New Years Resolutions

I don't have a lot of resolutions this year, which is a good thing. But my resolutions are:

1. Start my certifications for Labor and Postpartum Doula and also Teen Educator.
2. Hopefully get into the clinical lab tech program (my fall back)
3. Figure out if homeschooling will actually be possible for us (hoping it is).
4. Better myself as a mom and wife and a whole. I hope to spend a little more time on me.
5. Eat healthier and get into a healthier lifestyle for our family.

See.. not that many. I am especially looking forward to starting my certifications. So if you are in Alabama and need a doula next year let me know =)

Changes for the New Year

I love my kids to death and would do anything for them, but there are few things that do need to change. The number one is listening. I have two very strong willed kids and their thought process is that what is in their mind is what matters and that is it. Shiana does very well with the "system" at school so we are going to adapt it to home. If she listens and does what we tell/ask her to do, plays nicely, etc she will move up and if she doesn't she will move down. Then at night before bed she will have a calendar that she can write what number she was on for that day. At the end of the week she will get a treat or she can save them and have a special day once a month. Bedtime is another biggy, the kids share a room now. We have gotten Shiana use to the dimmer nightlight and they listen to music while falling asleep. I am hoping that once we get a cd player and some night music they will both sleep through the night. I am having more issues with Keylan because he constantly wakes up hungry or thirsty and it is cutting into his sleeping or at least getting a good amount of sleep at night. He has NEVER been a good sleeper, like at all since he was born. He had the same issues then plus reflux. I am hoping that with a few changes we can have a more stress-free, calmer and more peaceful home. 

I have figured it out...

What I want to do with my life. I am going to become a doula. I have been trying to figure out what I want to do for a while. I ultimately would love to be a midwife, but they are technically illegal here in Alabama. But, for those that do not know what a doula is, a doula is a person that supports a mom and/or expecting parents during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and post-partum. My first step is to find a good program to go through to get certified. I plan on starting with labor and post-partum first and then working my way to childbirth educator and lactation consultant. There are several programs so there are options, and I plan to pay them with tax return and go from there. I am really excited to start this journey in my life, we know that it will be tough for a little bit but we will get there. I have just felt a calling to this field and believe that more moms need the support.

Controversial parenting tag

Yup I'm joining in, maybe if I put it all out there I can just refer people to my blog. These are my views, I am not calling any one a bad mom just something's I feel more attached to. If you read this and have a blog I invite you to do this too.

The Topics: 
Pro-life Vs. Pro-choice
Baby Wearing
Circumcision
Adoption
Baby Piercing
Breast Milk Vs. Formula
Spanking
Co-sleeping
Home Vs. Public Vs. Private Vs. Charter Schooling 
Vaccinations
Medicating Children
Cloth Vs. Disposable diapers 
CIO

My add-ons:
ERF
Feeding (BLW, etc.)

Pro-life vs. pro-choice: this is a no brainer. I am whole heartedley pro-life! Life begins at conception and deserves to live. No woman has the right to decide to end a life.

Baby Wearing: I wish I had done more of this with Shiana. I LOVED wearing Keylan was the only way to get grocery shopping done and cleaning the house. It made my life easier especially with having Shiana to take care of too. I have learned that there are thins that should not be done. Crotch danglers are especially dangerous to a baby's hips.

Circumcision: Oh where can I start with this. I am absolutely 100% AGAINST infant circumcision. I have been and always will be. A newborn boy deserves to be able to decide for himself when he is old enough to make that decision. 80% of the males in the world are intact. Circumcision is cosmetic surgery to make what you think a penis should look like, this involves ripping thousands upon thousands of nerves away from the head. Keylan is intact and has never had any issues in the two and a half years that he has been alive. If you want more information on it I am honestly open to discuss it.

Adoption: I personally could not give my baby up for adoption, it takes strong and loving parents to do it. I would though LOVE to adopt one day. 

Baby Piercing: This is a new one mostly for me. I pierced Shiana's ears at 1 and wish I never had done it. She fell at about 20 months old and busted her ear. I had to take her earring out because of how infected it got. I decided then that I would wait till she was old enough to tell me she wanted it done. After all that I believe that a girl should be able to say if she wants it done or not. There are press on earrings for special occasions; plus as they learn to crawl and walk as toddlers they will fall many times and why risk a serious injury to a pierced ear?

