handsful

I’m gonna squeeze it in anyway :) 

At first, Randy and I had quite the struggle trying to figure out who to pull for in last weekend’s Steelers vs. Chargers game.  As you can see here:

Note the Steelers hat and Chargers jersey. 

Randy has been a Steelers fan ever since playing Pop Warner football as a kid as a Steeler.  But, Phillip Rivers is the Chargers QB, and we LOVE him…he was the quarterback of Randy’s college team NC State, so we always pull for the Chargers, too.  In the end, the team closest to our hearts did win and we’ll just look forward to watching Phillip play again next year. 

I shot this video on Tuesday so Marley could show off a little. It cracks me up to watch Lainey copy Marley.

I took my camera to Lainey’s speech therapy session today.  She loves Ms. Leah!

Shaving cream play…the goal is to have her practice vocalizing while playing, but she was so mesmerized by the stuff, she barely made a sound.  Okay, let’s try something else. 

I forgot what this little thing is called, but the top is soft rubber and it vibrates.  The plan is for her to put it on her mouth, for stimulation.  She sorta likes it and sorta hates it.  We’re working on it. 

That’s the way, girlie!

She tries SO hard to blow bubbles, but she usually ends up blowing from her nose.  I’d love suggestions from anyone with a cleft affected kiddo :)  Her nasal and oral cavities are still somewhat open because of a small fistula in the middle of her palate and her gumline is still open.  I assume that’s making it harder. 

Lainey is such a busy girl, she got a call right before going out to do a little shopping with Payton’s wallet.  And his hat and glasses.  That’s me checking schoolwork in the background.  Don’t tell Randy that Payton had his camera, he wouldn’t like that. 

Fun for a 2 year old.  Sitting under a desk, playing with a tissue.  Good times. 

Here we are today, at her follow-up appointment after having an ear infection last week.  Her ears healed quickly, but her cough came back last night (she had a cough last week, but it never developed into anything…we thought). 

Last night, we heard her wheezing a little and after playing hard she had a long coughing spell.  The pediatrician said she felt very tight, and had us do 2 neb treatments at the office…here, Marley is helping her.  She came with us, after finishing her schoolwork for the week already (you go, girl).  He wants those to continue every 4 hours during the day until the cough goes away.  We’re well versed in this procedure…all 3 of the triplets have varying degrees of asthma already.  Mine as well add one more. 

A little down-time after a stressful day…watching her other favorite “Marlee” on TV with her First Signs Baby Einstein video. 

I can see the light…Friday is coming.  We’re debating on either cleaning out the garage or going to the zoo.  Which do you think we’ll do?

Abby is a little girl fighting for her life.  She’s 4 years old and was adopted from Guatemala when she was 6 months old.  Last July, she was diagnosed with a very agressive and high risk Leukemia and has been undergoing treatment.  Tomorrow, she begins an extremely difficult phase, one that she might not survive.  I’ve been following their blog for quite some time…if you look on my sidebar, under “Favorite Sites” the blog is called “Pray for Abby”.  Please take a minute to go over and read her story.  On their latest post, there is a video to watch which will tell you their story.  They are very strong Christians, and believe that whatever Abbey’s outcome, God will be glorified.  Let’s lift this family up. 

 

I thought I’d devote a quick post to a few random things…

** I was given the book “Multiple Blessings” for Christmas by my mom-in-law…it’s the story of Jon and Kate Gosselin and their journey in having a set of twin girls and then 3 boys/3 girls sextuplets.  I love their show “Jon and Kate Plus 8”.  I read the book in 3 days, finishing 2/3 of it just on the ride home from NC.  Their faith has been discussed slightly on the show, a little more as the seasons have gone on.  But, the book goes into much more detail…the last chapter goes into detail on 6 of the lessons that God continually teaches her…it was a blessing to me. 

I know she gets a lot of criticism for how she deals with her husband, and there are times that I agree.  But, their solid stance on not selectively reducing (isn’t that a nice way to put it?) any of their sextuplets mirrored our same decision years ago when our doctors also recommended reduction.  God gave them their children, and it would be His decision, not theirs, whether any of them would make it or not. 

Check out their book, and their family website is on our sidebar “Jon and Kate”.  :)

Abbey’s entry for our homeschool co-op’s yearbook – theme “Homeschool is Cool”

Here is Payton’s picture for the yearbook.  They’ll pick a winner and put that chid’s artwork on the cover of the yearbook.  All the other entries will be printed within it.  There are 200+ kids in our co-op, so we’re talking a pretty big yearbook!

