Happy New Year!

We are just a few hours away from 2012...wow this year has flown by!! Christmas was wonderful and the kids have more toys than they know what to do with. But as much as I loved the holidays, I'm so looking forward to what this fresh new year is going to bring. We are so blessed to be getting a new niece this spring from my sister and another sweet baby (gender to be determined!) this summer from my sister-in-law. I have a feeling this will be a big year of changes within our little family too. We will be putting our house up for sale this July. Eve will be starting kindergarten in August. And I know Cole will continue to thrive in his preschool and with his therapies. We have so much to look forward to, and for that, I am so thankful and in awe of what God has blessed us with and continues to bless us with. Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday!!

Today is Chris' 28th birthday!! I've said it once and I'll say it over and over again...I am sooooooo extremely blessed to have such an amazing person to walk through this life with. I love you baby!

School

Last week was Cole's first week of school, and he is doing great!! The first day, I think he was more stunned than anything and his teachers said he cried for a few minutes when he first got to the classroom. The second day was a little better. And when I dropped him off yesterday, he screamed with excitement when he saw a classmate and basically ran into the school without looking back!! I cried like a baby the first day I dropped him off until Eve kindly told me to suck it up and get over it...LOL. He is actually in class during the hours that he used to be napping here at home so not much is different other than where he is at. Eve and I have been coming home, eating lunch, and then playing on the kinect (Dance Central is a blast BTW!) until its time to go pick my baby boy up.

Cole's 3 Year Checkup

For the first time ever, we were actually early this year with one of the kid's checkups instead of weeks late as usual. The reason being that we needed Cole to have a physical on file with the school he will soon be attending. Anyways, he was not a happy camper AT ALL for his appointment even though he didn't need any shots. I ended up leaving the office sweaty and embarrassed after having to literally pin down my boy on the table so his pediatrician could check him out. Fun times!! Here are his current stats:

Height: 38.5 inches (75th percentile)
Weight: 39 lbs (95th percentile)

I'm not really sure those numbers are accurate given all the thrashing around Cole was doing!! I just thank God that he doesn't have to go back until his 4 year checkup in a year! :) It was all good though because my baby boy is healthy as can be and thats what matters.

My Loves

Fall Already!?

Actually we are over a month into fall and Thanksgiving is in 3 1/2 weeks. How is this possible!? Time for an update on my babies! Life has been bustling along and both Eve and Cole are doing great.

I will start with my girl, Eve. She is seriously one of the happiest, smartest, easy going, adaptable little girls ever! I am not just saying that because I'm her mom! Yes she does have a drama queen side that pops out at least once a day, but what girl doesn't? I swear she is going to win an Oscar one day...she loves singing, dancing, and acting...triple threat! Eve is still majorly into her barbie dolls, baby dolls, and all things sparkly and girly. She also has a very motherly side that really comes out with Cole. She is so extremely patient with him and protective of him. It makes me feel so good to watch them play together, and I hope and pray that they will always look out for one another. In just a few short months, it will already be time to register Eve for kindergarten...something I have been dreading since the moment she was born. I am NOT one of those moms who is excited to send my kid off to school. No, I would keep them home with me forever if I could! But Eve is a social butterfly who loves learning so I know she will just do great next fall when she starts school. They grow up too fast!

Now onto my little dude, Cole. I cannot believe that in a couple more weeks, my baby boy is going to be 3 years old...ahhhhh! He is such a happy boy, but unlike Eve, he makes you work for it a little harder! He is still loving and obsessed with cars, anything musical, and he loves anything to do with letters and numbers. Cole has made so much progress this year! We recently had his 6 month evaluation with all of his therapists. It was simply amazing to look back at his initial testing and compare it with where he is now. He is a different child! We are still having some difficulty with speech, but we are going to continue with speech therapy and I have no doubt that he is going to continue to progress and catch up with his peers in no time. We did finally (after a 6 month wait) have his evaluation done with one of the top developmental pediatricians around. And Cole was diagnosed as having autism. It was something that I knew in my gut for awhile and had tried to prepare myself for, but I don't anything really prepares a parent to hear it spoken out loud. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. Not so much because I was upset myself, but more because I don't want him to ever feel different or to be made to feel different from anyone else. He is soooo smart! And yet I was also somewhat relieved to get the diagnosis because it opens up a whole new bag of therapies and options for getting my little guy the help he needs. We will be continuing with private speech and occupational therapy, as well as starting Cole in a preschool for kids just like him. He starts the week after he turns 3 and I think once we get into our new routine, he will love it! One more positive is that Cole was placed on the mild side of the autistic spectrum. Something a lot of people don't understand is that autism is a spectrum disorder ranging from mild to moderate to severe. Because Cole has only made constant progress and not regressed, there is a great chance that with continued therapy, he will be "typical" come kindergarten and be able to attend regular school and be just fine. Even if he doesn't, we will continue to love him and support him no matter what. He has been nothing but a blessing in our lives and will continue to be so. I thank God every day for my amazing kids and husband, and the life we have. I am so grateful.

