Star of the Show

A star is born...enjoy!

Letters from the North Pole

Everyone has something that makes the Holiday season exciting for them…decorating, Christmas music, cooler weather, shopping, family time, parties, etc. One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is receiving Christmas cards. I get so excited when I see a card arrive in the mail (and yes, I'm disappointed on days in December when I don't receive a Christmas card). I can’t wait to open my mail to see what's inside and then hang the card and/or picture up. When I have all my Christmas cards hanging up I feel like all of our family and friends are here in our house to share the holidays with us. It’s the little things sometimes that make me happy!

My favorite Christmas cards to receive are handmade cards. I also like cards that have letters or notes about what that particular person/family has been up to over the last year. I would love to someday return the favor of a handmade card, but I don’t have a lot of extra time on my hands and I need all the help I can get. The past few years we’ve sent out photo cards because they are quick and easy, and this year, Shutterfly is going to help me out with this super-cool promotion.

Here are a few of my ideas for this year (of course with our pics), but you’ll have to check your mail to see what the final decision is…

Special note to Shutterfly…The past few years as postage has continued to go up and our family budget has continued to shrink, we debate whether or not it makes financial sense to send Christmas cards. Thank you for offering this promotion this year so that I don’t have to make that tough decision!

Thanksgiving 2010

For Thanksgiving this year we spent time with our family in Spartanburg.

I had to miss out on most of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade so I could play in the garage with the kids, but that was okay. Preston was able to catch a ball several times in a row (which is a big deal for him, as he usually gets frustrated and quits), so I took advantage of our time together and enjoyed the moment.

Just like most of you, we enjoyed a yummy turkey with way too many sides. Eating was a little different for me this year because of my new food allergies, but I was strong and didn't give in to my temptations (and my mom made me my own little sweet potato casserole without pecans). Cadence thoroughly enjoyed the turkey. I think she ate more than all of us combined. It must have helped to have four new teeth to chew with.

My mom said she wanted to go to Macy's at 4am on Friday to go shopping. I agreed to go (because I thought she really wanted to) but she changed her mind (and I was SO glad). Instead, we got up around 7 a.m. and got the mall around 8:30 a.m. We didn't really need anything, but had a good time people watching and did pick up a few gift items. My sweet husband stayed home with the kids for most of the day, even though he didn't feel very well. We picked them up in the afternoon so he could rest and continued shopping. Nine hours on my feet left me wanting to sit and do absolutely nothing the next day.

My plan for Saturday was to rest, spend part of the day visiting with family & friends, and then head back to GA in time to watch the Clemson/Carolina game. Boy did I ever get to rest. I ended up getting sick Saturday (not the kind of rest I was looking for), Ryan was sick, and the kids were cranky. My mom washed up all of our clothes and took great care of us. She and Preston had a special date to the park and CFA so they could get out of the house and away from all of our germs. We watched the Clemson/Carolina game (which didn't make me feel any better) and called it a day.

Sunday morning we rested a little more and I was feeling a little better, so we headed home around lunchtime.

We're trying to recover from the Thanksgiving holiday. Our little family is still not really well, but we're getting through. Cadence has a double ear infection, Ryan has strep, P has a minor cough that will hopefully remain at that & go away, and I'm better and praying that I don't get any of the other germs plaguing our house.

Weekend Away

Last weekend Ryan and I took a trip to Niagara Falls, ON, CA. Below is a brief synopsis of what we did/saw while we were there. THANKS to our parents for taking care of the kids so that we could enjoy this time together!

Day One:
Flew into Buffalo, NY. We picked up our rental car and headed to Duffs, on the recommendation of one of Ryan's friends who used to live in the area. They really do have some of the best Wings. We also tried french fries w/ gravy (as recommended). The fries were great and while the gravy was okay, I'll continue to eat my fries plain or with ketchup. (In the south, we know gravy is for biscuits. And, we know that the only real gravy is white gravy.)

After lunch we headed toward the border. Since this was only my second trip out of the country and my first time ever driving across the border, I was very excited; however, the border patrol guy really disappointed me when he told me he didn't have a stamp for my passport. Maybe next time.

Below is the view from our room upon our arrival on Friday. It was amazing. Clear skies and lots of rainbows.

