Blink of an Eye

Under the Sea Birthday Party Bash, part 1

2012-01-30T22:07:00.000-08:00

Well...it's official...

this guy is three years old!

The house was filled with friends and family and we had the most fun "Under the Sea". I'm going to split the pictures up into several different posts...thankfully...Kc took TONS!

After eating lunch, most of the kiddos headed outside. Bubs loves sitting on the turtle stepping stone and pretending it's Crush from Finding Nemo.

Jonah was so nice to push his twin sister, Riley, around on the bike.

Isn't Jonah just so stinkin' cute?!?

Somehow, Mr. Man conned Nate into giving him and Squirt a wagon ride around the backyard. I actually think they went around more than once.

Willow was trying to teach Jack how to play golf.

He was a very quick study.

Sweet miss Aria spent most of the morning inside. Aren't those eyes simply mesmerizing?!?

After all that playing, it was definitely time to have some cake. Willow was a fantastic server.

Bubs just loved his candle.

I'm just imagining that his wish had something to do with fish, the ocean, and an aquarium.

Happy Third Birthday

2012-01-27T22:50:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe my Little Man will be three tomorrow.

Three?

Three!

There were times when we weren't even sure Bubs would make it to this day.

But he did!

And so have we!

So much has happened these past years...we've gone through so much and have grown so much.

I cannot wait to celebrate with my little fish fanatic. We've planned a fun "Under the Sea" party.

We promise to post tons of pictures.

Sneak Peek

2012-01-24T22:08:00.000-08:00

This week has been so crazy and hectic! It's the end of the semester at school {can't believe the year is half way over}. Report cards are due, quarterly assessments need to be graded {and boy, are there ever a lot}, reading levels need to be assessed, and writing prompts need to be evaluated. Oh my, oh my!

To top this week off, we've got a birthday party coming up. I've been having so much fun preparing an Under the Sea party for my little fish fanatic! I promise to ~~make Kc~~ take tons of pictures...unlike last year...but until then...here's a sneak peek.

New School

2012-01-21T06:30:00.000-08:00

Last week, we had Noah's initial IEP {Individualized Education Program} meeting. It was a huge meeting with his toddler group/special education teacher, speech teacher, vision teacher, program specialist, CVRC case manager, school psychologist, school nurse, and regular education preschool teacher present. It was determined that Mr. Man would enter the SDC {Special Day Class} half-day preschool at age three. We are so fortunate that there is an SDC preschool at my school site...so...Bubs will be attending my school. WOW!!!!

We have been slowly introducing Noah to this new routine. We have changed his feeding schedule to coordinate with the preschool snack time. We have put together his backpack and Bubs is practicing wearing it. We are talking about going to the new school and the new classroom and the new teacher.

Last weekend we headed over to Copper Hills so Bubs {and Daddy-O} could see where his new room was. Noah was very excited as we got out of the car.

Walking down the very long hallway, however, he became a bit more unsure of himself. We showed Bubs where his new room was and he was less than impressed.

The sign at the front of the school was even less impressive.

We decided that a trip to the playground was in order. Oh my goodness, Mr. Man could not take his backpack off fast enough when he saw the play structure.

There is a fish!!! Do you hear me people?!? A fish!!!!!! And it's SOOOO big!!!!

He immediately climbed up the steps,

went across the fish,

and slid down the twisty slide. What a brave boy!

He loved walking across the bouncy bridge

and even tried to figure out why it was so bouncy.

He thought the General Store should be open for business.

There were so many places to explore,

hang on,

and climb.

Can you believe that this little guy will be starting preschool soon?!?

I know he is ready...hopefully I will be too!

Monterey Photo Shoot...take two

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

After our first day at the aquarium, we headed back to the house so the boys could nap. Jonah took a stellar nap...Bubs on the other hand...well...he did not.

We wanted to take advantage of the fantastic old wall across the street from the house and have another photo shoot. Jonah was a happy little camper and had so much fun...Bubs on the other hand...well...he did not.

Jonah posed so nicely for some fun photos...Bubs on the other hand...well...he did not.

How could you not love this adorable little face?!?

Sneakin' a peak.

Being silly on the sidewalk.

Any taxis coming...

This is the best we got of Mr. Man.

Bubs and his Mama.

Monterey Beach Picnic

2012-01-05T06:09:00.000-08:00

Once we arrived in Monterey, we headed straight over to the house. The boys got to get out of the car and roam around a bit.

Jonah liked peaking around the gate.

We then all piled into the car and stopped at a deli to grab a quick picnic lunch. What an experience that was...the owner of the deli put the Soup Nazi to shame. We did survive, however, and were on our way to find the perfect picnic spot on the beach.

While it was a bit of a challenge to find a nice spot, it was so amazing to sit {or stand} and look out over God's beautiful creation.

Noah and Jonah had so much fun climbing all over the rocks. Jonah was a confident little climber who scaled the boulders with the best of them. Mr. Man, on the other hand, was rightfully much more timid.

He wanted so badly to follow his cousin but didn't have the core strength to go as fast or as far.

Perhaps I'm just a bit too protective, but after his second face plant off the rocks and into the sand, I quickly became the dreaded "Helicopter Mama".

Pop-Ro found a super cool piece of sea weed that Bubs carried around with him for a while. Jonah thought that Noah should share with him and a game of tug-of-war was quickly begun.

Those two boys are just so funny together.

Aquarium Interview

2012-01-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Once we returned home from Monterey, all Bubs could talk about was the aquarium. Every time we went to the car he would ask if we were driving to the aquarium.

Here's one of the many conversations we have had about the aquarium...don't mind the crooked glasses.

Monterey Bay Aquarium...finally

2011-12-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

The day after Christmas, the North Carolina Smiths, Nana and Pop-Ro, and the Jacksons all got on the road and headed to Monterey for a few days. Thanks again to our wonderful friends, we were able to stay in their lovely vacation home.

Ever since our last trip to the aquarium Bubs has been asking to go again. We kept telling him that as soon as Jonah was here we would go back to the aquarium.

Well...that day finally arrived!

I made sure to bring the sea animals that Noah got for Christmas...they were definitely necessary. Every time Bubs saw a different animal, whether it be a shark, an octopus, a stingray, a whale, a fish, a turtle, or a starfish, he just had to have the toy animal in his hand.

We were fortunate enough to go two days in a row. On the second day, we headed over early {one of the perks of being a member} and got to see the tanks being cleaned by scuba divers. Noah got such a kick out of seeing the divers swim around. They were so sweet and even came over to say "HI" to Mr. Man.

Noah and Jonah were so cute together. They just loved staring at all the fish.

The jelly fish were particularly enthralling.

Bubs also got a kick out of the sea horses...especially the video {yes, video} of sea horses swimming around. Why look at the real thing when you can see them super sized?

And the touch pools...well...how can you not LOVE splashing around in the water and trying to touch a stingray?!?

The starfish, however, were much easier to touch.

Once again, the tidal pools were definitely a favorite!

And this was what my Little Man looked like when we were leaving. Poor guy...he would just LOVE to live at the aquarium.

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.

Jacques Cousteau

Family Christmas

2011-12-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Holiday was gloriously busy. Kc's family came to our house on Christmas Eve. We had a lovely dinner and then Bubs got to the serious business of unwrapping gifts. He truly got into it and had so much fun.

He got some great gifts!

Not only did Uncle Scott give Mr. Man a cool noise maker, but also a fun lion hat.

Noise makers are so much fun!

Christmas morning, we got up early and were overjoyed by the gifts that Santa left.

Noah ran out of his room and immediately headed towards his stocking.

Santa knew about Mr. Man's love of Finding Nemo and brought the largest Squirt turtle ever

as well as small versions of most of the characters from the movie.

Bubs was in LOVE! He was so cute and introduced all the animals to each other.

We headed over to my parent's house and finished off our Christmas celebrations there. Doesn't Noah look simply adorable?!?

Squirt Turtle insisted on going everywhere with Bubs.

After a yummy brunch the fishy gifts kept on coming.

Mr. Man had such a great time opening gifts...not only his...but mine as well.

I think the best gift of the day was from Uncle Adam and Auntie Mel.

Bubs got his own Sonicare Toothbrush.

We took the customary family photo in front of the fireplace.

