Flashback Friday

October 1998, North Arkansas

We'd been married over a year, but we look like kids!!

Toothless Grin

Jackson was pretty excited to try his first bites of baby food. I've been trying to give him rice cereal over the last few weeks, but he hasn't really cared much about it. Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, were scarfed down when I offered them to him yesterday!

As Good As it Gets

My friend Rhonda was doing pictures last weekend, so I took the boys out to get a few shots. I should have known that with it being in the afternoon, Jackson wouldn't cooperate. But I tried anyway . . .


It didn't matter what Rhonda did behind me, Jackson WAS NOT going to smile. And of course, we had to take time out for every car that came by--Clayton (and Jackson, it seems) isn't going to miss seeing a car drive by:



I do have to say that Clayton was more than cooperative. He was all smiles because he loves his Rhonda.

But after several shots, the meltdown began--I decided to give up for this go around!

Mystery Solved

After reading yesterday's blog, my mom promptly emailed me to jog my memory. SHE is the one who gave Clayton the pumpkin outfit!! How in the world did I forget that his dear Granny had gotten it for him????? Shame on me!

Jackson looks pretty cute in it too, don't you think????

Flashback Friday

With this weekend being all about Halloween, I knew exactly what we'd flashback to this week. Clayton was so tiny, he was able to wear the same outfit for his first two Halloweens! These first pics are in the NICU (notice you can't even see the little peanut in the pic with my mom and me!). ~Oct. 2003

And these next two are the following year (2004), when he had definitely learned to bat those long lashes for the camera. =)

Still so tiny! He was over a year old and only weighed a little over 12 pounds!

We're definitely getting our use out of this outfit since Jackson will wear it as well--the crazy thing is, someone gave it to us after they had used it and I can't even remember who that person was!

On That Same Note . . .

Kristina commented on Monday's blog and left a link to a post on the same subject by Shannon, who had in turn shared a devotional from another friend. It's so on target, I had to share. (If you know the original author, let me know so credit can be given).

Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1


The failure to persevere is the most common problem in prayer and intercession. We begin to pray for something, raising our petitions for a day, a week, or even a month, but then if we have not received a definite answer, we quickly give up and stop praying for it altogether.


This is a mistake with deadly consequences and is simply a trap where we begin many things but never see them completed. It leads to ruin in every area of life. People who get into the habit of starting without ever finishing form the habit of failure. And those who begin praying about something without ever praying it through to a successful conclusion form the same habit in prayer. Giving up is admitting failure and defeat. Defeat then leads to discouragement and doubt in the power of prayer, and that is fatal to the success of a person's prayer life.

People often ask, "How long should I pray? Shouldn't I come to the place where I stop praying and leave the matter in God's hands?"


The only answer is this:
Pray until what you pray for has been accomplished or until you have complete assurance in your heart that it will be (accomplished).


Only when one of these two conditions has been met is it safe to stop persisting in prayer, for prayer not only is calling upon God but it is also a battle with Satan. And because God uses our intercession as a mighty weapon of victory in the conflict, He alone must decide when it is safe to cease from petitioning. Therefore we dare not stop praying until either the answer itself has come or we receive assurance it will come.


In the first instance, we stop because we actually see the answer. In the second, we stop because we believe, and faith in our hearts is as trustworthy as the sight of our eyes, for it is "faith from God" and the "faith of God" that we have within us.


As we live a life of prayer, we will more and more come to experience and recognize this God-given assurance. We will know when to quietly rest in it or when to continue praying until we receive His answer.

And with that, let us PRAY WITHOUT CEASING!

Good Morning, Glory!

Jackson greets every morning with a smile--he is just the sweetest thing [in the mornings!] I'm definitely not a morning person, but seeing his little grin helps get me going each day. He was especially happy this morning since he got to take a snooze in Momma and Daddy's bed. =)

Accepting the Plan or Giving Up?