We didn't really have a plan for Friday so we just enjoyed our time alone - walking through town and taking pictures of the American and Canadian waterfalls. We spent some time getting information on all the sightseeing opportunites in the area and planned our next two days. We walked to the IMAX theatre to view the 6:00 pm showing; however, it was being played in Korean, so we had to wait until 7:00 pm. We had eaten a big lunch late in the afternoon and weren't very hungry, so we decided to check out Margaritaville since it was right next door. We went back to the IMAX at 7. It was the worst IMAX movie I've ever seen. After that, we walked back through town, stopped at Starbucks for hot chocolate to warm up, and then called it an early night.

Day Two:
We slept until 8:30 am with no interruptions!!! After breakfast we headed down to the falls and into the tunnels behind the Canadian falls for a closer look at the water. It's truly amazing to see/hear/feel the power of the water. We also did the Niagara's Fury attraction. It was much like something you'd do at Disney World, but we thoroughly enjoyed it. Saturday afternoon we drove up the river to see the original site of the Falls, to see the whirlpool, and visit the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory. This was pretty cool until butterflies started landing on me. The first one didn't bother me too much, but the more they decided to perch on me, the more it freaked me out. Supposedly it brings good luck if one lands on you, so I should be set for 2011. Belowis a pic of several butterflies having a snack.

One thing we noticed our first day in Niagara Falls was that the squirrels we saw running about were black. It was my goal to get a picture. As we were leaving the conservatory, I was able to get a shot of this little guy.

About 2 pm Saturday, we realized we had not yet had lunch, so we stopped at a local pizza place and had some delicious pizza. After that we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up for dinner. We weren't sure where we were going to have dinner. There were several steakhouses with ads everywhere you turned and we thought we'd check out one of them. Ryan called to make reservations while I was getting ready and encountered rude staff at several of the restaurants. After a little more online research, he contacted one of the best rated, non-chain, local restaurants in town - a Greek restaurant. Not exactly what we had planned, but seriously, this turned out to be one of the best meals we've ever had! Below is a picture of KouTouki...Traditional Greek Cuisine. Next time you're in Niagara Falls, check it out ;)

Day Three:
Sunday was our last day. It worked out well because the weather cooled off a little and rain was supposed to come in that afternoon. This is a view the from our room Sunday morning.

After taking a few more pictures and driving around town a little while, we headed back across the bridge to good 'ol USA. We headed back toward Buffalo, again, not really having a plan for the day, other than to be at the airport in time to catch our flight. I used my phone to search Google Maps for "restaurants, Buffalo, NY" and several places popped up based on our location at the moment. I selected Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, Buffalo, NY, for us to stop by for lunch. I had a burger and Ryan tried the Beef on Weck. The coolest thing about this place was the building itself. I especially enjoyed the belt/pulley style ceiling fans.

After lunch we drove around town and then headed back to the airport since the rain started to come in. We hoped to get an earlier flight, but the 4:00 flight was full. We hung out for a few more hours, boarded our plane, and headed home.

We had to wait until Monday morning to see the kiddos. As much as we enjoyed some alone time, we were so happy to see their smiling faces.

15 Months

Two Sundays ago, Cadence turned 15 months old. She is growing up so incredibly fast. She is walking all over the place (since Sept. 18) and is into everything. One of her new and favorite activities is to throw her sippy cup on the floor, look at you, and smile. She knows her cup goes on the table, but she's entering the stage where she's testing us, and she's very much enjoying herself.

Cadence is also adding new words to her vocabulary daily. She can say: diaper, dog, brother, ma ma, da da, light, bye bye, hi, swing, shoes, drink, milk, eat, more (knows signs for the last three). She can point out eyes, ears, hair, toes, hands, tummy, mouth, and nose on her body. She loves to have you pull her socks and shoes off and play "This little piggy..."

Last Tuesday morning, I took her for her 15 month checkup. Her current stats:

21 lbs. - 21%

31.25" long - 74%

She continues to be long and lean, which is a welcome change from lifting/carrying Preston, the potato sack, when he was this age. She received a couple of vaccinations, MMR & Chickenpox, which she handled very well. She cried for about a minute, looked at me with pitiful eyes, and lay her head on my shoulder. She was so glad I was there to "rescue" her.

I love this age/stage of discovery and watching her little brain process the world around her. Everday is a new adventure...

I'm a Little Pumpkin...

