Princess Day

With the bruise still showing on her tiny hand from her IV and her spirit still showing the stress of the last little health hiccup, we decided Emma needed some special one or one time with mommy.  So, luckily the local library was having a special Princess party today and I signed her up.  We quickly changed from ballet shoes to her Brave Princess dress, and headed to the library after ballet.  The party was a lot of fun, they made crowns, did puzzles, made a place mat, danced and got to eat cake.  Best of all Princess Belle was there for it all.

Then after all that fun, we did a little shopping for a school project she has due this coming week.  Afterwards I had planned to take her to Taco Bell but she really wanted cheese dip.  We saw a little Mexican place near Michaels and headed there.  She was so excited to be eating with just me and her.  We ordered our drinks and of course cheese dip.  I swear it is both of ours love language, it makes us so happy.  We sat side by side and munched and laughed.  It was really nice to get to focus just on her and listen to her stories and laugh about not having to share with anyone her cheese dip.  

Then, we headed home for a much needed nap together.  I love those moments, when I lay with her in my bed, both of us snuggled under our favorite blankets, and I get to see such peace come over her sleeping face.  I hold her hand and we doze.  Sweet sweet moments!

Today was much needed for both of us.  Emma has really been emotional and a little stressed since her health hiccup, and I pray that a little extra TLC will help that stress.  She really had a good day, and as she drifted off today, she was still talking about Princess Belle.  Great memories made today for both of us, and I am grateful and proud to be the mom to such a sweet princess.  

Sunny Winter Day

Today was a no school day and it was so warm and sunny we headed to the park to play with one of my nephews and the grandparents.  It was an amazing morning in the sun!

 Yeah Hudson is here!

 Been taking there picture here for years!

 Sometimes you need a little piggie ride to make it where you wanna go!

 Sliding with my boy!

 Love that Emma was holding their hands:)

Hollywood riding the train:)  

It is not always easy to take her to the park, sometimes she still needs help up on things or carried to get places, but boy do we always have fun.  It was a great sunny, warm, winter day and hopefully those memories will help us as the next four days are in the thirties:(

Choo-Choo

Today at a local state park, there was a train exhibit and best part it was free!  So after church we headed that way, with our train loving little boy and Emma as well:)  Taylor was in heaven, and actually Emma enjoyed it much more then she thought she would.  Lots of it was hands-on and you could touch, or use a bell or horn, they got to sit on one, play with some and watch some go round and round.  We ran around the site for over an hour and had so much fun!  It was all in one room and was small enough that it was not overwhelming, but it was worth going to as well.  Here are some of the fun photos of our train fun today!

 the little conductor

 TRAINS YEAH!!!

 Hey mom can you see me?

 peek-a-boo

 Taylor liked using the control to run this train, and kept making it go backwards!

 Emma liked this one too!

 ringing the bell

 playtime with some trains

 look mom here it comes again

 Needed a little help to see this one

 Sitting on the steam train

 choo-choo

  playing with the solider train!

It was a nice afternoon, at a great local park, and we made some great memories with both kids!  Taylor was so excited, and loved exploring something he loves so much.  I enjoyed getting to do an outing geared towards him more then Emma.  But Emma had a lot of fun, saw a few friends, and seeing the trains.  All in all a great Sunday/family fun day!!!  

First Academic Award WHOOP!!

Friday Emma was part of her first academic awards at school.  I was so excited when we got the invite Thursday!  I was even more excited when my dad offered to sit with the sick little boy so I could be there.  So, I left Taylor snuggled with Papa and headed to her school.  Emma was so excited that she was going to get to go on stage this time.  (last six weeks she did not).  

 Emma before school on Friday, love they get to wear jeans on Friday.  They also get to wear their new Gower shirts!

 The stage

 Emma getting her Honor Roll award!!!  Yep my hard worker made honor roll this six weeks!  Take that two years ago, she barely spoke and had no written language at all!  Whoop whoo Hearing aids rock!  My girl works hard!  Mommy and daddy are so proud!!

 I just love her principal, she is on the left!

 Emma at home showing Taylor!

