PICTURES!!!!

FINALLY! I got my computer in, so I was able to load all my pictures! Here they are=) Try and contain your excitement.

Austin playing his VSmile that he got for Christmas



Handsome boy

Austin said he wanted to pray. So he said "thank you for my cars and my trains, the end"

Nom Nom Nom... good toes

LOOK at that smile!

Petey and Babe curled up.

Petey likes her carseat. This is why we keep it put up now.

Bath! She loves her nightly baths!

Austin and his pup

Mama and Austin

She's learned how to splash... and she does it well =)

Austin playing with his sissy

All clean after her bath

Austin and Sydney all ready for bed.

Austin and Daddy are playing Hide and Seek. This was Austin's hiding spot.

Bryant would just start getting close to him, and he'd jump out and say "I'M RIGHT HERE!"

Austin looking for Daddy... is he in the fridge??

Or in the closet?

THERE HE IS!!!

Austin and Sydney

Petey a couple weeks ago

Austin and Petey

Austin's job is to feed Petey a scoop in the morning, and a scoop at night

Daddy with his babies

Sydney and her toy that she LOVES

Hm.... I think she's hungry!

FEED ME!

Such a sweet big brother

Handsome Austin... representing ONLY THE BEST!

One of my faves

Her first teething biscuit. She LOVED IT

HAHA, this face cracks me up.... yes, she was A MESS!!!

Our new bedspread. We got a down comforter with a duvet and new curtains and sheets for our bedroom. Next is making a headboard.

Curtains

Petey and his new bed.

Sydney all kicked back playing with Bubba's toys

Austin was hiding under that blanket

Beautiful girl

Mama and Sydney

Kisses for the baby

At the hospital, Sydney loved the fish

Playing together waiting for Austin's appointment

The start of Austin's ultrasound

He wasn't all smiles for long... haha





They are SO CUTE!

Love this one
Austin Lee

Sydney Linn

Daddy and his babies again... I need to start getting pictures of me and the kids! haha

Austin on SuperBowl Sunday

Austin and his buddy Nemo

Petey has claimed Austin's chair...haha

Sydney on SuperBowl Sunday
Petey on SuperBowl Sunday

xoxo
k.

She's 8 months. 8 MONTHS!

Dear Sydney,

Today is January 29, 2010, which means that you are 8 months old today. I really cannot believe it. I still feel like I should be laying you in the sun to rid you of your jaundice, or swiping your belly button with alcohol wipes.... that time has passed. And as exhausted as I was those first few weeks, I miss you being so tiny. SO tiny. You wore preemie clothing your first couple of weeks, and have now soared into 9 and 12 month clothing. I still can't get shoes on your feet, much to my dismay, but you know, it's okay. I adore those tiny chubby little feet you have. You giggle endlessly when I kiss them.
And while you are still very dependent on me, your independence is starting to break through. You try to sit up every chance you get, and want to play with your toys without our help. You are starting to want to grab the spoon when I feed you... but you can't quite master the spoon to mouth issue with the food intact. However, it's very amusing to watch you try. You have determination written all over your face, it's priceless.
You aren't crawling yet, but roll over constantly. When you are on your belly (which you don't like to be very much) you push your butt up in the air and bend your knees, so you're trying! You will get there soon! Mommy is very guilty if hindering your crawling abilities. I give into you non stop. You love to be held, and I indulge you in that constantly. I very rarely let you sit and cry, I just can't stand it. You are so pitiful when you cry that it breaks my heart. You know just how to get picked up too... just look at me with those big blue doe eyes and crrrryyyy, and here runs Mommy. As soon as I pick you up, you're done. You're happy. You silly girl.
You have mastered picking things up. You can pick any of your toys up, and pass them from hand to hand, of course, with a trip to the mouth in between. You love these plastic little fish that we have... supposedly for bath time, but you play with them all day long. Every now and then, something on TV will catch your attention, and you watch intently for a minute or so. You are just so curious; and I love watching you try to figure things out. I wish I knew what was going on in your brain when you are trying to figure out how to open a toy phone, or figure the dog out. What is that thing whining at me? Why does that thing make noises when I pull on this?
You smile constantly. Your happiest time is still morning right when you wake up. You are full of giggles and smiles; and no matter how tired I am, that's always my favorite part of the day with you. You are very ticklish on your back, and love when we "get" your thighs. You squeal with delight. Sometimes you bust up laughing at the most random sounds. If someone has been recording me, I'm sure they think I'm nuts for the silly noises I make at you. If one makes you laugh, I will do it for hours until you're worn out. Just hearing your giggle makes my day complete.
You also got your ears pierced right before Christmas. You were such a champ. You cried for all of 5 minutes... by the time I was done paying, you were just fine! You look so sweet with them! You don't even mind it when mommy cleans them, you sit there so still.
You have found the tops of your ears, your toes, and just recently your diaper. You haven't pulled it off yet, but you love touching it and grabbing at it, so I know it won't be long and I'll walk in to a naked baby. =) You have also found mommies hair, and get handfuls many times per day and pull and pull and pull. You are also catching on to waving. You watch us intently as we teach you, and eventually, one by one, your figers start working into waving.
Bath time is your all time favorite. You can be the fussiest you've ever been, and as soon as I stick you in the sink for your bath, you calm right down. You love playing with your fishes and duckies in the bath, and have a new found love of splashing. So when you get your bath each night, so does mommy. And the floor. And the counters. Everything around the sink is just soaked, it's so funny. And watching your reaction when you splash yourself in the face is hilarious.
You got your first double ear infection this month. You were running such a high fever that I took you to the doctor right away. I'm glad I did because your ears were infected. How miserable you must have been. You reacted badly to the antibiotics they gave you, so they ended up giving you a shot instead. That took care of it right away, and you started feeling better in no time.
You still are not sleeping through the night, and while I am utterly exhausted from sleepless nights, secretly I love the cuddle time we get each time you wake up. I think I might actually miss those couple hours each night.
You are still nursing, but also are eating solid foods. Your favorite by far is the sweet potatoes. You hate the applesauce, and are also not fond of the meat. I bought you "Biter Biscuits" yesterday for your teething, and you were in heaven. You were a complete mess, but you loved them!
Your vocabulary consists of "Dada", "Nana", and "Bubba." You have yet to say Mama, but I know you are saving the best for last. ;o)

