update on my brain- for lack of a better title :)

We had the long awaited follow up with my neurologist this afternoon & thankfully have some answers after some uncertainty of what is happening with my brain. If you have not read the post "not even sure what to title this", feel free to catch up to the current time by clicking on the link : )

The kids & I enjoyed time in Kingwood with my family in early October & once we returned, I worked a night shift, snoozed for a couple hours then headed in to get my early Halloween costume on.....aka my EEG monitor.  I had forgotten to bring something to wear over my head so I looked a bit silly when exiting the premises.  On the way to the car I told my mom that I looked like I had a bomb attached to me & hoped no one would call the police while we were driving down the highway. 

For those of you who joined us in praying for an episode to occur while being monitored via EEG, THANK YOU! In the perfect provision of the Lord, I had an episode within twenty minutes of the attachment of twenty-six lovely electrodes to my noggin! I had been episode free for nearly two weeks & hopeful that one would happen but preparing myself for the possibility of three more episode free days.  It even happened in the car...talk about a quick answer to prayer! I had never been so excited to feel that awful. I went the rest of the 72 hours without having another occurrence.  As expected, the kids found my many wires interesting, especially Mr. Electronics (Owen). It was easier to sleep comfortably than I imagined & although I thought I might die when not able to bathe for that many days in a row, I survived. I thoroughly enjoyed scrubbing all the glue out of my scalp when it was complete. Thanks to the many years spent circulating cesarean sections, I had all sorts of cute scrub caps to wear helping me feel stylish. I laid low in the confines of my home until the last day when I decided to venture out to Charlotte's school. The kids stared but that's what they do right? All said & done, It wasn't a big deal at all & provided much insight for my Neurologist. Here I am sporting my alma mater. I sent this picture to my college roomie Cheryl who responded with a "Where's Waldo" comment about the baby under my armpit....that made me laugh! Poor Anson looks like he was a character in "Honey I Shrunk the Kids!"

Between the ending of my monitoring & my appointment today, I have had three more episodes with the latest one leaving me unaware of my surroundings. Thanks to the findings on the EEG, he was able to diagnose me with a seizure disorder. The findings showed that I am having focal (or partial) seizures originating in the temporal lobe.  If left untreated they will likely continue, worsen & potentially cause irreversible memory loss.  This part of the brain also plays an important role in personality so over the course of time with no treatment, I could experience some changes in that area as well if there is continued damage to my brain.  I will begin an anti-epileptic medication that will be titrated through the next ten weeks then will have blood drawn in 12 weeks to make sure I am therapeutic on the prescribed dosage.  

I had about a million questions today one of which pertained to wondering if there was any relation between epilepsy & estrogen. About eight weeks prior to the start of my episodes I began an estrogen based contraceptive which I have not taken in nearly ten years.  It did not even cross my mind until I was talking with an OB I work with a couple weeks ago. We along with a few nurses were playing a "Dr. House" style game to diagnose me & talked about the possibility of it having any correlation. My Neurologist said that estrogen can be a trigger for seizures & he thinks that it is possible that the combination of estrogen & sleep deprivation may have triggered the start of my seizures.  Needless to say, I was happy to throw the rest in the trash can or as Eloise says so adorably "the tash cran." Another important question had to do with driving or no driving......the answer....he recommended NO driving until I am therapeutic on my medication & seizure free which at the earliest will be the end of January.  We have been living that way since the end of September & it has been a challenge but we are making it. My little ones are a quite antsy to get out of the house...as am I ; ) 

It was great to explain what is going on to the girls. Part of the Classical Conversations curriculum includes anatomy & physiology. Here is how our conversation went. 

Me: "Charlotte, what does the brain do?"

Char: "It send messages to every part of your body & tells them what to do."

Me: "You are right! The doctor told mommy today that my brain isn't working right. It is slow sending messages sometimes & that is why mommy feels sick sometimes & has to rest."

Char: "Are you okay Mommy?"

Me: "I am going to take some medicine that will help me feel better."

Char: "Can I eat another cookie?" 

She was tracking just long enough to know I was going to be alright then jumped right back into kid world ; ) They have been so sweet though. The entire time I had my EEG monitors on Eloise kept coming up to me, hugging me & saying "I sorry you so sick Mommy." I tried to explain that I wasn't sick but then she was just soooo cute saying it I quit trying to correct her. When I have felt crummy the past two seizures, the girls have brought me water & told me to rest while they entertain themselves which usually involves lots of screaming & running. The "Nest" sounds like such a restful place but in reality, it is not very restful right now! 

