Speech (which went great), and so to reward him we went to get a haircut (which did not go so great). After getting Jackson down for a nap after lunch I decided to pick up the camera and chronicle how domesticated I am (not really).

I baked these cookies while holding a baby on my hip



His name is Liam, and he looks like this





While they were in the oven, Liam and I collected these from all over the yard



In the few minutes between batches, Liam managed to make this mess



and Easton stayed in this position the whole time



But I didn't mind all the commotion because it looked like this outside



and the flowers still look like this



Have I mentioned that I am not thrilled with the fact that my beautiful summer days are numbered? Although, we did something really crazy yesterday and became "charter members" at the brand new YMCA! Really, being a charter member only gets you a few shirts and locker locks, but still. I feel kind of special.

I am going to finish up my night by doing homework (ugg) and then attending class from 6-10. I have to say though, I am always kind of excited to use my brain.

Anyway..............obviously not too much exciting going on around here. Just your average stay at home mom trying to spice up the day with a little blog. Not that anyone reads all this. I know you just want to see pictures of the kids. As a matter of fact, if I did keep your interest for this entire post then send me a little comment. I am not completely convinced that anyone reads this besides my mom. Love you mom, and thanks for making me dinner tonight!

The Latest and Greatest..

Well, as summer officially ends with Jonn returning to work tomorrow I thought I should post some recent pics for all the fam-dam-ly out there. Here you go...


These are a few of Liam today, just in time for his first birthday. It has gone by so fast!


These two were taken at Kate's wedding, earlier this month. They insisted on matching. Or maybe I insisted???





Of course I had to post a few from the wedding..."puke and rally" was the motto. Can you pick out who was sick????

dream conversation with a 2 year old

I had a conversation in my head with Jackson today and it went something like this:


Dearest Jackson,

I love you very much but don't really like you right now.
If it were possible to divorce your children for a short time, today might be the day I ask for it.
I sincerely do not appreciate the chunks of muffin that were thrown at my head the whole drive home from speech class.
I do not find it amusing when you laugh in my face after I place you in a time-out.
Your brother has enough bruises on his body of his own doing, he does not need anymore inflicted by you.
Please find it in your heart to take pity on my tired body that is fighting a cold, the energy you require right now is too much.
You won this battle and I will never forget for the rest of my existence on earth.

Love, Mommy

The Dam

As the summer starts to wrap up I am becoming desperate to squeeze every last ounce of fun into it.

Last night, we packed up our van at 6pm with 4 adults, and 3 toddlers to hit the road. Destination: Grand Coulee Dam.

I have to say, it was surprisingly fun. Sort of a spontaneous road trip for no purpose than to envelop our minds with all that the great state of Washington has to offer. A little dramatic, I know. Seriously though, did you know they have a lazer show every night in which the Columbia River actually talks to you like you are long lost friends? Love it. Actually, the river is the self-proclaimed reason that we won WWII. I never knew that!

School officially starts on Monday for me, and Jonn has about 2 weeks until he goes back to work (Ugg). Things are just busy getting ready for the "big move".

I promise to upload some dam pictures when I get my rugrats down for a nap!

Note to self: Take a deep breath and relax. This year is going to be better and easier, and way more fun than the last.

I have found myself literally sick to my stomach the last couple weeks with no good explanation why. Until today. I realized that the upcoming school year was making me physically ill. Just the thought of summer being over and Jonn going back to the way things were last year is enough to bring up my breakfast. I think we both definitely underestimated the amount of patience it would take to have both of us in grad school, two boys under two, one with appointments up the kazoo, Jonn working full time plus, logging hours for his internship, plus coaching two sports.

Hence, the reminder. There are so many reasons why this year is going to be better. Like...

Jonn is graduated (Thank the kind, good lord!)
Jackson is getting used to his hours at "school"
I finally, sort-of, have the hang of wrangling two kids
Only one sport this year (although we will miss the football crew!)
Moving to a house with more to entertain the boys
and a lot more that I can't think of right this minute.

See...that seems better already. Hopefully I can cut back on my Tums intake.

I know that this rant seems a little crazy considering I am a stay-home mom. But seriously. I feel like I could use a nanny/housekeeper. Probably no different from any other mom I guess. There is never enough time, energy, creativity, money, patience in the day!

I'll shut up now.

p.s. a quick shout out to my friend Julie who I know will read this because she is on dreaded bed rest with two small girls of her own to look after. I realize I sound like a big baby right now...sorry! The Covell circus is nothing compared to what you are doing right now. You are my hero!

Birthday Vote

Is Liam getting cuter everyday, or is it just me?

