Boo Boo is Two and Jesus Has Risen for You!!!

April 4th.....My baby boy is TWO! Unbelievable!! This one is hard for me because I've always treated Boo Boo like a baby, he's super laid back and sweet, and the boy gets away with EVERYTHING (because of the first two things I mentioned)! Boo Boo has the best little personality. I love squeezing him all day long....and he lets me!

Boo Boo was my first homebirth and I think I feel very connected to him because of that. He was also the first child I did babywearing with as an infant (I found out about the sling when Angelica Pickles was around one). And he was in the sling or wrap all.the.time. So, mix that with the sweetest boy ever and you get a strict disciplinarian Mom turned into a mushy Mama!! I love my Boo Boo!

Boo Boo is a smart little kid. I was starting to teach him his colors and I started with red. I had him get me a red block over and over. A few weeks later I asked him to get me a red block and he picked up a yellow one and said "Blue!" I didn't even know he knew that was a color!

"No, that's yellow. Go get me a red block."

He picked up a blue one and says, "Yellow!" How in the world did he know that color word, too??

"No, that's blue. Go get me a reeeeed block."

He picks up a plain colored block and says, "Blue!"

I just laughed. A few minutes later I hear, "Mama, look!" I turned around and he had three red blocks stacked up with a huge smile on his face. Coincidence? Possible, but that's also something Boo Boo would do. He's a jokester. He loves to make people laugh by dancing or being silly. He loves to sing "Tomorrow" from Annie and when he sees Mickey Mouse he always says, "Oh, Toodles!" His favorite animals are penguins and giraffes.....not exactly sure why, but as a 6 month old baby he would put up a bunch of animals on this rotating toy, and as it spun he only knocked down the penguins. And after he learned the sign for giraffe, he would find them anywhere. I remember being at little friend's birthday party before he was one year old and he was signing giraffe over and over. Mr. Prince and I couldn't find a giraffe anywhere and just smiled to agree with him. I think he knew we didn't notice it, and finally at the end of the night as I was leaving I saw this tall wooden giraffe figure that had been clear across the room. I couldn't believe he could see it from that far away and notice it was a giraffe. He also loves balls and could roll a ball back and forth at 5 months old and could play catch really well before a year. He still love playing catch, basketball or soccer. And he loves skipping around playing ballet with the girls, too. He gets along with all the kids and everyone adores him. He really is the "angel child" just like his Daddy was. And he looks just like Daddy, too!

For his birthday "party" we had Mickey plates and napkins and invited family over. He adores his two cousins! We got to have cake and icecream and play outside on the playset. A nice quiet birthday party....for once!

No laughing at my cake....I just wanted him to recognize Mickey,
and he did For Your Information!!

Cousin 'siah and Sid the Science Kid
Agelica Pickles and Cousin Logie
Princess Pea and the Birthday Boy
Cousin Logie is a super climber on our playset

Cousin 'siah and Boo Boo adore each other

Grandma K made Boo Boo his 2-year-old quilt (she does a baby quilt and a 2-year-old quilt for each grandchild) and she used penquins and Veggie Tale fabrics....Boo Boo's favorites!


We got Boo Boo another penguin, a book that has pictures that move, a wooden pizza set by Melissa & Doug (he loves our birthday cake set), a Mickey book set with little figurines, an alphabet/shape/color flip car seat toy, and a Fisher Price camera because he loves taking pictures with my camera.



Happy Birthday, Boo Boo! We love you!!!

****************************************

I tried to get some good pictures from Easter, but didn't have much luck....

Boo Boo's birthday just happened to fall on Easter Sunday this year. Easter is a special time for us to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross at Calvary. My little sister-in-law Norah did an amazing human video at church today that depicted Christ as he was taken, beaten, put on the cross, and laid to rest in a tomb. They also showed how the tomb erupted when Jesus rose from the dead. It was very powerful.

Christ's sacrifice is the only way we live in hope of a new and better life with our King. The earth is broken, but as Christ enters our life we also begin a new life here on earth. One with purpose. The world is not perfect and life brings challenges and hurt our way constantly. But if we put our trust in a God who saves, He can continue to form us to His image as we live this life to bring glory to Him and to win souls that will someday enter the kingdom of God. I am so thankful for Christ's sacrifice and the hope Easter brings.

Myra in her hand-made Easter dress

The girls LOVED their matching Easter dresses....

This is also a special Easter because the three oldest children have accept Christ into their lives in the past few months. Angelica Pickles started a random conversation by asking, "When will we die and see Jesus?" I explained that I didn't know when but asked her if she wanted to live in heaven forever with Jesus some day. We talked about the only way we can do that (confess with our mouth and believe in our heart that Jesus is Lord) and we talked about Jesus dying on the cross so that we could someday be with Him forever. She said, "I want to be with Jesus forever, Mommy." I asked her if she wanted to ask Jesus to forgive her sins, to write her name in the book of life, to lead her to do what God wants her to do, and to allow her to someday live in heaven forever. She just smiled big and said, "Yes! I want to do that!" So, we prayed right there in the car.

