JOY~

Lovin' Life

This boy has been lovin' life lately! Ever since he joined the Sea Cadets, he has been BUSY. They have all kinds of things they do with the kids and Bryce is loving every bit of it! This weekend, they had a marksmanship training on Sat. and then participated in a Marksmanship competition on Sunday. He got to learn how to shoot all these big guns and did really well. He made quite a few bullseye shots!!





And, just because Miss Wesleigh is always lovin' life, here are a few shots of her lately





This might be the funniest picture...ever! She had just gotten up from a nap, and I just had to grab my camera. I know...she'll hate me one day for posting a potty picture, but just look at that hair!!!



One reason I've been absent on the blog scene is because I'm still working really hard on our digital scrapbook of our China trip. I'm on a roll and I'm SO excited about it!! It's going to be about 90 pages!! I can't wait!!

Just a Little Messy

Wesleigh usually is a very neat eater. She uses her spoon and fork like a pro. This night, though, the fork just wouldn't get it there fast enough! She was starving! With our football schedule, every night is different. Sometimes we don't eat until late. Poor baby!



She refused to look at the camera or smile. She was all business!


I've been working hard on my digital scrapbook of our trip to China. It's been so much fun to go through all the posts and pictures from that time. It's funny how you remember some things and not others. I think selective memory is a gift from God. The negatives just kind of slip away.

Tonight everybody will be home! That is not happening very often these days. I'm going to cook a good supper and hopefully enjoy a little time with all my cuties! They've been working/playing hard, and I miss them!!

BTW....We've had 2 days of staying completely dry!! Whoo Hoo!!!

Also, I've been asked a couple of questions:
"sn" means "special need". Just shorthand.
I've been asked where I got Wesleigh's little flowers she's been wearing in her hair. I got them here. She did a great job and I love them! I am missing the big bows, but until her hair gets a little longer, the piggys are our best bet. (Be sure to tell her who sent you!)

Guess Who's a "Big Girl Now"!!

Yep! Miss Wesleigh Jane has decided she is going to use the potty! Just in the last couple of days, she is pretty much potty training herself. Because of her sn, this is even more exciting than it normally would be! I would say we're about 70% there.

She has also become so expressive with her facial expressions. I laugh at her all day long. She cracks me up! She is the queen of cutting those eyes!!

Mama is M A D!!!

I've shared here before that football just isn't really my thing. I love seeing the boys play, but really rather baseball. Well, this morning...this mama woke up!! We were behind by 3 touchdowns. Nothing was really happening for our team, but Cade got the ball and was running it. This kid from the other team comes behind him and puts a choke hold on him! Of course, he was trying to bring him down but this choke hold went on for, at least, 30 seconds. Which is a LONG time when your baby is being CHOKED!!! I shot this picture toward the end of the "event". You can see the coach already yelling and the ref standing there watching the whole thing. You can also see that Cade is already crying (that's how long it went on!). He was down on the ground for quite a while and very upset after. Well, he wasn't the only one. One of the coaches was thrown out over it and this mama nearly jumped the fence! I would have pinched that kid's head off if I'd have had the chance! I know...violence talk...calm down. Well, the truth is, I haven't stopped shaking yet!! (Of course, the fact that all I've had this morning is sweet tea couldn't be helping!!) See for yourself! (btw...there was no flag!)



I love our coaches. They really rallied behind Cade. They were all very concerned about him.


This first touchdown Cade ran in helped make things a little better ;)


He actually threw a pass for a second touchdown too!!

So, bottom line...I think I might can be a football mom too! The fact that my throat is hurting from screaming so much might be proof!! Just stay off my boy!!!

Thank You, Kim!

Kim has followed my blog for a long time. She has watched so many families go to China while she still waits. She is always so kind and happy for everyone else, and is such a blessing. Kim's mother crocheted this blanket for Wesleigh and it arrived yesterday. It is the most gorgeous blanket I've ever seen! Thank you, Kim! I can't even image the hours of hard work and love that went into making this gorgeous blanket. We will treasure it always. Kim, God knows your sweet Isabella and if faithful. He will bring her home to you!