Our Pastors went to a prayer conference last week and came back FIRED UP for The Lord. And on Sunday, our senior pastor preached a sermon straight from his heart--a sermon that although was meant for our church as a whole, I couldn't help but think about how it applied directly to our lives. The part that got me thinking was when he spoke of "crying out to the Lord," being literally on our faces before God praying . . . I used to do that on Clayton's behalf. Used to EXPECT the miracle of complete healing. But I have to admit that as the years have passed, I've started praying for just the little things--Lord, help Clayton make it 30 minutes in his stander today. Lord, help me have the strength and energy to get Clayton in and out of the car on our errands today. Lord, please keep Clayton calm while we are in this strange place. Lord, please help his legs loosen up so we can get his diaper and pants on this morning. These prayers are so different from LORD, WIPE THE BRAIN DAMAGE AWAY! LET HIM WALK LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!! Does that mean I'm accepting God's plan or does it mean I've given up?? Up until Sunday, I thought it meant accepting His will. And maybe it is, but that doesn't mean that I need to stop praying and crying out for the BIG miracle!

How can I look at my precious child and NOT plead and intercede on his behalf?!

Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24b

Pumpkin Unit

Last week we did a unit on pumpkins in honor of the fall season being in full swing. Clayton had a pretty good week attention wise, but it was during this unit that he started answering all my questions with "Brian." What color is the pumpkin? Brian. Where's the stem? Brian. Which book do you want to read? Brian. Yeah. It was like that. And he's still doing it this week . . .

On the bookshelf:

Pumpkin Jack

The Pumpkin Runner

Is it a Fruit? Is it a Vegetable? It's a Pumpkin!

IPOD Playlist:

What Falls in the Fall? by Laurie Berkner

Online Resources:

Homeschoolshare.com

ABCTeach.com

We started the week with identifying the parts of the pumpkin. I have a decorative pumpkin that we used as a guide to make our pumpkin for Clayton's notebook. Lovely, isn't it?? =)

We read Pumpkin Jack several times over the course of the week. I used flashcards I made (ABCTeach.com) to help illustrate the life cycle of a pumpkin (I just forgot to take a pic of them). Of course, Clayton's favorite part was the end: PUMPKIN PIE!


Practice recognizing patterns:

On Thursday we talked about size and relative size. I had three pumpkins: small, medium, and large. We weighed them and also used yarn to measure their circumference. You can tell when Clayton helped me write:

Introducing graphing concepts:

On Friday, we went to the pumpkin patch with a homeschool group. It was more than just a pumpkin patch, with lots of learning activities for the kids.

And on Sunday afternoon, a new friend of Clayton's invited us down the street to carve pumpkins. (She is a 16 year old girl who goes to the same clinic as Clayton for therapy--we never realized her dad lived down the street from us. Clayton loves her because she has a chair. The whole time we were there, he could have cared less about the carving--he just wanted to touch her chair!!). Clayton's sensory issues were in full swing (the pumpkin insides made him gag A LOT), so Brian ended up doing the carving for him.

The carving is the pumpkin sneaking a peek out of the blinds. Looks pretty cool, huh?

Visitors

We see deer occasionally behind our house, but last week, the cool weather made them all a bit braver. I counted six at one time . . . they liked snacking on what was left of Brian's garden.

Checking In

I have just a few minutes to let my blog readers know that yes, I'm still alive!! It's amazing how fast the days are passing. I spent last week getting ready for a garage sale, spent Saturday having it, and then Sunday recovering plus shopping for replacements of what I sold!! I've already bought new lamps and bath rugs, still looking for hall rugs and a kitchen table. The table is at the top of the list since we are without one at the moment!

We also did get to the Pumpkin Patch on Friday and spent Sunday afternoon carving the pumpkins with a new friend of Clayton's. Pictures of both are coming soon. We're still in the middle of a rash of doctor's appointments, so it seems like I'm never at home . . . and during all of this I'm dealing with a baby who is majorly cranky in the afternoons!! Jackson's crying makes Clayton so nervous, I wish there was a way to stop it. It's almost like he's already cutting teeth! He had a bottle at the hospital today and all he did was gnaw on the nip.ple. Just like a teether. Seems like he's going through a growth spurt as well. No longer sleeping through the nights--gets up at least once to eat and no longer sleeping late--gets up early for a feeding. I'm just so thankful he doesn't wake Clayton up since they are now in the same room.

I am seriously so inefficient with my time these days. I have gotten some stuff marked off my list, but I just keep adding and adding instead of making actual headway. Oh well, such is the life of a Momma!

Flashback Friday

October 2005

We're off to the Pumpkin Patch today so it was only appropriate to flashback to Clayton's first trip to a pumpkin patch!