We are feeling quite thankful for a diagnosis this evening even though it is now a life long disorder that will need treatment barring God healing my brain completely on this side of eternity.  I am hopeful the Lord will draw near to us as we experience a change of pace in life.  We (me & the Fab Four) will be home most of the time & relying on others for transport. In some ways I look forward to the simplicity of a day when all revolves around the house but I know how crazy that can make me feel too. We are praying that God will provide what we need exactly when we need it & look forward to trusting Him as we walk through a new trial. Please continue to pray for those who reside at the Valentine Nest! We are thankful for you. 

Roughing it

Camping. The word alone stirs up happy memories from years ago...enjoying life in the great outdoors with little commitment to do anything other than relax...playing with my brothers...fishing... exploring...sleeping under the stars. We (the Ellis family) spent many a family trip camping & we even pulled a pop up camper all the way from Houston to Disney World! I also think about some college camping trips to Palo Duro Canyon when Robby & I were dating. In fact, I often think of a certain trip where I told him I loved him for the first time following him telling me not once but twice (thinking I didn't hear him the first time) the week prior. I am reminded of this trip daily due to a mini duo frame on my bathroom counter with a picture of each of us standing in a stream in swimsuits. I'm not sure why I never switched it out but it always makes us laugh since much has changed since this all began back in 2003. We look a little different now ; ) Soon after we married we met my parents & brothers for a camping trip in the Texas Hill Country & had a wonderful week away. That was the trip that we unknowingly drove with a tumbleweed on the front of my little Mazda 626 until we noticed it at a gas station. Once we were settled into Dallas, we embarked on a couple camping trips to Tyler State Park. One with our dear friends Andrew & Renata & the other with a newly engaged couple, Steve & Jenny. Each of these needs their own paragraph : ) 

Andrew & Renata were not the most outdoorsy friends we had back in 2007 but regardless of how they felt about the great outdoors, they bit the bullet, bought some camping gear & were all in on our plan. The guys along with Bennett & Bella who were just wee little pups drove out on a Friday afternoon to get things set up. They enjoyed a relaxing evening minus the whining of Bennett who did not like to get his paws dirty. Renata picked me up from work that night & we too made our way out to East Texas.  Robby had his tent from early college that comfortably fit two grown adults but felt a bit more snug than the mansion sized tent the Jensen's had purchased for their first camp out. They joked that evening saying "we got our big screen TV hooked up if you two want to come over & watch a movie with us!" or "you can take the staircase up to the second level!" It was pretty funny & only got funnier as the sun went down, the sky opened up & the rain began to pour! We were cozy in our little tent & staying dry until the pups heard a raccoon, one used their claw to slice a large hole in the "door" then took off into the woods. I am pretty sure we looked like crazy people running around trying to catch our mongrel dogs.  Thankfully the rain had let up a bit but when we finally captured our wild animals (one of which had a huge gash near her ear that was bleeding) we were forced back into our tent covered in mud with stinky wet pit bulls. Andrew was yelling amenities provided in their tent if we would like to join them to lay next to their giant double layered air mattress. We stayed put to insure there were no more escapees.  The rain was pouring again in no time at all & by morning we had a river flowing underneath our tent! We packed up soaking wet in the torrential downpour & made our way back home. We weren't going to let the rain stop us from enjoying all our plans though! Andrew & Renata stayed at our house the rest of the weekend, we cooked all the meals we had plan to cook & ate all the giant chewy sweet tarts Andrew & I had purchased for our shared addiction. We didn't get to have a fire but that was okay....we were all able to shower & that was a plus! All in all it was a super fun & funny camp out. 

Steve & Jenny had just gotten engaged & Jenny was living with us at the time which was really special.  Rob & I were forced to purchase a new tent following the excitement of "rooming" with two that had a high prey drive on our previous camping trip. We headed back to Tyler State Park & spent the weekend with the young & in love new couple ; ) We took the kayaks there for the first time & took turns paddling around the lake. We did a lot of laughing including watching Bennett swim like a dolphin & applauded him as he figured out he could put his upper body on the bench while stretching out his back legs & avoid getting two of four paws dirty....he actually fell asleep like this. The funniest memory I have from this camping trip was when we got in the tent. Our new one was a four person backpacking tent. We are not large people & it was a tight squeeze & stinking hot in there. We filled up Nalgene bottles with ice water & were taking turns holding them on our heads. It was pitch black so Jenny & I started taking pictures of all of us laying in the tent but the hilarious part was that we would never know what the person looked like while being photographed until we saw it pop up on the screen. Oh my goodness, I still remember my stomach hurting from laughing so hard! Two great things about that trip, it didn't rain & we got smart & brought two dog kennels & zipped them up into our broken down tent. 

The last camp out we attempted while living in Orlando was ruined by rain AGAIN! It was okay though because I was about 24 weeks pregnant with Charlotte & was not too keen about sleeping on the ground ; ) Fast foward to present day....

