The Maggiore Minutes

Strawberry Pickin' and Dr. King's Visit

2011-05-22T15:19:00.000-04:00

In May the strawberries were perfect. The girls always enjoy pickin and eatin and Megan really got into the eatin part! We were also blessed with a visit from our good friend Dr. King. We celebrated his birthday while he was here and had a fun weekend of activities!

Easter 2011-in pictures

2011-04-24T15:14:00.000-04:00

Small Group Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-23T07:07:00.000-04:00

We hosted our Small Group Easter Egg Hunt, and as you can see, when you add all our kids

to the mix, we are not very small. It was a wonderful morning of fun and friendship. The kids listened to the story of the Resurrection Eggs before having 2 separate hunts - 1 for 2 year olds and under and 1 for the older kids. We are so grateful for the friendships we have in our small group and for times like this when we can all be together.

Our 1st Spring Picnic

2011-04-18T07:02:00.000-04:00

One beautiful Spring day we took the little 2 to Botanical Gardens for a picnic lunch. Megan and Anna both enjoyed the beautiful flowers and the walk through the gardens!

Anna's 1st trip to the Dentist

2011-04-15T06:58:00.001-04:00

Anna did a fabulous job on her first trip to the dentist, couldn't be prouder. She really enjoyed getting to watch mommy have her teeth cleaned!

Our Little Pistol

2011-04-15T06:46:00.000-04:00

Somewhere in March, Megan started to develop little curls all around the bottom of her hairline and a slight tint of red is noticeable in her hair....well, she's got the personality to go with it. She is quite a little pistol. She gets in to just about everything, and I mean literally gets in as you can see from the pictures. She loves and lives life to its fullest. She is quite the giggler and babbles endlessly despite making no sense at all. She is absolutely the perfect ending to our family, bringing quite a different personality to the table!

1st Grade Bible Dedication

2011-03-20T06:40:00.001-04:00

In the Spring, Erin received her 1st Grade Bible and had it dedicated at church. She was looking forward to this day for a long time. Now that she can read, she enjoys reading her special Bible every night. We are so thankful for her dedication to learning more about the Lord!

Megan is a Walker!

2011-03-10T10:37:00.001-05:00

About 3 weeks ago Megan took the plunge and became a full time walker. She is most often seen carrying a purse as she walks around the house in circles. She is always on the go and rarely sits down. We love our little busy bee and have so much fun with her!

Megan is Free!

2011-03-10T10:32:00.002-05:00

Megan's arm healed perfectly and she was able to have her cast removed on March 1st. She took it like a pro and didn't cry a bit. She has thoroughly enjoyed having full use of her arm again, and mommy has too! Her cast did help speed the process of her learning to walk. She is a full time walker now and in to everything!

Poor Megan....

2011-02-03T09:56:00.003-05:00

On Monday night, January 31, an unfortunate event happened. The only witness to this event is Big Sister Anna, and she ain't talkin! So we'll never know what transpired on that fateful night in the playroom, but we do know how it ended. Megan fractured her forearm in 2 places. It was a long day at the doctor on Tuesday with about 10 grueling xrays. The diagnosis was clear. Luckily the orthopedist got us right in and she was casted within an hour. We chose purple for her cast because it has been deemed her favorite color. Despite the tears preceding the cast, she has been as happy as a bee since getting it on. She hasn't discovered how to crawl with it yet, but is contemplating walking instead. I predict she will be walking within a week. Again, she is a little trooper and it's so sad, but so cute. She finds joy in banging the cast on items to make loud noises. Whatever makes her happy at this point is okay with me! I love her to pieces and am just so sorry she has to go through this. I think she is going to be the closest we get to experiencing life with a boy!

Our Disney Vacation 2011

2011-01-29T11:23:00.000-05:00

Customize your own free photo slideshow

Christmas 2010

2011-01-28T14:35:00.006-05:00

Christmas 2010 in pictures:

Megan's 1st Birthday!

2011-01-28T14:29:00.004-05:00

Megan is such a delight. She thoroughly enjoyed her 1st birthday celebration with all of her cousins. She had a candy cane themed party complete with candy cane decorated chocolate cake with peppermint icing. The present opening gave her a good warm up for Christmas, although she much prefers eating paper rather than tearing it. She got a laugh and learn kitchen and a few little toys and some clothes. Megan certainly has her own personality, but we are discovering each day just how joyful she is, and that our family wouldn't be complete without her!

Christmas Celebrations Begin

2010-12-23T14:36:00.005-05:00

The girls always get a new ornament each year to signify something significant from the year. This year Megan got the word JOY - since it is her middle name and she has brought us so much joy. Anna got a microphone since she started talking this year and singing as well. Erin got Jessie from Toy Story her latest obsession. I bought the family an ornament this summer on vacation since we are now complete. We all have our own beach chair! We always have fun Thanksgiving weekend opening our ornaments and decorating the tree.

Breakfast with Santa

2010-12-23T14:31:00.002-05:00

We have traditionally taken the girls to Breakfast with Santa at the Founder's Inn, but this year, CHKD sponsored a breakfast with Santa as a fundraiser. We thought that sounded like the perfect opportunity for us. It was so nice and will definitely be our new tradition. There was a beautiful breakfast buffet, lots of crafts and activities and free pictures with the big guy! The girls had so much fun and we were thankful to get the opportunity to support such a worthy cause!

Fall Fun

2010-12-23T14:28:00.001-05:00

One of our favorite things to do in Fall is drive down the Colonial Parkway in Williamsburg. We love this one beautiful, gigantic tree and stopped to take a few pictures !

Our Newest Family Member....Yes, it's a girl!

2010-11-21T21:05:00.002-05:00

Erin had a project for school where we had to work as a family to save a turkey from being Thanksgiving Dinner. We had to disguise the turkey to fit in with our family. Since we have 3 little princesses already, we thought it was only fitting that our turkey be a princess too! It was a very fun project and we are happy to say, our turkey is safe from the roaster!

Megan just keeps growing

2010-11-21T21:00:00.003-05:00

On November 5th Megan decided to pull herself up on the couch. Within 5 minutes she was pulling herself up on the stool and then into the carseat. Now she prefers to be standing and holding on to something. I know pretty soon she will be letting go and trying to take steps. She has also thoroughly enjoyed playing in the leaves this year, and really likes the crunchy kind!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-05T13:53:00.003-04:00

Ok - so last year when we knew we were going to be having a 3rd girl I said we should all dress up like the pink ladies from Grease and let daddy be Danny Zuko. Well, it didn't happen! Maybe next year. We did have 3 perfectly cute little girls that looked absolutely precious though. Erin was Jessie, her favorite obsession right now. Anna was Little Einstein's Rocket, her obsession for over a year now. Megan was the cow, all my babies have been the cow, and she is obsessed with milk, so it worked for her! We had a great picnic at the park with lots of friends and food and even a pinata and then went trick or treating. Anna seemed to really enjoy the idea of people giving her candy, but only lasted a few houses! Erin of course was all about it and knew what to expect. Megan got to ride along with her buddies also dressed in black and white - a skunk and a kitty. What a fun, sugar filled night!

Mobile Megan

2010-10-26T14:04:00.003-04:00

About 2 weeks ago Megan decided it would be much for fun to move around than sitting in one place. So she made her way to her hands and knees and after a few days of learning to balance, she was off and crawling. Watch out world, Megan's mobile and she's coming after you!

Math Facts

2010-10-26T13:40:00.003-04:00

Erin has to daily practice her math facts and last night, Anna got in on the practice too. Maybe one day we can do speed drills with both of them!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-25T13:16:00.002-04:00

We had to squeeze the pumpkin patch in yesterday afternoon so that Megan wouldn't miss out on the adventure. I had to take her to get pictures in the big field like I took her sisters. So for pictures we went! She sure is our little pumpkin, and I can't believe how my other 2 have grown!

Rejoice! Rejoice!

2010-10-08T14:43:00.002-04:00

October 2007

September 2010

I've been praising God all day today as I remember how much He's done for our Little Anna. Three years ago today on October 8, He healed her heart and made it perfect again. I laid with her earlier today and looked through her scrapbook with her pointing out Baby Anna. She may not fully understand now, but we know that after years of hearing the story, she will know that God was right there with her that day in the operating room and He touched her heart. I thank Him for making it beat so perfectly that not the slightest murmur is heard when the doctors listen to it. What an awesome testimony this Little Girl is walking out in her life. Rejoice with me today in what He's done for her and may His abundance be poured out on you!