What a blessed few days full of fun and family.

* Photos curtsey of Andrew Smith and Kc Jackson*

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T21:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from The Jacksons!

Heartbreaking

2011-12-23T04:11:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the lack of blogging lately, but, if you follow us on Facebook, you already know a bit of the reason why.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Kc and I were thrilled to find out that we were pregnant...again. We could not believe that God had blessed us with our third child.

At our six week ultrasound we were able to see our precious little baby and watch their tiny little heart flutter away. It was beating at a very strong one hundred fourteen beats per minutes. What a miracle!

Because of some very early chromosomal testing, we knew that our Little One was very healthy...and that our Little One did not have Fraser Syndrome...and that our Little One was a girl. We were beyond ecstatic!

On Monday, we were scheduled four our nine week ultrasound. We were instantly amazed at how much she had grown in just a few short weeks. We were quickly devastated, however, when the doctor could not find her heartbeat. She searched and searched and searched, and yet nothing. The heart that should have been beating at one hundred fifty beats per minute was mysteriously silent.

The drive home from the doctor's office was agonizing. All the memories and feelings of our final ultrasound with Ryan came flooding back. Knowing the exact moment when your heart literally breaks inside your chest is perhaps one of the most painful things we have had to go through...again.

Today, Kc and I are celebrating our fifth wedding anniversary.

Can you believe it?!?
Five years?!?
Wow, five years?!?
Only five years!?!

We seem to have gone through so much in the past five years.

Shortly after we lost Ryan, a friend told me that everything you go through as a couple will either bring you closer together or drive you further apart. No marriage is ever stagnant, she told me, it is always moving...it is our jobs to decide in which direction it is moving.

Well...I cannot imaging walking this road without my Amazing Husband. He is my rock, confidant, partner, joy, lover, and best friend. The joys and sorrows of these past five years have truly drawn us closer to each other, as well as to our God. And while our hearts are broken, they are broken together.

I love you Babe!
Happy Anniversary!

Zoo Lights

2011-12-10T17:23:00.001-08:00

This Christmas season has been so much fun with our Little Man. He is starting to enjoy all the decorations and traditions that go along with it. He loves the lights, Christmas Trees, Santa, Baby Jesus, Nativities, Elves, etc.

Last weekend we went to Zoo Lights at our zoo. They went ALL OUT and had so many twinkling lights and decorations that all the overhead lights were turned off at night. Bubs loved to point out all the animals in lights.

He even got a kick out of The Grinch.

So many of the lights were down low and Noah couldn't resist trying to figure them out.

There were even beautiful snowflakes way up high. We had to stop and take a closer look.

By far, the highlight of the evening was a visit to Santa. While in line, we talked all about how Mr. Man was going to sit on Santa's lap and he seemed to be OK with that...perhaps even a bit excited. Once I sat him on the lap of Father Christmas, however, Noah was not as pleased.

He did sit long enough for Kc to snap a few pictures and Santa to give him a candy cane. The rest of the evening, Bubs kept telling us about the time when he "sit on Santa". He was so proud of himself! To this day, every time he sees a Santa picture or figure, he says "sit on Santa" with a GIGANTIC smile. Too cute!

Wrapping Paper - Year Three

2011-12-04T18:31:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again...wrapping paper time! Every year, I enlist the help of my ~~most willing~~ son to create cheap and easy wrapping paper. You might remember when Bubs jumped all over the paper two years ago. Last year he ran the wheels of his trucks through red and green paint {unfortunately no pictures...we were in and out of the hospital at the time}. This year I took a few sponges from The Dollar Tree {just love that place} and cut them into tall triangles.

Then Mr. Man had a ball dipping them in white paint and stamping them on red paper.

Peek! What's under there?

One more tree.

This is SO MUCH FUN!

Bubs got a little bit zealous in his painting and made some "snow" falling onto the trees.

BANG!

Painting sure does make your hands sticky.

The final products...

BEAUTIFUL!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

2011-12-01T20:37:00.001-08:00

Christmas!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!!

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this time of year! The lights, the sparkle, the hot cocoa, the blessings, the ornaments, the tradition, the history, the baby...what's not to love?!?

We decorated our tree last night and Bubs loved it!

He got a kick out of pulling the ornaments out of the boxes and "hanging" them on the tree {it was more like pushing them into the tree}.

Noah called this one a "star fish". Of course he did! Everything, and I do mean everything, has to do with the ocean these days.

Lion!

I was showing Bubs an ornament that I made when I was a little girl.

Santa!

What's inside this stocking?

If I just push harder, this ornament will stick on the tree!

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.

I can see my reflection in the silver.

I look forward to making memories with my Little Man this year and teaching him about the glorious birth of our savior.

Fall

2011-11-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

It is looking so beautiful here in Fresno. All the leaves are turning and falling to the ground.

We were picking up the mail and paper at Nana and PopRo's house after church on Sunday {they were visiting Cuz Hunter and Cuz Brooklyn in Texas} and couldn't resist playing a bit.

Bubs tried his hand at raking the leaves into piles.

This thing is just too hard to operate.

Perhaps a broom will be easier.

Yes...that's much easier.

Throwing them in the air, however, is the easiest yet...and so much fun!

I love the leaves.

It's raining leaves.

I've found a beautiful one.

The classic JCrew pensive pose.

I've buried myself in leaves. This is so much fun! I love the leaves!

Swim Therapy

2011-11-27T16:08:00.001-08:00

I hope this Thanksgiving Week was as much fun for you as it has been for me. I had the entire week off and was able to go to several of Noah's therapy appointments, spend time with friends and family, catch up on my sleep {I just LOVE nap time}, cook as much as I wanted, eat more than I should, finish almost all of my Christmas shopping and start to decorate the house. Tomorrow is going to be quite a shock to my system as I head back to work.

Bubs has recently started aquatic therapy as part of his physical therapy program. Mr. Man just loves going to the "swimming pool" and asks about it frequently throughout the week.

Bubs is ready to play in the pool.

Covering up the star fish for the picture.

Noah had to walk the length of the pool {he is neck deep in the water} with weights on his ankles in order to reach the whale. He then gets to throw toys in the whale's mouth.

Sorry the shots are so blurry...I took them with my iPhone behind glass walls.

Then Bubs practiced floating on his back which he DID NOT like. Next came the kicking with flippers. Mr. Man enjoyed kicking all around the pool with the noodle.

He finished the session with a slide down the whale's mouth.

He was so excited when he got to the bottom but did not want to go again. Too funny!

Thank you Aimee and Morgan...you make therapy so much fun for Noah!

Shoes

2011-11-22T12:32:00.001-08:00

This is what a little boy's shoes should look like...wet, muddy, and covered in grass.

Water and Pishhhh

2011-11-13T11:25:00.001-08:00

I know what you're thinking...not another post about Bubs and his love of fish {or pishhh, as he calls them}.

Are you kidding me?
We get it, ok.
Mr. Man loves him some sea creatures.
Can you please find something else to write about.

Well...you are correct. Bubs just loves anything that has to do with the ocean. Ever since our trip to the aquarium, Mr. Man has been infatuated with fish...and whales...and dolphins...and stingrays...and sharks...and starfish...and jellyfish...

But, we're not talking about those fish today. No, today we're talking about goldfish {the yummy little crackers}. Noah has been working with an occupational therapist for almost a year. The progress he has made has been monumental {if not slow}. Bubs is now taking small sips of water and swallowing it. He is also licking almost all food we put in front of him and will "dance" his teeth on most food.

Last night, at dinner, Bubs would first lick the goldfish and then put it into his bowl of water.

He got such a kick out of scooping the floating fish up in his spoon.

He would then sip spoonfuls of salty, fishy water. Yum!

Fish soup! It's the best!

Bay Area Discovery Museum

2011-10-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. I know, I know. These past two weeks have been BUSY to say the least. I was beginning to feel as though I'd been swallowed by a whale but I am slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

This past weekend, the Jacksons decided to take a spontaneous trip. A weekend get-away. A mini vacation, if you will. We decided to head to...

San Francisco!

How could you not love this city?!?

Don't get me wrong, I could never live there {crowds, traffic, crowds, transportation, crowds, cost, did I mention the crowds?}, but is it ever a fun place to visit.

