reflecting

just reflecting on some summer pictures from last year compared to this year. what a change! jordyn can now write her name, count to 13, will be starting school in three months, and has decided she want pb&j for almost every meal. greyson says more words than i can write down in my journal, counts to 2, says "yes ewe" (aka: bless you) after someone sneezes, knows how to whistle and does it quite well, and sings "Ia-Ia-O" (aka: E-I-E-I-O) from Old McDonalds farm.
Summer 2005 jordyn- 2 1/2 greyson- 5 months
enjoying the blow-up pool on the deck
Summer 2006 jordyn- 3 1/2 greyson- 17 months
enjoying our new pool
greyson and daddy

and look who's on the potty...

i can not believe i just shared my toliet on the internet...... :)

the rare double post

i found this on another blog, and had to try it too. if anyone wants to follow, leave me a note so i can check it out!

i am: sometimes a bit of an introvert
i want: to raise thoughtful, secure, happy children
i have: more blessings than i can count
i wish: to spend eternity in heaven with my family & friends
i hate: when someone talks over you
i miss: growing up on a farm
i hear: little breaths over the baby monitor
i wonder: if i'll ever become half the perfection that i strive to be
i regret: not making amends in my life
i am not: capable of doing one thing at a time, i must multi task
i dance: to the backyardigans with greyson
i sing: l-o-u-d in my car
i cry: when i look back over greyson's photos
i am not always: on time.... actually i'm rarely on time (awful, i know)
i make with my hands: scrapbook pages to capture our memories
i journal: as to never forget the innocence of my child
i confuse: my priorities in life sometimes
i need: to stay better connected with old friends
i should: get off this computer and exercise
i start: my day with coffee and lots of cream & sugar
i finish: phone calls to my dad with i love you

two days ago

around 10am, i stood at my kitchen sink washing the leftover breakfast dishes, when i heard a scream from the next room. a scream, like i've never heard before. the scream was from my baby's mouth. i knew that before i started running toward the family room. i found greyson sitting on the hearth of our fireplace with a look of terror on his face. his hand was extended toward me. i scooped up his little body with one movement and found burns on two of his tiny fingers. the pad of his middle finger was almost completely white. i've never seen skin turn white from a burn, until now. at this point i'm completely clueless as to how this happened, because it's JUNE!!! obviously our fireplace wasn't on and there are no candles burning anywhere. there is no fire or flames in our house, so can someone please tell me why my precious angel is enduring pain that he shouldn't have to know exists. but, there is no time for questions. i have to think, act, and remain calm. definitely easier said than done when you're home alone with two children under the age of three, and your entire life in ONE brief second is being held hostage by a tragedy.
next, with greyson in my arms i run back to my kitchen sink and hold his hand under the cold water, as he fights me. he fought hard, and i fought tears.
next, i manage to call our pediatrician office. i felt completely stupid explaining that "i think" my toddler has been burned. who says "i think my child has been burned?" i felt about an inch tall. after some brief questions, they assure me that it will be fine to go to our med. center instead of our hospital's emergency room. i hung up and called jim. he was working out, but immediately dropped everything and was home within 15 minutes. during that time, i keep jordyn calm and held a cool cloth on the burn. as i'm sitting in the family room, i look over one more time at the fireplace... and i see it. a small bluish orange glow coming from under the logs. the same light that caught greyson's attention probably for the first time in his little life. it is the pilot light from our gas fireplace. and there is an opening between the logs, just big enough for one tiny fist. on tuesday morning it happened to be greyson's.
the med center was beyond wonderful. greyson did suffer second degree burns, but amazingly enough it has not slowed him down one minute. not through the bandage changes, not at all. the doctor called him a little trooper. we agree.
i know there was a hand upon greyson two days ago, it just breaks my heart in a million pieces thinking how much worst it could had been.
so to anyone reading this post with small children, i beg of you to check your pilot light on your gas fireplace and turn it OFF until you need it. i wish we had sooner.

somebody is in trouble

somebody named grover, who happens to be hiding under the table....

because
he
did
THIS!!!!


they were greyson's favorite pair of sandals!! ok- maybe they were mommy's favorite. arrghhh!!!!

on a happier note, here's the munchkin chowing down (yeah!!!!)

notice the shoes? they were nice...
hope everyone had a great weekend!! are you guys ready to start another week? me neither.

memorial day weekend in pictures

Happy Memorial Day! i hope everyone had a relaxing long weekend. these are a few highlights from our weekend at the beach. i am so glad summer is here, the count down is now on for our pool.... ONE week!!!!!!

enjoying his first ice cream cone. look close... do you see his two top teeth? F I N A L L Y !!!!!!!!

under the boardwalk...


