tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55300841399073103312024-02-07T02:33:54.217-06:00The Delange FamilyThis is the story of our adorable babies, their many precious adventures, and the blessings we feel each day...Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.comBlogger292125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-69906204475169513582015-04-14T12:43:00.000-05:002015-04-14T12:43:17.087-05:00On Deck<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">This is Zachary's analogy for the moment! And it happens to be two-fold.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Our little slugger just started baseball a couple of weeks ago and is headed into his third game this weekend. Baseball has long been my favorite sport. I grew up watching my brother play and had my own 7 year run with softball. There is something about the game to me that is so relaxing, nostalgic, strategic, and patriotic. I know part of my love has to do with the time of year, SPRING and all its wonderful glory...fresh cut grass, new flowers, warmer weather, the urge to be outside, the team camaraderie while being with friends. Needless to say, Zach has had a baseball tee for a few years now. And lucky for this mama, he has always loved to use it. Zach doesn't have a very extensive attention span at 4.5 (who would expect much different), but I was very impressed with his attention on the field at his first game. His second game was a little different. He and the other kids are now friends and are cutting up more, which in itself is great. Here's hoping this next game he is still as enthused and attentive!</span><br />
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LOOK WHO REGISTERED FOR KINDERGARTEN! Technically, Zachary can start kindergarten this year given that he turns 5 before September 1st. Having an August baby is hard in making the right decision about starting school. Having an August baby that is a boy is even harder. Chris and I have gone back and forth extensively about our choice whether or not to start him in school. We've decided to take the plunge and see where it takes us. My hesitation as a mother are his maturity issues, his need of one on one guidance while doing work, and not wanting him to get pushed around by bigger kids. With a child of his enthusiasm and charisma also comes the opposite spectrum of easily having his feelings hurt and being sensitive emotionally (also clearly a middle child trait). I'm hoping that after a couple of months into kindergarten we will have a good perspective on his development. Luckily I've been able to have a good relationship with the teachers and staff while volunteering for Bella in her first year of school. I know that grants me more knowledge and insight to what lies ahead for Zach's first year. Within those first two months, if I see him struggling or not progressing accordingly, I will have a sit down with the counselor and decide how to move forward. But right now, I need to give my little man the chance to prove himself for all that he is capable of accomplishing.<br />
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So here is to Zachary and all that the future holds! He has incredible potential and I cannot wait to see where everything he learns (and absorbs) takes him. Five minutes in a conversation with this kid and he would probably have you on the floor laughing. He is very matter-of-fact and insightful bringing an amplified meaning to "kids say the darnedest things"!<br />
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Peace be with you!Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-45322807938191523432015-03-14T14:29:00.001-05:002015-03-14T14:29:27.050-05:00BELLA DAY #7Daughter, the strides you have made in<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> your short few years</span><br />
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Shock and awe me, o<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">nly to show me all God hears.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">You are a gleaming example of</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> fervid prayers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Graced by loving hands of medical carers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Without their abounding knowledge and passion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">You may not be here to fill my life with devotion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The world is blessed by your very presence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Your wit and humor give a precious essence</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">To all the good in life and all there is to love.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Your many daily gifts are endured from God above.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">To the little Gymnast, whipping yourself around,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">To the creative Inventor, with toys scattered upon the ground,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">To the inspiring Pianist, who's fingers move across keys,</span><br />
To the Literary Master, reading me chapter books with ease,<br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">And correcting any word I might say wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">You will not be my amazing LITTLE girl for long.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">You went from itty-bitty, teensy-weeny </span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">To a shining star exuding beauty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I know in all due time you will be a young woman</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Ready to take on the world, continuing to shine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Here is to our NICU Graduate, where on this day we always remember being able to take our precious girl home after 99 days in the UVa Children's Hospital. We do our best everyday to teach you how you started and where you came from. You have an amazing beginning and I pray each day that you continue to have an amazing life with a fighting spirit!!!</span><br />
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-55189816760470472462015-02-07T14:08:00.000-06:002015-02-07T14:08:09.028-06:00Crazy but HappyHello blog-o-sphere friends! From our family to yours...we hope you are doing fantastic and enjoying all life has to give!!!<br />
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All of the kids are doing great! Their love and battle relationship is deeper than ever. They miss each other all day while at school but quickly after the precious hugs and kisses are dispersed go on to a "that's mine, don't touch me" routine.<br />
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Isabella is loving kindergarten. It took most of the fall for her to get acclimated to the routine and expectations but she is flying with beautiful colors now. We've started back to gymnastics after a break with getting settled into the new house and area. Her body movement still has some catching-up to do. She was doing very well in the old gymnastics class, however with 7 months off it will take her some time to get back into the swing of things. It still amazes (and concerns) me at how stiff her body can be even after 6 years. Fortunately she is fearless and loves the challenge of gymnastics allowing her muscles to adapt over time.<br />
