Months of Craziness all Summed Up in One Post (kind of)

So obviously it's been a while since I've blogged, y'all. And the main reason is that we really have been exactly what the name of this blog says.....but without the play on words. I thought it was about time to share a little of what that has looked like though, so hopefully I can get the general idea across in this post. If not, I may or may not do another later. No promises there since we will probably be dealing with the whole "at our wits' end" thing still. Anyhow, here goes....

As mentioned in my last post here we have figured out that this area is a huge source of environmental issues for us and our health. Not going to try and go into a lot more detail as to the "whys" at the moment other than just to say that chemical toxins, mold allergies, and even geographical layouts (we found out we live on top of a water table) can and do affect your quality of life greatly. Add all that to some already pre-determined genetic problems which make us more sensitive to some things and you've got some pretty major health stuff going on. Now you may be asking what that looks like on a day to day basis or even what we are doing about it and that's what I'm planning to write about tonight.

First of all, for our youngest (who has been hit the hardest obviously because of his age/size) it still means chronic, daily pain and itching all over his body, very restless and often interrupted sleep for several hours at night, welps, sores, eczema, swelling, stomach issues, and well the list could go on and on. Needless to say, for a 2 year old going through all of that and more, it. is. bad.

For the rest of us, we tend to have various reactions and/or health problems related to the things we're exposed to here but of course they aren't quite as severe or hard to deal with as his. But to be honest, my own have gotten a good bit worse in the past couple months and when you consider being the mom who is trying to handle everyone else's issues plus her own, not to mention the every day stuff around the house then it can be pretty rough sometimes. Between myself and the older 3 kids we've had migraines, stomach issues, skin problems(rashes, eczema, etc), chronic pain, extreme fatigue, dizziness, itching, swelling/breathing issues, insomnia, and random other things that seem to be related. Once again, not an exhaustive list but that is the general things that crop up on a daily/weekly basis for some or all of us.(Blake's issues are less often or sometimes obvious but still there as well) Suffice it to say, it's exhausting both physically and emotionally. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that we just found out the chemicals can work as hormone disruptors as well. That explained a lot of things but wasn't exactly good news. Fun times.

Now on to the what we are doing about it part. Well, the things is....there isn't a medicine out there to actually treat you for exposure to environmental toxins. In fact, since a lot of it is chemical based or due to mold, fungus, etc then most western medicine only makes it worse. At the very least, it would be a poor attempt at covering up the symptoms rather than getting to the root of the problem and at worst it will greatly exacerbate the symptoms. (care to guess which category we fall in??) We've searched long and hard for doctors and practitioners to help us figure out what's wrong and are still trying new treatments and supplements to help our bodies heal and get strong again (especially Daxton), but the main conclusion we've come to is that moving is obviously the only real answer at this point. I don't really have time to go into all about what trying to get a house up for sale, pack, find a new job (since this ENTIRE area has crop farming), and everything else a total move and life change is like when you're health and that of your kids is in total shambles. Let's just say it stinks and is pretty much impossible to do and leave it at that. Yeah.

But wait, I can't really leave it there because that sounds completely hopeless and while some days I have to admit do feel that way I know deep down that it's not. Has it been a rough past few months? Yes. Are things looking better and we know exactly how they will work out in the next few weeks? No. (side note, I don't think I mentioned that we need to be moved asap since they are starting up the crop farming again. In February. Which means more poisonous chemicals in our already sick bodies. Lovely.) BUT, God has proven faithful in our lives time and again and I know that this time won't be any different. We are praying hard for direction, wisdom, and open doors and are slowly but surely seeing change happen, even though it doesn't look exactly like we would like. I don't know what the immediate future holds and sometimes my fears and worries over our chronic issues and how bad they are and how much longer they could last overwhelm me, but I'm choosing to trust tonight that it's gonna be okay. (You may have to remind me of that tomorrow when I have a baby boy with sores and welps and skin irritations who is scratching uncontrollably and screaming my name for help at the top of his lungs, in spite of all I'm doing to try and make it better. My mama heart is made of flesh after all and that's a little more than anyone can stand for days on end. Just sayin'.) But in the end, that's all any of us can really do, right? Try our best to make good decisions for our lives, within God's will according to the Bible, and then leave the rest up to Him. I have to admit though that living by faith is sometimes a much easier song to sing than it is to actually put into practice. Only through His grace. Always.