** We’ve recently been enjoying the beginnings of a new level of attachment from our Miss Lainey.  Last Tuesday, I took Marley to her new 2-hr. gymnastics class and stayed to watch.  When we arrived home, Lainey was postively giddy to see me, yelling “mama!!”, running up to me, and excitedly telling everyone that mama was home.  It brought tears to my eyes!  I scooped her up and even got spontaneous “squeezes” from her.  The same thing happened when we returned home from homeschool co-op on Friday.  She walked into Randy’s office and just squealed with delight.  Since then, she’s given more spontaneous hugs and just seems to be getting it that we’re hers and she’s ours.  How I love it!! 

Lainey taking her baby out on a stroll..she has her new purse in case she finds something to buy!

** Speaking of Marley and her gymnastics class, she loves advanced!  Her new coach is challenging her more, and encouraged her to take an extra Open Gym class this past Friday night so that she could work on 2 skills that have been eluding her.  She was there for 2 hours, with one-on-one help from one of her previous (and our favorite) coaches.  When we picked her up, she could do both skills!  In case you’re wondering, she can now do a back hip circle and mill circle on the uneven bars.  She also did a back hand spring on the incline mat without assistance for the first time and her cartwheel on the balance beam is a cinch for her now.  We’re proud at how hard she is working at the sport she loves. 

Current gym girl with a future gym girl (might sign her up for a Mommy and Me class this week!)

** Last thought…there is something about the beginning of a new year that I love.  The newness of it all, the “clean slate” feeling that you get once all the Christmas decorations are put up and your house is in order (for however long THAT lasts).  Jumping into school lessons again, getting back into all our activities, winter cleaning (some do this in the spring, for some reason the nesting instinct hits me now!), and just looking ahead into the year at all that’s coming is exciting!  This one might seem a bit lame, but we look forward to all our fav shows returning with NEW episodes…we’ve been waiting forever for a new Burn Notice, lol.  So, 2008 was wonderful – the “Year of Lainey”.  Here we are 2009…let’s see what you bring. 

New shirt from Aunt Gail…she has great taste :)

 

 

Got some extra time between dinner and bedtime?  Why not do what we did tonight, and have a good, old-fashioned in-home field day.  It helps if you have enough contestants to make it interesting. 

Let’s start with some piggy back races…

past the kitchen, through the front room, back through the kitchen, and all feet on the living room carpet…timed by daddy.

Girls won; they had a slight advantage, given Abbey is so much bigger than Marley – and Marley weighs next to nothing soaking wet. 

Lainey was dying to get in on the fun…

She liked it just a little. 

Someone decided that I had to get into the competition, too.  I held on for dear life…

4-legged race maybe?  We had done the traditional 3-legged races before I thought to get the camera. 

They sort-of carried her, laughing hysterically the whole way!

And, let’s end the evening with the boys dragging ME around, and us collapsing in a heap on the living room floor.  Nope, not sharing THAT picture! 

 

Yes, we’re still here!  It’s been a whirlwind Christmas, with our trip to NC from the 26th-30th.  Once home, we launched into our version of wintertime “spring cleaning”, packing up decorations, making an end-of-year drop off to charity, and re-organizing a little for the new year.  We welcomed 2009 by shooting off some fireworks in the backyard, watching Kung Fu Panda, and then the ball drop at Times Square on TV. 

I tried to keep the number of pictures down, but failed miserably.  You might want to grab a snack and settle in…

Christmas morning…The traditional picture of the kids waiting for the “green light” to run into the family room.  Lainey had no clue. 

Guitar Hero World Tour…rock on. 

A book in my stocking!

It was just what she wanted!

She looks happy, eh?

Mayhem…in a good way.

Air soft guns for Randy…Um…I mean the boys. 

Lainey liked her crawl through tube!

Bright and early the next morning, we head to NC…

Lainey and Granma (D’s mom)

We had lunch at my parents house, with my dad’s whole family…it had been years since I’d seen most of them, so that was a treat.  This is my Uncle Mike, Aunt Gail, dad, and Uncle Billy. 

My sweet grandmom with some of her great-grandchildren…our kids plus my cousin Stephanie’s girls Ally and Avery. 

Grandmom and Lainey have a deep discussion.  Lainey kept taking her walker…isn’t that sweet?

A drive across town and we’re at Randy’s brother’s house with HIS family this time.  This is Randy’s cousin Hope and me (thankfully, I don’t look as tired as I was!)

The sisters…Randy’s mom, Aunt Thelma, and Aunt Mary.  

You’d think Lainey would have been wiped out by now, but she was going strong…

Hanging out with our cousins

The next day…at Randy’s mom’s house.  Caleb and Lainey play all the time. 

All 11 cousins…from just Randy and his brother. 

Switching gears again…opening presents at Nana and Paw Paw’s house (Randy’s dad and step-mom) 

We gave each of the grandparents and R’s siblings ornaments that we brought back from China…here, Lainey helps Paw Paw hang up theirs. 

New Years Eve…the big kids watch the bigger kid shoot off fireworks.

Cool shot!

Nice shot of our tree, from the back patio.

Little Lainey slept in the new year…Happy 2009!