building his first sandcastle

super huge update

monday afternoon greyson's doctor had us stop by the office for a weight check... we were praying it didn't drop. prayers were answered, he has gone from 18.7 pounds to 20.46 pounds in thirteen days!!! he is now in the 10% for weight!! this is mind blowing!! greyson has never hit the twenty pound mark, until now!! yeah g-man!!
we believe it is a direct result from our new way of meals. greyson gives us his usual five to ten minutes of so-so eating in the high chair. then he wants down. we take him out, give him a 5-10 minute break then for the next twenty minutes he will continue to take more and more bites as long as he is busy playing (anything BUT sitting in the high chair). no, this isn't ideal. yes, this is exhausting and time consuming. restaurants are pretty much out of the question. but the awesome part is: he can do it!! greyson has the ability to gain, with constant attention to every bite he takes in. meal time would be a breeze if we could only sit down, eat, and enjoy. however that isn't reality around here, not even close.
so far, we've had days when i feel that we can conquer this and days where i'm just left drained. we can't have one without the other. the ups and downs of life. as long as you expect the down days every once in a while, it's not so bad. for every over whelming meal i have had, i've had lots more awesome moments. like tonight... he sat in his high chair through most of his entire meal. which by the way, included about 15 bites of peas with melted cheese.
trying to remain strong and taking deep breaths. thanks again for reading and all the support! if you are a regular reader, family, or friends.... don't forgot to leave us a comment, we'd love to hear from you all!

GOOD news & mother's day

ok, i didn't actually have the news on mother's day but who wouldn't except a belated mother's day gift with news of all test: NORMAL!!!!! i honestly just got off the phone with the doctors office (then daddy) and they relayed the results just now.
i know, it still doesn't answer why he is so little. but, i do feel relief anyway. we will continue with as many calories and extra goodies (butter, cheeses, sauces,etc.) that he will willing except. i say "willing" :) we will still see the GI specialist in july.
i hope everyone had a relaxing delightful mother's day. i did!! after church we met my mom, grandmother, aunt, and cousins for lunch. then headed to the park for some pictures. jim took some awesome ones of us, i just love looking at them all over and over.
thanks for checking in with us, and happy belated mother's day to all you mommys!!!!!!


one, two, threeeeeeee

greyson and his nana having some fun sliding at the park

all levels...

came back normal from the blood work!! including his glucose (diabetes was a thought).
the other test results will be back to the doctor in about a week. those will tell us what exactly is or isn't being absorbed by greyson's body. keep praying everybody!!

thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!!
jim, tara, & greyson

quick update

hey everybody! this is the "no news yet" update. :) hopefully today after 3:30 pm...... i will be posting again with the first results of his blood work. the good news is we got a call yesterday and our appointment was made with AI duPont Children's Hospital. we will be seeing a GI specialist in july. it sounds like a long time away, but our pediatrician thought we wouldn't get in until september. the thought still being, that greyson's body isn't absorbing any proteins or fats.
greyson, jordyn, and i headed out after lunch to our local library to get a bunch of new books to read... we found the doors locked and a sign stating "the library will be closed until may 15 for renovations". man! so i loaded everybody back into the car and we stopped for a ice cream cone instead. nothing like a soft serve ice cream cone on a warm sunny day!

thankfulness

i so appreciate all the kind words in the comment section - thank you from the bottom of my heart.

we were really hoping for a call with any results on friday... nothing.
here's looking to a new day tomorrow. mondays can be good that way.
a new week, a fresh start.

all in all, we're doing good. we've had a fun weekend together. just taking it day by day.

and then there is this sweet boy. dreaming away in there curled up with his favorite doggie in his crib.
looking at him i just want to kiss him hug him hold him. i am so thankful he was brought into our lives.

release

greyson at six months. the old fashion kitchen scale doesn't weigh correctly. at six months, he weighed 14 pounds.

for those that don't know, greyson is underweight. a lot underweight. between 9-10 months greyson started the first downward spiral of losing weight. it was then, his pediatrician started discussing the possibility of testing. but within three months with extreme changes to his diet (adding high calorie/high fat foods) he managed to weigh in just shy of 20 pounds at his next baby well check. success! it seemed as though greyson was finally on the right track and the battle was over. his doctor told us his body was responding, and for now further test were not needed. we were of course, thrilled.
fast forward three months to the present. may 3rd, greyson had his 15 month baby well check. he will actually be 16 months in twelve days. he weighs 18.7 pounds. he is continuing to loose weight. for months he has been in the fifth percentile for weight. currently he isn't even on the chart.
today we started the first round of lab tests.
i don't know what to hope for, what to pray for.
that the tests reveal something?
that they find nothing?
everything seems so overwhelming. confusing. scary.
developmentally he is soaring. normally at this age, he should be saying 3-6 words.... greyson to date says....55.
makes it easy to think maybe he is ok, and that he is just "little". but deep down there is that feeling i'm fighting and wrestling with, because physically he is failing to thrive.
at times like this the internet is a blessing and a curse. so much information, yet too much information. causing a truck load of worry on our shoulders today.

