Power of Pink

Last night we braved the torrential rains and severe weather and attended the Alabama vs Auburn Gymnastics Meet - it was the Drive for the Cause or Power of Pink meet to raise money for the treatment of Breast Cancer. Over $150,000 was raised and it was a sell out meet of over 15,000, though not that many were in attendance thanks to the flooding roads. WE HAD A BLAST.

We went with my dear friend Ashley and her daughter Mary Alice. I have to give Ashley credit for the ideas of the Power of Pink sign and the pink accessories. Our goal was to have a great time and get on the big screen tv! And we succeeded! We got on the tv TWICE - the first was mainly the sign (and me b/c I was holding it) and the second time was ALL of us. The girls had a great time dancing during the rotations - I saw Emma Claire dance like I've never seen her dance before. I think it may have something to do with the funky outfit I let her wear - as opposed to the usual conservative clothes she wears!!!

We ate lots of these, and sour patch kids, which may also have attributed to the dancing!

This morning we woke up to some blueberry pancakes and sausage and eggs. In a little while, the children and I are heading to Birmingham to spend the day with my parents!
In true Wilson fashion, he likes to walk around with his pancake and then NOT eat it

Daisy is ALWAYS right behind him!

Wilson enjoyed some movie time in Henderson's exersaucer - you're never too old!

We're Happy!

This little guy got a GREAT report from the doctor yesterday - his white blood cell count was down to 13,900 - not quite "normal" but definitely lower than 20,000!!!!! He did great - they went ahead and pricked his toe in the pediatrician's office and YA'LL, he didn't flinch or cry when his toe was pricked or the ENTIRE time the nurse was squeezing his little toe to get that tube full of blood - not ONE tear or whimper!!! That's my boy!!!!! Because the levels had gone down so much, we didn't have to venture to the hospital lab to have more tests done. YAY!!!!!! And more good news - he went from 15#4oz three weeks ago to 16#3oz yesterday!!! That's a record for my boys!!!! I haven't looked, but he might have even made it ON the growth chart!!!!

Emma Claire had soccer practice last night and before that I took the children and met my friend Ashley and her girls at McDonalds for a fancy smancy Birthday dinner!!!!! Will couldn't join us b/c we had to eat at 4:45 before the practice and he had to get home and get ready for his basketball game. Don't you all choose McDonalds on your birthday?????

the next pictures are from our campfire/SS social on Saturday night. The pictures are all blurry b/c they were taken at night and my flash is broken - I am in the market for a new camera, but haven't quite decided on a new one (but know I definitely want an SLR - any suggestions?) We had a great time - the children played hard, we ate good and then roasted some marshmallows and made smores - YUM!!!!!

Maybe my blog should be called "Potty Training Diaries"

Yes, I know, "this too shall pass" -
Only to begin again in one year with Henderson!

We had a very successful weekend with potty training with Wilson. He did a poo-poo in the potty 3 TIMES!!!!!! Do you know how happy this made me? I danced around and sang like a crazy lady and Wilson just sat there and smiled with the biggest grin on his face - he was SO proud of himself!

He did have one teeny tiny accident at Will's parents house last night, but they were playing outside and I know that tends to be where a lot of accidents take place - it's definitely worth it to him to be dirty and keep on playing!

Hopefully this will be a good week as far as potty training goes. I know it will be a busy one for me - we go back to the doctor tomorrow for Henderson's re-check and labs, so keep us in your prayers!

It was a great weekend! The TIDE won a basketball game - in double overtime - ROLL TIDE!! And then we had a fun time Saturday night at a Sunday School campfire/potluck at Thad and Melissa's house- I'll post soon with those pictures!

Yesterday we celebrated my Brother-in-law, Stan's b'day and my b'day at Will's parents house - the food was wonderful and the children played outside nearly the entire time, despite the frigid temperatures. Then we put all 7 children in the whirlpool bath - that's alot of youngins in 1 bath tub - but they all loved it. After we got the babies out, the older ones turned on the jets and laughed like I've never heard them laugh before. It did my heart good! Wilson was the last one out of the tub and once all the others cleared out I noticed a brown blob in the bottom of the tub - I started laughing hysterically, mostly out of disgust. I just KNEW it was poo-poo and that every child was going to have to be re-showered. I couldn't bring myself to touch it, but Emma Claire (who's not afraid of anything) did and it turned out to be the head of a Barenstein Bear doll - Will's mom and Ellen and I shared a big laugh!