Happiness!

Recently got these black sparkle uggs and just looking at them makes me smile...love!!

Interview With Eve

Okay so in the past I've had Eve answer questions about me, but these are questions she answered about herself. I plan to update this every once in a while, and once Cole is talking more, I'll do the same for him.

My favorite food is: Fish

My favorite sport to play is: Running

The best show on television is: The Wild Kratts

The coolest person on Earth is: Dad

My favorite thing to learn about: Using scissors

The thing I do most awesomely: Jump

If I could go anywhere in the world, I'd go to: Target because they have lots of barbie aisles that I could buy barbies from

My favorite color is: Light pink and dark blue

When I grow up, I want to be an: Artist

My current favorite song is: "This Little Light of Mine"

The book I am loving right now: "The Lion King"

Three words that describe me are: Nice, beautiful, and smart

When I was little, I used to: Drink a baby bottle

My favorite season is: Fall and Christmas

The best thing about camping is: So we get to roast marshmallows!

The snack I like the best is: Cheeze-its

One food that I really dislike is: Tomato soup

My best friend is: Mom and Dad

If I had one wish, it would be: That I could climb on the ceiling

My best memory is: That I got the barbie dreamhouse

Cole's 2.5 Year Checkup

Life is good and all is well. Cole had his 2 1/2 year checkup last week and did great! He is free from anymore shots until kindergarten...thank goodness! Here are his current stats:

Height: 37.5 inches (95th percentile)
Weight: 37.5 lbs. (98th percentile)

I have to wonder how he continues to be nearly off the charts with both his weight and height when he barely eats anything! Seriously, he is soooo picky! Although Eve was the same way as a toddler and will now try most anything, so there is hope! Both kids are doing wonderful. Cole is continuing to have his therapy 4x week and is currently making huge strides. I am so proud of him. He still doesn't talk as much as most 2 year olds do, but he definitely understands us and talks more and more each week. He is also just about up to speed developmentally with his age group. We still have some sensory issues going on with different textures, but even those seem to be getting better and better with time. And Eve is also doing great! She is loving this hot weather and getting to swim everyday. And she is so excited for this fall when we will be enrolling her in a gymnastics class! I am so happy to finally have my own car and to start getting the kids into different activities. So yeah, life is good.

Long time, no update!

I can't believe its already been a month and a half since I last updated. I swear time seems to be going by so fast lately! First off, we are at least a month into Cole's therapy. This is his current schedule:

Monday: 9-10 am Speech Therapy
Tuesday: 8:45-9:45 am Developmental Therapy
Wednesday: 9-10 am Occupational Therapy
Thursday: 9:30-10:30 am Speech Therapy
Friday-Sunday: Freedom!

Since starting, Cole has been adding a few words each week and we have also been working on some of his sensory issues and other basic skills, like taking turns and playing appropriately with toys. To be honest, Cole hates therapy! LOL! But I am learning new and different ways to approach teaching him things, which makes it all worth it. Cole is a smart cookie and VERY stubborn...most of his therapists agree that he is holding back on us and actually knows quite a bit more than he lets on. Like a few weeks ago, when he busted out counting 1-10 when I had never even tried to teach him that...watching Sesame Street every morning must be paying off...LOL! And Eve is doing great as well. We have been dealing with some jealousy issues since Cole gets so much one-on-one attention from his therapists, but that seems to be fading. She is so excited that we are opening our pool in a few weeks, and we can start swimming again! We have been doing a ton of work on our landscaping and cleaning up our patio that I can't wait to spend all of our free time out there this summer.

I also wanted to mention that today marks 7 years since I married my best friend! And what an amazing 7 years it has been! Through life's ups and downs, we have stuck side by side and only grown closer and more in love. I am so blessed to have married such a wonderful person and to have our two beautiful children. Life is good.