We decided to take Noah to the Bay Area Discovery Museum...it got amazing recommendations from Cuz Hunter. Let me tell you, it is quite possibly the BEST place for little tikes in all of California! It was truly designed so that kiddos can run, climb, splash, throw, dig, cut, paint, build, learn, and play on everything.

Our first stop was the wave workshop. Bubs loved to splash in the wave pools,

learn about wind,

watch himself on TV,

and admire his super cute reflection in the mirror.

While there, he fell in love with a whale and was quite sad to say "good-bye" to his new friend.

We quickly headed to Look Out Cove and got to explore the wreckage from a pirate ship,

search for burried treasure,

and dig for fossils.

Next stop was the Festival Plaza where Mr. Man found a nifty tire with bars and washers. When you slide the stack of washers to the top of the bar, they slowly twist and spin in circles as they make their way down.

Bubs just LOVED this.

He spent quite a bit of time sliding the washers up, watching them spin down, sliding them back up, and watching them spin down again.

We made our way over to the Tot Spot and Bubs found the water, frogs, and fish. What is it with this guy and water. He just loves to splash and play.

He also found a turtle to climb on. So much fun!

Once inside the Tot Spot, there were branches to find,

bridges to build,

ducks to find,

owls to love,

and structures to climb.

They also had the most amazing water tunnels to crawl under

and ponds {water beds} to jump on.

We had SO. MUCH. FUN! Bubs had SO. MUCH. FUN! We tried to take a cute photo on our way out but Mr. Man would have none of it...he was so tired. I don't even think Daddy had backed out of the parking spot before Noah was asleep in the car.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend! We visited Pier 39, had yummy clam chowder, watched the sea lions, and admired the beautiful city. Such a nice way to take a break, relax, and regroup.

I hope y'all have a wonderful Halloween filled with plenty of treats and only a few tricks.

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2011-10-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

Noah's amazing toddler group went on a field trip this week to the pumpkin patch. Nana and Bubs had so much fun!

Bubs got to decorate a cute little pumpkin.

Who knew that feathers were a must when decorating gourds?!?

Mr. Man and his friends wandered through the hay bail maze {much more manageable than a corn maze} and tried to pick up every single pumpkin in sight.

Bubs had so much fun and walked away with the funniest, bumpiest, greenest pumpkin you've ever seen.

Thanks Nana for taking my Little Man!

Fun Furlough Day

2011-10-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

Monday was a furlough day for all teachers and staff in my school district. Noah and I took advantage of the day off and went...you guessed it...to the zoo. Our first stop was the Nosey statue...one of Bubs' favorites.

He then insisted on visiting the petting zoo. He was so excited to see the sheep

and the goats.

He fell in love with this cute goat who had climbed on the rocks and decided he needed to join him.

I stopped Mr. Man right before he made it to the top. Fortunately, I was able to convince him that taking a picture {at the bottom of the log} was just like being at the top.

We spent quite a bit of time with the adorable animals.

Bubs just wanted to hang out with the goats.

Hey Mr. Goat...what's hangin'?

We're just chattin' it up.

We left the petting zoo and went to tease the seals with Noah's goldfish crackers.

I attempted to take a picture of the two of us.

Well...I guess that is as good as it gets.

Once again, we spent quite a bit of time with the fish in the reptile house.

We ended our lovely morning with a quick farewell to the lions.

Bubs says, "ROAR!"

It truly was a Fun Furlough Day!

Harvest Hollow Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again! The air is starting to cool {just slightly}, the leaves are starting to turn {well...maybe not quite this early in sunny CA}, and the pumpkin patches are open.

If you remember, last year Bubs was not very enthusiastic about pumpkins. In fact, he was too cool for pumpkins.

This year we decided to check out a new patch, Harvest Hollow Ranch. It was a bit of a drive {45 minutes to be exact} but well worth it. There were pumpkins everywhere...as far as the eye could see.

Bubs actually fell asleep in the car on the way over so he was a bit groggy when we arrived. Groggy Bubs = Timid Bubs. Charlie = Comfort.

Once he ~~woke up~~ warmed up a bit, Mr. Man was all about the pumpkin. He absolutely LOVES them now. He pointed out each and every single one.

He tried to roll them, pick them up, and carry them around.

He ventured out into the patch with a cute little white pumpkin.

He loves that gorgeous gourd.

Yep...really loves pumpkins!

After looking at each and every single pumpkin {and boy were there a lot of pumpkins} we headed over to the corn maze. The owners claim it takes over an hour to find your way through the ten acre maze. We opted to take a few pictures instead.

Notice Bubs has a gourd, not corn, with him.

He loved walking through the outside rows.

He was quite the fearless explorer.

We ended up leaving with a large orange pumpkin, a medium size marina di chioggia {funky, grey, and bumpy}, a small white pumpkin, and Bubs' favorite little, white gooligan pumpkin.

All in all, it was a very successful trip to a pumpkin patch! I just lurve fall!

Pishhhhh and Outside

2011-10-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

Bubs is working so very hard to talk. He whispers and chatters and mumbles quite a bit now.

Here he is showing you his "phishhhh" AKA fish. And then...he get's bored...and wants to go outside.

ABC Exercize Man

2011-10-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

Who knew that the ABC song {sung by Rachel Coleman from Signing Time} could cause such joy and energy in a little man!

He Looked Like This

2011-10-02T00:08:00.000-07:00

It has been a L.O.N.G couple of days. On Wednesday, our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist performed the stoma closure surgery and declared it a success. Shortly after the surgery Bubs looked like this...

On Thursday, Bubs was pretty grumpy {all he wanted to do was go to the car and drive home} so we spent most of the day cuddling and watching Signing Time. On Thursday night, Mr. Man looked like this...

By Friday, Mr. Man was still grumpy, still wanted to go home, and was only pacified by endless hours of Mickey Mouse Club. Most of the day, he looked like this...

By Friday night, Bubs looked like this...

That's right...we were discharged and on our way home. Our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist stopped by to see us after his last surgery and noticed how well Mr. Man was doing. He asked us if we ~~wanted~~ felt comfortable taking Noah home.

Are you kidding me?

Somehow I couldn't get the words out fast enough so I just blew him a kiss. One hour later we were in the car making the three hour drive home.

Bubs continues to do excellent post surgery. He has started to babble quite a bit as he explores his voice. It is still quite hoarse and breathy but is getting stronger every day.

Thank you so much for all your prayers! I can't wait to share with you this new path that we are on.

Pre-Meds Are Working

2011-09-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Noah continues to do well post surgery. He has taken to breathing like a fish to water...so to speak. We're all just hangin' out in the PICU, watching loads of Mickey Mouse Club and Signing Time, hoping to head home in the next several days.

Shortly before Bubs' surgery on Wednesday, the anesthesiologist gave him a pre-med. It was intended to relax Mr. Man and, boy, did it every work. Being the amazing father that he is, Kc took a quick video to remember our "drunk" Little Man. Enjoy!

Whole Sans-Hole

2011-09-29T01:35:00.000-07:00

Well, Noah's stoma (blow-hole) closure surgery was an incredible success thanks to our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist. About two hours after we kissed our Noah goodbye we were finally escorted to his bedside in the PICU where we (in awe) watched and listened to him inhale........then exhale from (only) his most perfect mouth and nose. As our Little Man woke up from his deep anesthesia sleep his recovery went relatively well considering his breathing experience is entirely new to him. The first words Noah signed was, "MaMa", "car" and then immediately pointed towards the exit door. "MaMa, get me outa here!" That's our Noah. We thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers for our Little Man. We are expected to stay until Sunday so please keep them coming.

WOW!

2011-09-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in the past few weeks. First off...

we've moved!

We're now in an adorable three bedroom home with a large backyard. Our first morning in the house we found this...

a cute, little box turtle who likes to crawl under the fence from our neighbor's backyard into ours.

Noah is in absolute HEAVEN playing in the backyard {something that was lacking in our condo}. He shovels and digs in the dirt, rakes up the leaves, and "explores" every little square inch. It is so fun to see my Little Man doing "boy things".