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Zachary is our funny monkey. He is hilarious with his coy attitude and quick wit. He has definitely mellowed down in the past few months, but still has his temper and flare-ups. The kids common sense and logic are astonishig to us. He has always been great with physical puzzles and now he has started to show how capable he is at problem solving. And boy am I happy to see this kid back in gymnastics, not only is he limber and great at it, but it burns off some of his intense energy. He has become obsessed (at the moment) with Ninja Turtles and will run around the house flipping his body with a pretend bo staff. Which is all too ironic because he declares himself Leonardo (the turtles leader per se) and uses the weapon of Donatello (the inventor/engineer)...both are so fitting for his personality. He runs the show amongst the three of them and creates everything that they play with.<br />
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Alexander is unbelievably precious with his loving and energetic demeanor. He does everything Zachary does, from repeating his every word to imitating his every action. He insists on tackling Zachary and Cooder Bear every chance he gets. Then he will come curl up and want to snuggle with mommy. I read a great article recently about taking the time to lay with or have a conversation with your children instead of putting it off. Before we know it they will all be grown, have their own lives and not make that kind of time for us. As I watch my baby growing up, all I can think is that I need to savor the baby he is and I tend to cave to his demands. There's no doubt he is a tad more spoiled than the others, a dilemma I'm sure many mommy's out there face.<br />
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We getting used to our new environment. The area is very nice and super family friendly. We have amazing neighbors, have had several get togethers and love being able to spend time with them randomly. It reminds me of how I grew up and that is something I have always wanted for my children, neighbors that almost feel like family.<br />
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Now onto the best part...a few pictures of how the kids have changed since the last time I posted.<br />
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Peace be with you all!<br />
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June 2014 December 2014 <br />
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July 2014 January 2015</div>
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June 2014 January 2015</div>
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June 2014</div>
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December 2014</div>
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-58717787389965453352014-04-20T19:57:00.004-05:002014-04-20T19:57:37.486-05:00Happy Easter 2014Happy Easter everyone! Today has been gorgeous in so many ways. The weather is beautiful. Our family is terrific. And God is amazing!!! As we celebrate our Lords resurrection today, we can all step back and breath in a new beginning. The good news is among us, Christ has risen, we can walk in faith and choose to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, soaking in that last commandment He left us with.<br />
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That commandment makes me think of a message a childhood friend posted about on Facebook recently, the contagious nature of a smile and choice to be happy. A philosophy I have always carried in my pocket..."my cup is more than half full, and most often overflows!" Being happy is a choice. Wearing a smile is a choice. My faith has always allowed that smile to be on my face, even in the roughest of times. Confidence in Christ and the power of prayer keeps my life positive. There are so many times I feel overwhelmed, but a quick prayer and deep look into nature reveals the beauty He has created. For instance, focusing on a cardinal dancing on my plants in the yard warms my soul and makes it clear life is beautiful and God is powerful!<br />
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On this day, I hope each of you finds happiness, a smile, a prayer to soothe your heart, and the love of Jesus Christ. Peace be with you!<br />
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<br />Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-52407506239935920122014-03-11T20:56:00.000-05:002014-03-11T20:56:48.750-05:00RESTARTThat word is an understatement! I've missed writing, I've missed giving you updates on our crazy little family, and time has totally escaped from me. I cannot believe it is the middle of March. I cannot believe that it's been 3 months since my last post. I partially wanted to call this RESTART because of the new year...but I can't really do that anymore now can I?! But I can kind of given that it is the Lenton season. I mean it is a great time to clean our hearts, our minds, renew our soul and deepen our relationship with the Lord, and restart our journey of life. So here we go...<br />
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December was great! We had a wonderful holiday visiting Nana, Papi and Mama in Florida, taking Disney by storm for 3 days, and instilling a little bit of chaos at the grandparents house.<br />
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January was beyond busy and everyone had a touch of being sick with the yucky, snotty stuff...fortunately no stomach bugs! We haven't told many people but we are in the process building a new home and that occupies quite a bit of time; doing walk throughs on that house as well as prepping our current house to be sold. Being cooped up inside due to all of the ice didn't help much either. The kids were pretty much bouncing off the walls this entire month.<br />
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February continued with all of the same stuff as January just at a more rapid pace and rain instead of ice. And if it weren't for 2 of my best girlfriends, I wouldn't have had this post lingering in the back of my head to do.<br />
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The kids are doing great...getting big, too smart for their own good, and evolving personalities...<br />
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Alex has added many words to his vocabulary, mumbles sentences up a storm, can feed himself pretty well, climbs on everything and constantly has bruises on his shins. Chris is determined to find shin guards to fit his little legs. It amazes us everyday what he picks up on from the 4 of us. Doing many things so much earlier than the other 2 were. But how could he not when he is constantly observing us all?! He actually refuses to be fed and only wants to feed himself. He will turn his head and say "unt-uh" piercing his lips together. Once you hand him the spoon or food he will devour it. At his 18 month check up he was 33.5", 26 lb, and had a 19.75 cm head...yeah, pretty big noggin.<br />
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Zach is, well Zach. All spunk, imagination, and constant ball of energy. He is so creative and visual. I love this about his personality, but it often gets him into trouble. He doesn't do a very good job of controlling his passionate moments. He is totally into dinosaurs right now and everything he does is dinosaur related; from eating his food like a triceratops, to stomping through the house like sharp-tooth, and digging for dinosaur fossils in the flower beds.<br />
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Isabella is a diva...enough said! She knows she is the princess and owns it. She is going through a dramatic phase, screaming at everything either of her brothers do to her and constantly calling attention to herself. She even looked at me this morning when I asked her to do something and said "WHATEVER". I'm sure a bit of this has to do with Chris and I being so busy. She is loving gymnastics right now and doing incredibly well at it. Her strength is amazing, her cart-wheels are beautiful, and her hand stands would shock you. Very proud of my big girl!!!<br />
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So the most important part of every post, PICTURES:<br />