Wondering Where I'm At?

Well, for the most part of the last five days, I've been holding Jackson. He's been something else since last Friday afternoon. He nursed about every 1 1/2 hours over Friday and Saturday (while I was supposed to be enjoying scrapbooking time with my neighbor---YEAH, RIGHT!). I have no idea what's gotten him so cranky, but all I can do is just hold and console and hope he feels better soon. And tonight as I talked to my mom about it, she reminded me of an excerpt from a poem by Ruth Hulbert Hamilton:

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait til tomorrow,

For babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow.

So quiet down cobwebs,

Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby,

and babies don't keep.

Four Month Check-Up

11 pounds, 5 ounces

23 1/2 inches long

Today was Jackson's fourth month check-up. He's doing great on all accounts except for the wee little fact that he's only gained 1 ounce since his two month check-up! He has gained length, and he's proportional so I'm not worried. The doctor didn't say anything either, which I was super glad they didn't analyze the whole breastfeeding thing. Guess we will start trying some rice cereal since he's old enough now. I'm marching into foreign territory with this "real food for the baby" thing!

For Comparison's Sake

I didn't see it at first, but I'm thinking he looks a lot like me!

Making Friends

Something good happened last Friday. We went to our second gathering of homeschool kids at the local park. This was my third time around some of the mothers and I'm starting to feel really comfortable with them--they are slowly getting to know Clayton as well. As we stood there visiting, I noticed all of the boys were sitting together on the soccer field. Clayton was sitting with me as usual, but I really wanted him to start branching out and being with the boys instead of the grown ups. But I also didn't know if they would be comfortable with him. So I asked the other mothers and they talked to their boys and reminded them of Clayton's needs. The boys were more than willing to include Clayton in their group (especially since he had brought his toy truck!). They walked with me to the van to get his chair, and from then on, they were on their own! Clayton said he did NOT want me to go, so I left them to themselves. It was wonderful watching them walk around the park, playing with the truck, and actually talking to Clayton. He, of course, got bossy and started telling them which way to go!

Making friends. Participating in real play. Building independence. This is what we wanted for him last year in preschool. But instead, he got to sit with the teachers all day long while the other kids did regular kid things. His two "friends" at school were actually his teachers. Still burns me up to think about it.

It's just another confirmation that homeschooling was the right choice for us. We're moving at Clayton's pace and we're meeting people who are welcoming us with open arms, no matter what the issues are that we bring to the table.

Bumbo Baby

Jackson loves his little Bumbo seat! He usually plays Joe Cool and keeps himself cocked over to the side, just watching the world around him . . .

Katy No-Pocket

Last week, we enjoyed "rowing" Katy No-Pocket. Clayton liked this story, but I'm not sure he liked it quite as much as Caps for Sale--we still had to wear our hats while reading this new book!

On the bookshelf:
Little New Kangaroo

Online Resources:
Five in a Row Fold-n-Learn
Homeschool Share
Making Learning Fun
DLTK-teach.com

While reading the story, we were able to talk about lots of different animals since so many are mentioned and pictured in the book. We counted the animals and talked about their colors. The one that got the most attention was of course the SKUNK. In fact, Clayton kept asking to read the "skunk book," with no mention of the kangaroo at all!!!

This first little activity was piecing this kangaroo together. This gave us a chance to talk about top, middle, and bottom. I would tell him the head goes on the top, for example and then point to the top, etc.

We talked about the family of Kangaroos and how the Momma Kangaroo carries the babies in her "pocket," or pouch.


I had Clayton pick names for the family members: male=Daddy, female=Ashley, baby=Zachaeus (of course!).

Another activity was for improving coordination and dexterity. We did one on two different days. I put glue on the back of the small circles, and Clayton had to place them on the white circles within the pictures.

We also used these flashcards from Five in a Row:

The highlight of the week was another cooking experiment. We made "Anzac" cookies. Here is the description of the origin of these cookies (taken from the FIAR archives): Australian and New Zealand soldiers from WWI (1914-1918) were called ANZACS. In 1915, more than 8,000 soldiers died a famous battle. Australian children remember the soldiers by baking ANZAC cookies.

We got a new apron for Clayton with POCKETS like a Kangaroo and like the man in the story. (Couldn't find a child's apron with pockets, so Granny had to modify this one for us!) He used it to keep his cooking "tools" in!