After Noah's stoma closure surgery was canceled, re-scheduled, re-re-scheduled, and re-scheduled once again, we are finally heading up to Stanford tomorrow so the MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist can close my Little Man's "blow-hole". It has been one year and three weeks since Bubs' very first procedure and we're hoping to close the book on this chapter in his life. Please pray for our safe travels, the skill of the surgeon, the care of his nursing team, and speedy recovery for Bubs. We promise to keep you posted.

...And Again

2011-09-05T17:03:00.000-07:00

Labor Day? The Zoo? Well of course!

The Jacksons ventured off to the zoo this morning with some very close friends. They are our "Zoo Friends"...we've been going together since the boys were little.

Jack and Noah had a blast together! They ran around, chased each other, copied each other, hugged each other {well...mostly Noah hugging Jack}, and shared popcorn.

Noah continues to love the orangutang statue more than the real thing. Here he is giving it a hug...

and a kiss.

Noah and Jack played outside the reptile house. They had fun crawling in and out of the turtle shell

and riding the komodo dragon.

Ride 'em Cowboy!

Noah even got to ditch his boring stroller and ride with Jack in his Radio Flyer. How fun!

We finished off our visit to the zoo with a train ride through Storyland and Playland. Kc had to work very hard to get a good picture of me and my Bubs.

Not quite...

still not good...

well...I guess that's as good as it gets.

I hope your Labor Day was as relaxing and enjoyable as ours was!

The Zoo...Again

2011-09-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Bubs and I headed to the zoo this morning and even though we've taken SO many pictures of Mr. Man at the zoo, I just can't resist taking a few more of my cute Little Man.

At the monkey enclosure, Bubs just loves to play with the carved orangutang rather than watch the real thing.

We had so much fun at the petting zoo. It was still nice and cool in the morning so all the goats and sheep were out.

I just love how Noah puts his hands behind his back when he is unsure of what he is looking at.

Here Noah is signing goat...

He showed you the chin hair and horns...that's how you sign "goat".

Noah was wondering why some of the animals were lying down. He signed "sleep" and "night-night". Too cute!

I thought this was simply precious. One goat laid down right next to the other one and put it's head on their back. Love that they are snuggling on each other.

Hello there Mr. Goat. How are you?

Mr. Man loved to chase the peacocks.

The flamingos were another big hit.

Do you remember this picture...from here...can you believe how much Bubs has grown in a year?

Unfortunately there was water in the hippo's mouth so Noah could not sit in it.

I love that these beautiful macaws greet you when you enter the rainforest exhibit.

My tall Bubs...almost as tall as a gorilla.

No trip to the zoo is complete without a visit the reptile house...Mr. Man's favorite!

Once again, we spent quite a bit of time watching the fish. I seriously think Noah could live in the reptile house...me, however...I think I would pass on that.

My ~~washed out~~ happy Little Man was so thankful that we visited the zoo today!

I love you...and bye-bye

2011-08-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

Noah loves Ryan Bear, making animal sounds, and you.

Bye-bye.

More ABCs

2011-08-28T06:12:00.000-07:00

Noah just loves signing his ABCs.

He says quite a few more letters in this video.

ABC Song

2011-08-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

Now that Noah had entered into the "Naked Neck" club {decanulated} he is trying very hard to vocalize. He loves to make animal sounds and even has a few words he can say. His voice is quite raspy and doesn't go above a whisper...but it is still a voice...and Bubs is trying to make more noise each and every single day.

Here, Mr. Man is signing his ABC's for you. He gets more and more silly as the song goes on, but you can hear his laughter and sweet little whispers.

I am looking forward to seeing how much more sound he can make once his stoma {blow hole} is closed in September.

My Boys

2011-08-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

While in Monterey, we headed to the Fisherman's Wharf for dinner...clam chowder in a bread bowl...Yumm-O. I couldn't help taking a picture of my favorite boys.

Monterey Photo Shoot

2011-08-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of a fantastic old wall across the street from the home we were staying at to snap a few photos.

Bubs was not sure about the location.

Eventually, my Little Man smiled for the camera.

And then decided that he simply had to wear Mama's sunglasses.

What a ham!!!!!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

2011-08-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've blogged. Sorry! Life has been quite busy these past two weeks and now...I'm back at work.

Last weekend we were blessed to head over to Monterey Bay for a final hoorah before school starts. Some very generous friends allowed us to stay at their vacation home and it was absolutely perfect. Perfect size. Perfect location. Perfect weather. Simply perfect.

Noah particularly loved the cute little balcony at the house. You can see the bay, hear the seals barking, and smell the sea air. Perfect.

Can you find Noah?

Nana and PopRo came along for the ride and treated Kc and I to a date night while we were there. Perfect.

On Friday morning, we headed over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium bright and early. Prior to coming, Noah and I visited the website on a daily basis and watched the live web cams. It was great to give Bubs a taste for what we would be experiencing.

Once entering the aquarium, enormous whales greet you from above.

Mr. Man LOVED the whales. He spent the first thirty minutes just running around under them signing "whale" "big" "up". He was one happy Little Man. It was quite the feat, however, to pry my Little Man away from the whales and actually observe some other ocean creatures. He quickly became one un-happy Little Man. Bubs created such a stink crying and signing "whale" that PopRo quickly bought him very own whale that he carried with him everywhere. Problem solved. Perfect.

It was so fun to watch all the fish swimming around.

The jellyfish were spectacular.

And the puffins were so cute.

Noah's favorite that first morning was definitely the tidal pools. He got such a kick out of waiting for the gush of water to crash down. There is an area that you can actually stand under the crashing water...Bubs LOVED that.

Then we went outside to see where the water ended up. Bubs ran around, jumping up and down, every time we saw the wave...and we stayed there for quite a long time...and saw many waves...every.single.time.

Mr. Man found a little area he could stand under and peek into the tidal pool. He is signing "water".

There were so many buttons to touch,

toys to play with,

and things to observe.

I'm so glad we got a season pass and will be heading back very soon.

Rough and Tumble

2011-08-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

Noah is turning into one rough and tumble toddler. He LOVES to run, hop, jump, climb, roll, and occasionally even fall.

And he has the bruises on his shins to prove it!

Backstage Pass

2011-08-04T21:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it pays to have friends in high places...or more importantly...friends who have friends in high places. On Wednesday, we had planned on heading to the zoo with some dear friends who live in Portland. It was supposed to be a relaxing {if not HOT} morning spent admiring the animals, catching-up, and watching our kiddos play. It ended up, however, being a spectacular morning {still HOT} with a private backstage tour of the zoo where we admired the animals, had time to catch-up, and watched the kiddos play.

We started out our tour in the elephant barn. We got to see where the elephants sleep at night, where they get weighed and taken care of, and then got to see them face to face and feed them. The zoo keeper called one of the elephants over {I think Kara was her name} and we got to feed her carrots and celery. She was impressively large {even though she has just lost 1800 pounds...talk about the Biggest Loser} but unfortunately I did not get any pictures. Noah was fascinated by her but rather nervous...he refused to be out of my arms.

We left the elephants and ventured into the animal hospital. We saw {and got to pet} a newborn baby anteater and watched a wolf go under anesthesia.

It was quite interesting to see the amazing care all the animals receive.

After leaving the hospital, we entered the giraffe barn and followed another zoo keeper who had a big bucket of apples. We got up close and personal with the giraffes and were able to hand feed them. Bubs tried to feed the giraffe, but as soon as the long, black tongue got close to his chubby, little hand, Mr. Man dropped the apple fast.

He was content to watch everyone else ~~risk life and limb to~~ feed the gigantic creatures.

They truly are H U G E!!!!

Next we went to visit the warthogs and give them a back rub...with garden hoes, of course.

Owen was quite the pro at warthog back rubs! If the warthogs could purr, I'm sure you would have heard them all the way in Portland.

Getting the technique down perfectly.

Bubs loved to watch.

Most of the group...Brian, Grace, zoo keeper, Owen, Me, Noah!

The final stop on our tour was behind the scenes at Stingray Bay. We got to see the enormous filters, heaters, and coolers that keep the touch pools perfect for the stingrays. We even got to see the shark and crabs that are off exhibit. Bubs LOVED the shark and could have spent all day watching him swim around! We then headed out to the touch pool and got to touch the stingrays.

Amy was trying to convince Bubs that he should stick his hands in the water. Bubs was not very confident in Amy's advice.