Saturday we took a trip to Burt's Pumpkin Patch near Dawsonville, GA. Our neighbors go every year and invited us to tag along this year. The kids had a great time riding around in wheelbarrows, going on the hayride, and crawling all over the huge pumpkins. We were unable to get any great family or individual photos, as the kids were not in the picture taking mood, but I did find one special little pumpkin that has a message for you...

Another One for the Baby Book - That We Could Have Done Without

Last Monday seemed like a typical Monday for us. Ryan went to work, we picked up our neighbor's daughter from preschool, Preston went to swimming lessons, I went to kickboxing, Ryan put the kids to bed, and we sat down at 10:00 to watch House. At the first commercial break, we hear a loud, strange sound from upstairs. We assumed it was Preston doing something, so we ignored it. A minute later, we heard it again, and this time it sounded more like Preston coughing. Ryan went upstairs to see what was going on.

The sounds were coming from Cadence's room. Ryan found her on her hands and knees in her crib, very pale, and struggling to breathe. We thought she was choking or possibly having an asthma attack/allergic reaction to something. All we knew was that our baby was struggling to breathe and we had no idea what was causing this.

Ryan called 911 while I got dressed. The 911 operator assured us that Cadence was breathing because of the sounds she was making and she dispatched a paramedic crew. The paramedic crew arrived about five minutes after we called (yay!) and one of our neighbors arrived about a second later, volunteering to watch Preston.

Cadence and I were transported to the hospital while Ryan gathered a few things, made a few calls, and then headed to the hospital. Cadence's oxygen was low so we gave her a little oxygen on the way to the hospital. She did not like this at all so it only lasted a few minutes. She also kept pulling off the tabs they had placed on her body to monitor her. She wasn't screaming, just bothered. I grabbed her blanket before we left the house, which was a great comfort for her, but half-way to the hospital she looked up at me with these pitiful little eyes and said, "ba-ba" because she wanted her pacifier (which I did not have).

Once at the hospital, Cadence was diagnosed with croup. She was given an oral steroid and that seemed to help a lot. After the steroid, Cadence perked up a little and was frustrated by the fact that she was hooked up and had limited mobility.

This was a very scary experience for us. I'd heard of children having croup, but thought that coughing was the main symptom that led to a diagnosis. Cadence had a runny nose that day and the day prior, but had not coughed at all - not even once, until this episode.

After a couple of hours of observation, we were released with instructions to monitor her and follow up with our pediatrician on Tuesday. Thankfully, we had no additional episodes and didn't need additional medication. Cadence was very cranky for a few days last week, rightly so, but now is better and back to her silly self.

Back to School

This week was Preston's first week back to school at our church preschool program. Tuesday he met his new teachers, "his new Ms. Kim" and Ms. Jamie. (His teacher last year was Ms. Kim too, but this is the "three-year-old Ms. Kim".) One of the first things Preston noticed in his classroom was that his teacher had Little People placed in a bin on top of the cabinets. He made sure to let her know that he saw them and that she should get them down soon so he could play with them. (For those of you that don't know, he LOVES Little People - so much so that he recently stole one from church and lied about it when I asked him where it came from.)

Thursday and Friday were his first full days. Preston had a great first day on Thursday, stating "I'm so excited" on our way to his classroom. He went right in, after posing for a picture, and hardly noticed I was even there. Friday morning started out a little rough when he tripped over his feet on the way in, but after a little TLC and an ice pack he was good to go. (Preston actually thought the nurse said she was going to bring him an ice pop. When he asked me what flavor, I realized what he understood her to say and had to explain the difference to him. This brought more tears, but I promised him he could have a popsicle once the school day was over and we were home.)

(First Day of Three-Year-Old Preschool)

I'm so thankful that he has a place where he can learn, grow, and interact with others his age. His teacher has shared some of the learning methods she uses and I know Preston is going to enjoy them. Here's to a great school year for Mr. P!

One Year

Cadence spent the last two weeks celebrating her first birthday - with family, then with friends. She didn't really get into her birthday cake and seemed to be very turned-off by the taste of icing. She definitely gets that from her daddy, since I could gladly eat a whole container of icing!