I found this sweet Classic Pooh bonnet and Myra looks fabulous in it!

The next day Sid the Science Kid approached me a little apprehensive and said, "Mom, can I do what Angelica Pickles did yesterday?" I asked him to explain what he meant and he went on to say that he wanted Jesus to lead his life and allow him into heaven one day, too. Him and Princess Pea actually said the sinners prayer about a year ago, but he said he didn't remember. I told him he was welcome to ask Jesus into his life and he chose to go to him room and pray alone. I asked him afterward what he prayed and it was very sincere. Princess Pea separately came to me and asked something similar and also prayed again that same day after a long conversation. It was a very emotional two days, to say the least!

Boo Boo's new Easter basket

So, this Easter is a special Easter for them. They got to partake in nailing a nail to the cross at the Good Friday service and we got them special devotionals for boys and girls that Mr. Prince and I are going to do with them a few times a week. I think one of the greatest blessings a parent can have is watching their children accept salvation. More than any other accomplishment in this world, eternal life is my greatest hope for them. I know they are young and will probably still accept Christ over and over in their lives as they grow and change, and will possibly still turn from him at different points in their lives. But, I have high hopes that they will see Christ in the lives of the family members around them and stay in the faith.

Do you believe in the hope of Easter? I pray you do...

Besides Easter service and a wonderful dinner at my in-laws, we had our own little Easter Egg Hunt at home and a few little treats in their Easter baskets. We don't do Easter baskets every year, but the tradition I want the kids to remember is that we always get a family game for Easter. I picked this Mickey Yahtzee up a few months ago and so far it's a big hit! The kids had a great Easter weekend and we have a busy Spring Break ahead of us!

**************************************************

My random photo op of Boo Boo....LOVE IT!!

Easter Project

I have always wanted to make my girls some Easter dresses, but never got on the ball fast enough to get them done.

Well, I did it this year!!!

I have been wanting to do this tiered dress since last summer when Grandma K shared it with me. Apparently, her Grandmother made a dress for Mr. Prince's oldest sister, RaRa, when she was a little girl. So, that makes it even more fun!

For money reasons, I had to go with some fabrics I had picked out last year for dresses. I happened to have pink and yellow butterfly fabrics, and similar pink and green flower fabrics that all coordinated. I knew I was going to make up a pattern for Miracle's dresses out of a combination of the fabrics.

Grandma K will hopefully help me with the button holes tomorrow. I'd rather not do them all by hand...

Angelica Pickles' and Princess Pea's dresses

Miracle Myra's dress

I had no idea what I was doing with Miracle's dress. I ended up just measuring her and making the first tier to fit around her chest and then making successive tiers like in the original pattern. I knew that would be easier than making up a shoulder pattern to fit her size. Then, as I was making some straps, I thought of using all three colors. I was going to tie them, but as I sewed them together, they just laid so nicely that I left them and just sewed them exactly the same onto the back. I also sewed a pink, green and yellow seam on both the top and bottom hem of the dress for some extra decoration.

Here they are, all three together!

The girls are going to be so excited in the morning! I'm looking forward to making a few more sets of matching dresses for all three this summer.

Palm Sunday Pictures and an Update on Myra

These are a few of the pictures I snapped Palm Sunday.

Princess Pea showing off one of her favorite shirts and her new haircut....

Myra is now 6 months old and I have seen a huge improvement in her head control in just the last week! She can now hold herself up leaning against the couch for the most part and holds her head off her shoulders for minutes at a time. Good job, Myra!

Boo Boo....I think.....

As I was playing with Boo Boo's hair today, I noticed just how very long it was. I was joking with Princess Pea that I could put it up in pigtails and he could pass as a girl...

Actually, when I'm in public, most people address him as a little girl! Now, this was when his hair wasn't this long also. Boy clothes, boy shoes, boy coat...and they thought he was a girl! Very annoying to me. He's pretty, but not THAT pretty... But, I got the same dumb comments when Princess Pea was a few weeks old DECKED out in pink, even in a pink car seat with a pink blanket, and people would say, "Oh, he's so cute!" AHHH!! What is wrong with people? Do they seriously not take the extra two seconds to LOOK at a child they comment about...??

Anyway, tonight I decided that if I can't convince them, I would join them!

Boo Boo sporting an old dress I made for the girls...

He thought it was hilarious!
Daddy did not.

I loved when Princess Pea's hair was cute and short like this...LOL

Ok, Ok....I finally cut it! Daddy's happy now.

Wonder if they'll still call him a girl...probably...

I decided to get Princess Pea's cut for the spring, too.

I think this is the longest it's ever been! Pop Pop and Daddy like the long locks, but they also don't have to DO her hair every day. Her hair is thin and stringy like mine and just mattes and flattens over night. It also has a slight wave that gets corky when long. Anyway, it's getting warmer and I prefer it shorter. And I'm the Mama! Or, as Angelica Pickles puts it, "Mom's the BOSS!"