We have been a little busy having babies & attempting to care for them so camping has gone by the wayside since March 23, 2009.  The opportunity presented itself for us to go camping with other families from Charlotte's Classical Conversations group & we jumped on the idea! We decided to leave the boys at home to get loved on by Aunt Sandy, Aunt Sharon & G.Gran & spend some quality time with the girlie pies. They were beyond thrilled to go camping & talked about it non stop for the week leading up to our trip. Thankfully G.Gran came over early that Friday afternoon so I could get us all packed up before Rob got home from work. Since so much time had passed, I felt a little rusty with what & how to pack but we managed to bring most all important items. 

Due to my inability to drive at the current time, we had saved a couple stops for when we were headed out of town.  We loaded up in the truck which the girls think is just about the best thing ever! We were headed to Isle du Bois at Ray Roberts State Park which is only about an hour north of us so we figured it should take about an hour to get there right? WRONG. We got down to the end of the street & I remembered that I had left the ice chest so we turned back for that. Next stop, Tom Thumb for some ice & firewood followed by a quick run into Starbucks for a french press because you just can't camp without one, then the gas station for a fill up. We made our way to the highway, got on George Bush & stopped within five minutes because one of the kayaks was bouncing around. Rob tightened it up & we made it five more minutes to the North Tollway before Robby realized that he had forgotten his jacket & it was going to be a chilly weekend. SO....then we stopped at a Dick's Sporting Goods in Frisco & let him run in to get something cozy. While he was inside the girls were getting grumpy & Eloise yelled out of nowhere "I hate, hate, hate, hate this! Why do we have to stop twenty times to go camping! This is not fun!" I couldn't help it & I laughed out loud. I knew exactly how she was feeling ; ) We had a nice discussion about what the word "flexibility" means & how in a family of six we will have to live that way for a lifetime. Then we played a nice little game of "I Spy" to pass the time. Soon, our leader was back in the truck & we were on our way. There was SO much traffic even when we got into some wide open spaces....it was a slow moving trip. We were nearing the two hour mark when we decided we were starving & made our sixth & final stop at Sonic for some din-dins. It was a good decision considering our race against the sunset to set up our tent & cooking gear upon our arrival.  It was good & greasy, kinda how you feel when you are camping. 

The girls were SOOOOO happy when we arrived.... 

Rob got our tent set up while the girls played with some kiddos from school.  There were about six or seven families & around 20-25 kids from three to maybe fourteen. Originally I thought this was the perfect set up for our first family campout with the girls but it proved to be more challenging..I will elaborate more later but just to mention a few things, there was a scooter gang between all our kids, too many hills & too many crashes, a slight obsession with the "boy next door," & some friction between me & that leader I mentioned...we weren't quite as lovey as those camping trips in college... Recipe for disaster ; )

After we did some playing & visiting, Rob got our campfire going & we got the s'mores a cookin! Once it was dark & a little cooler, we were snuggled in our chairs & Charlotte said "Can you tell us some scary stories?" I thought to myself, "Whose child are you?" She most certainly did not get that from me since being scared is my least favorite thing in life! Robby jumped right into a story that had me laughing the rest of the weekend. I can't remember all the details but the story was about twin boys who didn't obey their parents while they were camping. I'm guessing this theme came to mind easily following the previous hour with the girls ; ) Anyway, when those disobedient twins were running through the woods they tripped on a log & got their heads stuck inside jack-o-lanterns. The story ended with saying "Sometimes at night when you look around, you can see two jack-o-lanterns glowing in the dark." He had them look around & their eyes got a little bigger when they spotted the jack-o-lanterns at a campsite across from ours. HA! I was really wondering what on earth he was thinking when he agreed to tell a "scary story" but I think he did a fabulous job. After the sticky, yummy s'mores & some fireside snuggling we snuggled up in our tent. We commented on how much more comfortable it is with two small children instead of those lovebirds we last shared a tent with ; ) It was also about 30 degrees cooler which provided the perfect surrounding for sleep. I know it might sound crazy but I slept better camping than I do at home! It was amazing even though our little ladies were early risers!

We made an early run to the potty then got some breakfast going. Before we knew it, the sun was rising & the girls were allowed to talk louder than a whisper. Camping breakfasts growing up always included something we called "Arkansas's" which are biscuits cut into smaller pieces, cooked in oil then rolled in sugar....are you drooling yet? I am! They were amazing, as expected.

We did have to balance it out with some fruit though...