I was supposed to be studying, but instead took and iphoto break with this little one. His first birthday is just around the corner and we need help deciding on a theme. Does he look more like a truck guy or a monkey guy? Vote for your favorite first birthday theme!

I am an advocate...

**Just a quick disclaimer. I am not a doctor (obviously), and am only speaking from my personal perspective. I do not mean to offend, embarrass, or hurt anyone by writing this post. My purpose is to help anyone who might see themselves in a similar situation. I am not a saint, this is not always easy. But I am not embarrassed by my son at all. How could I be...he is the most adorable thing ever! (both my boys are tied)

Some of you may know that since about his second birthday we have been Jackson tested for all sorts of learning delays. He is not much of a talkative child (to say the least), so you may have noticed. We are still in the process of a lot more testing, but what we do know is that something is definately "different". Don't misunderstand me...I love my son more than he will ever know, and for that reason alone he will always be perfect to me. But, like most parents I want him to be able to experience his life through every means possible. I would love for him to be able to eat by himself. I would be thrilled if he could tell me what he wants. It would be unbelievable if he could just simply find a way to do all the things that his friends get to do. Luckily, he is a really kind, happy and loving boy. He has no clue how far behind he is, and for that I am very greatful.

This post is not really about Jack though. It is for anyone who can read. Basically, at the beginning of this roller coaster ride, I realized that there is no one in charge of Jackson...just Jonn and me. We had to educate ourselves quickly on all the possibilities from developmental delays. It was up to us to find where to get evaluations done, which therapists were the best, and what all the diagnosises mean. It is a full-time job, and has quickly developed into a team of five therapists, multiple specialists, and work from the two of us at home. We are the advocates for our son.

We are so lucky being surrounded by so many awesome friends in the teaching and therapy fields. Through their help and google (seriously!) we have been able to get him everything he needs and hopefully it will positively effect the outcome of the rest of his life. In case you or someone you may know is questioning any delay in their own kids pass along this information:

Infant Toddler Network
324-1651
Spokane Regional Health District
1101 West College Avenue, Room 240
Spokane 99201
Provides information, referral, screening, tracking, evaluation, assessment, access to therapy and Family Resources Coordination. Financial assistance may be available for these services.

Anyone can call this number to set up an evaluation for their own child just to see that they are hitting all of their milestones. It was a godsend to us, and every therapist at the initial evaluation was wonderful. The "child find" is a free service through the health district, what is there to lose? Unlike physical health problems, there is very little (almost none) guidance on what to do once you suspect your child might need some help. The Infant Toddler Network is a perfect place to start.

Some people probably think we are being a little too open about Jackson and his "issues". For us though, it is an opportunity to be an example of not shying away from people with special needs no matter how significant or insignificant they may be. For anyone who might need some support or just have questions, we are always willing to talk! The key is to get help early, the sooner the better! For our family, this is the best way we know how. To all the parents out there...please remember that you are always your child's best advocate!

Congratulations Jonn!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Blogging could be considered a full-time job for some. For others, like myself, when we happen to have a free moment we post anything just to keep our families happy!

I promised that I would post this pic for my family in California...Christopher, Jackson and Liam. What a happy bunch! I will get the rest up soon, I just have to finish up some homework. Love you guys!

Spring, finally!

It is confirmed...crazy runs in the family.

This morning I caught Jackson piling every ball he could possibly find on top of Liam. The strange thing is that Liam didn't mind at all!




This past weekend my sister came to visit (and plan a whole wedding in 2 days!) so we took the boys downtown to meet with some vendors. We took a little pit stop at Madeline's where Jackson discovered they have the biggest cookies ever! It took about 20 minutes, but he finished it! I think a good mom might not like him eating all that sugar, but he was such a good boy and he's too skinny! Before you gasp just know that I considered getting him a piece of cake too!





going, going...gone!



We also met up with my wonderful friend (and adorably pregnant) Jill and her son Markus at Riverfront Park. It was great to let the boys run around. Kate even got them to feed the goat! Just in case you were wondering...the slide is actually pretty fast. Jack was dying to go down all by himself, but I am not quite ready for that!





Things are still really busy around here, but I think I speak for everyone in the city of Spokane when I say how freaking excited I am to be rid of this winter! I get to take a weekend trip to Phoenix for some "girl time" with Kate, and couldn't be happier. Thank the kind good lord that spring is here!

