Hello World!

Hey everybody! I’m back!! The last year and a half has been a trip, to say the least. Childhood cancer sucks, and I hate that any child would have to go through it. I hate that mine still has to have chemo daily and spinal taps every 3 months.  But, I am beyond thankful we only have 11 months to go and then we will be done with this part of our lives. Our normal will never be the same, but it will be nice to not have to worry about sickness quite as much.

I have been homeschooling T this year. So much fun! I love it! (He likes it too. Who wouldn’t want to be able to play with Legos and sleep in and watch YouTube?!) We are finally getting into a regular routine now that he is 6 and is “officially” school age. We do a lot of gameschooling. I love the concept of learning through games-so much more fun than just looking at books and worksheets. 

As a spin off of gameschooling, I’m going to start reviewing things again. More specifically, games and books that pertain to T’s age. Little C is receiving services through the school, but here at home. No germ exposure for him! I will review things if he can use them, but I plan on focusing on T’s age and older. (Hey, adults like board games too!)So...what should I name the new blog? I need a title so I can get it set up. Let me know your thoughts. Keep me updated, and I’ll try to do the same for you!

Trying again...

Take two.

I can't say that C is asleep, but he is in his bed and he is being calm. T isn't asleep-I can say that for certain. He is in his bed singing the Frog song and talking about Transformers. Oh the things he talks about at 11:30 at night. It's amazing what his little mind is contemplating.

Anyway. Back to C. He is doing quite well. We have switched up therapies and now he sees OT, PT and speech every week. We were going two times a month, with a total of an hour each. This new schedule is an hour every week. HUGE difference. Seriously! He went from barely supporting himself to sitting up (he can't get himself to that position yet, but he's trying), he's army crawling, and this week we started actually putting some weight on those things known as legs. Absolutely amazing! He still has no teeth. I'm hoping soon. He is chewing on everything and there is tons of drool, so it's only a matter of time. 

We still are dealing with GI issues. We were hospitalized twice last year for clean outs, and they weren't fun. Poor kid had to have a gallon of the stuff put into his little body to clear him out. We have since switched docs to the head of the department. We have a referral to Columbus and will be making our first trip down in a few weeks. The meeting is just an hour long, but hopefully it will get us on the right track. The doc says that they are the only ones that can do this kind of testing (GI motility) and that the docs there are the best in the country. I hope so. I hate seeing C's poor belly so distended some days. He doesn't necessarily act like he's in pain, but I can't imagine that it feels good.

(For the record, he is still awake. He is laying in bed saying ah-di-duh. He likes those words.)

J is currently at work, thanks to the lottery jackpot being so high. It's been interesting to see the posts on FB with people buying tickets. Keep buying them, it keeps him employed. (Although, I'd rather he was home right now. But jackpots like these don't happen often.)

I am still trying out new products and reviewing them, when I get a chance. Our schedule is fairly busy, but I try to make due. I do need to post some reviews on my blog in a few minutes, so feel free to read those. Otherwise, scroll past. My account has been "suspended" for not posting my blog review in time. So, I am trying to fix that. Start 2016 off on the right foot and all that.

It's been awhile...Part 1

I have a hard time actually posting the blogs that are written in my head. I really need to get better at it. I apologize. I have been doing stuff-really-I'm not just sitting around the house eating bonbons. Really! I'm not.

So first. Tomorrow, Truck will be 4. Where the heck does time go?! I know, I know. So many of my friends have told me in the past that it goes fast, and I was like, yeah, whatever. Ha. Little did I know.

My little man is growing up so quickly, using a vocabulary with words like articulated, plushy, and stabilize. I can thank the internet for those. He enjoys watching "red videos" (YouTube for Kids) in the morning when he first wakes up and again before bed. (And during the day when he's allowed.) He watches all kinds of videos, Transformers have been his favorite as of lately, but we also have a "healthy" does of surprise egg videos, unboxing videos, blind bag videos, and just videos about toys. There are channels I wish he wouldn't watch, the folks are annoying. But no, he watches them and learns all about some toy that he needs to have, never mind that it is either 1.) really expensive or 2.) no longer an option to buy at the store, making it really expensive. He also watches adults playing kids board games and I'm guessing collectors talk about the different Hot Wheels that they've found. I never know what for sure he will be watching.

He isn't excited about turning 4 though. Why? Well, it's complicated. Not really. But to him it is. When we were talking about growing up and being potty trained when he was four. He took that to mean the day he turns 4 he has to go potty on the potty all the time. (Make no mistake, he can do it-he was very close when he was 2.) So now, he has stressed himself out. I hate seeing him upset. I know some of it has to do with some sensory issues we've been working on, but the rest, well, that's all him. I'm a little apprehensive of what will happen when he wakes up in the morning...

I want to add more info about C and what's been going on with him, but alas, he has woke up (it's 11PM) and he wants my computer. So, I need to shut down for now to get him to sleep. Hopefully I will get an update up in the next day or so...

Well then...

So no Hirschsprung's. Yay. But, since then, we have had issues and we had to be admitted for him to be cleaned out. Not to get overly detailed, but the barium from the test in May? Yeah, it finally came out. But hey, nothing to be concerned about. Right. I'm working on my plan on where to go to see a different specialist. Might be Cinci if we can get a release. Otherwise, we might look into other states.