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<br />Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-33524812496346938962013-12-04T23:42:00.001-06:002013-12-04T23:42:25.453-06:00The Sadness Never Changes, But Miracles Do Prevail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yes, this title seems a little odd given that it is my firstborns birthday. The title should be all encompassing rejoiceful "HAPPY #5 BELLA BABY". But as 98% of you know, the experience of her birth was atypical and scary as hell. (Goodness, it is how we have gotten to know most of you). I must admit that today was not an easy one. I cried several times. Pain actually filled my body a couple of times. Regardless of it being 5 years removed, the anniversary of this day conjures up what was treacherous, odd, and almost a constant blur. And I don't ache for losing the pregnancy experience, but for the pain my daughter would endure for months; the first several months of her life. Those are supposed to be the happy times, the peaceful cuddle with your baby times. Not for this momma...I had to schedule to hold my baby...I had to make it to rounds to hear how she was breathing and meds administered for the day...I had to promptly show up on the hour to do diaper and linen changes...we had to ask permission to sleep on couches in the lobby while she was recovering from multiple surgeries.</div>
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With Thanksgiving coming late this year and leaving little room to get into the holiday spirit, I didn't have the cushion to soften how this time always makes me feel. I can normally use the decorating and jolly songs to lighten my mood before this week starts. Doesn't seem to be doing the trick this year. But just like my AMAZING, MIRACULOUS, SPIT-FIRE daughter gracefully pulled herself through SOOOOO much, I will too. I use her endurance to put a smile on my face. She is always my beacon of light. To this day there is always one second during the day that I look at her in awe. There is only one way to describe the blessing that she is...CHRIST! Through prayer, spreading our story across the world, sharing our story with and leaning on Father David, and having such a knowledgeable medical staff guide us, we are beyond blessed to have our baby girl turning FIVE!!! And not merely turning FIVE, but doing it with flying colors: reading, writing, doing math, running, skipping, jumping, speaking clearly. I could go on and on and on because all of that could be oh so different. And it is different for many families that went through something similar to what we did. To all of you out there that have suffered loss, I pray for you. For all of you with a special needs child, I commend you for all you do for your child. No matter how much I feel sad in a few split seconds of a day, it does not compare to what these families face; for our lives could be drastically different without our little beacon of light.</div>
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRECIOUS GIRL</div>
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You light up our lives constantly</div>
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Her birthday blessing...such a big girl going by herself</div>
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Decorating her room tree</div>
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Having an early birthday dinner at the place of her choice,</div>
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BURGER SHACK</div>
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with her favorite cupcake from</div>
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OOH LA LA</div>
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Peace be with you all during this holiday season! I hope you grasp the miracles of your life, big and small, and lean on CHRIST to fill your heart with joy.</div>
<br />Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-83430824591618856902013-11-16T16:36:00.004-06:002013-11-16T16:36:35.403-06:00Blessed day for #3We took our time having Alex baptized compared to his sister and brother!!! Chris would point the finger at me on that one :) Luckily we were able to fit it in when Nana and Papi were in town, so it was well worth the wait. They made the trip in from FL to celebrate Halloween with us this year. For months Chris kept teasing me saying that "the kid is going to be able to walk himself down the aisle"...and that is exactly what he did! He still takes a short morning nap and he happened to do it just before our 9am service. A little way into service he woke up and was ready to run around. When it was time to go to the alter he wanted down so that is what I let him do, walk himself to God. He refused to let us hold him during the first two-thirds of the presentation. He screamed and threw himself backward and ended up doing circles around us. What was so precious was that when the water graced his head he instantly mellowed. Peace of the Lord truly came over him. We were surrounded by family and that made it even more awesome! On top of Nana and Papi being with us, my mom, Lisa (my sister-in-law, and Alex's godmother), Brayden (my nephew), and Kim (one of my mom's best friends) were all able to come in from New Braunfels. It was a great celebration.<br />
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As for Halloween, the kids had a blast. They had a fall party at school during the day, gymnastics after school, dress up time when they got home and trick-or-treating once dusk hit. And they loved being able to share it with their grandparents. Bella was Merida from Brave, Zach was a triceratops, Alex was Mickey at home with Daddy passing out candy, and Papi & Nana were clowns! (I'm only going to embarrass Papi with the picture below.)<br />
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Before that we got to celebrate Trunk or Treat at Church. The kids loved the games and bounce castle. I love that Halloween was a week worth of fun this year with Halloween being a Thursday. It gave us extra days to dress up.<br />
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The kids are all still doing very well in school. I've met with everyone's teachers for conferences and each is going great. Right where they need to be for their age. Bella's teachers even suggested that we have her tested in the spring for gifted and talented upon entering kindergarten. She also passed all of the state vision and hearing testing. The speech pathologist did suggest that she have a little work though...not surprising! We also need to work on skipping and hopping on one foot to hone her gross motor skills. On a super awesome note, the pediatric surgeon did not feel she is in need of surgery right now. He asked that we up her fiber intake to keep her even more flushed out. Apparently the number one complaint of girls from 4-9 is abdominal pain do to some form of constipation. Of course with her bowel history and hernia, she is already very sensitive in that area. So we've added fiber gummies, prune juice, and flaxseed to her already intense vegetable/fruit and laxative induced daily regimen as well as cut out a large portion of dairy and bread. We haven't heard any large outbursts of crying or complaints of pain.<br />
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Someone being a daredevil....and Zach at his first concert!</div>
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We hope you all are enjoying the beginning of your holiday season. Many blessings to you all :)Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-42874024225014197112013-10-13T19:49:00.002-05:002013-10-13T19:54:41.157-05:00Festival SeasonHappy fall everyone! The weather change, the rain, and the endless fun events around town (and out) keep this family in high spirits.<br />