Today I took Cadence to the doctor for her one-year checkup. My doctor advised me that the AAP now recommends that children be rear-facing in their car seats until they are two years old. She also stated it would be safter for adults to be rear-facing as well, but it would be difficult to drive. So, on that one topic I went by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, since we've already turned Cadence around. It was a pretty routine visit. The only questions we had were about digestive issues (which I won't bother you with) and additional sources of protein. Here are her current stats:

19 lbs., 2.5 oz - 16.7%
29.5" long - 58%

She's long and lean, but her appetite has picked up over the last few weeks, so hopefully she'll put on a little more weight before she starts walking. She will now eat just about anything we give her. She ate three hot dogs the other night and wanted more, but we had to cut her off. Meal times have become quite fun, as she'll now very clearly tell us if she doesn't want something by frantically shaking her head and saying "nah, nah." Our challenge is that she often wants something off of our plates that contains eggs or peanuts, which she can't have. I'm still experimenting with alternatives in cooking so that she can eat some foods like pancakes, muffins, etc.

All in all, it's been an awesome year. I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to be home and share each day with her. I can't wait to watch her learn and grow during the next year. I love you, baby girl!

Great Start to the Holiday Weekend

Ah, there's nothing like a holiday weekend. Last night, we went to one of our favorite Italian restaurants. Afterwards, we drove over to Suwanee Town Park to hear a military band and watch some guys parachute. This morning Ryan got up early with the kids so I could sleep in late, ('till eight) then I went shopping, and we spent the afternoon with our neighbors watching the kids play in the sprinklers. We've definitely started this weekend off right - no plans and just going with what feels good at the moment. Hope everyone enjoys time with friends and family this weekend. Stay safe! And, THANK YOU to all of the men, women, and their families who give of themselves to serve our country! So proud to be an American!

May Madness

What a busy month May has been. We spent the first weekend in May in O'burg, as we do every year, for the Bellsouth Pioneers Golf Tournament/my FIL's birthday/early Mother's Day. Ryan and his dad had a great time playing golf, while Kayla and I took the kids to the Orangeburg Festival of Roses. So basically, my MIL was busy working the tournament while the rest of us played around.

I apparently never pulled my camera out during this trip, so the first pic below is stolen from Kayla's FB page and the other pic is from my phone.

Preston had a great time playing in the Pirate Ship bounce house.

Cadence enjoyed crusing along Ci Ci's & Pop Pop's couch.

The second weekend in May we went to S'burg to celebrate Mother's Day/early birthday for my mama. Mama and I took the kids to an art festival in G'ville on Saturday and then we spent Sunday hanging out with family.

This past weekend, Ryan and the kids stayed home while I took off to Charleston, SC, with my neighbor, Christin, and 19 other ladies from North Metro Church. We had a great time at the Women of Joy Conference as well as strolling around Charleston Saturday afternoon. Click on the link below to see the few pics I took. THANK YOU to Ryan (and my grandma and our friend Laura) who made it possible for me to be gone this weekend) and to Christin for all of her planning, coordinating, and driving.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=212913&id=668053938&l=dac33fb453

Not only did I have a big weekend in Charleston, but Monday, May 17th, Ryan and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary. We didn't do anything super special, but I cooked him one of his favorite meals, he brought home some yummy dessert, and the kids went to bed early! I am so thankful for a Godly husband who is my best friend and a great father.

This weekend is going to be pretty busy, too, but we'll be HOME! Other than our recent travels, we've had some sickness in our house but everyone seems to be recovering well. Preston had his last day of school today so we're now officially on summer break. I am no longer concerned about Cadence and her eating habits. She has gone from eating nothing, to only Cheerios, to now practically being a human garbage disposal. She feels as if she's gained five pounds in the last week. Cadence has also found a new hangout where she likes to sit and ponder life. She's great at getting in but hasn't mastered the exit yet. Oh, the fun that awaits us...

Nine Months

Hope no one got excited when I blogged three times in one week and expected me to keep that up. :) Since my last post we've had several blog-worthy topics, so I'm going to throw them all in here. Get your waders on so you can sort through the hodgepodge.

Cadence:

Two weeks ago we took her in for her nine month checkup. She's doing well. Cadence has become quite speedy at her modified crawl and also scoots around on her bottom now - both very entertaining. She also does a "monkey-walk" where she puts her feet and hands on the ground with her bottom in the air. I really think she's just going to stand up and walk one day. She's still not pulling up, but will hold herself up if you place her by something.

Here are her latest stats:

18lbs., 1.5 oz - 36%

27.5" long - 47%

There has been lots of change in her little world over the last month. The biggest one is that we've have been weaning over the last month. This is a bittersweet topic. I won't go into all the details, but I will say that in some ways, I miss those moments that only the two of us can experience together and in some ways, I'm enjoying the freedom.