O...O....October

2010-10-05T09:09:00.002-04:00

Oh October is upon us. The nights and days are turning cooler, there's a crispness in the air, the smell of pumpkin flavored muffins and candles fill our home. I' ve always enjoyed the change of seasons and the excitement at the beginning of a season, knowing full well in a month or so I'll be over the weather and ready for another change. Fall is often thought of as a season of abundance, the harvest is full, the mums are in bloom, beautiful colors surround us. I'm claiming that season of abundance in a way I never have before this Fall, specifically this October.

Our past few Octobers have not been months that just flew by without anything major to report. No, for some reason the Lord has chosen October as the month for us where big things happen. October 2007 was when Anna had her heart surgery to repair her VSD. Six days of that month were spent in the hospital holding this frail little girl that had just undergone major trauma. Over this week, I will probably post some of my former posts on this time in our lives, because even now reading through it again, I'm just amazed at what the Lord did.

October 2008 did not involve anything major with our health or the kid's health, but a very dear friend of mine, Heather, informed me that they would be moving out of state. I tried to be the supportive friend since I knew this is what the Lord wanted for them, but it is difficult to lose one of your best friends that has stood by you in the midst of so many storms. So this Oct. was emotionally draining.

And then there is October 2009, which followed a very turbulent September that year. During the month of October I was pretty much homebound with Anna. We had received her official diagnosis of VCFS in September, which involves a low immune system. We also knew she was to have her submucous cleft palate surgery at the end of October which meant for 6 weeks, we needed to keep her healthy. So I stayed home with Anna most of the time being very careful to keep her germ free and ready for surgery. The month ended with her palate surgery on October 29th.

So, as much as I like the beginning of Fall, one may be able to see my concern with the turning of the calendar to October. What's the Lord got in store for us this October? That's where abundance comes in! I'm taking a Bible Study right now called Faithful, Abundant, True - and I knew before I started God had something big for me in this study. We are in the middle of abundance right now and I can feel it building. Priscilla says, "The abundant life is when, in the midst of your impossible situation, you say, "Now is the time!" I have seen God's abundance every month of the year, but I've seen it the most in these past Octobers. When I was in the most difficult, impossible situations I've ever faced, He shows up and shows me how Abundant He is. I grow closer to Him in those times, my faith is increased, my worship is deeper, because I'm clinging to the only true thing I know and His promise to see me through. The fullness of God, all that He has to offer is right there waiting for me and it often takes a difficult circumstance to thrust me into it.

So praise the Lord that it's October. Maybe He will allow me to experience His abundance without a major trial this month. He's already been at work throughout September with some things that have been weighing on our family and I'm praying that we're in that time of abundance already. He is so faithful, His mercies are new every day and His promises sustain me. "Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us, to Him be the glory!" Eph. 3:20

Student of the Month

2010-09-30T13:00:00.002-04:00

Erin was awarded the Student of the Month for her class yesterday at chapel. We are so proud of her and her ability to choose to do the right thing even at school. Today she celebrates her 2nd birthday as a child of Christ. Her faith is amazing, her heart a blessing to others and her character a testimony to the fact that she does get it. She loves Jesus with all her heart and believes in Him 100%. What a precious gift she is to us!

So Long September

2010-09-27T13:08:00.002-04:00

Wow, sometimes I'm absolutely amazed at how quickly a month can go by. I've been very behind in my blogging as many of you can tell. I may have lost my avid followers after a month's hiatus. I hope to be more consistent now that we are well into the rhythm of the school year. I tell you what, first grade has been a big adjustment for me. There is so much to remember, and homework, and AR reading. I wasn't prepared to go back to school myself, but I feel like I have. Erin is absolutely excelling. She is in Advanced Reading and I often think to myself, how does she know how to read so well, somebody must be teaching her. She likes school, I won't say loves it, she deals with separation anxiety. Apparently I'm the best mom in the world and she just misses me too much when she's at school. Our neighbors are homeschooled and I think she wants me to try it. I've told her, I'm not saying never, just not right now.

Anna loves school. She loves putting on her backpack and riding in the truck to school. She doesn't whine anymore about going in, she hops right in with the other kids. Her teacher says she is doing so well. She is speaking more every week, she is participating and singing. The best news was that she has a special friend at school. They swing together, walk together in line, eat snack together. I cried when I heard that because I didn't know how well Anna would do making friends since she isn't very verbal. I am so grateful for this special girl the Lord has given Anna to make her feel safe at school. Yesterday Anna sang Jesus Loves Me to me and The BIBLE. I am so amazed that Anna is able to sing a song when a few months ago putting 3 words together was a struggle. She is a little sponge, and it's finally starting to leak out!

I did a post on Megan to update on her with a few pictures from the month - she is my snuggly teddy bear. She brings me so much joy and is the perfect completion to our family. I feel so amazed at how God has blessed us with 3 precious girls and I also feel a huge responsibility to raise them to be women of God. I'm constantly praying for them and for myself to have the wisdom and strength to raise girls that know God, love Him with all their heart, and want to change the world for Him. Parenting is a huge task, thankfully I'm not alone in it! I promise to post more pictures and more frequently, I certainly want to record all the moments of their lives that are so special!

Raleigh Trip

2010-09-27T13:05:00.002-04:00

Our annual Fall trip to Raleigh was moved to September this year thanks to Georgia Tech's schedule, but we didn't let it stop us from having a great time. The kids (all 8 of them) had a blast together and got along really well. We are always thankful for this weekend away with treasured friends that are more like family! We may actually be related one day if we're lucky, Erin is set on marrying Harrison if he'll have her! Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Let's Go ODU!

2010-09-27T12:58:00.003-04:00

Break out the cheerleading outfits - it's time for ODU football again! The girls love it and always have a blast at the games. You wouldn't believe how much attention they get!

A Joy!

2010-09-27T12:52:00.003-04:00

Exploring the world of table food, sweet potatoes!
Being introduced to the yumminess of Ritz crackers.

The doctor says I'm perfect!

Mommy made some homemade biter biscuits that were a bit messy!

I'm daddy's mini me!

Megan is just growing up too fast. This past week she cut her first 2 teeth, finally. She primarily prefers table food and feeding herself. She squeals with delight when her sisters enter the room. We are enjoying our 3 mornings a week together and she is absolutely a joy. I just want to keep her at this age for awhile. She naps great, she eats well and she giggles all the time. She weighed in at 16 lbs 8 oz at her nine month checkup and 28 inches long. We couldn't imagine our lives without her, and she is a daddy's girl too!

The first day of School 2010-2011!

2010-08-30T13:53:00.006-04:00

This year was a little bit harder, sending 2 babies to school! Erin started 1st grade last week and Anna started Pre-K 3. I just can't believe Summer is over and my little ones are old enough to be in school. I'd be lying if I didn't say that many thoughts of homeschooling crossed my mind this Summer. But for now, they are in Atlantic Shores which is definitely close to home!

I've had a hard time letting Anna go. I debated all Summer if she was ready or I was ready, weighing the pros and cons. All her therapists and other professionals think preschool will be really good for her, and I know they're probably right, but I have a hard time being away from her. I'm afraid her needs won't get met because she can't express them, or she'll get left out of things, or other kids won't be nice. All the normal fears moms have, just multiplied because it's Anna. I'm praying the Lord will give me peace with whatever ends up happening. In my mind we're in a trial period and it's never too late to go a different direction.

Erin was so excited to be going back to school this year. She's in class with one of her best friends from last year and we heard so many wonderful things about her teacher. We're already finding out that 1st grade is a lot different than Kindergarten though. I can't believe the atmosphere difference and am realizing that "real school" has begun. She's made several comments about how long full day school is. I know she'll adjust and have an amazing year. I'm just praying I don't forget one afternoon to go pick her up, I'm not quite adjusted to the new schedule!

So Megan and I have a few mornings a week alone together. I'm debating how to get her morning nap in and then possibly some gym time. I know it will all fall into place and we'll be excited about this new phase of our lives. We are so grateful the girls can go to ASCS and we're just praying the Lord will continue to provide and allow us to send them there. He is faithful in all His promises!

Erin's 6th Birthday

2010-08-30T13:28:00.004-04:00

I invited 3 little girlfriends over as a surprise for Erin and threw them a tea party!

We had a morning snack with tea....

And then a light finger food lunch!

Erin's birthday breakfast(we cheated and used leftovers from IHOP the night before!)

Erin loves Fish and Chips so we took her to Long Johns Silver for lunch after church.