Breast milk Vs. Formula: Breast is best. I wish that I had stuck with it longer with both kids. I can't believe that I missed out on that special bond. With Shiana I started school and it was really hard to keep up and then she was on formula. With Keylan we made it roughly a month and he had so many issues that he needed to be gaining more weight steadily.

Spanking: I personally hate spanking! I may do a pop on the butt, but that is it. I want to be more peaceful and show my kids that they can make good decisions without having to resort to spanking them.

Co-sleeping: I love co-sleeping. Keylan has been in our room/bed every night of his life. I love the cuddling and snuggling (cuggling as Keylan calls it). There are nights that Shiana sleeps in the bed and I do let her. 

Home Vs. Public Vs. Private Vs. Charter Schooling: Shiana is in public school and we love her school and teacher. It has helped start the growing and learning process. But we have decided that we are going to Homeschool them. We had it decided while I was pregnant with her and she is really excited about it. She has so many things that she wants to learn about that she won't get to learn about in school.

Vaccinations: I will honestly say that at this point both kids are fully vaccinated, but I have been giving it serious thought to discontinue getting them. There are so many that are not needed and they are so full of junk that who honestly knows what is in them and ultimately into our kids?

Medicating Children: I think this means giving unnecessary amounts of medicines? I am not sure. I give my kids benadryl for their allergies and when absolutely needed they get tylenol. I do use herbal supplements to help boost their immune system, etc...

cloth vs disposables: I used disposables on Shiana. And for a while cloth on Keylan, till we moved home and were sharing washer and dryer with my parents and what not. I loved my cloth diapers!!! So cute and fluffy and a thousand times better for the environment  I am still using sposies on Keylan and hoping though that we can have him semi-potty trained by his birthday.

CIO: I am 100% against Cry It Out. It can cause issues in kids. And I just can't see how a person can just leave their screaming, crying upset baby in a room by themselves. I do not have the heart to do that to my kids; I brought them into the world to love and take care over, not just to stick in a room to cry when i see fit.

ERF: extended rear facing; this is another one of my heart felt passions. I do NOT see how in the hell a person can think it is okay to turn their baby around at 6 months old. I learned from my mistakes with Shiana and thank god that nothing ever happened to her. ERF is 500 times safer and is the easiest thing in the world to do. Know how easy it is? Just don't turn the seat around, be lazy leave it where it is. But turning is not the only thing in keeping your kid safe, no coats in the seat (use in backward or a blanket), Keep the straps tight and the chest plate at hmm where? the chest. 

Feeding: Rice cereal should be skipped all together. Jar food is crap. Baby led weaning is awesome as is homemade purees. With both you know what is going into your kids foods. Purees take maybe an hour or two a month and fresh fruits and vegetables. BLW is feeding baby what you eat. The best time is when they have met all "requirements" that you know they are ready. 2-3 months old is not the right age for any baby, they still need only nourishment from breastmilk/formula.

I made this because I am honestly tired of saying that I shove things down people's throats. I have never done such a thing, I have never once told a mom that she is a bad mom because she does things differently. I expect the same respect from other moms just the same. These are all basic things that affect every single mom and baby and should always always be researched. 

Organic-ish and Schools and Birthdays

So I have decided that once we get moved into our own place I would love to go organic. There are so many additives to the processed foods that we eat and organic food is a little more expensive but it is overall a better and healthier choice. I also hope that I can start making more homemade things: laundry detergent and cleaners, etc... I want to live healthier and essentially cheaper. I also know that my children's health will benefit from it more. 


I was accepted into Jeff State Community College and I am withdrawing from Kaplan, so I can have full coverage at JSCC. I register for classes on July 23rd, I have a few more things to turn in (documentation to get in state tuition). Then I have to get books and supplies and I am hitting up the thrift store for "new" clothes. Looking for another pair of pants (maybe and hopefully I can find some bell bottoms) and t-shirts and a pair of canvas like shoes. Shiana will be getting registered for school August 1st. Then parent night is Aug 14th, orientation is Aug 16th and she will start Aug 20th. I also have a few outfits to get and school supplies and come closer to time I have to get lunch stuff. 