You are such a joy, Sydney. You are so beautiful and so sweet. Your hugs and "kisses" melt my heart, and your smiles light up my day. The sound of your laughter sends my heart soaring. I couldn't have gotten any luckier with you. I love you baby!

Love,
Mommy

Thankful Thursday

I am in such dire need of a Thankful Thursday post that it's ridiculous. This has been a hard week for me, so just a little time to reflect on what I am thankful for in my life will do me some good.

Today, I am thankful for....

...my kids. As I always am, but time and time again I'm reminded at how fast life goes, and how quickly one can be taken from you. I will cherish every day I am given to spend with them.
... my husband, for the exact reason listed above.
...Weight Watchers... it's already working. I know it does, it has before, I just need to get my will power in check and stay on it this time and really change our eating habits. This weight roller coaster is just not healthy.
... coffee. Without it this past month, I would have been complete mush.
... tax returns. They were deposited into our bank account today. We have a lot of things that need to be paid, and a few things around the house that are much needed, so I'm happy to be able to do it.
... a napping daughter. (haha... who actually JUST started fussing as soon as I typed that...)
... base housing. While, in a way, it's a false sense of security, it still makes me feel like my children are just a little bit safer.
... being close to family. I've been so homesick the past 4 months that it's been crazy. I'm thankful that home is only 8 hours away right now, and happy that I am able to go home.
...my mom. We are best friends, and it's a relationship that I cherish and treasure. I don't know what I would do without her. She's my rock.
...my family. I have such a good relationship with everyone in my family and I am so incredibly thankful for that. Family is THE most important thing in my life, and not being able to have the closeness and comfort of them in my life, I don't know what I would do. ALL of you.

xoxo
k.

I'm so BEHIND!