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All three kids are loving school...<br />
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Alex, in the last week, has even stopped crying as I drop him off and diving for me as I pick him up. Must say, this is a little disappointing! I could handle him no longer crying as I leave in the mornings because what child crying doesn't break a momma's heart just a wee bit. But I loved the way he would reach for me in the afternoons. My baby is gradually becoming a little man and this mommy is ever so slightly sad. He is walking every where now with ease and climbing on everything he can like a little spider; even trying to climb over the couch.<br />
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Bella is doing awesome interacting with her classmates. It has helped tremendously to be back around kids her own age. She talks about her friends all the time and even draws pictures of them and their adventures. She has artist genes from both sides of her family so I am curious to see where this goes. We give her a sketch pad along with colored pencils all the time and let her go to work. I'm fairly impressed by what her imagination comes up with and the details she creates. This makes my heart happy given that her dexterity and fine motor skills have always drug a little behind. Now she seems to be catching up centimeter by centimeter. Which is fabulous!!!<br />
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Zach, as always, is our loving, energetic, rascal! He has gotten in trouble a few times at school for hitting. We are doing our best to discipline him in a way that encourages him not to be so aggressive. I always get a kick out of observing his artwork compared to his classmates when it is posted on the wall outside his classroom. My boy always tends to "draw a little outside the lines", going in his own direction and thought pattern, and it is reflected in this work. As much of a handful as he is, I LOVE this about him. He is all about dinosaurs right now and building his imagination around them. I thoroughly enjoy watching him talk to his dinosaur family and have each one play together. We made it over to the Sugarland branch of the Natural History Museum a few weeks ago and he was ecstatic. They had T-Rex and Triceratops...his 2 favorites.<br />
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On a medical note, please keep Bella in your prayers if possible. Her hernia along her incision from her bowel surgery while in the NICU appears to be bothering her. We will see the pediatric surgeon this week to confirm what is going on in that area. Based on preliminary review by her pediatrician, it looks like the surgery might be necessary sooner rather than later. We always take her for annual check-ups and in the past the thought was to delay the surgery as long as possible, preferably until she is closer to 8. But like so many other things with our preemie miracle, you constantly have to monitor health/behaviors and take action when required.<br />
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Peace be with you, enjoy the pictures!<br />
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-51252110345741493122013-09-04T17:30:00.001-05:002013-09-04T17:30:42.482-05:00Quiet TimeFor mommy that is :) !!! After 6 months of the kids being home with me (for the vast majority of the time), they have started a mother's day out program down the road from the house. I'm super excited about this for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it is at a church, so they have chapel, music and prayer time each day. Very happy for that! Second, the director of the school is our neighbor. It really is a relief to know someone I trust completely with my children is there with them and leading their teachers. She is an amazing lady and educator. Third would have to be the social interaction, especially for Bella. I've noticed that being around her brothers constantly has brought out many "baby" attributes in her attitude. My hope for each of them is this; Alex will start to walk and not be so attached to me, Zach will mellow in his level of aggression and willingness to share, and Bella will be prepared for Kindergarten come next September by learning the rules of a classroom. I'm still excited to be able to work with them each morning and the other days of the week. This will also give me some time to manage tasks around the house, which is so much harder than I expected with the 3 of them running around me.<br />
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Here are the happy/crying pictures of their first & second day:<br />
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Peace of the Lord be with you :)Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-77309317159876002622013-08-20T15:25:00.000-05:002013-08-20T15:31:39.294-05:00Zachary the Zupendous<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Oh little man, how you have grown! You are our spit-fire, rowdy, loving ball of energy. You could entertain the socks off anyone you meet; from your dance moves, to singing, to unbelievable intelligent conversation. You are so witty it is a little scary at times. I can only begin to imagine what you will be like in 10 years. You make each day incredibly interesting, and slightly challenging. Regardless your smile, tight hugs and kisses, and open "I love you's" melt my heart. Happy 3rd Birthday Zach Attack!!! </div>
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The day Zach was born</div>
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1st birthday</div>
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2nd birthday</div>
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3rd birthday</div>
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We got to do whatever he wanted today...snuggle time in mommy&daddy's bed watching Team Umi Zoomi, lunch at Double Dave's and play time at Monkey Joe's (the streak of blue coming down the slide is the little daredevil)</div>
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-17266471185393519152013-08-11T17:45:00.003-05:002013-08-11T17:47:49.342-05:00Growing Up So FastOur littlest guy is officially ONE YEAR old!!! I cannot believe the time has flown by. Our precious family is crazy, rambunctious, loving and blessed in every sense of each word. We did not think we would have another baby after 2, but God had another [perfect] plan. He gave us a great pregnancy and wonderful little boy. His first year has been full of smiles, cuddles, tormenting his siblings, and laughs. He is happy, healthy and full of life...we could not ask for anything more.<br />
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As you can see he is climbing on everything, but only walking while you hold his hand. He enjoyed all the attention yesterday, however, did not quite care for his cake. He wanted to poke it instead of eat the deliciousness. At the end of the day he was pooped and happy to be sitting on his carpeted floor playing with his new toys.<br />
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We were able to have a dual brother/multifamily party yesterday. It was great...family...friends...and cake. We got super lucky that storm clouds rolled through to provide overcast and a small shower; enough to cool the hot Houston weather down. And a super big thank you to Nana & Papi for sending over the balloon maker. The kids loved everything she whipped up, from swords to hats to flowers and butterflies.</div>
