Ch-ch-ch-Changes!

Thank you to everyone for all your well wishes and prayer support! I'll look forward to keeping you all updated on the details of the pregnancy as some of you out there are already sending me inquiries! First off, I am due June 10, which seems like a lifetime away. But considering my doctor told me Monday that at 18 weeks I need to have all my helpers lined out for taking it easy, I really don't have that long it seems (that's just 10 weeks away!). My biggest concern has been lifting Clayton and his wheelchair which is already hard on my back. Doctor says I'm okay for now but accept help if at all possible. I'm soon going to have to enroll the school personnel to help me get Clayton out of the car. When I was pregnant with the twins, I had lots of issues with my sciatic nerve and I'm already feeling that pain after lifting Clayton a lot. Not good, but what do you do??? Things are already changing. Clayton gets a bath at night now instead of the morning so Brian can do the lifting. And at church I pretty much let everyone else take over. Being pregnant also immediately affects my singing if you can believe that. I haven't had enough breath for singing since almost day one of the pregnancy. I can't even reach the notes that usually come easily for me either! And since I have a singing engagement tonight, it should be pretty interesting!

Overall, these first few weeks have been a breeze compared to the twins. I was sick from day one with them. I have had some waves of nausea but so far not truly sick. Thank goodness! Here's to no real morning sickness!

The BIG News!

I've been keeping a secret from my blog readers!Can you believe that after such a long wait Brian and I have finally decided to have another baby?! We've had Clayton telling everyone that he is going to be a big brother and I think he's actually getting excited about it! (Or at least he's starting to notice babies even more than usual!) We got our first peek this morning and everything is looking good so far. And I think for old time's sake I'll be affectionately calling this baby Baby C since Shawn and Clayton were our Babies A and B. :) I'm so happy to finally share this news with the world! Everyone pray for a normal, uneventful pregnancy as one early labor was defintely enough for me! (I guess I'm going to find out just who in fact reads my blog with this announcement!)

The Other Patient

Just wanted to give a report on Clayton's latest doctor's visit. We saw the pulmonologist on Monday and he told me to get lots more aggressive with weaning Clayton off the oxygen. So now Clayton only wears the oxygen when he is asleep and after a couple of weeks of that I'm supposed to start shortening the time he wears it while asleep a couple of hours at a time. He's really doing well with it so far. It's been such a long road, but I really think he's ready for it this time--that is, all except giving up his nasal cannula which he is VERY attached to!! (Poor little guy, it's like his little security blanket is being taken away!)

(And I have to say a big THANK YOU to Sherrie and Todd for this little chair. It's perfect for him, and allows him to sit out in the yard without us getting the wheelchair out. We love that!)

Good News!

My dad is AT HOME! He was doing so well in his therapy that he got to skip going to rehab! PRAISE THE LORD for miracles!!! According to Dad, the doctor was pretty astounded at all the progress he is making. I saw him walk today without the walker and it was great. He is still shaky and it's going to take intense therapy to get back to normal but he has definitely made leaps and bounds of progress each day. THANK YOU everyone for your well wishes and prayers!!

Wow.

What a difference 24 hours makes. Yesterday at this time I was living life as usual and now I'm trying to take care of myself, be there for my mom, and praying my dad gets better. My dad has pain management injections in his spine and yesterday something went awry with one because he ended up losing all feeling in his legs and torso and having emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from his spine. He is in ICU now and it looks like it will take some time for him to regain use of his legs. His right leg is actually moving around pretty well, but his left not so much. He can wiggle his toes on his left foot so hopefully today he'll be gaining strength on that side. Pray he gets up and walking soon!

(As a side note his surgeon was Dr. Burson who has operated on Clayton about 5 times--totally small world and he knew exactly who we were without even seeing Clayton with us. I so want him to see Clayton but I don't know how I'll swing it because everytime we walk in a hospital Clayton gets majorly upset!)

Withdrawals

This is my favorite restaurant. It's right up the road from my house and they have a drive-thru that is so easy for us. I have the chicken chimichanga dinner there at least once a week. AND NOW ALL OF THE SUDDEN THEY ARE CLOSED! No warning, just a sign on the door saying "closed." I wanted lunch from there on Monday and hoped that it was just a one day thing, but still no sign of life around there today when I drove by. I'm getting a little worried because I really NEED their food to survive!! It's like a little treat I get each week and now that they're closed it's like I'm craving it more than ever! I'm just hoping upon hoping that they're just on a small vacation and all will be back to normal next week!