Anyway. I have been able to review some fun stuff lately. 😃 of note is a remote controlled Truggy. Truck and Joe have had some fun playing with it. They tried to go off road with it in our yard, but it didn't do too well. Of course, our yard is not optimal, but had they been able to drive it from the front to back, oh man! They have been playing in the drive. T loves that it is "faster than even me!" And he tries to chase it. That is when he lets DaDdy have a turn. I like that it's something they can play with together. Not that our other toys aren't able to be played together, but this seems to be a perfect father/son activity.

Truck discovered YouTube videos a few months back. Oh. My. Goodness. He loves watching surprise egg videos and blind bag videos. And today? (I took the videos away for a few weeks) He is watching reviews that tell what ages the toys are for. Great. "Mommy! I can get that! It's for 1 and up!" I am in trouble. I don't mind toys, I like things that can have more than one use. You know,maybe educational if we can. We use cars for many things-colors, counting, shapes. But mystery eggs? So far all I've learned is that he doesn't have all of the Paw Patrol pop-up characters. Oy.

Well, I'm done rambling for now. I apologize for the lack of posts. Just been trying to get everything straight. Hopefully more updates and reviews will be coming soon! 

Back to square one

We received the official results from C's biopsy today. He does not have Hirschsprung's Disease. (I had kind of a feeling after seeing his results posted on his account, but without official interpretation, I didn't want to make any mistakes.) While it is awesome that he doesn't have to have the surgery, we are now back to where we were. He isn't gaining weight very fast, he was 6.7 kgs (14.7 lbs) last week when they weighed him. He is around 26 inches. That means he hasn't really grown a whole lot. We know that he will be small, and that growth will be slow, but this is a little more than just a "little". C's neurologist (also the doctor at the Down Syndrome Clinic) was the one who had recommended we see a GI specialist. The surgeon said today that he was going to pass along the info to the GI doc, so we'll see what our next step is. Poor boy is also very constipated if he doesn't receive lots of help from Miralax and Milk of Magnesia. (Today was a day that was proof that the meds work-poop all over me, him, and the chair!) J went to the allergy doc today to see what he was allergic to. He came home and said the better question was what he wasn't allergic to. He might be starting allergy shots soon. Hopefully it will help. We did think it was kind of amusing that he didn't have a reaction (that he remembers) to feathers. He hates birds. He did have a reaction to cats and dogs, both things that he doesn't hate (but doesn't necessarily like) and that T would like to have as pets. We will definitely use the cat one to our advantage, but I'm not sure about the dog one. We'll have to see how the allergy shots work out.

Memories

This week J and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary. How crazy is that?! Ok. Not necessarily crazy, but I still sometimes think I'm the same age I was back then. And that I have the same body as back then. Nope. Not even close. But man, there have been tons of memories made in those 15 years. (We've known each other for 20, which is crazy too!) So these last few days I've been thinking about the past and the people we've known-not just within our marriage.

I was looking through the small scrapbook that I made with the snapshots that people had given me of our wedding, and so many of the people pictured are no longer with us. Well, not a lot, but enough-my mom, my grandma, J's grandma, J's aunt, my uncle. I am very thankful to have pictures of them from that day. We had talked about eloping, but didn't. I'm glad. It was a crazy day. It started out raining, so our photoshoot at Stan Hywet had to be cancelled and we ended up having pictures just at Firestone Park, where we were married. After the ceremony it had stopped raining so we were able to dismiss everyone outside so that they could blow bubbles and the room could be rearranged for the reception. J and I were able to get outdoor pictures then. It's fun to look back and see how young we looked! (T says that J had funny hair and that he prefers how he looks now.) 

Yesterday as I was driving up to the hospital, I flashed back to driving up everyday last year while C was in NICU. It seemed like every day as I drove in, the Swon Brothers "Later On" would play. That song would get stuck in my head and it would stay there all day. I'd finally get rid of it, start driving home, and dang if it didn't play again! I've had that song play a few times as we were on our way in for therapy, but luckily it didn't come on yesterday. (Had I had the radio on, it probably would have!)

Earlier this week I was given the opportunity to review some pencil grips. Now, something so boring and plain shouldn't bring back memories, but these do! Back in 3rd grade, our teacher Miss Logan, made a big deal about using pencil grips to hold our pencils properly as we were learning to write in cursive. We didn't call them pencil grips. Nope. They were called "hoochies". I still can see my mom's face when I came home and asked to buy a hoochie at the store. Miss Logan was a great teacher, she made me enjoy school again. She always had fun things to do and she always cared. I saw her again after I was an adult and I was subbing. She recognized me right away, and while she couldn't remember my first name right away, after I told her my class nickname, she did. (Everyone in our class had nicknames. I'm sure now it would be taboo to do something like that, but we loved it!) She also told us she was 85. I believed it and told my mom that. She had to go in to verify that she wasn't. 

Today was the last day of school around here. I know I sound old, but man, school was never out this early when we were in school! How do I remember? Because my birthday is next week and we were usually out around then, usually after. It's hard to believe it's been 20 years since I graduated from high school, and 17 since Kent.  My friends have been showing their kids first and last day of school photos this week. It's fun seeing their kids change in a year. 

