My Baby Can Read!

Well sort of. She can read pictures and she knows the words she hears. We can go through an entire book of hidden pictures and ask her where something is. She will find it and point to it. She almost always gets it 100%, it sort of depends on her mood or her level of concentration at the time. However, she loves loves loves to read books. She is constantly handing throwing books at me or her daddy to read to her. She will sit there for however long you let her and just go through books.

A few months ago I got her these "MY BABY CAN READ" DVD's. I had heard about them and I thought it was so neat to see children at such young ages reading. Although, I didn't see myself actually pressing my child to read as it may appear some parents in the 'My Baby Can Read' commercial may have. I did however think that the DVD's would be fun for her to watch and she would learn at her own pace with the videos.

Let's just say that my girl LOVES watching her MBCR DVD's. She smiles every time she sees and hears the beginning of these videos when I turn them on. Each video is about 30 minutes long and she will sit and stay focused all the way through them.

She can't really read the words that flash on the screen or that I point to in the books. She is starting to make connections that 'things' have 'names' and those 'names/words' can be a picture or written.

The show the word this arrow slides underneath the word, showing the direction in which the child needs to learn to read the word in (left to right). As the arrow slides under the word, they say the word in both an adult and a young girls voice, showing how it may sound different by whom is saying the word. She will sit there and interact with the video and answer the questions, and do the actions in which the video instructs her to do.

Her vocabulary is growing more and more each day. Sometimes random words pop out of her mouth out of no where.

For example: On Christmas morning when she walked in to what Santa had left her. I got out my camera to take her picture. Out of no where this girl of mine SMILES and then to top it off she says "CHEESE" at the camera. First of all..... I didn't even know my girl could smile on demand like that, and I have never used the word "cheese" for her when trying to get her to smile for the camera. She must have learned it at school or at church, but out of nowhere she just did it on her own and shocked me.

She loves to walk around where ever we go and asks "that?" Meaning "what is that?" And I answer her and she tries her hardest to repeat, almost nailing all the words. She loves to say one of our cats name, "Milo". Its her first word with an "L" in it. Now recently she has started to say 'milk.'

I could go on and on with all her words...... but I then you wouldn't get anything else done today.

I thought I would share these pictures and let you in on this MBCR DVD's program. I am sure you have seen commercial for it. Now you can hear from someone that actually owns the set and hear my thoughts.

I think it is great. I love it. Morgan loves it. I don't force her. I don't do it hours on end. It says to do it twice a day. I just do it when I think she is in the mood for it. We don't really do the flash cards yet, because I think the picture finding in the book is the better form of flash car for her at this time. She loves to show off and find the pictures.

Have you ever tried anything out similar with your kids? I'd like to hear about it and see what creative things parents do with kids to help them learn.

I actually taped index cards up around the house when Hunter was her age so he could go around and read the word attached to the furniture. What about you?

My girls is a jabbering one. She seriously loves to talk and sing. She has intense conversation sometimes with me, and I know she knows what she is saying. I just try to keep up with the conversation. I love her little voice. I told daddy to listen carefully to her voice and to not forget it, for it will one day not sound like that.

A Day in the Life of Kate McRae {Praying!!!!}

Today Kate had her MRI and the news was not what her prayer worriers or her family had hoped to have received. They are broken and scared for their little girl. The tumor is still very present, although shows signs of shrinking. They were hoping there would be none at all on her MRI today.

Sometimes pictures don't give you the real deal of emotions that a child or a family is experiencing through such hard times. I found this video of Kate titled "A Day in the life of Kate" and I watched it a couple of times with my little girl sitting on my lap. I started bawling, and Morgan turned her face to look up at me with such concern. All I could do was kiss her and tell her how much mommy loved her. Oh how thankful I am.

This video I feel gives you the REAL Kate. The Kate that is simply a little five year old girl. A sister to two siblings. A daughter to her parents. An owner of her new dog. She is going through something I wished no child should ever have to go through.

Right now the doctors and her parents have huge and delicate decisions to make on the behalf of this little girl battling an ugly monster called 'brain cancer.' The burden is heavy on their hearts tonight and they have asked for a prayer chain tonight on Kates behalf.

Will you join in and pray for Kate?

Pray for ALL the children. Children are special. They are gifts. They are innocent and fragile.

