2 yr well check…finally!

Just last week, H had her two-year well check at her pediatrician's office.  Crazy, considering she turned two about 4 months ago!  Overall, it was a great visit.   One of the first where we have actually received 'good' news.  Doc said she looked great, her weight was perfect and even her height!  I was shocked!  In just two months (when we saw the GI in August) she had gained 4 pounds and grown 2 inches!  Crazy, right!  I'm so happy to hear some good news concerning her growth.  I really hope she keeps it up.  I think the periactin and Carnation/milk combo has really been working.  She got a simple flu shot and we headed home!  It was actually a pleasant visit.  Her stats were: 24 lbs 12 oz and 35 in.

4 generations!

That's right FOUR generations together for the weekend!  Great Grandma ('GG', my grandma) and Aunt Kaps (my mom's sister) came all the way from Missouri to visit us!  They stayed three nights and spent the whole weekend with all of us.  It had been months since we had seen either of them (though I talk to Grandma about every other day on the phone), it was great to see them, hug them and stay up late chatting with them in person.  I know the kids loooooved having them here too.  What a very special and very memorable trip for all of us!!

GG and E doing a sticker puzzle together!

At the pumpkin patch:  A huge bin full of feed corn.  What else could kids ask for?

4 generations of pumpkin pickers :)

Bedtime stories...

Selfie of me and GG :)

Kaps, GG and I!

FIRST Dentist Appointment

Say ahhhhh….  Miss H had her very first dentist appointment!  It went surprisingly well.  She was such a trooper.  She let the doc look around in her mouth with all sorts of funny tools and even let the hygienist 'paint' some fluoride stuff on her front teeth.  Overall, he said her teeth looked okay…she has the beginnings of some decay on all four of her molars and he wants to see her again in three months.  This little lady can't catch a break when it comes to doctors!  Good news is, that she's not tongue-tied (or very little) and her frenulum looks okay, but it's very tight (it's the reason she has a gap between her two front teeth).  Guess I'll post an update after our next appointment….

Homecoming 2013

Homecoming here is tons of fun!

House decorations (Greek houses).  These are amazing!  They are HUGE and are made up of tiny little balls of tissue paper, so the detail is incredible!   This was out favorite one...

The bonfire!  I think we are one of the few schools that still has a bonfire for homecoming.  It's really amazing to see a fire that big.  Too bad it was a very warm night, so the heat from the fire was too much.  We didn't stay long.

The kids were mesmerized by the fire...

Tailgate fun on the Quad with friends.  Dr. M wen to the game and me, a friend and these cuties went home to watch it on TV! 

Ole Miss...

Grandma and Grandpa Diggs came to visit for the Ole Miss game this year.  Grandpa was SUPER excited about seeing his very first Bama game.  It was a weekend full of football fun, good food and some much-needed yard work!  

Roooll Tide!!

E and I attended our very FIRST home game at Bryant-Denny stadium.  This is a bucket list event for some people, a sports mecca for others and something that takes place in our town 6 weekends a year!  Alabama football.  Seriously, people, this is religion for many in the South.  Home games are crrrrrazy around here (not to mention FUN)!  We've been here for over two years now and though Dr. M has been to several games, E and I had not.  This was the very first home game of the 2013 season (three-peat?).  It was an evening game and unseasonably cool, which was awesome.  The stadium is so massive.  It's even bigger from the inside.  It's one of the largest stadiums in the US (bigger than most NFL stadiums!).  It holds more people than live in our town.  Crazy, right?!  Needless to say, it was a little overwhelming for E.  Our seats were in the 'nose-bleed' section, about 10 rows from the top (I think he felt like he was going to fall).  We had a 4-year-old-approved dinner of french fries, a giant pretzel and sour patch kids.  We managed to make it through the first half (neither one of us really knew what was going on in the game) and left at half-time.  We got home just in time for bed (for him)!  What a fun date-night with my little man!

ROLL TIDE!

Craftastic!

I've been getting crafty!  A friend of mine and I decided to take a little leap and rent a booth at a local craft market.  We are both crafty ladies and had all sorts of different things that we wanted to sell.  We signed a lease (6 month min) and pay a monthly rent.  The store keeps just 10% of what we sell, so overall, it's a pretty good deal.  We've also had all sorts of opportunities to sell our stuff at local holiday craft markets (we haven't done this yet, but may this weekend).  I made terrariums, granite cheese boards, wire art, hanging lanterns, felt mustaches, felt bats, football festive bunting and fabric flowers.  Random, I know, but I had fun coming up with all the stuff to sell.  So far, I think I've only sold a plant (to my partner), but hope that as the holidays get closer we'll sell more...  We'll see.  Right now, it's just for fun!

Soccer!

E started SOCCER this fall! I don't know who is more excited, me or Dr. M. Ha!  E has no clue what he's doing out there, but is enjoying meeting some new friends, playing a new game and just the whole experience of trying something new.  He loves a new adventure.  The soccer at this age is funny.  It's not actually a 'team' and they don't have games, just practices once a week (Tuesday evenings).  They just do simple games like kicking their ball at the coaches racing from one end of the field to the other and keep away.  Occasionally, they will divide and play a simple 6 on 6 game, but the kids end up pushing, kicking each other and scoring in the wrong goal.  Yes, it's amusing.  I'm sure this is only the beginning of long evenings at the ball field, but I know Dr. M and I are both looking forward to and encourage our kids playing sports! 

E turns FOUR!

