I am so happy to say that progress is being made and we are approaching d day for the unexpected basement remodel. BOY has the last week or so flown by.  I guess when you days are busy from 7 am to 1 am, it is easy for time to fly.  Tile isdown, wallpaper removed, ceiling is back up...and partially mudded.  Can you picture it...two kiddo and all this chaos.  Gotta admit I am looking forward to it all being done.  I do not envy those who build houses with small children.  I don't think I will ever build a house.  I didn't even enjoy picking out carpet and tile.  I think My decorating will stick to coordinating curtains, bedding and paint.  I like that part of decorating.  The other things are way to expensive to change if you make a mistake.  I think the carpet guy got a good laugh when I asked what happened if we ordered it and it wasn't what we wanted.  He very gently told me that it was mine to keep.  Big time scary in my book. 

Now that carpet buying and tile laying are finished.  I get to continue to check things off the task list.  This whole processes is a bit overwhelming.  you definitely wouldn't feel as defeated if every tasked didn't have three to five steps before you got to cross it off.   Pictures will come of the whole process when we are done. 

I just keep remembering that I am going to enjoy the clean and fresh space for my kiddos to play when we are all done. 

That is the update for now.  Avenlea is climbing on everything lately and experiencing a bit of separation anxiety again.  Which she is for the most part with me all the time...but seriously.  She has also gone back to not taking a good nap.  All in all though she is the funniest little girl to watch and has been talking all the time. the best is how she walks around the house. 

She has to have something in each had and then she will randomly drop those and pick up something new if she thinks it is best.  Makes for a messy house, but it is fun to watch her just play on her own.  pretty sure she is going to keep us on our toes well into her young adult life.  Gotta love her. 

Jackson started preschool a couple weeks ago and it is going much better.  HE still cries when I leave him, but he stops and trots to class as soon as they get inside.  IT is crazy to say this but we have noticed a difference in his vocab and clarity already.  Plus who can knock the place the boy first decided to drink from a cup.  So far I love his preschool.  I will have to admit, this whole process has been super hard on mom.  Giving up the control I have had for three years has been more than difficult.  Not seeing what he is doing all day and especially in his therapy sessions is really hard.  I am sure I too, with time, will get used to this. 

HE also has been asking to eat more and more.  We have loved the summer fruit seasons.  He has enjoyed watermelon, musk melon, honeydew, cheese (thank goodness with all that fruit), popcorn, crackers, chips, cucumbers, green beans, and M&M's.  Can you tell in the above pic?  WE are always trying more.  He loves to do arts and crafts,

play with his kitchen (he makes wonderful crispy bacon and coffee for his mama), and he also has been totally in to Handy manny, so he likes to think he is helping us fix the basement too.  We are incouraged by his increased mobility and we also have begun Potty training.  Crazy I know....it is amazing how much this little guy as done in his brief three years that those Doctors said he might not do.  That will teach you to always listen to Doctors, right?  He is a joy still even with his little three year old attitude.  HE is the sweetest little boy in my house.  :) 

Prepping again for the wakie resale....

Man I love this time of year.  I have been spending the last two weeks pricing gently used toys and clothes for the Wakarusa Children's resale.  I love that this sale provides an amazing place for our community to find gently used, in great condition children's clothes, and every other accessory your child may need.  My favorite items for the fall sale are the shoes and winter coat selection.  Last spring I got fall I got shoes coats, and half the winter clothes I needed (only because I had no idea how a normal child grew) for 120 dollars.  that also included a few toys for each too. 

you can click on the this or wakie resale link on the right side bar on my blog to see pictures through out this week of what they are offering this year. 


Can't wait to see the great finds This year. 