Since this has already turned out to be a pretty long post, I'll end with that and also asking you all to pray for our family as we travel this road of sickness and hopefully big changes over the next few weeks or months. Obviously we aren't the only ones faces problems or hard times but they are still there and still real for us and we can use all the prayers for strength we can get! I'm not sure how long it will be until the next update but I'm determined for it to be a good report whenever it comes. Until then, we'll still be hanging out here at our "Whits" end. :-) Thanks so much for stopping by and reading. We would love to hear from you in the comments!


                                             Tyra

A Long/Short Summer!

Since I've been missing in action around here for the past few months, I figured it was time for a little update on what's been going on. The hard part is in knowing where to start exactly in all the craziness?!

In case you don't already know, we have a lot of health issues including allergies and especially chemical sensitivities. Unfortunately, we also live in an area where the farms are large and have gradually become more and more dependent on pesticides and other sprays that are toxic. (ever hear of Monsanto? they pretty much own this area I think. ugh) Anyway, this year we noticed an even bigger change in our reactions as they started spraying the crops in the spring and by the end of May and first of June we were hardly able to go outside without side effects since the chemicals are just so strong in the air.

Although all of us suffer from various reactions at times, the worst part by far though has been Daxton's skin issues, with him eventually having something that looks like a cross between burns and severe eczema all over his body. I'm not even exaggerating either, but I wish I was. I could go on and on trying to explain how horrible it has been but let's just say that nightmarish pretty accurately describes it best. He has been in almost constant pain in some way or another for the whole summer and is still not over it. Putting him in footie pajamas to keep scratching at a minimum, rubbing him down with oils or creams multiple times a day, giving him meds, staying up half the night, and just working to do anything to keep him calmed down has been the norm for us these past few months.

And of course with all that we've been limited on taking him out very much so it's been challenging to do things (especially all together) and the summer has felt like it has just passed us by while at the same time dragging on forever. Sounds crazy I guess but it's true! All that being said though, I have had moments of extreme thankfulness even in the midst of all the pain and frustration of dealing with this. Thankful for answered prayers and moments of relief when we were literally at the end of our strength. Thankful for grace and the help of a wonderful husband. Thankful for time with the kids where we had fun in spite of feeling yucky and more thankful than I can say that I get to stay home with them and their health issues aren't any worse. Thankful for grandparents who love to help out in so many ways. Thankful that even though I can't see a purpose in what we've gone through this summer, I can trust that God still has one and just keep coming back to Him when I question and doubt.

So yes it's been a long summer as far as going through hard times and short in that it seemed like we weren't able to enjoy it, but we've almost made it past it now and are looking forward to changes ahead! I had planned on sharing more about those tonight as well as some photos but it's late and I need to try and rest while Daxton is sleeping (since we never know how long that will last!) so I will be back soon...


                                              ~Tyra~

Motherhood in 4-D

Although being a mom is obviously something I think about a lot since it's basically a huge part of who I am right now, celebrating mother's day over the weekend caused me to reflect on some specific things motherhood means for me.  Here are just a few of them I wanted to share....

~ It's probably one of the best feelings in the world! From the moment you first see those pink lines on a test, feel the first tiny movements inside your womb, to the day you actually meet that little baby in person for the first time. It's just indescribably special to know you've become a momma.

~ It's completely exhausting some days. And nights. Both emotionally, physically, and mentally! In other words, being a mom is hard.

~ It's also one of the most rewarding jobs ever. All those long days and nights are forgotten in an instant when you feel little arms around your neck and hear a little voice saying, "I love you, momma!".

~ I didn't know half as much about being a mom before having kids as I thought I did!

~ It's all about grace. God's, yours, and theirs. Where in the world would we all be without it?!