I've been taking pictures of T and C everyday since they've been born. No, really. Every single day. With T's, I put them in a calendar, so May 29 would show on May 29, etc. I haven't updated the calendars in long time. C's pictures are just sitting on the external hard drive waiting to be used. I need time to work on them. I will admit, there are a few days that I have missed pictures, and I realized about a month ago that I lost a bunch of pictures. I was very sad. I know I should not rely on the Apple cloud to keep my photos safe, but I did. Ooops. I'll devise a way to mark those days in the calendars when I get to them. I showed a few of the original pages to T in his baby scrapbook. He really liked seeing what he looked like as a baby. His baby books are just his professional pictures. It's still 2 albums. I went every month until he was 18 months. That's a lot of pictures. Not to mention all of the photos I took! I'm hoping to do some scrapbooking this summer. I've been looking into digital scrapbooking and scrapbooking on my phone. (Someday I hope to have an iPad to scrapbook on too.) I really like the Project Life way of scrapbooking these days, and since I have taken so many pictures, I have a feeling it would be the fastest way to get semi-caught up. I have the app on my phone and I really do enjoy it. I can see why people enjoy scrapping this way. I do like physical scrapbooking to-don't get me wrong. I love being able to play around with paper and move the pictures around, and cut things with my Cricut, but sometimes I think digital is just nice. Not to mention it's not messy and I can work anytime-even if I'm holding C and feeding him a bottle! Can't do that with traditional scrapbooking!

Speaking of scrapbooking, one of my friends posted on her blog about the scrapbooks that she has made for her kids. Her youngest is graduating from high school and she showed a few of the pages in the book. I love how she used the text from Dr. Seuss's Oh, The Places You'll Go. It's a really awesome idea, and I might just have to copy it someday. ;) Of course, after I looked at her page, I started reminiscing to when we used to get to see each other. She has known me my entire life, so she would remember our earliest encounters. I have photos of those encounters, but I can't say that I remember them. I remember hanging out with her family in Virginia when we go visit them when we were on vacation. We would play pool in their basement and they introduced us to IBC root beer. We hadn't seen each other in a long time, and last year they were here so her daughter could do a college tour. We met up, and seriously, it felt like we've just been hanging out all the time! I suppose that's how it is when you have "family" like her. (She's not technically family. But I feel like she's a sister, and we have so much in common, it's uncanny!) I really hope that we don't let so many years go between visits again. If you're interested in seeing her scrapbook, here's the link. (I've enjoyed reading her other posts as well, and her 2015 book project? Someday I will get to read again and post my reviews. I miss writing for What have I read lately?. And putting my reads in LibraryThing. At least I have Good Reads to help keep my lists sort of current.) 

Dr. Seuss always had a way with words. "Sometimes you will never know the value of something,until it becomes a memory." So very, very true. Until next time.

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Just waiting...

We have been here at the hospital now since 12:30. The last time C ate was at 7:55 this morning. It is now going on 4 PM. They finally took him back to surgery a little after 3. They were running an hour behind. I understand these things happen, but who schedules things like this? Kids with thickened liquids (as C has to have) are not allowed to eat at least 8 hours before surgery. Wouldn't it make sense to have them earlier in the day? Luckily he's a very laid back boy and I was able to get him to fall asleep. He's 13 months old, so it's not like he understands what is going on! Now I just have to wait for him to be done and then I can go back. I'm hoping the recovery nurses remember to give him the thickened milk that I brought. Last time they didn't, and it was not pretty. I'll post more when I know what's going on. 

It's the little things..

Some days I tend to forget just how lucky we are. Even with crazy things. Over the last week, we have started switching C's milk additive from powdered formula (Nutramigen, which is VERY smelly!) to Pediasure Peptide milkshakes (also smelly, but not as bad.) Since C is still covered by WIC (something to be thankful for), they added 96 cans of the shakes to his monthly allowance. For right now, this covers how much he takes in, but as the breast milk supply slowly goes away, the amount will not be enough. I went to Giant Eagle to pick up the cases, and while I knew the stuff was going to be expensive, I had no idea just how expensive it was. $7.50 a can! That is almost a full dollar per ounce! Insane! When the girl rang it up, I'm pretty sure my jaw hit the counter. I mean, how do they expect people to pay for this?! What happens if they don't have WIC or insurance (which I have already started getting in line to cover this) that can cover it? I came home and told J we were very lucky to indeed receive WIC for C. 

Today we hung around the house most of the day. Sometimes it's a good thing. We did venture out to find some Munzee codes though, so T was a happy boy. We were going to go to a park, but changed our minds and just found them in the local Acme parking lot. I think this is one reason why I enjoy looking for them so much (aside from getting to spend time with T)-we can find them pretty much anywhere we go! Tomorrow we have to hit up the Sleep Number store (more on that in a minute), and I'm hoping to go to the Nature Realm to not only find Munzee codes, but maybe take some spring pictures of the boys. (Not that Heather doesn't take awesome photos! I just want to practice with my own camera and remind myself that I can do it. lol)

So Sleep Number. Last fall we decided to take the plunge and get a Sleep Number bed. Our friends had recommended it and said it was the best thing ever. I went and checked them out, and then met up with J at the store another night after work so that we could order it. We did not pick the cheapest bed there, nor did we choose the most expensive. We went down the middle, and chose to add on the moving frame so that we can raise and lower the head and foot of the bed. (I currently have it inclined and it is wonderful. :)) The day came for them to deliver it. They were late. Several hours late. They said that their truck broke down, so they were late. Um...Ok. It messed  up our day, I had kept T awake so they wouldn't interrupt nap time. That was a fail. I wasn't happy. They set up the bed, then told me they would have to return the next day because there was something they didn't know how to set up. Ummmm. What? J came home from work and figure it out. We complained. Sleeping on the bed was nice, for me, but J felt like he was sinking in toward the center. We complained. (For that much money, and for an adjustable bed, he should be comfortable!) They sent out new people. The original people were temps, not normal for installing beds, and had zipped the two chambers up crooked and broken the zipper on the mattress cover. They fixed that. J still has problems sleeping on that side of the bed. We've tried different settings, he's just not comfortable. (I am fine. I love the setting.) He ends up sleeping out on the couch or chair. We did not spend a lot of money on this mattress for this. We noticed that my side seems to be crooked, and it is indeed over the edge of the bed frame. Because of the way these mattresses/beds are designed, we can't just push the mattress over or slide it over. Doesn't work that way. Tonight I thought I would look to see if maybe I could adjust something. Turns out, the foam layer is ripped at least 2 feet! So, tomorrow we will be going to back to complain. Everyone we know that has a Sleep Number bed has been thrilled. We seem to have just received a bad one. Hopefully tomorrow they will be able to offer a solution. Until then, I'll be thankful we have a place we can put our heads down and get some sleep tonight.