Has anyone ever heard that laughing is good for the soul? I agree wholeheartedly!

Laugh a little (or a lot) today!

Potty Training Update

Well, after a few requests on an update with how the potty training is going.. here it is

We are Potty TRAINING - and I mean TRAINING

With Emma Claire - she just got it - decided she didn't want to wear diapers any more at 24 months and wham - NO accidents EVER - even at night. Never wore a pull-up a day in her life.

With Wilson - well, he's got the tee-teeing down - that is unless you mention going to the potty when you are not right next to a potty and he'll tee-tee on demand wherever he is. I picked up on this quick. One day we were in the library at church and I told him that I was about to take him to the potty before dinner and he sat down and tee-teed right there. Another Sunday morning after he was dressed, I asked him if he needed to go to the potty and he said "no" and then started holding himself and tee-teed a little in his underwear and on his jon-jon. NOW, I do not mention tee-tee or potty unless we are standing next to the potty with his pants down.

I have reverted back to pull-ups at school simply b/c he hasn't mastered the poop. I don't know if he is SCARED to poop in the potty or what, but he just won't - and for a guy who eats NOTHING, he sure does poop ALOT - like 4-6 times a day!!!! And I think he's learned to wait until he has a diaper on at nap time or bed time and then he poops - so this tells me he has some control, but just chooses when and where he wants to go.

I know I should probably just MAKE him go in underwear and he'll learn - but I PROMISE you he DOESN'T CARE if he and everything else are covered in poop.

I did not blog about this incident, simply b/c my husband asked me not to and it still makes me gag even thinking about it, but last Saturday morning - Wilson had an "accident" in our basement den while I was out jogging and Will was upstairs - the children were only alone for about 5 minutes, but by the time Will found them - (I'm pausing b/c I can't even type this) Wilson and Henderson and my rug, coffee table, magazines, 3 remote controls, big screen tv, sofa and chair - were COVERED in poop. Wilson had pooped in his underwear, taken them off and then he and Henderson had played in it, eaten it and smeared it on every surface in the room. It took Will and I an hour (together) to get it all cleaned up. I gathered every cleaning product I had in my house and some things like baking soda and towels and bucket of water and dish soap and lysol, febreeze - EVERYTHING I could think of to clean it. It all came up and thankfully the smell was gone after a day. I have NEVER in my life seen such disgust - I shiver just thinking and writing about it. We watched Henderson closely for the next few days, just KNOWING he would get e-coli or something - but he seems alright.

So Wilson has been in pull-ups when out of the house lately and in jon-jons and long-alls more often also (I've realized the poop is less accessible if he can't get his pants down on his own). So we are TRAINING - and it is the hardest thing I HAVE EVER DONE!

On the up side, yesterday Wilson woke up from a long nights sleep COMPLETELY DRY!! I couldn't believe it myself. And last night, after he had been in bed for an hour, he came upstairs naked, holding his diaper out to throw it in the trash b/c he had tee-teed in it - maybe there's hope! BUT, this morning he woke up with a soaking wet diaper.

He does great at school - never has a tee tee accident, but still poops in whatever he has on. At home he does great with tee-tee too, but until he begins to be disgusted by playing with his own poop - I don't know if he will "GET" it.

Just keeping it real!

Welcome!

Thanks for coming over to our new blog - please leave my mommy a comment, so she'll know you made it!

Thank you, Mr. President!

Thank you, Mr. President (of long ago) for this great holiday we had today! We had fun (and made BIG messes) at home, went to the park and played with friends!

Good old fashion fun with rocks and sticks!

(this is disgusting, but if you'll look closely, he's licking the snot dripping from his nose - it was FREEZING out today - the wind was whipping!)

There's a little dog under there somewhere!

Hangin' with the BIG boys!

Cheesin' it up!

These friends DID NOT want their picture taken!