As you can see, Miss Wesleigh was thrilled to get her package. She even insisted on bringing it to bed with her. So sweet!





How's this for a pink bed? Looks like a pepto commercial! I love it!!


And, of course, like any other child in the world, she thought the box was great fun too!!

Mini Me?

I've been wanting to take this picture for about a month now, but "baby" seemed to have lost her cothes for a while. I found baby's clothes so took the opportunity to get the pic. I think Wesleigh's hair and this baby's look exactly alike! (Well, they did a month ago!!) Wesleigh's "old" hair that hasn't been trimmed feels about like this baby's too. So funny!

Whew!!

What a weekend!! We had one of those crazy, busy weekends that leave you exhausted. I'm not even going to try to share everything we had on our plates, but I do have a couple of highlights.

Bryce has joined the Navy Sea Cadets! It is an amazing program for kids ages 13-18. It is perfectly suited for him, and he LOVES it! Saturday they were the color guard for a 9/11 event downtown. It was so hot that my shirt was soaked through. I can't even imagine how hot those kids were in this uniform. They looked so handsome, though.


He's so handsome! He is now 5'7! An inch taller than me. How does that happen?!?!


I just love this picture. It's not great of her, but I love how tomboy she looks with her dress hiked up and playing with a rock, even though she's wearing pink hightops and a sweet flower!



They stayed overnight on the USS Kidd, and had a blast. This is what my baby looked like when he came home!! Way too grown up!!!


What you can't see is that someone was having to hold Wesleigh back to I could get this picture. She wanted her Bryce!! She adores all of them, but I have noticed there might be something special between my oldest and youngest ;)


We finally celebrated Braden's birthday! His actual bday was the 4th, but we had our little family party Sat. They all get a big kick out of how excited Wesleigh gets at birthdays. Of course, Braden wanted her to help him blow out the candles. So sweet!







This is Richard's sister, Amanda. We all love Amanda, but Wesleigh really loves her. Notice we're all in our LSU fashion.

I had to miss Cade's football game and missed him making his first touchdown!! I am so sad to have not been there with my camera. Dad got it on video so I did get to see it, but it's not the same :(

Don't forget to check out the clothes I have listed in the post below!! Bidding ends tomorrow at 8:00am. Also, don't forget to check out Kim's auction, as well!!

Ralph Lauren Denim Jumper

This denim jumper is adorable. Wesleigh wore it a couple of times and it is in perfect condition. It is size 24mos.




This second picture was in China. I'm laughing at how she's dressed versus the boys. I didn't want to get any mean looks ;)



Starting bid: $20

Red Squeaky Shoes

These are my favorites!! It kills me that she NEVER wore them. The only reason I'm not crying over them is I have a bigger size ;) They are a deep red color with white (more pearl) and silver glitter dots. They are precious!! These came home with us from China! You can take the squeakers out if you'd rather. They are a size 5.








Starting bid: $10

7 months!!

I'm a little behind on this post but only by a few days. To see how far Miss WJ has come in just 7 months is nothing short of amazing. I was going through all my videos in the camcorder case to clean it out and found our China videos. We have never watched them. One reason is that I don't really want Wesleigh to see them yet. I'm not sure what her reaction would be. I, however, watched them on my camera and stood in awe! My memories are pretty clear of that day, but seeing her on film was striking. To see how she walked when we got her was almost shocking to me. I knew she was unstable, but....WOW!! No wonder she had about 10 busted lips the first couple of months she was home! So, that was then....let's talk about now. Here are some of the things Miss WJ is up to now:

* She can run with the best of them. We chase her around the kitchen island and then double back to scare her. She LOVES it!

*She can climb stairs alternating feet with each step. I still don't trust her on them, but she could probably run up them with no problem.

*She can open doors (OH NO!!). Now, there is nowhere safe! My biggest problem is the pantry. I think I'm going to have to get a lock for the top. She can also open the door from the laundry room to the garage. I'm having to make sure the garage doors are always closed and I lock that door.