Yet another brief update

So the biopsy is scheduled for Thursday. I really wish that they could find out while they were doing the biopsy and then do the surgery. Poor boy is not going to like this. Hopefully we know soon and can get the whole thing over with. It would be nice to have him "fixed" and who knows, maybe he'll start growing!

T is definitely a threenager and is trying our patience. He refuses to listen, or will purposely do something he knows he's not supposed to and then apologize. Somebody please tell me this is a phase. He used to listen and behave when we were out in public. Not so much now. I can only take away toys so many times before it becomes ineffective. He remembers why the toys were taken away-he tells our visitors what he did to have them taken away-and yet, he still does the same actions. I really hope this is a phase. (did I mention that?)

I'm pretty sure the mail lady thinks I'm nuts. I receive packages almost everyday now from Amazon. I can't help it that I get cool things to review, and then I need to also purchase necessities like diapers and my peach drink! ;) I received another selfie stick this week. It's nice to be able to compare them. This one has piece that protects the phone, AND it comes with a bluetooth remote! I have to say that I really like the remote feature. T does too. He had me hold the selfie stick and then he went nuts pressing the button on the remote. The actual design of the selfie stick is pretty much the same, but the fact that this came with a remote made it better. I am keeping this one in my bag for when we're out and about so I can try it out a little more. It also came with a small tripod. It says it can be used for phones, but I'm not sure. I know my small point and shoot camera will work in it, so that's cool. 

Today I received a portable aromatherapy diffuser. I have started using essential oils here and there, and the original diffuser I bought back in November broke. The thing cost lots of money and it didn't even last 2 months! I was ticked. So, I was happy to receive the one today to try out. It is a smaller diffuser, uses just a small amount of water, but can be run with a phone charger (if you have the right kind of phone-I found my kindle charger would work), batteries, or the power adapter that was included. I plugged this in right after putting C to bed and it ran for about 2.5 hours. It has a nice LED light that changes colors-so it worked kind of like a nightlight for awhile. When it ran out, it shut itself off. No noises. Just shut itself off. I like that. I'm thinking this might be my solution to diffusing. It's easy to relocate from room to room, I don't have to worry about spilling a ton of water, and it looks nice too! Yay! And on that note, I diffused some lavender, so my room is smelling nice and calming, so I think I'll go to bed. Night everyone!

**This post contains affiliate links.

Just an update

The results from C's biopsy came back today. They were inconclusive. Ugh. So, we have to schedule a surgical biopsy, probably for next week. Not fun! 

Today we met with our early intervention specialist and physical therapist from Help Me Grow at Target. How nice is it that they will meet with us to help us solve problems?! We wanted to find a solution so that C can ride in a cart when we go to stores. He's so tiny-14 pounds!-and he could still be riding in his carrier, but I really don't want him to. He's a year old, and he needs to be able to see the world! We were able to make up something that will work. It consists of his Snug 'N Go, some very cardboard,  a latex belt that is velcroed around the contraption, and a pool noodle. We were able to position the cardboard behind him so his back was up a little straighter, followed by the Snug 'N Go, and then we secured him to the card using the latex velcro belt thing. (I know it has a name. I just don't know what it is.) We could use the belt that the cart has, but that is right under his arm pits, and who wants to be strapped to something by your arm pits?! The pool noodle went in front of him, kind of to keep him in place, and also give him something to hold on to (and, as an added bonus, it held my Starbucks iced tea in place as we walked around the store to see if it would work). It might not be the prettiest contraption, but it worked! We were able to walk around Target for almost 45 minutes without him falling over! Now that I know how to use my sewing machine, I might venture out and make a cover for the cardboard so it is a little "prettier". It doesn't need to be, but I think it would be nice, and it would let me practice my new skill. If I do indeed "upgrade", I will post a picture.

Can you believe this weekend is Memorial Day weekend?! 2015 has flown by! We don't have any set plans as of yet, but who knows what we might do...I'm guessing it will involve Munzees at some point though! ;-)  

**this post does contain affiliate links. 

Just another day in the life...

So this week has been interesting, to say the least. On Monday, C had to have a procedure done to see if he does indeed have Hirschsprung's Disease. Last week the poor kid had an enema, and the results (according the report on his file online) say that they are consistent with Hirschsprungs.  What is HD? (Sorry, I'm abbreviating. Just easier.) It's when the lower intestine doesn't have functioning cells and they have to remove part to make it better. For a better explanation, you can read up on it here. We are waiting on the results from the colon biopsy that was done on Monday to verify. If he does indeed have it, he will be having surgery. While I am not thrilled about this, I know it's the best for him, AND it might mean that the little man will start growing. 