Hayride at School

Clayton's school kicked off their fall festivities with a hayride and some line dancing today. :) Clayton was one of the few kids that actually looked like he was enjoying the ride in the trailer. I think it was mainly because we were being pulled by a big ole' John Deere tractor. And because he was so excited, he was the only one that got to sit in the driver's seat of the tractor (he's special like that--or at least I think so!).

And I have to include this picture even though it's out of focus (I somehow had manual focus turned on)--this little girl has started really doting on Clayton and she was in his face the whole time they were sitting and eating popcorn. My son, always the ladies man!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday Little Brother!

Yesterday my little brother turned the big 3-0. Guess that officially makes me old??? Nicole planned a little surprise party for him and I think it actually worked because he did seem surprised when he walked in!

We had a good time but Brian and I realized how old we are when we started yawning at 9:00. Boy, are we the big time partiers or what?! At any rate, we enjoyed ourselves yawning and all!!

Another Layout

Here's this week's layout for the Survivor contest I'm in. Layout had to have (1)the word journey, (2) raw chipboard, (3) painted chipboard letters that were different sizes, and (4) pink!

Journaling: Despites sometimes difficult circumstances, time has taught us that we are indeed blessed beyond measure! Destin, FLA 8/08

Birthday Party Pics

We went to Heidi and Drew's birthday party this weekend and Clayton had a blast "chasing" all the kids around (and I think Brian lost a couple of pounds from all the running around he did!).

Here's just a few snapshots from the day---

Who knew cupcakes could be so fun? :)

Layouts

Yes, it's been a slow blogging week. Clayton was home the last two days sick and I really didn't think anyone wanted to hear about how many times we moved from the couch to the chair to the bed and then back to the couch. But to make up for that I'll share some layouts. I did this first one for a Survivor contest I'm in. We had to create a layout with the following: (1) title is "Life is Beautiful" (2) journaling on a cloud (3) paper-pieced tree (4) stitching on an edge (5) bird, owl, or deer (6) and two photo corners. I decided these pics by Nicole were great for this title. The journaling is a quote from Ashley Smith Robinson: "Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams."

The next one is Clayton's latest birthday of course. Journaling: This year, you knew the party was for you. NO CRYING--ALL SMILES!!!

And this last one is just my thoughts on this whole struggle with preschool.

Journaling: Your journey into preschool has opened our eyes in such a shocking way. With us, you experience everything possible—there are no limits to what you can do. But out in the world, people see your brain as incapable and slow just because your body doesn’t work. It is this revelation that has forced me into my “mama bear” mode, essentially screaming out with my words and actions to anyone who will listen—he is a normal five year old living inside a body that won’t work! And there’s only one word for it: TRAPPED. My little boy is trapped inside his body, and trapped in a system that only reluctantly makes modifications. But no matter . . . we will carry on like we always have, ignoring the boxes that people try to fit you in. Daddy and I will always bend over backwards to give you all the opportunities imaginable!!!!!

Next Best Thing?

I never get published anymore. Perhaps it's because I never submit my work???!!! But hey, I can still make it in a magazine since I'm buddies with bigger, more famous scrapbookers . . . This is Gretchen's layout, featured in the latest issue of Memory Makers Magazine. I'm in a couple of these pics (not really happy with my hair that week but oh well!). So I guess I can still say I was published this fall???!!! LOL!

My New Position

I don't guess I've shared my new position with my blog readers. I am now the Caravan Director in our Children's Ministries at church. Caravan is a Christian scouting program in the Nazarene church. (Along the same lines as Awanas in the Baptist denomination). It takes a while to get used to the program with all the badges and requirements, but I'm slowly immersing myself into it. Just takes some time to learn all of the jargon and processes. I haven't been totally snowed under with it yet, but I've been busy with little details here and there. It's a good focus for me since Clayton isn't at home anymore! I'm sure it will take me all year to get it organized like I want it, and that means I'll have to do it next year so I can use all my planning from this year! Sneaky pastors at church, they probably knew that all along when they asked me!

Something Special

When I started my "She" album, I really wanted to celebrate myself and my uniqueness. But a lot of the layouts I've done for that album have been more than a little melancholy at times. But after I sang at an event last week and after a subsequent conversation with Brian, I decided to do a purely boastful page about myself!!! At this particular event last week, I literally brought the house down (bad sound system and all!). The Holy Spirit was all over that room, and it seemed there wasn't a dry eye in the house. And the thing is, it seems to be like that each time I sing! When I'm in front of people, I feel a natural relaxing of the crowd or something--I can't even explain it, but I definitely feel and see it! And when I really think about it, it's absolutely amazing that it happens each time I sing--it would be a blessing if it just happened once in a lifetime!

