Tongue Tie No More!

We found our that Cash had a tongue tie after one of his first dentist appointments. He was slow to talk and hard to understand for a while. We had him evaluated by a speech therapist when he was 3 through AISD and he did not pass for needing services, and no one ever looked in his mouth to see if anything was going on in there. We did not think much of it. But when certain sounds, all involving his tongue were still not being said correctly I looked into it a little more. Because he his starting kindergarten in the Fall, and they need to be able to say words correctly to be able to sound them out, I wanted to get it looked at before kindergarten started. 

After a quick exam at the pediatrician office, we were referred to an ENT for a frenectomy- a surgical procedure to remove part of the frenulum. We had a consultation for the ENT, asked all our questions, scheduled the procedure for a few weeks out and left. She explained that it would be done at a surgery center, there would be light anesthesia, stitches and a small recovery.  It all sounded ok at the time. Then it got me thinking, and I started to look into it a little more. 

I called around, asked around and finally scheduled a consultation with a pediatric dentist in town who specializes in the frenectomy procedure and who also uses a laser instead of a cut. Turns out there are two different ways to perform the procedure. After much thought, we decided to go with the dentist instead of the ENT. I preferred the laser and it seems much less invasive and an easier recovery.  I absolutely loved Dr. Lucas, the dentist we used! 

We really talked the procedure up to Cash leading up to it. And I am pretty sure the only things he heard during the consultation was "lots of popsicles and lollipops afterwards" and the promise of a new Nerf gun he had been eyeing at Target that I refused to buy him up until now. He did not seem nervous at all. So the morning of, I pretty much said "yes" to everything he asked for to keep things happy and calm leading up to the appointment. So when he asked for a bubble bath, I obviously said yes!

After the bubble bath, we went to Target and he picked up the ultimate Nerf gun and a squishy he wanted and we headed to the office. He was chill as can be leading up to it.

He was a TOTAL champ! He did amazing throughout the entire process. I was even allowed to stay in the room with him and hold his hand, which was so, so amazing and made such a big difference. He only squirmed for one quick minute after the anesthesia. The dentist had talked it up about how most kids react during the procedure and she made me really nervous about it. But Cash did absolutely amazing!!! With no issues, and no tears! He literally hopped out of the chair when it was over and was ready to play. Here is a before and after of his frenulum! Incredible!

We came home and immediately played with the nerf gun, ate a popsicle......and then the excitement of the day finally caught up to him......

The whole thing was flawless! He never had any pain AT ALL! I stayed on top of the Motrin before bedtime, even though he did not really even need it, and never once heard one complaint about pain. His speech has not yet improved very much, it will take some time and exercising of the muscles, but I am so happy we got this done!

We ended the day with snow cones with friends to celebrate Cash and Eli's 100% on his spelling test that week!

Dear Baby

Your due date is 27 days away!!!

Your dad and I went to our 36 week sonogram together yesterday. At 30 weeks we found out that you were breech. I can not even tell you how much anxiety that gave me! I immediately went into research mode to find out everything I could possibly do at home to help you to flip. We did the external version with Eli, and it was successful, but I really just did not want to do that again....and I reeeeally did not want to have a C-section!

Against your dad's better judgment, I booked an appointment with a chiropractor that specializes in the Webster technique and in maternity care. Dad was very supportive of me going, but I know he was secretly rolling his eyes every time he knew I was going or saw the bill come in! But he rolled with it and let me do my thing.

If I read online that some silly technique worked to flip a baby--I did it--I bought an ironing board and did inversions on it, hip loosening exercises on an exercise ball, some other weird inversion thing off the couch, bought moxibustion sticks and burnt them next to my pinky toes outside on the front porch, went to the chiropractor weekly. I did it all.

Burning moxibustion sticks by my toes

Me hanging out upside down feeling sorry for myself!

So my 36 week appointment could not come fast enough, slowest week and weekend ever leading up to it. We walked into the sonographers room, and I told her how you had been breech and that I was so anxious to see where you were hanging out. That was the first thing she checked. Lo and behold.....you were head DOWN!!!!! Dad said I threw my arms up and yelled "YES!!!!" but I don't think I did that. I was however, holding back tears because I was so, so relieved!!! I think I tuned out the rest of the sonogram, but she said you looked great. She unfortunatly did not get any good pictures of you for us. I think partly because you were contorted in some crazy position in there, all smooshed up, but also she seemed like she did not try too hard which was a little disapointing. When I showed your brothers the two awful pictures she gave us, Eli thought he saw a chicken, Cash saw your foot, and Owen thought he saw a foot and an elbow....who knows!!

You are weighing in at 5lbs and 11oz and in the 48%--just perfect! I thought the news couldn't get better, but after seeing Dr. Phillips and finding out that I am already 3cm and 70% effaced, I was totally shocked! I am hoping you can hang on for at least a few more weeks. We have a lot of things we want to do before you arrive. So hang in there little bud, but I can not wait to meet you!  You are so loved already!