Today C had his one year pictures. I cannot wait for them to be posted. We go to Heather Pelko Photography. We started going there when I was just pregnant with C. (We also go to another place, but that is "box" store type photography place, and we don't go too often.) We have developed a friendship and I am so thrilled that she is able to take pictures of the boys! Even when T or C is having a rough day, she still gets a great shot or two (or more!) Today was no exception. I had multiple outfits and I had some props that I wanted to be sure to have included. Some places might complain. Not her! (Well, not to me anyway. lol) C looked adorable, and I loved seeing the previews on the camera. (She might post a preview on her FaceBook page if you want to check it out in a few days.) I totally recommend having her do your photos if you life in Northeastern Ohio. She doesn't just do kids photos either! She does family photos, senior photos, weddings, still life, you name it! I definitely think you should check her out!

Before our session, C and I grabbed two Munzees that were nearby. Usually I have T with me, but for the photo session I didn't. So I was going solo. Luckily the codes were easy to find. Eh, who am I kidding? Most of the codes are easy to find. It's fun finding them!Wait. You've never heard of Munzee codes?! It's ok. I hadn't until a month or so ago. It's a scavenger hunt for QR codes that other people have placed in plain sight. Many of them are on signs or light posts. You check the map, go to the location, find them,  scan them with the Munzee App and get points. No, you don't get anything for the points, but you get to have fun looking for the codes. Tonight after J got home from work we went to Southgate Park and found a few more with T. He gets so excited when he finds them, it's awesome! Plus, Munzee finding is great exercise, great together time, and as long as you have a smart phone with data available, a "free" activity too! I slowly plan on introducing T to geocaching too. I found some new ones at Stan Hywet that I think we might check out this summer. (Or this week, depending on the weather on Friday. lol) Ok. You haven't heard of geocaching either? Really?! It's like munzee code finding, but not. Someone hides something-anything from a small film canister (remember those?!) to an old ammo box out in the world, they post the coordinates, and you find them. Then you sign the log that is there, and post online that you found it. People often leave behind toys or something else small. I took T to find one at the local library awhile ago, and he thought it was fun to get a sticker prize for finding it. Not all of them have items to take, but if they do, you want to be sure to have something to trade for it, unless instructed otherwise. I learned about caching awhile ago (2006) and I have enjoyed the adventures that it has brought me. I've discovered some cool locations like cemeteries in Tennessee, I found where Johnny Cash was buried, I've seen some awesome skylines, and well, I've even had a mouse run out of a cache at me. You just never know! If you're looking for a fairly inexpensive way to spend time outdoors, as long as you have a GPS, I totally recommend either one of these.

Well...It is once again late, and I need to get some rest. Tomorrow is a new day and we have new adventures awaiting!

What month is it?!

I saw this at Hobby Lobby today. Did I miss summer?!

Yes, I am a night owl

I think I've determined I must blog only at night. Not that that's a bad thing, but I suppose I should be sleeping. lol

How have things been going in your world? These past few days have been crazy here. Last week Coquito had his shots, as previously mentioned. It took almost a week for him to get back to his happy self. Turns out, he also managed to get an ear infection. So, we have added antibiotics to his list of meds to take. This week they finally were able to do the barium enema on him. Poor boy. What's worse? He didn't poop until the next day!! Meanwhile, the GI doc was able to determine that he was showing possible signs of Hirschsprung's Disease, so we have to go in on Monday for a colon biopsy. Again, Poor boy. While this isn't great news, the silver lining is it might help provide some answers and we can get things rolling to get him on track. Never a dull moment with Coquito!

This week T has been a three-nager and then some. Holy cow! His emotions have been all over the place, his allergies have been crazy, and his tantrums and fits?! Ugh. I often wonder what happened to the little boy who 2 weeks ago was pretending to eat my arm, and when I ask what he was doing, he said he was eating me up because he loved me. (That's right. Where the Wild Things Are! ;-)) Today he wanted a new Play Doh truck that he had seen at Walmart. He had seen this truck on YouTube (a new discovery for him), and he really wanted it. We finally reasoned  caved and told him he could have it as long as he behaved. (We realize that C is getting way more attention, and I think we are trying to make things better.) He wanted to go to Walmart to get it. I had asked if we could go to Toys R Us. What 3 year old says no to Toys R Us? Mine. He refused to go there, and he had a meltdown when I said I wanted to go with him. So, in the end, he and J went to the store and I stayed home with C. Not a big deal, but man, very stressful and draining!

I will say that Play Doh, even though it is messy, will keep T's attention for an hour or more. The toy he got today was no exception. He has been watching videos on YouTube (Play Doh, surprise eggs, Mighty Machines), and he saw this truck. He played with it for at least an hour tonight when he got home. Even after the Play Doh was put away (hahahahahaha it is NEVER put away), he was playing with the truck in the living room with the rest of his toys. The Tonka Chuck set is definitely his favorite of toys to play with. The new one is his current "favorite", but this one is his stand by. Boy have things changed since I was a kid playing with Play Doh! lol

Well, I suppose I should get some sleep. T and C will be up soon and who knows what adventures we will have in the morning!

Getting in touch with my "roots"

You might notice from time to time that I will be sharing product reviews on here. I'm not turning this blog into a review blog, per se, but I have started to receive products to share reviews for, and I need an outlet. Plus, it makes me feel in touch with that degree I earned 17 years ago. (Holy cow-it's been 17 years?!) 

