Still here!!

I didn't realize how long it has been since I have written. We are staying busy. The kids finished their first year of Pre-School. They had a great year and I couldn't be happier on how much they have grown. They are growing up so fast and I love watching them turn into little people. Maddie has grown so much. She talks all the time now and is coming out of her shell a little bit at a time. She loved school and hated to miss it. She would talk about it non stop and always ask about Brody which was a little boy in her class. She had surgery in April for her Tonsils, Adenoids taken out and tubes put in. She did great with it and was back to herself shortly. She also got diagnosed with a very mild case of Cerebral Palsy. It only affects her left side and she has to wear a leg brace now. She is also back in glasses and looks so cute in them. Preston I don't even know where to start. He is an awesome little boy. He is pretty much crawling every where now. It is more like a bunny hop but he gets where he is going. He is starting to says words when he wants to but is also starting to sign a little more. Pam his one on one aide was awesome. This was her first year of working with a special needs child and I was a little scared when we met her last summer. I was scared that she wouldn't be able to handle Preston or how they would work together. They clicked right away and she did more then what we expected. She is what he needed. She always did what we asked and was very good at keeping me informed on what was going on with him daily. I liked that alot since he can't tell me what happened. He has been doing really well but he did just have a 3 night hospital stay this last week. He had a really bad ear infection or something. So he was put on iv antibiotics and steroids through the IV. This was after other antibiotics was not helping and he had some signs of a serious infection. He is doing better now. Gabe is doing great also and just spent 4 nights in Florida with Scott's family. He had a blast. Scott got a new job and it is here in town. It is like 5 minutes down the street if that. He works 3 days one week and 4 days the next 12 hour days. It was hard on us to get use to it but starting to like it better. I haven't changed just taking care of the kids and working as much as I can. Will have to post pictures soon.

March of Dimes

It is that time of year again. Trying to raise money for the March of Dimes. Please help me by sponsoring me for the walk. My babies were born 16 weeks early. I was given less then 10 percent chance of bringing any of them home. I got to bring all three home but sadly lost Hayden when they were 14 months old. But today we celebrate that Preston and Maddie turned 4 today. And honoring our son Hayden. We are remembering him today and all the happy times he brought to us. We miss him very much and think about him all the time. So please help us raise money. Thank you

2009 is over

I didn't get to this post like I wanted to before the end of the year. I would have to say 2009 was pretty boring in alot of ways which is a good thing in this house. Since 2006 we spent a lot of the year in and out of the hospital. 2007 was the worse year of our life's. That is when our son Hayden passed away. That is also when we found out that Preston was pretty much deaf. Or should I say profound to severe hearing loss in both ears. 2008 was a rough year for Preston. It started with a two night stay in the hospital for surgery. He had his tonsils, adnoids, tubes put in, botox done in his legs, MRI or a CAT scan done of his ears. That was a rough couple of weeks while he recovered. In April he had his first cochelar implant done. In November he had his second implant done. He had a lot of appts either in Akron or Cleveland for something. In December he had botox done again and while they were doing the procedure which they drugged him to keep him still he quit breathing twice on us and had to be bagged. We were in the room with him and that brought back all the memorys of when we lost Hayden. He almost had to stay over night to be watched.
2009 was no hospital stays for Preston. Unless you count the one we stayed most of the night for a sleep study. Madison on the other hand had to have surgery. She had surgery on both of her eyes due to the started crossing on us. She also wore glasses for awhile before the surgery. We still had a lot of appts in 2009 for Preston but they have slowed way down. Both kids started Preschool in August of 2009 and both love it. They have done really well with school and they are even in the same class. Madison knows her ABC's, can count if she wants to up to 10, knows most of her colors. She is really starting to talk alot now but it is still hard to understand at times. She still struggles with tripping over her own feet. She has no attention span. She wants to know what is gonig on around her all the time. If she is walking down the hall and someone else is in the hall she runs into the wall. I think she should be a blond.
Preston has come so far. I am very proud of him and praying that this New Year he will continue to improve and get stronger. He is pretty much crawling on all fours most of the time now. Or I should say hopping. He pretty much hops with his back legs when he crawls. It is his bunny hop. He is not talking alot yet which he should be saying what a normal 18 month old says. Since he is at an 18 month hearing age. They go by when his first implant got turned on. We are pretty sure he says some words but they do not happen often. About the only one he says all the time in mom, but he has been saying that before he got implanted. He likes throwing american sign language at us when we are not expecting it. None of us know alot of it since our main goal is to get him to talk. We are waiting for his I-Pod touch. Yes he is three and is getting an I-Pod. They use with him at school during speech therpeay and he does really well with it. This will give him a way to communcaite with us. This will give him more freedom and choices which he wants and hopefully it will help with his fit throwing when we can't figure out what he wants.
Overall I would have to say 2009 wasn't to bad at all. Now let's hope 2010 is just as smooth. Also praying that 2010 brings us a new place to live that would give us more room. Hopefully by end of the year we will at least be expecting a baby but not getting our hopes up. We have been trying again for about two years and nothing. I am not wanting to take meds again. No matter what happens I feel really blessed to have what I have. I have a great husband who is a great dad to my kids. I have an awesome step son who means alot to me but sadly I don't show it enough to him. That is something I have to work on. I have an amazing little boy Preston who teaches me so much everyday. He is an awesome little boy. I have a daughter that I always wanted. She is an amazing little girl that has proved alot of people wrong. She has come such a long way. I was also blessed with Hayden for an amazing 14 months. That wasn't long enough and I would do anything to have him back. But I am very thankful for the 14 months I had with him. He was an amzing little boy and there is not a day that goes by that I do not think of him or miss his smile. Hope that everyone has an amazing year.