Chaos Part One

 We had just moved all of our stuff to our basement to start a family room playroom minor remodel.  A little paint some recovered couches and some new storage for the kids toys.  We also had planned on moving the kids into their own rooms this fall.  We were all super excited when this happened.  Adrian had found some water in our basement carpet one night by finding both kids with wet butts....we cleaned it up and didn't think much of it until the next day when I was trying to clean up a mess about 10x as big.  Adrian spent the afternoon (yes I called him home from work) and evening investigating and cleaning up the mess.  However we were not able to get the water out of the carpet even with a shop vac.  So we called our insurance and made a claim.  They came out in just a few hours to investigate and decided that we needed to have the concrete dried out and the carpet removed.  They on that friday afternoon....brought in 5 industrial fans, a dehumidifier and an air scrubber.  Lets just say WIND TUNNEL....I felt as though we were living in one.  WE had the tv maxed out on volume that night and we still couldn't really hear it.  So instead of watching tv we decided to start a project that we were going to avoid, but since we were getting rid of the carpet anyway...why not right?  So we shipped the kiddos to grandmas and started this:

 it started one by one

 and turned into this....unfortunately I forgot that my scrapping room and glass jars were on the other side of this wall.  Oh well...I can recycle a few more in the new craft room/office that will be upstairs. 

 I enjoyed the swinging of the sledge hammer....I didn't enjoy the 50 5 gallon bucket loads of bricks that I carried or the war wound I now have...but I gotta say it looks so much better and we don't have an external wall in our family room/playroom anymore.  Which I would like to exclaim with elation that I LOVE!!! 

and we did gain about two feet of room too.  and the fireplace actually looks more like a focal point.  I would show you a picture of it drywalled...but I kinda did something before Adrian was ready for me to do it...so that will have to wait.  But we are in full painting mode...well that was until we (the weather) broke our air conditioner.  we had a 90 degree house with about 200 % humidity for the last two weeks.  this is not ideal for painting.....the walls were tacky still last friday when we got back from Indy and we had painted them on wednesday.  So we are in stand still mode until the furnace/air conditioner/vent work all gets done. 

I keep trying to focus on the room that we will have and not the drastic amount of money it is going to cost.  

Trauma on the school front

Today marked a monumental moment in my baby boys life.  His true first day of pre-school.  The day started off slowly and pretty shakey.  when he woke up all he could do was cry.  Not sure what was wrong we got some breakfast, watched an episode of Handy Manny and began to talk more about where he got to go today.  We talked about singing songs, playdough, circle time, the kitchen that his teacher has in his room....all prepping the little guy for what definitely wouldn't be the most traumatizing experience in his life, but something mommy will remember as being a not so happy one. 



I have done some challenging things in my life so far with Jackson.  I have watched him leave me after only being with him for a few hours, carried him off to surgery at a couple days old and continue to do so as is needed, but today.  Today was a different type of difficult.  Today was optional.  Not something I have dealt with before.  HE was so excited to get out of the car and put on his backpack.  So excited for everything, until the teachers came out to get him and he grasped my leg and began to scream as I told him I loved him and he would have so much fun with Miss Charlene.  As I grabbed Avenlea and walked away the screams were so loud....I am sure louder to me than to anyone else in the parking lot.  As Avenlea and I began to drive away, I started to question our decision for sending him to preschool this year.  But then I remembered his excitement about going to school for the past three months and that today was only the realization that he had to do it by himself.  I am sure this week, and possibly next week too, are going to be a little emotional and difficult.  But when I look at how far he has come and what he has been through, I find total Joy in thinking about what he will be continuing to share with me as he learns more and more at school. 

Happy Birthday to The toughest guy I know.....

So today, August 10th, my baby boy turns three!!!  HE has accomplished so much in his three years.  I actually thought through it all today.

28 Days in the Riley NICU
3 GI (butthole) surgeries

a gaping hole in his abdomen from the nastiest infection I have every seen
3 hip surgeries

1 back surgery
failure to thrive
Multiple tests from CT scans, xrays, MRI, EKG, EEG, Cinta scans...too many for one little boy.

one urinary tract infection resistant to three antibiotics
two hospital stays due to the flu ( and during everyone he keeps those nurses on there toes.  that is his heart monitor lead in his hand as he is laughing) 

three blood transfusions (not including ones used during surgery)

G-tube surgery
a set of SMO braces

circumcision and reconstruction down there
-6 vision in both eyes requiring glasses
two cases of the HIVES
 one dentist visit

and what can he do:
swings a bat like a pro
eats some food....even says he is hungry.  WOW I need to just sit with that one for a moment.  What a HUGE accomplishment.  