~ Every child is totally unique and has to be dealt with in completely different ways sometimes. What works for one doesn't automatically work for another. And that's for lots of different areas of life so it can take lots of effort to figure it all out! 

~ It's the most challenging thing I've ever done and never ceases to cause me to realize how much I need to change and grow while I'm training them to do the same. I often think that God gives us children just to help us see all the areas we need to allow Him to work on in ourselves!

~ It's completely convinced me that the verse in the Bible, "pray without ceasing", was written just for mothers. :-)

~ It's crazy, fun, scary, beautiful, frustrating, amazing, and wonderfully sweet....all at the same time! I'm not really sure there are enough words to accurately describe this mom journey. But I'm so thankful to be on it!

Some days I feel like a complete failure. Some days I don't know if I'll make it until bedtime. (without going crazy anyway;) And there are even some days I just don't want to get out of bed at all! But every day I am blessed to have the gifts of these children in my life. And there are always, always more good days than bad because of the love we share, no matter what. I'm slowly learning that even when I'm not a perfect momma (although I think we should definitely try to be the best we can!) I have a perfect God who can take care of it all. Big things or little things, I can seek Him with it and trust He has it under control. It's good to know that I don't have to do this motherhood thing alone. Cause life in 4-D can get a little messy sometimes and I definitely need some help to do this momma thing right! The days when I really let Him lead me are the ones that by far the best.

So to sum it all up my thoughts after mother's day this year are mostly of being grateful. For the privilege of being a mom, for the special kiddos that call me that, and for a Saviour who loves us all and is ever faithful on this journey to give us just what we need. Glad that He saw fit to let me live life in 4-D! :-) 

 

(ps. if you're new to the blog or don't know our family personally, all of our kiddos have names beginning with "D" so the whole life in 4-D saying is just for fun because of that!)

 

Linked up to the Modest Mom blog here so be sure to check out the other posts!

Mama Wars....the Good and Bad {part 1}

I'm going to write about something that's been on my mind and heart a lot lately. Hopefully it will come out as well in words as it has in my thoughts so that it can help someone else! We've all heard about "mama wars" over various subjects and just to be honest I think most of it is silly, immature bickering that everyone needs to stop making such a big deal over. Notice I said most of it, which means I obviously do think there are some things worth fighting for. Now I also think there's a right and wrong way to go about it, but still some things do require a battle. It's just part of the world we live in due to sin and our human nature. Before I get into what I think we should be warring over though (which will probably be in part 2), I'm going to share a few things that I don't feel are appropriate or worthy battle grounds. So here goes....

~ What you feed your kids, when you feed your kids, how you feed your kids, etc. Now don't get me wrong, I have very strong opinions on these things for my own family; partly because I've had to. And there are tons of stuff out there that I think is pure junk and shouldn't be given to anyone! BUT if your idea of what's best (or what you can afford) is different from mine and it works for you (or even if it doesn't!) then it really isn't any of my business. I will gladly share my thoughts if asked but until I am any of them expressed are just my own opinions and lifestyle and in no way meant to induce feelings of guilt or inferiority in anyone.

~ To vaccinate or not vaccinate, ah...that is a HUGE question these days, right?! But once again as stated above, one that although I hold very strong opinions on myself is in no way what I think should be required of everyone. I love researching things and prayerfully considering what's best for our family and I think everyone should be doing that, but giving or not giving shots once again just isn't a decision anyone can make for someone else. Now I will GLADLY tell you what I found out in some of that research and may even secretly hope it changes your mind since I think most vaccines are horrible (just keepin' it real!) but I will also fully respect if it doesn't. And furthermore just keep my mouth shut if not asked to share. No warring here, mkay?

~ Natural childbirth vs medicated, breastfeeding vs bottle, birth control vs not preventing (unless it's abortive of course and then I'll probably be pretty outspoken about it), natural medicines vs conventional, homeschool or private, Christian school (no I don't really consider public school a valid option, even though I still wouldn't tell you that if you choose it unless you specifically ask me), debt-free vs credit cards, and any other number of similar, personal choices that a husband and wife make for themselves!

