The JOYS of Parenthood!

Halloween was a big day for our family and not just because of the holiday. DJ had his evaluation with Alabama's Early Intervention. On one end, a huge sigh of relief since he is developmentally on track socially and with fine & gross motor skills. One the other end, he did qualify for services in speech & language. I'm not in the least bit surprised since this is the area that we were concerned about to begin with. Still waiting on pins and needles for his appointment at the University on Thursday to have his speech and hearing evaluated. Still not sure how to feel about this one, especially since I have NO idea what's going to happen.

For Trick or Treating, Michael was a Ninja (again), Elli was a princess (of course), DJ was a dinosaur and Andrew was a lion. Michael and Elli were hopped up before they even got their costumes on - we barely got dinner into them! As a result, trying to get a picture of them all together was akin to wrangling cats.

Once we headed out into the neighborhood, it didn't take Elli long to figure out that if she knocked on a door and smiled big - she got candy. It became a race between her and Michael to see who could make it to the door first to knock. I had to giggle at the fact that she never did figure out to say "trick or Treat" she'd simply flash her big smile and shout "HAPPY HALLOWEEN!" then stick out her bucket. Once the candy was inside she'd shout her thanks as she was running off to find the next house. 

As if running from home to home with the kids wasn't enough - they decided to add to the excitement by requiring us to search for the homes giving out candy . . . apparently it is NOT common sense to turn off your porch light when you are not giving out candy. It was a rough start since we were one of the first families that went out. Towards the end it was a cinch as you could just fallow the line from house to house. Believe me, I will be hitting the "suggestion box" next time I'm in the office. A complex this big and confusing (the layout can be a bit of a labyrinth)  I don't see why they can't hand out a flyer, or the like, for people to put on their door if they are handing out candy. It would make things easier on everyone involved.

We were out for about an hour or so when the little ones had enough. (pretty impressive considering Elli walked the entire time AND refused to take her afternoon nap.) Once we got back home it became meltdown city. Michael sat out front to hand out candy so Drew and I could get the kids changed and "ready" for bed. I'm pretty sure Elli threw a tantrum for the hour from when we got home until we finally got her to bed. (of course, she didn't get to sleep for another hour. sigh) Michael was having so much fun handing out the candy that he was giving handfuls to each kid and not paying attention to who he was giving it to . . . (some were coming back for seconds) and we were running thru candy pretty quick. That changed once I told him if we went thru all of our candy we'd start using his stash. :)

By about 9:30 everyone was asleep, the remaining candy was "hidden", the house put back together, Drew was back at work for re-merchandising and I was desperately trying to find something not gory to watch. (Thank goodness for DVR!)

We need more apples!

You know the old saying "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Yeah, apparently I should have listened closer  . . .

So here's the update on the kids:

I took DJ and Andrew to the Dr for their 18 mo and 2 mo check-ups. DJ is weighing in at 33.5 lb and 33 1/4 in (wow, almost a pound per inch!) and Andrew is 11 lb 9 oz and 24 in. (half a pound per in? I think he and DJ need to have a talk . . .) Going in Drew and I had a few questions for the pediatrician about both boys and I walked out with MORE questions then I came with.

Our main concern with DJ was a couple of behaviors that left us baffled AND concerns regarding his hearing/speech. The Dr had me fill out a developmental form and while I was doing that - they checked his hearing. A couple of red flags came up on the form and his left ear failed the testing. We have an appt on Oct 31 with the early intervention dept to do a more thorough evaluation of his development (yep, saw THAT one coming) - they pushed us up on the list since he has a sibling with a known development delay. We have an appt on Nov 8 with the Speech and Hearing dept for a complete exam of his hearing and speech and we'll know more from there.

With Andrew we were just curious about his left eye as it doesn't seem to focus quite as well . . . Apparently it is common for a baby his age to have 1 eye that turns in since they are still learning how to focus and can sometimes "over-focus" - we weren't so lucky. His eye turns out, not in. We have an appt for him Nov 12 with an eye Dr that specializes in these types of eye problems.  Finally, while the Dr was feeling his tummy, she could feel something there - more than likely just some stool or his kidneys, but better safe than sorry. 

So, apparently God felt we haven't seen enough doctors in our home, He wanted to add just a few more. I'm really finding my sense of humor in all of this - In fact, I was wondering if the Hospital had a punch card (kinda like Subway) where once you see a certain amount of doctors, you win something fun. Wouldn't that ROCK??

Knowing what I know at this point, the only thing on my mind is DJ's hearing as it would explain a few things and hearing can run the gambit on causes and solutions. All the rest are just precautions to make sure everything truly is status quo and as far as Andrew's eye - if anything will need to be done, they usually start with covering one eye or prescribe glasses. Guess we'll know more in a few weeks.

After all of this, plus the appointments for Michael and me, I feel like I should be able to use this as a reference to my multitasking skills. If/when I return to work, if anyone asks about said skills, I think I'm going to giggle, explain that I had 4 kids (3 within 3 yrs) and list the number of Dr.s they saw. Then explain how I successfully carted all 3 little ones with me from visit to visit with little to no incidents. I DARE them to not hire me! LOL

Tonight is dance night and they get to wear their costumes . . . hopefully I get a chance to snag some cute videos and maybe even post them later tonight! Keep your eyes pealed! :)

Tag-team, back again!

