Easter

We had a wonderful, BUSY Easter weekend. All of the rain kind of put a damper on outside fun, but we still got alot of Easter activity crammed into just a few days. We dyed Easter eggs on Thursday and we played in the rain on Friday. On Saturday, we jumped in the car and went to Tifton. We had a quick stop off at the Bowers  to drop off suitcases (since we were staying there for the night) and to visit with E.W., Mia, Uncle Jay, Aunt Kate and Bo. Then we headed to my parents house to spend the afternoon and have an anniversary dinner for my parents. Easter sunday was also their 40 year wedding anniversary. While at my parents house I got to see an old friend, Neilie, her husband, Justin, and their 2 little boys Ryves and Cullen. They live in Savannah and were in Tifton for Easter. I had not seen her in soooo long, so it was awesome to spend time with her and her sweet family. Unfortunately, it was a little chaotic while they were there, so there is no photographic proof that the reunion occurred:(

We had  a wonderful dinner at my parents house prepared by my brother and I, and then we had mom and dad cut the cake again and feed it to each other like they did at their wedding. They also exchanged gifts and my mom got a big surprise gift from my dad. A trip to Mystic, CT. This is a place that they've wanted to visit for many years and have never gone - lots of our family history began in Mystic. My parents certainly need the time away. The past few months have been quite emotional for our family. Anyway, after dinner we left the Tift house and headed for the Bowers house. Once there, the girls had some running and squealing time with Bo before bedtime.

Sunday morning, the Easter bunny had come to visit at Mia and E.W's house and there was a lot of excitement before church! We headed to church with my parents (since it was officially their 40th anniversary.) Once church was over, we headed to Albany to have lunch with Worth's grandparents at Double Gate Country Club.

Everything went smoothly Sunday, until we got to Albany. First, as we are walking in, Mack decides to have a monster spit up /vomit all over himself, me, and the beautiful green front lawn of the country club. Next, I go to take Emma to potty and she has already done it! (#1) While she sat at the lunch table with her legs folded underneath her, so not only were her dress and underwear soaked, it covered her legs, shoes, and the chair she was sitting in.

Needless to say, we did not get one family Easter photo this year. I'm bummed about that, but we did have a great time seeing family and as Worth said "checking off some boxes"

Easter Egg Dye, a yearly tradition. This picture proves Mack was there.

Playing in the rain because there was plenty of it in South GA for Easter weekend

Papa and his grandson

The men hanging outside at Papa and Grandma's house

This is the mess Ellie and Emma made upstairs. This is their "playroom" at Grandma's house

The happy couple

I made Mama pull out the wedding album. I've always loved looking at it. I can remember looking at it as a little girl and dreaming about what my wedding would be like one day.

Cutting the cake

Daddy tricked mama with a camera as a gift first. She thought that was it.

Then, she opened the next gift. I had printed the weather report for Mystic for next week and daddy was supposed to say: "This is so you know what to wear while we are in Mystic next week, " but he started crying so he couldn't get the words out. It only took her a second to figure it out though. This is the moment she realized what it was.

Now mama had to cry

Sweet hugs

Mack was loving it!

Mack anxiously awaiting his Easter bunny goodies

The Easter Bunny came!

Ellie attacking the baskets

Emma carefully observing before she dug into Bo's (her cousin) basket instead of her own.

We made Ellie wait to go check to see if the Easter bunny came because she got up really early and everyone else in the house was asleep. She was not happy about waiting.

Weekend sum up

This weekend, Worth went to Augusta to attend the Masters tournament. The kids and I stayed home (for obvious reasons) and had a great time playing inside, outside, dressing up, bike riding, and as always dancing.  We didn't do much off of our normal weekend schedule, but the weather was awesome, so we had LOTS of outside time to enjoy.

On the playground

Ellie's Friday night dress up attire

Ellie's dance performance  to "Let it Go" from Frozen ( We've listened to this song so many times that if I never heard it again, I could probably still remember all the words 50 years from now)

Mack swinging. I realized this weekend that he inherited his daddy's motion sickness. After I took him out of the swing he spit up everywhere!

 

Before Worth left last week, we got Ellie on her bike and she finally has it figured all out! She rode like a champ all weekend. Now, it's probably time for a bigger bike!

Poor Freddie

Mack on the Move

Winding down March

These are just some pictures from our weekend. It was an eventful end to our week last week with Mack starting speech/feeding therapy. He's had 2 sessions so far and has done awesome! We realized that he has tightness on the right side of his face and mouth and weakness on the left side. I think it was because of his torticollis (he was tilted to the right with a tight right side of the neck.) Anyway, the speech therapist gave me lots of oral motor stimulation exercises to do with him which are torturous, but I push through it because I know it will make him better.

After the exercises, we have to feed him. We use a special spoon, called the EZ spoon (it is a magic spoon!) We have to bypass his tongue and gag reflex and put the food on the right side of his mouth so he will use his tongue to reach over and get it down his throat. The first time I did it, I anticipated an immediate gag, but he swallowed with no gag! The next thing I knew, he had eaten an entire tablespoon of rice cereal! Without spitting any of it up! I thought I was going to cry. We have since tried several fruits and vegetables and also attempted some meat. He is doing so good! Today was the first day he didn't really even cry with the oral motor exercises. I can tell his tongue and mouth are getting stronger! We follow up with the feeding specialist one more time this week and I think she will be impressed at how good Mack is doing. We aren't eating like a normal 7 month old yet, but he definitely turned a corner this weekend. 