Love, Mom

Jared and Tati's Wedding

My cousin Jared proposed to his girlfriend Tati a few months back on the top of Machu Picchu. They plan to have a wedding in Mexico, where Tati is from, but also wanted to have a wedding here, for the sole purpose of having my grandmother attend.  

There is no way she could travel and they felt like time was fleeting and the sooner the better. So they asked my parents if they could get married in their backyard! Jared and his whole family are from Dallas. Of course my parents said yes! So at the beginning of March, we all gathered together in my parents backyard on a pretty chilly, windy, but amazing day!

The afternoon was full of family and their closest friends. My uncle Jimmy did the music, cousin Garrett sang, my cousin Shana's husband officiated the wedding and Tati's mom, who owns a bakery made the most amazing and delicious cake! I was not the best at getting a ton of pictures of the festivities but it was a beautiful afternoon!

We are all so happy to have Tati join our family!

Girls, Girls, Girls

Rachel and Hobo had a trip planned up to Minneapolis for one of Hobo's brothers weddings a few weeks back. They had just been up there for Christmas with all the girls and were not wanting to make the trip again with everyone! Its expensive and a ton of work! So months and months ago Rachel asked if Blaine and I would keep Lola and Savannah for that weekend and of course we said YES! It was the perfect way to spend our 11th wedding anniversary after all:)
Rachel brought them over on Thursday around noon, got them settled in and she was off. Our first day was a little shaky. No one napped, but instead just cried for Mommy the whole time! Bedtime was rough, but they finally fell asleep. No one really wanted to eat dinner, but somehow bellies became full. We were all just getting our bearings with the girls here but we somehow made it through the day! Thankfully Blaine took off work for the weekend to be at home to help. I am not sure I would have survived without him! The girls were well behaved but being pregnant and in a constant state of exhaustion and being uncomfortable made it a tad tricky. I had just forgotten what it was like to have a 2 and 4 year old and their constant needs and need to be watched! Not to mention, that they are GIRLS!!!

We did a lot of coloring, painting, putting stickers on things....reading stories, playing with Maggie, and her crate (!?!?)...it was rainy the whole weekend so we were stuck inside.

On Friday morning the girls came with me to take Cash to school, and I could tell he felt pretty cool having this two cousins there dropping him off! And the girls and I went to My Gym to run out some energy and give us a fun outing. They LOVED it.

Saturday morning was Simone's Bat Mizvah, and while there was no way in the world we were going to make it to the service, we did make it to the brunch! I just took these three little people while Blaine stayed back with Eli and Owen.

The girls loooooove Blaine! They think he is the best! Always wanted to know where he was, what he was doing, where he was going.

On Saturday night we got all cleaned up to see their Mom and Dad the next afternoon! It was really a fun weekend but utterly exhausting! I love, love, love being able to do things like this for Rachel and to get to spend the time with the girls!

Spring Break Week 2018

Another great Spring Break in the books! We took a couple of days to lay low and be lazy. Goodness knows I could do that all day, everyday right now! This baby is totally taking it out of me! So after a few days of laziness, we met up with Ethan and Rachel at a kid friendly SXSW event. It was a beautiful day and a lot of fun to spend the day out there.

 We had to park a good distance away from the entrance of the event, so on the walk back these two wanted to stop for a pictures in the bluebonnets. This is all I get for bluebonnet pictures these days. They told me "we are too old for that now!" And we forced Eli to jump in for one cheap shot.  The flowers were just starting to bloom so you have to look really hard to even see them!! But hey, Ill take it!

 Wednesday afternoon, the boys and I hopped in the car for our annual spring break Mom/Kid get-away. This year we decided to go to Log Country Cove after we had such a good time there this summer for our family reunion, and Marisa and I invited our friend Jenny and her three girls to come with us this year.

 The cabin was amazing! The location on the lake was impeccable! And we had beautiful weather! We really could not have asked for a better place. We were surrounded by green space, water, a basketball court, swings, a hammock, a wrap around porch, and so much more places for these 8 kids to run around from  morning until night.

 They all spent a ton of time on our little "beach" area fishing and playing in the sand, searching for little turtles to catch. But Cash spent the majority of his time in the hot tun-he could not get enough!

 The kids ate all their meals out on the second story balcony!

 We spent each night around a fire pit, and Marisa became quite the little fire maker.

We rented a little pedal boat for a couple hours and toured around the lake. This is the best pic we got😏

We ended our last night with smores around the fire pit.

 We got back Friday afternoon, and Blaine had gone into work that afternoon, so it was another night with just me and the boys. And it was the hottest day of the week! So naturally, we headed to the pool for the first time this year! We swam, ran into some friends, and ended the evening with a pizza at the park--the perfect evening!

 We ended our spring break Sunday evening at my parents house for dinner, naturally. The boys needed something to do, and they also needed a bath....win/win.