I'll post some cute spring photos this week with her hair done.

I love the bob on her!

Bowling with Uncle Isaac!

Uncle Isaac turns 33 today, and for his birthday he asked to take the kids bowling! Sid the Science Kid has gone once, but the girls have never been. It was a blast!

Angelica Pickle's feet were actually too small for a pair of shoes,
but after tears, she just wore some big ones.

Isaac teaching them how to bowl

All the kids had a combination of throwing/pushing to get the ball down.
And yes, there were bumpers!!

Princess Pea was bouncing off the walls excited when she bowled a few spares!

Sweet Miracle just slept the whole time!

Final scores: Isaac (62), Sid the Science Kid(68),
Princess Pea(67), Angelica Pickles(59)

Thanks Uncle Isaac for a day of fun memories!!
Happy Birthday!!

Adventures at the ER

Where is the quarter, Brynnan? "Right here."

So, Angelica Pickles...my little mischievous, third-born child...decided that the pizza at dinner was not enough to fill her tummy this evening. So, she decided to EAT a QUARTER! Goofball!

She came downstairs less than 30 minutes after going to bed and said, "Mommy, I ate something I wasn't supposed to." I proceeded to ask her if it was a hairband or polly pocket clothes or a stick-on earring (common things I pull out of her mouth) but she told me, "It was moneys." Mr. Prince then took her upstairs to show her the different coins to ask which one she swallowed and she pointed to the quarter. After investigating further, he realized a quarter he left near the sink the night before was not there.

Lovely.

I called Grandma K and her pediatrician's afterhours number, but after an hour of waiting (and after reading a few blog posts about other moms adventures to the ER), I decided I wanted to bring her in anyway.

She was a little scared as she changed into some clothes. "What are they gonna do to me?" I told her they would just take a picture of her tummy and nothing would hurt. I think it was enough to scare her into telling me the truth if she was lying, so I felt better about that.


The x-ray showed it was already into her intestines, so that was good. Now, the fun part! We have to check her stool until it passes and possibly have another x-ray done in a few days. Oh, the fun of parenting! She gave us signs to watch for in case it obstructs the intestines, and we were off! Angelica Pickles looked sad and asked, "When are they gonna take out the moneys?" HA!

There is it!

She looked sad at bed and told me she wanted to poop it out right now. I made her feel better and told her we would throw a party when we found it.

So, anyone who wants to come over for the Poopy Party in the next few days, you are more than welcome!! =)~

Thanks, Angelica Pickles, for the many adventures in my life!

Myra is 6 months old!!

Our little miracle baby is 6 months old today!

Wow.

Ever since we left the hospital the time has just flown by!

Myra is currently still on anti-seizure medication and will be for the first few years of her life. But, she is not having seizures and is very stable. We are so very thankful for this. She does have some facial "ticks," but we are hoping these go away as she grows. With one, her little eyebrow goes up like she's checking you out. It's actually pretty cute, but probably annoying to her. =)

Her pediatrician has asked us to supplement her with a bottle of breastmilk mixed with formula once a day. She is 10lbs 12oz and 23.5 inches long at six months....so very tiny! I have to say, we are still loving this tiny baby stage and are soaking it all up! Though, for her health we are praying and hoping she'll start to grow more soon. We'll be exploring solid foods this month and are hopeful she will take to them well. I will be consulting with a speech therapist hopefully soon. We are keeping her feeding tube in until we know she's going to take to solid foods well and starting to gain weight better. Her head circumference is still not changing significantly and she is currently 6 standard deviations from normal. We are continuing to pray her head will start to grow proportionally as her body starts to grow and that her brain will continue to function and develop. Please pray with us.

Right now Myra is seeing a wonderful therapist through First Steps and is progressing, but fairly slowly. She is gaining more control of her head and neck and (when propped with arms extended) is able to roll over! She loves soft toys and blankets and smiles when you place something in her hand. Her vision impairments do not allow her to be able to reach and grab for toys, but she will hold a rattle in her hand and react to the noise. She loves music, too. And her favorite song for us to sing is "Amazing Grace" and I really need to learn all those verses! Kyler calls it the "magic song" because she almost always immediately calms when I sing it. She is very sensitive to smells and voices when people hold her and will react negatively if she isn't comfortable. I think a few of her favorite people are Gracelyn, Grandma K, Grandmama, Uncle Benji, Uncle Brandon and PaPaw.

**I tried to upload a video of Myra rolling over and smiling at PaPaw, but I can't get it right now. I'll try again later...**

We are so lucky to have Myra. I have grown tremendously throughout these last six months. Growing has its pains, but they are worth it. We are looking ahead expecting great gains and great miracles in Myra's life. Looking forward to what these next six months will bring for all of us... Here is a look back on the last 6 months...

Myra Annette born on September 24, 2009

1 month - Finally home from the hospital!!

2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months!

We Love You, Myra!!