Please take the time to get to know "A Day in the Life of Kate."

Here is her CarePage if you would like to visit, keep track with updates or leave them a comment.

As you can see she has lost a ton of movement in her right leg and arm.
Here is Kate wishing everyone a Happy New Year. So lets pray for Kate to have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Prayer request - Ms. Butterfly

(Update Two) Wednesday 3:30 PM

Again, THANK YOU all for the out pour of emails, direct messages, facebook and phone calls.... most importantly for YOUR PRAYERS.

OK, so the latest as of today.

We woke up to a busy morning. It was a family adventure first thing this morning, as I had to drive Hunter to school and Mark to work. Mark's car is getting it's 150,000 miles services done. This car is holding up well for us. We, as of last month, are officially owners of both our cars. Mark finally sent in his last payment and the title is ready to be mailed. Now lets just hope that neither of the cars break down or have anything horrible happen to them. We love not having a monthly car payment and have decided no matter what, as much as possible, to be avoided, we will never purchase a car again that we can't pay cash for. Meaning we will never seek out to have a car payment again.

Anyways, after a family affair this morning with the girls dropping off the boys to their perspective places, we girls went home to get ready for our day. I decided to let Morgan skip her school today since I would have to pick her up early anyways for her appointment.

We came home, made up the beds, cleaned up dishes from breakfast and got dressed. Well, one of us did all of that anyways. While holding Morgan on my hip, looking in her closet for what shoes to put on her, she notices a 'dogga' (a.k.a. DOG) sitting in the closet. This dogga was given to me for her at my baby shower in Texas. She decided that was the chosen travel buddy for the day, along with her Dora the Explorer purse and gee (a.k.a. blanky).

We arrive at her appointment almost 20 minutes early so I could do the paper work. See, I am thinking ahead of the game here. When we walked in, the waiting room was empty. The ladies behind the desk where cooing over little adorable butterfly. Let's just say she didn't mind the attention at all. She must get that from her daddy mommy. Ahem.

To make a long story short and get to the point....

The room quickly filled up and she made lots of friends. Adult friends.

After 45 minutes of waiting, finally they call out "MORGAN".

The nurse so sweetly asked Morgan if she wanted to hold hands, and Morgan so sweetly accepted.

She introduces us to our new waiting room. Its like the game that all doctor offices play. Wait out in lobby, when its starts to press for a long waiting period in lobby, they then call you in the room, so you are distracted and you think your time has finally arrived. Nope, they just move you into the room and it then becomes a holding/waiting room there also.

Any parent knows that any small room for a toddler is asking for it, but I do my best to entertain her until she finally got bored, hungry and tired. Then a meltdown broke out. She was on the floor, rolling around, kicking her feet and even lost her shoes.

After a few minutes of that, she got herself together, was back up and into things again. The doctors must of heard all the commotion, because after 15 minutes of waiting in that room, the doctor finally came in.

This doctor is an ENT specialist (Ears, Nose and Throat). He seemed nice. I mean after all I had only known him for about 30 seconds. Can't you tell in 30 seconds if a person is nice or not? He was kind to Morgan and gentle, but he was also one of those doctors that was quick to make his observation and send you on your way. Sometimes that can be a good thing after waiting for almost an hour to be seen. However, sometimes it can also come across less sensitive, and make you feel more like you are in their way. It sets off a negative energy to the patient. At least that is how I can often feel in that situation. I don't want to ever be made to 'feel' that I am in any ones way.

See, I care about others that way. HA!

Needless to say, he 'believes' it to only be a swollen lymph node. Same thing we all, including the other two doctors that had seen Morgan. He also said that "a month" for it being there isn't long at all, that several months or years is a long time. Almost as if possibly to say that one month is overreacting. Or maybe I am overly concerned. Yet, I haven't said more than probably 10 words since he walked in the door. He did all the talking. I just sat, listened and shook my head as to say "okay."

Or maybe that was his way of trying make me feel better and less concerned? Who knows. People are interesting that way.

I honestly wasn't stressed at all being there, other than the fact that I was now getting tired and ready to get my cranky toddler home to bed. Other than that I was in good spirits.

The doctor continued to tell me that this lump is very mobile (his words), and no other signs or other swollen nodes were detected, which to even further indicate that there probably isn't anything to be concerned about right now.