Birthdays! Umm can I say that I can't believe that my little girl is about to turn 5? Where in the world did the time go? Our plan for her birthday are: her spending her birthday with my mom and Barb, probably movie, lunch and then shopping ( new toy and outfit), then on Saturday I am hoping I can take her to Oak Mountain to go horseback riding, then that night we will have choice of dinner and her pony cake and open presents. Also hard to believe that my step daughter will be 12 at the end of this month too. I have known her since she was a little thing and have been blessed to be able to see her grow. 

New happenings

So Jeremy has been working a few days now. He works Thursday-Sunday, 6-6, and then off Monday-Wednesday. We are finally going to be able to save some money and finally get out on our own and in our own place again!! YAY!!! I am starting "back" to school in August. I am retaking some classes so that I can get into the nursing program at Jeff State Community College. I know come August when everyone has things going on I am going to be exhausted. I get up at 4:30 with Jeremy on the days he works, at the moment I go back to bed, but when school starts that will be the start to my day. Once he is off to work then I will get Shiana breakfast ready and her off to school and then add me getting ready for school at the same time. I know I can do it, I am working on some organization things for all of us. I just hope it goes as smoothly as it does in my head. The only issue that I am seeing right now is the car...

Life Goes On

So we have been living with my parents for roughly a month and a half now. It has had its ups and downs, but for the most part it is going well. Jeremy finally got a job at Boatright. He is suppose to start sometime next week, they are waiting for equipment to come in. I am so excited because he will finally have a steady paycheck coming in and we can actually save up some money and get a place of our own. It will be nice to have our own home again, lol. I started volunteering for Brookwood hospital. I am making blankets and hats for the NICU, hopefully once I get a routine going I can add in Shelby Baptist NICU in and then maybe blankets for Children's Hospital. We are now at the two month mark till Shiana starts school. I still cannot believe that my little girl is starting school. She is so grown up in a lot of ways, but still little (which I do have to remind myself about) and she still wants mommy snuggles. Keylan I think is ready for his sister to be back in school too. They were so much better together when they spend the day apart. I cannot believe how much he is growing up everyday. I need to make an appointment for him though to have his clotting factors checked because he may have a touch of free bleeding. He is also a mess, his pinkie nail on his left foot was coming off and he ended up getting it ripped off some how. With it he took a huge chunk of skin with it and the poor baby is in pain from it. Hopefully it heals soon and won't cause him any more pain.

New Things

So life is still going. Jeremy still has not found a job yet, but he continues to put out applications and call around. Just need August to get here so he can take the tests that he needs to. We have lived with my parents for a month now, and it is definitely time to have our own place again. It will be weird to be on our own again, living in Alabama, but we are looking forward to it greatly. I am very appreciative of my mom and dad for letting us stay here though. 


So the new things in my life are I have decided that I would love to be a midwife. That is going to be hard here in Alabama though because it is actually illegal here, which is really depressing. I am going to still continue with my nursing degree and pray that by time I get out it will be legal and I can be a certified nurse-midwife. I want to bring babies into the world, without the medical intervention that this country has made into the norm. I am also starting down the homeopathic route and when we have extra money I am getting Ben Feingold's book: " Feingold Cookbook For Hyperactive Children. And will also have biofeedback done on both of them. I know the way that they eat is not beneficial to their body at all, but like the saying " when we know better we do better" 

Parenting

Yes this is going to be a touchy post but I think that it is time to write about it. My parenting styles are my own; but I have a wonderful group of ladies that believe the same things that I do. I am a co-sleeping, cloth diapering, use to baby wear, extended rear-facing, and intactivist! I am proud of everything that I am. Yes, my son is 2 years old and co sleeps, he starts in his bed and ends up in ours and I love that he is there. I love the snuggling and waking up to my handsome little boy next to me. Cloth diapers save me money and they are cute, granted we use disposables at night because he is a heavy wetter. I loved to wear Keylan and wish that he was not so independent that he would let me wear him more but I did it because he felt secure and he knew that his momma was right there no matter where he went. Rear-facing, I made it 26 months and wish it was longer. I made a compromise; I do intend on extended harnessing Keylan though. And I love my whole son! There is nothing wrong with the natural anatomy of the male body! The circumcision rates are dropping so when he is old enough to be changing in the locker room there will be more boys that are intact then circumcised. It is an unnecessary procedure that the American Academy of Pediatrics is against it. I have never shoved my opinions down anyone's throat nor will I. But when I see a post that I am adamant about I will speak up and say something; whether it be through experience or research. 