These guys had a GREAT time!

Cousins HAPPY to see each other!

You'll get a laugh out of this

This is more for my memory (and Wilson's embarrassment when he is of reading age) than anything else....But, I sent Wilson to school today in Emma Claire's Dora panties. You see, we only own like 7 pair of little boys underwear. Well, since Wilson still won't poop in the potty and since we (I) started this, I feel like putting him back in pull-ups or diapers would be a set back, so he goes to school everyday in underwear. Well, 2-3 poops a day in underwear, and I only own 7 pair - well, 2 and a half days and we are out of clean underwear. Well, yesterday, Wilson ACCIDENTALLY dropped his underwear in the potty, so that was one less we had to work with. This morning I went to get him a pair and realized there were no more clean ones. I gave in to myself and suggested just wearing a pull-up today, but Wilson would have nothing to do with it (which secretly I was thrilled with). Well, the only alternatives were NO underwear at all or Emma Claire's panties. I chose the panties and you'll be proud to know I did pick a YELLOW pair of Dora panties - nevermind that they have a big pink heart on the front, but at least they weren't her pink tinkerbell panties!!!! I told Emma Claire's teacher what I did when I dropped them off at school, b/c I knew that he would be the laugh of the day amongst the teachers. Thankfully Wilson loves Dora and didn't think a thing about it. He's only 2 and I'm hoping that all the other 7 boys in his class are too young to realize that they are girl panties - or else we may be in for some counseling pretty soon!

TODAY I bought 6 new pair of underwear!!!!

On another note, last night after reading books to Emma Claire at bedtime she asked me this question:
"Mommy, will you still love me after I die?"
Of course I told her I would and that I hoped that we would both live to be 100 and I would die before she did, but WOW it shocked me...and this isn't the first time lately that she's asked questions about dying. The other night she was nearly sobbing saying how much she didn't want to die. I certainly don't want her to be excited about dying (meaning wanting to die soon), but I don't want her to be afraid, either. I think all the talks we have about Jesus and heaven and Jesus dying on the cross for our sins so we can live with Him in heaven one day have really got her thinking, but sometimes I really don't know how to answer her! This mommy thing is HARD sometimes!

Potty Training Tales

This afternoon, Emma Claire had dance at 1:00, so I picked all the children up from school and took her into dance (after running back home to get the baby doll and stroller she was supposed to take to practice for the recital with). After her dance had started I took the boys to a clothing store next door that has recently changed from a retail children's and maternity boutique to consignment. I was looking around, talking to the owner and my SIL, Ellen came in with her boys. The children were running around WILD but having a good time and being relatively good. There was a little "playroom" in the back and they were somewhat contained in there. As I was talking to the owner and my SIL, Wilson came up to me with only the shirt half of his short set on - he had taken his shorts and pull-up off and was standing there for all the world to see (and I might add the store was fairly crowded at this point). I ran back to the "playroom" horrified at what I might find, and Wilson had taken everything off and peed on TOP of his shorts. All I could think was that he at least had the right idea. BUT, b/c this was kind of an impromptu visit and b/c I had already gone by the house, I had unloaded all their bags and had no wipes, no diapers, no changes of clothes.... so holding Henderson I calmly walked Wilson out into the front of the store and out the front door, quietly smiling and saying bye to everyone I saw. On my way out the door I ran into my dear friend Ashley and we both pretty much were laughing hysterically - but she said the same thing I thought - "at least he had the right idea". So Wilson rode home half naked and I learned to laugh at the little things!



Wilson got a new change of clothes (this time play clothes) and we enjoyed the warm day outside!

If you could, lift my friend Amber up in your prayers. She was 16 weeks pregnant with twins and lost them both today. She lost a lot of blood and has possibly had to have a blood transfusion and is in the hospital in B'ham. She has a 3 year old son. I can't imagine the grief with any loss. There are a lot of families out there who have lost much, and I pray God will touch them in a BIG way.

Sleep, who needs sleep?

