Gabriella's 1st Birthday!!

On Saturday July 26th we celebrated baby Gabby's 1st birthday!  This was a VERY special day for more than one reason, one because every first birthday is special, two because she was not expected to survive and has!  This baby girl has gone through more obstacles and continues to go through them, but she's a fighter!  She's proof that the power of prayer works, I'm a firm believer in that!  The Italian and American meaning of Gabriella is "Woman of God" , The Swedish meaning is "Strength from God." I know her Mom chose the name not based on the meaning most like but it is awesome now!








They had picnic food and drinks, and it was held at Hoffer Park.  So the kids had a slide and swings to play on, and Noah was more interested in the half a tree!  But it was a great time!  It was great weather, and there was a pretty good breeze blowing for the party.  Gabby girl got a lot of nice clothes and gifts! 


I have pictures I have wanted to upload with this post, and actually have been putting off publishing the post because I have been fighting with blogger, thinking, oh maybe tomorrow I'll be able to upload the pictures.  But NO....I haven't been able to for whatever reason, the cache is cleared and everything, and I have Picasa.  I have no Idea!  If your on my FB you see the BEAUTIFUL pictures of God's miracle, Gabriella Marie!  She is honestly a true miracle, and continues to overcome whatever they say she "can't" or "won't" do!  Still seeing constant therapists for everything but as I said before she's a fighter, and has proven that since day one, when born at only a little over a pound 1 lb 8 oz and now that she is a year she's only about 13 pounds!  That's AMAZING to be that some babies weigh that by the time they are 3 or 4 months old, and yet she is a year, and just now wearing 0-3 and 3-6 month clothes!  She's a long baby girl that's why.  That is a testimony to EVERYONE who has had full term babies that were born healthy, be thankful.  How blessed am I to have been given Noah, a happy, Healthy little boy full of life!  Gabby is just the same, she just came a little too early, and in return has overcome many many stuggles since.  I cannot imagine how the heartstrings are tugged daily,  But her Mom, my little cousin Tiffany is doing good, hanging tough! 


Happy First Birthday Gabriella Marie!


God Is Good!

Noah Edward

Well this boy is definitely ALL boy there is NO doubt about that!  His Pediatrician referred him to a behaviorist in March when he had his 4 year WCC.  We started monthly trips to Mark in April with the last one this month.  We have no more appointments set up with him, I think he is even at a loss as to what to do with him.  His last result or should I say suggestion was medication due to his energy.  He's sort or concerned that he might be ADHD or have some sort of depression disorder.  It's disturbing to me as his Mother, I want to get to the bottom of it and find out what is wrong if something is "wrong".  It's better to get to the bottom of things early than when he's in his teens and "pretend" everything is "OK."  I know normally all you read in blogs, including my own are the good things or the happy things but this is necessary to because MAYBE someone will read it who is having the same issues or similar and will feel not alone, cause I kinda feel alone trust me!




So his behavior really started as the typical terrible twos, or threes.  But it has greatly escalated.  Now he talks in this mean voice, not all the time just when he doesn't get what he wants or he's angry.  He hits, he's very very defiant.  Don't look at you when your talking to him unless your right in his face reminding him every 30 seconds to look at you.  To be perfectly honest, I don't know if it was just because I'm his Mom and being naive or what but I honestly thought maybe it was just the fact that it was that he was a strong willed child.  Which HE IS!  He is smart, probably too smart for his own good.  But he's very defiant and that has to stop. 






I have been going to church every week, when we aren't at camp.  I have been trying to bring him with me when he's home at least every other week.  He knows he is suppose to sit and not talk and such but do you think that happens?  No he normally starts acting up when church starts, and it's just to be smart.  I know it is!  Like I said he's not dumb!  Then when it's children's church he won't go up front, and then it's time to go downstairs he tries to act all shy.  He knows everyone there, last week the guy that took him down picked him up and carried him down!  He was with him all through VBS and is normally with him on Sundays too, so Noah knows him, and I did NOT mind at all!






This weekend Noah went to camp with my Mom and Dad.  I had to work today, and it sounds mean and I probably shouldn't even say it but I enjoy the peace and quiet.  I needed this.  I really did, for a week I suffered through a headache, and then I had eye issues for 2 days, and now again this leg issue still hanging on.  I gotta say MS sucks!  I must say that even though I have to deal with the stress of a defiant 4 year old, living with my parents, and this Multiple Sclerosis.  I am blessed, blessed more than I probably deserve to be.  You know I was planning on moving out after my car was paid off which was in April.  And still often think of it.  Especially when I find nice places in nice neighborhoods cheap.  But then God kicks this MS up, and or my sons behavior, and I'm reminded just how much better we probably are here right now anyway.  I can pay the bills I have, and pitch in towards this household now that I don't have the close to $500 payment a month. 

