Chicks and Chicken Coops

What can I say, we are ready for a new adventure. This spring the plan is Collins and I are going to start raising chickens.  Yes, you read that correctly.  We are going to raise chickens.  Why?  Well, why not.  I have wanted chickens since we visited the Biltmore Estates.  I know crazy, right?  They are have curator, and farmers and I have just me…and Collins. 

But it is really something I want to do!!

Back from 2008 at the Biltmore Estates I fell in love with the thought of real simple living-not the house...  The thought of a farm and getting food from the land and animals you raise just really intrigues me.  I love it!!

I took all these pictures back in 2008 for “just-in-case”!!  Well my “just-in-case” is hopefully going to happen this spring!  We have gone and looked at a coop and have done lots of research on the subject and I am super excited.  Collins is a little hesitant because he sees a lot of work in his future (I don’t understand why?)

Then back to 2012…my sister got Cailyn a Pull-along Hen for her birthday and totally forgot about my plans to get some hens.  Let me tell you this hen idea is the HIT of the household.

  Cailyn opening up her gift!  The hen “lays chicks”  too funny!!

Then big kids playing and mimicking how to take care of little chicks!  (Chicks eat Pez, right?)

I think my enthusiasm for chicks is rubbing off on the kids.  Good thing because they are going to have lots of “Chicken Chores”

I will probably have a few posts on my other blog about our chicken adventure!! I should add we will NOT be getting a rooster.  Just laying hens! In March we are going to a Chicken Auction to buy our chicks!!  Then for about 2 months they will be living in our garage!! We better get all of our Christmas decorations put away soon!!  haha!

Tunnel Fun!!

Since Cailyn has become a power crawler we have come to find out she is fearless.  Give her an obstacle and she is ready to go.  I figured this out at a little boys birthday party and they had pretend lasers in the upstairs hallway and after all the kids crawled through the obstacle Cailyn was ready for the challenge.  She looked like a rocket going through.  It was so cute.  When we got home I pulled out the tunnels.  I remember having to CRAWL through the tunnel myself to get Lawson and Wesley to go through, Cailyn she fearlessly went through the tunnel the second it was on the floor.  (isn’t it funny how different kids can be?)

See ya later!!!

I love you “more”

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day with the ones you love.  Ours was nice although sweet Cailyn had her 1 year check-up with 4 shots so she was a tad grumpy. The picture says it all!! She was over the impromptu photo shoot!

Here is a video before her shots…

Cailyn signing and talking 2/14/12

Sorry for the bib!!

Update on Wesley

Wesley is back to his normal self.  Everything is great, his head is great, his ticker is good, and he is a strong and healthy boy.

Here is a synopsis on what happened.  (Okay, this is LONG, I apologize in advance for all the grammatical errors. )

Jan 26th- I took Cailyn and Wesley to Target.  They did not have any of those limo looking carts so I opted for a regular cart and Wesley in the bag buggy.  I was not buying much so storage was not an issue.  Not to make this story longer then it needs to be he stood up to point at something, I pulled the cart back towards me and Wesley toppled out backwards- head first.  As hard as he fell I was sure there was going to be blood.  No blood just lots of tears.  We got ice, we got popcorn (thought that would sooth the pain) and we were on our way home.

No dice.  On the way home he started trying to fall asleep and it scared me. So off we went to the doctors office.  They checked him out and besides being droopy tired he seemed fine.  They gave me strict guidelines to follow and to wake him up ever 30 minutes, but when we got home for him NOT to fall asleep.

On the way home he tried to fall asleep and I kept on waking him up and sure enough he threw up.  I was scared because they told me if he threw up more then 2 times we had to go to the emergency room. 

Besides being a little lethargic he seemed okay.  Then he threw up again right before bed.  He just kept saying he was tired and want to go to bed.  After getting some reassurance from my sister’s MIL, Miss Paula, I decided he could go to bed.  I set my clock and would wake him up every 30 minutes.  Then after we hit the 12hr mark I woke him up every hour.

In the morning when he work up I was feeling pretty confident everything was okay.  He even said to me “Mommy I think I am healthy now”  Cool!

We took it easy didn’t do much except stuff around the house. 

Here he is on Saturday and he looks good…he made this tower himself.