It really was a fun weekend - the weather was phenomenal, but Henderson was a little sick, STILL. I kept him home from church Sunday b/c he threw up once in his high chair, WHILE EATING APPLESAUCE (you would think he would have not eaten if he felt bad) and then had several BAD diapers - not sure if it was a stomach bug, or a combination of a strong antibiotic, ear infection, and blistered gums from 4 upper teeth all coming in AT ONCE!!!!! Poor guy - he's been very whiney and clingy and sleeping more in the day, but last night he woke up at 3:00 out of the blue - I gave him a bottle and he went back to sleep, so hopefully he was just hungry. I pray he will be 100% soon and the infections will all be gone and the blood work will be completely normal - his appt. is scheduled for Feb 24 (my birthday - what a fun one THAT will be - Drs appt then a trip to the hospital lab where they will tourniquet my poor baby's arm and hold him down and fill up no less than 3 large tubes with his blood).

THEN, this little live wire woke up at 4:15 AM ready to get his day on - wanting to eat a doughnut and watch his show, and that would have been great had he stayed in the room and actually watched his movie, but no, Diego wasn't good enough - he wanted Barney, then Baby Einstein, then Rescue Heroes - I finally gave up at 5:15 and just got in the shower, only to come out to Wilson opening up a cup of chocolate pudding IM MY BEDROOM - he got disciplined for that, simply b/c I had SPECIFICALLY told him (2 minutes earlier) he couldn't have chocolate pudding for breakfast. I will let Wilson have just about anything foodwise that he wants, but I draw the line at chocolate pudding in the morning when we are dressed and ready for school.

Will and I enjoyed a night out Saturday night at a Japanese Restaurant - it was a lot of fun and great food too! Last night I hosted a Castles and Crowns clothing show at my house and had a great time looking at the fabulous spring clothes and wishing I had $5000 to put towards all my children having oodles and goodles of matching smocked clothes!

Wilson is doing pretty good with the potty training except he had his first poo poo accident at school yesterday - it was bad - I think he had been holding it and waiting until nap time when I put a diaper on him. Yesterday morning while we were getting ready for school he said something about needing to stinky and then told me he needed his diaper - I did everything I could to convince him to poop in the potty, but he just wouldn't do it. Apparently he waited until school and did it on the playground. So, against my better judgement, today I sent him in a Pull-up to school - I just can't do that to his teacher. Any tips on getting them to "do #2" in the potty when they don't want to? Emma Claire didn't mind at all - she hated having "mess" in her diaper. Can you tell I'm struggling with what to call this "business"??? Any tips are WELCOME!!!!! He does great with tee-tee during wake time. And sleep time will come once he gets off the bottle of milk that he has to have to go to sleep (don't judge me - we weighs NOTHING and eats even less).

Well, I'm going to enjoy this last day of gloriously nice weather in my capri pants and flip flops b/c tomorrow is supposed to be NASTY in my neck of the woods!

Henderson's Baby Dedication

Henderson's Baby Dedication was nearly 2 weeks ago and I am just now getting some pictures back to post. It was a wonderful time of family gathering to dedicate the babies to Jesus. It was not a baptism or a christening, simply a dedication by the immediate family and church family to raise and support and encourage him in the ways of Jesus. It was very special for us, as has been for all 3 of my children, to be dedicated alongside his cousin, Stanton, who is only 2 weeks younger than him. Emma Claire and Patton were dedicated on the same day, in the same gowns (the same gowns as their siblings, not each other!!!), Wilson and Mills the same and now Henderson and Stanton. The other 2 dedications were done when the babies were about 3 or 4 months old. But the last dedication at our church was held the Sunday after the Alabama/Georgia game, and all the men were out of town at the game, so we held off until the next one, which in my opinion was easier, b/c the babies were a little more scheduled and predictable at 8 months than they were at 3 months!

Henderson didn't sit still for long, he was doing his best to crawl away in this long, silk gown!

Our family with our Pastor, Dr. Gil McKee

My parents and sister, Katie and her fiance, Matt.

Henderson and Stanton - another benefit to waiting until 8 months - they can both sit by them selves!

Our family with Will's sister, Ellen and her husband, Stan and Chandler, Patton, Mills and Stanton

Add in Will's parents!!!! And we are together ALL THE TIME - don't you know it gets wild!!!