*She wispers in your ear. I have no idea what she is saying but she always ends it with "ok?". As long as you answer "ok", you're good. No telling what I've agreed to in the past few weeks!!

*She has caught on that MawMaw is the babysitter. She gets a little leary when my mom walks in now. Mom will have to come over at times when I'm not leaving to help her get over that.

*She is still a packrat. Maybe "swiper" would be a good name for her. She swipes all kinds of things. I'm not finding things in crazy places anymore. She mainly puts them in her "purses" or bags.

* She is a tease. She is getting stingy on her kisses and makes the boys really work for them. When they ask for a kiss she says, "no way".

* She now lays down in her bed and lets me cover her up when she's going to bed. No more crying!!

* She loves other kids and is not shy at all around them.

* She has figured out how to take her diaper off, but hasn't quite got the hang of the potty. We're working on it. Potty training is probably my least favorite job as a parent.

* She talks constantly. I can understand about half of what she says.

* She is a girly girl. She loves new clothes and shoes. If it sparkles...even better! Loves to try on her new things too!

* She loves any babydoll or stuffed animal. They are all "babies".

*She will stomp her foot and say "Uhhh" when she gets mad. Honestly, it makes me want to laugh at her.

*She has started hitting the boys when they're bothering her.



*She can snap her fingers. She uses this when she's "fussing" at someone. She snaps and then points (yes, she got that from me!).



*She finally got her fingers to make "two". She worked very hard to be able to do that. It was pretty funny. She could actually snap before she could do "two".

* She fits right in. Richard says she is me made over, and I love that. She has brought new life into this family and always keeps us on our toes.

These past few months have flown by. They always do, but I feel like I can't catch up. Wesleigh is such a joy. Even when she pitches a fit, she is easily distracted and manageable. Most of the time, she is super sweet. The boys still adore her. Of course, I knew they would always love her, but I never expected them to still love to play with her and love on her. It's really sweet to see. She, of course, adores them right back.

She is an answer to prayer!



We love Wesleigh Jane!!

The Rest of the Story

Ok, so you've seen all our beautiful beach pics of our always adorable and well behaved girls! Yeah...Right!! I thought I'd share a few of our outakes from our trip to the beach...the rest of the story!

Unfortunately, I didn't snap a pic of Ruby and Sienna rolling in the sand in their underwear when they should have been in their pretty pettiskirts. Nor do I have a picture of Kate on her M&M high, or Wesleigh collecting (should I say, stealing) all kinds of things from Kim and Di's rooms! I didn't take a shot of Wesleigh's blow out diaper in the car that resulted in me throwing her pants away! And I really didn't get a pic of Miss Sienna throwing up in the back of my suburban on the way to the airport! (I was too busy running through a furniture store yelling for some paper towels) Even better, the domino effect that event had ;) (that's all I'm allowed to say about that!!)

So...enjoy! Have a laugh on us this morning!!

Take a look at my face above! What the heck is that? LOL... And look at the druel on Wesleigh's chin...

I had to really search for a "bad" picture of Ainsley! This is all I could come up with. She was eating crawfish for the first time. She liked it, even through this pic might not look like it ;)

In Kate's defense. Yes, she did pour water on Wesleigh's head, but only after Wesleigh poured it on hers! Wesleigh wasn't really crying here...it just looks like it! And what about the camera angle on Wesleigh. She should still have a crick in her neck from that!! Geez!!


Do you see that Wesleigh is sitting on me? She was being such a pill this evening that the only decent pics I got of her in her tutu were the ones where I was laying on the sand and she was on top of me. Kim was snapping the pics.

Sienna got mad and stomped away from Ainsley. Ainsley was trying to get her back :) Kate kept us entertained with all her character faces. She is hysterical.

OK...I did not have one picture of Ruby to add to this!! Every picture of her was wonderful!!

So...just because she's so stinkin' cute!

I'm putting a post together with some cold weather clothes that Wesleigh will not fit in anymore. I'm going to do it auction style, so be sure to check back in the next couple of days!!