This is Erin's first peek at the Peter Pan/Hook's Ship cake. Boy were we all amazed!

My dad truly outdid himself with this one, Erin was tickled to death with it!

We love our big six year old!

Erin and the big cousins having a discussion.

Erin and Samara with her first webkinz.

Erin finally got a Jessie doll!

Making wishes...probably for a puppy!

All the cousins that we could get in the picture!

....and there she is, Jessie!

Erin had a fun birthday celebration this year with a few friends and a lot of family! We kept it small this year, but nonetheless, special. Erin truly is a blessing, and a gift from God. She has such sweet heart and just oozes with love for others and God. I know He's got big plans for her this year and she is going to grow so much!

Summer Pictures

2010-08-30T13:21:00.002-04:00

These are just a few summer pictures that I can't skip over. We are so blessed by friends and family, near and far.

A rare moment I can actually catch them next to each other!

Annie and Blake with their daddys.

The kids were analyzing the remains of a horshoe crab Mr. Joe found - kept them busy for awhile!

The Jackson boys getting a snack!
Megan and Connor really hit it off...who knows what the future holds!

B.G. with the buds

2010-08-30T13:16:00.002-04:00

Anderson's holding the map, but I assure you, Erin was in charge - that girl knows B.G. like the back of her hand!

The Big Kids - they rode so many rides together!

Everyone got to ride this one together - so cute!

Our good friends the Judds came in town for a visit and wanted to go to Busch Gardens. We never pass up a chance to go to B.G. with friends because it's so much more fun for the kids! We had a great day with the Judds and the Saunders - that equals 6 adults, 6 big kids and 2 babies - that's a lot of people and not one single meltdown(not even from the mommies!) Then we had the courage to go out to dinner afterwards at IHOP and still not a meltdown. I do believe that day will go down in the books as one of our favorite memories!

Mommy's Birthday

2010-08-30T13:11:00.003-04:00

As most of you know, August is birthday season around here. We start with Anna at the end of July and then I'm at the beginning of August and Erin is the middle of August. It works out great to all be close together because we can use all our free stuff coupons at the same time and eat for cheap! I chose Red Robin for my birthday and a sneaky little Anna stole my Sundae!

Anna is 3!

2010-08-03T14:02:00.004-04:00

Our Sweet Birthday Girl!

Breakfast waffle with Apple Butter...mmm.

I found an Einstein birthday card that sang the theme song!

She got a new TAG Jr.

An Einstein Video!

She loved her Rocket cake!

Bobble worked extra hard on this special Rocket cake.

The kids playing carnival games.

Anna loved the petting zoo they brought along.

Lovin' the Pony - Batman

Yeehaw - cowgirl Erin

Our little 3 year old!

Look out Rocket - there's a new girl in town

Anna celebrated her 3rd birthday last Tuesday from morning till night! She had her Waffle with Apple Butter for breakfast, followed by lunch at Jason's Deli and then on to her Little Einstein's party. Since last October when she had her surgery for her palate, plus to have tubes put in, she has been obsessed with Little Einsteins because it is the first show she actually heard loud and clear. She loves classical music, and we actually listen to Beethoven in the car because my brother gave her a CD and it always calmed her. Anyways, she absolutely adores the Einsteins and it's all she ever wants to watch on TV. So for months we knew she had to have an Einsteins birthday party.

My dad made her a rocket cake, Baba and Papa Joe ordered her a special Rocket costume. The yard was set up like a Carnival, something Erin and Baba have been working on together this summer. Then, the biggest surprise of all came - pony rides. The kids took turns riding ponies for an hour. Anna had such a great time and hopefully she'll remember it, at least in pictures. She stills talks about her Little Einsteins party at Baba's house in her cute little words. Nothing can replace the moments of pure joy we're blessed to give our girls with the help of our family and friends!

Peaches, peaches and more peaches

2010-08-01T16:05:00.003-04:00

The peaches were unbelievable this year, so good that we made 2 trips down to Knott's Island. I made a peach cobbler that would make our family in the south proud and Megan has been enjoying some sweet peach baby food. The girls love this new tradition and Anna really got into it this year! We officially have peaches coming out of our ears, but they sure are yummy!

What's Megan Been up to????

2010-08-01T15:55:00.003-04:00

Over the last month, Megan has had some exciting adventures. Although I'm not posting much, I am still taking pictures of our precious 3rd child and she will have a scrapbook of her own one day! She absolutely loves the camera and the hardest part about taking pictures of her, is deciding which ones to delete because they are all so good!

She met gloworm....
She started using her exersaucer....

She learned to hold her own bottle....

She graduated to a big girl bath...

She learned to sit by herself....

She learned how much fun cousins are....

She gave us so much joy and so many huge smiles...

One Happy Daddy!

2010-07-06T16:59:00.002-04:00

Joe had a very Happy Father's day complete with lots of sugar from his girls! We love our daddy very much and think he's the best!

CHKD Run/Walk 2010

2010-07-06T16:52:00.003-04:00

We walked in the CHKD run/walk for the kids again this year. Every year I get choked up to see so many people coming out to support such a wonderful cause. I don't care if they signed up just because they love to run, they're out there and they're using their talent to make a difference for a very special place. Erin decided she wanted to run this year so she took off with Bobble and did very well. He had already run the 8K. Anna didn't want much to do with the early morning, but near the end she got out and ran across the finish line. Thank you CHKD for providing such excellent care and exceptional doctors!

Little Gym Show Week

2010-06-22T21:24:00.003-04:00

Anna had the priviledge of attending Little Gym this Winter/Spring. We thought it would help supplement her physical therapy....we were wrong....it became her physical therapy and did more good for her than we ever could have imagined. Her core strength, muscle tone, agility, flexibility and confidence grew every week. At the end of the Session the kids showcased all they had learned throughout the 20 weeks. Anna had a great time parading around the gym showing off. We are so thankful she had this opportunity and so proud of all she accomplished while there! Here's to the Little Gym!

Just hangin' around.

Doing a roll on the balance beam.

Her favorite apparatus - the uneven bars.

Each child received a ribbon.

6 months old!

2010-06-16T21:34:00.003-04:00

I can't believe my precious baby is 6 months old....wait a minute....yes I can. I was laughing with my mom today that Megan has made every moment of her 6 months here with us unforgettable. She has lived, loved, smiled, screamed every moment she's been with us. Oh how many days I wished she would just speed up and be 6 months old so all the tummy troubles would disappear, and here it is, and I miss my baby. The smiles in these pictures say it all, Megan is finally a happy baby!!!!! She actually is turning out to be my most content baby. As of this week, she has decided that she will sleep through the night for me - Hallelujah! She still will not take longer than a 1 hour nap and most of the time it is 50 minutes. So she still gets 3 of those a day. She likes carrots, makes funny faces for sweet potatoes, puckers her lips at apple sauce, but loves white grape juice! She enjoys her morning play mat time and ferociously bats at her toys. When she sees something she wants, she works at it with all her might to get it. I can already see her determination coming out. She absolutely adores her sisters and smiles so huge when they talk to her. She's got the best belly giggle and is so ticklish, especially in the folds of her neck. She is the happiest when she is naked(diaper only) and will start giggling for no reason at all.

So I've come to the conclusion that it was all worth it. Every sleepless night, yes, there were many of them, and every tear I cried right along with her is renewed by every beautiful smile. I cannot imagine our family without Megan. She is a joy to all of us, a living doll baby. Now that we're settling into life with 3, I hope to slow down and cherish every moment of her first year. I know how fast it goes and I don't want to miss this special time with her!

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-06-09T21:26:00.005-04:00

Fish Tales Program
Erin doing her speaking part.

Walking in to Graduate!

A good looking crew!

Receiving her diploma!

Erin's K-5 class

Our first grader!

MawMaw and Bobble

Erin's friend Elena Kay

Aunt Kim and Uncle Brent

Uncle Chris, Aunt Jen, Caleb, Noah, Samara and Eva

Anna is so proud of her big sister

Our little graduate!

Baba and Papa Joe

Erin and her teachers Mrs. Mulford and Mrs. Livingston

Erin graduated from Kindergarten on Tuesday night, June 8th. I honestly can't believe how fast this year came and went. Erin was pretty much on auto pilot this year. With Anna having her health issues and me having a baby who had her own issues, Erin just fended for herself. She is definitely my easy child. She's easy going, laid back, extremely talkative(except at school), and her heart must be made of pure gold. She is blessed beyond belief most of the time and I think it's because of her unwaivering faith. She loves God more than anything, trusts Him more than anyone and will be the first to pray for everything. She is beautiful inside and out.