Seriously, this list could go on for a while since there really are a LOT of these kind of issues that just aren't something that can or should be decided on by anyone else but you in your own way (hopefully by prayer and scripture for most of them!) and for your own reasons. I guess that gives an idea of what I mean when I say most of the typical things that trigger "wars" are just pointless though. Now that we have that part out there I'm going to be sharing what for me are some things worth fighting for. Ones that I feel like God has really placed on my heart, especially recently, for a reason. And I'm praying that it may just help some of you join the battle as well! Until then what are your thoughts on this subject? I'd love to hear them!

                                                                    Tyra

*linked up here at The Modest Mom blog*

(ps. I should have added that I do often share things on my personal FB page or here that I'm rather passionate about......some that may not be exactly right for others and some that should be important to everyone! My giving out info there or on the blog isn't always meant to change minds or disagree with others but may just be part of me being me. But then again I read stuff all the time that helps me better myself in many ways and I think that's a good thing so there may always be a reason for what I share that can help someone else!)

How Can It Be....She's 3?!

Am I the only one who feels like time has flown by recently? It seems like only a few weeks since this was happening instead of 3 years! But even though it's went by crazily fast, those 3 years since our baby girl was born have been challenging, joyful, and everything else in between. We celebrated Darcey's birthday last week both at home and with family. And although we were all a little under the weather with a cold (hence the pajama type clothing in the pics) it was still a fun time seeing her so excited to be 'growing bigger". :-) Here's a little peak into our celebrating....

 

We are so thankful for the blessing of having this little girl in our lives! She never fails to make us laugh with her silliness and melt our hearts with her sweetness. Not to mention amaze us with some of her words! :-) I can't wait to see what God has in store for her as she grows up.

Field Trip to the Columbus Ships!

Well, another week has flown by and while we had a sick baby as well as some other issues that kept us from a full workload for school we still made it to our field trip on Friday! Here's a little rundown on it and some pictures for you to see.

The Christopher Columbus replica ships were in port about 20 minutes from our house so we planned up a fun outing to go tour them. It was a warm, sunny day here in AL and we had a great turnout for the group.  The replicas are of the Nina and Pinta. We had a guide that shared some info about the ships and we were able to go on board and look around as well. Here's a link to the site that shares more about them. It's a fun way to learn about how they traveled back then and the history behind Columbus' discovery. And here's a look at the ships!

                                        The Pinta

                                         The Nina

 

 

So there's our last field trip for Septemeber! Can't wait to plan up some new outings for next month and be back to share them with you all. :-)

 

(linked up with Field Trip Friday over at Home to 4 Kiddos)

Field Trip Fun!

The first few weeks of homeschooling have gone by rather quickly for us. I guess that's partly because we've been so busy doing a lot more than just school work! Some of that business includes a few field trips that I thought I would share here for anyone interested.

During our vacation to Pigeon Forge we visited the Titanic Museum one day. Dathan is crazy about history and has always been a little fascinated with the story about the Titanic since first hearing about it so he really wanted to go. The museum experience was great. So many artifacts and real life details that you don't get just anywhere. Plus, you get to pretend to be and actual passenger on the ship and find out at the end whether you made it or not. The kids got to have audio recorders that they could punch in a code and listen to at various stations which gave them lots of neat info. All in all  it was a really good field trip that we fully enjoyed. The price is a little steep but well worth it if this is something you are interested in doing. Oh, and don't miss sticking your hand in the ice cold water! It was a very sobering thought realizing just how terrible it must have been that night to be on board.

Next we visited the Helen Keller birthplace (Ivy Green) in Tuscumbia. Delancey has recently gotten interested in sign language so we thought it would be a fun trip after doing some research about her. The house and grounds were neat to see, although you basically just walk through yourself so not as much info as we were hoping for. It was still an enjoyable tour though and remarkable to think about all of the handicaps she overcame and still managed to have a full life. Makes me realize how much I take for granted and fail to be thankful for so often!