GREAT!!!! I like hearing that. It's what I felt in my gut anyways, but of course wanted to the doctor (specialist) to give me affirmation. He said it should go away on its on, and to just keep an eye out on it. If it is still there in a few weeks to a month, come back in and see if any changes have been made to it.

At this time he didn't want to make any other opinions about it, because it is in such a delicate part of her beautiful face, lets not touch it until we absolutely have to.

GREAT!!! I prefer that also.

On the other hand..... there is a part of me that does wish that they would have at least viewed it with an ultrasound. I'm a visual person. I want to see what we are looking at under the scopes. Besides, wouldn't that give even more detail or clarification, as well as answers, more so that what you are feeling with your hand or seeing with the human eye?

However, that didn't happen and so I will continue to leave it up in God's hands. I even told Him that while secretly talking to Him while getting Morgan's shoes back on and things gathered to leave. Well actually I was thanking Him repetitively before that. I didn't want to even for a second seem as though I took any moment for granted, already knew the answers and didn't need to rely on Him. Instead, I could have had two outcomes in which both I solely relied on HIM for peace in.

I am grateful for the words that were spoken today.

Fifty dollars later, a tired girl eats her lunch and is off to dream land. I sit here writing this update, while my hubby is texting me to come pick him up so we can go get his car. Sorry, honey, I think you will have to wait until the sleeping princess rises from her nap.

Hmmmmm..... maybe I'll take a little nap too?

These photo's were all taken with the cell phone, so you know how that goes. At least it gives you a little visual candy to make you feel like a part of your journey today.

Thank you again and again for the love you show to Butterfly and my family in general. You all rock!!!

And don't you be worried either.... mama doctor here will keep her hands and eyes at close watch to this little stubborn LYMPH NODE. Should anything further come of it.....well, you know you will hear from me.

(Update One) Tuesday 6:15 PM

Morgan had her appointment today and yes the lump is still there. We saw one of the doctors on duty today and he is one I don't particularly have a relationship with. He has sent us on to see a pediatric surgeon to have an ultrasound done on it before we start poking her with needles etc.

However, I did call my friend whom is Morgan's pediatrician and instead we are going to see another specialist tomorrow at 11:30 AM.

THANK YOU ALL for the out pour of prayers via facebook, email and here. Makes one feel much supported and I did have such a sense of peace today. And I still do. Morgan did excellent as the doctor examined her all over the place today. She only got upset when he put the tongue thong in her mouth to view her throat area and inside of her mouth.

It also seems that my little growing toddler must have fell and bruised her two top teeth as they have a slight bruise tent to them recently. Oh the ever on going stuff with toddlers, right?

I'll keep you posted as I know. Keep the prayers coming.

(Original Post) Tuesday morning.

I know. I know.

I have been really bad with posting on here over the last week. However, it being the holiday break from school and Christmas, we have been really busy. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that I went to Boston to watch my son almost get his first hat trick (that's shooting 3 goals in a game) and the Jr. Panther winning their 2nd Tournament Championship. I'll post more on that later with some pictures of my boo.

Then I traveled to Boca Grande Florida, which is an island I never new existed out there to photograph outside in Spring clothing, in 45 degree temps with a wind chill of about -20. Talk about not fun.... it was NOT FUN!!! But the client was great to work for and with, and we were able to get the job done.

Also, I mentioned a couple of weeks back that Morgan was fighting a sinus infection, along with her daddy and I. I also mentioned that I felt a lump inside her right cheek. The doctor took a look at the lump in our last visit about 15 days ago and believed it to be an infected gland due to her ear and sinus infection she was fighting. He gave her an antibiotic for 10 days and wanted to see her back to see if the lump was gone. If the lump was not gone, they were going to do further evaluation and run some blood test to get some answers as to what this lump is doing in my butterfly's cheek.

Of course, being the mom that I am, I google search 'lump' and 'bump' in your cheek. A very bad idea! As all that came up in response were images and sites about tumors and oral cancer. Very little about 'glands.'

No thanks! I don't even want to let my mind go there.

At the same time.... I let my mind go there a little bit, so I can try to be some what prepared should it be anything to be concerned about. If it turns out to be nothing to be concerned about, I will be that more relieved and grateful. I read every single day about children going through and dealing with all types of cancer and it breaks my heart.