Today I finally got to try out one of the many products I've received, a Selfie Stick by Everyday Selfie.  This wasn't something that I really needed, but I thought, what the heck, it might be useful someday. I am trying to be in pictures with the boys, so I thought maybe this would be the answer. So far, it is working! I decided to try it out while J was busy trying to deal with Pizza Gate '15 (seriously, how hard is it to make a chicken, bacon, ranch pizza with pepperoni?!) and I was alone with the boys. There weren't many instructions with it, so I had to wing it. I really liked the bluetooth feature once I was able to pair it up with my phone. The button to turn it on an off on the stick, on the other hand, is bound to cause some broken nails if your nails aren't strong or long enough. Once we got the camera installed on the stick, we started taking pictures. It was really easy! If you want to see a final product, I have one on my Instagram page. Just request to be my friend! While I probably wouldn't pay full price, or even much more than a couple of bucks, this really did make getting pictures of me with the boys easier. I'm curious to see what it's like outside this summer when we use it. (**Please note, I received this item at a discounted price in order to provide an honest, unbiased review. The opinions contained are my own. **)

So that's my update for today. Not a whole lot, not exciting. It happens. We've just been trying to survive these last few days. C had his shots last week and is just now starting to act like his normal happy self. It's rough-especially since he seems to have allergies too and the pollen count is not helping. Last night J had to work. (Update-they found the missing drive and the files from his work. Turns out they forgot to map the drive after they rebooted the system!) I hope everyone had a decent Mother's Day. I know it can be hard for some, myself included.

Living in the Clouds...

So last night I was trying to make sure that I had all of my pictures backed up. It's something that I always recommend, and I thought I should probably practice what I preach. If you know me, you know it's important for me to take a picture of each of the boys on a daily basis. I've done this since Truck came around and I have only missed a handful of days with him, and very few if any with Coquito. (Although, I did lose some because I thought they were saved in the cloud and they weren't.) I finally had what I thought was everything imported into my photo software (Historian), only to find out that I had nothing for April. Nothing! How the heck could that happen?! So I went to icloud. Nope. Nothing there. Minor panic started to set in. An entire month? No. I know for a fact that I took pictures. So then I started thinking. I had zipped some pictures and put them in to dropbox. (Don't have a dropbox account, let me know. I'll send you a link and it will increase the cloud space we both have for free!) So I pulled those pictures. Still missing 2 weeks worth of April, and March 31. What the heck?! I was frustrated. I decided to check Amazon. Did you know with a Prime membership you have unlimited photo storage in the cloud? I checked there. I was able to recover another week and half worth of photos. Getting closer, but still not quite there. I rechecked my computer. Nope. Still missing pictures. I was not happy. I was distressed. I realize the boys might not worry about it when they're older, but it's something I like to do, and I really do enjoy seeing the way they change on a daily basis. Finally, I remembered that when I plug my phone in to my new laptop (an awesome gift from J before Christmas!), it backs up to Google+. Voila! There were the missing pictures! So, I downloaded them and backed them up. Seriously. I have an external hard drive that has all of the pictures on it, icloud (although it doesn't keep as many as I would like it to), and Amazon. I have another external hard drive that I need to back up to, just haven't gotten around to it. I know, it's a bit much, but pictures are important to me. I like seeing how things have changed, and they help me remember things that otherwise I probably wouldn't. With digital formats today, it's worrisome to me that I'll lose them and not be able to get them back. In the old days, we used negatives and had them printed. I need to get my pictures printed now, too, but man is that going to be an expense! Until then, I'll just stay in the cloud(s)...

Also-as a public service announcement-never put your backup on the same drive/device as your original documents. (J found this out the hard way. No, he didn't do the backup. Someone else did. He didn't find out until it was too late.)

How do you store your important photos or files? 

Strollers...

Yes. This is what my mind is on today. Strollers. Not something I'm sure the average person thinks about, but when you have a 12 month old that has Down syndrome and hypotonia (low muscle tone), it is something you think about. You tend to think about a lot of things you wouldn't normally think of-how will the baby sit in the cart at the store if he can't sit up? He can't sit up, so how is he going to sit in a high chair at the restaurant? Do I really have to carry him in this carrier forever?! How do I keep him from falling over in this stroller when we're shopping?

Back to strollers. We have been very fortunate to have received all of our strollers as hand-me-downs. Our basic stroller is nice, it is light weight, easy to open and close, and has an adjustable seat. It is a bit awkward to put things in or out of the basket underneath, but I don't usually dwell on that. We also have a used jogging stroller that is great for walking out in parks and on terrain that is less than flat. Unfortunately, it was very well loved and the fabric on it is beginning to fray, and I'm not so sure I want to put little C in there. We have another stroller that is like an umbrella stroller, only bigger. I really like this one, but it is for bigger kids, more like T, than for little coquitos. Plus, it isn't good for posturing for C. (Stuff I'm learning about as days go by!) Our other stroller is a double stroller. It is a tandem stroller, a Sit 'n Stand. It's nice to be able to have both boys in one stroller when we're out doing a lot of walking that will cause T to become tired, but man, that sucker is awkward! It's long, hard to maneuver, and getting stuff like a diaper bag in and out of the basket? Ha. Not happening. At least, not without emptying the whole flipping thing.