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And in 9 days we will celebrate this little man's big day...until then (with plenty more pictures)...Peace be with you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLv5YlXcQyWXfmQkWnA3051aLP68bnzIigKj1rmu3Z5PaCQgjnacz_qWOe1XY4DMdfibV00LzEDnWtruYxu7iDfmErmWs-hdvFD7mFLmc5EbITVvL3IINk5Z65Ud-ZciI3i9BEkgAC4x8/s1600/DSC_2144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-32914341934669841012013-07-10T15:13:00.000-05:002013-07-10T15:20:13.249-05:00Alexander the AwesomeIt is a little surreal that our baby boy is 11 months old today. Hard to swallow that in a month that glorious 1 year milestone will transpire. He is such a precious little man; mellow, loving, energetic, and a smile and laugh that catapults your heart into pure bliss. With 3 of them it is a little difficult to focus on everything that he has accomplished during the past few pivotal months. So I wanted to take the time to highlight what all this precious boy is doing.<br />
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Babbling and laughing up a storm saying predominantly mama, dada and nana<br />
Has cut only 2 teeth that popped through less than a month ago<br />
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Climbing into his brothers bed all by his little chubby legged self<br />
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Transferring objects between hands and to his mouth with great dexterity<br />
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Crawling like a speed demon around the house getting into all toys making it impossible for me to keep anything neat<br />
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Walking along all of the furniture for a couple of months now<br />
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Standing really well all by himself as of this week, wanting to pick up that right knee (hopefully starting to walk in a couple of weeks)<br />
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I know I am biased, but this is one handsome little guy :) Peace of the Lord be with you all!Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-54357780224448742842013-06-25T14:43:00.000-05:002013-06-25T14:43:10.256-05:00Crazy Days of Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So it is not very hard to believe that 2 months have gone by without a single post by me...so sorry!!! The beginning of this summer has been hectic, and does not appear to be slowing down anytime soon. But on a good note...we are all happy, healthy, VERY active and loving life.</div>
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Here is a quick synopsis of our time since we last posted:</div>
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1. Complete master bathroom remodel (way more time consuming than you would imagine!)</div>
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2. Chris started a new job with a new company</div>
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3. Wedding to attend with a mini vacation to Schlitterbahn</div>
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4. Bella & Zach had end of season dance and gymnastics performances</div>
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5. Nana & Papi visited</div>
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6. I had a mom/daughter vacation with my awesome mommy</div>
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7. We celebrated mother's/father's day and 2 birthdays</div>
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8. Zach's first in-theater movie</div>
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9. And I am sure there is SOMETHING I am forgetting...</div>
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We couldn't feel more blessed to have such an amazing family :) Here are a slew of pictures to recap the last 2 months.</div>
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Our big girl has learned to write her name, which makes Daddy super happy when she can sign her name in cards!</div>
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Play time at the Houston Greek Festival</div>
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Our first trip (of many) to Schlitterbahn</div>
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(Gotta love your kids playing with your childhood friends kids!)</div>
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The happiest and handsomest little man you could ever meet!</div>
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Our super active kiddos doing their favorite things...dance and gymnastics!</div>
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You could just eat this smile up it is so precious!</div>
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Such a BIG boy...got to see his first movie in a theater!</div>
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Peace of the Lord be with you all!Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-83917889930566424112013-04-29T20:49:00.000-05:002013-04-29T20:49:48.283-05:00April Showers Bring...Three crazy wound up kids! It has rained quite a bit here recently, which means we don't really get to go outside and run around as much as mommy likes. Overall, these 3 are doing fantastic! Alex is all over the house, crawling and scooting. He is now standing himself up when pulling on furniture or toys. I watch him stare in awe at his sister and brother when they whiz by playing chase or dancing. I can see in his little eyes that he is desperate to go after them. Everyone here is happy and healthy...small asthma flares ups from Bella but nothing bad (all the icky weather). We hope all is well in your parts of the world. Peace of the Lord be with you all!!!<br />
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Passed out after a VERY early morning</div>
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Learning to jump and be prepared for emergencies</div>
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Another VERY early morning...intently watching my favorite movie THE LORAX</div>
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Daddy night at gymnastics...Chris got to do all the activities with them</div>
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This little girl amazes me everyday at what she is capable of doing</div>
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The cutest little man on the planet</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_RNFcMla0mveB5dRPE5jFhxIvrmn_2rcy0V0SBFabtkXswq0pJ_uVrvnYXNT88hs_iguKG8rSNM3RGfK0X4S4_zpQIl_9QirJCJNgHEt87F57Z7ScC-_GGesZPmhMLCiDtKLngyCTns/s1600/DSC_2032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_RNFcMla0mveB5dRPE5jFhxIvrmn_2rcy0V0SBFabtkXswq0pJ_uVrvnYXNT88hs_iguKG8rSNM3RGfK0X4S4_zpQIl_9QirJCJNgHEt87F57Z7ScC-_GGesZPmhMLCiDtKLngyCTns/s200/DSC_2032.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliYD4GUaXaFRwOPGu9OLsFXlIMSt84dbYvZNjfp2XS5MT_pwSSqrA8d226GpXyTSFHlBjwW0ukiH8tFMwa0Oah19UyKoV0M7SL0CFLrOHdzKx4nCVYakc5SnvvjU7IKgXjIFTO2QGqBs/s1600/DSC_2078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliYD4GUaXaFRwOPGu9OLsFXlIMSt84dbYvZNjfp2XS5MT_pwSSqrA8d226GpXyTSFHlBjwW0ukiH8tFMwa0Oah19UyKoV0M7SL0CFLrOHdzKx4nCVYakc5SnvvjU7IKgXjIFTO2QGqBs/s200/DSC_2078.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Awesome cousin love...the other of our fabulous cousins took our pictures for the day</div>
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She just plopped down and decided to workout with mommy...LOVE IT!</div>
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Our man of major mischief</div>
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-15246821428820893712013-04-01T20:33:00.000-05:002013-04-01T20:33:23.307-05:00Happy Easter 2013Christ is risen, alleluia! I love this time of year. Lent/Easter is such a great time for reflection, rememberance, and cleansing. Most importantly, celebrating all the glory of the Lord and what He did for us. Being able to teach and raise our children through the power of the holy spirit and all that Jesus taught the world is wonderful. Even through all the chaos that three small children brings, we constantly feel so blessed. We hope all of you had just as wonderful a day as we did!<br />
