My Tiny Ballerina

Emma started Princess ballet class last week. She took this class last year in her walker, and loved it, so for her birthday her Nana and Papa gave her the six week class again. Emma is thrilled to say the least. She wears her "Pretty" as she calls her dance outfit all day and asked when we are going. She also spins around like a ballerina all the time. I was so proud of her last week and this week. She marches right in and "listens" pretty well. Or since she really cant hear that well, she is watching and doing what the other kids are doing great! She is still unable to do a few moves since she has to work so hard on her ballance. But she does not care and she loves the whole 45 minute class. Her favorite part is the tumbling on the mats:)

I am so proud of her and how hard she works during this class. This year she is not using an assistant device and only needs help standing up. She is able to do the turns on her own, some of the tumbling, most of the moves (they are only learning a few it is really an introduction class) and is paying attention to the teacher so well.

Below are some of the photos I snapped before her teacher shut the door so we do not distract them. I hope you enjoy seeing my amazing ballerina in action. So proud of her and love every second of watching her on the screen (they have cameras so we can see what they are doing inside the studio in the lobby). The smile on Emma's face is so priceless.

Ready to go!

Showing me some moves!

Spinning in the lobby!

What Taylor thinks of the whole thing:)

Heading in for class, she marches right on in.

So tiny and cute!

Outside the window

Yesterday I was glanced out our backdoor window to see what daddy and Emma where doing while I cooked dinner, and I just broke into a smile. When I look out my window I just saw a happy smiling cutie who is so excited about life and trying to learn to hit her baseball of the tee with her Daddy. I wish I had my camera handy to snap a picture of that sweet moment. Emma was smiling from ear to ear and just laughing with her daddy. I did not see her mulitple medical issues, or her developmental delay, or her hearing loss. I just saw a happy girl!!

Those precious moments are how we get through the dark times. So, if you ever wondered how we handle everything, that is how. We focus on the small moments! We try to make every moment count!

Summer living

Too tired to write, but enjoy a glimpse into summer life at our house!

Emma wanted to try her bumbo again!
Taylor and his first time in the bumbo seat, he loved it.

Sweet Sleeping Baby Boy!!

Chilling in the small float pool, this was her first "pool" at age one and she still loves it.

Making Daddy some cookies!

Riding at Meme's house!

Chilling on the deck at Meme's!

What is baby brother doing??

Taylor did not like the cool temp of his sister's pool so we filled his bathtub up with warm water for him to chill in!

Life is good, and Summer is Warm!

Taylor turns 3 months old

Boy how time is flying by with Taylor. I really wish I could freeze it and make it stand still. I hate knowing he is my last and that this is the last time I will experience all these fun firsts.

This month he has gained weight and is filling out nicely. If one more person tells me how big he is, I might get a complex:) I love it though, it makes me proud that my breastfeeding is paying off. Glad I did not give up that first month when it was so hard. He is starting to grab at toys and put them in his mouth. I could watch him do it for hours. I love watching him kick and play on his mat. He has the best smile and the cutest little giggle already. His whole face lights up when he sees you, it is like he is saying "oh there she is" !!

He went to nursery at church for the first time today and did great, mommy cried though. He spent the night at Meme's last Thursday night due to Emma's early morning test, and did great even though he kept mom up for over an hour in the middle of the night. He did get tired of the bottle but we had no problems with him taking it and then switching back to me. It was so quiet with him gone. Those were two big firsts this month.

He has such cute chubby legs and checks:) Love them! He makes the sweetest sounds and I could listen to them forever. He eats great and loves to fall asleep while feeding. He sleeps great at night and normally really only wakes about one or at the most two times a night. So much better then his sister who still somtimes gets up at age 5. He naps great on the go, and would rather nap in his carseat or swing, but will nap at home if he has too. guess all the running around when she was in school made him learn to nap in the car oops!

His sister still loves him to pieces and kisses on him all day long. She also loves to say "hey baby" really loud in his face. She wants him to pull her hair, but he has only done it the one time, but she keeps trying:) She is a big helper and loves to get his diaper or pull the string on his swing to make it sing. On Sunday's she wants to take her picture with the baby since they are dressed nicely, it is so funny.

All in all life is good on the Taylor front. He is so sweet and only cries if he is hungry. He is well loved and growing so fast. Love him to pieces!!

Answers lead to more questions

"For I know the plans I have for you" that is the phrase I have had going through my head all day long. God is in control, and even though right now I do not understand, He is in control.

As many of you know Emma was taken to VCH for testing today, but not all of you knew it was hearing testing. For the past few years we have been trying to get her speech up, and it has been a slooooowwww process, but many people thought it was due to her trying to walk. However, recently we finally got her ENT to try a behavioral hearing test and she failed. So today we went in for a ABR to get a better look at what her ears hear and how. The news was not good.



Emma has significant hearing difficulties in both ears. That explains so much, but having answers many times lead to more questions. We will be starting down a road that is unknown and will be long and difficult as we try to help Emma gain the most she can in the hearing department. We have an appt soon in a new clinic that will help us start this long road and will share more as we learn and process all the information we are recieving. Emma is lucky that there is great technology to help her!



At this time we ask that you please pray for our entire family as we are all in shock and having to process this difficult answer. Emma is doing well tonight and I feel will respond well to whatever we throw at her. She is so strong and so full of life. She is my hero!! Thank you for your support and prayers. God is in control, and like my favorite song right now says "Sometimes blessing come from teardrops"

Prayers

Please pray for Emma as tomorrow morning we head out to Vandy to have some testing done that she has to be sedated for. The sedation is scary for us, as Emma has had past problems with breathing issues in recovery. Not to mention the stress that a hospital visit puts on her little body. She already has anxiety about dr's and every trip to the hospital makes it worse. We do have childlife involved this visit and talked to her tonight about it as well, which we hope helps her. Not to mention the test does not involve a lot of needles or ouches!

I am already very anxious about this and pray that once again we can handle handing her off to doctors and watching them take her through the OR doors. You would think after as many times as we have done this, it would be easier but NOPE!! I hate each and everytime!! I wish her life did not involve test, sedation, drs and so forth. I know it is normal for her, but it should not be normal for any child.

So glad this will be a short visit as long as things go well and we will hopefully finally have some answers we have been looking for. Prayers are welcomed!!

God is in control and He is holding us all! I keep telling myself that.

Hello Thursday!

Summer Fun/Cheekwood Visit!

This past Saturday we gathered the family and diaper bags and went to Cheekwood for Saturday Art! Emma loves going and since we renewed the membership, we thought we would use it. It was really warm, but we had a great time. Emma loved painting her "house" which was a box they were suppose to paint and decorate to look like the structures in the amazing train exhibit. Taylor enjoyed the new sights in the art room, and daddy and I enjoyed catching up with a friend who was also there. Then we went to see the cool new trains that are in the gardens there. It was so neat and Emma walked around saying Choo Chooo!! We could not hang out too long since Taylor and all of us were sweating, but we enjoyed the trains! Then headed to lunch at our fav mexican place. It was all in all a great family outing!

Enjoying the photos from the fun!

The cool trains!

Emma walking out of the art room with her piece! Love this, still tickles me to see her walking!

daddy, Taylor and Emma in the art studio

Painting!

Mommy and Taylor, cant believe he is almost three months old.

Such a good boy!

Emma walking to the car.

Emma asked for a picture with her brother! Love the smiles on both faces!!

Guess What I Did Today??

Can You Guess What I did today for the first time???