Finally Friday!

TGIF! Thank goodness it's Friday! Did anyone watch the "TGIF" programming years ago? It had Boy Meets World, Hangin With Mr. Cooper, Family Matters, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch... to name a few. Cuddling on the couch with my mom watching those shows followed by 20/20 with Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters is one of my fondest memories. :o)

We stayed around the house today so my legs could recover from running hills yesterday. I left M and P with a babysitter (for the first time!), and it was great to have some me time. I even got to go to a consignment sale and lunch with some friends!

Here are some pics from today. I planned on going out, but it just never happened. Oh well. We'll "hit the streets" tomorrow while Jordan is at work. 

Tonight I made some delicious broccoli! I baked and broiled it, and it was awesome! I'll share the concocted recipe later. 

Bath time is really relaxing for Paisley because we've had "emergency evacuations" the past two nights. She keeps pooping in the bath! Jordan's comment "I'm not cleaning that up. Poop is disgusting." Apparently such a chore is the highlight of my day, haha! :o\

Hope you have a fun Friday! 

-ashley

Randomness

Random thoughts just for you...

*This week we finished our winter squash trial, and it wasn't as big of a hit as the sweet potatoes. Speaking of sweet potatoes, I made a batch, and Mac and Paisley seem to like homemade sweet potatoes better than Earth's Best brand. Good thing! 

This pic pretty much sums up how they feel about squash...

When mixed with cereal, they ate it pretty well. They would eat it by itself, but grimaces are part of the process. 


*Here's what we will start this week once they ripen...

I have them in the sun to soften. I really hope they like avocados- I know I do! 

*Laundry is never ending... so is dishwasher loading and unloading. Anyone feeling the urge to help?? haha! 

*We got new toys! It's been quite a hit, thank goodness!! I love watching the fun Mac and Paisley have in this jumper. We also got a couple of Boppy pillows to practice sitting up.. because I don't have 4 arms :o)

*Some days I feel quite overwhelmed. I wish there was such thing as the "easy button". 

*Speaking of overwhelmed... I'll shortly be flying solo for a few days, and I'm not looking forward to it...  I've been in denial that it was really happening. I must repeat to myself that it's only 4 days.. (only?? ugh!) 


*I just bought our 2012 season passes to Dollywood! Woo hoo!! (If you plan to go this year, ticket prices will go up March 11 so get them now!!)

Happy hump day!

-ashley

 Kony 2012... watch and take action.

Weather the Storm

What excitement we've had around here the past few days?! Between Paisley's ear infection on Wednesday, recovery on Thursday, tornado producing storms on Friday, a wonderful Saturday, and church and family time today... whew!!!!

Thursday was so pretty, and Paisley acted like she was feeling better. Here's a picture I took of her Wednesday after going to the doctor. Poor girl felt awful. 

Wednesday's ear infected sweet P

 Here's a snap I got of P on Thursday.. feeling much better! And playing with Mac :o)

 They are really into playing with each other these days! The stealing toys has started too... here we go!

Friday consisted of a couple trips to our hall bathroom. There were bad storms that produced a few tornadoes, so I loaded Mac and Paisley in their carseats, and we waited for the storm to pass... They were kind of confused, but they were calm, thank goodness. And I took this pic before I buckled them so I promise they were buckled when the storm was at our house.

for some reason I can't turn the pic- sorry

Mac-Man is becoming such a big boy

 The worst storm came Friday evening, and I was SO glad to have Jordan there! We put pillows, blankets, water, phone chargers, and almost the kitchen sink in our tiny half bathroom! We even took everything off the walls. There wasn't room for Jordan and me to sit on the floor beside the ginormous carseats, so I sat and held a carseat while Jordan sat on the toilet seat straddling us. What a sight... thankful we didn't make it to the news! 

Saturday we went for a run on the VW trail, and it. was. perfect! The weather was beautiful, M and P did great, and Jordan and I had a good run. It's days like this when our "cup overflows."

-ashley

We have our first...

... ear infection :o( Last night was pretty rough with Paisley. She went to sleep at bedtime and woke up at 10 crying. Jordan went to soothe her {it was one of those screaming cries, and I don't let them do that for very long}, but she wouldn't have it. We were up with her until 11:20, and I put her in the swing to sleep... "desperate times call for desperate measures."

The swing didn't last long, so I rocked her, then finally laid down with her, and we both fell asleep for almost 2 hours. Then we were up every 20 minutes after that. At one point P was burning up and had a 100.8 temp! 

Needless to say I called our pediatrician this morning, and Jordan took P to see her this afternoon. I am so thankful for the intuition God gives us mothers! Paisley was happy today so I could have waited another day, but my heart said to take her. It also helps that we had lots of ear infection talk over the weekend as we visited our family because Jordan and I grew up having lots and lots of ear infections. 

We will start her on an antibiotic and baby Aleve tonight-- I hated giving her Tylenol last night because of her liver issues and acetaminophen being so hard on the liver. 

it's also teething central around here

On a side note, Caleb had his trach put in today. Surgery went well, and he will be spending several days in the ICU. Please continue praying for this sweet boy. His first birthday is next week!! You can follow Caleb's story here.

Knox is home from the hospital! While his sister has been diagnosed with the same virus Knox had, she hasn't had to be hospitalized. Click here to read more about Knox and his family.

The twins I mentioned last week are also doing well! They are taking 1 ounce of their mommy's breast milk from a bottle! I am so proud of their mom for persevering and giving Hasten and Hadley the absolute best!

