SoftBall

Lexi and some team mates
The whole team happy as can be

Lexi getting her first place medal

Hanging out on first base

All of Lexi's fans

Finally I get to watch a real game of softball. T-Ball and Coach pitch is great for learning but at times painful to watch. Lexi is on the Cougars this season, and what a season we had. We tied for first place. I loved going to each and every one of her games. It was so fun to watch Lexis confidence grow and watch her team improve. She loves everything about it. Before each game she was filled with excitement. The more she practiced, the more she improved, the more she improved, the more confidence she got. It was great!

We were able to go to the state tournament and amazingly enough her team won the whole tournament. It was double elimination, they ended up not loosing one game. Each game I was sick with nerves. So sick with nerves that I couldn't even eat, and I had the runs. (ewww gross I know) I kept telling myself that it was only my 9 year old playing city league and its not that big of a deal but I just couldn't get myself to calm down. I had so much fun watching her play and was sad that it ended. Maybe if we would have had a few more weeks of games I could loose the last baby pounds I am still carrying around.

Eclipse Drama

This is me Happy waiting for the movie
Angry Face

We are not a happy group of ladies.

Like most of you, I purchased my ticket for Eclipse months ago, and have been impatiently waiting for the blasted movie. Finally the night has arrived. My girlfriends and I went to dinner first and then off to the theater to wait in line for FOUR hours. When the time came to enter the theater my adrenalin kicked in and I was so excited I wanted to shout. I calmly sat in my chair and waited. Shortly after my popcorn was buttered and my Pepsi was filled the previews started. My seat was good I wasn't too close to the front and no one tall was sitting in front of me. I could see the screen just fine, I just couldn't hear anything, not a sound was coming from the movie. Now we specifically picked theater 3 because a worker told us it had the best sound. So you can understand my confusion when I could hear nothing. The movie stopped, and then started again still with no sound. I wasn't too concerned yet we were still watching previews. Then all of a sudden the movie starts and THERE IS STILL NO SOUND!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! I close my eyes tight I don't want to see without hearing. Then the lights fade on. The owner of the theater proceeds to explain that they cannot get the sound to work and therefore I will not be able to watch the movie. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME!!! I was so mad I wanted to throw my freshly buttered popcorn and my ice cold Pepsi all over everything. It wasn't just the fact I was missing the movie(although that was a huge part) it was all the planning that it took to get there. Juggling the kids, staying up late, being tired the next morning for no reason at all, the months of anticipation, finding someone to watch the kids tomorrow so I could watch the movie. I was defeated, and I never like feeling that way. I left the movie theater very very angry. One of the worst parts of all is my sister who could really care less about the damn movie got a sneak peek and watched it at 8:00 and hours ago sent me a text telling me how great it was. So sluggishly I went home got into bed and laid there for an hour. My steam had to simmer before I could fall asleep.

I am happy to report that fabulous sister of mine took all 4 kids of mine plus one of her own to the pool by herself so I could go watch the blasted movie. And it was magnificent. I LOVED every moment of it!

Sorry lady friends for the bad behavior.

Bulging soft spot= Hospital stay

This is Crew at the end of a very long day.
Gettng blood pressure taken


Getting ready for bed

Everytime the hospital staff came in Crews roon, they had to gown up.

Playing with some toys

Tuesday night Crew had a really rough time. He cried and moaned and wiggled around. He just couldn't get comfy. He had a fever and was fussy. While trying to soothe him, I was rubbing his sweet round head. I noticed that his soft spot was bulging rather than sunk in like always. I was worried, and anxious for morning so I could call the Dr. He didn't get any worse throughout the night but he didn't get any better. There was little sleep and lots of crying, poor guy. When we got to the Dr. he was concerned about his soft spot. Because Crew has a "Big Head" he thought he might have fluid around his brain. If there was no fluid then we would proceed with a spinal tap. He was showing some signs of meningitis. So we went and got an ultrasound of his head. It showed no fluid. While I was waiting for the Dr. to perform his spinal tap I was walking around outside with my fussy baby. I was trying to soothe him, and myself. For just a brief minute I allowed myself to think the worst. What if my baby has spinal meningitis, what if he is really really sick. What if something really bad happens. I hugged him tight and then tighter and tighter. I walked into the Drs. Office with a prayer in my heart, I was scared to death.

It was going on 3:00 and poor baby had slept horrid and really had no nap, he was exhausted. While he was lying on the table having fluid taken out of his back my heart was breaking. You just feel so helpless. His cry for help was not being answered. I just rubbed his leg and sang Take me out the Ballgame. After he was done I wrapped him up in his blanket and cradled him to sleep. I kissed him over and over and over again.