We are all still here!

Wow it has been awhile since I have last posted. Just wanted to let you know we are all still here and doing great. We have been staying busy with the kids. With the kids being in school four days a week and then also other things going on with them. They have been doing great in school. Madison has come a long way in her talking. She talks pretty much all the time now. We still have a hard time understanding some of her words but we are working on that. Preston has also come along way. He is getting stronger every day. He is doing a lot more crawling on all fours instead of the army crawling. He is also enjoying school and doing great. His one on one aide and him has really hit it off and we have requested her for next year also. I am very happy with her and you can tell that she really cares for Preston. She has done so much with him and is good at making sure he is supported and watched over. Gabe has been doing pretty well in school also. He had a hard time at the start of the year but has been doing better. He is a really smart boy but he struggles. It is hard knowing for sure what to do to help him when you are just the step mom. I feel like my thoughts don't matter and they don't usually. But it won't stop me from putting my two cents in. It isn't like I want something to be wrong with him or anything but if he needs help why not get it. I don't know why some parents find it so hard to accept that your child might need extra help in something. Our job as being a parent is to help our children when they struggle with something. Even knows I write this and I try to live by it, I still struggle with it at times. It is hard to except some things when it comes to your children. I have pretty much learned to live one day at a time since I had the triplets. We never know what is around the corner and I continue to count my blessing each and every night. But at times I still struggle with what is right for my children. Scott is a great support for the children, but he is not the one that goes to most of the doctor’s appointments. He isn't the one being told something different by ten different people. Everyone thinks they know what is right for your child but when it comes down to it you are that has to choose. I guess this post got way off subject. Sorry about that it has been awhile since I posted and i seem to ramble on with nothing to say. I will update with pictures and hopefully one final post for this year either tomorrow or Thursday.

Imagine!!

Got this idea from another blog that I stumbled across. I don't know if it will be as good as hers but maybe give you guys some insight of what we have went through with the triplets.

Imagine finding out that you are having triplets at 5 weeks and 6 days.

Imagine the fear that goes through your head when you find out. As are these babies going to make it, how are we going to pay for three, how are we going to be able to raise three at one time.

Imagine being 21 weeks and 5 days pregnant and being taken to the hospital due to back pain and then rushed to another hospital an hour away cause you are in premature labor.

Imagine being told over and over and over again if you have these babies before 24 weeks that they would all die.

Imagine not aloud to be out of bed for 3 weeks at all. Being on strong meds to keep the contracions away and having a stitch put in her cervix cause you are dialating.

Imagine you hit the 24 week mark and think everything is going to be good. You are aloud up now for a very small amount of time.

Imagine waking up one morning at 24 weeks and 3 days knowing something is not right. The nurse checks you and says you are dialated around the stitch and then find out baby A is breech.