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Here are a few pics from yesterday and other adventures of ours during the week. An update on our adventures...Being a stay at home mom has its challenges and there is definitely a learning curve, but after a month the kids and I have kind of gotten the hang of how this will work. We have had a few playdates with some great friends, try to mix play with learning, and get out and about as often as possible. Alex is doing fabulous...army crawling everywhere and eating a ton of pureed food. Zach is loving being home, is now fully potty trained, and seems to be progressing just as we hoped he would with his letters and numbers. Bella is, well...Bella! No matter what she does, she seems to amaze us...with the things she says, her memory level and her cognitive reasoning. And her physical abilities have blossomed significantly in the last month from our steady dance/gymnastics program. She has always had small delays and been very unsure of herself in various movements. that is steadily changing as she becomes drastically more confident in her physical self-awareness and risk taking with new activities.<br />
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Our dance session before heading out of the park.</div>
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We pass through a pavilion while going from the swings to the truck...it is a staple that we stop and dance.</div>
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Popcorn and a movie anyone?</div>
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Morning snuggle time...it was 5:30am</div>
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I have discovered the dog and I LOVE him!</div>
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Finger paint and marker time</div>
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Happy Easter morning!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzzoacTatPyvvMdSlynqrhAXrbK0r4T-KPwwi8-M8XSeK61hzH_5Qt7ZbRkdAO5f4HuOmaVENqiKq-PC9NxSNFbCBRY69NHuZIs3B8_e_fZnP9D7KUldRBW97I2YaE79ojpND9QFxvzE/s1600/IMG_0173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghzzoacTatPyvvMdSlynqrhAXrbK0r4T-KPwwi8-M8XSeK61hzH_5Qt7ZbRkdAO5f4HuOmaVENqiKq-PC9NxSNFbCBRY69NHuZIs3B8_e_fZnP9D7KUldRBW97I2YaE79ojpND9QFxvzE/s320/IMG_0173.JPG" width="320" /></a> </div>
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-80194157035494098652013-03-22T20:06:00.000-05:002013-03-22T20:06:16.858-05:00Beach Excursion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had a great time on our trip to the beach. A super big thank you to the Pipes family for inviting us on their beach weekend. We enjoyed the get-a-way and beach air. It was as relaxing as possible with 3 small kiddos. (Mommy and daddy really need a vacation all to themselves.) I had a blast watching the big two run back and forth from the water, build sandle castles and chase bubbles.</div>
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They couldn't get to the water fast enough</div>
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First time flying a kite</div>
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The crew living it up in the water</div>
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Givin' my daddy sloppy kisses</div>
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After the fun in the water at the beach, the kids kept asking to play in the water when we were home this week. My response of course was, "It has to be hot enough to play in the sprinkler and that probably won't happen for a month or so." Mother nature decided to make a liar of me and gave us very hot weather in March...thus a trip through the sprinkler was required for my precious babies. Alex sat in his highchair while brother and sister leapt in and out of the falling drops.<br />
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And for anyone that did not believe me...here is my baby boy doing his infamous plank!!!</div>
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Love to all...peace of the Lord be with you!Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-77047218537914471142013-03-14T22:03:00.000-05:002013-03-14T22:07:21.829-05:00Bella Day 2013Thank you all for acknowledging and commenting on our precious baby girls special day. Four years ago this evening we walked out of the UVa NICU on the 7th floor of the Children's Hospital with our fragile, stitched up little princess. Each second we thought that we would break her or something would go wrong after all she had been through. Four years later she is one tough little (although slightly dramatic) cookie. We went out to breakfast at our favorite place early this morning before dropping daddy off at work, then headed to the park and then the book store. We came back home for lunch and quiet time (she is now refusing to nap, which doesn't turn out well once evening hits). After Zach woke up, they danced to their favorite Wii games. Then daddy came home early so we could go to the new La Madeline down the road and then head to the grocery store to prepare for this weekend. We are taking a much needed trip to the beach. I haven't been to the Gulf Coast in years, so I am quite excited. Here are a couple of pictures from our big girls special day. Love to you all!<br />
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My silly pose with my Virginia bloomers, Aristocats shirt and Wonder Bella head band<br />
(these are a few of her handful of items she likes to wear ALL the time)</div>
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My Bella Day balloon</div>
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The first chocolate she has had in weeks, I had to pry it from her hands</div>
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Chillin' with my brothers in our dress up clothes building puzzles</div>
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-34740174460644589962013-03-10T15:32:00.001-05:002013-03-10T15:35:04.532-05:00We Made It<span style="font-family: inherit;">We made it through our first week without daddy. Chris was
in Qatar all this past week. My mom helped in the beginning of the week by
letting us crash at her place and taking a couple of days off to spend time
with me and the kiddos. For the most part we did well. There were a bunch of “Where
is daddy?” ‘s and only a little crying. But we did our best to explain where he
was, showing them on the map, and saying that he was working. Next up is China,
Malaysia and Australia. I will have to plan way in advance for ways to keep
them entertained and distracted. I have a feeling the next trip will be harder
for them to bare. Once he got home they were all about daddy with tons of hugs,
kisses and tickle sessions.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Zach was probably the biggest handful. As my mom put it, a
double dose of the terrible 2s. He is full of attitude, is aggressive, and does
everything you tell or ask him not to. Although incredibly loveable and sweet
at the same time; kills you with those precious smiles and looks.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Alex is turning into more and more of a little man each day.
He is rolling all over the place, pulling himself forward with his hands (no
army crawls yet), pushing himself backward, pushing himselfall the way up into
full plank position, saying mama all the time, sitting for about 30 seconds by
himself, and loves playing with toys. The scary part is that he LOVES his big
brother. They will be next to each other smiling away and bust into laughs
without stopping for at least a couple of minutes. These two are going to be a
pair of tricksters once Alex is walking.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bella is the ultimate big sister. She has become very hands
on with helping our littlest man. We are so proud of her. She definitely still
has a bit of diva in her and Ms. Priss attitude, but it has mellowed out some.