Cole Update

We finally got everything approved to offically start speech and developmental therapy for Mister Cole next week. Speech therapist will be coming 2x week for an hour at a time and the developmental therapist will be coming 1x week for an hour. I am very much looking forward to Cole making further progress with his talking although he has made huge strides in the past month already. And I give all the credit to starting him on an Omega 3/DHA fish oil supplement. I am not exaggerating when I say that it has been a miracle worker. I had researched it extensively as so many parents on the internet had mentioned that it had impacted their children's speech and behavior so much. So I figured I'd give it a whirl and hope for the best. We started it on March 11th and within 2 days, Cole was a different child. Gone were the head banging and extreme temper tantrums. His eye contact increased tenfold. New words started popping out of his mouth. It has been amazing! Yes he still has a long ways to go to catch up with most kids his age, but I am no longer worried and know that he will get there in no time.

A Typical Day

I am so blessed to be able to do what I've always wanted to do, which is to be a stay-at-home mom. I looove getting to spend my entire day with Eve and Cole, even on the days that they drive me absolutely crazy! Plus I know with Eve starting kindergarten next year, these lazy days at home will be coming to an end, which helps me to appreciate them all the more. Anyways, here is our typical daily schedule as of right now.

7:00 am- Miss Eve wakes up at this time (almost to the minute) every single day. We say good-bye to Daddy and snuggle on the couch while she watches some Curious George.

7:45 am- Mister Cole wakes up one happy baby and joins us on the couch for some more cartoons.

8:00 am- Breakfast time!

8:30-11:30 am- Kids run around the house like maniacs...following me as I do housework, playing with toys in Eve's room and living room, watching more cartoons, and if the weather permits we get outside for some fresh air.

11:30 am- Cole goes down for his nap.

11:30-1:30 pm- This is when I shower and get ready for the day while Eve follows me around...afterwards we eat lunch, check the mail, and usually do some coloring or play-doh or reading until Cole wakes up.

1:30 pm- Cole wakes up and eats his lunch.

2-3:30ish pm- Kids continue to run around like maniacs, occasionally stopping to watch whatever Disney movie is playing in the background.

3:30 pm- Eat snack and go back outside to play.

4:30 pm- Come back inside so I can get their dinner ready.

5:00ish pm- Dinnertime!

5:30-6 pm- Daddy gets home from work and kids go nuts trying to do outdo each other for his attention. Chris eats his dinner and if weather is nice, we all head back outside yet again for some basketball time.

6:30 pm- Cole gets his bath and is in bed by 7:00 pm.

7:00 pm- Eve gets her bath and is in bed by 7:30 pm.

7:30 pm- Time to relax!!!!

Big Week

We are leaving for Ohio tomorrow for Ashley and Jerry's wedding this Saturday! I am the matron of honor, Chris is a groomsmen, and Eve is the flowergirl. Ashley asked me about Cole being the ring bearer, but we decided he is still a bit young and there is no way he would have made it down that aisle without some major drama! So he will be sitting this one out. I am so excited to get there and see everyone, and to witness A and J starting their lives together. Oh and I love my bridesmaid dress...thank you Ashley for choosing something super cute and flattering! Here it is by the way:



Eve's flowergirl dress is also ridiculously cute, as well as Cole's little suit. And then Chris will be all gussied up as well. I'm bringing my camera so hopefully I can get someone to snag a family picture of us since its a rare day that we are all dressed up. I will also be taking as many pictures as I can of the bride and groom, and everyone else. Ashley's dress is beautiful, and she is going to look gorgeous! So excited!!

Cole

Okay so Mister Cole has one more evaluation needed by an occupational therapist and then he is good to go with the new plan! So far, he will be receiving speech therapy 2x week and developmental therapy 1x week. We are also guessing he will be receiving occupational therapy at least 1x week as well. The reasoning behind the developmental therapy is just that Cole had a few issues with his cognitive skills and memory during that evaluation. I know that some of it was just the excitement and probably anxiety of having someone new in the house asking him to do all these things, but truth be known, we have noticed he could use a little help in that area. And all these early intervention services through the state are free until Cole turns 3 years old, so we are taking full advantage of it since it can only help. While here, both therapists also recommended a full evaluation by an occupational therapist since they noticed Cole seemed to have some characteristics of sensory processing disorder (SPD). I will try to explain SPD as best I can, but this is all new to me. Basically, everyone is constantly receiving information to their brain from all 5 senses...sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. In most people, their brains are able to sort out all this information and process it accordingly. However in people with SPD, information from certain senses gets "scrambled" and the brain cannot process it in an appropriate manner. This causes different behaviors, reactions, emotions, etc. that are atypical. Anyways, this is what the occupational therapist will evaluate him for. I'm on the fence as to whether he has this or not. If he does, I'd say his case is quite minor compared to other children with it that I've read about. We shall see, I suppose. But anyways, once this evaluation is done and we have his entire therapy plan in place, then we can finally start. I'm guessing this will take another couple weeks to get going. But I will update again once we get started, and of course I will continually update on Cole's progress. I love him with all my heart and soul. He is still such a mama's boy, and I look forward to the day he is non-stop chattering right alongside Eve!