She even showed Mr. Man how easy it was...no dice.

On the way out, we stopped by the camel.

It truly was a once in a lifetime event and I am forever thankful for the amazing opportunity!

Introducing Ghoti

2011-07-28T20:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday evening, Noah received the most amazingly, wonderful gift...some very close friends surprised Bubs with his very own fish!

Oh. my. goodness.

Bubs was in hog heaven! Or should that be fishy heaven?!?

Because of my crazy teacher obsession with the English language, we have decided to name the fish Ghoti. If you know anything about the ~~dingy~~ English language, then when you read Ghoti you pronounced it /fish/. Of course...because...

gh, pronounced /f/ as in tough /tʌf/
o, pronounced /ɪ/ as in women /ˈwɪmɪn/
ti, pronounced /ʃ/ as in nation /ˈne͡ɪʃən/

The name works quite well in our house because our cat is named Kitty {short for Catherine}.

Mr. Man just loves to watch Ghoti swim all around his tank.

Thank you so much for bringing such joy to my Little Man!

High-Hand

2011-07-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed up to Rocklin to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Jackson as well as Uncle Scott. We had a lovely time catching up, admiring their vegetable garden, and eating yummy food. The highlight of the trip was Saturday morning brunch at High-Hand Conservatory. It is a lovely restaurant on the grounds of an old fruit packing shed. Surrounding the restaurant is a gorgeous nursery and art gallery. The food was superb and the ambiance was sublime.

After brunch, we walked over to the nursery and found a koi pond. Noah got to feed his fish fascination.

He could have stared at the fish all day if we had let him.

After peeling Bubs away from his precious fish, we continued to walk through the nursery. He found a fun fountain that just demanded that you stick your hand in it.

There was also a fun, old tractor that Noah enjoyed...until Kc noticed the wasps that were coming out of it.

The nursery had a HUGE area of pots, statues, fountains, and anything else you could possible want/or need in your garden.

Anyone in need of a large ladybug?

Who is that crazy boy?

Bubs did find some huge, bronze statues that he fell in love with. The elephant was a particular favorite...couldn't you just see that in our backyard???

The turtle, however, stole the show.

It was love at first sight!

Even More Fishy Fun

2011-07-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

Noah and I headed out to yet another pet store this morning. This one was the farthest away from our house but by far the best. Once we walked inside, Bubs headed straight for the fish.

There were SO many fish to look at.

Mr. Man got more and more excited as he walked up and down looking in every tank.

Very close to the fish tanks was a large cage with kittens. Bubs enjoyed them for a brief moment but then wanted to move on.

The birds were adorable and LOUD. There were several cages filled with colorful, flying, squawking birds and Mr. Man was enthralled!

Here he is signing "bird".

The next stop was to see the mice, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rabbits. Bubs LOVED the rabbits!

One adorable brown bunny seemed to love Noah as well.

They spent a lot of time staring at each other and giggling {well at least Noah was giggling...not sure what a bunny sounds like when it giggles}.

Noah's FAVORITE animal at the pet store, hands down, was the turtle. Three turtles to be exact.

Bubs would go back to the turtle tank after visiting the other animals.

Here he is signing "turtle".

It was feeding time for the turtles so several goldfish were dropped into the tank. Mr. Man got a kick out of watching the turtles chase the fish down. We had the distinct pleasure of watching one turtle capture his "lunch" and then another turtle fight the first one for the "lunch". Eww!

Fishy Fun

2011-07-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today was all about fishes! First, we made a trip to another pet store to watch the fish swimming around.

Bubs loved to tap {ever so gently} on the glass and look at all the bright colors.

Next, we came home and did a bit of painting. Noah created an octopus and a fish with his hand prints.

He was particularly enthralled with this fish...isn't it just too cute?!?

He was more than happy to show off his latest artwork.

Notice that he is holding a seal in one hand and an octopus in the other. My Little Man loves his ocean animals.

Fishes

2011-07-18T12:14:00.000-07:00

Knowing how much Bubs loves to watch fish swimming at the zoo, I decided that we would head over to our local PetSmart and check out their fish.

Oh boy, did Noah love those fishes!

He spent quite a bit of time at each. and. every. single. fish tank.

He would look at the fish swimming around, look at me to tell me that they were fish, giggle quite a bit, and then move on to the next tank.

He did find this large tank that he thought would fit perfectly in our living room.

What do you think???

Zoo Love

2011-07-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

Noah continues to LOVE animals and thus LOVE the zoo. The weather has been quite lovely in Fresno this week {89 degrees instead of the typical 105 degrees} so we took advantage and headed to the zoo...twice. The first time we went with friends, but the next day Bubs and I headed our on our own so we/he could take his own sweet time.

Mr. Man loved the tiger sign quite a bit more than the actual tiger...although to his credit, the tiger was sleeping way in the back of his cage. Bubs is telling me that this is a "tiger".

The pink flamingos are always fun to watch. Bubs just loves to sign "flamingo".

The most favorite place in the zoo has become the reptile house. Bubs loves to watch the lizards, iguanas, and snakes. Here he is telling me that there is a "snake" in the window and that I should come closer for a better look. Um...no...right back here is just fine, thank you.

The brightly colored tree frogs are quite cute, however. Noah is pointing out the two small, yellow frogs behind the glass.

This is the window where we spent thirty-five minutes watching the fish and turtles. That's right...over half an hour. Loads and loads of other visitors took a quick peek and walked past while Noah was glued to the window. Oh man, Bubs just LOVES those fish.

He is telling me that the "turtle" is swimming by.

Can you see the turtle?

I love that Fresno has a zoo and that we have a season pass! FUN!

Huntington Lake...again

2011-07-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to return to Huntington Lake for the second weekend in a row. Kc continued to play with the borrowed {really cool} lens and took quite a few pictures.

The lake was full of sailboats for the High Sierra Regatta. It was so fun to sit back and watch the boats sail by.

Of course, Sierra spent plenty of time swimming in the lake.

She was one tired little pup after all that exercise.

There were plenty of toys for Bubs to play with

and even more rocks to enjoy.

Mr. Man just loved playing on the deck. He has been working on jumping with this physical therapist and took every opportunity to hop all over.

We also took advantage of the beautiful surroundings to take a family photo.

{Notice the rock in Bubs' hand}

I just love this one of our feet.

As we were packing up the car to leave on Sunday afternoon {sniff, sniff} Noah took his feeding pump stand and rolled it all around the deck. Who knew it was such a fun toy.

Outtakes

2011-07-08T07:28:00.000-07:00

And just in case you think it is easy to take a picture with a two year old...here are some of the outtakes of our photo session.

Bubs and Mama

2011-07-07T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my Little Man.

Aww...kisses!

Bubs and Daddy-O

2011-07-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

While up at Huntington Lake, we took advantage of the scenery and borrowed lens and took some family pictures. Here are two of my three boys.

Can you believe I took that picture?!? That tells you how good a lens it is!

Fourth of July

2011-07-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we were blessed, for the third time {2010 and 2009} to spend the Fourth of July weekend at our friend's cabin in Huntington Lake. Kc borrowed a fun, new lens for his camera from a friend and had a blast taking pictures of Noah's adventures.

We went on several walks around the cabin and down to the lake. Bubs enjoyed finding rocks,

no matter how big

or small {Bubs is signing "little"} they were.

He also liked to find sticks to throw.

I think his favorite activity, however, was looking for bugs.

He laughed every time he found an ant on the ground and even insisted on taking a stuffed bug out for a walk.

There were climbing adventures all around the lake

and so much fun to be had.

After all that work it was nice to sit on the deck, admire the view of the lake, and relax just a bit. Bubs love to sit in the rocking chair with his books {Mr. Man just LOVES books}.

Sometimes he relaxed even further.

Sierra enjoyed naps on the deck as well.

Kc downloaded a new game on his iPhone for Noah...it's a concentration game with animal cards. Mr. Man just LOVES it. He does amazingly well, remembering where the animals are and picking the two that match. Here is his concentration face.

After a long day in the mountains, we settled down and had chili and cornbread {in a jar}

and enjoyed the fire.

What an amazingly relaxing weekend!