Imagine laying with her head lower then your feet for 4 days trying your hardest to keep the babies safe inside you.

Imagine the fear of knowing that your babies were going to be born very premature.

Imagine the fear of laying in your bed afraid to move cause you are afraid baby's a water is going to break and he is going to come shooting out. Knowing you don't have to be 10cm dialated since he is so small and breech.

Imagine knowing that if his water broke they wouldn't be ready for him and he would most likely die.

Imagine being told that you are going to have your babies sixteen weeks early.

Imagine not being able to see your babies or hear them cry except for one.

Imagine them going to a different hospital and you are not aloud to see them until the next day. Yes the hospital was right around the corner but I always thought I would be able to hold my baby right away when I became a mommy.

Imagine seeing a baby so tiny it didn't seem possible for them to be there. They were 1lb 4oz, 1lb 9oz, and 1lb 10oz

Imagine seeing your babies for the first time. Tubes all over then, tubes down their throats.

Imagine not being able to touch them or rub them cause their nerves are not developed and it hurts them.

Imagine not being able to see their eyes for a couple of weeks cause they are fused shut.

Imagine being told that one of them has a level 2 and level 4 brain bleed. Them telling us that she would have cereberal pasly and not be worth anything.

Imagine two days later this little girl has a bowel rupture and is in septic shock. No blood pressure.

Imagine the doctors telling you to take her off the vent cause once again she would be worth nothing.

Imagine watching your 1lb baby bleed out for over 24 hours and no one knows why they can't get it to stop.

Imagine holding your daughter for the first time on a pillow cause she was to small to hold in your arms and to sick.

Imagine them not wanting to find out why your daughter is bleeding out.

Imagine your relief when they do figure it out and fix it and she starts to swell up.

Imagine your amazement when she starts doing great.

Imagine watching all three of your babies have surgery with in like 3 days of each other.

Imagine not being able to hear your babies cry until they were 7 and 8 weeks old.

Imagine having them go through more surgerys. Eye surgery for the boys and reconnection of the bowel for Madison after she came home from the hospital.

Imagine being able to bring them home after 15 weeks and 16 weeks in the hospital.

Imagine them all being hooked to apena monitors and oxygen.

Imagine after being in the hospital for so long that you are still not aloud to do much cause they could get sick.

Imagine the doctor's appts almost weekley for the first few months they were home.

Imagine knowing something was wrong with your one son and no one would admit it for awhile.

Imagine having therpeay inside the home for three years and outpatient also.

Imagine being told that your one son has spastic quadpeligic cereberal palsy and his outlook wasn't good.

Imagine one day everything was going good. You had three healthy babies at home with you when you had less then 20 percent chance of bringing any of them home.

Imagine your horror when you find one of your children passed away during his nap.

Imagine burrying your child when he was only 14 months old.

Imagine being told they do not know why your son passed away.

Imagine being told that your other son is deaf and also has cereberal palsy in his legs and now it is changed to mixed cp.

Imagine that your daughter is doing great and has no long term affects from the brain bleeds.

Imagine your son being able to hear for the first time due to cochlear implants.

Imagine watching your son learning to crawl and he is 3 years old.

Imagine still being in aww most days that you do have a good life and you have been blessed even knows you have been through more trials then someone should have to be put through.

Rough week but also a geat week!

Tuesday we took Preston to Akron Children's Hospital to see one of his specialist. It is usually a good visit. Preston was more himself around her this time around then he has ever been. So with her watching him she gave us some not so great news. I took it really hard at the time but I am dealing with it better now. She is saying instead of Preston just having Spastic Cerebral Palsy in his legs which means his legs are tight. They are now pretty sure he has mixed cp. Which means two different types of cp. The other type they are pretty sure he has is call Athetoid cp. This form means he has a lot of uncontrolled movements in his limbs. He jerks his arms and legs around alot in movements that he is not able to control. All this means that he is going to work even harder to overcome this so he is able to walk one day. Scott is upset by it some but not as much as me. This is hard on me he is getting harder and harder for me to carry and the thought of him not being able to walk for a few more years is hard. My fear of not being able to carry him around and take care of him like I am suppose to is scary. He is my son and I want to be able to help him until the day I die. I don't want someone else in my house helping me with him and that is what I am afraid is going to happen. The rest of the week went really well and the kids had fun in school. Preston is making all sorts of new sounds none of them we really know what he means but it is a start. Last night Scott had Madison in the bath and Preston crawled over to the bathroom and I picked him up. He looked at me and then at the tub and goes My Bath, Scott and I were in shock. We got him to say it one more time but he hasn't said it since. I guess it is pretty normal for kids with cochlear implants to say some stuff but not say it again for a long time or maybe it has to do with his cp I am not sure. Sorry if anything is not spelled right. For any of you that blog please tell me where the spell check button is. They updated the blog site and now I can't find it. Thanks