After breakfast & clean up was a walk to the lake, some scootering with friends & then we headed out for some exploring which was my favorite part of our weekend. There was a path through the woods directly behind our tent that led to a paved path that had to have been miles long. The girls rode scooters & we walked behind stopping here & there to take some pictures.  I just love how Charlotte is leaning on Robby.

Those girls hopped onto this branch for some bull riding...

You may notice Eloise has her helmet on in just about every camping picture. One, she did a lot of scooter riding & two, we figured it might be smart for her to wear one all the time with her dare-devilish tricks ; ) Here they are on the path...

We came upon some hike in campsites that we think we might try out next time. They backed up against the lake & offered much more shade & much more safety for little bitty kids without cars driving by every five minutes. We parked the scooters, walked to the edge of the lake, saw a large snake in the grass & took off back to the site.

Eloise was hitting nap time & getting more feisty by the minute. Our tent was in direct sunlight so we improvised and made a little bed for her on the side of the truck....you know you're a red neck if...

 She avoided her nap like it was the plague so her Daddy told her he was going to hang her upside down with the lantern....she liked that.

Our full first day included a crash on the scooter for Charlotte with a skinned knee & chin, a scavenger hunt with all the kids from school, watching about 60 cubscouts & their dad's raise & lower an American Flag, a group dinner at a site a few down from us complete with Sloppy Joes & all sorts of delicious sides & ended with another campfire that Eloise enjoyed with her Daddy until the last flame flickered & went out. I was exhausted & got to go to bed early....like at 8:30 alone. Again, I slept amazingly well, it was even cooler that night & we all held our trip to the potty until the sun was peaking up over the horizon.

The girls started off their morning with some hot chocolate while we enjoyed our coffee. Their rain boots were perfect for our trip! They were easy to slide on & off & kept their tootsies nice & cozy.

Us girls snuggled close while Daddy cooked us some bacon & breakfast tacos, the latter being delicious since it was cooked in the grease from the first course ; )

We put an end to riding scooters due to some attitude problems & resorted to coloring instead. Sweet Charlotte drew flowers & butterflies while Eloise was hard at work on her picture. We asked what she was drawing & she said in a growly voice "A MONSTER!" Haha...so appropriate. It had one large eye & about nine legs.

Charlotte then drew a picture of all of us in the tent together. I love it! I also love the adorable jammies I found on clearance for about $4 each...perfect for our camp out! You can get a really good look at the scrape on her chin in this one.

Since the girls were banned from scooters, they grabbed their binoculars & headed into the woods behind our tent while Robby & I started packing up the site. I caught them holding hands while exploring....too sweet!

I did say earlier "recipe for disaster" but that might be exaggerating a bit. It wasn't a disaster but I think it could have been a lot more enjoyable had we gone alone for our first camping trip.  I am reminded every time we around older kids that even though Charlotte & Eloise seem so big compared their baby boas, they are SO little. They can't ride their scooters as wildly as everyone else & stay upright, they can't stay up till midnight by the fire, actually, one child in particular (I won't name any names) can't even be trusted within 20 feet of a fire ; ) We, the adults were not in the most fabulous of moods for the first night & morning. I hate when we are crabby but it just happens. The frustration that ensues with disobedient children just pokes the fire if you will. We lightened up a bit once we went on our little "hike" in the woods on the paved path. We ended up not getting to go out on the kayaks due the inability to follow directions. The attitudes of all four of us combined would have been just lovely out on two kayaks in the middle of a lake ; ) 

Both girls were buddy buddy with two precious little boys from school that are 5 & 7 and are brothers. They did a lot of scooter riding with this pair & played a lot together which is all well & good. The part that is funny as I write this tonight but was SO annoying the whole time we were there is that Charlotte could not get her mind of Nathan, the older of the two. She had so much fun playing with him that when she was with just us she could not stop asking "Can I go ride my scooter with Nathan? Can I go play with Nathan? Can I see if Nathan wants to come to our camp out?" Robby said under his breath at one point "If I hear the name "Nathan" one more time...." Hahaha! Another couple moments that made me laugh super hard regarding this adorable young lad:

• Robby was helping Charlotte tie her shoe & she said "Nathan tied my shoe for me earlier." He looked at me & said "wow, competition for Daddy!"  
• Charlotte returned with the saddest look on her face & when asked what was wrong she said (completely crushed) that Nathan decided he wanted to play with the other boys & not her. We talked her through her first situation of that nature & Robby told me later "lesson to be learned is you smother a man, he'll choose his friends every time." Oh my...good one. 
• When we returned home & were eating our first meal back with the baby brothers I said excitedly "girls, can you tell O&A what we got to do this weekend?" thinking about how we slept in a tent, explored in the woods, heck, we even saw a snake BUT what Charlotte said was this..."Bubbies! I got to ride my scooter with Nathan, can you say Nathan?" in the most hilarious sweet talking voice ever. I looked at Robby & we shared a moment that I have a feeling we will share again many more times with two little ladies in our life. 