Update on life

So we are now living back home in Alabama!!! YAY!!! It is so weird to look outside and see trees and grass and know that we are not ever going back to the desert. We have been home a week now and have been mostly relaxing and adjusting. Jeremy has decided what he is going to do for a job, just need to wait till August to take the tests. He is testing to become a corrections officer or sheriff's deputy. He is going to focus more on the corrections officer and work his way up, but with that pay I will be able to stay home or work just a few hours a week for our "fun money". But with that we will probably be living with my parents till at least then. The kids are LOVING it! They play outside all day everyday and have to have a bath every night (secretly that depresses me though because I loved being able to skip baths every now and then lol). I am slowly getting into going down to the park to walk at least every other night. I have classes starting tomorrow and look forward to another term and hopefully more good grades. I am also starting to plan for Shiana's Kindergarten year; outfits with hair bows, homemade lunches (thinking about making a new blog for this topic), and everything that comes with having a school age child. I still cannot believe that my little girl is getting ready to start real school and I am not ready for all the drama the many years are going to bring. Next week though we are headed to Disney World and I am really excited and cannot wait to see the kids reactions.

2 weeks to go!

2 weeks from tomorrow we will be on the road headed home! After lots of stress and probably more to come all that will matter is us getting home. Then we will deal with everything else. I found an apartment that I really like: it is 3 bedroom 2 bath, laundry room and nearly 1400 sq ft for 895 a month which I personally think is not that bad. But I foresee us living with my parents till around August, hopefully not, but if we do then that will be okay. I am so ready to be home around family and to get back into church. And these next few months are going to be so busy that I am not going to have time to think. Between moving, getting settled, Keylan's birthday/ welcome home party, DisneyWorld, Cityfest, registering Shiana for school, and (at first) Jeremy looking for a job and a place to live and then the girl's birthday's and first day of school. There is always going to be something going on. I really hope that I am able to stay at home with Keylan at least till I get into nursing school. If I get in in January, then it should only take 2-3 years (hopefully), and while I am in school and clinics then my mom will watch him and Shiana will get dropped off there after school. Then by time I finish school he should be starting school and I will be able to work. But that will all be figured out in the next few months. I will be finished with my bachelor's degree in December and right now I am on track to graduate with honors again =) that makes me very happy. But that is all for now and will probably update 1-2 more times before we leave El Paso for good.

6 weeks

I have so much going on in the next six weeks, so I think I am going to make a list of things that need to be or will be going on.


April:
- I need to make an eye doctor appointment for myself, using up my insurance while I have it, lol.
- Get Keylan back on WIC and transfer papers for when we get back home.
- Monday Keylan will be 2!!! O.o I can't believe that it has gone by so fast and how much he has grown.
- 2 year old appointment
- Dentist appointment for both kids
- Follow-up appointment for my foot
- Various other things that will decide to come up the rest of the month


May:
- Finish packing/cleaning
- Load trailer and make a HUGE move
- Mother's day
- Keylan's birthday party/welcome home party
- and my mom and I have a huge surprise for the kids, DisneyWorld. I am so excited and cannot wait to see Shiana's expression when we get there (we are keeping it a secret)
- But this month we will also be figuring out living and money and jobs.


It is still hard to believe that we are finally going to be home for good. I know it is going to take a while to get adjusted, but once we are we will be perfect. The adjustment thing has me a little bit and I wish that we had a place to go ahead and move into, but without a job and money that is of course impossible. I have awesome parents that have the space and love us enough to put up with us for a few weeks. 