Austin (aka Boog, Beaver, Bubba)-

Next month you will be 3 1/2 years old. I can't believe that this is the year you will turn FOUR. Where has time gone? It seems like it was yesterday that we moved to Idaho and I was still pregnant with you. Like just yesterday that I was preparing your room for your entrance into this world. Like yesterday that we brought you home from the hospital bursting with pride for you. You have grown up so fast, and it's so bittersweet. I want to remember every moment of your life, take a mental picture of every smile, every giggle, every kiss and every hug. In my mind, there will never be a day that you won't call me momma, and won't run to give me hugs when I walk in the door. In trying to organize our pictures lately, I've been browsing through your baby pictures, and it's amazing how much you have grown. I do miss the little, tiny baby you were, but fall in love more and more every day with the little boy you've become. My heart bursts with pride for you, you are just so amazing.
Your personality breaks through at every waking moment. You are such a spit fire, that it cracks me up. You are so full of life, and so incredibly loving. You are so funny, you have me roaring with laughter on a daily basis. Just the other day we were in Wal Mart looking at curtains, and there was an employee (male) in the aisle scanning items. He had long hair in a braid that went down his back. You stood right behind him saying "Momma, LOOK! It's just like a girl, Mom, LOOK!" You said this over and over, and it finally caught my attention as to what you were saying. I could barely contain my laughter long enough to pull you and daddy into another aisle so I could bust up laughing.
You are also an insanely smart little boy. You know all your colors, numbers 1-11 (and even can count backwards from 5-1) and you are now learning your alphabet. When you get tired of singing the alphabet song with me, you look at me and pointedly say "I'm so sick of this game."
You are very into Superhero's right now. Spiderman, Batman, Hulk, Ironman, you name it, you love them. Transformers are a new love of yours as well. You can endlessly make me or daddy turn your transformers into cars, and then back again. Over and over and over.
You have found that you love playing Hide and Seek. When it's your turn to hide, you giggle the whole time, and once we get close to you, you jump out and say "HERE I AM!!!" Your hiding spots include: under the table, behind a chair, and I think your favorite is in our bedroom closet.
You love seeing your sister smile, and making her laugh. I can see the love you have for her written all over your face. She lights up every time she sees you, and it makes my heart burst. When she smiles or giggles at you, you proudly exclaim that "SISSY LOVES ME!" Yes, yes she does. In fact, her newest word is "Bubba." And boy that made you happy!
You have a new puppy now as well. You and Petey have endless hours of fun together, running back and forth. You think it's so funny when you get him so riled up that he starts barking at you, but aren't too fond of him nipping at your bottom while you run. Many times I have heard you, while hugging (maybe a little to tightly) his neck, saying, "You're my best friend."
Austin- you are just simply amazing. You light up my life, and bring me constant joy. I can't believe how blessed my life has been with you. I love you Bubba!

Love,
Momma

Her name is Maddy

There's a little girl named Maddy whom I was introduced to through a friends blog. Not to her directly, just reading about this inspiring little girl. On April 10, she will be cancer FREE for 10 years. How amazing! She would like to raise $10,000 for the American Cancer Society in celebration of her anniversary. Here's a link to my friend Amy's blog so you can read about her, and click on a link that will take you directly to Maddy's page. All she's asking is for each of you reading this to send a card with $1 inside. She's already at $942 dollars, and she's only received 79 cards. I would like to help her with her goal, and I would like to ask every one of you to help her as well. She's truly inspiring!

Please visit her site!

xoxo
k.

Whew!

It's been a long couple weeks, I'll tell ya what! Bryant escaped the sickies, but Austin, Sydney and I all caught it. Sydney the worst of all. She's had such a tough few days, I feel so bad for her. It started with just a little runny nose one day, and the next day she was all sick. By that evening, she was running a 103.1 fever, so I took her into the Urgent Care right away. She'd been getting Tylenol & Motrin since the night before, so it scared us that her fever was so high, even with that in her system. I'm glad I took her in, because she ended up having a double ear infection. She was given Amoxicillin and the go ahead to continue the Tylenol and Motrin. I guess Amoxicillin and Sydney don't get along very well, because the next couple days were pretty messy.... she got quite a few baths in two days. =) Yay for mommy! She wasn't sleeping, so neither was I. We were both exhausted. Then Tuesday night, she started throwing up all the sudden. I looked at the printout the doctor gave me of side effects of the antibiotic, and that was considered a "serious" side effect. So I called Urgent Care again, and they told me to bring her in. So back we went. They took her off of her Amoxicillin and instead gave her a shot of antibiotic. I felt awful, it was such a thick mixture, they had to mix it with Lidocaine in order to numb her leg so it wouldn't hurt so bad. She wasn't a fan. At all! We waited around for about a half hour to make sure she wouldn't have an allergic reaction to it, and then we were sent home. That night, she slept like a champ. Probably all the crying and throwing up really took it out of her. None the less, she slept from 10pm to 5:30am, and I was very thankful! =) Yesterday she seemed to be doing better, was still a little fussy, but acting significantly better than the previous day, and her "messy" situations were better. Today she's doing great, still not feeling GOOD, but doing so much better. And so much happier. I missed that smiley girl! So hopefully by this weekend, we will be past all this, and back to normal!