So, the camp out came & went. Soon we were packed up & headed home with two worn out chickadees. We were actually in great moods at this point & enjoyed our time talking in the truck on the way home. It was a surprisingly short trip when we did not have to stop six times ; ) The boys were SO happy to see us even though they had received plenty of love and attention from two doting Great Aunts & a Great Grandma. Aunt Sandy spoiled us rotten & had the most delicious pot roast cooking for us when we arrived home. Showers followed by naps followed by a yummy dinner & relaxing on a comfy couch made up the rest of the day. We really look forward to another camping trip & hope that it is not too much longer before we can take the boys with us & actually enjoy our time away. Before that happens, we are going to have to upgrade that tent....maybe we can buy the Jensen's mansion with a staircase & flat screen TV....

Owen at 19 months

Owen Marshall is 19 months old & though my goal was to complete an 18 month post, the month came & went with much of the daily busy-ness that accompanies twin toddlers with two big sisters. But, as I wrote in Anson's post, this little guy is also growing & changing faster than I can blog so, I will just keep on at my surviving life & blogging pace.  Owee who also responds to Owee-wan-kanobi & Smiley-O is bringing us much joy with his constant grins, attempts at speaking the English language, cuddles & sweet dance moves in the bathtub. 

Our slim & trim Owen is still hanging out on the low end of the percentile chart but is looking good in a diaper! He actually eats a lot despite the fact that that budder bear steals off his tray. Even though they are nearly 3 pounds apart, they are only 3/4 inch different in height so it is hard to tell....when clothed ; ) 

STATS:

30 1/2 inches- 3rd percentile

21 pounds 11 ounces- 15th percentile

Size 18-24 month clothes

-he also just got some 2T when I did my fall shopping 

for coordinating items-Baggy is cool right?

size 6 shoes

What the "yittle guy" as Eloise calls him is up to at 19 months:

• he is frequently a "go with the flow" kinda guy which has not always been the case..I'm enjoying this change
• although he is "go with the flow" he experiences some pretty extreme emotions when sad or angry. His crying makes me want to cry because he puts that hand over his mouth with his fingers spread & just lets loose with the boo-hoo's.
• Owen's love language is being read to. He would sit in a lap & listen to books for hours at a time....I think he gets his spurts of energy out by racing to the bookcase to grab another book. 
• Favorite books right now: My Truck is Stuck, Goodnight Moon, The Very Hungry Caterpillar (he really only likes the page with all the food on it....who doesn't?), & Where's Spot?
• is obsessed with anything that has wheels & pushes it across the house, or yard or bathtub with all sorts of sounds. In My Truck is Stuck, he points at & says "car, jeep," truck & van" at the different vehicles.
• is also obsessed with stars & identifies them on every possible thing that has a star whether in a book we are reading, something the girls are coloring, an article of clothing or in decor in the room for the buckaroos. He points up at the sky & says "stah!" over & over. 
• we call him Mr. Electronics or Go Go Gadget because he always has something electronic in his hands. We hide remotes, phones, ipods etc & it never fails, he comes around the corner having located one, successfully turned on a TV or PS3 & smiles big while saying "Mama" or "Dada" & hands the collected items to us. He can frequently be spotted unplugging & re-plugging in a fan or lamp....I know it's dangerous but he is quite skilled for 19 months! He has a mini laptop & often picks it up, comes to give me a kiss & say "bye bye!" I ask "are you going to work?" & he says "yah," sits down at the table, opens the laptop & starts banging away. 
• loves to try to buckle things, put shoes on other people or anything else mechanical in nature...maybe he will be an engineer or a computer programmer with that work from home laptop business he has going on!
• favorite thing that he likes to carry around is an old cell phone which he holds up at you & says "cheese!" Not sure where he got that command from ; ) 
• can stack blocks or cups but much prefers to hide out while his bro builds a tower then sneak in to destroy it. He is always smiling big while Anson cries some big tears in frustration.
• is very affectionate giving all of us kisses throughout the day
• knows where his head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, teeth, hair, belly, shoulders, knees, arms, fingers & toes are & loves to be quizzed
• LOVES the bathtub & when you say "Owen, can you dance?" He puts his back to you while holding onto the soap dish thing on the wall & stomps his feet super fast. It is hilarious & even more hilarious when he can get chubby bubby to do it with him.
• sleeps from about 6:30pm-7am & 1-3pm with an hour long morning nap a few mornings a week if he is really grumpy
• eats almost everything with his favorites being in the carb department...like mama
• self soothes with his middle finger backwards...I am beginning to wonder if it is keeping his right front tooth from fully coming down. The pediatrician asked if he had fallen at some point & knocked the tooth back up. It looks healthy but is just sticking up fairly close to the gumline. I am sure a visit to the pediatric dentist is in our future. 
• he is stuck like glue to his Daddy when he gets home from work...so cute!
• has the LOUDEST shriek when excited & is constantly throwing things in the trash can
• loves being outside...pushing around things with wheels of course ; ) 

