Emmitt Charles

 Who doesn't love a baby that looks like this ALL THE TIME?

 Especially one with dimples like these?

Warn Down

Lately I have been feeling completely defeated. I find myself spending all day fighting battles of wills and I rarely win without being completely exhausted.

I am just needing a dose of mommy-love and someone to tell me I am not alone.

They just wear me out!

Between Elizabeth's incredibly strong-willed personality (AKA a pain in my rear lately), Elliott's curiosity for EVERYTHING and Emmitt wanting to be held 24-7, I am about to go bananas!

(Does anyone else out there have a child that watches the Fresh Beat Band and sang the song bananas! when they read that, no just me? ok moving on!)

Back to my whining. I am just about to lose it.

I love seeing their smiling faces and to have Elizabeth tell me she loves me but I just feel like I am disciplining  all day long.

Is there anyone out there that is like this?? Anyone?

The True Test

I am not sure if I have mentioned it before but I have spent a great deal of energy into getting my kids to not only like fruit but to LOVE it. I want them to want it. Especially over other sugary snacks.

photo courtesy of google images

I knew that while my kids were little, and I had control over what goes in those precious tummies, that I wanted to prime their brains into craving fruit. ( I have also done this with water but that is a whole different post.)

My kiddos LOVE fruit. Any kind. You name it, they will it eat it. And they will eat it thinking they are getting a treat at that!!

Yesterday we were over at my parents house celebrating some birthdays (Happy belated birthday Brian and Charlie!) and the chocolate cake was on the tray half eaten. My mom had thrown strawberries on the tray to cover the rest of it. What doesn't go better with chocolate than strawberries?

Elizabeth was sitting at the table unaware of the fact that I was watching her. Instead of digging her fingers into the chocolate cake, which she loved by the way, she was cramming strawberries in her mouth. 12 to be exact.

She would rip those green tops off and shove them into her mouth as quickly as she could before she would get "caught."

I was so happy that my daughter chose strawberries over chocolate cake. That in itself was the true test to see if I have succeeded. And I did!!

Now I have to mention the fact that Elliott ate two whole bananas, 12 GIANT strawberries and an entire pb&j sandwich for his dinner. I have no earthly idea where he puts it.

everyone at 3 months

What are your thoughts?

3 months old

Not a word

My dear sweet Elliott James will be 16 months tomorrow. I know I have said it a thousand times but how can that be?

My little blonde haired blue eyed middle child has yet to speak a word.

We have had his hearing checked twice, both times after he had his tubes in place last June. He has passed both tests. He just does not speak.

When we were at his 12 month appt last Oct. the pediatrician was not genuinely concerned but reffered us to our local Early Child Intervention program. They evaluated him and place him around a 9 month old for speaking.

The child only says two things.

Da - like the beginning sound of dada
and
tis - which almost sounds like 'this'

That is it. At the time, end of oct, it was not a big deal. He was not even 13 months yet. But here we sit, 16 months tomorrow and is still doing the same exact thing. Da and tis. Now the pediatrician is genuinely concerned.

We have spoken with three different speech pathologists and everyone has a different opinion. They all say to try different things. One even said that the child could talk he was just too darn lazy to do it. He is just too busy to put the energy into speaking.

Elliott, at 16 months, is still at a 9 month speaking level. He is so frustrated that he cannot tell me what he wants. We have been working on sign language since he was 9 months and just last week for the very first time did he sign the word more. I literally did cry.

Finally a step in the right direction.

Through this I have met several moms whom have told me that their child, coincidentally all boys, did not speak until they were closer to age 2. Elliott starts school in August and I desperately want him speaking something by then.

Have any of you had any experience with something like this?


( and yes Autism has been ruled out on multiple occasions)

I just desperately want to hear 'mama.'

The new and improved

Here is the before of my kitchen. Please notice the ugly pink back-splash, faded parkay (sp?) floor and beyond disgusting looking cabinets.

 Now here is our after. We did this all!! Well with Brian's parents help of course. Isn't it beautiful??

Please notice the freshly painted cabinets with new hardware, the non-pink back-spalsh and the brand new tile floor!!!

These are off my phone seeing that I am posting from my couch. :)