Mid July....when did this happen???

I cannot believe it's mid July already, I feel like we just celebrated the 4th.  The older I get the faster the time goes.
So life has pretty much been the same old lately, nothing dramatically new or anything.  Noah is finished with Pre-School and as of June 9th is in Pre-K.  He seems to like it, during the summer they go on a few  field trips, so he has gotten to go to Lake Tobias and just today they we wnt to Let's Pretend, then to Hoffer Park for a Picnic and to play for a little while!  He had fun! 
I'm still having behavior issues with him.  We were to the behavior specialist 4 times, and it did seem to work until after the 3rd visit.  Literally we left there that time and a switch flipped and he was not only normal but WORSE, so Monday when we went for the 4th time he seemed to not know what to say to do.  So that kinda made me feel at a loss, I mean this boy is smart, too smart for his own good maybe.  He started talking ADHD and medication and all this, and I'm sorry he's 4, my son is NOT going on medication.  I mean do not get me wrong I get it if they need it they need it but NOT at 4.  So I sat down and made a Rules list and Chores list.  After his bath last night my Mom and I sat with him in his room and went over them, told him that it was going to start in the morning. 
First thing this morning......perfect, got up talked nice, got himself dressed, everything great....until we left.  We go to get in the car, to go to school, he decides in stead of getting in his booster seat he's going to put down the middle of the seat and climb through to the back.  Yeah this was the "fight" at 7 this morning for 5 minutes that SHOULD NOT have happened. 
Had a perfect day at school, purple card (yay), then Grammy took him up to Aunt Joann's after she got off work to play with Antonio for a little and they didn't come home until 6.  Also was perfect there as well, then he came home and had a few incidents, one in particular was BAD kicking screaming knocking stuff over, acting like a maniac, you couldn't talk to him because he was being loud.  So what does Mom do?  Pick him up and carry him to his room, and tell him to stay there until he's done, he said he was done so I tried talking to him a little bit about it  Then we get a bath and he is all better!  Went to bed around 8:45 read 3 books he had me get on my kindle and he was out like a light.
I love my son and there is nothing that I wouldn't do for him, including get to the bottom of what exactly is  going on with him.  Is it just a behavior issue, is it ADHD, is it a Depression thing, what EXACTLY is it???????  I don't know, it makes  me sad.  I just want to figure stuff out.  That's what I have been trying to do since April....but apparently we have back slided somehow.  I don't know.

Knoebels 2014

This past Saturday, my Mother did something totally out of the ordinary! She said that she was thinking of either going to Knoebels or Dutch Wonderland with the kids, then she found out that Dutch Wonderland was a big rip off just like Hersheypark when it comes to admission prices and that Parker would be the only one free, Knoebels on the other hand has free parking, free admission you just have to pay for tickets to ride the rides! Weis market has coupons you can buy a $20 ticket book for $16 then turn the coupon in at the park and they give you the $20 coupon book! So we bought 3 of those, and did not leave the park (which we closed the park down at 10) with one single ticket! The boys had SUCH a great time, and so did we all! We all were exhausted including the kids but it was totally worth it!

some Superheros and Spongebob dancing together!

Noah and Aunt Danielle on the Flume

He LOVED this

He made Grammy take him on this to....cause Mommy wouldn't!

Aunt Chrissy and Parker on the Farris Wheel

Noah and I, and he looks scared to death but he loved it when he started going!

Gtammy taking her boys on a train ride!

  We didn't get home until midnight,  and when I woke up for Church Sunday morning it felt like I just went to sleep but I would do that all over again this weekend if I could!  I had such a great time with my family and Noah and my nephew!  It's the greatest feeling in the world to see your child's face light up and them be so happy and excited!  Parker was a real ham all day and was SUPER happy to!  I loved it!  It was a EXTRA SPECIAL treat since my Mom NEVER is spontaneous and this trip was totally unplanned and that NEVER happens with her!  I loved it!

Parker is TWO!

My handsome Nephew Parker Harrison turned two on June 23rd!  His Birthday party was on Saturday the 21st at his house, just some family was there but it was still a GREAT time!  He is a ham, everyone loves that boy more than a little bit!  He had a Monsters University themed party which was fun, he loves Mike, just as much as he loves Mickey Mouse, and Tractors!  It's funny because even though they are different, as every child is, I see so much similarities between him and Noah and their likes.  When Noah was about two he was obsessed with tractors as well, which is why he had a tractor themed party for his 2nd birthday!   It's hilarious!