 I also just had to show the cute little tea party she threw tonight for her brother!  I got this tea set down, I forgotten all about it.  She was given it when she was younger and it is glass, so I had put it up.  She was so excited, to dress up and throw a tea party!

 Here are Taylor and Emma having tea!

Lastly, Emma was given a rainbow loom this week for being so brave and this is the rainbow bracelet she made Taylor tonight!  He was thrilled, she put black and all the other colors on it:)  

One healthy and one sick what a week.....

So the day after Emma finally was 100 percent better, Taylor starting throwing up.  What a way to be woken up, with Daddy screaming " he is sick"!  For the next few hours it was a lot of laundry and a sad little man.  He spent the next two days laying on me or on the couch in his pjs with a fever.  It was so sad, he has hardly ever been sick and never thrown up.  He hated not being able to eat and whined a lot.  But I enjoyed the little snuggles and his sweet, warm head laying on my shoulder.  He is now eating and acting so much better!  Whew what a busy week!  Praying that next week we are all well!  This mommy is tired... and my washer needs a break.

 Emma after her little OR visit the other day

Taylor passed out on my bed while sick!

Taylor playing a little while sick!

Picking E up early...

Emma had a hard time going to bed last night and seemed to be a little nervous about returning to school this morning, but she was health wise ready so we sent her on.  I had e-mailed her teachers and asked them to call me at work if she seemed off or upset.  I work on Tuesday's but am able to leave if needed.  Around 12 I got a text saying she was saying her head hurt and seemed tired but if we wanted she could stay at school.  I called Daniel and we were going to try to talk to her on the phone before deciding, but my mommy gut said go get her.  So, I left work and headed to get Emma.  She was at lunch, but I talked to her teachers and they said she had a good morning, but seemed a little off her game.  I went and got her from lunch, we changed her hearing aids and headed home.  She ate a little more lunch and then I decided she really need to rest more.  She took a two hour nap, and then we played and studied her sight words till dinner.

After we got home from school early!

 After nap we finished her first loom bracelet, take that OT!!

She seemed a little upset at bedtime and was a little nervous to go to sleep.  But we reassured her that she was safe and all was well.  She calmed and went to sleep.  We will talk to her more tomorrow about that all is well now and she is safe and better.  And will continue to keep a close eye on her emotional health as she continues to process her last health mini crisis.  She is a lot older then she has been since the last time she had issues and she is understanding more.  So we are working on her expressing her fears, memories etc and working through those thoughts and feelings as she comes.  Please continue to pray as she works all this out in her cute little mind!!

a short update

Emma has had a pretty good day.  A few signs of delayed stress showing at bedtime, but it could also be I attended my Mom's group for the first time in three weeks and was gone at bedtime.  I got home and she was able to finally fall asleep.  She should be fine for school tomorrow and I think she is looking forward to seeing her friends.

I am still coming off the emotional ride of a medical crisis.  I told someone I felt like a wrung out dishrag, and it is so true.  I am so tired and drained, but glad she is doing well and that this is in the past now.

Night all!!

Plans derailed....

 So, yesterday was one of those days that as a special needs parent you dread, but prepare for all the time.  Emma had been having some medical issues common to her, but we were hoping to get ahead of the issue, but Saturday morning as we started to get ready for ballet, our day got derailed.  After a call to the on call doctor, we packed Taylor a bag and us a bag and headed into town.  We meet the kids Nana, at her work, and gave her Taylor and headed across the street to the local children's ER.  Emma was quickly seen and assessed and sent to the OR for medical intervention, within less then three hours.  She had a few meltdowns when she was not understanding what was happening, but most of the time she had all the nurses eating out of her cute little hands:)  I loved when she made us open the curtains so she could wave to the nurses outside her room in the ER.

I was so amazed at how well she handled the stress of xrays, an IV placement awake, and being rolled away by the OR doctors.  We actually came back to recovery and she was not screaming, which is a new thing, since she normally comes out of the medicines mad as a wet cat.  She drank her water, talked to us and the nurses and gave Meme a smile when she came back to see her.  She did so great, they sent us home instead of the floor to be monitored for a few hours.  We got to get dress and go to the waiting room to see Papa and her new Frozen doll they got her.  