Prston got his gait trainer

After a long wait Preston finally got his Gait Trainer. This supports him so basically he learns how to use his legs. It is kind of like a baby walker but more advance. We have been waiting for this and then when we got it. It was a little to big so after some adjustments he got to make it move today. He still has alot to learn and he hasn't figured out that he is doing it. He keeps looking behind him thinking someone is pushing him. He was only in it a few minutes today at therpey but he did really good. It is so awesome to see him walking even if it is in the gait trainer. It just makes us one more step closer at getting him to walk. I am so proud of him and all that he has overcome. He is an amazing little boy and I am so proud that he is my son. We have a goal for him to be able to walk down the aisle at my sister's wedding. She wanted him to be the ring bearer so this is what we are going to work on. He is going to work with it a few more days at therpeay and then it will come home with us for him to work on it. Please pray that we find a house that works for us. We are not able to buy but we need a bigger place to rent. We would like to stay in our school district that we are in. We need more room for Preston to be able to use all of his equipment and to store it. I am not able to upload the little video I have of him in it. So if you are on facebook look up my page. I have a little video of him in it. Sorry if my spelling is bad they took away spell check.

Busy Week

The kids being in school four days a week is wearing me out. It is harder on me then having them home all the time. Plus therpeay one day a week as of right now but most likely will go up to two days soon at least for Preston. The kids love school. Madison first thing she does in the morning is put her book bag on and say lets go to school. I have to pry the book bag off of her so I can at least change her clothes. Preston is excited once we gets there and he seems to really like his aide. They also get to ride the big kids bus home and they are loving that. I thought they would freak out on with out me but I was wrong. Preston likes it cause of the lift. He rides the bus in his wheelchair so he rides a lift up and down on the bus. He thinks that is great. Scott was off four days cause of the holiday so we decided to put him in a toddler bed. Yes we are just moving him to a toddler bed. They are 3 1/2 years old and was still in a crib. We were worried about him falling out of bed even knows it is not a far fall but we were worried he would get hurt. So we figured it was time to take off his one rail on his crib. And boy was Maddie mad about that. She dosen't like when we change things and she gets jealous of him. Even knows she has been in a toddler bed for months. Night time he is doing really good but nap time is different story. I don't think the took a nap at all yesterday cause they kept playing in eachothers bed. I take that back Preston fell asleep out in the living room last night laying next to daddy's shoe. So either he passed out cause he was tired or daddy's shoe made him pass out. They have had school for 6 days and we already have a cold. I have been told they would catch everything but I was hopeing it would take longer then six days. Sunday we had a hog roast with the church. My dad and couple of guys from the church camped out all weekend at our church camp. They dug a huge hole and put the hog in it to roast. It was really good and we had fun today. Preston was pretty cranky so we only stayed a couple of hours. Preston also got to play some cornhole. Our church is a bunch of rednecks. But you got to love them.

Preston in his big boy bed

Them playing in Madison's bed when they were suppose to be taking a nap

The kids started Preschool!