She received the perfect attendance award, the obedience character award, the P.E. achievement award and best of all the Christian Character award given to one child in each class. She is a bright and shining star and we are so proud of her. Our prayer is that her life touches the lives of others, that her desire to please others is used to bring God glory and to serve others. We are so thankful the Lord blessed us with her as she daily reminds us that with God all things are possible!

From Sweaty to Beauty

2010-06-09T21:22:00.004-04:00

Last Tuesday Erin had field day at school. She had a blast and came home worn out and sweaty. That all changed within a few hours. Our next door neighbor JacJac had chosen Erin to go with her to have her hair and nails done and then off to dinner at Red Robin in honor of JacJac's sixth birthday. The girls looked adorable and had a fabulous time being pampered!

Memorial Day Fun!

2010-06-09T21:14:00.003-04:00

Erin and Daddy waiting for the big one!

Erin and Daddy catchin' one!

Anna and Daddy waiting for the big one!

Anna and Daddy catchin' one!

These 2 are some kind of pair - Anna has Papa Joe completely wrapped around all 10 of her fingers!

The Grandmas and the Baby!

Papa Joe and Megan just relaxin'

This beach stuff is hard work!

We had a great Memorial Day with friends and family. The big girls love the beach and made

Joe's day by boogie boarding with him. Anna asks everyday to go to the beach - she's her daddy's girl. Then again, from the pictures you can see that she's Papa Joe's girl too!

Mommy's Day

2010-05-13T20:21:00.002-04:00

Most of my Mommy's Day festivities were actually on Saturday. Joe let me have the morning off to go shopping with my best friend and have lunch out. I made it home for Megan's 1:00 feeding and then he let me go out again and get a pedicure. That's my kind of day!

On Sunday we had lunch with my mom and sister and then went out to dinner with Joe's mom and Nana. It was a very relaxing day, I even snuck a nap in. I love being mommy to my 3 beautiful girls. I got some daisies from Erin that she made at school and lots of hugs and kisses and a musical card that the girls danced to. It was a very special weekend.

Megan's Dedication

2010-05-13T20:17:00.002-04:00

On Sunday, May 9, we dedicated Megan to the Lord. It was the first baby I've had that got to be dedicated on Mother's Day and it was very special. It was a little different for us since Anna was the only baby dedicated at her ceremony, and Megan was one of 20 babies crammed on stage. It was very special and went very well. We love our little angel so much and will raise her to know her Lord and Savior in a very personal way!

Just Cute

2010-05-13T20:15:00.001-04:00

Megan 4 1/2 months

I just can't get over how cute she is! Drives me crazy cause she won't sleep all night, but so darn cute!

Beach Babes

2010-05-13T20:10:00.002-04:00

We took our first trip to the beach/bay on one of our 90 degree days. The water was actually pleasant, at least for the kids. Megan wasn't quite sure what to think of the chilly water. We didn't introduce her to the sand yet, that will come later. The big girls jumped right in and are so happy that it is feeling like summertime! Here's to many more trips this summer.

Can you tell we're related?

2010-05-13T20:08:00.001-04:00

Blake joined Anna for a Little Gym Class. When I saw this picture I just laughed. Kim and I are obviously related and we're always getting asked if Blake and Anna are twins. I love it!

Rice, Rice Baby

2010-05-13T19:59:00.002-04:00

Megan has entered the world of rice cereal and actually really likes it. She's worked her way up to 2 times a day and she likes it best mixed with water and little bit of pear juice. Yummy! Can't wait to start the veggies in the next few weeks!

Just from the Heart!

2010-05-04T19:39:00.002-04:00

I had every intention of catching up on some blogging today and neither computer is cooperating. Our memory stick drive isn't loading and the laptop won't connect to the internet. So I have some beautiful pictures of the three little ones that will just have to wait another day. Therefore, since I find myself with a few quiet moments, I'll just do a heart update!

Everything is pretty normal right now. Megan is falling into a good routine and is extremely joyful during the day. She is showing us glimpses that she may soon be sleeping through the night. phew.... I love this stage of a baby's life. Everyday is exciting to them. They are constantly learning new tricks. I keep her baby calendar out on the dining room table so I don't forget to write things down. She is so smiley, and after all the tears she started with, it is such a welcome sight.

Erin is almost done with Kindergarten and I just can't believe it. I've saved all of her papers from the year in folders and now I know with the end of the year approaching I need to have a plan for what I'm going to do with all of them. I don't know how to weed through them all and what to keep and what to let go. I am surprised at myself and how "hands-off" I've been with Kindergarten this year. I guess all the other circumstances didn't allow for me to be super involved. She is brilliant I must say and continues to amaze me with her artistic creations.

And then there's Anna, whose vocabulary is increasing daily. She is uttering 2 word phrases and will repeat just about anything we tell her to. She really has shown great improvement in her acquistion of words, her difficulty still lies in articulation. She'll continue speech therapy 2x a week through the summer and then we'll have a plan in place for the school year. We have enrolled her in Atlantic Shores where she'll attend preschool 3 days a week and receive speech therapy. The public school system will also give her speech, we just don't know how frequently yet. I struggle to know if she can handle preschool, but we feel it will be to her benefit to try.

Anna continues to be my "walk of faith" as one friend described her. I have to daily choose not to worry about her and the future. I simply struggle with not letting her disorder define her, yet not being in denial that she is going to be different. I joined a facebook group for Velocardiofacial syndrome, and while it is encouraging to meet people who have this disorder or have children with it, it is also very overwhelming. There is no one set picture of this disorder and it's scary not knowing where Anna will fall on the spectrum. I also struggle with how to pray. I don't know whether to ask God to take it away completely, or to just not make it too bad, or to just let me have it and give me the strength to get through it. I truly believe God could heal her, completely repair the 22nd chromosome, but at the same time, I don't think that is His plan. I guess we'll just continue to take it one day at a time while He unfolds her life.

I know that I don't even know some of you that are reading these posts, or don't know you very well. And I also know that some of the people that are closest to me are reading this as well. Whoever you are and wherever you are, I hope that you will understand my need to write these things out and just share my heart sometimes. I love to write and sometimes just putting thoughts down help me work through them. I don't think my lessons from Anna will ever be complete and so you may often hear repeating struggles. I hope you can see that it is me being very transparent and allowing you to share in my journey, victories and defeats, hopefully, more victories! To God be the glory - He is Mighty to Save - He can move the mountains!

Erin's Baptism

2010-04-21T20:38:00.004-04:00

On Sunday, April 18th Erin took a very big step in her walk with Christ. She was baptized at Atlantic Shores. We are so thrilled that she has made the decision to follow Christ's example and be obedient to Him. She truly has a heart for the Lord and a heart to show others Christ. She is a walking blessing and extremely blessed. The Lord shines His face on her daily and I know it is because of the love she has for Him in her heart. We pray she never forgets the committment she has made to Him and follows Him all the days of her life.

Erin and Mr. Casey, a very special friend that we are privileged to have as a part of this special day.
Praying together before the big event.

Waiting for Pastor Wall to introduce them.

Listening to Pastor Wall.

Taking the big dip.

Celebrating at Red Robin

MawMaw, Erin and Bobble

Baba, Erin and Papa Joe

Anna, Daddy, Erin and Mommy

Bobble explaining the Baptism Candle to Erin that we will light every year on the anniversary of her baptism.

I gave Erin one of my Precious Moments Bibles from when I was a little girl.

Daddy persuaded Erin to have an ice cream cake - didn't take much persuasion.

Anna's MRI

2010-04-21T20:24:00.004-04:00

Despite the sad face, Anna did very well with her latest procedure. She had some trouble coming out of anesthesia, but found it amusing that she could lay on the couch and watch Little Einsteins as many times as she wanted!

The MRI did show that she has small optic nerves. We met with a neurodevelopmental pediatrician the day after getting that diagnosis and he felt that if we had little concern over her vision, which we do, than she probably will be just fine. He thought that if it was a significant impairment we would already be able to tell.

That doctor also evaluated Anna's development thus far and was very pleased with her. He felt she received and responded to information very well and did not show a significant delay. Of course, her expressive speech is delayed, but we all feel with continued therapy it will improve rapidly. We felt so good after leaving this appointment. He told us to treat Anna normally, send her to preschool and do everything the way we did it for Erin. It was so nice to have a good doctor's appt. We look forward to more of those. Thank you Lord!

How Big is too Big?