On August 28th my very FIRST baby turned 4 YEARS old.  I can't believe it.  Seriously, it doesn't seem possible.  4 years?!  At times I feel like that seems so old and so grown up, but then I see that sweet baby face that used to fall asleep in my arms.  He seems so mature and so much older than his years (if you have met him, you know what I'm talking about).  He's SO handsome and SO smart.  Oh! Did I mention that he's READING?!  Yes, as in reading books!  We've been using the Bob Books and he's loving them.  He can now read all 12 in the beginning series.  He's so proud of himself.  He loooves the color green and thinks that all things Lightening McQueen or Monsters Inc. are awesome. His fave foods are butter-noodles, anything with sugar in it (seriously, that what he says) and all things chocolate.  Oh, and apples, he does like something healthy!  He's a funny guy and still has that wonderful giggle.  He and his Dada are the very best of friends these days....

On his birthday this year, we decided to have a pizza party at his new school with all of this classmates instead of an actual party here at the house.  Grandma W came to visit and helped us shop for fun plates, napkins, cupcakes and toys for his party.  That morning, before school we all went to Krispy Kreme for E's very favorite chocolate with sprinkles donut!  He even got to go behind the counter and see the donuts being made!  Then Grandma and I picked up pizza and set up the classroom while the kids were out to recess.  They all loved it, esp E!  When we got home we put the tired (and sugared-up) birthday boy down for a nap.  While he was sleeping we set up all of his gifts in the dining room (Christmas morning style), so he could open all of them when he woke up.  He was SO excited to see everything!  He and H ran around from package to package, ripping off the paper, playing with one toy then the next, until the room was a disaster!  So much stuff to see and play with...  Such a wonderful day for an amazing and wonderful boy....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLIOT!

  

H - Cardio & GI update:

Good news and bad news....

We'll start with the good (the order in which the appointments were on Friday, Aug. 9).  First we saw the pediatric cardiologist, who did an EKG and Echo.  The EKG was normal, as usual.  Dr. C said the Echo looked like there was some 'improvement' and that we don't have to come back to see him for another year (we had been going every 6 months).  When I asked about having the balloon procedure surgery done in the next year, he said we should hold off on it and see how she's doing at her next appointment.  Amazing news!  He did, however, push (once again) that we see a geneticist for testing.  Next, we walked through Children's to the GI doctor appointment.  These always take foooorever! Sitting in a waiting room, sitting in the exam room, all for the doc to look at her height and weight.  Unfortunately, this time Dr. N said she had dropped from the 10% in weight to the 3% and that her height had begun to plateau.  Sooo, she suggested we try an appetite stimulant (an antihistamine that increases appetite, a side-effect) to get her to take in more calories, which should lead to weight gain. We'll see.  Fingers crossed.  This little lady sure is stressing her mama out!  I just want her to be happy AND healthy....

Back to school

It's that time of year again (my favorite)....BACK TO SCHOOL!  I love the commercials on TV, the fun college and school supplies at Target and knowing that football, cool weather and the holidays are approaching!  This year the kids are starting a new school.  Not because there was anything wrong with the old one, this one is just more convenient for us and we think it will be a better fit for our babies.  E will be in the Pre-K program (NO, I can't believe it!) M-F mornings and H will be in the 2 year old classroom MWF mornings.  Yes, I'm looking forward to having three mornings to myself!  E is really excited about going to a new school.  I love how he embraces change with such enthusiasm.  This will be the first time H has been in an actual classroom setting.  I think she is really going to like it and think it will be good for her to be around her peers.  I'm sure there will be a learning curve for all of us, getting used to a new routine and school setting, but I know it will be worth it!

Zoooooooo

The last few weekends in August the Birmingham Zoo offers discounted rates.  I assume it's hard to get people to go to the Zoo in Alabama in the August heat.  Well, we decided to risk it and it turned out perfect...almost.  We met two other families at the zoo when it opened at 9am.  The heat was not an issue this August day, but the rain was.  The sky was gray and even a little cool.  You could smell the coming rain.  We quickly packed up the strollers and did a speedy tour of the park.  The kids thought it was great!  The animals were actually out enjoying the break from the heat and the threat of rain kept the crowds down.  We had packed lunches in coolers and ate under the pavilion afterward, just as the rain started to pour....just in time.  It was a great morning with the kids and our good friends!

Moen Visit

Grandma Moen and the Chandler family came all the way from Texas to visit us!  All 5 of them (Wanda, Chris, Sara, Zachery and Toby) stopped by on their way to Florida to stay with us for a couple nights.  We hadn't seen them in almost three years!  Lots had changed for all of us... The kids had all grown so much and they hadn't even met Harper.  It was fun and chaotic having such a full house.  SO good seeing the kids (their only cousins) become instant friends and spend some time catching up with everyone. We even got a little adult time out to dinner and drinks (thanks to Wanda for babysitting)!  Plus, it was the first time Grandma Wanda has ever had all four of her grandkids together at the same time.

We also got to celebrate Uncle Chris' 40th birthday!

 Good ol' fashion game night!

 Breakfast with Grandma!

 ALL of the Grand-babies together at last!

Out with the OLD and in with the NEW!

We've been busy this summer getting rid of the old and bringing in the NEW!  So many wonderful house projects (you know how we love house projects)!  Just this summer we: bought a new refrigerator, had the front yard completely re-landscaped; installed a privacy fence in the back yard (replacing the chain-link); replaced ALL the door knobs and hinges on every single door in the house (and we have a LOT of doors); we refinished the basement (added flooring, new carpet on the stairs and painted); new windows are being installed in the basement and living room tomorrow; we have replaced three screened doors; AND we are in the process of replacing the hall lights and bathroom faucet. Phew, I'm out of breath just typing all of that!

Front yard...

 Fence, in progress...