Baby G has a healthy heart beat!!!!!!! Baby G's mom and dad got to hear his/her heart beat, and they are so excited!! Rejoice!

Praise Jesus for being faithful even when we are not!You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.Isaiah 26:3

-ashley

Resolutions Continue

Our resolution to "get fit" in 2012 is still a reality for us. Woo hoo! Granted, it's still February, but I'll take it! 

I have been walking 3-4 hours a week for the past month, and it's nice to feel like I'm regaining my endurance. This week I downloaded and started the "Couch to 5k" app. It's pretty easy. It requires that you run 3 times a week, and the program alternates between walking and running. Having spent so much time on bedrest, my legs lost a lot of strength so it's important for me to start with baby steps. At least I'm moving forward! 

I wanted to capture some of our outings thus far to share with you :o)

This was one of the first beautiful days we had a couple of weeks ago. I'll squat beside the stroller next time so you can see the {cutest} cargo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

close up of M and P

Exercise 'play date' yesterday with our friend Mandy and her daughter, Lanie.

We aired out our feet after our run... They loved it.

-ashley

Sweet Potatoes!!

At the 6 month check up, Paisley was given the okay to start foods. We really had the go ahead at the 4 month appointment, but we chose to wait and see what the GI (gastroenterologist) recommended. We were advised to wait until blood was out of their stool before introducing anything new. Paisley was clear of blood 3 weeks after I eliminated eggs and tree nuts, and Mac was right behind her. What a praise!? Their tender bellies are healing! 

Here are pictures I took of the first bites of sweet potatoes :o)

Paisley puts her thumb in her mouth between bites.. So she doesn't have as many pictures because we ended up with sweet potatoes all over our hands. She does like them, though! She eats about half a jar at each "meal". I still give them cereal also.

 Mac wasn't a fan of the sweet potatoes at first.... he actually gagged the first time, but he's become quite the sweet potato fan, I promise. Over the two feedings, he eats two 4 oz jars a day! I took pictures of his new expressions during meals. 

Sweet babies!! I will keep them on the same food for a week and then introduce them to winter squash on Wednesday! 

-ashley

Jesus loves the little children

We are so blessed in numerous ways. One way that we have been blessed is with health. Our health and the health of Mac and Paisley. Even though M and P entered the world at 35 weeks, they were able to come home with us when we left the hospital. Paisley had a short stay in the NICU for monitoring, but she joined us the following evening. 

Being a mom, I have a new sensitivity for children who are suffering from sickness and moms who are carrying sweet babies in the womb who have received special attention for a particular situation. After we lay M and P down to sleep, Jordan and I pray over them and lift up our friends' babies in the womb {Collier, Stella, Junebug, Thomas, baby Wolfenden, baby Eaves, baby Arp- to name a few} and those who are born.

I want to use today's post as a platform to share some stories with you and ask that you join Jordan and me in lifting up these families in prayer.

Caleb- This sweet baby came into the world 16 weeks early (in March 2011), and he weighed 1 pound 6 ounces. He was 12 1/4 inches long. Caleb is a fighter, and he has overcome numerous obstacles. This precious boy came home after about 6 months in the NICU. He has fought cardiac issues, pneumonia, and many other trials that prove to us there is an Almighty physician caring for him. Currently, Caleb is scheduled to have a trachea put in to help him breathe as he continues to struggle to maintain good oxygen levels. The doctors believe that with a trach, Caleb will have more energy to progress his motor skills. You can read more about Caleb here.

 Hasten and Hadley- I was contacted by a loving grandmother who asked for prayers for her twin grandchildren. Hasten was 2 pounds 1 ounce when he was born, and his sister, Hadley, weighed 1 pound 11 ounces at birth. Their mom was almost 27 weeks pregnant when she delivered due to toxemia. The babies are said to be in the NICU until their due date, April 2. Their dad is home from Afghanistan and is able to be with his family as they face these precious times with the sweet babies. 

 

 

Knox- This sweet boy is also a twin, and he and his twin sister, Sloane, share birthdays with Mac and Paisley! Too cool. Knox has been diagnosed with metapneumovirus. He is in the hospital receiving IV fluids, breathing treatments, chest therapy, medicated nasal drops, saline, and suction. You can read more about Knox here.

Gibson and Larkin- These twin boys are still in the womb, and their mom is in the hospital receiving magnesium to stop labor. She is currently dilated to 3 cm and fighting to keep contractions at a minimum. Gibson and Larkin are 22 weeks gestation. 

Baby G- Like all babies, this baby is a gift from above and an answered prayer. Baby G is in the first trimester, and mom and dad have seen a heart beat! This is such a praise since Baby G's mom and dad have been through a lot in the past year. Keeping this as anonymous as possible, I want to share how you can pray for this miracle... Please lift up this baby and ask for a healthy, viable pregnancy that will progress into a beautiful baby for friends who desire to be parents. 

Mac and Paisley- you know these miracles :o) We received word today that their liver enzymes continue to be highly elevated. The next step is to look at family medical records and a lot of blood work. The GI shared that the amount of blood work required is too much to complete in one visit so we will have to get the labs drawn over several visits to the hospital. The unknown can be intimidating, and I've pleaded for their health. It is no coincidence that the Lord has surrounded me with other families who also seek Jesus' face and wisdom as we ... walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. Psalm 23:4

6 month doctor's visit- 2.20.12

How can we pray for your family?  Please share your requests in the comments or email me. :o)

-ashley