2010-04-21T20:22:00.002-04:00

If the bow is bigger than the baby's head...is it too big?

A Trip South

2010-04-21T20:06:00.005-04:00

After several failed attempts, we finally planned and executed a trip to Atlanta to see our good friends the Judds. Erin and their oldest son Anderson were born exactly 2 months apart and were best friends from the beginning. They moved down to GA a year and a half ago and although they have been able to visit us here in VA, we had not made it down to visit them. So we finally conquered it and it was such a good time. We left on Easter afternoon and stopped for the night in Raleigh with our good friends the Williams. They always open their home to us, even on holidays. The next morning we loaded the girls back up and treked over to Charlotte. Megan got to meet G.G., PawPaw and Aunt Carolyn for the first time. After a visit and lunch, we got back in the car and headed for Georgia. We arrived at the Judds about 5:00 and then met Dr. King for dinner at Outback. Again, a new face for Megan to meet.

On Tuesday we spent the whole day with the Judds. Erin and Anderson played outside for hours together and I could tell she was just in heaven. Carter and Anna came and went inside and out and also had a great time being together. On Wednesday, Joe took the big kids to Fernwood museum, the GT baseball fields, the Varsity for lunch and then we all met up at Stone Mountain.

After a tragic hour of losing Anna's beloved bunny, all was well for the laser light show when a super nice Ms. Gina found the missing bunny. We could all relax and enjoy the show.

On Thursday we had planned to head back throughout the day, but since Megan made it quite clear she prefered to not be in the truck, we delayed our departure until late afternoon. We were thrilled to be able to hook up with our friends the Andrews that we knew from our time in Ft. Myers. They're the kind of people that it doesn't matter when you last saw them, you always pick up right where you left off. We spent the afternoon with them and then hit the road and arrived home at 2 a.m.

We couldn't have enjoyed our Spring Break more. Erin said within 4 hours of leaving Anderson that she already missed him. We're so thankful for our friends the Judds and the time we got to share with them.

Easter Sunday

2010-04-21T19:59:00.005-04:00

I'm just going to let the pictures speak for themselves!

Huntin' for Eggs

2010-04-21T19:52:00.004-04:00

We had such a blast at the Jackson's Easter Eggstravaganza. Erin was the only older girl hunting and racked up 42 eggs. Anna was so cute with all the toddlers looking for eggs. She would have stopped at just 1, but then she realized there was candy in them. Next year we'll have a third little one out there toddling around!

Let the Easter celebration begin

2010-04-21T19:44:00.002-04:00

The girls received Easter baskets from Baba and Papa Joe the day before Easter. Anna got a Little Einsteins shirt which she's worn everyday since!

Cousins and a Bumbo

2010-04-13T13:19:00.002-04:00

Megan loves the bumbo seat and she likes it even better when someone will lay in front of her and give her all the attention! These girls love their cousins!

Busch Gardens

2010-04-13T13:07:00.005-04:00

We made our first trip to Busch Gardens on March 21st for season pass holder day. All we did was Sesame Street and Dragon Land and it was so fun. It just so happened to be Big Bird's birthday. All the kids got free Big Bird dolls as a present. We didn't tell Erin so it would be a surprise. She took Big Bird a card she had made and I snuck a return address sticker on there. Lo and behold, Big Bird wrote her back and even stuck a feather in the card. This has made Erin's year I do believe! She sure does love that bird! Can't wait to go see him again.

Pray for Anna on Monday!

2010-04-10T16:08:00.001-04:00

Just asking for you to pray for Anna on Monday morning, April 12th. Her MRI is first thing about 8:30. She will be under anesthesia and it should take about an hour and a half. Of course, we don't know when we will hear results. Thank you for lifting her up!

Highs and Lows

2010-03-25T17:37:00.005-04:00

I think over the past year I have been on the craziest roller coaster I have ever ridden. Life with children seems to be a series of highs and lows and I feel like I'm rarely on a steady stretch of straight, wide open track. I want to go back to the kiddie coasters. We have finally ascended through the thick of Megan's colic and all are so much happier. Anna is recovering from her latest cold, but she really hasn't been too sick this winter. And Erin, well she is just easy, never a problem, rarely anything going on with her.

On Monday we had a high! Megan decided nursing would be okay with her again so I was able to resume with that. Anna also had her yearly retest with the Speech Therapist and her progress is so much better than I realized. She averages around 28 months in most categories, Expressive Speech being her weakest area, but definitely improving. I was so happy on Monday, I felt confidant in my ability to parent 3 children and overall like some of the weights were being lifted.

On Tuesday we had a low. What I assumed would be an easy trip to the Opthamologist for Anna to prove that her vision was perfect, turned out to be the beginning of another journey. Anna's eye exam showed that she has small optical nerves, a curvature of the eye issue and strabismus. Don't ask me what all that means because I couldn't understand it, didn't want to hear it and don't want to think about it. For now it means Anna has to have an MRI so the rest of the eye and brain can be viewed. That should answer questions about the first 2 issues. For the strabismus, drifting of the eyes, she has to wear a patch for 2 hours each day, alternating eyes each day. This should go on for 3 months and then hopefully they will be able to see which eye is stronger and how to correct it.

SIGH....I won't pretend that I was strong. I have learned how to hold it in at the doctor's office. I've learned not to ask too many questions because they will just tell me....let's just wait and see what the next test shows. I've learned to take a day to process the information, cry, and then find the positives and move on the next day. I can't tell you that I haven't felt discouraged this week. I know Anna has the potential to have so many issues and we have been so blessed at the easy correction of many of them already. Days like Tuesday just remind me how long our road with Anna is going to be. I'm sad for her even though she doesn't realize half of what's happened to her. It's difficult to watch your children struggle, but I know it's building character. I can keep my mind on the fact that God has a big plan walking around in that little 2 year old body.

Please pray for us over the next week. The MRI isn't scheduled yet, but I expect it to be within a couple of weeks. I'm having a hard time with the patch. We're calling it her eye booboo and she seems to be fine with it and hasn't tried to take it off today. God is good and I know this low will go into a high very soon, it's just the ride we're on.

In true Anna fashion, nothing phases her. She played outside with out even thinking twice about the patch. It's Mommy that's having a hard time.

Anna's Taco

2010-03-16T11:30:00.001-04:00

We are constantly trying to get Anna to say thousands of words throughout the day, and every now and then, she'll totally shock us. Last night at dinner she desperately wanted a taco shell, so she said "taco." This is so impressive because up until now the "t" and "c" sound have been very difficult for her! Yeah for Tacos - maybe we'll have them every night!

Coming out of the fog...

2010-03-11T16:19:00.002-05:00

I think we are turning a corner. Megan is going on her 2nd good week in a row with only a few minor outbursts of unexplainable crying. We are very thankful that we are heading into a new season with her. I love that the weather is warming up, Megan is smiling and sleeping better and we are all returning to a feeling of "normal!" I am still following a gluten free and dairy free diet and I really think that has made the most difference in Megan's tummy issues. I cheat every now and then on the gluten, but never on the dairy. It's my hope to try to add some of the gluten back in slowly, but I'm afraid to do it just yet. God is giving me the strength to hold to this diet as it is definitely far from my normal consumptions!

Megan has the biggest smile that makes me almost forget all the tears. She is cooing and starting to try and giggle. Erin loves to play "this little piggy" with her and Anna still mothers her by bringing her passy and luvy. This week she has just awakened to her toys and they don't scare her as much anymore. She'll track me all the way across the room and craves face to face attention. She is a good napper, probably my best one yet, but she hasn't gotten the night time routine down yet. She still wakes once around 2 a.m. and then finishes the night in the swing. I know, I know, I will have to break her of that, but right now, I have to catch up on my sleep and you gotta do whatcha gotta do! For now, we are just enjoying a lot more peace and quiet - Thank you Lord!

Photo Shoot

2010-03-02T13:15:00.002-05:00

Our Little Family

Baby Love!

I thought getting a picture of 2 kids together was challenging, throw a newborn in the mix and it's near impossible. I have a very short fuse for picture taking. Although I want the perfect shot, I get very stressed very quickly trying to get it and then usually give up all together! Luckily on Sunday we were able to get a few decent shots. No particular reason, just finally got the girls in coordinating outfits and needed a new pic for the blog header! Here are a few extra shots we got, as you can see, Anna is very infatuated with her baby sister!

And so it begins...