This week we were able to go hear a local bee keeper talk about his work and learn all about the bees, how honey is made, and the process to gather it. Not to mention all the many things it's good for and what you can make with it. The kids had a blast and learned so much. I highly recommend that you look up your own local place if you have one nearby that is willing to provide a field trip!

So there's some of what we have been up to as far as field trips goes. We have another one coming up next week and plan to keep doing maybe a couple per month so be sure to check back as I share more!

(linked up to Field Trip Friday over at Home to 4 Kiddos blog)

Happy Birthday to Our Little Men!

It's been a week of birthday celebrations around here for our 2 boys! So crazy that we now have a 10 year old and 1 year old in the house. Where does the time go?!

 

First off was Dathan turning 10 last week and we took a fun trip to the Smokey Mtns to celebrate his special milestone. He had a blast picking some places to visit and eat while we were there. It's unreal how quickly he is growing up into a young man! Love his tender heart and funny, artistic personality. He is definitely one of a kind and I wouldn't have it any other way! And just look how handsome he is too. :)

 

 

 

 

Next up when we got back home was Daxton turning one so we had another special milestone to celebrate! I'm still in disbelief that it's been a whole year since he was born but we are loving this fun age that he is now. Taking a few steps here and there but no full fledged walking yet, which has not slowed him down in the least. Jabbering in his own language, laughing with his mouth opened wide, and overall bringing lots of joy to our lives. So thankful for this sweet, baby boy!  He had a blast eating his first cupcake (made from black beans. true story.) or mostly smashing it on his face. And look what a cutie he is too. :)

 

So there's a little post about our boys! Grateful to have them both in our family. Such a blessing to raise them and watch them grow! More pictures to come later of all the fun we've been having the past week......


                                      Tyra

  

Summertime Randomness {a what we've been up to post}

Is it just me or has summer literally flown by?! Seems like only yesterday we were finishing up our school year in May and now it's already the middle of August! Anyway, I haven't written much about things we are doing these days so thought I would share some of the fun and crazy moments of our lives the past couple months. Here are the 4-D details, in no certain order.....

~ Daxton is taking a couple steps here and there but hasn't totally started cruising yet. It definitely doesn't stop him from getting around though! He also seems to love climbing so we have to keep a close eye out for that.

~ Delancey has discovered sign language in the past couple months and is loving it! It's so fun seeing her so excited about learning something new. Can't wait to see how she progresses in the future.

~ Dathan is still loving making his own movies. He writes scripts, takes pictures, records, and then puts it all together on the computer. I really think he may go somewhere with this when he's older!

~ Darcey has grown up so much in the past few months! I have to sometimes remind myself she's still only 2. She loves learning new things, writing, drawing, reading, and watching her favorite shows. Her vocabulary never ceases to amaze us.

~ The kids have all loved swimming at my parents, of course. The liner had to be replaced on the pool this year so they didn't get as early a start as usual. And now it's already seeming cooler than normal so the water is getting chilly. I'm sure they will try to get in as much of it as possible before they start freezing!

~ We've done some school days here in there finishing up various subjects and grasping a few concepts a little better after having a lighter load with the new baby last year. The kids weren't totally crazy about it but it's been good for them I think.

~ A missionary friend of ours is home from Brazil and has made a couple of trips down to see us this summer. He is a great man of God and the kids absolutely love spending time with him! So glad that they can have real heroes to look up to in their lives instead of what the world would have them admire.

~ Got to attend a campmeeting in TN back in July for a few days. It was such a blessing to fellowship with other believers and hear some great singing and preaching. The kids had fun making new friends and Delancey got a new penpal as well.

~ Allergies and other health issues have abounded this year. Some days, well, weeks really have been rough as we struggle with reactions to the chemicals they put on the crops nearby. It can be challenging to try and do just normal life stuff when the way you feel isn't normal. Not to mention, how it effects our sleep habits. Chronic tiredness is the worst. thing. ever. ((yawn))

~ We've enjoyed doing some Bible/Character studies in the past couple months. I think I've learned as much and been convicted over certain behaviours more than the kids! It's amazing what the Lord can show you when you're truly desiring to learn. Another neat thing was that several times what we had been studying about during the week was the same or similar to the devotions Blake would share with us as well! No coincidence there I'm sure.

