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

Crazy Day!!

We had a busy day today. My mom and I took Preston to Akron Children's for some test. We were there about 4 hours. Part of that time was visiting some of our NICU nurses and eating lunch. It was nice to see the nurses. They all asked about Madison since we never seem to have her when we go to visit. Preston weighed today 29 lbs and 36 inches tall. Two more feet and he will be as tall as his mommy. He had some test done on his heart and they all looked good. This is something that his pediatrician has wanted done since we lost Hayden. I kept putting it off for one to much going on but also basically I didn't want to know the truth. The thought of them having heart problems scared me to death and the thought of knowing that they could die if they did have a heart problem scared me also. He had an EKG done of his heart which showed a fast heart rate but he screamed during the whole test. He then had to have an U/S done of his heart which he whined through the whole thing. I even laid up on the bed with him and they had a movie playing. The u/s came back ok they said he might have a small hole in his heart but they are not sure and it is nothing to worry about. It is something that 15 percent of people have and they are fine. He is now on a heart monitor for 24 hours. We have about 16 more hours to go on it. He screamed and through a fit from he--. He was not happy and is not happy when we change his diaper or touch it. It doesn't hurt him and hooks to his waist band of his pants. This machine just collects data for 24 hours and then we will send it to them tomorrow. Then they will review the material on it to make sure he isn't having any heart patterns that are not right. I am very tired and wore out now but it is one less thing to worry about. He goes in soon to find out about doing a sleep study on him. This is also something his doctor wants done. Madison is going to go into the heart doctor next. He thought we should get her checked also. This is all because of not knowing why Hayden passed away. It has been almost 2 years since he has passed and i am just getting my butt in gear. The doctor today did say that he didn't see anything with the heart that he saw that would cause a sudden death in Preston.

My babies are 3!

It is so hard to believe that my babies aren't babies any more. They are 3 years old today. It was a very busy weekend with a big party for the kids. They had a blast, Madison really got into the birthday fun this year. She was excited about everything she couldn't wait to get into the cake and open presents. Preston loved all the attention that he got. We had the party at my parents house since we could fit more people at their place. Madison wanted a Mickey and Minnie mouse party so that is what it was done in. We had these huge balloons that were as tall as me. I was so excited about them but I went to put a little more air into Minnie mouse and busted her. Well at least the body of Minnie mouse. Madison didn't care she still had fun with her head. Three years ago today I gave birth to three beautiful babies that were very sick. They were very tiny it is hard to believe that three years ago they were 1lb babies. Here are some pictures. We miss you Hayden wish you were here with us today.


Preston at Birth 1lb 9oz











Maddie at Birth









Preston and Maddie Now











Hayden














Here is a picture of the ballons with the kids

Maddie's got glasses!!

Yes it is very scary and true. She got glasses today. Around Christmas time we started noticing her eye's were crossing. So we got her in a little over a week ago to the eye doctor and they put her in glasses. She looks really cute in them but they are going to be a pain. She has already bent them and we had only had them two hours. She is doing pretty good at keeping them on for the most part. But I am not letting her wear them in the car and when I can't see her. She is pretty quick and gets them off fast. Here are some pictures of her and her new eyes. They are not very good she wouldn't cooperate for me.

People are rude!!

We went out to lunch with my parents and the kids after church on Sunday. We went to Golden Corral which we all like and probably eat to much. Well I can't believe how rude people are or maybe just everyone yesterday had their panties in a bunch. We took Preston in his wheelchair since he has outgrown the other chair we use to use. Most people probably don't think about it but the high chairs at most restaurants are not for kids that are special needs. Preston is getting stronger everyday but the highchairs do not give him enough support around the trunk area so he loses his balance easy and can bang his head on the table. So for safety reasons and to make him more comfortable we use his chair. Well lets just say I think Golden Corral is the worst place to take his chair in. They were not helpful at all and the customers i could of smacked them. We went to a corner of the restaurant and when we were trying to leave people would not get up out of their chairs for a second so we could get through. They just sat there and looked at us like we were stupid. I am thinking sorry my son and his needs is a bother to you. I wanted to smack this old lady instead of moving over a little bit she decided to complain that his chair hit her. People just need to get their head's out of their butts and have more respect for others. Just have to complain. People can be such idiots. Golden Corral is not a good place to take a child or anyone at that matter in a wheelchair. At least not on a Sunday, and yes I expect them to be busy but I really think they could do more to help people with special needs.