Then on Sunday everything seemed to backtrack for us.  He woke up fine and then by 9:00 he was throwing up again.  I had to go to church so I went to church with Lawson.  Collins, Wesley and Cailyn stayed home.  I put in a call to the triage nurse for advice and Wesley slept.  The nurse did not get back to us until I got back home and after I told her the details she pretty much said very alarming “WAKE HIM UP, GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM NOW”  My heart dropped.  Not that I didn’t believe her but I called Miss Paula (Lauren’s MIL) again just to make sure.  (I guess I should add that Collins started a new job and we had no insurance.) Although I want my kids to be healthy I just wanted to make sure. Miss Paula confirmed “TAKE HIME TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM NOW”  We got Wesley up and dressed and Collins and Wesley were off.  I was to take care of our other children.  I was a basket case.  Not gonna lie.  I wanted to be with my baby, he needed his mommy. Those few hours seemed to be the longest hours!! As my mind raced Collins was comforting our son and we got great news, he was fine.   He had a fever but his head injury was fine.  Our message “Just continue to take it easy and he will be fine.” THANK YOU, LORD!!

His fever got higher that evening and I was back to checking on him multiple times a night but he was good.   Thank you to all those that prayed for our buddy!!

He was back at school on Wednesday and did great. 

Then Friday’s doctor rounds: As if all this wasn’t enough, he had his annual heart appointment.  They did find a venous hum but with the double checking of an EKG he is fine. 

Then later that afternoon we went to the doctors just for a double check on his head…head fine.  Ear- infection.  Since he was showing no symptoms I chose not to give him an antibiotic.  Good thing because when we went BACK (yes, BACK) to the doctor’s on Monday for his 4 yr checkup the ear infection was pretty much gone.

Last but not least, if you are still reading this good for you.  This really is for my records.  His 4 yr check up went great.  He is 41.5” tall, he is 40lbs and health wise in great shape.  Wesley did fail part of his hearing test so we are going to take a trip to the ENT.  How he failed his test and some of the information I gave them about how he is sensitive to loud noises made them believe he needed to be checked out.  What is one more doctor’s appointment at this point really? I will keep you updated on how he does.

So that pretty much sums it all up Wesley is happy and healthy and will never sit in a grocery cart again!!

One more thing… I have to share this note from his teacher.  MADE MY DAY!!! 

Oh, and the part of us being awesome parents is pretty nice too

Cailyn’s 1st Birthday Celebration

My baby girl turned the big O-N-E yesterday.  As much as I was dreading this day it was also a very exciting day.  I told my sister I can not believe how fast a year has gone, yet at the same time I can not remember life without her, as if she has always been here.  Funny how that works.

We started off the morning waking up Cailyn singing happy birthday.  She was so cute and dancing around in her crib! 

We didn’t have too exciting of a day, but we did get to enjoy a good amount of time outside.  It is gorgeous here for January!!

Cailyn’s official 12 month picture…

Here is a flashback from one year ago…

I had to find a picture of her with a bow on her head!! Wesley is so funny, he knows how much I love her wearing a bow and if he sees her pull off her bow he runs and picks it up and says “MOMMY, she pulled out her bow, all girls need bows in their hair!”  What can I say, I am training them all!!  I messed up with Lawson and bows so I am trying to get it straight with the 3rd one!

Back to Cailyn.  The little girl who stole my heart!! She is such an amazing little girl.  All though she is laid back she is head strong.  She does things at her own pace and her own timing.  She loves playing with her siblings!  She melts your heart with her eyes and her amazing smile.

A little bit about Cailyn at 12 months…

-I am happy to report she is a full crawler now.  Nothing stops this little girl.  She is even doing it the right way!

-She has 5 teeth

-She loves to dance, clap, point, blow kisses, play with my iPad, and she has learned cars roll on the ground back and forth and Barbies stand on their feet and you bounce them around when you talk for them (Thanks so her older siblings)

-I have heard it a couple times her say “hey, Bob” and “Hey, dadda”

-She still takes 2 naps a day and is sleeping through the night (hallelujah!)

-She is LONG, she is about ready to break into size 18month clothes

-She is so curious and watches EVERYTHING.  Much like her sister. 

-We are still nursing but I see the end in sight.  I am happy to report her whole first year she got 2oz of formula.  For me that is a major accomplishment. We have skipped bottles all together and she knows how to use a sippy cup!

-She is the best eater in the world (actually McKenna might have her beat) Yesterday for dinner she had her favorite meal. Tofu cooked in coconut oil, broccoli, whole wheat pasta, mangos, and cheese.  Yummy!

Now for the birthday celebration.  We had to wait for Collins to get home so it was WAY past her bedtime.  She didn’t understand why I was putting her back in her high chair with her PJs on…Poor girl.

See she does cry (sometimes)

Good news is, once she got the cake in front of her she was a happy camper!! A collage of the rest of the evening events!! I made her a carrot cake.  Her first sweet and she loved mostly playing with it!!!

Happy Birthday to my darling Cailyn or KK.  We love you so much and look forward to watching you grow!!!

We thank God everyday for blessing us with Cailyn (and our other kids too but this is her special post)!!