2010-02-25T17:53:00.002-05:00

I pulled this out of Erin's bookbag today and asked what's this? To which she responded from behind a big grin, "It's from Noah!" About a week ago Erin took a card to school for Noah in which she wrote the words I love you! I know I probably should have censored it, but it was so cute. I guess he liked it, or his mom did, because he gave her a specially decorated card and a bouquet of lollipop roses. It made me blush when I saw it and Baba and I both looked at each other and said this is only the beginning!

Megan is 2 months old

2010-02-25T17:49:00.002-05:00

Can you believe Megan is already 2 months old? She weighed in at 10 pounds 8 oz, 23 1/2 inches long. She sure is giving us a run for our money. Just when you think you know what you're doing with this whole parenting thing, you get a child you just can't figure out. Everyone tells me I'll look back at this all one day and laugh - not laughing yet! Hoping brighter and happier days are in our near future. She's such a cute little girl and coos and smiles at us when she's content. I'm looking forward to the Spring when we can get outside and enjoy some fresh air and hopefully all her tummy issues will be resolved! Despite all her idiosyncrisies we do love her to pieces and love having 3 girls!

Daddy's Valentine's

2010-02-25T17:37:00.003-05:00

I have a feeling Joe is going to go broke every Valentine's Day. He was very sweet to pick out cards for the girls this year and get mommy roses. We always go out to eat as a family on Valentine's Day so that we don't have to ask the grandparents to babysit. Just so happens we went out for lunch this year, so Baba and Papa Joe came with us. Erin really got into the spirit this year giving her daddy lots of kisses - watch out boys of the future!

New Tinkerbell undies for Erin - they don't make Peter Pan ones for girls, or she would prefer them!

New Elmo undies for Anna - hope to use them soon!

Megan is sporting her little hearts pants - she can be quite cute when she wants to be!

Chillin at the Red Robin!
Erin's main squeeze this Valentine's Day

Stimulation

2010-02-09T15:08:00.002-05:00

Megan is enjoying her new stimulation! Anna is too. She has to be right there with Megan when she plays with her toys. I can't believe Megan is old enough to enjoy these toys now, but I do have to watch her as she tends to be like Erin and can easily become overstimulated. I will say when Megan is happy and pleasant she is smiling up a storm and trying hard to coo. These are sounds and sights we missed with Anna as she never really smiled or cooed. I'm happy to hear those sweet baby sounds again. Now, if we can just eliminate the crying, we'll be good to go!!!!

Erin's first report

2010-02-09T15:03:00.002-05:00

Erin had her first official report for school. Tomorrow is D for Dinosaur day and each student had to choose a dinosaur and find some facts about it and write a sentence about it. It really hit me hard when we were sitting at the kitchen table doing this together. I can't believe she is writing words and not asking me how to spell them and looking through books for information. I know this is the first of many school projects, and I hope I can keep my patience with her as well as I did with this one! She is just thriving in school and sometimes I'll ask, "where did you learn that" to which she responds, "at school of course, we learn all kinds of things." She's a little sponge. Oh, and Anna was insistent on being at the table with us, she never wants to miss a thing!

Peas and Carrots

2010-02-09T14:59:00.002-05:00

Blake and Anna are like peas and carrots, they just go together. They love to be around each other and often just follow one another around. Anna is very upset if Aunt Kim comes over without Blake, he's her special little buddy! I'm so glad they are close in age and can grow up together, although they often find trouble together - guess it goes with the territory!

Paintball MadMen

2010-02-09T14:54:00.002-05:00

Here they are ladies, our oldest children all decked out for paintball before the Super Bowl!

Snow Day!

2010-02-03T13:17:00.006-05:00

After years of waiting for the BIG ONE...we finally got it. Erin and Anna were the perfect ages to enjoy this huge snowfall (huge for Virginia Beach that is!) We were so excited to see Anna's reaction to the white stuff because she's never really encountered it. Erin just wanted to have a snowball fight like Buddy in Elf! Daddy was pretty excited to get to use the sled he bought 4 years ago at Sam's club for $4 that mommy had wanted to sell in a yard sale! I was just happy to have everyone home so I could have a few breaks from the mundane! So it worked for all of us and now that it's finally melting away, I don't think any of us wish it back. It can wait again until next year when the newness of it will once again excite everyone, even Megan!

NO APRAXIA HERE!

2010-01-27T10:02:00.002-05:00

I have wonderful news and a huge praise - Anna does not have Speech Apraxia!!!!! If you recall in former posts I mentioned that this was one of the main concerns with her new diagnosis of VCFS. The therapist at CHKD, who met her once, thought Anna had Speech Apraxia which is a very severe language disorder and would require years of tough speech therapy. Our therapist from Early Intervention is an expert in Apraxia and always gave me hope that Anna may not have it.

Two weeks ago Anna met her 5th goal in Speech Therapy that had been set back in October. Because she came so far so fast, her therapist feels comfortable saying that she does not have Apraxia! She feels Anna's speech issues stem from some deficits in phonological processing, setbacks from the palate issues, and low muscle tone around the mouth. We will still need to continue therapy for awhile, but we are so pleased that the road doesn't seem to be quite as long. Praise the Lord!

Life with Megan

2010-01-20T14:16:00.003-05:00

Hey there little buddy!

What a good little mommy Anna is!

We are slowly transitioning to life with another child. Anna is definitely more interested in Megan than Erin is. She is constantly bringing me her passy when she cries and often tries to stick it in Megan's mouth by herself. She loves to be in the center of the baby action. Anna also enjoys treating her bunny like a baby and offering it a passy and buckling it into the carseat.

These first 5 weeks have been challenging. We are working through some reflux issues with Megan and trying our best to remind ourselves that this time will pass and we will fall into a rhythm one day soon. Please pray for little Megan, her reflux is making her very uncomfortable and irritable. We are in contact with her doctor though and hope to have the issues resolved very soon! She is still has cute as a button just like 2 other little girls I know!

A published Artist

2010-01-08T09:12:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago Erin sent in a drawing to the Virginian-Pilot for their holiday gallery to be displayed on Christmas Day. That morning we hurriedly flipped through the insert with all of the children's art only to be disappointed that Erin's hadn't made the cut. She was sad that they didn't like her art. We took the opportunity to use it as a teaching experience that there will be disappointments in life as we were disappointed too. It wasn't until the next morning when Joe received an email from his boss congratulating Erin on her drawing in the paper that we realized we had completely missed it. It wasn't in the insert with all the other art - IT WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE of the paper. We all got super excited and started calling friends to save yesterday's paper! Erin was elated and was even more excited that her picture was above Barack Obama's in the paper - don't know where she comes up with stuff like that! We are so proud of our little artist and know this is the first of many illustrations to be printed by Erin!

Turning the Page...

2010-01-02T21:39:00.002-05:00

I love turning the calendar to a fresh new page. Nothing but a few scribbles on the new page of January. It is such a nice feeling to start not only a new month, but a new year. It's almost overwhelming to flip through last year's calendar and wonder if this year's will fill up just as quickly and go by just as fast. But for now, I'm basking in the fact that we're only 2 days into January and so far, nothing major adorns our calendar. It's fun to start talking about vacations we want to take this year and people we want to be sure and see, but it's also a reminder of all the failed attempts we made at the same things last year. How can we not let life "get in the way" of all those things our hearts really desire to do this year?

We had dinner with some very dear friends before Christmas and they asked us, "what can we do for you in this new year to best help you?" It's a loaded question and one you would think you could rattle off multiple answers to. But my mind and heart were quickly reminded about how "unplanned" life is. If the same question had been posed to me last year, I wouldn't have answered it appropriately because nothing could have prepared us for what our lives were going to hold last year. So I hesitated to answer it this year knowing that we just can't know how we're going to need help this year.

Our biggest story of the year was definitely Anna. Last January began with a bang. After all being sick over Christmas, Anna found herself facing another illness in late January which hospitalized her for 4 days. The pattern seemed to continue with a new illness every 3 weeks. Just as Spring set in and we thought the illnesses were behind us we noticed that she had some nasal regurgitation when drinking liquid. An appointment in August confirmed a submucous cleft palate and quickly led to a startling diagnosis for Anna. In September Anna was diagnosed with Velo Cardio Facial Syndrome which occurs when there is a deletion on the 22nd chromosome. From September to December we must have visited the doctor's office at least twice a week. That liitle girl has been poked more times than I have my whole life and she hardly ever cries about it. She has no idea all that she has gone through this year, I do believe mommy has carried most of the burden.