Thinking

Been thinking again, usually not a good thing but it happens. So next week I am suppose to start packing this crazy mess of an apartment and I really have no idea how I am going to do it. I really just want the Army to move us, less stress on me and not have to worry about boxes and packing and loading or any of that stuff but it also means less money. I know that I will get it all done, just hopefully it will be as organized as I want it to. I am worried about my foot, I have a follow-up on April 28th, 10 days before we leave, I am scared about what he is going to say. If I have to wear the boot longer then that is fine, I will only be in the car and relaxing when we get home. But all I really want to heal before we leave is my tailbone, bruised it when I fell. It hurts so bad and sitting on it is so painful. I also have already come to the conclusion that when we go to Disney World that my foot is going to swell and be painful, but the smiles and laughter and fun that my kids will have is enough to make it all worth it. I am so excited to see their, mostly Shiana's face when she realizes where we are going. It is all going to be a surprise, I am going to put a basket together for each of them and that morning I am going to let them open them and of course video tape it. My dad has already got tons of batteries so that is not a problem and I am going to get one or two extra memory cards. They are going to get their autograph books and we are going to get as many autographs and pictures(separately) as we can and all those pictures are going to be turned into scrapbooks once we get back home. I am also so ready to get home and the kids can play outside all day, they sleep so much better when they get the fresh air and running. I know that Keylan will definitely be outside from the time his feet hit the floor in the morning till we drag his screaming self in for dinner and bed and then repeat the next day. But I have no problem with that, they need to be outside away from games and the tv. We will also be registering Shiana for school in June and have decided that the first monday of school she can start riding the bus. The only reason behind that is is because her bus driver has been part of my family since before I was born and I trust her; otherwise I would be taking her and picking her up. I think that is all that is on my mind for now, I am sure if there is more I will of course make another post.

a tough 6 weeks

So this past Tuesday I took a fall down the stairs outside. I had Keylan in my arms and my main priority was protecting him. I could have swore that I broke my ankle, I had perfect timing though because Jeremy was just getting ready to head back to work. Instead we made a trip to the emergency room to have it checked. I got in really fast, had x-rays done and was told that it was not broken or fractured and that it was probably just sprained. I was given a boot and told to basically just deal with it and to just make a follow-up. I have been trying my best to stay off of it since then but being a full time mommy it makes it kinda hard. I have been picking up in the morning and making the beds and doing what dishes are in the sink and then I sit the rest of the day, which hurts because I also bruised my tailbone when I fell. I had my follow-up appointment this afternoon and have to say that I REALLY like the doctor. He his very friendly and informative; he checked everything and then drew a diagram, which I personally like since I am a visual learner, and my anatomy classes paid off today. I have a grade 3 ankle sprain which is severe and ripped all three tendons that hold my ankle "together". I am to be completely off the foot for the next 2 weeks, which is going to be hard, and I am in my lovely boot till April 28th (my follow-up). I am hoping that at my follow-up I can take the boot off, but I could always have to wear it longer. This all really could not come at a better time. Next weekend I am suppose to start packing our apartment and getting ready to move. I am in so much pain I have no idea how I am going to get all of it done. And Keylan will be having a birthday too; I cannot believe that my little boy is about to be 2, where did the time go? I look at him and think back to the first day and all the ivs and stuff on my tiny little baby boy and now he is starting to have "conversations" and just recently knows the difference between yes and no and he knows what he does and does not want. But I am going to do what I have to with my ankle because I am trying to avoid reconstructive surgery, but I could still need it 6 months to a year down the road if I am still having issues. 