Today was one heck of a whirlwind!! While out shopping, Elli and DJ decided the store was too quiet for their tastes which made for a GREAT opportunity for one of their lovely screeching contests. And no, that was not a misprint - be glad you've not been around to experience one . . . I think I'm still experiencing 50% hearing loss in my right ear. lol Already frustrated because I couldn't figure out the layout to the stupid store, we decided to quickly grab the last couple of items on the "must have" list and run. While checking out, DJ managed to snag a treat, which I allowed him to eat & share with Elli. He REALLY enjoyed it . . . 

Once we got the little ones fed and down for naps, Michael asked if Drew wanted to play catch (okay, actually there was about a 15 min back & forth btwn the 3 of us to get to that point), while they were getting ready Hayden, Michael's new "bestie", knocked on the door. (Why didn't I feel the pending doom with that knock?) The three of them went to the tennis courts to practice catch in a safer environment. (For those that missed the story - the last time Drew and Michael played catch, Drew wound up with pretty nasty scratches from his foot to his thigh on one of his legs . . .) Next thing I know Michael and Drew come charging thru the door laughing hysterically, and not in a good way. The gravity of the situation hit me in layers. Drew had accidentally hit Michael in the head with the baseball. WHY to head injuries always have do look so nasty??

Hard to tell in the picture, but the lacing even left marks. They were half a tennis court away from each other, so the ball wasn't going that fast. Michael kept saying he thought it was going to hit his stomach. After a call to Colleen, a check of his eyes, and a bit of begging, Michael was sent on his merry way to continue playing with Hayden. Michael thinks it's funny. Mommy has banned catch btwn Drew and Michael until the end of time! ;)

Later, while I was cooking dinner, Elli found a permanent marker (that I SWEAR was left in MN when we moved) and decided to color all over the walls, fridge, herself and DJ. Good GRIEF I wish this little girl would use her powers for good! There are a number of items I STILL can't find and here she's finding things we didn't realize were "lost". And, as if to prove their tag-team abilities (because every mother wonders if her children are capable of such things - right?), in the short time I sat to nurse baby Andrew - Elli & DJ managed to strew ALL of their toys, books and stuffed animals across the toy area. These are the times I am so glad to be an organized person - "A place for everything" - as it makes it quick and pretty painless to put everything back in it's place!

These are the days I know I will look back on and miss when they are older and I hardly see them. My only concern at this point is what skills they will learn once Andrew is old enough to join the mix . . . Do you think it's too early to stock up on Duck Tape?? LOL :)

Oh the wonderful things Mr.Brown can do . . .

That past few days have been crazy. Of course, with 4 kids should I expect anything less? :)
One day was spent trying to purge excess junk and rearrange things in order to find a spot to hide Christmas presents. Not any easy task in this house and we already have some gifts purchased. On Thursday I had my bible study class and since Drew had to work I got to take all 3 kids with me. The ladies in the nursery were VERY excited to see them. Especially DJ since they haven't seen him in about 6 months. 

The class also happened to coincide with the 1 yr anniversary of our leaving MN, so I decided to bake my grandma's Banana Crumb Muffins and her Breakfast Carrot Cake. Both were a huge hit. I'm quickly realizing that I not only LOVE to bake, but am pretty good at it! In fact, Drew's employees have started putting in requests for things they want me to make. :) On another happy note, Drew and I took the little ones to one of the big playgrounds and we ran into another stay-at-home mom with a total of 5 kids (her youngest 2 are close to DJ and Andrew's ages!). She moved here from Houston for her husband's job. Apparently she has run into a couple of other mom's with similar situations so she is starting a little meet-up at the playground once a week. I'm really excited as this is my first REAL chance to make some friends in similar situations!

Michael has made MAJOR strides at school. This past week he had his EQT's (End of Quarter Tests) and it sounds like he aced them all! I can't even put into words how proud I am of him for how far he has come! Especially in reading. He's also having a blast in his Hip-hop class. The teacher is trying to teach him a couple of moves for his "solo" in the recital. He started with some Pop n Lock moves, but quickly changed to a few robotic ones. Michael has a whole lot of Pop and not so much lock. LOL

Elli really enjoys her ballet class and now has times where she will start running around on her tippie-toes singing tippy-tippy-tippy and practice from class. Other times she will be sitting on the floor playing and will stretch her legs while pointing/flexing her toes. I'm beginning to think I've started something that will take me in over my head in a very big way! Although I'll admit I can't wait to see her in her costume and dancing on the stage at her recital!!!

DJ has started to talking more and more. And he is FINALLY starting to figure out that he has more mass than Elli . . . her "reign of terror" is about to come to a very abrupt end. Although, she can try and act like she doesn't like him all she wants . . . we know the truth:

 Where is Elli? Not in her crib, or on the floor . . .

She's having a sleepover with DJ! Too cute!

Although this is becoming a habit and we are now worried about moving Baby Andrew into their room in his big crib. She's already joining DJ who can at least "protect" himself when she hops in and we know she ADORES baby Andrew - she will curl up next to him and "read" to him, tell him stories or sing to him. VERY cute, but it leads me to worry that she would try and join him in his crib and squish him . . .

On an exciting note, Andrew is working very hard on rolling from back to stomach. His only hold up is his excitement to find his hands every time he's almost over. He's also moving into a routine that mirrors Elli & DJ's so were are FINALLY starting to find a rhythm! Unfortunately that means time is going to start flying by all too fast! Before I know it, I will have kids in Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade and 8th grade!! Hopefully this blog will give me a chance to look back once in a while and remember the humor that life is when you not only have 4 kids, but 3 of them so close together!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

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