Let's take my mind off of that for a minute (and yours) and focus back to some positive things.

The doctor felt good about the idea that the lump, which 15 days ago, was about the size of a grape, was moving around when pressed and messed with. Which lead him to believe that it was the gland in her cheek.

Today, the lump (I believe) has gone down some in size. Its about the size of a half grape I guess. It is still moving around. As I touch it every single day trying to measure its down sizing so I could make myself relax more about it, while clinging to faith that God has this under control no matter what. And HE does!

However, the lump is still there and I want to know why.

I am taking her back to the doctor today. From being at the hospital working with kids with cancer and reading blogs on the children I pray daily for with cancer. I have often read that it is extremely important to work fast on these things.

So, I am getting a move on it as we are around 15 days since the doctor last felt it and the lump that I am aware of, has been there about a month from the first time I noticed it.

My plan:

A. Writing this post to get you prayer worriers moving too. Will you please pray for my butterfly today? Pray the doctor doesn't get too concerned about it. However, even if the doctor doesn't seem too concerned, I will be requesting that the extra steps be taken and test be ran no matter what. Can't be too safe when it comes to things like this. Please pray that it really is a gland just taking a little longer to get rid of all the infection it was fighting inside her little body. Please pray that God give myself and the doctor the insight we need to make the best choices for this little girl. Please pray that my mind stay positive, calm while relying on Gods hands and plan for all of this. Please pray that no invasive surgeries will be needed on her little face to remove this lump. Please pray for anything you can think of that I may not be at this time that you feel on your heart to pray. The power of prayer is magical.

B. Enjoy this day alone with my girl. We are going to run errands, get groceries and just hang out. The holidays, the travels and my work over the last few weeks have kept me busy. Today, I plan nothing and look to every minute to spend with my Butterfly.

C. Trusting in God. Although, I have had so much on my mind these last few weeks. Some personal things, my mind seems so cluttered and busy. I have found myself lately boggled and unfocused during my prayers. In the middle of my prayers, my mind wonders about all that I am worried about and I forget to finish my prayer. That is why I need YOUR extra prayers for me and my family, as there are many changes as I mentioned in a post not long ago, still quickly approaching upon us that are weighing in on my worries.

D. Focusing on my family, this new day we are blessed to have, as each day is not promised to us. Focusing on an upcoming year. Focusing on relationships. Focusing on family and friends. Focusing on my God.

With that being said.....

I have some fun changes coming to my blog soon, with some fun surprises and giveaways. My blog may be going in a little bit of a different direction. All in which I am excited about and I hope you will be too. More on that later.

For now, look at this photo. My Butterfly 20 months old. Isn't she just beautiful? Wow. I can just stare and smile at her forever!

She is my girl. My angel. My Butterfly. My daughter. My gift. My joy. My heart.

Thank you for your prayers.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas to all of YOU!

survive weekly and escape as much as possible

Our pastor often speaks about things married couples should do to help keep their relationship intimate and alive. He has this little saying that goes something like "date weekly and depart quarterly."

I always thought that was brilliant. In our home it lasted maybe two months.

At first, I used to think that my husband didn't care enough about me if we didn't do our weekly date night.

I really would get upset about it and it reflected on our relationship. I thought, I 'deserved' better than that. I deserved to be loved and romanced, and taken on a date once a week. In fact, I recall a verse in the bible that speaks about husband to court their wives MORE than when you did while dating them.

That is how I envisioned my perfect marriage. A romantic husband that came up with all these romantic ideas and dates, courting me more during our marriage than when we were dating.

I quickly learned as anything else, all of that sounded so great in theory, but just isn't reality.

In reality its another story.

The dating your wife more during your marriage may be possible, um, the first months or years you do not have children.

Once children come into the picture everything about your marriage changes. Some really great things and some sort of sad things, but not anything that you just cant live without. And surely nothing bad enough that makes getting married or having children all not worth it.

Its just that.... different.

Change in other words.

First of all, it takes a village (in reality) to raise children. If you do not live near family, you don't have that village to help you and therefore, it can be really exhausting and really expensive to try and keep that "dating" lifestyle going.