Over the last 4 months Anna and I have bonded in a very special way. She became my best friend because we went everywhere together, did therapy together 3 times a week, stayed home an awful lot together, and I poured my heart into her. She has opened up a new part of my heart. She has taught me how to completely and selflessly love someone. I had to give up a lot of things I once found to be so important, to protect her and do what was best for her, and I got so much in return. As a mom I have grown this year, as a woman I have changed and reprioritized, and as a child of God I have gone deeper into an understanding of God's love for me. My faith has been tested once again and I'd like to think it's been strengthened.

So as we turn the page to a new month and year, I rejoice that the only doctor's appt. on the calendar is for Megan. I don't know if this will be a "quiet" year, I'd like to think we're due one, or if it will be another trying year. But I do know the Lord is teaching me to take every day one day at a time. He hasn't forgotten us, He knows what He's doing and at the end of 2010, I'll hopefully be able to see a glimpse of His bigger picture, just as I can now looking back at 2009!

Christmas 2009 in Pictures

2009-12-30T15:48:00.003-05:00

W
Christmas was very Merry and Bright this year. We thoroughly enjoyed the day and the entire season. The best part of all was having our Megan with us to celebrate. What a wonderful way to spend Christmas, with a newborn baby!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-30T13:56:00.002-05:00

We made it to service on Christmas Eve and then had the whole crew over to our home for our annual get together with yummy holiday food. Anna found a new friend in Mr. Nieter and enjoyed some quality time with him. Of course, Erin entertained the crew and Anna and Blake filled the house with lots of cheer and laughter. It was a fun time of being together!

Meeting the Big Sisters

2009-12-30T13:44:00.002-05:00

Megan's big sisters were thrilled to meet her and get some snuggles in. Anna is very interested in her and is always bringing me her passy when Megan cries. Erin likes to talk to Megan on her own terms and doesn't pay her too much attention. The last picture was our first outing as a family of 5 on Christmas Eve - they all fit in the backseat with no room to spare! What a car full of girls!

Megan Joy Maggiore

2009-12-30T13:31:00.003-05:00

Our third precious little girl entered the world on December 16th. After being my most difficult pregnancy (well 3rd trimester) due to the fact that she was breech, it was a welcome relief to be holding her in my arms. I underwent a breech aversion procedure at 37 weeks to have her flipped and luckily it worked so I was able to have a normal delivery. This one was different from the other two due to the fact that I was voluntarily induced one week before my due date since the thought of being in the hospital on Christmas didn't appeal to me. Despite labor being started for me, it went smoothly and quickly. It all began about 9:15 and we were holding Megan by 3:00. It was absolutely an enjoyable experience and a great one to end with!!!! The epidural actually worked this time and my recovery has been so much easier.

Megan is 2 weeks old today and we see her beautiful eyes a little bit longer each day. She's even attempting smiles already. I have to admit, I am enjoying this stage with her since Anna's first few weeks were so difficult. I'm trying to soak it all in and not rush it, although I would love to sleep 8 consecutive hours at night - I know that time will come. For now, we are just enjoying our days as a family of 5. Daddy has been off work for 2 weeks and most days we just stay inside and try to stay warm. It's been rather relaxing and all the girls are doing great!

Breakfast with Santa

2009-12-09T14:58:00.003-05:00

It's a tradition to go to Founder's Inn every year and have breakfast with Santa. He is by far the best Santa in town, and the girls just thoroughly enjoy his singing. Anna got into it this year and enjoyed the "hand" painting and balloon. Talk about talent - this balloon guy can make just about anything. Erin went for her favorite character Big Bird and Anna got a Little Einsteins rocket that didn't leave her hand for about 4 days before it deflated. It was a morning of joy and festivities with the grandparents!

Thanksgiving 2009

2009-11-30T10:45:00.002-05:00

Erin is my sweet potato masher!

One cute, drooly girl!

Yummy...it was quite a spread.

Anna had no time to pose for a picture.

Erin and her 2 Grandmas.

What a sweet profile.

Dance party on the porch since it was a beautiful day.

My side of the family (can you see why I was referred to as a pumpkin!)

Joe's side of the family.

One of our last photos as a family of four!

Thanksgiving was so wonderful this year. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. We had a lazy morning at the house as we watched the parade and prepared our portion of the meal. Then we joined my parents at Joe's parents home for a delicious meal. I wish I had more room in my stomach, but I ate in between each of my naps. It was a gorgeous day outside so we all got to spend some time out on the back porch being entertained by little girls! We have much to be thankful for this year. When I think back to the beginning of the year and all that has transpired, I honestly feel like I could write a book. 2009 wasn't what we had anticipated it being, but I'm starting to figure out that nothing ever is quite what we anticipate. I am thankful for where the Lord has us, what He has brought us through and where He is taking us! And I'm very thankful for the people He has surrounded us with (that's you!), that make each step of life so much more bearable, enjoyable and special.

A Special Treat Day!

2009-11-30T10:37:00.003-05:00

I've always loved the day before a holiday - I love anticipation, excitement, and this year - a full day off of school for Erin. We even managed to convince Daddy to take the whole day off! So off we went to Build-A-Bear to make a special birthday present for Megan Joy. Erin made one for Anna before she was born so we wanted to carry on the tradition. Anna had a blast with the whole procedure and she picked out the bear's dress. Erin was such a big girl and filled in the birth certificate and chose Joy Elf as the bear's name. After the mall, we had a family lunch together and then the girls fell asleep in the car. It wasn't the plan, but traffic was terrible and it took us 45 minutes to get home from Lynnhaven Mall. We decided since nap time was over early we would attempt our first movie as a family. We took the girls to Cinema Cafe and again, Anna had a blast and actually sat in her chair for the entire movie. It was off to church for our Thanksgiving Eve service after that. We had the best day as a family of four just spending quality time together! I love days like that!

Giving Thanks

2009-11-30T10:05:00.003-05:00

Erin had a Thanksgiving feast at school last week where they sang 3 songs before eating. It was so cute and she enjoyed the time with friends. We had our Thanksgiving with my family last Sunday because most of them were going out of town. You can't see Blake, but Anna and Blake made it to the big kid table this year! By next year, the kids might just out number the adults! We are very thankful for our family and being so close to them. The kids are blessed to grow up with their cousins!

It's Judd Time...

2009-11-30T09:59:00.003-05:00

The Judds made a special trip up to visit with us before the Thanksgiving holiday. Erin was beside herself excited to see her best buddy Anderson. Of course we had to make her lay off the hugs and kisses, she tends to smother him! Anna found a new love, light sabers - poor girls don't ever get a taste of that! We made a special trip to Baba's house because Ryan and Anderson requested to ride the "Big Trucks." It was even nice enough for a picnic lunch. Then Sat. evening we made our way to a member's preview of the Botanical Garden lights, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. We always love our Judd time and look forward to many more visits - here and in Georgia!

Oh Marbles....

2009-11-30T09:41:00.003-05:00

We made our annual trip to Raleigh a few weeks ago to visit with our dear friends the Williams. We always caravan down with the Jacksons for a weekend of fun times and great memories. The "big" boys go to a Georgia Tech game while the girls and the kiddos find fun things to do. This year we finally made it to Marbles the Children's Museum downtown. I've always wanted to go and everyone was at a great age this year so that they all enjoyed it. I couldn't believe how huge and exciting the museum was. We could have spent all day there. Anna had the time of her life and all the kids had a great time together. Our favorite part was the Mr. Potato Head land and playing with the water works!

The Final Stretch

2009-11-23T14:50:00.002-05:00

Today marks 1 month exactly until my due date!!!!!! Which means Megan will be here very soon! We are so excited and all anticipating her arrival. She's got quite a Christmas layette and her room is all set up. Anna has transitioned nicely to the big girl's room. The only problem we have now is that Megan seems to want to make her entrance into the world difficult. She is currently head-up, so we need her to do some flippin' in the next few weeks. It's hard to believe the time is upon us!

The All Clear!

2009-11-18T08:57:00.002-05:00

Anna got the all clear Tuesday from her surgeon to resume normal eating activity, and for Anna, that means eating like a pig. She has been so patient with us as she has been on a liquid, or should I say mush, diet. She ate just about everything we ate, except it was in mush form. I think the hardest thing for her was not being able to chow down on rolls and bread. So last night to celebrate her return to the land of the eating we took her to Cracker Barrell. I have never seen her devour food so quickly and in such great quantity. It was so much fun watching her eat and smile! We are so thankful for her fast recovery and can't wait to see all that she can do now that her palate is repaired!