On another note, Austin has his annual check-up for his kidney February 5th. Back history for those that've forgotten, he was born with only 1 functioning kidney. They caught it when I was 21 weeks pregnant with him. After he was born, we had to go in monthly, then every three months, and eventually each year for an ultrasound. Early on, he had to get cathaters and dye tests to track the function of his kidney, and the flow of urine. But now, with his yearly check-ups, he only has to have an ultrasound done, and measurments taken. The thought of the doctors was that his non-functioning kidney would eventually involute and dissolve into the body. That should have happened a little over a year ago. His kidney is not getting any smaller, in fact staying the same size; which poses a higher danger for kidney infection. Last year, his Urologist thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and go in and remove his kidney, but wanted to wait at least another year so Austin could get bigger so his organs would be larger, and easier to see, and operate on. Having only one kidney should not really affect him, since he was born with this condition, called Hydronephrosis, his right kidney has grown to almost double it's intended size to compensate for only having one kidney. So anyhow, Austin's Ultrasound and review will be February 5th starting at 8:30am. If his kidney has not changed significantly from last review, it sounds like we will be schedualing surgery to remove his left kidney. PRAYERS will definitely be needed, as this is going to be extremely hard for Bryant and I to go through. Even though it will not be extremely invasive, it's still a very scary thing to think about and have to go through. Strength will definitely be needed. Ok enough of that before I completely turn into a blubbering baby!

THANKFUL THURSDAY!!!!

Today... I am thankful for:

... TODAY!

... my babies getting healthy

... Bryant...'nuff said

... the excitement of tax returns... (Even though we get to pay bills... haha)

... a puppy who is doing FABULOUS at potty training! Been DAYS without an accident!

... medical insurance. We'd be SOL after the couple ER visits with Sydney this week

... Sugar Free coffee creamer so I can still have my coffee while on Weight Watchers

... the ability to cook so we can eat good meals =)

... DVR... I am so spoiled with it! Never have to watch commercials, and records my shows when I can't watch them... heaven!

xoxo

k.

It's a Monday

Tired doesn't even begin to describe what I am feeling. Exhausted.... no that doesn't work either. How about borderline delirious? Yeah, something like that.

It's been two weeks now since the kid hasn't been sleeping well. And while she did somewhat better last night (waking 4 times) it still is not satisfactory! I'll take it over what the previous nights have been, but still! She's almost 8 months old! Come on!

Austin ended up coming down with a cold last week, then passed it on to Sydney who in turn passed it on to me. So we've got three of the four of us sick. Yuck. The night before last, I ended up taking Sydney into the Urgent Care on base, because her fever kept spiking and was up to 103.1 and I wasn't very comfortable with that. I am glad I took her in, because she has a double ear infection. No wonder she's not been sleeping, and has been so cranky lately. I would be too. I hope this isn't a sign though that she's going to take after her daddy and I with ear infections. Both of us and tubes in our ears numerous times, and had a lot of ear problems as children. So I am praying that she doesn't follow in our footsteps when it comes to that. She'll be miserable. Ear infections are so painful. Anyhow, she got put on antibiotics, and I was given the go ahead to continue the Tylenol & Motrin mix to help with her fever and cold. It's working, and her fever finally broke yesterday. Today she seems to be doing a little better, she's a little brighter eyed, and a little more smiley this morning, so I am thankful for that. Maybe this means sleep is in my future.

Austin ran a fever the first night/day that he was sick as well, but his broke quickly. He woke up two nights in a row crying, and really not feeling well. He had the barky cough, and he was really stuffed up. He's now running around like crazy and driving me nuts as usual =) Yesterday we thought he was coming back down with it again, because he was getting really snotty again, but today he seems a little better. Still snotty, but not in the way you are thinking. hahaha =) Yeah, I think I'm funny.

I started catching it the day before yesterday. Then by the evening I wasn't feeling well and knew I was getting sick. Sore throat, headache, stuffy, sneezing, the works. I think I'm feeling a bit better today, I started using my Flonase yesterday in hopes to ward off a sinus infection since I'm so prone to them. So hopefully I'll feel great by tomorrow!

And you know, when it rains, it pours in this house. Petey started getting sick yesterday too. I won't gross you out, but he did really well in getting outside. He even did good overnight, and slipped just a little. But I think he's starting to feel better today, and even got a bath, so hopefully he'll be good as new.

All I gotta say is that Bryant better run for the hills.

xoxo
k.