I have found myself miserable on the very few date nights that my husband and have gone on over the last two years of our marriage since having little butterfly in our lives. I'm exhausted at the end of my days, and so the last thing I want to do is get dressed up for anything. Its expensive to hire sitters as is, so who can afford to hire a sitter a couple of hours earlier before the date, just so mom and dad can actually get showered and dressed in peace? Not us anyways.

Its almost as if the kids know we have plans and they instantly turn on this terror act. Morgan getting into anything and everything that is less than three feet tall. While I am sitting in the bathroom trying to apply mascara, I have a toddler fussing at me and yanking on my arm. Trust me, its not easy to apply mascara with a toddler pulling on your arm.

Then the next thing... she starts pulling and stretching out mommies thong. Pulling and pulling while taking a step back as if I'm her personal sling shot.

I am so over trying to entertain a toddler and trying to get myself ready at this point. As if that wasn't enough, I hate everything in my closet. To top it off, I thought I would curl my hair that was already straight, just so I could feel a little different. Who knows, maybe even feel a little sexy for once. I begin to curl my hair. I get half of it curled, to realize that I have no hair spray or styling spray. There is no way my curls are going to hold without any type of support spray.

At this point, I just wanted to cry, crawl in bed and dream of my younger single days for a moment when things were easy. The days where you could sleep, or take all afternoon deciding on your outfit for the evening. The days where you could leisurely take your time getting ready while talking on the phone with your girlfriends or jamming out to No Doubt. While possibly even admiring your own youthful figure. Those days that when you walked out of your place if on a date or out with the girls, you just had that attitude of "I look and feel good."

Then I wake back up to my reality of a screaming toddler that apparently really was just feeling crabby because she was sick with an ear infection and sinus infection, that I would later learn the next Monday at her doctors appointment.

I re-straighten the hair I just curled. However, lessoned learned. It is much harder to straighten hair you curled, than to curl the hair you just straightened? Go figure.

I am dressed.

The sitter is on her way.

Hubby then decided that since this was our first date since LAST February for our wedding anniversary, and we are all dressed up.... "lets get some pictures by the tree."

Um, okay...... make your choice will we have the nine year old or the 20 month old take the picture for us honey?

We went with the nine year old.

I could only force myself to try to get a nice photo twice.

The first one, as you can see, I look like a deer looking into an on coming car.

But hey its in focus.

The second one, as you can see, I actually forced on a smile. While having my fussy toddler reaching out at me to be held as it has gone the entire evening.

That picture is not in focus.

We may look dressed and ready to go out on our date for my birthday, but underneath it all, I just wanted to run away for the rest of the night.

I made it to the car and to our dinner reservation. It was a nice place. Great food. Mark and I actually had some great conversation, with very little talk of the kids. It was a nice date.

However, it ended up being an expensive dinner for two. About a hundred dollars more than a dinner for four (our family) the night before. On top of that you have the sitter cost.

After dinner it was so cold outside and the dress I was wearing just wasn't going to keep me warm, so we passed on our movie and called it a night. Sent the sitter home, got the kids in bed. I got on my computer for a bit, while hubby played video games online with his buddy.

Well, hubby and I did get reacquainted before all that, but I didn't think you cared for that info. Or the fact that our nine-year old interrupted us. We called it an intermission, while scrambling around to get dressed so I could answer his two minute knock at the door.

I thought I would leave that part out for you.

Although, there is a huge part of me that misses all those romantic dating years.

I also realize I am just as happy sitting at home with our little family saving that $300 date night, putting it aside for a get away with just the hubby and I every once in awhile instead.

Wouldn't you considered that a fair trade men?

Instead of having to come up with a "date" idea each week. Save that money and actually take your wife on a weekend getaway every 3 to 4 months.

Mark and I have decided we may be heading to Colorado with two other couples on a ski trip for about five nights in February. Now that is a date I look forward to. We have a friend that has a home we can stay in, we found some pretty reasonable flights. Hunter will go with his dad. We will connect in Dallas TX and drop Morgan off with my parents, so there is no extra childcare cost.

It will be so worth it and such a better way for hubby and I to really get away from all the stress of work, bills, child raising and really just connect as a husband and wife again.

I have changed that 'date weekly - depart quarterly' to 'survive weekly and escape as much as possible.'

I look forward to posting pictures from that trip that will replace these pictures from this night.

Happy Merry Christmas Eve everyone!