The Past 3 years

The Past 3 years:
- Jeremy left January 14, 2009 and I got him back May 14, 2009
- We moved June 8, 2009 to El Paso, Texas with a Uhaul truck, my car, 2 kids, and a dog
- Found that we were expecting
- And then lost the baby
- Decided to let God take control and then were blessed again August 14, 2009
- Announced our pregnancy to our families
- Visited my grandparents in Nebraska and broke down in Liberal, Kansas
- My awesome daddy bought us a new car
- In September I found out that I had 2 clotting disorders and was put on Lovenox, blood thinners.
- Celebrated Halloween with a kitty cat for a kid
- Got to spend Thanksgiving with my parents
- In December, we found out that we were having a baby boy
- Visited Roswell, New Mexico a month before Keylan was due
- Keylan was born April 16, 2010 and our world changed =)
- Spent 6 days in the NICU, though he was full term, that was the hardest thing that I have, okay almost the hardest thing, been through
- My incision opened and wore a woundvac for 6 weeks with a toddler, a newborn, and a husband in the field.
- The first 2 months were really rough, Keylan was on a very strict feeding schedule with hundreds of tests done and in the end he was put in the hospital (dx: failure to thrive)
- Found out that he basically has fast metabolism with acid reflux
- My little girl turned 3 and we went to the circus for the first time.
- Celebrated the holidays
- Then in February we got to know a wonderful person who is a strong woman and awesome mommy (Nikki =) )
- Went to Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Celebrated two awesome little boys 1st birthdays in April
- Jeremy went to NTC and started preparing to deploy.
- August 7, 2011 we lost an amazing woman that will NEVER be forgotten. We miss granny everyday and I talk to her often.
- September we literally had 5 different deployment days; Granny had other plans though. 6 days before the last deployment day Jeremy had to have surgery to have his appendix removed. Simple surgery, but still really scary.
- Enjoyed the holidays with each other and with our families at Christmas.
- We got home from visiting in December to get in the car the next day. My daddy had a massive heart attack and at that very moment did not know if he would make it. Thankfully, he pulled through amazingly.
- It has been a slow few months, but we are starting to pack our tiny apartment up and get ready to load up a UHAUL and head back to Alabama.


I write all that out and could go into detail about everything. It amazes me just how much stuff happens in your life in one place in just a few years. I started thinking and crying while I cleaned our bedroom yesterday. Keylan has slept in that room, every night that he has been alive and here. I have always had my little boy just a few feet away and now he is about to have his own big boy room. 

5 Weeks

I have just 5 short weeks till my little boy turns 2. I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. Keylan has and is so smart and it amazes me in the last few months just how much he has learned and actually grown. I am of course planning a birthday party for him for when we get home in May. I am stressing out already, lol, he didn't get to have a big 1st birthday party like Shiana did so this is important to me. I decided that we are doing family and close friends this year. I have a set theme for his party now I just need to pull everything together. First on my list is to get invitations done. I want to do my own with his pictures on it, but it is not working out the way that I want it to. Can't find a website to design it and have no idea how else to do it. I really do not want to just have a normal invitation, but it is coming close to that.

Life and ViSalus

I had my hematologist appointment yesterday, there was not a lot that he had to say. Basically we are reevaluating my levels and doing genetics testing to see what that comes up with. I had 16 vials of blood taken and there were at least 12 different tests that I saw on the lab report. The kids went to daycare/school for the few hours and they loved it! Shiana was very well behaved, something that I was honestly a little nervous about. Keylan played with kids his age and colored an airplane, yes it is on my fridge, lol. I go back to the doctor in 3 weeks for the results. Shiana starts school on Monday and will be going all day. She is excited about it and I am looking forward to it too. 


I am going to be starting ViSalus on Monday. I have heard a lot of people talking about it and that it does work. I am doing the $99 package, with it you replace 2 meals a day with a shake, eat one healthy meal, 3 healthy snacks and drink at least 80 ounces of water a day, and cut out the sodium. Also with exercising. I figure it will be easier to do with Shiana in school, I can exercise during Keylan's nap in the afternoon and the days that PT is at the gym I can go with Jeremy and walk around the track with Keylan in his stroller. My goal is to lose 50 pounds by August, I know it is going to be hard and kick my butt, but if I can put my mind to it I can do it. I just need support, which kinda comes hard to find. http://visalus.com/  <<< this is the site that you can go to to get more information and order from. And if you want to be one of my customers, just let me know! This is my personal page to order through >>>> https://aehoneycutt.myvi.net/profile/index.html So I will be keeping everyone up to date. I may do pictures, but honestly am afraid to, but I think that it might help me along the way. I am also using http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ to keep up with how many calories I eat, how much exercise and I burn, and how much water I drink throughout the day.  So here is to crossing my fingers and hoping this works and if it does then I might think about selling them =) 