Owen was about a month behind Anson with talking taking off but it is now full steam ahead with this handsome little guy & words galore! He & Anson say many things the same but Owen's specialty is saying "Owee" in the sweetest voice you have ever heard & he says "Anso" for his bubby!

a few more regulars:

• mama, dada, Chah for Charlotte, Lolo & Behba for Bella
• Gaga, Papa & Paw Paw sound the same, ka for Scott, kai for Kyle, Stee for Steve, Jah for Jenny, Gah for Grammy, Gee- Ga for GGran & Gee for GG. They were tied today in competition at Name that Family Member!
• Shah for Aunt Sharon who he got to see for the week we were in Kingwood. Her name apparently comes with a hand motion of an extended arm with the hand spread, palm up. You can go through a list of names with him in which he will repeat being completely still until you say "Sharon" & his arm goes up as he so cutely says "Shah!"
• cup, milk, juice, wahwah for water, thirsty, eeee for eat, bapple for apple, cacker for cracker & ca-coo for cookie
• book, ball, bath, see, 
• puppy, ki cah for cat, cloppity sound when he sees a horse, gaff for giraffe, beah for bear, attempts to say squirrel often with the massive amounts running about outside our windows
• balloon, bubble, stick, pane for plane, chu for truck anytime he hears either, does a pretty great "choo choo" sound as well as a siren. 
• woohoo, no, ses for yes, pease for please
• again, like his bro, this list is growing fast...onto more pictures...

I don't know why this one makes me laugh....but it does...

Onto the twinkies whose combination of picking on each other & expressing much affection often within seconds keeps us smiling day in & day out. They are most definitely double trouble on occasion but for the most part are getting the hang of "rules" such as not climbing on the kitchen table or attempting to jump from the ottoman to the couch. It's hard to resist I'm sure. 

Here they are contemplating their next plan of attack....involving sticks...

Another typical moment....Owen victoriously riding the beloved Texas Tech trike after he stole from his brother. He was probably just getting him back for the half PB&J that was stolen off his tray at lunchtime.

After I snuggle each babe separately before bed I carry the last one over to the other's crib to give kisses & boy do they give some good ones! It is pretty cute & I'm not sure how long it's okay to kiss your brother on the lips with an occasional slip of the tongue but we will just let it ride for a bit ; ) They love each other!

What sweetness this fellow brings to our home! We are most certainly enjoying being his parents, praying that God would protect him in every way & that he would grow to be a man who loves Jesus more than anything else.

Owen at 19 months....

Anson at 19 months

Anson Ellis is now 19 months old & he along with his brother (& sisters) have kept me SO very busy that I missed writing the usual 18 month old post. No worries though, life is moving right along & this boy is growing & changing faster than I can blog anyway! Handsome Anson who also responds to Dancin' Anson & the Ansonator is making us laugh daily with his talking, copying sounds & words, silly dance moves & sweet singing of random tunes. 

He still outweighs the O-meister due to his appetite & food swiping skills from his brothers high chair if they are too close...that always makes me laugh & I guess Owen is just used to it since it has been happening since they were "womb-mates!"

STATS: 

31 1/4 inches- 11th percentile

25 pounds 4 ounces- 63rd percentile

Size 18-24 month clothes with some 

2T mixed in for comfort in the waist area

Size 6.5 shoes

What the "big guy" as Eloise calls him is up to at 19 months:

• he switches day to day on whether he is a "go with the flow" or "the needy twin" sometimes I have two "needy twins" but rarely two "go with the flow"
• no matter what kind of day it is, this guy desires snuggles all the live-long day
• he LOVES his blankie & carries it around with him like a little Linus from Charlie Brown. He calls it his "Ba-by" & if he is not holding it when lifted out of his crib, he reaches in to fish it out from between the rails. He then goes & gets Owen's for him & brings it directly to him exclaiming "Ba-by! Ba-by!" & throws it on him. For awhile Owen could have cared less about the blankie & would walk off & leave it. Anson would see it happen, freak out, get the blankie & chase down Owen to make sure he had it. SOOO funny! Eventually Owen decided he liked it too but not nearly as much as Anson. 
• still self soothing with that thumb...it's not like he has a good example on how not to suck your thumb...or finger... or rub your belly button till it's red ; ) Not sure how we will drop all that madness but surely the day will come & someone will get made fun of. 
• will break out in song anytime you ask him to sing to you
• runs full speed everywhere but still has that adorable slightly uncoordinated toddler wiggle while on the move, the one where it looks like his arms are connected to someone else's brain. 
• outdoors is the place of choice! He grabs his shoes & attempts to put them on while yelling toward the back door as to alert all that it is time to go outside. 
• had a stinkin' good arm when throwing balls, sticks, or rocks & even flogged mommy one afternoon with a beaded necklace leaving quite the mark across my face
• I mentioned he had a beaded necklace....he often has beaded necklaces, fancy schmancy sunglasses & a headband on....the joys of having big sisters!
• eats like a maniac only turning down tomatoes
• sleeps from about 6:30pm-7am & 1-3pm with an hour long morning nap a few mornings a week if he is really grumpy
• enjoys stacking blocks or cups but ends up VERY sad/angry when someone about his height knocks them down....it happens all the time. I have started to only let him play with the cups he loves in his crib alone so he can enjoy the towers he builds.
• knows where his head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, tongue, teeth, hair, belly, shoulders, knees, arms, fingers & toes are & loves to be quizzed. 
• favorite books at the moment are: Where's Spot?, From Head to Toe, Cowboy Small, Hello Texas & Little Blue Truck 
• does many an animal sound, some correct but still growls a lot.
• loves to FaceTime with Gaga & Paw Paw or Grammy & Papa or pretty much anyone who might show up on the screen. My mom sang Itsy Bitsy Spider with him a few months ago on FaceTime & now every time we are on there he attempts to say "spider" & does some hand motions to encourage a song. Most people happily start singing making him one happy boy!
• has really taken a liking to his GGran, my grandmother. He actually prefers her to his Gaga, Mommy & Daddy if she is around. It's pretty adorable & I have a feeling she kind of enjoys it!
• has beautiful big brown eyes, just like Rob. I'm still jealous at the eyelash allocation around here ; ) 

He is talking up a storm, not always able to be understood but he sure gives it a fair shot! Along with the words he says regularly, he will repeat anything he hears...love that stage ; ) Here are some of the many things he says...

• mama, dada, Char, Lolo, Bella (as clear as day)
• Gaga, Papa & Paw Paw sound the same, Ska for Scott, Kai for Kyle, Stee for Steve, Jah for Jenny, Gah from Grammy or occasionally Mimi, Gee- Ga for GGran & Gee for GG. He says all these while looking at pictures : ) 
• my very favorite thing he says is "where are you?" He says this when he is looking for me in the house or when he has been corrected & is crying on on the floor with me right next to him. When we were at my parents I heard him at 4:30am from his crib say "Mama, where are you?" followed by silence & a sleeping baby. He also hides cars in his play garage & says "where are you?" adorable & never gets old!
• cup, milk, juice, wahwah for water, bapple for apple, tried really hard to say applesauce & had me & the girls laughing hard at lunch today. It sounded a lot like "dubba dubba dubba shauce"
• he is obsessed with ca-coos aka cookies & freaks out when he even hears it whispered
• ree for read, book, ball, bath
• puppy, koala (one of my favorites), cloppity sound when he sees a horse, gaff for giraffe, cat, bear, attempts to say squirrel
• balloon, bubble, stick, pane for plane, chu for truck anytime he hears either
• woohoo, no, pease for please & now with an exclamation mark. When we were in Kingwood last week, we were outside visiting with a neighbor who told his son to get in the truck "now" with a rather loud voice. Anson followed up the instruction with yelling "NOW!" just after him. It was pretty funny. 
• there are many many other words & I know the list grows each day so I will just stop there so we can move onto more pictures of this little fellow : ) 

Onto the band of brothers.  We are very much enjoying having two 19 month old little guys in our midst albeit it is quite challenging for obvious reasons.  Their interactions warm our hearts & make every attempt to burst our eardrums.  They truly enjoy each others company which is so special to witness & encourage.

This is a typical moment...Owen smiling at the camera while Anson is distracted by sticking something in his ear, or mouth or nose....

These two spend countless hours together, making each other smile or provoking great frustration. They are content sharing mommy's lap for reading even though it is getting a little tight especially when Eloise is desiring that same space. At nap & bedtime I hold them each separately for a bit for snuggles & songs. Who ever is not being held stands in their crib & smiles sweetly while holding a blankie until it is their turn.  O&A can empty out a bathroom drawer full of bows or toothbrushes & toothpaste in about 2 seconds flat. This house (with foundation issues) is killing us with doors that don't shut. We are about to gate this whole thing off! They also like to pull all their clothes out of their drawer while having playtime in their room. They look so innocent in this picture ; ) Actually, now that I really look at it, I think Anson is contemplating a death defying leap off the rock wall.

and this last one of these sweet baby boys just melts my heart....