Weekly Update

It has been the longest week...my mom and I finally got our act together and did our first show with our sewing business, Cupcake Couture. It was a lot of fun, and thankfully a success! If you are interested, you can see our blog at : cupcakecouturekids.blogspot.com . We have an etsy shop just waiting for us to list things so as soon as I get a free minute to take pictures and get that going, I will.
Anyway, Jonn brought the boys down for a visit...



Earlier this week, I finally got some good pics of Liam getting his first bites of food in the "big boy" high chair. It was hilarious because he kept diving in towards the spoon and hitting his mouth on the tray, which sounds a little painful but he would end up just gumming it fo a little while...guess it tastes good!






Of course, Jackson would not let me have the camera out without taking one of him...he is a little out of sorts in this one!

I don't know what I am more excited about right now...the fact that both the boys went down at a decent time tonight, or that I finally got to finish some of my "fun" projects! I made the most adorable (and reversable) apron that I would wear as a dress if it had a back! p.s. I know these are hideous pictures, it is late!

Also, just finished something we will offer through cupcake couture...the most adorable dress-up tutus! I made a toddler (with the bow) and infant (on the bottom bear) sample tonight and love the way they turned out. I am definately living vicariously through my friends with girls. These particular ones are going to my friend Sarah and her adorable girls Addison and Avery. Let me know if you are interested in ordering one before we list them...the toddler will be $20 and the infant size will be $7. It would make such a cute birthday or picture outfit! I love to do them in any color, just ask!

I wonder if Jonn will let me try them on Jack and Liam.

Probably not! I think I may have to design some dress-up capes for boys!

Thank you so much for all your emails/calls! Jackson is home now and doing so much better! I am posting a few pictures as proof. This is the Mcdonalds cheeseburger that ended up being his ticket home...

and, here we are at home celebrating! (diapers and PJ's of course!)

unbelieveable!

It is sunday night, and the only thing I can do is look back at this past week and laugh...this is truly unbelievable, sad and funny all rolled into one.

Rewind to Monday morning, Liam wakes up with a little cold, no biggie. We can handle that.

Tuesday, I start to stress about my biology final and cram like crazy.

Wednesday, Jackson wakes me up in complete panic because I literally think he is having an asthma attack. We go to the doctor and find out he has croup. Fun times start to kick into gear. Over the next day I try my best to comfort him in a steamy shower room poking my head out to keep an eye on Liam playing in the hallway where I have strategicly set up a temporary play area.

Thursday, The croupy cough is out of control, and Jack stops napping, eating or drinking. I beg my teacher to let me re-schedule my final (thankfully it works)

Friday, despite calls to the doctor we decide there is nothing we can do for Jackson as they inform us he has RSV. Awesome News. (totally being sarcastic) Later that night, our heater stops working because of our filter being clogged (oops).

Saturday morning, Liam wakes up with a classic case of pink eye. I call urgent care to take him in, and the nurse hears Jackson in the background. He asks us to bring both of the boys in seperate cars to be seen. Liam gets meds, and we are told that Jackson needs to be forcefully given liquids. Have you ever tried to forcefully give a two year old anything? In the meantime, we quarantine the house...Jackson and Jonn in the basement, Me and Liam upstairs. Launder everything possible and bleach anything else.

Later that night, Jackson has to be taken downtown where they admit him to Sacred Heart for his RSV (where he currectly is) and all sorts of fun tests are run. Did I mention that they had to try for his IV twice?

After spending the whole night on the peds floor with Jackson in our twin bed I finally get some rest around 4:30. It doesn't matter though because the nurses have to wake him about every hour to check his lung sounds. After a long day with him, Jonn relieves me and I run home for a shower. Just when I think it is safe to relax and unwind a bit, I decide to treat myself to Didiers. Only I don't make it because I get pulled over by state patrol for having a headlight out. Seriously???!!

When will this crazy chain of events end? I am laughing on the outside but crying on the inside because it sucks so bad. I swear this kind of stuff only happens to me.

a big bunch of random...

Jack had his SECOND birthday! I cannot believe it. We had a small family party, and celebrated with my brother Pete who turned twenty-two on the 4th. It was Elmo-mania and I made the birthday boys little matching shirts. The trouble came when I tried to get a picture of them with their party hats on!




Jonn and I thought we would try to grow out Jackson's hair...here is a preview. What do you think?


Jackson took a little stroll outside with Grandma and Grandpa, and his best friend Easton. It is really un-clear who was walking who!



I couldn't leave Liam out...



Everything else around home is good, we are staying really busy. Jonn is still logging his adminstrative hours, I am done with my first class at Whitworth, and my mom and I are starting a business with custom baby accessories. If you need a shower gift or something special for yourself or grandbaby, let me know! I will post when our site is up and operational!