That's about all I'm thinking about at the moment! It's definitely been a summer full of good and not so good times but looking back I'm thankful for every single one I got to spend with my kiddos. We are getting back into the swing of schooling more full time again. But first we have a couple of birthdays to celebrate in the next week! Can't wait to share the details of all the fun with Dathan turning 10 and Daxton turning 1. Until then.....

                                   Tyra 

9 Month Cutie!

This little munchkin is growing like a weed these days! Going from sitting up to scooting around on his tummy to crawling and trying to pull up.....he is definitely on the go! Jabbering in sweet baby talk and learning to say his first words (mama, daddy, and hi are the main ones we've heard so far) is the cutest thing ever. He loves to smile and laugh at everyone and never fails to melt our hearts with his sweetness.

He's finally able to tolerate a few solids, although our attempts to change from the special formula haven't gone very well yet. We are thankful for every bit of nutritional stuff we can give him though! Two teeth have broken through after months of teething symptoms. An amber necklace and Hyland's teething tablets are favs around here. He sleeps better than our other babes at this age but still wakes up about every 4-5 hours to eat. With his allergies and stomach issues that is great to us! (even though yes we are tired sometimes....just keepin' it real;)

So thankful for this baby boy that God has blessed us with. He is such a joy and we are loving watching him turn into his own little personality every day. Although it's a little sad to see him becoming less and less of a baby, it's also exciting to look forward too all the fun in the future!  

Springtime Fun

 

Here's a little peek at some of what we've been up to since the weather's been pretty. Love these crazy kiddos! :-)

 

 

 Flying her kite all by herself. She did such a great job!

 First time in the baby swing. He LOVED it!!

 My sweet girl on Easter after playing outside.

 Trying to pull the sword out of the stone.

 Getting ready to slide.

 One of the "little pigs" houses. :-)

 Watching the lady churn butter. (don't you just love the pigtails?!)

 So much fun on the playgrounds!

 Baby boy taking it easy at the park.

Climbing the ropes. (this is right before his foot got stuck! haha)

It's so nice being able to get out and enjoy the sunshine together! Can't wait to have more fun this spring and summer. As long as we can keep our crazy allergies in check it should be a blast! :-)

Sickness, Allergies, and a Last Minute Trip

Between passing around colds off and on the past couple months and then getting hit with spring allergies (yes, they come early here in the south) we just haven't been able to get over the congestion and coughs. Especially the little ones have had a hard time with it, which of course means so have I.
Going to the ocean has always helped my allergies clear up a lot so after a particularly rough weekend I had the brilliant idea to pack everyone up and head to the beach! (which all of you with small children know is easier said than done. ha!)
After lots of work and a few loooong hours of driving we made it down to Destin and was able to stay for about 3 days.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the instant cure-all I was hoping for but it was beautiful there and the kids had so much fun! It was already a little more crowded than we expected for early March so we avoided the beach during the mid-day hours since we prefer not to see that much skin. Getting out in the morning and evening was great though.
Darcey loved it and asks almost every day to go back. I'm seeing another trip to the beach in our future if she has anything to say about it! :-)
Here's a few pics of the trip for you to enjoy. If you haven't been to Destin, FL before, I highly recommend it for the white sands and clear waters. It is SO beautiful!

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made ~words for my babies~

Having children is one of the most wonderful things imaginable. I'm so grateful for the 4 little blessings God has given us in our lives. This is just a little something I wrote after being pregnant with our first. Such an awesome experience and really one that is difficult to explain! Hope you enjoy.......

"I'd always known that God could do amazing things;He had shown me in so many different ways.But then He created you inside of me; and now I know I'll never ceased to be amazed!

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Oh, His thoughts are very precious unto me.
Marvelous are all His works, He should be praised.
And He gave me you so I could always see.