What excitement this little bubster brings to our lives! We are enjoying him to the fullest, praying God's protection over him & even now for a heart that will be drawn to the Lord. 

Anson at 19 months...

the Fab Four meet Big Tex

We feel officially Texan again after doing something really "Texan" last week. We took our family to the great State Fair of Texas & the best part was that we got to enjoy it with the cousins!  The other "Florida Valentines" met us there with their little bunch of Florida born babes & we got to share in the Texan-ness together....& it was FUN!

When we walked in, Eloise took off in a full sprint as the lady at the gate was pointing me towards the child ID bands & mentioned with a smile on her face "you may want to put one on that little one!" Ha! I was actually shocked that we didn't lose anyone! 

First stop, Big Tex. Gotta love this guy with his warm welcome "How-dee Folks!"

We decided to stick with red, white & blue for obvious reasons. The boys were decked out in some Texas onesies & hats that were a bit on the small side. The onesies looked a little more like spandex (on chubby bubby) but you can pull that off in the second year of life ; )

A few fun facts about Big Tex: 

• made his debut in 1952
• wears size 70 boots, a 75 gallon hat & towers 52 feet above the crowd
• he winks & talks
• burned down a couple years back due to an electrical fire & is looking good all remade

This next picture will go on my favorites list.  Lolo self soothing with Big Tex in the background...

We didn't manage to get one big family shot but here are the individuals.

After the round up at Big Tex, we made our way to see some farm animals that were mixed in with a couple random ones such as a giraffe & a kangaroo. The kids loved this section!

Watching this mama goat nurse her two aggressive babies gave me flashbacks....

and this llama, oh my goodness, I could not stop laughing at it's hair-do!

Next stop was a walk thru pretend farm that was right up our imaginary play alley for this bunch! They each got aprons & were walked through all the things you might do on a farm.

such as picking apples...

and planting seeds.... you may notice some more familiar looking blondies in the next picture. We met up with the Clark Crew for a bit.

Eloise was a serious planter...

then the sillies came back with these three posing for pictures!

We spent a million buckaroos & rode the Ferris Wheel! Jenny & I took the four big kids on it & felt nervous the whole time with all their wiggling while way up high. I was unaware but read that the Ferris Wheel at the State Fair of Texas happens to be the largest in North America! It felt pretty large if you ask me ; )

When Isaac was done he had to give some hugs to Anson. Love how affectionate he is : )

After that we shelled out a few more buckaroos & let the kids pick a couple rides. I (of course) got to ride a kiddie roller coaster again & thankfully it was the most safe feeling one I have encountered thus far! The last one these four picked was a flying plane & they were cute cute cute going round & round & up & down!

and as Aunt Jenny exclaimed, what is a trip to the State Fair without cotton candy? So we got some of that too. Owen & Anson might have enjoyed it more than these four combined & were super sticky when finished devouring their portions : )

Livi-Lou had a grand time at her first trip to the fair. You would have not even known she was there riding around in the Ergo or stroller as quiet as a mouse! She was happy to be out & looking around with her mama but did not get to taste the cotton candy. Maybe next year we can mail them a bag to Poland.

Charlee was delighted to get some cousin time with the littlest lovey of the bunch.

Once we got to the parking lot I had to get one more of my partner in crime with the Fab Four. He was amazing having such a great attitude while wrangling all four during our outing! His presence alone calms me when we are taking on an outing of this magnitude.

All in all, it was a great first experience at the fair. Any outing with even one child has the potential for "excitement" so times that by seven & guess how "exciting" it was! At one point I was pushing the double stroller with the boys while trying to get Charlotte, Eloise & Karis to stay close as we exited the building. These ladies were staring with their mouths open & all they could mutter was "You're so brave." Haha? What does that even mean? It made me laugh out loud as we continued on squeezing through the people. My only regret is that I did not get a funnel cake. I need to call up Grandpa Bob & see if we can have "fair night" at his house & enjoy his delicious renditions of corny dogs & funnel cake. That should hold me over to next fall!  As much fun as it was to enjoy the State Fair as a family, I do think we will plan for a family day AND a mommy & daddy date day for next year so we can really "stroll" around & eat in peace....and not ride any rides ; ) We definitely felt filthier after this trip compared to Oktoberfest so it was an easy decision to bathe everyone instead of getting the fair filth into our sheets like we did last time. We slept well that night & actually had a couple chitlins rising with the sun instead of an hour before. Can't wait to do it again!