Also on the topic of nutrition, Cadence has decided she doesn't like being fed from a spoon. She only wants to eat things she can pick up. The problem is, there aren't many foods she can chew. For the past two weeks she has survived primarily on milk, cheerios, and puffs. This week I have been successful in getting her to eat avacado, so that's progress.

Lastly on Cadence, her sleeping has greatly improved. There must be something magical about the ninth month and my children. Whatever it is, I can tell you that we are so thankful that she is resting through the night and allowing us to rest, uninterrupted, most nights. It's amazing how differently you feel when you rest for a full night after months of being up 1-3 times each night.

Preston:

My little man is now potty trained!!!!!!!! He has been wearing big-boy underwear 24/7 and has been accident free for several weeks now. Below is a picture of the prize he received for his first accident-free week. Yes, it's a big prize, but this was a BIG accomplishment. Note to self: check the price tag before you bribe your kids again.

Preston continues to go to swimming lessons every week and loves the water. We actually almost had a meltdown at the end of the last session when it was time to go. He so takes after his mommy. He's also been enjoying the Spring weather and having more time to play outside with his friends or go to the park and meet new friends.

Other:
Ryan has been travelling with work lately but is home now and hopefully we can get settled back into a routine. Actually, we have lots of travel coming up, so I'm not sure when we'll be settled again. Trips to both Orangeburg and Spartanburg to visit with family and a trip to Charleston for me to the Women of Joy conference. The next several weeks are going to be busy, but well worth it.

Baby Contest - Vote for Cadence

Today Cadence won her first baby contest thanks to her Ci Ci and Aunt Kayla. Check it out: http://www.worg.com/contest.htm

So, since it seems she's on a winning streak, I've entered one of Cadence's pictures in the Parenting.com Baby Model Search. Of course, we'd love for you to vote for her. Click the link below to visit her page and cast your vote! You can vote once per day, so be sure to click once everyday :) Thanks!!

Vote for me in this contest!

Contest details

Big Week for Cadence

This past week has been a big week for our little girl. Sunday we had her baby dedication at church. It was hard to get a pic of us all, but here are a few that turned out pretty good.

For those of you that are not on Facebook and haven't already seen, Cadence has found a way to move about. It's not exactly crawling, but it works for her and she's fast. She had her first taste of a dog bone this week because I didn't realize quite how fast she was.

Now that she's on the move, Preston is not happy that she is able to get to his toys. Time to bring the Pack 'n' Play back out to keep them separated!

Free Dunkin' Donuts Coffee

For all of you out there who like coffee, here's a way to get a free sample. I don't drink it, but I requested a sample anyway so family can drink it when they are here.

Recent Happenings

Here's a quick update on what is going on with us and the kids.

RYAN:
Ryan started a new job with NCR two weeks ago. He's enjoying his new role and is busy, which is a good thing. Ryan has spent some time training in Ohio and will be headed back that way soon. Also, his softball league starts up again next week, so he's excited about that.

ME:
Not much has changed for me, except for the fact that I recently entered a new decade. Ryan threw me a great surprise 30th birthday party. It was nice to have a party I didn't have to plan. Ryan did a great job putting everything together. THANK YOU Ryan, everyone who was able to make it, and those that were here in spirit!

I spend the majority of my days playing with the kids, researching jobs and sending out resumes, cooking, cleaning, looking for good deals on groceries and household items, etc. Now that it's starting to warm up, we've been spending a little more time at the park, which makes Preston a happy boy.

During Ryan's recent visit to Ohio, the kids and I went to Spartanburg so I'd have some help at night putting the kids to bed. I wanted to have a chance to hang out with some friends, but we all ended up being sick. We did get to spend time with my grandparents (albeit while lying on their couch), but it was still nice to not have to rush in and out like we usually do. We're all starting to recover and will hopefully be back to "normal" soon.

PRESTON:
Oh were do I begin??? Everyday is a new adventure. I love my little man. He has the ability to make me want to scream and laugh all at the same time. His biggest accomplishment lately is going potty!! He said he'd start going after his birthday and he's pretty much stuck to it. He has been doing a great job and the only accident he has is his daily bm. Although I'll celebrate the day we get that down too, I'm so super proud of how far he's come.