Both she and Zach have started a gymnastics class that they love. We see an
improvement in her overall motor skills already, way more than what she was getting
with a basic tumbling and dance class while at daycare. And speaking of our
precious preemie baby, Happy Parents of Preemie’s day…the one day a year all of
us preemie parents get to pat each other on the back and say “you rock for
being such a strong parent!” I have to say that all of the preemie mom’s I know
are some of the best women around. We also get to celebrate Bella Day this week…the
day we brought our precious girl home from the UVa Children’s Hospital;
nurses/doctors…expect your cake this week.</span><br />
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Here are a few pictures from our adventures last week...Peace of the Lord be with You!</div>
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-86780906317889804922013-02-27T09:46:00.000-06:002013-02-27T09:46:57.301-06:00New Job<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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It's official! As of Monday of this week I am now a stay at home mommy. The kids are finishing out this week in school. (Which is great for me considering I have a sinus/cold thing going on.) Although I will miss having them in that social environment, I think them being home together and learning from me will be fabulous. Yes, I am quite nervous to be in complete control of their hours of learning and developing, but I keep telling myself..."I'm a smart cookie and can do this!" Now whether or not I can stay sane is the other question. Zach and Bella are super competitive and love to aggravate one another. Keeping them at bay and focusing on separate tasks will be the key. Overall I am very happy about the opportunity to be at home with them each and every day. If any of you stay at home moms have words of wisdom or advice, feel free to share!</div>
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Each of the kids is doing very well. They are looking forward to staying home with me. We've been prepping them for a while about the change. I think Bella is looking forward to being able to sit down and read and do workbooks with me. Zach is a momma's boy and enjoys being with me much more than being at school. Alex is so chill, I don't think he will even notice the difference; other than the fact that his sister and brother will be talking to him all day long.</div>
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On top of staying at home, I'm also about to start the single mom routine while Chris is traveling for work. We knew it was inevitable in his current job role and have been able to put it off with the pregnancy and then a newborn. Now we cannot delay his travel schedule any longer. He leaves for Qatar (Middle East) this week and will be gone for a week. Please say a prayer for all of us...that Chris has safe travels and safe business meetings...that the kids and I will be safe and work well together without him.</div>
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As always, thanks for reading and keeping up with our family. We hope that the Lenten season is going well for you and yours as we remember how Jesus gave His life for ours and that your connection with Him deepens. Peace be with you!</div>
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Ignore my pacifier and look at my awesome hair!</div>
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I got a new gymnastics suit for my new classes and I'm super happy</div>
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We are groovin' to Sunset Driver (thanks to Uncle Cam)</div>
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Mommy likes to make her boys hair look really silly</div>
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<br />Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-30695380115475302312013-02-11T23:19:00.000-06:002013-02-11T23:19:04.886-06:00Family fun and togethernessIt is amazing having 3 kids, they are full of energy, full of love and amaze us everyday. They are really coming together as group and really starting to interact with one another. Alex is being let loose on the floor and Bella thinks she has a new baby doll to play with, and Zach is really interested in having a brother. I think Zach and Alex will soon be running wild in the house chasing each other. Unfortunately, with all the playing together, sickness flows through our house quickly. If one of them gets sick, they all get sick and usually give it to one of us as well. Hopefully we will get through the rest of the winter with no more runny noses, coughs and fevers, but I doubt that wll be the case! May the Lord bless you all and please enjoy the pictures of our trio.<br />
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-37522225506001078512013-01-27T15:34:00.003-06:002013-01-27T15:55:39.569-06:00Only PicturesWow, it's been a while...so let's cover our basis...Merry Christmas, Happy
New Year, and thank goodness the world did not end! In keeping with the theme
of being uber busy, the following will only be pictures. The kids are fabulous.
Fortunately all have been pretty healthy aside from colds and Alex's mild RSV
along with Crupe. Our littlest guy is getting so huge, is cooing like crazy and
rolling all over the place. He is almost holding his bottle all by himself and
as of this week is sleeping through the night (thanks to us getting up the
nerve to let him cry it out). Many blessings to you all and I hope that I can update again soon in more detail!<br />
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YEAR END FAMILY PHOTO SHOOT!!!</div>
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-77545611307492520802012-12-17T17:07:00.002-06:002012-12-17T17:07:56.191-06:00Precious BabiesEach of us seem to be a little saddened in the wake of what occurred on Friday. I can not begin to imagine the pain the families and that community are feeling at this time. Like so many of the rest of you, I'm taking my time to hug my babies a little tighter each chance I get and tell them I LOVE YOU excessively. And in the midst of that horrendous event, one of my life long friends and her family lost their house to a fire early last week. Thankfully each of them is safe and had no harm done to them. Unfortunately they lost everything. Please say a prayer for The Babel Family that they may continue to follow God's plan and have faith that with God's love and strength they can overcome their present situation. I am honored that they are my friends, for they have shown such strength, compassion and hope in moving forward.<br />
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Now on to HAPPY thoughts...<br />
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First and foremost...HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABBY!!! Our dear friend and fellow preemie turns 7 today. She is an amazing and beautiful child. We love you big girl!<br />
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My precious babies are getting so large, literally! Bella and Alex each had their 4 year and month check-ups this past week. Our micro-preemie, weighing in at 1lb 11oz at 24 weeks of gestation, is now in the 95 percentile for height and weight. I cannot believe how tall she is...here's to hoping she continues to have her Nanas height. All is healthy with our big girl! Alex is also measuring large...17lbs and 25.5 inches. I love this chunky little guy. So many rolls it is awesome! He on the other hand had to be taken back to the doctor this morning. He has a mild case of RSV. He has battled with nasal congestion from his first week. Saline and the suction might as well be his favorite toys to play with; however, he screams bloody murder at the mere sight of them. Even with all of the Purell and Lysol, he still managed to get RSV. Fortunately it is mild and low dosage breathing treatments are all he needs at the current time. Say a little prayer that he recovers quickly and it does not develop into anything more severe.<br />
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We hope you all are enjoying the holiday season the best you can. Peace of the Lord be with you and may the Christmas spirit fill your heart.<br />
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Birthday Celebration</div>
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My first prunes</div>
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Having Fun with our Tablets</div>
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Opening Bday Presents from my Godmommy & Abby</div>
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Dance Time with Daddy</div>
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<br />Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-16175468892958092092012-12-05T14:56:00.000-06:002012-12-05T20:02:38.562-06:00HAPPY #4 BELLA BABYFour years ago today God blessed us with a special little girl. She has forever changed our lives in more ways than we could have ever expected. She is precious, funny, intelligent, active, tricky, independent and nothing less than a miracle.<br />