Last week I was given the opportunity to try a  Graco LiteRider Click Connect Stroller, for free, in return for an honest, unbiased review. It is part of a program from One2One network. I decided to share some of my thoughts here, as well as submitting my official review. We've only really used the stroller for one day now, but I have some opinions forming, and I'd like to share. I really like the basket. Like a lot. I have a larger diaper bag (has to have stuff for 2 boys, after all) and it fits perfectly! It folds up fairly easily, and unfolding isn't too bad. Once I have practiced a few more times it will be easier. I like that I can use the carrier in it and not have to worry if it is secure or not, or, if I want, C can sit up and see the world as we are travelling. It moves very smoothly on flat, paved terrain. I am not as excited about the fact that seat only has 2 options-flat or straight up and down. With C, I have to use a positioner in with him, and it is a bit awkward to put him in. The tray in the front that C likes to beat his hands on is nice, but it is attached. It doesn't swing down to allow for easy "installing" of C when I put him in. The straps are still too large and it is hard to buckle him in. He's tiny. I know this. But a lot of kids with DS and hypotonia are. They grow slower. It happens. It doesn't mean we have to treat them like infants though. Overall, I have mixed thoughts on this stroller. We were at a park and had to go "offroad" to find a Munzee, and it was rather bumpy and not a comfortable walk. We also had to walk through some loose dirt and it did not make it. J had to come over and pick up the other end and carry it over. I do like it's maneuverability on flat surfaces, so it will definitely be a nice stroller to have for our many hospital visits/appointments. 

I had hoped I had found a replacement for all of our other older strollers, but this just doesn't seem to be the case. I guess I'll have to keep on looking. And now, I should get some sleep. We have many appointments this week (2 Monday, 3 Tuesday, 2.5 Wednesday, and 1 Thursday,) so I should probably be fresh to know what everyone is telling me about my little man. 

Why hello there, world!

So my last post was back when it was just J and I at home. My how time has flown and things have changed! There are now 4 of us in the house, J and myself, along with our boys Truck and Coquito. (No, those are not their names. Just giving them some privacy on the internet.) Truck is now 3 (!) and he amazes me on a daily basis. He is such a loving little boy and I absolutely adore his sincerity. He enjoys all things boy (dirt, trucks, playing) and he also enjoys doing art with me. That makes my heart so happy! As days go by I will probably share some of the antics of his life. I just never know what the kid is going to say.

Coquito is our youngest member, he just turned 1 this past week. I gave him the nickname Coquito because it means little frog (roughly) in Spanish. I have always liked frogs, and after my mom passed away, if I was having a bad day, a frog would show up. So I have a connection with them. Then, when I was expecting C, it was very touch and go, not knowing from week to week if we would hear a heartbeat at the next appointment or if we would have to say goodbye before saying hello. I learned I needed to FROG-Fully Rely on God with the situation. Little man arrived and he has been fighting to prove that he was worth it. I am so glad I am able to live in a country that allows me to have faith and believe in a God to give my concerns and cares for. We are slowly working on how to sit independently and hopefully we'll be able to find a way to eat food soon. We knew that having Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) would mean going slowly, but some days, I just forget. I see kids that are younger than him doing the "typical" things kids his age should be doing. It makes me sad. I'll admit it. But, I also know that it will be that much more exciting when he does reach that milestone, because I know how hard he has worked to achieve it. Again, I need to FROG, and not on my own self or knowledge.

Well, I just thought I'd come back with an update and, hopefully, I'll be able to post more soon. I have been receiving some excellent products to review (at a discounted price, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review), and I am looking forward to sharing what they are. You never know what I might have received that might just interest you!

December "update"

Time really goes fast these days. In less than 4 weeks our little addition will be here! I can’t get over how quickly things have been going. J’s been taking some time off from work (at least attempting to) so that we can get things done around the house. Today he’s putting the final coat of paint on the walls. And, despite what he tells you, I did not get pregnant to trick him into painting a room or cleaning out the basement. The basement needed clearing out before now, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I still have some issues with that, but I will say that at least there’s been progress in that area.

My biggest stress creator is is laundry. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but for me it is. (I let strange things get to me.) Thanks to the generosity of our friends, we have several tubs full of clothing and blankets. I am very grateful for these, since I knew that putting clothes on our baby would be an expense I wasn’t prepared to handle. We’ve been having problems with our washing machine for over a year now, and the day before Thanksgiving we went and ordered a new washer and dryer. We were told it would arrive in 3 weeks. (That would be yesterday.) I called last night to be told that the items weren’t even in the distribution center, and that they probably wouldn’t be around until the middle of January,  maybe even into February. I was also told that when I bought the items I was told this. Um...nope. Wasn’t told this. Was told 3 weeks. Double checked that it was 3 weeks when I ordered it. I knew I had a deadline to get laundry caught up. Ugh. I’ve added this to J’s list of things to take care of. I have to not stress about things. I’m thinking we’ll be taking a trip to the laundromat soon...

Since I’m not sure if I’ll be blogging again before the holidays start (or end), Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! :)

Hello World!

Why hello there! I know, I've been AWOL for what seems like months! Ok. It has been months. I apologize. It's not all my fault, I promise. A large part has to deal with a class action lawsuit that took away my laptop back in March.