On another note, Preston's ability to learn and retain information continues to amaze me. He can spell his name with 100% accuracy, knows all his letters, and mostly knows all the sounds his letters make...next on the agenda, spelling and recognizing other words...then I'll let him read me bedtime stories ;)

I try to write down funny things he says so that he can read them when he's older. Here are two things he's said lately that made me laugh:

Preston: "Mommy, I'm growing up."
Me: "What makes you think that?"
Preston: "Men have hair on their knees and I'm getting hair on my knee. That means I'm growing up."

Preston: "I like saying Jesus, but I don't like singing it."
Said while driving down the road one day while I was singing to "Jesus music" and he wanted me to turn the station to Rock 'n' Roll

CADENCE:
Last, but certainly not least, is our sweet baby girl. There's so much new with her on a daily basis, that I can't possibly share it all, but I'll cover the big stuff.

*Cadence is doing better with eating more solid foods, but she still gags herself if you put something in her mouth she doesn't like. She also starts gagging when she's finished. She now has her two front/bottom teeth and we've tried some chunkier foods, but she doesn't seem quite ready for those yet.

*After months of dealing with severe eczema and me eating practically nothing, we had Cadence tested for allergies at seven months. After several stages of an elimination diet, I was fairly sure that Cadence was allergic to milk, eggs, and peanut products. I was right on two of those. She has strong allergies to eggs and peanuts. This means that as Cadence continues to eat more table foods, we will have to be very strict in watching her diet (especially in eating out). I will also have to stay away from these foods until she is weaned. This is tough for me, as I eat a lot of eggs and peanut butter normally, but my little girl is worth it.

*Waving and clapping are her new favorite skills (that she likes to practice in the middle of the night while she says "ah da, ah da").

*She is SO close to crawling. Right now she gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth. She can go backwards, but hasn't gotten the coordination quite right to move foward. With Preston I would have been in the floor coaching him until he got it, but I'll let her develop as she's ready, as I'm not sure I'm quite ready to chase both of them.

That's all for tonight folks...

Cadence-6 months

As promised, here is a blog dedicated to Cadence and her recent happenings.

She decided to ring in the new year with a bang, by rolling over from her back to her tummy and sitting up on Saturday, January 2. Ryan agreed to watch the kids while my mom and I went shopping and of course, she decided to perform for him while I was gone. She has still yet to roll from her tummy to her back, but she's pushing up on her arms really well so it's just a matter of will.

In the second week of December, my perfect little sleeper began waking at night. We were in Sptbg. that week in different surroundings while Ryan was in CA, so I didn't think much of it; however, this trend continued on into the second week of January. I contributed it to a growth spurt, teething, excitement over her new skills, etc., but after 50 days of waking at least 2-3 times a night, I decided that this was just becoming a bad habit and she apparently had forgotten how to sooth herself back to sleep. We've been retraining over the past two weeks and it's getting better. She still wakes around 1-2 am, usually on her tummy and frustrated, but once we roll her over and give her pacifier to her, she calms down within a few minutes and goes back to sleep. I'm so relieved that we're getting back on track.

On January 12-13 (this is still debated), Cadence said "da-da". She began babbling a lot on the 12th and these syllables haphazardly came together :) She has, however, continued to utter this same set of syllables over and over and over ever since. She's also beginning to try to wave. She practiced this a lot over the past weekend while we were at a first birthday party for her friend Perrin.

Cadence also was able to experience her first snow in January. As you can see from the slideshow below, I don't think she was all that thrilled. Preston and I parked Cadence in her stroller under his slide on his playset so she didn't get covered in snow so that we could enjoy being "snow pirates."

Cadence went in for her six-month checkup last week. All in all, she's doing well. We may have some allergy testing done soon to see if we can determine the cause of gas and eczema that have been troubling our little girl since day one. Although the tests are usually not conclusive at her age, I can see that the eczema is really bothering her because she is constantly scratching and often making her skin bleed. I have been eating a very limited diet and re-introducing foods periodically to see how she reacts. I'm pretty sure she has a dairy allergy and possible allergy to egg and peanuts. It's pretty rough as she's been exclusively breastfed since birth, and I'd really like to be able to supplement periodically, but I certainly don't want to put her on a milk or soy based formula if she's allergic and paying approximately $40 per container of alimentum is just out of the question. Thankfully she doesn't seem to be bothered by oatmeal, as this is the only thing she is able to eat for now. We had started introducing other foods, but were having breakouts and other symptoms so we've stopped for now.