Thinking

2011-07-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

So...I've been thinking about Ryan quite a bit over these past few weeks. Don't get me wrong, not a single day goes by where I don't think about my precious boy, but lately...well...it's been different. I am experiencing a pain and longing that seems so fresh. So assaulting. So raw.

Perhaps it is because I'm home all day now {glorious summer} and am constantly looking at reminders of Ryan. His treasure box where we keep all the cards we received, his birth and death certificates, and the tiny hat he wore in the hospital. His photos scattered throughout the house. His urn.

Perhaps it is because Noah has taken to carrying around Ryan Bear almost as much as Charlie. {Don't worry Charlie, you are still his favorite}.

Perhaps it is because we've had several play dates with friends who have two beautiful children. I look at those mothers struggling to feed one child while the other is crying or running after one child while the other is darting in a different direction and long for that.

Perhaps it is because I am his Mother and I will always miss my sweet angel.

Whatever it is, I know that my little peanut is resting in Jesus' arms and that one day we will be reunited as we sing praises to our Heavenly Father.

my sweet boys

Fire Station Field Trip

2011-06-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

This week's toddler group field trip was to the local fire station. If you recall, the very first field trip Noah and I went on last year was to the fire station. And if you recall, Noah was quite overwhelmed with the loud noises, tons of kiddos running around, strange people, and huge fire fighters. He DID NOT let me put him down the entire trip.

You would think that this year...being one year older...Bubs would be much more confident. He does love fire trucks after all. You would think that Mr. Man would have fun running around with all his friends from school. You would think that...but...that was not the case. Bubs WOULD NOT let me put him down the entire trip. He was quite overwhelmed!

We did manage to get up close and personal to the fire trucks.

Once again, Noah loved to look at all the shiny equipment.

Bubs tried to take the shovel off the truck.

The firemen were so patient and kind. They help all the kiddos up into the truck and let them sit in the front seat...everyone accept my Little Man. He would have NONE OF THAT!

They even hooked up the hoses and let the kiddos shoot water across the front lawn. Bubs was less than enthusiastic...he refused to hold the hose.

Once he saw the fierce stream of water, however, he thought that was pretty interesting.

Here I am signing "off" when the fireman turned the hose off

Noah quickly signed "on". I guess it wasn't so bad after all.

All in all, it was a fun morning with friends.

Close Encounters of the Wild Kind

2011-06-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

Noah and I had the privilege of going to the zoo two times this past week...once with Daddy-O {hence the amazing photos} and once with some friends.

As I've mentioned before, Bubs just loves animals. He could spend hours going from animal to animal at the zoo watching them, signing their name, and trying to make the noise they make.

{As of right now, Mr. Man is making a few more sounds..."ba", "sh", and "rrr". All the sounds are associated with animals...of course..."ba" is what a sheep says, "sh" is how he says "fish", and "rrr" is the "roar" of a lion.}

Bubs truly thinks that all animals are as gentle as Sierra and Kitty {our dog and cat} and that he should get to hug and pet them whenever he wants. Poor Bubs! He doesn't understand why there are fences around the elephants and tigers...he just wants to love on them.

This poor bird was just trying to get a bit of sun when Noah came by. If only Mr. Man was allowed to pet it.

We did finally take Noah into the petting area of the zoo. He was in HEAVEN. There were goats and sheep galore. It was too cute to see Bubs try and pet the animals. He would point them out,

run up to them,

and quickly put his hand on their back before they would run away.

There were many a sheep that were scared into a corner trying to run from my Little Man.

After successfully petting some animals, we decided it was time to finally feed the giraffes. There is an area at the zoo where you can feed a few leaves to some very gentle creatures.

As we approached the giraffe, one of the zoo keepers gave Noah a nice green leaf. Wouldn't you know that my Little Man thought the leaf was for him. Noah had a firm hold on the precious foliage until the long, black tongue of the giraffe snatched it away. Bubs was crushed! How could that creature steal from me?!? Noah refused to give any more leaves to the greedy animal. I had to finish the job for him. Too funny!

{Notice Noah's tight grasp of Charlie...don't you dare eat my Charlie!}

Our season passes to the zoo have been money well spent. I know Bubs is looking forward to our next visit!

iPhone

2011-06-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Noah LOVES Daddy-O's iPhone. Bubs truly thinks it is the most amazing device to hold games...rather than a communication tool that you talk to other people on. He knows how to turn it on, find his folder, and open and close all his apps. I think that is more than I can do.

Now that Nana has her {white} iPhone, Mr. Man is in hog heaven. He opens the same game in each phone and bounces back and forth. How funny is that?!?

Discovery Center

2011-06-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Noah's preschool went on a field trip {they do one weekly during the summer} to the Discovery Center. It was a fun morning...not too hot...where the kids got to run around and explore the facility.

Noah loved the pond area. He found several fish and enjoyed looking at all the rocks.

The bridge was the perfect spot to find fish.

Look Mama! There are so many fish!

There was also a HUGE section of a tree that was over 1000 years old.

They estimate the tree was planted in 932 A.D. WOW!!!

There was also a fun Dino Dig area.

Noah grabbed a shovel and started digging!

Look at the GINORMOUS bone I found!

In case you were doubting the authenticity of the dinosaur bone, there were "real live" iron dinosaurs nearby.

It was such a fun field trip...we can't wait for next week!

Noah and Jonah

2011-06-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

Noah and Jonah were so cute together all last week. They had a blast playing together, stealing toys from each other, following each other down the slide, giving each other high-fives, jumping on the trampoline together, and taking wagon rides together.

Here they are showing me their tongues.

Jonah is signing "Noah" {sign N over the right eye}. How cute is that?????

Gotta love those cousins!

Cousins...Gotta Love Those Photos

2011-06-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately we only got one picture of all four cousins while they were together. Trying to get four kiddos, age three and under, to sit still is...still...quite a feat. Can you believe how much they have grown in one year?!? Introduce bubbles, however, and they were all in a trance. Too cute!

Noah, Jonah, Brooklyn, and Hunter

Cousins

2011-06-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Last week, we were blessed to have both the Susanville Smiths as well as the Iowa Smiths in Fresno. It was an awesome week full of cousins, laughter, tantrums {only a few}, oranges, cupcakes, birthday celebrations {Jonah}, 40th anniversary celebrations {Nana and PopRo}, and bubbles.

Jonah's second birthday was celebrated with the cutest farm party.

Noah and Lizzy enjoyed the bubble machine.

Gotta love those bubbles!

Hunter loves his new hat. Howdy partner!

Noah loves his animals

2011-06-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

Noah loves his animals. He loves to hold them, make them run, make them fly, line them up, and throw them across the room. He definitely has his favorites...but they seem to alternate from day to day. The lion, of course, holds his place on top, but is often trumped by the elephant, giraffe, dolphin, whale, or horse.

He truly is my Noah!

Alphabet

2011-06-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

It might seem as though we've fallen off the face of the Earth, but I assure you we have not. What with the end of school for me {YAY!!!!!!!}, Noah's scope and decanulation {Double YAY!!!!!}, and both of my brothers and their families in town {tripple YAY!!!}, it has been a world wind of activity.

Noah continues to do quite well post-decanulation. We have had no major issues so far {knock on wood} and are loving the freedom of not having to lug his suction machine around with us wherever we go. Bub's little stoma {hole} is slowly closing. And I do mean s.l.o.w.l.y. We were told it could take up to six months to close and that almost 50% need some surgery to fully close. EEK! We're trying to keep it covered with large band-aids {Noah HATES this} but fortunatily Mr. Man has not tried to stick his finger {or anything else, for that matter} in his "blow hole". You'll see it in a few of the pictures that follow.

Bubs has been working hard on learning all his letters {uppercase that is}. He can now recognize their oral name, pick them out in print, and can sign all twenty-six letters. Here he is showing you a few of his favorites.

{seriously Mama, will you stop quizzing me on my letters}

{What's inside the camera?}

D is for Dog

Notice the lack of quality of the photographs. I took these...Kc is at work...sorry. I promise to post more often now that school is out...we've got loads of plans this summer...should be a blast!

Noah needs another surgery like he needs a hole in his throat

2011-06-17T23:15:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, we headed back up to Stanford for yet another scope of Noah's trachea.