I stated in my last blog that I wanted to find the time to write down what the Lord has taught me through all of this. I think if there is one overlying theme it would be that His timing is always perfect. I have always struggled with wanting to be a planner and letting God know when it would be a good time to do something. I have some control issues! But, through everything with Anna I can see God putting me in the backseat and tellling me that I'm not driving, He is. I had to accept that all of her appointments were made in His timing, not mine. I wanted all of this taken care of back in June when it was first realized. I was perturbed to not get to see an ENT until August, and then not having surgery scheduled until October. But, I learned to sit back and take the appointments as they came, trusting that God was in control and placing us in front of the exact doctors Anna needed to see at the exact time she needed to see them. Even the day before surgery, after waiting 6 weeks, I knew that if she woke up with a fever or cold and couldn't have the surgery, there was a reason. It's a rather freeing thing to be able to take things as they come and trust that God is in complete control of even the littlest things. You can start to see God working in those little things, where you may have missed Him before. So through this all, I did learn to take it one day at a time and trust that God was in complete control, even of the litttle details, and on the other side of it, we are rejoicing in His faithfulness yet again.

Anna's Surgery

2009-11-01T15:41:00.004-05:00

An early morning for sure, but never too tired to play.

Bunny was with her every step of the way, he even went into surgery with her.

I love that she had pants to go with her gown.

Waiting to be taken to surgery.

In the Post surgery unit still trying to wake up from anesthesia.

So sleepy, just snugglin with Maw Maw

Dr. Hoere and Anna

Let's get moving....

Snuggling with her new sleeping bag and special pillow from The Jacksons.

Anna had her submucous cleft palate repaired and tubes put in both ears on Thursday, Oct. 29th. We had been anticipating this day since finding out in August that she had this issue. We woke her up at 6:15am since we needed to be at the hospital by 6:45 for pre-surgery things. She was not very happy that she couldn't have any juice and kept signing for it and wondering why I was withholding.

Surgery started a little after 8:30 and the surgeon came to talk to us at 10:50 to tell us everything had gone perfectly. Anna had a hard time waking up from the anesthesia and would just look at us for a moment and then close her eyes. By Thursday afternoon though she was awake and slightly uncomfortable. Thursday evening she finally finished an entire ice cream cup as well as a jello cup. By Friday morning she was bouncing off the walls and wanted to play. She at another ice cream cup and jello cup. We couldn't believe how quickly she bounced back.

It doesn't appear that she is in too much discomfort. She is very mad at us that we won't give her a normal meal. She has to be on a liquid diet for at least 2 weeks. We're trying not to get ahead or ourselves, but we feel like we're already hearing an improvement in her speech. I know it will take a couple of weeks, but we're praying hard for new sounds and attempts everyday.

Anna will resume her busy schedule this week of 2 speech therapies and we're adding a physical therapy to help with overall low muscle tone and balance. The goal is to discontinue physical therapy by the end of the year and hopefully only need 1 speech therapy.

We also received some outstanding news by letter on Saturday. Anna's bloodwork came back from 6 weeks ago, and the immunologist is not overly concerned about her. Her blood showed only a slightly lower than normal number of T cells (infection fighting cells), and the ones she does have work very well. She also has a great number of B cells (the ones that make antibodies.) So with a new daily vitamin and 2 booster shots to help prevent against pneumonia, her immune system is weaker than most, but not seriously impeded. We will probably still lay low for this winter since we'll have the baby soon, but hopefully in the Spring Anna can live a completely normal life!

I think that is all the details for now. I want to post again in the next couple of days to just lay my heart out there so I can remember how the Lord has brought us through yet another big trial and proven once again how magnificent HE is! Love to you all and many thanks for all the prayers being lifted up for Anna!

Hallelujah Harvest 2009

2009-10-27T14:39:00.003-04:00

Fairy Princess Anna and Cinderella Erin

Our friends from Small Group's children

The cousins!

Anna and Blake had the right idea!
Anna wanted to eat everything they gave her...save some for mommy!

Getting the hang of it very quickly!

We attended our annual Hallelujah Harvest on Sunday night. The girls were both princesses! They had a great time collecting candy and then they joined daddy at his "trunk" to help distribute candy. As always, it was a blast!

Countdown and Lockdown

2009-10-26T13:10:00.002-04:00

We have begun the countdown - yeah! Anna's palate surgery is scheduled for first thing Thursday morning, and it's so nice to finally be at this point in time. We've decided to put Anna in full lockdown mode this week which means she isn't going anywhere! We want her to be healthy on Thursday and with the outbreak of the flu running rampid we aren't taking any chances. Please continue to pray with us for her perfect health for Thursday. We also ask for your prayers concerning her recovery being quick and as painless as it can be. Our biggest heart's desire is that within a few weeks after surgery we will see a major improvement in her speech. If she does this, they will not "label" her with apraxia and attribute the delay to overall low muscle tone, palate issues and related to her VCFS - all things that can be overcome in a shorter time frame. Thank you all for your continued care and concern for us as we jump over this next hurdle! We can't wait to rejoice with all of you on what's on the other side!

Anna's First Field Trip

2009-10-15T14:34:00.004-04:00

Anna and I attended her first official field trip with the Early Intervention Program yesterday. They invited us to go along with other families enrolled in the program to the Pumpkin Patch. Since Anna loved the Hunt Club so much, I couldn't pass up this opportunity to go to Taylor Farm. We had a fun time together looking at the animals, taking a hayride and picking out another pumpkin! She really enjoys being outside and surrounded by animals and she is so fascinated with pumpkins!

Doctors Orders

2009-10-15T11:02:00.001-04:00

Anna's therapist wants her to do exercises that bring attention to her mouth. One of the suggestions was giving her thick liquids to drink through straws, like a milkshake. So Anna thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of training, and big sister got in on the action too!

NO MAMA....

2009-10-12T12:58:00.002-04:00

Today during speech therapy Anna said her first recognizable 2 word phrase...NO MAMA! Well, we're happy she put 2 words together, but did it have to be no mama? I guess I'll be hearing a lot of this in the months to come! We are very excited at this progress though and think the excitement outweighs the actual content!

Cute, but certainly not Inncocent

2009-10-09T13:35:00.003-04:00

Reading her new favorite book, Brown Bear, Brown Bear

Anna was playing rather well independently yesterday....the playroom showed why. Yes, that cute little girl, made all that mess by herself! No wonder it was so quiet!

Pumpkin' Patchin' and Bus Ridin'

2009-10-06T13:12:00.006-04:00

Erin had her first Kindergarten field trip today, which meant her first ride on the school bus. Appears she really liked it! We went to Hunt Club and the kids did the hay ride, petting zoo, snack and pumpkin picking. A beautiful morning with lots of photo opportunities!

The kids arriving on the bus!

She looks so tall in jeans.
Posing for a picture!

Mommy and the girls!

MawMaw and the girls!

Erin and Kaci

Erin and the baby goats!

The goats took a liking to Anna!

2 cute sisters

To the Pumpkin Patch we go....

2009-10-06T12:59:00.004-04:00

On Saturday we followed tradition with a family trip to the Pumpkin Patch with our good friends the Saunders. We certainly missed having the Judds with us this year. We decided to try a new patch where the pumpkins are actually still on the vine. I think Erin liked the "hunt" more and Anna just liked her freedom. We also took a horse drawn carriage ride which was really fun. Some girls from our church that Erin just adores met us at the farm to spend some time with us! Anna has learned the sign for pumpkin and points them out everywhere we go. Erin is just begging me to make a pie out of our pumpkin. Think I'll stick with the canned kind!

Student of the Month and an Anniversary

2009-09-30T20:20:00.002-04:00

Erin was awarded "Student of the Month" at school this morning. We are so proud of her and how well she has adjusted to school. She truly loves it and loves learning and I know she is going to have a great year.

Today is also the 1 year anniversary of her asking Jesus into her heart. She has grown in her love for the Lord over the last year and she displays a heart for others. She often tells us that she loves us, but she loves Jesus more. How can we complain about that. I pray that her faith will continue to grow strong and she will be a light to others around her!

Training Her Up!

2009-09-29T08:19:00.003-04:00

Before....

After!!!!!!

I guess one thing about having all girls is that I can train them to help me with my chores, whereas Daddy will be left to fend for himself. Erin willingly and happily spent about 40 minutes folding her and Anna's laundry yesterday. Anna loves to help me put it in the washer and now I have this part taken care of it. Before you know it, they'll be able to do it all. I hope the newness of this task doesn't wear off anytime soon!