Give them all the outside toys they can want and all they really want to do is play in Daddy's truck when he's cleaning it out.

The red neck playyard. Yes, my infant son is sitting on cardboard boxes in the driveway. What can I say? We did live in Alabama for 4 years.

Mack and a small glimpse of his half smile

Emma AKA "Hollywood"

I took this picture, pulled the camera back to look at it, and my heart skipped a beat. She looks so grown up in this picture! I can't stand it!

Feeding in the side of the mouth with the EZ spoon. Yes, there are usually tears during this, but he eventually gives in.

He likes to fight us with that right arm - He's incredibly strong for a 7 month old.

Liking it!

Tolerating me snapping pictures and this whole feeding thing

How Emma wears flip flops (right foot.) I tried to get her to change them but she never seems to be bothered by it.

Mack at 7 months and Bunny Hop Fun

This past Friday, March 21st, Mack turned 7 months old. Time is flying by! He had his 6 month check up today and the stats are as follows: Weight: 15lb (3rd percentile)  Height: 26 and 1/4 inches (21st percentile) and head circumference was 18th percentile but I can't remember the exact measurement. They don't write it down for you at  this pediatrician's office so I remembered the best I could in this allergy fogged, sleep deprived brain of mine.

Clearly, Mack is small. No surprise there, but he has decreased on the growth curve since his 4 month visit. The main problem is that the kid won't eat solids! We are trying everything to make him eat his rice cereal, baby oatmeal, vegetables, and fruits, but he is refusing them. He actually will get it in his mouth, he just won't swallow or his gag reflex kicks in and he flat out refuses any more food.

Through lots of trial and error and discussion with his pediatric MD and NP, we have decided that he may have reflux. We are going to try reflux medicine and then we are being referred to a feeding specialist that can evaluate him and help us make sure we are doing everything we can to get the food down him.

I think I said this in another post, but this kid is full of drama so far! We love him so much though. He adds yet another ray of sunshine in our home. He is full of smiles and laughs and has FINALLY begun to sleep all night with an occasional need for paci during the night. He is crawling all over the place, and for the first time today in the doctor's office, he pulled from sitting to standing independently. He is so strong and determined to be a walker already. He loves his sisters and gives a huge grin when they walk in the room. He is definitely keeping Worth and I busy these days and I know it's only going to get busier when he figures out how to get those feet moving!

Much harder to get him still for a picture this month!

Only way to get him still for 2 seconds is to give him this football, it mesmerizes him

Little Stinker!

The Member-Guest golf tournament was this weekend (sadly, I didn't get any pictures of Worth and his dad prior to or after playing in the tournament. ) They didn't bring home a win this year, but maybe next year?! In addition to this, was Saturday morning's annual Bunny Hop at Ellie and Emma's preschool. This is the preschool's fundraiser that is a pancake breakfast, games, bouncy houses, and ends with an egg hunt. It was awesome this year, with better and bigger games, 3 huge bounce houses and a much more organized set up. I won a cookie tin and the girls got lots of candy prizes as well as candy eggs in the egg hunt. Ms. Pendy was here for the Member Guest festivities so she kept Mack for me Saturday morning, so the girls and I could go and have a good time!

Ellie and her best friend, Anna Beth.

Emma attempting the football throw

Emma cheating on the football throw

The sack race sans the sack (Emma wouldn't put one on)

Decorating Easter Eggs

Ellie in her sack race - she beat the other kid by the way.

And the hunt is on!

2 sisters on a mission

Ellie is becoming a pro at grabbing eggs

My 2 sweet girls. No, I didn't dress them in an expensive Easter smocked dress or outfit - they wanted to wear their bunny hop t shirts. We started out with bows and they were pulled out. I had to force shoes back on Emma after a bouncy house run. So, what I'm getting at is, when they look back on this in 20 years and try to tell me they look like homeless children, they will know it wasn't my fault! They were clothed, fed, and they had a great time. That's all that really matters!

Mack on the Move

He may not sleep all night long, but he can certainly get to where he needs to go. (I think this is the root of our non sleeping problems) Developmental changes have always affected how my kids sleep:( This is also not his best performance yet, but I just happened to be beside my phone this morning to get this shot. Please excuse the girls arguing in the background (actually just Ellie bossing Emma around.) I have to referee all day long now(ugh!)

My, how times have changed!

One of my very best friends came to Tifton a couple of months ago and I went to see her. I haven't seen Mandy since I was pregnant with Emma (which was 3 years ago). She has recently moved back closer to Georgia and I was thrilled to see her again in January. She had a little girl, Logan,  a year ago and I had not even met her daughter!

 When we are together, it's like no time has passed. I feel like we pick up right where we left off. My, how times have changed since the beginning of our friendship until now.....

Mandy and I on our graduation day from Occupational Therapy School, May 2002. We thought we knew everything!

Mandy and I this past January.  11 and 1/2 years and 4 kids later.