loves to fix things and make things with daddy especially when it includes tools

loves on his baby sister

walks up and down the stairs
climbs in and out of his own bed
stands up in the middle of a room
can walk acrossed our backyard and pick veggies from our garden
loves to pick up his feet and giggle as he races down our drive way on his big trike
yells at the TV with daddy when there is a good hit or play during a white sox game
touches gooey thing and play dough and has a good time
 loves to color and paint pictures for our frig
enjoys cooking
loves when he gets to feed his dog Macy.  or as he calls her "My MaeMae"
these are just a few of the many things he does.  

As I thought through everything that the doctors said he might never do, I am so proud at what he has accomplished by the young age of three.  My baby boy is who he is because he has fought through what was given to him.  He is one tough and resilient little boy.   We are so sad to be exiting First Steps and we will dearly miss all of Jackson's therapist that have really become part of our daily life over the last three years.  Man, he wouldn't be where he is with out all of you.  Thank you Cathy, Wendy, Christy and Susan for the amazing work that you have done working with Jackson.  His quality of life has improved so much since we first started with each of you.  As he exits First steps, he also gets to enter a new and exciting new adventure....PreSchool.  ON August 18th, I feel like I loose all control.  Jackson will get on the BUS, yes you heard it right, the BUS and will be off to school.  He will now get three different therapies at school and one maybe two at an outpatient therapy center.  He is super excited for school and to ride the bus.   It will be quite strange in a house with just one again...but it is so cool to see Jackson heading off to school.  Although he still has alot ahead of him when I look at this list I remember just how far he has come so far.

We will have pictures soon of him in his glasses...I am sure it will only up his cuteness factor and of course this craft mom will have off to preschool pics as well.

ok...after starting probably 5 posts and never finishing them.  I am actually going to right a new one to update on our summer.  We have been busy busy busy.  WE started of June with Avenlea's bday party!!!  had a lot of fun and I can say Life is very busy with a three year old and a one year old in my house.  Jackson and avenlea are kinda learning to do some stuff at the same time.  She is talking up a storm and climbing on everything.  The good thing (or bad depending on how you see it) is she doesn't seem to be upset when she falls.  She is quite the character.  Or Bulldozer as we like to call her.  She knows what she wants and will be very persistent at getting it.  I know I know...she gets that honestly too. 

I can't believe my baby boy is turning three in a few days....he is up to know good.  Typical three year old stuff.  THinking mom and dad know nothing and that NO should be his response to everything.  WE have accomplished graduating from first steps, climbing stairs and in two weeks we start preschool.  HE talks a big talk about being excited for going to school.  WE will see on the 18th what really happens.  he is looking and acting more grow up everyday, even though he hasn't changed his size of clothes in a year or more.  I guess that is cheaper...or you start to get sick of all your everyday pictures being in the same clothes.  we did a little test to see how tall he would be when he is 18....he is 31 inches now...anybody want to take a guess? 

Our summer was going so well, we had survived 5 weddings, a break out of the HIVES On the fourth of July and we had decided it was time to get a few projects done.  That is when our air conditioner decided to mal function...well not really the air as much as the drain decided to clog.  Needless to say we had water in our basement right after we moved the family room downstairs.  WE were totally blessed in this minor catastrophe.  nothing but our carpet was ruined and our insurance covers it.  So we are in a whirlwind trying to get the other projects finished before we lay new carpet.  I think I have talked to 6 different heating and cooling people in the last week and three plumbers.  The sad part is the one plumber that has done a bunch of investigating can't seem to find our problem.  That is never a cheap fix.  So all in all we are going to get some new carpet and get a very cozy family room out of the deal.  plus a lot of projects that have been put on the back burner for a long time are now getting done very quickly. 

Then tomorrow I get to celebrate 5 years with my best friend.  5 very full years and some could say difficult, yet I would say we love each other more than ever and we are both better people for what we have been through.  I could imagine spending my life with anyone else!!!  Happy Anniversary Babe!!

Stay tune for progression pics and final pics of the kids kitchen too.  Turned out super cute.....:)