I guess I can't call Preston and Madison babies anymore. They are officaly Preschoolers. They started school on Wednesday and loved it. The teachers said they both did really good and seemed to enjoy it and Madison is ready to go back. She was mad at me cause I picked her up from school and she wanted to ride the bus home. I did pretty good today but have had a couple of breakdowns. It is hard when your babies grow up and it seems like it happenend over night. It is a good thing that they don't need me as much but it hurts me also. It is hard to explain but I am sure most mom's understand. I was expecting them to throw major fits and neither one of them did. They didn't even care that I left them which is good cause it would of been harder on all of us. But a part of me wanted that cause that would mean they still need and want their mommy. I guess we are doing something right and my babies are turning into big kids. Today was a hard day the kids did great at school and really do enjoy it. But I have had a very hard emotional day and have been very depressed. The school the kids go to is basically for kids with special needs. That mean speech issues or wheelchair bound. I had a parent in front of me and Preston ask that her son be moved. She didn't want him by Preston. I took this very personal and probbly no need to. She had no reason to ask for her son to be moved unless she thought her son was going to hurt Preston. But when she said it she looked at Preston like he had five heads or something. I took this very personal. I had a hard time with letting the kids start school. I wanted them to stay home another year. I knew it would be good for them and they love it so I feel that it is the best thing for them. But I didn't expect this to happen with school just starting. I am hopeing to talk to her next week and ask her why she didn't want him next to Preston. I could of took it the wrong way but I really don't think I did. Here are some pictures of my big kids.

First day of School before we left the house

Madison in her seat

Preston and his one on one aide Pam

Second day of School when we were getting out at school

1 week 2 go

My babies or should I say big kids start school a week from today. It is so hard to believe and this mommy is having a hard time with it. I am starting to get excited but I am also scared to death. Since these babies were born I have always been with them. It is exciting that they are starting school but it is also sad. It is hard to watch Preston and Madison grow up and not have Hayden with us. I see all their first things and didn't get to experience it with Hayden. I just pray no one in his class has the name Hayden cause that would be hard. We met with most of his therapist and his teachers today. We also met with his one on one aide and went over everything. we had to go over his implants everything about them. We also had to go over what he can and can't do. He got to see the classroom he would be in and he was excited. I am taking Madison tomorrow to check out her classroom. Wish me luck

Update on Preston

When I think I could not love this little guy any more. He does something else that makes me fall in love with him all over again. He is really a blessing to have in our life's and how I wish i could see what he thinks sometimes. He is an amazing little boy and many people would agree with me. Even knows he has special needs it doesn't stop him and it makes us all stronger. I have learned my job as being his mom is helping him do what he is able to and keep pushing him. We have pushed him the last couple of weeks to really wear his cochlear implants. He is doing really good with that now even knows we have to tape the coils on his head. But whatever it takes to help keep them on. He has been jabbering alot the last couple of weeks. Just alot of different sounds and nothing we could really understand. We took the kids to the fair yesterday and while we were in the sheep barn Preston said baa several times after the sheep did. You know you are a parent of a deaf child that is 3 1/2 years old and you get all excited and almost cry in the middle of the sheep barn because your son reacted to the sound and was repeating it. My husband and I just stared at each other in aww. He has been saying mom for a long time and bye at times. But today he actually put the two words together. We were leaving my moms house and he was wanting me to pick him up. So he said bye bye mom mom. I about cried and as I write this I am tearing up. It is so awesome to hear him start saying things and I can't wait until he can do more. He is also pretty much crawling on all fours probably 75 percent of the time. He has a gait trainer ordered so please pray that we get that very soon. I can't wait to see him in and be able to walk somewhat. I know once he gets the hang of it he will be all over. Keep up the good work boo. The babies start preschool in a little under two weeks. Mommy is scared to death but I know they will both benefit from it big time. Oh by the way Madison is potty broke. She wears a pull up at night and that is it.

My sister got married

I have really been slacking in the posting lately. I guess that is a good thing we haven't had to much going on lately. Today my sister Penny got married. Madison and I were both in the wedding and I think it went really good. I am tired tonight but that is nothing unusual. I think the wedding went very nicely and the kids had a good time. So welcome to the family Tom and don't say we didn't warn you. I told you to run when you guys got engaged. Here are some pictures of today. My little girl is getting so big and she is so pretty.

                           My sister Penny, Her husband Tom and their kids

 

                                              My Princess

                                        Madison and Mommy

                                                                                                 

                                           My Family

It has been almost 2 months!