We were being admitted to the hospital. Dr. Johnson was taking early precaution. If we were dealing with spinal meningitis he wanted to get antibiotics in him immediately. He had just barley fallen asleep and now it was time for his IV. Seriously is there anything worse? Couldn't find the vein on the first try. His hands have a little too much fat. For the second poke they got the cool little light that shows his veins. IV was in, and Crew was spent. He was done being tortured, and so was I!!! Once again as he lay on the bed having needles being poked into his skin I rubbed sweet little head, and sang to him his song.

Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks,
I don't care if I ever get back.
For its root root root for the home team
If they don't win it's a shame,
For its 1 2 3 strikes you're out
at the old ballgame

As the tears rolled from my cheeks to his I wanted more than ANYTHING to take his place. Let me get poked and hurt. Just leave my boy alone. It hurts so much inside. But because I love him so much of course I let the tests be done, and the IV be placed, I will do ANYTHING to make him better. So off to the next procedure, which was the catheter and last but not least the snot test. They stick a tube up your nose and down your throat and suck out snot. Out of all the tests he hated this one the most, or maybe it was by this point he was done. His little chin quivered and he screamed bloody murder. Heartache to the core. What really broke my heart was that after all this, my little guy would still try and smile. His eyes were swollen and puffy and his little body was so worn out, but he still tried so hard to be happy. He would flap his arms a time or two and then fall into my chest. He really needed some sleep.

With all the monitors, vital checks, unfamiliar surroundings, and feeling crappy there was very little sleep taking place. We kept moving from chair to bed to rocking chair just trying to find some comfort. Morning came with some good news. No viral meningitis. We were still waiting for the snot test (which can tell what kind of virus you have) and the bacterial meningitis. If we got a positive on the snot test then we could go home. Dr. Johnson wanted a name to what was causing him to be sick. We all know that viral infections can't be treated, so no use staying at the hospital. Around 8:00pm we got the results that he had a virus. I was so relieved and so happy that we were going home. I am so grateful that my little guy is okay. My heart goes out to parents that have children that are really sick. It has to take years off your life. When stuff like this happens it makes you realize how valuable life really is.

Cabin Fun!

Have I mentioned how mcuh I love this little guy
Strike a pose

Don't forget Sadie. We LOVE this dog!!!

Is he giving me attitude?

Boo front and center

I know this will be a shock, but I am kindof a girly girl. Camping, dirt, bugs all that stuff just really isn't my cup of tea, but...... Shauns family has a cabin and on occassion I really enjoy going there. We had a fun day riding four wheelers, roasting hot dogs, making smores, and enjoying our time away from the business of life.

Memory Day

This day is always bittersweet for me. I had a brother and a sister die at the age of six months. It absolutely positively breaks my heart that my mom and dad had to endure the loss of two babies. I can't even try to pretend what that would be like. Each time I go to their graves my heart feels sadness. I ache to have a relationship with them. My soul mourns what would have been. The years that I have a baby are even harder for me. I really just want to sit by their graves and cry my eyes out. It makes me grateful for the relationships that I have, and it makes me love my mom and dad more. What two very incredible parents I have.

I am so grateful for knowledge that I have, one day I will get to meet my Jason and Shelly, I will get to have a relationship with them, and that makes my heart feel joy!

School Days

I want my mom!!!
Boo and Davis really good buddies

Boo and Mrs. Wall

MaKaya and Mrs. Nixon

Lexi and Mrs. Beyal a tearful goodbye!

What a fantastic year we had! All the girls LOVED school this year.

Lexi was in multiage with Mrs. Beyal. Can I just say that we both adored Mrs. Beyal. She taught Lexi some life long lessons and I love her for that.

MaKaya had Mrs. Nixon and said many times through out the year that Mrs. Nixon was just so nice. I helped out with MaKayas class on a regular basis and boy do I have respect for first grade teachers.

Boo had Mrs. Wall for pre-school. She would ask everyday if it was a school day. As a punishment I would say you can't go to school. I loved Boo going to pre-school, and she loved it too.

Lexi and MaKaya had more than perfect report cards all year long. The only thing they needed to work on was being tardy. Come on now don't they realize that when kids are young they are tardy because of their parents. I hope they continue to love school and excel!

I'm Flying

Crew flaps his arms all the time. When he gets excited he flaps, when he sees someone he likes he flaps, when I feed him food he flaps. I am surprised that his legs don't have bruises from him hitting them so much. Along with flapping he kicks his legs. He is so very happy. You can always count on a big drooly grin from him. Maybe he is so happy because he is loved so darn much!