seven years ago today

jim and i went on our first date. he took me to a baseball game. we had a blast, we chatted and laughed more than we watched the game! such an great first date, with great memories. we have always considered april 28 "our anniversary" even though we were married in october.
here we are years later. still sharing time, gaining knowledge, keeping our love fresh and alive. being together, thankful for all we have and all to come.

ottawa cananda 1999


aruba 2001

he's a handful, this one

he probably thinks we're a handful, too.

since greyson has turned fifteen months life around our house has become interesting to say the least. it seems overnight he has become willful, frustrates easily, and tries to assert himself in every situation. all of this i read are signs of growing up and are quite common among toddler boys. please don't get me wrong, i want nothing more than to raise an independent secure child. however, it's just tough when everything turns into a daily battle. everything.
diaper changes, carseats, getting dressed, when it's time to come inside, shopping carts, you get the picture. as soon as he feels pressured or rushed from us -he digs his heels in. the minute i insist, he resist.

at times like these i am so thankful and blessed to be a christian. i know that greyson will still test boundaries but through prayer, God will give us the direction and words that greyson needs. this is the biggest responsibility we have ever been given, but we are encouraged by the fact that God has chosen us as greyson's parents. i'm humbled that out of all the wonderful parents out there, he hand picked us to guide this remarkable little boy through life. the journey is bound to have challenges, but we're ready.
a friend also suggested this book by author jane nelson yesterday. has anyone ever read this one? barnes and noble is on my list of 10,000 things to do today. :)

thursday.... then & now

finally did another one of these!! i love looking back and seeing how our baby boy has changed in just one short year! looks like the Easter bunny changed a bit too, huh? :)

greyson's 2nd Easter

hope everyone had a lovely, blessed Easter! friday afternoon greyson had some friends over and we (the mommy's) colored Easter eggs. i love the memories of coloring eggs! saturday we had a super fun morning at church for the yearly Easter egg hunt. there was also pony rides, a bounce house, face painting, a cotton candy machine, and more! sunday morning the easter bunny left greyson a basket and a little tykes sand/water table out on the deck. it was a gorgeous day here in maryland! later that morning we went to church, followed by dinner at my grandparents and we finished the evening grilling out at my dad's. greyson had a little egg hunt on the farm. i think his favorite part was seeing the animals especially the cows and geese.
i just can't believe we just celebrated his second Easter!! where does the time go?

greyson didn't "get" the whole put the eggs in your basket in the beginning of the egg hunt... he was more interested in playing on the playground equipment. finally towards the end, he figured out what was going on!!
the first thing greyson reached for in his basket was the chocolate bunny... that's my boy! :)
Sunday morning after church.

we think because greyson is so use to our 140 lb. great dane, that is why is actually wanted to PET the 900 lb. steer! that boy is fearless with a capital F!!!

april is autism awareness month

autism.

a word i can't imagine being part of my everyday life.

a word that brings saddness and fear in the very same breath.

for reasons i don't understand and can't explain... i am captivated with learning more about this complex disability.

there are lots of different controversies surrounding causes, treatments, etc of autism. it seems many of them can be overwhelming, confusing, and downright frustrating for the families affected.

my goal is to simply bring awareness.
please take a second of your time and watch this. the photographs of those children will touch your heart and grab your soul. atleast it did mine.

knowledge, may one day lead to a cure. i pray.

a quick little, hello!

did i leave you guys hanging from that last crazy post?! luckily -no more wild nights at walmart for us. but, i think we've probably made at least a half of dozen trips there, since our little fiasco. every week i promise that i'm only going to grocery shop ONCE.... and it never fails, walmart lures me in for something!! always end up with a bill twice the amount i thought it would be and three times the amount i had on my list!!!! :) does this happen at your house too?

anyway -just wanted to say hello, and post a current picture. sorry it's a little fuzzy! i will try to post some of our St. Patrick's Day pictures tomorrow. we had a fun day with all things green of course!! had a little playday at our house, lots of good food, and surprise green balloons from daddy!!