Here are her current stats:

16 lbs., 12.5 oz - 55%
26.50 " long - 65%

As you can see, she's about average for her weight and height but she's certainly above average in our book.

Cadence will soon be reaching another milestone...a tooth. After a very fussy day yesterday, she woke up with a swollen bottom gum this morning. The little white dot that I've been seeing for a few months now is about to make it's grand appearance. I feel so bad for her as I can only imagine how bad she must be hurting, but hopefully once the tooth is in some of the pressure will ease and she'll be back to her bubbly self. I included a pic of her swollen gum in the slide show as well.

I think that should catch everyone up. As I've mentioned before, Cadence is such a happy baby and we are so blessed to have her as part of our family. Check out her most recent pics below.

(sorry-slideshow has decided not to work...looking into a solution but will probably be early next week before I get to update)


P.S. - I see that the slideshow box is the wrong size. I'm too tired to fix it. It works, and right now, that's all that matters. I'm off to bed.

Where Did the Last Month Go?

A whole month has passed us by since my last post and now we're in a new year/new decade. December was a busy month for us (as it is for most).

Preston had a Christmas sing-along at his school the week before Christmas. He's usually such a performer; however, he wasn't up to being "on stage" that day. He was super-clingy to me and refused to participate. I convinced him to at least shake some bells while everyone sang Jingle Bells and tried to get a few pics although it was hard because he would hardly move more than two feet away from me. The pic and video below is as good as it got that day. He later had a meltdown in his classroom because he wanted a cupcake. He and sugar don't alway mix well, so I told him no. I just left him in the corner crying and he worked one of his teachers over telling him he was sad because he couldn't have a cupcake. I agreed to let him take one with him for later. Oh what a day.

Although we all had colds and weren't feeling quite up to par, we traveled to Spartanburg and Orangeburg the week of Christmas to celebrate with family and then returned home on Christmas Eve so santa could bring Preston all of his wonderful toys. This is the first year that Preston has understood the concept of santa, so it was fun.

The highlight for Cadence was watching Preston rip paper and open his gifts. I just love her little laugh.

My grandma was thoughful enough to make cookies with Preston before we left town so that on Christmas Eve we didn't have to stress over baking cookies when we got back into town. This was such a big help seeing as how we got home, unpacked the car, gave the kids a snack, and then went to our church for service. Although we were one of the first families to arrive for the service, we sat on the back row near the door so we had an escape route just in case. Preston had never been to "big church" but although he was tired, he did a great job of being quiet and singing along at the appropriate times. He said a few things out loud about baby Jesus and the manger (mainly in reference to his Little People manger set) but it wasn't loud enough to be disruptive.

After church, we had to put out the cookies for santa and reindeer food (oatmeal), and then santa had to get crackin' on his assembly of the Handy Mandy tool set. Thankfully, it was very simple. Christmas morning Preston came down the stairs and was more excited about two wrapped gifts under the tree from some friends that we had made him wait to open than the gifts that santa left. Once we turned him around and showed him what santa left sitting in the middle of the floor, unwrapped, that he'd somehow overlooked, he was excited. Here are he and Cadence on Christmas morning in their jammies and Preston with his "big toy."

We spent New Year's having dinner with some friends while my mom watched the kids. Then, we somehow managed to stay up until midnight. I enjoyed the long weekend with my mom. We were able to shop and knock some thing off my "to do" list while my wonderful hubby stayed home and watched the kids.

I'm sure I've left out a ton, but that's the big picture. There's a lot more to tell about Cadence, but I'll fill you in on her latest accomplishments in a separate blog. I hope you all enjoyed your extra time friends and family as much as we did.

Giving Up

Yes, I've given up on getting a picture posted every week. I'm still taking pictures of her in the same spot every week, but getting them downloaded and then posted on here every week doesn't seem to fit into my schedule. Sorry if I've let anyone down, but I'd rather spend my time playing with my two munchkins than sitting in front of this computer.

Let's see, what's happened since my last post??

We had Cadence's 4 month checkup and here are her current stats:

14 lbs., 10.5 oz. - 60%

25.50" long - 81%

The doctor said she looked good. I was reprimanded for not putting her on her tummy enough ;) Also, since she turned 5 months on Dec. 10, we've started giving her a little rice cereal. She's doing pretty good with it. Soon we'll move on to some "real" first foods. Let the messiness begin.