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As soon as I woke up this morning I climbed into bed to snuggle with her for a brief few minutes before her inevitable morning tour of the house investigating everything, telling her brother what to do and then heading into her new toy...a trampoline! Each of us sang her HAPPY BIRTHDAY and then she received phone calls from each of her grandparents followed by many texts before the clock struck 8am. This is one loved child.<br />
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We love all of our blog family and are so fortunate to have had you in our lives 4 years ago reading and praying with us (and continuing to follow our families journey). Our little girl has overcome so many hurdles and is an amazing little person. She is living proof that any obstacle a micro-preemie might be labeled with can be squashed like a bug.<br />
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What she went through those early months will forever be a part of who we are and has forever changed our mission in life. For the first time last night I started to explain to her what happened. This morning while talking to Nana and Papi she started to talk about what we discussed last night. The girl is like a sponge! Hopefully I can do justice to explaining the joyous miracle she is and the respect that all of our extended family in Virginia deserves. She definitely talks about Colleen, Kam, Sherry and Lauren/Abby quite often (mostly because we just saw them). Now we just need to keep expanding on the story we tell her when she looks at her photos and all the photos of the great people that took care of her.<br />
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The birthday girl gets WHATEVER she wants today, now that she is at an age where she really understands and can voice what she wants. This morning we got to watch the cartoons she wanted. Daddy took her to breakfast at our normal weekend pancake/taco place. I'm leaving work early to get her separate from her brothers to take her out on her own for a little bit. Then she gets to decide what we have for dinner. On Saturday she gets to go ice skating and go see the light display at the zoo. Love being able to celebrate her birth, truly a blessing!<br />
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So here is to you baby girl...HAPPY #4!!! Mommy and Daddy love you more than we could ever express with words.<br />
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Merry Christmas to you all...peace of the Lord be with you all!!!<br />
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ISABELLA OVER THE YEARS</div>
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At birth</div>
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At 1</div>
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At 2</div>
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-703561899795619112012-12-03T20:35:00.002-06:002012-12-03T20:35:43.179-06:00The BoysI hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving. We certainly did, great time in New Braunfels with family. My brother cooked an awesome dinner for all of us, thanks Uncle Bobby. We are really looking forward to this holiday season. We are celebrating Bella's birthday this weekend at the zoo and ice skating rink. And then Nana and Papi will be here in 2 weeks.<br />
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Now, the rest of this post is all about Zach and Alex...because in 2 days it will be all about the princess turning 4!!!<br />
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Zach Attack is all over the place. Our two year old little man is hell on wheels; running, jumping, climbing, tormenting his sister, trying to wrestle and getting into everything he shouldn't. He is almost fully potty trained, but he seems to want to go ALL THE TIME. Also, everytime Bella goes to the potty, he has to go at the same time. And as of two nights ago he is randomly taking his pull-up off. He is at the stage where he is stating longer sentences, remembering and receiting more and problem solving. Sometimes he gets a little loud and out of control while screaming. He loves singing and dancing. I've said for a long time he would be the next Justin Timberlake. Then the other night, we were watching an SNL Christmas special. One of JT's skits came on, his soup cup bit, and low and behold...Zach, with never seeing it before, starts imitating him to a tee and doing the exact dance moves.<br />
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Alex is growing by the second. He is easily 16.5lbs. I take him back to the doctor next week for his 4 month checkup, so we will know for sure then. He is attempting to flip his bottom half, holding and turning his neck every which way, sitting up very well when propped and positioned securely, and pushing with his legs when you try to make him stand. He smiles and responds to anyone that will pay attention to him. He loves it when his brother and sister talk to him.<br />
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Until two days from now, enjoy these adorable pictures of our little boys...<br />
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Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5530084139907310331.post-30211302747749880932012-11-07T13:34:00.000-06:002012-11-07T13:34:40.401-06:00My 2 CentsMost of my adolescent life I wanted to have a future in politics. First get my business degree, then attend law school and move back home to begin a run to state politics. But much like my dream to be a lawyer was squished by ultimately working with a handful of dirty ones, so too has my view of politicians steadily over time. I grew up in a household where political and market news was on television every night. I was fascinated with both as a child, teenager and even through college. My outlook was always that “I could make a difference” no matter what the perception of a politician might be (kind of like Eddie Murphy in "The Distinguished Gentleman"). I have always wanted to be that person that goes against the normal course to mean what I say and does what she says. Unfortunately over the years I have become disdained to a point where I just don’t care. I avoid political talk on television at all cost. One because you never know if you can believe what is reported and two because there is a myriad of bickering back and forth with no desire for common ground. If I can sit down with two toddlers and reason with them on what they do wrong as well as my husband on household issues, why is it so hard for two parties to sit down and agree for the common good of this country, it’s people and what our values represent. But in that last phrase lies a bit of the problem…what are our values these days. So many Americans want to move forward and progress as we advance as a people. Then there are those that also want to hold onto historical values that shaped our nation, mainly driven by faith. This creates a great division of values in our country. The separation of church and state doesn’t really exist as religion tends to muddy the waters of our nations policies. Don’t get me wrong, I am an incredibly faith driven person that will attest to Christ and the glory of His love and life. However, at the root of so many problems, from fiscal to national security to foreign policy, we need to decide as a collective group to make fixing the problem the priority before letting our “God” policies over run the sustaining policies of bringing this nation back to a pristine state. In my mind, that is the entire concept behind the separation of church and state. The heart of the matter is that all politicians need to get off their party high horses and draft a plan to shape this country back to a track of normalcy, something we have not seen in a very long time. Whether you are a Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, etc. does not matter. What should matter as a politician is doing what is best for this country. And yes, one person’s view of what is best will be different from another’s. At that point you sit down and compromise or collaborate on a solution. Playing the blame game and pointing fingers has not worked, does not work and will not work. Bipartisan politics needs to settle down. The “revenge” factor floating around needs to be obliterated. Parties need to work together and talk out the issues instead of continually implicating the other to be the problem. Do what is best for your people…do what is best for this country…teach your children how to be responsible by working through differences and succeeding together for a common good.<br />
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I want these 3 to be proud of where they come from, not scoff at the mockery it is turning into. I want them to cry when their child recites the pledge of allegiance for the first time (like I did with Bella), I want tears to come to their eyes when hearing the national anthem, I want them to have pride in their heart knowing how fortunate they are to be an American. The path we are on, I am afraid, will not provide those feelings. Please pray with our family for our country and our politicians to do what is best for the people that live here to keep us healthy and safe.<br />
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<br />Chris and Machelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01044789573572982581noreply@blogger.com2