Thursday, March 31, 2022

{iPhone Rewind} :: March

It was still pretty chilly in March, but there were a few sunny and slightly warmer days, so we did our best to take advantage when we could!

He's doing so much better on his balance bike!

Racing!

"Mommy, mommy! There are turkeys outside!"  Close. And we stay away from those "turkeys"  :)

He insisted he did not have bedhead haha

Brothers working together makes my heart happy

Siblings playing nicely together ALSO makes my heart happy

About 30 minutes after breakfast, he starts asking me "Mommy, is it snack time?" And when it's not, he says "but I'm SO hungry!" This particular day, he asked me every 5 minutes for 2 hours. That's not an exaggeration. Good thing he's cute.

Upped our toothbrush game! They were beyond excited about their new toothbrushes...and now they say goodnight to them before they go to bed haha

On a walk with Daddy

Aiden is proof that M&M's do, IN FACT, melt in your hands haha

Just chillin' and watching basketball with Daddy

Post-bath snuggles with Eli

Spring is here!!

Doing some push-ups haha

Just chillin' with his Daddy and his fighter jet

Aiden Bumble Bee and Eli Ladybug

Just some Saturday morning dress up fun

Our little reading crew :)

When you get a cut on your forehead and insist on a "kitty cat bandaid"

Collecting all the things in his lunch bag

Well, we thought it was springtime...

Sweet big sister helping Aiden with his socks



Friday, March 25, 2022

Cherry Blossoms

Today we headed into D.C. to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom! It was pretty crazy trying to get there, but we finally found a spot to park and made the walk to the Tidal Basin, where most of the trees are.





The kids got a chance to run around a bit, and we enjoyed a sweet picnic under the cherry blossom trees. It was a beautiful day, and we loved having lunch with clear views of the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial.









Despite the crowds and traffic, it was a fun morning. We enjoyed the beautiful weather and the gorgeous blooms; such a special adventure as a family!







I sure do love this cutie crew! :)



Friday, March 18, 2022

Eli & Maddie's First Trip to the Dentist

Eli and Maddie had their first trip to the dentist today! They did so well; we have been prepping for some time {they don't love doctor appointments in general}, and it paid off. Despite our prep, they still had a TON of questions for the hygienist and dentist haha!

Eli went first, and he was just as stoic as he was for his first haircut :)




Maddie wasn't quite as still...but she did what she needed to and got through it!




We brought Aiden along so he could watch {and hopefully feel more comfortable for when it's his turn}. He watched for about 2 minutes and then declared, "I'm done!" So he went out into the waiting room with Daddy and assured us that he was "being super brave" while he waited for Eli and Maddie to finish haha.



Thankfully, their teeth looked great- no cavities! Maddie's bottom teeth are already loose {I had no idea!}, and this seems like such a big kid step...I don't think Mama is quite ready... So thankful for my {now} big kids!



High Five for Friday!

Just a quick update on life around our house these days! :)

{one} I am now 28 months in to active Crohn's Disease, and I can finally say that I am feeling better! That's HUGE! I am feeling better than I was even a month ago, and it is such an encouragement to see actual improvement. I had another dose of Stelara recently, and I really think it's helping. My symptoms are not 100% gone, but I'm seeing fewer and less frequent GI symptoms. I still have to balance my energy levels; when I start to feel better, I am tempted to run ahead and get back to my pre-Crohn's activity levels. And I'm not quite there yet. So fatigue is still a very real issue. And I am still trying to manage my migraines. But I am {and my doctor is} definitely encouraged!

{two} Aiden is doing really well with potty training! He has asked every day if he can have his diapers back {the answer is always "no"}, but he also really loves his Scooby Doo and Dinosaur underwear and it hasn't kept him from progressing. He has had very few accidents, and we are feeling more confident about longer times away from home. I'm so proud of him! And I love that he still runs out of the bathroom yelling, "Mommy, Mommy! I went pee pee in the potty! Are you so proud of me?" :)

{three} Eli had another check-up for his eyes. We have been patching diligently, trying to strengthen his right eye. The good news is that it's working! Three months ago, he was at 20/80 vision, and now he's at 20/70...so progress is really slow, but it's still progress. So we stay the course and continue patching for all his waking hours and pray that his eye/brain start making more progress. I am so proud of how he wears his patch like a champ! It's not his favorite, and it's not always easy, but he has been working hard, and he was so proud of himself when the doctor praised him for all of his hard work!

{four} Granny recently sent some fun mail that included puzzles of our family and some cutting practice pages. The kids love getting mail, and they loved these fun activities!








{five} On Tuesday, I celebrated my 10 year anniversary at the bank! 10 years ago, we prayed for the Lord to provide a new job closer to home, and we never could have imagined what a huge blessing that new job would be. I loved my job so much, and it was so hard to step away from full time work, but I knew it was what I needed to do for my health. So the Lord was gracious to allow me to stay on part time, and here I am 10 years later, still able to contribute and be part of the team, even in Virginia! This job has been such a God-send for our family, and I cannot say enough good things about the company and the leadership for which I work. I am so very grateful!

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Happy Friday!