Nervous

Tomorrow I have my first hematologist/oncologist appointment. I am nervous as all get out. I know I have two clotting disorders, but I don't know the extent of them or treatment is. But I am also nervous that Keylan is going to daycare, even if it is just for a few hours. He has been with me or close friends or my mom in his life, but complete strangers he has never been with. I am also nervous because I know how some people are with non-circumcised little boys; really wishing I had went ahead and ordered those stickers that I wanted. They said "Intact DON'T Retract", so I guess that I am going to be writing it on his diapers tonight. I am not worried at all about Shiana because it is the same place that she went to before. But, she will also be starting school full time next week. It will honestly be nice to be able to clean the apartment and do homework; and once it gets closer to the time that we move I will be able to pack without, hopefully, any problems. Send me some prayers; prayers that I don't stress out to much over Keylan and that I get good news at my appointment tomorrow.

Problems...

So lately we have been having problems with Shiana. She does not listen or follow directions, even simple ones, and it is a constant fight. I have been looking at different disorders to see if anything fits and I think I have one that really fits her to a tee. I know it is out there, but i/we spend everyday with her. I am going to call her pediatrician tomorrow and set-up an appointment to discuss things. Jeremy is all spank her and she will behave, but I personally do not believe in doing it. It would be all day long. One thing that she has gotten much better with is bedtime. I honestly need to organize our day more and stick to it. Starting tomorrow there will be an hour of tv in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Bedtime will stay the same 8-8:30; snack, brush teeth, book, sleep. I am hoping and pretty sure that there is nothing wrong with her, but i feel better with talking this out and maybe I can figure out the right path to look at and follow. so I am asking for prayers that we can have a major attitude adjustment, especially since she starts school in 6 months.

Keylan's 2nd Birthday

So I wanted to do a Barnyard party for Keylan and have it at the petting area at Oak Mountain, but they are booked the entire month of May. I am determined to have a good party for him this year! So since I can not do my original theme I am going with the Mod Monkey Theme. We are going to have the party at my mom's house, it's free and all I have to do is clean up once we get home =) We are going to rent a bounce house for the kids to play in and of course have food and cake and present time. It is going to be simple for the most part, mostly because we honestly do not know anyone or have been around them in oh roughly 3 years, lol. So as I plan his part out and get more together I will update this. But so far here is this:

Valentines Day

This year I think I am going to do more then what I usually do. I am not sure what I am getting the kiddos yet. So when I do figure it out I will update this. But so far I have food all planned out:

Breakfast

                                                                             with

Snack

I will probably shape their regular, rice krispie treat, into a heart.

Lunch

Snack

I am going to try and get a cupcake or a good cookie for each of them and while eating them we are going to watch Treasure Buddies.

Dinner

                         This is for the kids, except mini pizzas

For me and Jeremy I am making:

                                           Crab dip with either chips or crackers

                  Salmon with mashed potatoes and (hopefully resembles) the
                                   lobster sauce from Red Lobster

Now I just need to figure out what to get everyone. I think I am going to do small gifts throughout the day and a bigger gift before bed.

Finally

My referral finally went through to the doctor. I will be seeing an oncologist/hematologist on February 16th in the morning. I am very happy, but also nervous. With my constant headaches I am wondering if I will end up having an MRI done. I also have my ultrasound on my liver on Monday and then I get the results for that and the blood tests. Nervous about that too. There is just so much going on in the next few months and I don't want anything serious to be going on. I have also decided that when I get home I am going to start getting everything together to apply to nursing school. My grades are really good, gpa is roughly a 3.86. Hopefully I can get in for next spring.