We had a 4:00 a.m. departure, a 7:15 a.m. arrival, and an 8:30 a.m. procedure time. We were confident that we would be back on the road, heading home, by noon.

That, apparently, was not to be.

By 10:30 a.m. my Little Man looked like this...

Notice the IV {both of them}. Notice the leads. Notice Charlie by his side. Notice his trach...wait...what?!? NO TRACH!!!!!!!!!

Our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist came out after the scope looking like a ten year old boy staring at his pile of birthday presents. "So", he said enthusiastically, "do you want to get this trach out?"

"Um...OK", we nervously responded, looking at each other for reassurance.

This is it...holy crap...this is it!

After a quick trip to the ICU, Our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist pulled Noah's trach and we all took a deep breath.

Inhale. Exhale.

Inhale. Exhale.

Bubs was doing it. We were doing it.

Inhale. Exhale.

Can you believe this???

Inhale. Exhale.

So simple...so dramatic...so pure.

New Lion

2011-05-31T23:40:00.001-07:00

Noah has a new toy thanks to his creative Pop-Ro. In just a few short hours, a lion was carved out of an old piece of wood and presented to Mr. Man.

We won't, however, mention the fit Bubs threw earlier that day that lead the the creation of the lion.

We won't even talk about how he fell in love with a cow {yes a cow} that Pop-Ro was carving for a Christmas nativity {an unfinished cow, at that}.

We won't name any names...but lets just say...that a certain someone thought the cow should be his.

This certain someone wouldn't let go of said cow...until...he was given a half of an unfinished duck.

Yes, an unfinished duck!

WOW! It's a shame we never give our Little Man any toys!

Who would have thought that this half of an unfinished duck would have stolen my little man's affections. This half a duck went with us to the zoo. Around the entire zoo. It rode home in Mr. Man's tightly gripped hands. It took a nap with my Little Man.

It was an absolute favorite...until...the lion was introduced.

Once that lion was introduced, it was all over!

Let's just say it will be impossible to pry this lion from my Little Man's hands.

True love! Enough said!

Just a Reminder

2011-05-23T18:47:00.000-07:00

To my dear sweet Bubs,

Sometimes I take for granted all the things that you have already learned and forget that you are still just a little guy...a toddler to be exact. Each and every single day you will experience new and wonderful things. Experiences that you will learn from. Sometimes those lessons are positive, other times they are negative. That is the reality of life. You have SO many lessons yet to learn and so many lessons that will need to be repeated...over, and over, and over again.

It is with this knowledge that I must remind you that it is NEVER ok to pull your trach out. It tends to freak people out. This is especially true when Daddy and I are out on a date and you are home with a sitter.

Once is enough. Twice is plenty. Seven times is just too many. Thank you!

Love,

Mama

Gettin' Crafty with a Wreath

2011-05-19T04:33:00.000-07:00

There are so many fantastic crafting blogs out there. The Scrap Shoppe, Tatertots & Jello, Running With Glitter, and Craft-O-Maniac are just a few of my favorites. I decided that I needed to get on the crafting bandwagon and make a wreath for our front entryway.

Every year for Christmas, my parents give us a fresh wreath for the entryway. It is nice to pull into the driveway and see the festive evergreen. It is so nice to smell the fresh pine every time we go in or out of the house. I wanted that same feeling again...just not so wintery.

I found the perfect grapevine wreath at the dollar store for...you guessed it...one dollar. SCORE! I also picked up a roll of twine while I was there. SCORE AGAIN! I began wrapping and wrapping and wrapping the twine around the wreath. I was hoping it would look a bit like this.

Unfortunately, Allison at A Glimpse Inside used a solid foam wreath rather than a grapevine wreath and she used two spools of twine, neither of which I had. Well...I took my wreath that was wrapped only three quarters of the way and attached flowers to the lower left side. I made three satin flowers using this tutorial. It stayed that way for over a week...until...I saw this.

Nikki at Nikkis' Nacs put her house numbers in the wreath. How cute is that?!?

I decided that my wreath needed numbers. I found some cute ribbon that had all the colors of my flowers, turquoise, white and red. I played with several different ways of attaching the numbers, but decided this was just too cute.

I love that you can see the house number nice and large from the street and the turquoise and red just make me think of summer.

I'm kinda loving the fact that it's not wrapped all the way. Perhaps because I like things to have a bit of symmetry to them {the flowers are balanced by the unwrapped portion of the wreath}. Perhaps because it's already hung and I'm a tad bit lazy.

At some point, I may decide to finish it. Or I may just decide that it's already finished.

Park Play Day

2011-05-17T05:59:00.000-07:00

Noah's awesome physical therapy center, Dynamic Kids, recently hosted a play date at a local park. It was a fun afternoon of playing, eating, and chatting with other families. The weather was perfect and Noah had a BLAST on the play equipment.

He loved climbing up the stairs and rock walls and sliding down the slides.

Bubs was so very proud of himself when he slid down the BIG BOY slide.

Later, Bubs found the coolest music area where he figured out how to make his own beautiful music.

Right before we left for the afternoon, Mr. Man found the water play area and got a kick out of watching the other kids dodge the waterfalls.

It was such a nice afternoon...we can't wait for the next Dynamic Kids Park Play Day.

Mother's Day Present

2011-05-15T06:49:00.000-07:00

Less than a week before Mother's Day, I saw this and thought it was simply adorable. I e-mailed my fantastic sister-in-laws and asked if it was even possible for us to put it together in just a few days. Wouldn't you know it, they were so enthusiastic and got on it right away. Thanks ladies for taking the photos of your precious little ones and thanks Kc for "fixing" all the pictures.

Hunter, Noah, Jonah, and Brooklyn. Aren't they too cute?!?

Nana absolutely loved it!

Digital Picture Frame

2011-05-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

Noah has recently discovered our digital picture frame {a Mother's Day present from last year}.

He just loves to stand on his step stool and watch the pictures go by.

It's like watching his own personal TV show starring...HIMSELF. How awesome is that?!?

Sometimes it's best to snuggle with a friend while watching TV {notice Charlie in Bub's arms}.

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Daddy-O and I had the perfect plan for the most amazing Mother's Day gift ever. We knew it would be the greatest gift ever. We knew she had always wanted it. We knew it would blow her mind. We knew it would bring her to tears {which it did}.

We worked hard all day long.

On. Off.

On. Off.

On for longer. Off.

On for even longer. Off.

On.

Can you believe it? My Passy is on! And I'm breathing! It's on!

And even more than that...I spoke my first word...

Make sure your volume is turned ALL THE WAY UP!

Bonnes Nouvelles

2011-05-05T23:55:00.000-07:00

True...it was a very L.O.N.G. day {got home after 11:00 p.m.}.

True...Bubs was very tired and very hungry by the time we got to Stanford.

True...the surgery was over an hour late.

False...Bubs was willing and eager to get wheeled into the OR.

True...the anesthesiologist gave Mr. Man a sedative to calm him down before the surgery.

False...the sedative worked.

True...the anesthesiologist had me scrub in and carry a very unhappy Bubs into the OR.

True...I was thrilled to be able to hold my ~~screaming~~ son while he was put to sleep {it was the third time I've gotten to do that}.

True...Kc could not wait and got dinner in the cafeteria while I was singing "Jesus Loves Me" as Bubs was being held down by three additional nurses as the very patient anesthesiologist was attaching a pulse ox probe to Mr. Man's big toe.

False...I was able to finish my dinner {once I got it} before our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist and his French counterpart joined us to go over the results of the super speedy scope.

"Do you want the good news," he asked, "or the good news?"

Bubs' trachea is staying open!

Bubs' trachea was dilated to 1 cm!

Bubs' trachea is looking great!

Bonnes Nouvelles!

Good News!

We're heading back in one month for another scope but our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist said that the only thing keeping the trach in my Little Man is my Little Man himself. Noah now has the anatomy to be able to breathe through his nose and mouth...he just has to learn how to.

WOW!!!

Wow!

wow.

That is awesome...and terrifying...at the same time.

It is now our job to teach Noah how to breathe...the thing that most people take for granted...the intrinsic task that happens 21,000 per day...the unconscious exercise that all newborns participate in...Noah now has to learn.

How in the world do you teach someone how to breathe? I must have missed that class when I went through the credential program. Where in the world do we start???