hope everyone had a great weekend! off to bed for me now!-tara

what a night

no pictures on this post, believe me you wouldn't want any.
yesterday started as a normal day. i babysat jordyn and dana's little boy parker. greyson acted fine all day. played as normal. ate as normal. although he wouldn't take an afternoon nap for me.
after parker's daddy picked him up, and jordyn's mommy picked her up i decided to take a trip to walmart for a few things we needed around the house. i took greyson & grover along with me. greyson could have stayed home with jim but i figured we both had been home all day stuck inside (we are having some major wind around here). greyson acted fine on the 15 minute car ride, just a little tired since he had not had his usual afternoon nap.
here is where everything went downhill... as we walked into the store greyson started whining a bit. he was in the cart facing me. while still pushing the cart i bent down to kiss his forehead and whispered "don't worry baby, mommy just has to pick up a couple things". that's when i noticed he felt warm. really warm. we made it about 10 more steps, i'll never forget that spot in walmart... in front of the lotions and bubble bath, greyson looked up at me with a scared look on his face, reached up with his little arms, put his head against my stomach.... and just let it go! he continued to be violently sick for what seems like eternity, actually only 30 seconds or less. but he just couldn't stop getting sick, ALL over himself and me. i had managed to unbuckle him at this point and was holding him downward, frantically searching in my purse for my cell phone to call jim. of course, i had left it in the car. (lesson learned) luckily this extremely KIND lady with her little boy stopped, fell to her knees and started helping me take greyson's shirt and jeans off, then she ran and found about three employees for us. she was like an angel, just taking over at the minute i needed help. i am so grateful to her. she even let me use her cell phone to call jim, because the walmart employees had called an ambulance. they said it was their policy if anyone got sick or hurt in the store (especially a child) they had to call. they were wonderful too, giving me several new towels off the shelf to wrap my baby in. his socks and shoes were soaked too, leaving him only in a onesie. a few moments later the paramedics checked greyson's vital signs and everything was back to normal. he was even smiling at them.
daddy was there in minutes with greyson's favorite stuffed animal -his doggie. he kept him close the whole way home and continued to be himself smiling, talking, and laughing like nothing had ever happened.
after we arrived back home, i sat along side the tub watching greyson play and splash in the bath. the muscles in my back and shoulders were so tight, i'm assuming from tensing up so fast, it's amazing what stress can do to your body. i was just so glad to be back in the comforts of our home, with greyson safe and healthy again.
did anyone ever have an experience like this the first time your child got sick? were you as scared as i was? i felt like a new mom all over again.
greyson is 100% again and mommy & daddy have gained more parenting skills first hand.
wow -what a night!

pemberton park

i meant to post these pictures yesterday... guess i'm only a day late! the past five days have been simply beautiful here. on sunday afternoon jim, greyson, grover, and myself took advantage of the weather and headed to a local park. it has a couple of wooden trails that run along our local river. everything is so quiet, peaceful, and serene there. greyson was taken in with nature's beauty for sure, using all his senses (especially touch with the pinecone) i didn't think he'd ever let that thing go! :) he loved the backpack, and being up high on daddy's shoulders. he kept patting jim, saying "back back". grover throughly enjoyed his time hiking the woods, sure beats an evening walk around the neighborhood! jim and i were just excited for another excuse to spend a family afternoon discovering something new with greyson.
does anyone have these type of local parks in your area? if so, you should take the next pretty day with your kids and enjoy the day too! you won't be sorry you did.

warm weather, round 2

wow! we hit 60 degrees warm today! definitely looking forward to the weekend, it's going to be 70 degrees!! woo-hoo!! today was a great day. jordyn & greyson had oodles of fun outside with all the good stuff of spring: bats, balls, golf clubs, and of course new sidewalk chalk! by the way, that big ole' tub of chalk was suppose to be in greyson's Easter basket, but the bunny couldn't wait. tommorrow has bubbles in store!!





so nice having another taste of spring... almost here for good!

its been too long

since my last post! do i even have any readers left out there? :) actually greyson would like to hear from some of you... enough said. heres what we've been up to lately:

trying to cut top four teeth, all at once -ouch!
walking like crazy and faster now too!
says doctor, sorta sounds like "doc-ta"
at any given moment, pats your back says "back" and wants a piggyback ride
and when you ask him what the dinosaur says... he "ROARS"!!!!
i love having a little dude!

Our days are trying to warm up, we played outside today!


hey... where's greyson?



OK -i admit it, i'm a horrible mommy... i clicked a picture, then i helped my son. he just looked so darn cute stuck under his little car!!
don't worry, he bounces back quickly!!

uh-oh

i think we are both in trouble when daddy comes home...

if you are wondering what the white stuff is -well it's white arcyrlic paint. by the way, does anybody know how to get it out of carpet? i have until tomorrow afternoon to figure it out, or we are both toast!! : 0 -i'm still trying to figure out if i'm going to blame him, or if he's gonna blame me!!!!!!!! oh man, another fine mess we've got into while daddy's away........

happy valentine's day

greyson enjoyed his special holiday cookies. no - he didn't have them for breakfast, we made them yesterday. we did give some away, and they tried to have 'em for breakfast...... : 0 hope everybody is enjoying their day and spreading some love!! XOXOXO





and here's a look at our little valentine, a year ago