Wow I can't believe that I have not posted in almost 2 months. I just keep putting it off and we have been staying busy. We have been also having some fun. We have been to two zoos since the start of June, we had a surprise party for my Mother in law, Preston has had a Dr appt in Akron, I have baby sat for a friend, I am not working as many hours as I was but seem to not be able to get much done. The Dr's appt in Akron went well. Preston's sleep study came back normal. Except he does move his legs alot when he sleeps but they said that is probably to do with his cerebral palsy. He goes next Monday to get his hips checked out. Preston loves animals right now so we have taken them to the Akron Zoo and the Columbus Zoo. The Akron zoo is really small but it was free through Akron Children's Hospital. The Columbus Zoo we went with my sister Jess and her boyfriends daughter. We all had a blast and the babies loved it. Preston got to sit behind the conductor on a train ride around one part of the zoo. They all also got to ride on the Merry go around. Preston loved it he was so proud of himself and all smiles. My Mother in law turned 60 so we had a surprise party for her a couple of weeks ago. Here are some pictures. I even posted some of me which I hate looking at myself but I have also learned through losing Hayden it doesn't matter how I look I want pictures of me and the kids together. I have just a few of Hayden and I.


Preston, Daddy and I











Preston and Gabe











Madison

2 Years

Today is 2 years since Hayden passed away. 2 years since we last held him. 2 years since we last heard him cry. 2 years ago since I saw his beautiful blue eyes. My heart is breaking right now all over again. Every year I wish this date wouldn't come. I don't want to go to the cemetery anymore to check my son's final resting spot. I want to go into his room and see his sweet face. I want to be able to tuck him in at night or give him a kiss on his sweet lips. I want to see him talking to his daddy at night after his bedtime bottle. I want to see him work so hard to get a toy. I want to hear his first words, see him doing everything for the first time. Even knows we don't know what he would of been able to do because of his CP. As a mommy of a special needs child we would of cherished everything he did for the first time. I still remember him laying in his isolate looking around. I could always count on him being awake when we were in the NICU. I don't think he ever slept. As soon as his eyes opened when he was two weeks old I am not sure they ever closed. He had that look in his eyes that he was wiser then his age. He taught us alot but as time goes it is getting harder to remember the little stuff about him. Or to find someone to talk to him about. I love when people at work let me talk about him usually it is my customers but they are about the only people and that is a very few of them. I am not really able to talk about him at home anymore and that kills me. It is hard to talk about him but at times it is what I need. I carried him in my belly, I gave birth to him, he will probbly be my last child. He was the baby of the group. When I first found out I was pregnant with triplets I wanted all girls. I didn't want boys. I am so happy I had Preston and Hayden it wouldn't of been the same with three girls. Plus Maddie is enough drama for me. I use to tell Hayden all the time that he was my boo boo. It was because I wanted a little girl and I got Preston and Hayden to. So Preston was bo and Hayden was my boo boo. I would call him my boo boo and he would just laugh. Just please keep us in your thoughts and prayers today as we celebrate Hayden's life. He might of been with us only a short time but he has made an everlasting impression on all of our hearts.

Life isn't fair

Why is it that we have to go through so much at times. I am not talking about my family but everyone. It always seems like those that fight lose the most. I have been following another blog for a couple of weeks now. I read this blog daily and it is basically the first thing I read in the morning. It is about this little girl named Kayleigh. She was born premature and was 1lb 1oz. She sadly passed away yesterday. She was 11 months old and never came home from the hospital. Why do these tiny babies have to fight for everything and then end up passing? But her purpose on this earth is done and she is with Jesus now. These stories always hit me very hard. Of course I have been in these parents shoes. I have done the whole NICU thing, I have fought to have babies, I have also lost a child during pregnancy and then of course my sweet Hayden. This week has been a hard one Hayden will be gone 2 years on Friday. I just want to sleep through rest of the week. I wish I could but I can't so I have to suck it up yet once again and get over it. Please visit this families page and pray for them. Their journey through the grieving process has just started. It doesn't ever get better but we learn to deal with it. My normal wasn't what it was two years ago my new normal started the day we lost Hayden. My new normal sucks in some ways and in others I am also reminded how lucky I am to have what I have.