The Times: They are A-Changin'

As most of you know, Clayton has always slept with us. And yes, he is now six years old. EEK. But when I got pregnant, we coerced him into moving to a toddler bed next to ours (but still in our room). That's been working great and really started to build a little independence for him. But he still had to hold Momma's hand until he went to sleep. :)

[Enter Jackson.] All of Clayton's therapists told me if we ever have another child that Clayton would be motivated in a new and exciting way. Of course they were right! So this was our conversation Friday night:

Clayton: Where's Jackson?

Me: In his crib, in his room.

Clayton: I wanna sleep with Jackson.

Me: Do you want to move your cot (what he calls his bed) in your room with Jackson?

Clayton: nodding yes.

Me: You want to sleep with Jackson instead of sleeping with Momma and Daddy?

Clayton: nodding yes.

Me: If you still want to tomorrow, then we'll move your bed in there and you can sleep with him tomorrow night.

And on Saturday when we asked him again, he was all for it. We made a huge deal of moving the bed in there (I didn't bother moving all of his equipment for fear it wouldn't last!). We did baths and I read to him for a while before I turned out the light. Jackson went to sleep as soon as I turned out the lights, but Clayton looked a little worried. I let him listen to his IPOD for a while and walked in and out letting him get used to it without Mom in the room. He finally fell asleep with me in there and he actually lasted until around three in the morning when he woke up terrified and crying. I stayed with him, but around five when he still hadn't gone back to sleep, I moved him to our bed. We bragged to everyone we saw Sunday about what a big boy he was! And at first, when we asked him if wanted to do it again Sunday night, he said no. But then Granny bragged enough on him that he decided he'd go for it again. And what do you know? He slept there until 9:00 yesterday morning! And again last night!!!!!

Now he is sleeping, but I haven't actually slept that well since the move. I keep thinking he'll wake up scared, thinking he'll have a seizure, thinking the pump will go off and wake Jackson up before I hear it, etc. You name it, I'm thinking it. But since I can't sleep I'm getting a lot of reading done--which was once my own bedtime routine! Who knows? Maybe I'll actually be able to get back to my books and reading myself to sleep each night! (Oh, and for those interested, even though Brian said he was trying not to get "emotional" about the change, his sleep seems to have NOT been affected).

Overdue

The long awaited new blog banner is here! I had to wait until I got just the right picture, but Jackson is finally included!

FOCUS!

This business of chasing my tail is really starting to bug me! There was a time long, long ago that I was actually organized, but it seems that taking care of both boys and keeping up with Clayton's therapy schedule has thrown me for a major loop. So in order to get my rear in gear, I've made a master to-do list, along with a master to-get list. I've already marked two things off, so I'm off to a good start. :) I've promised myself little rewards for doing certain things (i.e. 30 minutes of reading time, computer time, etc.). It's sad that I've resorted to making deals with myself in order to get things accomplished!

It's the Little Things

I went to Target today. Among other things, I wanted to get Jackson a pair of shoes. First pair I've bought him. You wouldn't think the experience would be emotional, and even though I wasn't expecting it, my eyes did get teary. For a long time, Clayton didn't even need shoes. Why buy shoes if you are in the hospital for the first six months of your life? Why buy shoes if you never actually go anywhere once you live at home? And when he finally did get shoes, they were the ones that fit over his dAFO's which are a 10+ on the ugly scale. He wore these forever until I finally figured out that New Balance wide widths would also fit over the braces. But even then it took a lot of effort to actually get those shoes on. And when we buy "regular" shoes for him to wear without his braces, it's a struggle to find the perfect pair. With his high muscle tone, it's almost impossible to get a shoe on his left foot that is the actual right size. We have to buy larger sizes even then just so we can get both feet in the shoes. And sandals won't hardly stay on at all--the right foot sometimes, but that left foot just can't relax enough for the shoe to sit right on his foot.

So today when I decided to try a pair on Jackson and it slipped right into place, it was so WEIRD! I couldn't help but think "so this is how everyone else does it . . ." Which, by the way, I've thought many times lately. So many things that are considered "normal" to everyone else are just foreign to us. And I'm not talking about huge things, just the little everyday occurrences like buying a pair of shoes.