Ramblings

I have a lot of stuff bouncing around in my head and I am hoping writing will release some of it. I made a post on a girl on the upcoming season of 16 and pregnant forward facing her 5 month old. I know I turned Shiana early and I am so thankful that nothing serious happened to her. I am now gunghoe about carseat safety and proud to say that Keylan will be 21 months old tomorrow and has not been forward facing a day in his life. I agree that everyone parents differently, but I cant see why a mom wouldnt do everything in their power to keep their kids safe. At least the minimum with carseats; rear-face till 1 AND 20 pounds. On that post Keylan's weight was brought into play. It has taken me many many many months to except his weight gain and how he is going to be. I blamed myself many nights and constantly worried and I still worry everyday if he is getting enough calories. But to have his weight brought up and call him small (that I already know) feels to me like a kick in the side. On the note of Keylan, my little boy is growing up way to fast. In 3 short months I will have a 2 year old. He learns more and changes everyday and it amazes me. I have been using sign language more often and both kids are picking up on it really well. Keylan can sign more and thank you. I have been looking at birthday party ideas for when we get home, but part of me doesn't even want to do it because it will be well over a month past his birthday when we have his party. But I have been thinking about doing trains or animals. At that time we will also be back in Alabama, and will hopefully be getting our own place at that point so he will get his own room =) I am so excited that he will have his own big boy bed and his own room that I can decorate and put his toys in. Then in July Shiana will be having her 5th birthday and she wants a pony party. Thinking either take her to Oak Mountain to go horseback riding or rent a pony for an hour to use at the party. I will figure it out when we get closer to her party though.

Update

So this year I made a resolution to make myself "healthier". I went to the doctor the other day to have a check-up done and to check on my clotting disorders. To start I have two clotting disorders, anticardiophospholipid/antiphospolipid syndrome, also known as Hughes syndrome, and I also have protein c/s deficiency. I have not had them checked since I was pregnant with keylan and figured it would be good to know what I need to be doing to prevent anything from happening. I also had a CBC done, metabolic panel, and thyroid function tests done. Everything came back good, except my liver enzymes. They are elevated, so I have to go back in tomorrow and have more tests done. Hoping it is nothing serious and can be dealt with by diet change and exercise. I am also waiting for a call from the hematologist so I can get in and be checked out.

2011 Recap and Whats Ahead for 2012

So the kids are outside playing right now while Jeremy cleans the patio off so I am blogging for a few minutes. Last year was a long year. My mom had multiple surgeries on her eyes throughout the year and the end of 2011 she was blind in her right eye, today though she was able to see her hand. It was about 1-2 inches from her face but she still saw it =) We have lost several people this year (Uncle Jay, jeremy's great uncle, Granny Gardner, and my Uncle JD); we miss them so much, but I know that they are watching over us throughout the day everyday. My little boy turned 1 in April and Shiana turned 4 and Sydney turned 11 in July. My best friend moved to North Dakota and I miss hanging out with her every day! We made several trips back and forth to visit family and the most recent was when my Daddy had a heart attack. Looking ahead to 2012 there are so many positive and exciting things that I am looking forward to.

January: we have my dad's birthday and my niece's birthday this month. I am also starting school work with Shiana to get her ready for school.

February: Valentine's Day, I guess. Jeremy is suppose to start ACAP appointments this month.

March: I turn 24, I feel old already. 

April: My little boy will turn 2, already. I am not ready for the terrible, oh wait he has already hit the terrible twos.

May: This month I will be packing, and loading and moving and unloading ALL of our stuff. This is the month that we FINALLY get to move back home to Alabama. I am so ready and as weird as it sounds, I am ready to pack and move. Keylan will also be having his first birthday party at home =)

June: Hopefully by the middle of this month we will be moved into a house or apartment (3 bedrooms at least) and have jobs.

July: Shiana turns the big 5! Another BIG party =) Sydney will also be turning 12. Oh and my little brother turns 21, definitely need to figure out something fun to do with him.

August: My mom's birthday, Jeremy turns 28 and Shiana will be starting Kindergarten. =( My little girl starts school, but that only leads to new, fun things to learn.

September: Can't think of to much for this month

October: Our FIRST Halloween at home with the kids. Hoping we are in a house because I am wanting to go all out on decorations. lol. Looking forward to the pumpkin patch and trick or treating and new corn mazes this year.

November: First Thanksgiving at home! Have to figure out a good routine since we will be dividing the day between my parents and Jeremy's family =)

December: I know we just came out of December, but this is the month that I am looking forward to. The start of new official family traditions and figuring out new things for Christmas Eve and Day. I finally get to have the kids open presents in their own home first on Christmas morning =)

This of course is not everything; but hopefully we have a good year with health and wellness. I will also be getting Keylan into his own room for the very first time ever when we get a new place and getting rid of the paci and completing the potty training, which he is actually not to far away from. So this year looks like it is going to be a good year.