For those of you who just love pictures...here are a few more of my adorable Bubs.

Looking down from above.

The white tube you can see is his trach.

You get a great shot of his trach here as well.

Smile Pretty...In French

2011-05-03T23:04:00.000-07:00

We're heading back up to Stanford for another scope tomorrow.

Our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologistis will be taking another peek at Mr. Man's trachea and we're hoping for a gorgeous hole rather than an ugly crevasse. Joining our MOST FANTASTIC Otolaryngologist in the operating room will be one of his colleagues from France. Yep...France. Bubs will be smiling pretty for two very important surgeons tomorrow. I hope he is bilingual and can open wide in French.

We just got word that the procedure is not scheduled until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow evening.

Nice.

Unlike Noah's previous scopes, we don't have to wake up at 2:00 in the morning. We don't have to be on the road before 3:00 in the morning. We don't have to be in the pre-OP room by 6:00 in the morning.

Nice.

Unfortunately that means that we won't be out of surgery until after 6:00 in the evening. We won't be out of the recovery room until after 8:00 at night. We won't be home until after 11:00 at night.

Seriously!

It's going to be one l. o. n. g. day tomorrow.

And just because I hate to have a post without any pictures...here's my adorable Bubs

Fun at the Zoo

2011-04-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

Last week we celebrated my GLORIOUS spring break with a family trip to the zoo.

Lately, Noah has become a huge fan of animals. All animals, to be exact. You remember that early on, Bubs took a liking to lions. Well...that love has grown to include giraffes, bears, penguins, tigers, gorillas, alligators, whales, hippos, rhinos, dolphins, monkeys, elephants...any animal that runs, swims, or crawls is OK with my Little Man.

This excursion to the zoo was the most fun we've had so far. Bubs just LOVED every animal. He would point and sign the animals name and want us to make the noise the animal makes.

The bears were out sunning themselves.

The mama giraffe was taking care of her new little calf.

Look at how much Bubs has grown in one year.

Noah just loves the seals. He claps and splashes in the air whenever he sees one.

Watching those cute seals. Daddy-O...why are you interrupting me and trying to take a picture? I've got seals to watch!

Cute little kangaroo.

Notice the horse in Mr. Man's hand as he gets close and personal with a lion. Boy does he love those lions.

Bubs just loves the zoo!

Look Out World

2011-04-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Noah's got a step stool and he knows how to use it.

Why should I stand on the floor? It's so low to the ground! I prefer it up here...much higher...much better view!

Noah Was Here

2011-04-19T06:59:00.000-07:00

Noah was here...

With his signature bowl hat.

It's Officially Spring Break!

2011-04-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

What better way to start Mama's Spring Break than by cleaning off the splash table and breaking it in?

Splash!

Daddy is trying to teach Noah how to mow the lawn...too bad he only likes to push his truck around.

What??? Mow the lawn??? Nah, I'll just leave that up to you guys.

Water = happiness!

Rocks are almost as cool as water.

Too bad Mama and Daddy-O won't let me throw them.

Hats

2011-04-16T14:59:00.000-07:00

Noah has been infatuated with hats lately. Not the nice soft, handmade kind...the hard plastic, bowl kind.

Two bowls at once. How impressive!

Walking with bowls requires quite a bit of concentration!

If you can't find a bowl...just reach for a bucket.

Peek-a-boo!

Gotta love the attire...bucket hat, soaking wet t-shirt, and diaper. Kitty is looking on in disbelief.

Food, glorious food!

2011-04-12T06:52:00.000-07:00

Did you hear them? The angels. They were singing today. If you were in the 93720 area I'm sure you did. The heavens actually opened up to allow the "blenderized diet" angels to come down and deliver a little gift. A little gift from heaven. {perhaps a tad dramatic}

If you remember, back in September, we started Noah on a dairy/soy free diet. So far, after 216 days, we have had tremendous success. Bubs has significantly reduced his vomiting {only once in a great while...or if he accidentally gets soy...but that's another story for another time} and is growing and thriving on the diet we've created for him.

The problem with our old way of preparing Noah's food {putting loads of food into the crockpot and cooking the living daylights out of it and then blending and straining it} was that we were loosing so many good nutrients as well as tons of fiber by cooking and straining it. I did quite a bit of research online and found several blogs and websites of families with g-tube fed kiddos. They all hailed the benefits of an amazing blender called the Vitamix. Kc and I decided that our Mother's Day and Father's Day gifts to each other would be in the form of a blender. A Vitamix Blender to be exact.

Well...the heavens opened up...and it came...and I am in LOVE. Pure and utter love. L.O.V.E!

It is truly amazing! While it is not the quietest thing around {sounds like you are mowing the lawn in the kitchen when you turn it on} it does the most awesome job of pulverizing food and making it thin enough to put through Bub's g-tube.

Our first experiment was with chicken breast, rice, kidney beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, bananas, peaches, and rice milk. All the fruits and veggis were raw when we put them in the blender. Kc flipped on the switch and let the blender do it's thing for about three minutes. When he poured the "liquid gold" through our finest strainer...it went through effortlessly. Can you believe it?!? We have had ZERO problems with the food flowing through Noah's g-tube or going through the pump.

It is simply the MOST WONDERFUL piece of technology in our house. If there was a fire, Kc and I would grab Noah, Sierra, Kitty, our important documents, and the Vitamix. It is simply that great!

We decided that Bubs couldn't have all the fun, so for dinner, Kc did a bit of chopping

and threw it all in the blender.

Meanwhile, I did a bit of toasting in the oven

and we put it all together. Pure harvest bliss!

Verbs

2011-04-09T16:43:00.000-07:00

Both Noah's sign teacher and his speech teacher are working on adding verbs to his sign vocabulary. What better way to talk about actions than to show Bubs pictures of him doing the action. Here are some of the shots we've got so far...

bathing

catching

climbing

more climbing

hugging

painting

reading

rolling

running and kicking

sitting

sliding

splashing

throwing

Artist

2011-03-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

Bubs loves to color {markers only, please, no crayons} and paint. He loves to pick out his watercolors, rub the bristles in the paint, and watch the colors develop.

Beautiful spring colors on sunny yellow paper.

Don't real artists always stand back and admire their work???

Just a little bit more red, I think.

This is just SO MUCH FUN!!!

I think Bubs might be creating a masterpiece.

How come my hands are so colorful???

The finished masterpiece.

I just realized that Bubs is wearing the same shirt in the last several posts. I promise that he has more one shirt. I guess that every time it gets washed and put away, I just put it on top in his drawer. When I get him dressed in the morning, I simply pull the top shirt out and put it on. I'll have to try and mix things up a bit in the future.

Just Add More Water

2011-03-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

Sierra just loves water and takes any opportunity to go for a dip in the pool. Last weekend, Daddy-O opened the pool gate and let her dive in. Noah was quite interested in the pool and the silly dog who was braving the frigid temperatures.

Noah wanted desperately to get beyond the fence. He kept signing "open".

So this is how you scale a fence!

Noah tried as hard as he could to get close to Sierra.

Daddy-O had to keep both hands on Mr. Man at all times.

Perhaps Bubs was remembering last summer when he got to go swimming.

I think I see many more days spent by the pool in Bubs' future.

Boy Meets Ladder

2011-03-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Boy meets ladder.

How in the world do you climb this thing?

Oh, I get it now!

Look at me!

The view from the top is breathtaking.

Please, please, please can I climb up again?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2011-03-17T04:19:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I made a lucky shamrock shirt for Bubs again this year. It's truly amazing how much Mr. Man has grown in one short year.

Noah is thanking me for his awesome shirt. HUGS for the MAMA!

No St. Patrick's Day celebration is complete without a few potatoes.

Or are they spuds?

And perhaps a bit of Guinness...for Daddy-O, of course.

One laid back dude ready to celebrate!

King of the Hill

2011-03-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Nana and Pop-Ro have a great little hill right behind their pool. My Little Bubs decided that little hill was in need of conquering.

On the ascent. I think I can...I think I can...I think I can.

This is just the coolest ever!

Are you watching me Mama?

There's a tree up here at the top. {Noah is signing tree}

I did it! I made it to the top! Yay Me!!!!!!!!!