Appointments!

Little miss Eve had her 4 year checkup a few days ago, and as expected, is doing absolutely perfect. Here are her current stats:

Height: 41 inches (75th percentile)
Weight: 38 lbs. (75th percentile)

I have to say though that we measured her at home and she came in at 42 1/2 inches so I don't think they got an accurate measurement. Oh well...she is still going to be one tall girl! Thank God she didn't need any vaccinations, but next year at her 5 year checkup, she will be getting a TON of them in preparation for kindergarten. Chris will definitely be taking her to that one! That same day as her checkup, Eve also had her second ever dentist cleaning and checkup. She goes to a pediatric dentist who recommends letting the kids go back by themselves after the first visit so they gain their confidence. We were all set to insist we were going back with her being the overprotective parents we are, but Eve actually wanted to go back by herself! The child is so self assured and unafraid of everything that it just amazes me. Anyways, she did great...they did xrays and the whole bit. No cavities and her teeth are perfect.

We have also been in the process of having Mister Cole evaluated for his speech. As you know, he is now 27 months old and still says only a small handful of words. He has already been evaluated by a speech therapist. And later this morning, he is being evaluated by a developmental therapist. The reasoning for both of them is that he has to be seen by 2 seperate therapists in order to qualify through the state's early intervention program. So we shall see what happens today, and then I'll give another update once we come up with a therapy plan next week.

Overall, life is good. I love my two kids and husband more than I could ever try to put into words. They are my everything.

Birthday Girl

My beautiful baby girl is turning 4 years old tomorrow!! I don't know why, but this birthday is hitting me harder than her previous years. I guess maybe because she really is not a "baby" anymore, but a little girl. And an amazing one at that. She is truly the sunshine in my life. So eager to please and to get a laugh, so quick to smile and to tell a joke, so gentle and patient with her baby brother. Eve makes it so easy to truly enjoy being a mom and I soak up every bit of love that she lavishes me with on a daily basis. Happy Birthday baby girl!

My Babies

I just checked and it looks like I haven't done a full Eve and Cole update since September, so i figured it was time.

Today is the first day of February, which means my baby girl will be turning 4 years old in just a few short weeks! Which means that next year she will be turning 5 years old and starting school...something I cannot even bring myself to think about without getting crazy emotional. Eve is just such a joy to be around and still surprises me with the things she says and does every day. I say it all the time, but she is SO funny! And smart, independent, tough, playful, social. All the qualities I could ever want in a daughter. Current favorites include her barbies (she is up to 15 or so now), disney princesses, "Despicable Me", dancing, playing in the snow, buttercream frosting, yogurt smoothies, and as always, anything pink and sparkly.

Cole is showing us more and more of his sense of humor as he gets older as well. He also loves to dance around and will do anything to get a laugh out of us! He still only has maybe 10 words he uses, but he does speak his jibberish that sounds like his very own language...LOL. He is getting a full speech/cognitive evaluation done in 2 weeks and we will have a better idea of where he stands and what steps to take from here. I have a feeling that he is just waiting to bust out talking, and that when he does, he will not stop! Cole is still a total mama's boy and very cuddly and affectionate, which I love! Current favorites include cars and trucks, knocking things over, "Meet the Robinsons", Sid the Science Kid, dancing, shooting hoops with Daddy, brown sugar cinnamon poptarts, and waffles.

I am so immensely blessed.

Baby Jail

Oh my little Cole. I don't know if its all little boys or what, but Cole is on a whole other level than what Eve was at the young age of 2. He slams toys into walls, screams like a monkey, climbs on everything like its his own personal jungle gym, runs back and forth across the living room like a maniac, and generally has no fear. So I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised when a few nights ago, I heard a thud come from his room and checked the monitor only to see that my little boy was not in his crib! I went running in there at 3:30 am to find him standing by the couch in his room, looking very dazed and confused...LOL. After getting him back to sleep, I immediately went online and overnight shipped a crib tent to our house. A crib tent is just what it sounds like, a mesh tent that attaches to the crib so baby can still see and hear everything, but can no longer take a flying leap to injury. So far, so good.