I remember the first time I felt you move; how all at
once it became real that you were there.
I stood in awe of how He'd blessed me with this gift.
I'm so honored He'd entrust you to my care!

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Oh, His thoughts are very precious unto me.
Marvelous are all His works, He should be praised.
And He gave me you so I could always see.

Marvelous are all His works and I'm amazed;
for you are fearfully and wonderfully made!"

(based on Psalm 139:14: I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.)

6 Month Old Update!

It is absolutely unbelievable that our little man is half a year old already!! The past 6 months have just flown by. We've had good days, bad days, crazy days, easy days, and I guess about every other kind in between. But they have all been absolutely positively blessed with him as a part of our family! It's amazing how looking back after adding another baby in our lives we can't even imagine not having them now. And we definitely feel that way about Daxton Judah! Here's a picture of this cutie pie who is growing up way too fast, then I'll share some of what he's been up to lately....

 

~ He loves to be talked to and is always ready with a big smile and laugh.

 

~ Every time he laughs hard he gets the hiccups. Every. time.

 

~He can roll over but hates being on his stomach so hardly ever does. If we put him on his stomach he ends up getting mad and crying so I don't very much. (all 4 of our kids have been like that so maybe it's a pain thing?) 

 

~ Manages to scoot on his back all over the place when I put him under his toy on the floor. It may be a little while before he tries crawling since he doesn't like tummy time but it doesn't look like that's going to stop him from getting around!

 

~ Pretty sure he's ready to eat solids but I'm putting off giving them to him because it is so challenging with allergies and stomach issues and I'm already overwhelmed with health stuff right now.

 

~ He takes a 5-6 oz bottle (of $10 per can Nutramigen formula with probiotics, fermented cod liver oil, olive oil, and occasional coconut oil added in) every 2&1/2 to 3 hours. It still bothers me that I can't breastfeed (for both emotional and health reasons) but he's worth every single dollar we spend on trying to give him what's best for him right now.

 

~ He tries to sit up but doesn't have great control yet and ends up falling over pretty quickly.

 

~ He's wearing 6-9 months clothes already, although I still squeeze him in a couple smaller things sometimes because I'm still in denial that he's getting this big! lol

 

~ He's the best sleeper of all 4 kids so far but still isn't very consistent with his naps or night time sleep yet. But we aren't really surprised by that fact and are grateful for how good he actually does compared to some of our other experiences. (you'd have to understand how extremely bad sleepers our babies/kids are to know what that means really) Let's just say if you have a baby who sleeps well it is not something to be taken for granted!

 

~ He already has obvious allergies to things and has reactions to various triggers pretty often. Once again, not totally surprising but definitely disappointing and more than a little discouraging.

 

~ Loves to bounce on the exercise ball and it's our go-to way of getting him to sleep or settle down from a crying spell. Could be worse things I guess.....I manage to get my daily work out in at the same time this way. Ha!

 

~ Is a total sweetheart who never fails to make me smile even on my worst days!  

 

Happy 6 month old day to our baby boy. We are more thankful than I can say for the gift he has been to us!

 

(linked up with My Joy-Filled Life)

Christmas Fun!

Last weekend we finally got a chance to go get a Christmas tree! This job tends to be a little challenging for us since we all have so many allergies (including a severe one to artificial greenery. fun.) but luckily none of us are sensitive to a Leland Cypress and a couple of tree farms around here have those. Yay! We were lucky enough to find the perfect tree within just a few minutes of getting there. (which was good since Daxton started screaming his head off right after that and wouldn't stop! I think he was reacting to the smells of the other trees...they were so strong. Poor baby.) Of course in all that craziness I didn't manage to get any pictures of the outing. Which is kinda sad with it being Daxton's first tree. :(

But I did snap a few of the kids decorating it later so here are some of those for you all to see.....

(getting the ornaments out)

 (delancey hanging some on the tree)

 (dathan getting ready to put the tree skirt on)

 (daxton was just taking it easy while the others helped decorate)

 (the finished product!)