So what happened to my laptop, you ask? The suit was brought on by NVIDIA and a faulty graphics card. My HP laptop wasn't acting horribly, but it was starting to act up and met the symptoms that were outlined in the suit. So, I sent it in, being told that in 4 to 6 weeks I would receive a laptop of equal or greater value. HA! I figured I could go a month without my laptop, I can handle not being online all the time. (Or at least have the access to being online.) I didn't need to do anything with my photos, I wouldn't take that many that I would need to worry about the space running out on my memory card. So 4 to 6 weeks came and went, and I started reading some online forums from other people in the suit, only to find out that we were not getting something of "equal or greater value" and that in reality, those words had been taken out of the settlement. Not only that, but the time frame was extended 8 to 10 weeks. Again, I thought I'd be ok, as long as I had my computer by July (which 10 weeks was actually up in June on my birthday) so that I would have it for a scrapbooking retreat. I started calling the hotline they provided, only to be told that they didn't know when it would be shipping out. On my birthday, at 10 weeks I called again and was told to call back in a few weeks because they had no idea when it would ship. So at 12 weeks I called and was told that it would ship July 25. Umm....I'm pretty sure that from March 30th to July 25 is not 8 to 10 weeks. To say I was pissed is an understatement. I couldn't believe it. So finally, after my scrapbooking retreat was over, my laptop arrived at my work. (I had it sent there because I knew I wouldn't be at home to sign for it and why delay receiving it any longer?!) The total time I waited for it? 16 weeks. I received a Compaq Presario CQ56. I can purchase one on ebay for about $250. Yep. Definitely NOT equal to the HP Entertainment laptop that I sent in, one that can handle graphics work, had a dual core processor and could have more than one application open at a time without slowing down. This one is slow-my phone accesses things on the internet faster, and from what I read on the forums, will require at least $200 worth of upgrades to make it even close to what I had. Unfortunately I don't have that kind of money right now (for reasons I will explain shortly) so I'm stuck with a very sub-par computer. I am very sad. But, at least now I can go online and post my rants. The one thing I did learn was that just because you are part of a lawsuit, you don't have to participate. I learned the hard way, and hope that somebody else will learn from my mistake.


As for why I don't have money right now....well, turns out that in about 5 months (ok, 21 weeks) we will be having a baby! It was handy to find out I was pregnant so early into waiting for my laptop too-I knew exactly how many weeks I was without my laptop because it was very close to the same amount as I was! (And no, it was not because I didn't have a computer that we're having a baby!) (Ohh....another thing I don't like about this computer...if I hit a specific button it automatically posts my blog...even if  I'm not done typing!) So...anyway. We're going to have a baby the beginning of January. Things have been going along fairly smoothly for the most part, and thanks to being so blessed with wonderful family and friends, we have a large part of the big items we will need taken care of. I cannot thank everyone enough for their generosity...I was a bit worried how we were going to be able to afford a crib and car seats and strollers and all of the "stuff" that is associated with having a new family member. We're not all the way there with what we need, but we are definitely a lot closer than I ever dreamed we would be. My current dilemma is clothing. As most of you who know me, you know that I am not tiny. I used to be considered "average" until I had to go and gain 60 pounds thanks to life. I lost roughly 25 pounds of them prior to becoming pregnant, but I am still considered obese and therefore have a hard time finding clothes that fit. I am not short at 5'9 and I don't like pants that barely come to my ankle...unless they're capris, and then it's ok. Today's fashion designers don't seem to think that someone of a "large" stature (roughly size 18, although I was down to 16 back in February/March) needs to have pants that have a larger inseam or room in the thigh. AND retailers don't seem to want to carry maternity clothing anyway. It's absolutely nuts! I have been to Motherhood, and I have purchased a pair of jeans and pants for work, but I can't wear jeans to work at all, and wearing the same pants to work everyday is just gross. I have found that even though the tags say they're XL and fit a size 18, they still end up being tight, mainly in the thighs. I don't find that comfortable since I have to sit most of the day anyway. I found that the Avenue started carrying maternity clothes and went in to a store yesterday to check them out. The girl there was not helpful, to say the least. She said that I could only purchase the maternity clothes online which she didn't recommend because I couldn't return them at the store, and I would have to pay to send them back if they didn't fit. She then said that I could just buy pants one size larger than what I normally wear and would be perfectly fine. Um...no? I mean, my belly is just starting to show (and no my dear sweet husband, it's not all just fat!), and pants that were one size bigger are not comfortable. The buttons/zippers are just not comfortable! I had read some reviews online of pants from Walmart and a few people from work suggested I try them, so I purchased some online. The lounge pants fit great, although I found out that they're not maternity pants. Oh well, at least they're comfortable and should last a few more weeks. The other pants I purchased were once again too tight in the thighs and sitting wasn't an option. So, today we went back to the store to return them (wait, what, I can return something I buy online at a store?! There's a novel concept!) After a small problem with the return not working, I finally had my money back and I went back to the clothing section to check out what they did have. I was told that they haven't sold maternity clothes in the store for more than 5 years! So, um....does Walmart not expect their customers to reproduce? Or do they just expect us to purchase clothes one size bigger than what we are now and then every other week come back and buy more? Yeah, I don't have that kind of disposable income. We did go to Kohl's where the pants were the right length, but again too tight in the thighs. (Sensing a pattern anyone?) I was able to buy a cute shirt and a pair of capris that were on sale, so at least I have some clothes to wear. I realize my rant is nothing new to many ladies who have gone through this experience. I just don't understand why fashion designers are not capitalizing on this market...there are many folks in my boat-we're tall and we're overweight, and we need clothes that we can wear to work! (And, I have found a pair of pants from Target that will fit, but I am waiting to see if I can find them online in gray. I don't want to only have black pants for work....that's boring!) 


Well...that's about all for now. Hopefully now that I have a laptop at my fingertips I can keep my blog updated a little more. I will do my best, but as we prepare for our arrival, I can make no guarantees!

Merry Christmas!!

It's hard to believe that it's already Christmas! Where has time gone?

While I haven't been on lately to tell you what's going on in my life (hopefully that will change soon!), please know that I'm hoping you have a fantastic Christmas and a great New Year! :)