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Not quite sure if I am!! Our boys have never been big football players so we've never spent alot of time watching youth football. To be honest, I'm not a huge football fan. I know what a quarterback, center and receiver are but that's about it! When I go to the LSU games, I'm honestly more interrested in people watching than the game ;)

Of course, I love watching and cheering on my boys, whatever they play. When it comes to football, though, just don't expect me to know what position it was they were playing!!!

I have a feeling I will have more than my share of football this season. Bryce is in the high school marching band, so we'll be at the high school games (at least until halftime:) on Friday nights. It was alot of fun seeing them march. Bryce's eyes were as big as quarters trying to make sure he didn't run into someone! Really cute.

Cade had his first football game Sat. morning. He has been nervous because it's his first time to play serious tackle football. He was very timid in their jamboree last week, but yesterday we saw the old "beast" starting to re-emerge. I can't wait to see how he plays next week. His goal is to earn a "snot knocker"! A snot knocker is a sticker they put on their helment when they make a great hit.

Braden has his first game on Tuesday. He hasn't played tackle football in a few years, but he seems to be enjoying it. He's so skinny that I'm worried he's going to break in half! I bought him a padded undershirt to give him a little more protection. I'll have pics of him Tues.

Thanks Ruby and Sienna!!

The minute Ruby and Sienna got off the plane, Wesleigh set her sights on their pink rolling backpacks complete with a fuzzy puppy purse. She was relentless and played with those backpacks the entire week. The girls were so sweet to share with Miss WJ. A couple of days ago, Wesleigh got her very own package in the mail. Guess what it was?

Her very own pink fuzzy backpack and puppy purse!!
Thanks, Ruby and Sienna!! Now Wesleigh has a cute place to store all the treasures she picks up throughout the day!!

MRI Update

First of all, this first picture might be my favorite picture of Miss Wesleigh yet! I absolutely love it!

Many of you have been asking about the results of Wesleigh's MRI. We went to the neurologist today to get the results. I didn't leave the office with the report I was hoping for. I unrealistically expected her doctor to tell me she was perfect and to have a good life. Instead, he told me that she has a tethered spinal cord and that we will need to keep an eye on her until she stops growing. Actually, what the dr. said was that every child with spina bifida has a tethered cord. How did I not know this? With all the research I did before going to China, no one ever told me that. In a way, I'm glad because it is possible that would have deterred us from accepting her referral. For those of you who might not know, Wesleigh's referral said she had a repaired meningocele. That is a very mild form of Spina Bifida which has the least amount of side effects. Today, I also found out that Wesleigh has a more serious form of SB. She has myelomengocele. This means that there was more nerve involvement than we previously thought. Bottom line, she's the same cutie bug today as she was yesterday and a label doesn't change that. I would be lying, however, if I said it didn't upset me.

So...what does this all mean? Having a tethered cord means that her spinal cord is not "floating" like it should be. It is attached to her spine and as she grows, her cord will be stretched. This could cause her to start losing some function of her legs and bowel/bladder control. There is a surgery to detatch the cord, but it does not come without serious risks. This would be a last resort. Nobody is saying that she will need this surgery, or even have these side effects.

I am choosing to believe that she will be fine, and bottom line is, she will be. There are many families facing much worse diagnosis' for their children. This is not life threatening. I know that God has a mighty plan for her life. I will not lose sight of that.

The good news is that I adore her doctor. He has been very kind to me. I pretty much argued with him a couple of times (very nicely). I even asked him, "Are you sure?" He is very patient and understood that I needed a little time to digest it all. I think he's pretty smitten with Miss WJ too. Can you blame him? This outfit is what she wore today so you can imagine the attention she received at the office. She was definitely a show stopper! If you have to spend lots of time with a doctor, it's nice if you really like him!

The boys start their football games this weekend, so pretty soon, I'll have something else to post beside tutu's and bows. I really should be taking pictures of all the bruises those boys have been coming home with! Good Lord!! I can hardly stand it! I just close my eyes and hope for the best!

Hope you're having a great week!