We luckily did not need the overnight bags I packed just in case and we got to head home.  It was decided to leave Taylor with Nana for the night so we could focus on Emma.  We got her home, relaxing on the couch, and she happily welcomed visits from her Meme and Papa and her Aunt Nay and some sweet friends!  She was given some wonderful prizes for being brave and after a little dinner snuggled up with me to go to sleep for the night.  She had a pretty peaceful night and woke in a good mood Sunday to play with her new toys.

Sunday we spent a little time outside getting some much needed vitamin D.  She got a special McDonald's lunch brought to her by her Meme and Papa and then we snuggled in for a nap together on mommy's bed.  After nap, we headed back out to go to the park and wait on Daddy to get home from work.  She got another special visit from two sweet friends who made her beautiful cards handmade and a huge Hello Kitty balloon!  We then finally went to meet Taylor and have some dinner and home for bath and bed.  She is currently snuggled in daddy's spot in my bed, peaceful and happy.  I am hoping her bad dreams she had last night do not come again.  But till she processes all the meds we are prepared for those odd dreams.  

She is my hero for sure!  I saw such braver from her in the last two days.  She helped give her IV meds with the nurses, she was able to use the smile chart to tell her pain, and she was able to stay calm in recovery.  She handled the quickly moving pace we were blessed with better then some adults even would.  We are so proud of her, and hope that we do not need to do this again anytime soon!  I will say it was the best trip to the hospital we have ever had.  We were seen quickly, things were ordered and completed fast, and shock of all shocks the nurse got her IV in the first time ever!!!  Even the nurse helping was shocked, she said how did you do that??  I wanted to hug her and ask to keep her on our payroll:)  The IV is normally a major ordeal with many sticks and lots of screaming.  Thank you Vandy Children's for the best care and a much happier daughter today.  

Mommy and daddy may need a few more days to catch up from the emotional ride it all was, but we are so blessed with so many family and friends supporting us with prayers, love, and help when needed.  Blessed beyond all belief!!

Frozen Day Two and The Extra Day due to frozen pipes, heaters etc!!

Snow day number two yesterday with the kiddos, means we have been in the house now over 36 hours and mommy is getting a little crazy:)  However, the kids had a lot of fun.  We of course had to stay in our comfy clothing/PJS since it was still below freezing.  Emma and I rocked our matching fuzzy socks as well!

Here is a peak into our fun on day two:

We made a few more art projects!

 Emma got her nails done hoping we were going to school on Wednesday!

 She finished coloring her washable pet

 We made bears hibernating craft together!  Guess who had the rainbow bear?

 We made brownies for dessert, because why not!

 We had a Farmer Jason hoe down!

 Then the princess and Taylor had fun with some new do a dot pages.

 They played house, and here they are using their suitcases to go to a wedding.

 Played with vintage Lincoln logs and party blowers:)  

 Lost Taylor for a few minutes and he had sneaked my phone to play PBS kids :)  

My husband got home that night, and we received the news that their were so many schools still without heat, busted pipes and buses that could not start, that we would be out one more day.  After, I stopped crying (not really) and Emma really did stop crying.  I decided that since it would finally be above freezing that we would be getting out of the house on Wednesday or mommy might need a vacation in a funny farm LOL!

Luckily a dear friend invited us to come play with her two girls.  So, we bundled up on Day three of Frozen and went to her house.  The kids played and we got to sit and talk. So NICE!!!  Then, we headed to Meme's house for some McD's and playtime with Hudson.  They wore themselves out and then we headed home and all took a nap.  I got to hold Emma's sweet hand as we snuggled in for our nap.  Then, Taylor woke early from his and wanted me to hold him, and I held him for over thirty minutes till Emma woke and wanted her hearing aides in.  Then, daddy took pity on a tired mommy and took them all to Emma's speech meeting and I cleaned the floors.

Tomorrow they finally go back to school from Winter break and Emma is thrilled.  I will head to work and Taylor will get some one on one time with his grandparents.  Normal routine here we finally come!