Journaling: When she sings, people listen . . . really, truly listen. God uses her voice to soften hearts and penetrate even the most stubborn of spirits. She is humbled by this gift He has blessed her with, and proudly shares it with all those around her.

Progress!

We have a star student on our hands! Clayton got to lay down with the rest of the class (instead of going to therapy first) and he got to listen to his headphones while he laid down--it seemed to make the difference! Ms. Marcia said that he just laid on his cot and sang away to her while she rubbed his face (yes, even she is starting to spoil him!). He didn't go to sleep, and I really didn't expect him to, but I'm so glad he was able to at least lay down and relax with everyone. Baby steps, baby steps!

Beautiful Days

Yesterday and today have been absolutely gorgeous around here! I spent yesterday running errands I didn't really have just to be able to ride around with the windows down and sunroof open! It's a welcome change after all these leftover hurricanes raining on us . . .

Met with Clayton's teachers and therapists yesterday and it went well. I just kept stressing that he participates in everything at home and at church and there is no reason for him to be left out or set apart at school. At least present the opportunity, and let him decide if he wants to do it or not. I think after I said all this about ten different ways that it was finally sinking in for the teachers. He's still not liking it when I leave him, but I feel like the teachers are at least trying more and putting in the extra effort it takes. He has been talking more about school these last couple of days, so maybe he really, really wants to go, he just wants his Momma there to experience it too!! :)

Who Knew?

Who knew preschool could be so stressful? I mean, isn't this supposed to be new, exciting and fun??? Clayton has little spurts of fun throughout the day, but I'm told he has a major meltdown each time a therapist leaves him in the classroom or even mentions going back to the classroom. The same meltdown I see when I leave him in the morning--it is horrible! Our meeting with the teachers is Monday and I basically told the director if it isn't working after that, then we're outta there. There is absolutely no sense in him continuing to attend if they don't change their approach to him. I'm pretty sure they think that since his body doesn't work that he is a nothing in the thinking area as well. So not true!! And they just aren't getting the fact that he wants to try everything and be a part of the whole classroom, not just the two or three things that they think he should stick to. UGH. The whole situation has just about given me an ulcer! In fact, he had a haircut scheduled for today and I decided to let him stay home the whole day instead of just being gone a couple of hours. Totally wimpy of me, but I just thought I'd save him the trouble of getting all worked up this morning!!!!!

Latest Layouts

I haven't been able to get the mojo going lately, but I thought I'd share my latest layouts anyway. "Twins" was a page that's been a long time in coming. I'm to the point now where I really want to pour myself into some of these NICU pics and celebrate our blessings in spite of the boys' early birth. I've done a lot with Clayton's pics (won't be sharing them here because they were some of the first scrapbook pages I did and they aren't that pretty compared to some of my pages now!). I'm thinking I'm ready to dive into Shawn's pics. We'll see how it goes . . .

Journaling for "Twins:" During a routine ultrasound on April 22, 2003, Brian and I discovered we would be having twins. DOUBLY BLESSED! We drove around town showing off the pictures in order to share the news. What a miracle of life you both are--growing and living together from the very beginning! Shawn entered our world at 1:42 am weighing 1 lb. 12 oz. and Clayton came at 1:46 am weighing 1 lb. 8 oz. Both 12 inches long--both MIRACLES!

Had to do this next page to record some more of Clayton speak. "Babin' soup" is what he calls a bathing suit!

These pics were on the blog, and this is yet another quote from Clayton. He's constantly asking these days if we need his help!

And last but not least, another blog entry set to scrapbook paper. To read the journaling go here.

I'm sure you've noticed a trend with my layouts. Seems like most originate from the blog. Definitely a blog bonus--journaling's done, story's told, just print the words, print the pics, and scrapbook!