Here are a few five-months pics of our little beauty:

We spent Thanksgiving day this year in Spartanburg and then spent the weekend in Orangeburg. Of course, we had a feast and filled our bellies to the max. Actually, we sort of did that all weekend, but you have to live a little, right?!

While in Orangeburg, we took Preston to the Gardens to see the Christmas lights. He had a great time and Santa also happened to be there. When it was his turn to talk to Santa, he told him that he'd been bad and his mommy & daddy took his truck away. At least he was honest.

This past week Ryan had to travel to San Jose, CA so the kids and I went to Spartanburg. While Ryan enjoyed sightseeing in the San Fran area with some friends before a busy week, we didn't really get to do much since everyone was under the weather. It was still nice to have some time to relax and enjoy spending time with Granny. The highlight of the week in Sptbg. was watching Preston with his Rudolph toy. For some reason, he felt the urge to run in circles as he sang the Rudolph song. It was quite entertaining. Too bad Ryan had our real camera.

4 Months/18 weeks

Yet again, I've missed a few weeks. Cadence turned 4 months old last week. Time is flying. Only a couple of weeks 'till Thanksgiving then Christmas will follow shortly thereafter. We've been out of town for two of the last four weekends, with a trip to S'burg for Halloween and then a trip to O'burg the weekend of Ryan's birthday.

The Sunday before Halloween we carved our pumpkin. It wasn't the greatest design but we had fun carving it...or at least I did. Preston still refused to put his hands in the pumpkin guts, but he had fun putting stickers on the little pumpkins I bought for him & Cadence.

Halloween this year was fun for little man. He dressed up as a pirate - the most handsome pirate I've ever seen! We spent the day allowing him to play and enjoy his costume, visiting with some family, and then trick-or-treating...in the rain! I have to admit, we tried to drive him through the fire station and tell him that was a way of trick-or-treating but he insisted that I take him to a few houses. So, Ryan stayed at Mama's house with Cadence while Preston, me, and Mama had a "fun time trick-or-treating in all the nasty rain" (or at least that was Preston's take on the evening). He had such a good time knocking on doors and showing off his costume. At one house, he even went inside and starting playing with their kids. Yes, at a complete stranger's house. I had to go in and almost pry him away. He definitely gets that from his daddy.

Here's our handsome pirate:

And here's our little pumpkin:

The following weekend, we headed to Orangeburg to celebrate Ryan's birthday with family. Both kids were great on the trip. I struggle with the long trip more than they do, probably because now that Cadence's car seat is behind my seat, I have to sit straight up with my knees in the dashboard. We actually went to O'burg on Thursday evening, which allowed us to spend two full days there which was nice. We had lunch with Kayla on Friday. On Saturday, Kayla and I did a little shopping, then we had the cookout, and then we watched Clemson's win over Florida State. Here's just one of the pics from that weekend:

For Ryan's birthday, I got him tickets to see KISS. I wasn't quite sure what to expect at their concert because I only knew two songs, but it wasn't about me, and I actually ended up having a great time. And of course, Ryan had a blast.

This past weekend the weather was beautiful so we decided to go to the zoo. Preston seemed more interested in the signage around the zoo and people watching than looking at the animals. Cadence had a great time as well. She rode in the stroller for a while and then I carried her in my Baby Bjorn. She loves to be carried. She had a great time "talking" to everyone she passed. (I'll load pics from the zoo in a separate post.)

Saturday evening we visited with some friends that just had a handsome little boy. He and Cadence are three months apart and it was amazing how much bigger she was. Sunday we went to church and then had lunch with some other friends that we haven't hung out with in a while. The kids played great together and the guys enjoyed watching the Panthers actually pull out a win.

Here's is Cadence's 18 week photo:

And, that brings us up to today. Today has been a pretty lazy day for me and the kids since we were so busy this weekend. Preston and I did manage to rake some leaves and then make a big mess playing in them. The yard doesn't look any better than when we started, but it was the most fun I've had in a while!

Today I also received a phone call from our church's preschool program today letting me know that they have an opening for Preston. This is such an answer to prayer. He'll get to go to school three days/week from 9-12. He's very excited. He's been missing school very much and I'm so thankful this opportunity has come about.

**Side note-For those of you who wonder if Preston still wears a bucket on his head, the answer is yes. He actually hasn't done this in a while, but as I sit here in his playroom typing this post, he tells me he's got to find his bucket because he needs to ride his truck. If I had a camera nearby, I'd post a pic.