Birthday Blues

Jackson woke up this morning with a rash all over his body. Of all days...it had to be on his birthday. My first thought was an allergy because he didn't have any other symptoms. I racked my brain trying to figure out what he had to eat the day before, but nothing out of the ordinary crossed my mind.

After his nap he felt a little warm. Sure enough, he had a tempature of 101.9. I'm assuming the rash is a result of a virus. Thankfully, his well visit is tomorrow and we can confirm our diagnosis.

Poor little guy. No one should be sick on their birthday. Thankfully, he's in good spirits, eating and sleeping good.

Happy Birthday Little Man! Hope you feel better soon.

Birthday Boy

Monogrammed towel from Aunt Marlene





Jackson's very own cupcake. He has been waiting a whole year for this!


My little prince.


I think he likes it!

We had Jackson's first birthday party on Saturday, although, he doesn't officially turn one until Wednesday. My parents came into town for this big event and so did Brent's parents as well. We all had a great time watching Jackson experiencing cake for the first time. Needless to say, he loved it!

He wasn't extremely excited about opening his gifts. I think his sisters enjoyed it more than he did. However, he really liked the tissue paper from the gift bags. You can check out the rest of the pictures under the link "our pictures".

Happy Birthday Buddy Boy!

No More Bottles!

That's right! The bottles are gone!

I have been offering a sippy cup of water to Jackson since he was six months old. He really didn't show any interest, it was basically a chew toy for him. Although, he was starting to get more comfortable with it.

My goal was to completely have him off the bottle before his first birthday. The past few days I have been taking baby steps and offering the sippy cup at night instead of the bottle. To my surprise, he was doing a really well.

So, this morning I held breath to his reaction when I gave him a sippy cup. He consumed the milk so fast that I gave him a second helping. I had so many emotions running through me...shock, surprised, relieved, happy.... just to name a few.

After breakfast I gathered up all my bottles and threw them away. Cleaned up the sterilizer and bottle warmer and stored them in the basement. I'm clearing off my counters one baby item at a time.

My little man is growing up so fast.

Two Green M & M's

When Campbell got home from school today she couldn't wait to tell me about her day. She learned all about St. Patrick's Day and Leprechauns. She was telling me this story about two green M & M's with such enthusiasm that I just had to share it. It was so hard to keep a straight face, but somehow I managed.

Here's Campbell's story.....

"Mrs. Sullivan ate two green M & M's before she read us a book today and when she spoke her voice sounded just like a Leprechaun! I tried eating two green skittles just now and it didn't change my voice. I guess it only works if you are a teacher."

I wonder if she will remember this next year and give her teacher green M & M's on St. Patrick's Day......

Fast Cars

After the kids and I dropped off a meal for a friend who just had a baby, we headed to Advanced Auto to get an air filter for the van. It's rarely a dull moment while we are traveling especially if Riley has anything to do with it. She is definitely my little chatter bug.

Recently, she has been fascinated with my driving. She insist that I go faster. I have to remind her daily that I can't because I might hit the car in front of me.

Just to prove it, here's a little conversation we had on our way home from running errands today.

Riley: "Mommy, did you buy an air filter?"

Mommy: "Yes, Riley I did."

Riley: "Where does it go?"

Mommy: "Under the hood of the van."

Riley: "Will it make the van go faster?"

Mommy: "Riley, you are a girl after my own heart!"

The Bible Says....

I was in my room minding my own business earlier today while Riley and Jackson were playing near the bed. It's very common for Riley to get Brent's bible and open it up and start "reading" it. (I wonder if he has noticed that it's in a different place each times he reaches for it).

Anyway, Jackson was getting a little rough with our cat and I over heard Riley tell him something. I didn't quite make it out the first time so I asked her to repeat it. Here is what she said:

Riley: "Jackson, the Bible says not to bite your cat. You can only pretend!"

Well, there you have it!

Just thinking......

It's hard for me to comprehend that Jackson will be turning one at the end of this month. A week later Campbell will be turning six. Not to mention that Riley is already three years old and will be starting preschool in the fall. Where does the time go? The next thing I know my babies will not be babies anymore.

I truly believe that being a mommy is the hardest job I have ever had, but the most rewarding. Thank you Brent for allowing me to stay home with my children while they are still young. I wouldn't trade this time in my life for anything in the world!

Weekend Guest

• It was Campbell's turn to bring home the class pet, Fluffy, over the weekend. Fluffy, as you can tell from the pictures is a Guinea Pig. I picked him up Friday morning from Campbell's school and then took him back this morning. It was a new experience for all of us. Even our Cat, Mittens didn't seem to mind the visitor. Just in case, we put our little guest on top of the dining room table to keep the "innocent....innocent."

• I had no idea how messy these little critters could be. Each morning when I came down to check on him he would have hay all over the table near his cage. Some of it even found its way on the floor. I found myself using the dust buster everyday to clean up after him. I didn't care too much for that.

• Even though he was a little messy the kids loved him! Fluffy on the other hand simply tolerated us for the most part. Campbell loves all animals and of course asked to hold him as much as possible. We found out very quickly that he had extremely sharp claws. So, as long as we wore our gloves, it didn't seem to bother us that much.

• Honestly, as much as I enjoyed seeing my kids happy, I was glad to see Fluffy go back to school. The last thing I need is something or someone else to clean up after!