Sunday, April 24, 2011

Happy First Birthday Xander! Let Them Eat Cake!

Our baby boy, Xander is one today! The time has gone by so fast. It feels as though he is only a few months old. If only time would stop.

Xander has gone through so much in his first year of life, and though he hasn't been with us very long, he has changed our lives forever. Xander has the most beautiful brown eyes and dark, long eye lashes. I'm always going to be jealous! He is always going and he has the cutest laugh. I love to hear him and Savannah laughing at each other. I know Savannah loves her little brother a lot too. I am so glad that they have each other, and we have both of them!
I love you Xander! Happy Birthday!


Most of this photo shoot he wasn't very happy at all. He didn't want to eat the cake, so I had to help him, then he cried because he had frosting on his hands and face. It was so sad!
Savannah showed him how to do it right. She wasn't afraid to dig in!







Friday, April 22, 2011

Savannah and Xander April











Foundation Fighting Blindness

Foundation Fighting Blindness

Please, watch this video. Gene therapy is in clinical trials. Just think of how it can help so many special little children s lives. I cry every time I see this video. It makes this more, a reality. It is amazing what they can do.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Easter Party 2011



My sister-in-law made these chicks last Easter with her cricket. Aren't they cute!




Decorating Easter eggs




Easter egg hunt
Cousins!
"Don't eat my peeps" ! Game
The guys...

Monday, April 18, 2011

Savannah's Easter Skirt




This last weekend I made my first skirt! My mother-in-law helped me hand ruffle the bottom, which I will never do by hand again. It takes forever and is really hard! But, in the end it was worth it! It was really fun to see how it all came together in the end! I can't wait to make another skirt! One skirt done and a million more to make!!!







Thursday, April 14, 2011

Potty Traing for dummies, Failed

I strive to be a dedicated parent. I try so hard to do what I know I should be doing for my children. Today, I feel like I have failed again as a good parent.I have failed at potty training Savannah again. For the past month I have felt like I have been on the boot camp patrol, making sure that every 20 to 30 minutes Savannah is sitting to the potty, and dreading it every minute in between. Yes, some parts of the day I have gone longer in between bathroom visits for her. Most of the day she has been in panties but, after filling her hamper to the top every other day of damp clothes, at the end of the night she is back in her diaper. When she is in her panties she screams for a diaper. About 5 minutes after she is done sitting on the potty and hasn't gone, she usually has an accident. I am having to drag her to the potty and bribe her to sit on it most every time. She doesn't know when she needs to go and always tells me NO! when I ask her if she needs to go. I don't know why I even ask. When she has an accident she doesn't even realize that her clothes are wet. She wants to keep playing.

I just about had a melt down today after she had wet her fifth pair of bottoms this afternoon. I can't do this anymore. I want to tare my hair out. How do those perfect mothers do it? I feel like I just keep failing her. Savannah is four! In this world, society says that she should be potty trained by now but, I'm just so tired, tired of being frustrated, tired of feeling like a horrible, none consistent mom, tired of fighting with my daughter over something that she just might not be ready for and can't handle yet. I am tired of trying all of the little tricks that other mothers have told me work, and then failing. Why is it that Savnnah can't understand it or want to do it when other kids the little tricks work. I'm embarrassed to say that I've even started bribing her with candy, something I told myself I'd never do. But, I'm just that desperate. I think we'll have her sit on the potty in the mornings and night and then try hard core when school gets out. I just don't know what to do anymore.

Why don't children come with handbooks? Things would definitely be much easier. How do I know when she is ready?

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

New Update

Sorry, I haven't written on my blog in a while. We've been really busy, and sick.

Last week Xander got sick again, and had to go to the Bronchitis clinic again. I only had to take him in a few times. HE was just to congested. They got a lot out of him. His doctor re wrapped his hand and foot for me and said that his stitches look like they are healing well!

Savannah is doing great! She loves to boss her little brother around, by saying "No, NO Xander!" Then, she usually pulls him away from what ever he was climbing or cupboard he's getting into. It's so cute when she and Xander chase each other around the island counter. They laugh at each other! I love it! We went to Savannah's parent teacher conference last week. Savannah is doing so good! Her favorite color is now purple. I never would of thought she would like any other color as much as yellow. She is so cute and she still holds hands with this little boy in her class and she knows the first letter of his name. G. It's so cute! Savannah is also doing very well at sitting on the potty!!! Maybe soon she will be potty trained!

Last week one of my fillings came out and a nerve got infected. When I went to the dentist, I found out that I have to have a root canal. I was so scared! It was the most painful thing ever! I would gladly go through childbirth without an epidural, than go through this last week again. The dentist proscribed me antibiotic. I can't take penicillin because, I'm allergic. So, I'm taking Erythromycin. Yesterday it made me so sick. All I could do was throw up. It was awful! And tonight the same thing, but it lasted only a few hours. Today I had the root canal. It was so less painful and scarier than I was anticipating! But, I'm so glad it's over. I have to wait three weeks to get my permanent crown put on though, because I have to wait for the infection to heal .Today I was feeling so much better. I caught up on laundry, cleaned, and played with my kids, and started dinner, Fresh Tomato Soup. I have the greatest recipe, but then right in the middle of Savannah finishing up cutting a tomato into juice and mush and starting on a banana for Xander I didn't care. My stomach was turning and aching. My poor mother mother-in-law came home and had to finish dinner and watch the kids for me while I went to through up. I feel so awful! Hopefully this ends soon!!!

One of the biggest things that have happened is that Xander has his first follow up with Urology. He had an ultrasound done of his kidneys. The average size of a baby his age's kidneys is between 5 and 8 centimeters. Xander's right kidney is average. I think he said it's 6, but his left kidney is just barely 4 centimeters. The tubes in both of his kidneys are very swollen, which is caused by the reflux. The doctor was very surprised to find that though Xander's left kidney is very small it does not have and renal scaring that he could see! This is an extremely good thing because he has level 5 reflux, and that is rare at this point I guess. It is very good because the scaring is what can determine if he needs dialysis or a kidney transplant. The scarring they can't fix.
His urologist wants to wait longer to do the surgery, but not too long because of his small kidney, the chances of scaring will increase. They like to wait until they are about two years old if they can. Thank you all of my dear friends and family for keeping Xander in your prayers. It means so much to us.