Preschool Woes

I'll try to keep this post to the short version of this story, but I'm not sure if it's possible. During the first week of Clayton's school, I saw little things that I didn't like and instead of barking more orders at the teachers (I was already giving directions constantly), I decided to show them what Clayton could do. Brian had him sit in the classroom chair, we both let him stand and "cook" at the play kitchen, we put him on the floor with the other kids, and I even put him on the tricycle outside to show them how cool he thought that was. When I asked the teacher on Thursday if they had let him sit in the chair yet, she said no. And I knew they weren't taking him out of his chair outside because that's when I come to pick him up. I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt since I was a teacher and I know it's hard to be everywhere all the time, but when I showed up last Monday during inside recess and he was literally sitting all alone while everyone else played and visited, I LOST IT! He immediately started crying when he saw me and it was all I could do to get out of there without boo-hooing all over the teachers. I was so emotional I couldn't even talk to them about it. And by the time I got to the front desk, I was sobbing. The receptionist asked if I was alright, and of course I said no!!!! Then Clayton started crying with me! I told her my concerns and she told me definitely talk to the director about it. So the next morning I met with the director and I even got her crying by the end of the meeting! She basically told me the teachers were scared they would hurt him or one of the other kids would hurt him. These two particular teachers haven't had a child this medically involved in their classroom, so they were a little nervous. So we came up with some solutions: therapists doing therapy in the classroom showing them his capabilities, assigning another student as a "helper," having another aid come in more often, and some other little things. Friday was the first day they got him more involved and it was soooo much better. He didn't want to leave when I came to pick him up and he even laid down on his cot for about 20 minutes during naptime (he laid down without me!!!!)!! I just hope it continues to get better--he cried and screamed when I left him this morning, but I'm hoping he's all smiles when I pick him up. Maybe his therapists helped him have a good day.

I'm just frustrated beyond belief. I want him to have as normal a life as possible, but he can't do that without help. And as his parents, we are willing to break our backs to help him try any experience. But I wanted him to gain some type of independence from us. But no one else is going to bend over backwards to haul him around the playground or hold him all day long when they have a classroom full of kids. His school is making changes, and I'm thinking with time they will work. Definitely as he gets used to the routine. But I don't see the public schools being this accomodating and eager to please--homeschooling never looked so good . . .

Tag, You're It!

This week has flown by and been quite busy with lots of details that I'll have to go into later, but for now I've been tagged about ten times in the last week by my blogging friends, and if I don't want to get flogged, I better snap to it! The first tag is probably the best--Cheri and Stacy both put me on their list of top blogs they love to read. Can you see me blushing??

Here are the rules:

(1) The winner can put the logo on their blog.

(2) Link the person you received your award from.

(3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

(4) Put links of those on yours.

(5) Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated

And here's a few blogs that I never miss:

Patti: took her long enough to start a blog, but now that she's joined the darkside, she's a definite pro--always entertaining, great photos and great scrapbooking projects.

Kelli: she's always looking at the bright and quirky side of life.

Nicole: I never get tired of photos of my nieces and nephews!

Pioneer Woman: this lady is full of wit and endless humor--love her photos and reading about ranch life.

I was also tagged by several people for this one (I actually think I've done it before recently but I can't remember):

The rules? answer each question, and tag 4 (or more) friends.Leave a comment on friends' blogs letting them know that they've been tagged. Have fun!

A= Attached or Single: ATTACHED

B= Best Friend: MOM

C= Cake or Pie: CAKE

D= Day of Choice: MONDAY

E= Essential Item: MY CELL PHONE

F= Flavor of Icecream: CHOCOLATE

G= Gummy Bears or Worms: GUMMY BEARS

H= Hometown: NOT ADVERTISING WHERE I LIVE LOL

I= Indulgence: CHOCOLATE

J= January or July: JULY FOR SURE

K= Kids: SHAWN AND CLAYTON

L= Last movie I saw at a theater: CAN'T REMEMBER

M= Musician: SARA EVANS

N= Number of Siblings: 1

O= Oranges or Apples: APPLES

P= Phobias or Fears: LOTS OF THEM

Q= Quote: WRITE IT ON YOUR HEART THAT EVERY DAY IS THE BEST DAY OF THE YEAR

R= Reason to Smile: CLAYTON

S= Season: FALL

T= Tag: STOP THE MADNESS!!!

U= Unknown fact: ??

V= vegetarian or oppressor of Animals: WHAT LIBERAL WROTE THIS? LOL

W= Worst habit: REALLY IT'S A CHARACTER TRAIT, BUT TEMPER

X= Xray or Ultrasound: ??

Y= Your favorite food: MEXICAN

Z= Zodiac sign: GEMINI

I suppose that puts me back into good standing with the blogging world so I can now sleep soundly tonight! Have a good Friday everyone!