Maddie had eye surgery

At the start of the year I told the kids to surgery's or hospital visits this year. Well guess who didn't listen to that one. If you guess Maddie you are right. She had to have both eyes operated on today. It was suppose to be a couple of weeks ago but didn't happen. As you know around Christmas time her eyes started crossing. She got put in glasses around January and then eye drops in February. Nothing was working so we had to do eye surgery. We even got to visit a new hospital. Her surgery was done at Nationwide's Children's in Columbus. It was a very nice hospital and looks very big. The staff was wonderful with her and us. The surgery went great. She was out of it for awhile and has had nausea on and off all day. They say that is normal because of the eye surgery. Here are some pictures. It looks very nasty and it makes my eyes hurt. When she got home she was wired for about three hours and then she was out cold. She has been wearing sun glasses all evening but that is because she is cute and goofy.

Gabe's 8th Birthday Party

Last night we went to Chuckie cheese to celebrate Gabe's 8th Birthday. We all had a blast. We had several people show up and celebrate with us. Madison has only been there once and Preston hasn't ever been there. I really didn't think he would like it but he loved it. He didn't even eat he was to busy wanting to do the rides and games. It really great seeing Preston do stuff like other kids. Even knows we had to carry him to one thing to another he still had fun. We would make sure we were there with him the whole time in case he lost his balance. But he did awesome I was very proud of him. He sat on the rides like a big kid and kept his balance the whole time. Gabe had a great time also and I am sure he was worn out. Thanks Mike and Jessica helping out with Preston last night. He is a lot of work but makes it eaiser when others are willing to help him.

Update on the kids!

Preston and Madison are doing really good. They are keeping this mommy busy and I am wore out by end of the week. Madison was suppose to have eye surgery last week and it got postponed until next week. Now I am wondering if it is going to happen then cause of this swine flu going around. She is really talking now and she is so much fun. Her favorite thing to do right now is shop. She is 3 and I have created a monster. Every time we go somewhere she is like lets go shop. It is really funny but she is going to make me go broke. Preston is doing awesome he has been coughing the last few days and we are praying it goes away soon. He went swimming for the first time last week with my sister and her boyfriend at the YMCA. He had a blast he really loves the water and seems to be at home. The water helps relax his muscles and he can move easier. He are in the process of ordering him a gait trainer which will help him walk. We are excited to get that he wants to move. He is crawling a lot now on all fours. Well I wouldn't call it crawling it is more like hopping around. He is wearing his implants more and more. Tonight he said his first word besides mom. He said bye bye. Scott and I both heard him say it and we looked at each other with tears in our eyes. I couldn't get him to say it again but I am going to keep trying. It is great to hear him make new sounds and say words that we can understand. The other day his therapist thought she heard him say sissy but we haven't heard it since. I will post pictures soon.

Happy 8th Birthday Gabe!!

Gabe is 8 years old today. It is hard to believe that he is 8. Even knows I am his step mom I have been around since he was born. Scott and I started dating a month before he was born and I got to meet Gabe when he was a couple of weeks old. He is living with us part time now and it is taking some getting use to. He is a good big brother and Madison loves him to death. He comes home and she basically tackles him at the door. All she talks about all day is Gabe. Gabe is a really good kid and is doing pretty good in his new school. He has his days but what kid doesn't. He really has been through alot in 8 years. He lost his baby brother almost two years ago and his grandmother that he was very close to just a couple of months ago. He is one tough cookie. He is having a birthday party next week at Chuckie Cheese. I will post pictures then.

Preston got another hair cut

Preston hair grows fast. When we brought him home from the hospital he didn't have much hair at all due to all of the iv's. He didn't have a hair cut until he was like 2. Now it needs cut every other month or so. It is a chore to get it done. He doesn't like it most of the time. With his implants they fall off easy and part of it is because his hair was to long on the sides. I finally got tired of his hair looking really bad. He had a duck tail in the back that I couldn't get laid down. So we took him tonight to have it buzzed. He did not like it at all and they probably hate when we come into the salon with him. He fought the lady pretty bad and didn't like the razor at all. But he looks so much better and i have to say my little man is gorgeous. He is going to be a heart breaker when he gets older. Maddie didn't like them working on her brother but she did really good at sitting in a chair and watching. She is doing really well lately and we can not get her to shut up. She has not stop talking all day today and we are really starting to understand what she says. Her therapist are very pleased with what she has been doing lately. She is still delayed but she is getting better all the time.



Preston in the toy box










Preston before hair cut a couple of days ago










Preston after his hair cut









Preston from the side











Maddie being silly