 (sweet sisters looking at the tree all lit up)


The kids had so much fun decorating this year and were able to do most of it by themselves this time! That makes it more special than any kind of fancy tree I could do on my own. :-) So there's our 2012 Christmas tree. What kind of decorating have y'all done around your houses?

Our First Baby Boy~Growing Up (late birthday post)

If you read my last post, then you were forewarned about me blogging some "old" news. And if you didn't then I guess here's your warning now. Ha! Things have been so crazy around here since August that the few posts I've written have been mostly baby related so I decided to do a little catch up. The first one being about Dathan's birthday since it fell right in the middle of the craziest days before birth. So here we go....

You probably remember the story about me crashing his party (that we tried to have early enough for that not to happen!) by going into labor due to a uti. Yeah, so let's just say we didn't get any good pictures or anything since I left in such a rush. Which I am still kicking myself over cause it was the neatest theme ever. He chose to do police stuff (inspired by the movie Courageous) and it turned out awesome! (if I do say so myself) Oh, well, at least we have the memories of what would have been a great party, right?! I did get a couple pics of him opening presents at the birthing house while we waited to see what was going on with me and the baby.

                      (opening gifts from grandparents and uncle)

                          (trying on the police costume)


Our present for him got left at home so he was able to open it the next day. Wearing his costume again of course. It was a main staple in his wardrobe for a while after first getting it. :-) 

                               (so excited about his gift!)

                            (yeah, he really is this cool in real life;)

A couple weeks later was his actual birthday so we celebrated as a family with him choosing his own food and dessert. This is the picture of him after blowing out his candle. Isn't he the cutest thing ever?! (or maybe I think that because I'm his mom)

 

There are still days when I can't believe we have a nine year old already. I think especially after having a new one again it's made me wonder where in the world the time has gone? And also realize that it flies by and they are grown before we know it. We've been blessed to have Dathan as our son and it's amazing watching him grow and change into the young man he's becoming.

He bravely deals with all his health issues like a trooper even though he has enough of them to frustrate the strongest of adults. We love his crazy, artistic, athletic, comedic, deep-thinking self more than words can say. Best of all he has a heart to know God, try to do what's right, and work out his relationship with Him. We are thankful of the honor to raise him and so proud to be his parents. I pray that he will have many more birthdays and we will get to see him grow up into a Godly, young man one day!

 

News Flash!!

Since my blogging has been waaaay off for the past few months I've missed posting on several things around here. I plan to gradually start catching up on stuff when I can. So be prepared for lots of "old" news in the future, okay?! :-)

Subjects may include but not be limited to;

~ Dathan turning nine years old. (with all the craziness of labor around that time I never posted his birthday story!)

~ Darcey turning two. (again, just too much craziness around here!)

~ What's going on with Daxton and everyone else's health these days.

~ How quick this baby is growing and all the milestones he's already had!

~ And other random things that I come up with. lol

Anyway, this is a post to let you know about those other posts. You know, cause that just seemed to make sense when I first thought about writing it. (now I'm kinda just wondering if it's another sign of how my tired brain works these days. Or doesn't work?!) Okay, well, on that note I'm gonna stop for now. And maybe y'all won't think I'm too crazy yet! :-)


                                        Tyra

Our Little Worker!

Due to him having so many outdoor allergies, there's a lot of things Dathan just isn't able to do. Yard work with his daddy has always been one of them, but after a few treatments and recently seeming a little better with reactions we decided to let him give it a try. He is loving being able to help out and his favorite part so far? Push-mowing! The crazy boy even requested that Blake not finish the yard with the riding mower on Saturday so he can do it himself tomorrow. What a great little worker! :-)

I couldn't resist snapping a couple of pictures of him doing such a great job and thought I would share them since they're just so cute. He does still wear a mask and glasses to help with the allergy stuff and between that and taking a quick shower and his homeopathics he hasn't had any serious problems so far. Yay! Hoping he's able to continue helping out with it since he is having so much fun. He's even mentioned having his own little yard business eventually. So glad he's wanting to work hard like that.......now if I could just get him this excited over cleaning his room! lol