On the 23rd, I took the day off work as my sister always does for Noah's Birthday as well!  Danielle to.  We had originally planned to go to the Whitaker center, however upon further investigating they are also CLOSED Mondays.  There are a WHOLE lot of places closed on Mondays, we ran into the same problem when we were looking for something to do with Noah on his day which happen to fall on a Monday as well!  Good think about a summer birthday?  We could go swimming!  Both boys LOVE water! 

So we went for breakfast at The Soda Jerk, then headed to Little Buffalo!  The boys both had a blast in the water, even the adults did to!

after breakfast ride on the pony!

After we left here we went back to my sister's and hung out there for the rest of the afternoon/evening.  My Mom came over and enjoyed a cook out with us.  Parker opened some more presents also.  I gotta say I think the little guy had a pretty good 2nd Birthday!

    

Parker will soon be able to handle all the yard work! He got a blower, weed whacker, and a new lawn mower for his birthday! Now he has two mowers, that will make his Mommy to have help with her yard work! He even knows exactly what to do with the weed whacker!

I am so proud of my little Nephew!  He's growing up SO fast, and learning new things all the time, he's such a pleasure to be around!  I love him and Noah with all my heart!

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY PARKER HARRISON!  AUNT BRINA LOVES YOU TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!

VBS

Almost two weeks ago now we had our Vacation Bible School at our Church. Noah attended and I volunteered.  It was a great week!  As you can see from the flyer, they were gracious enough to serve a FREE dinner to the children and their families!  Kid friendly favorites were served like chicken nuggets, hot dogs, burgers, mac and cheese, walk away tacos, breakfast for dinner plus veggies and fruit and lets not forget always a great desert!  The kids were divided into 3 groups, the preschoolers, then 2 different groups of school age.  Then they rotated through different sections for the night spending 20 minutes in each spot.

I helped in the Science/Crafts section! I got to work with two very lovely ladies from the Church who I already knew, so we got along well!  Jan and Cis, we made a great team!  We had a lot of fun teaching the kids and reinforcing Jesus' love for us and how no matter what, He's always there, and always loves us, no matter how different we all are.  Each night each kid got to take home a little something to remind them that even if they are different Jesus loves them.  Each thing was neat and did different fun stuff!  I hope all the kids had a great time!

Each item did something special, the green thing whistled, the yellow long item you spun and then it stopped and went the opposite way, the little top flipped and spun on the big part first and then the stem, the red thing sunk and you added something and it floated to show it Jesus he keeps you afloat, and the flyers well they are self explanitory!

It was a L O N G week, working 8-430 then by the time that was over we were heading to the Church 530-545 then not getting home until 830 or so....then it was bath Noah and get him to bed.  He was exhausted by the end of the week and so was I, but it was totally worth it!

Discover the Dinosaurs

Today Noah and I asked his cousin to join us in going to this Discover the Dinosaurs thing they were having at the Farm Show this weekend!  Original plans were to go Saturday, but they couldn't make it then and I knew he would have much more fun going with someone than going alone, so we waited until Sunday to go and, God forgive us- we skipped Church since it started at 10 today.  Original plans were to go to Church first and then go but we just changed our minds to better suit everyone else involved.   First Noah and I met Antonio and his Mom at McDonald's for breakfast, then headed straight up to the Farm Show!  There we also met up with Sue (who is Antonio's Grandma), Aunt Joann (who is also Antonio's Great Grandma). So we had a pretty fun time anyway!

Now....for the Dinos.....I have to tell you that Noah walked through this mostly the whole time like this

with his ears covered as if it was super loud and he couldn't stand it..

Next it was the big for dinosaur bones and coloring, Noah is not a colorer, so he just dug for bones!

They are VERY smart this company, in order to get to the bounce houses, the rides, and concessions you had to go through the gift shop! lol Needless to say the boys were wanting everything in site!  Noah got a T-shirt, since that's useful and not something that he's going to throw to the side in a week, and Sue was kind enough to buy him a little Dino noise maker and Val bought him a Dino ring!  Thanks everyone!
Then it was on to the bounce houses, everyone stopped for a drink and short breather.  Noah and I weren't hungry so we didn't have anything to eat here but everyone else got stuff.

Antonio had no problem riding the T-Rex, Noah stood in line twice and backed out both times!

yes, sucker is written on my forehead!

We had a great day! Four hours we spent there, and it was really the greatest time. It didn't seem like that long while we were there. Then we came home and Noah and Poppy drove their R/C trucks for a little and while Gram and I went to the Grocery Store. Then after we ate dinner we ended up going to to elementary school to ride our bikes and play for a little while. I think now it's bed time for Noah and Mommy!