Spring Break!

     So with my grandpa dying this year hasn't been easy.  I was expecting to have a lazy, stay at home spring break.  However, my parents try to visit our family in North Carolina once a year, at least.  They didn't want to stop the tradition because Big Daddy died.  Family has always been important to them, to us.

     James, Kevin, and I went with my parents to stay with Uncle Larry.  While we were up there we got to see my Aunt Ramona, cousin Jackie, and cousin Ally.  We loved every minute of it!  My dad went golfing with Uncle Larry almost every day we were there, my mom made hot dinners at night, and afterwards we would hang out.  A couple of nights we played games with the kids or we'd wait for them to sleep so the adults could play a game.

     We actually got James to sleep in a play pen by himself! At home he sleeps in the bed with Jim and I so it was a nice change :). Also, while we were in North Carolina James turned eleven months!

     Time always goes by so fast while you're on vacation. This trip was no different.  I'm glad that the three of us got the chance to go.  I love making memories with my boys, parents, niece, and nephew.  As well as the relatives that we visit.

     North Carolina is such a beautiful place and a nice break from Florida's landscape.  The weather is refreshing as well.  The high while we were there was the upper 50's.  Absolutely beautiful.

     Anyway, here are a few pictures from our trip.

James stretching his legs at a SC rest stop

Boys playing at the Shelby park

Alyssa and Hayley.

We got to see Ramona's horses...

James at 11 months

Kevin - 8 years

Penelope hanging out with the girls

The kids waiting for 'smores

Beautiful brother moment

Hayley and James on the back porch

Playing at the Eastridge Mall. They also played miniature golf on the 3rd floor.

Feeding baby James

(We tied him in the chair)

We met my cousin Ally and Greg at Cracker Barrel for lunch.

Kevin ate shrimp.

Hayley had Mac N Cheese

Kalib had pancakes

James didn't like their Mac N Cheese

Memories of Big Daddy

     So today has been a week since my Grandpa, Big Daddy, passed away.  We had a wake service for him at Granny's... It was really nice.  A lot of family got together and we shared our favorite memories...

He wore a tuxedo to my mom's first birthday party.  She's his oldest daughter.

He taught my mother how to write her name.

He had blue eyes and passed that trait down to his kids.

He used to flash the porch lights on and off while my dad kissed my mom goodnight at the end of a date.

He used to take long naps with baby Oliver sleeping on his belly.

He and Granny took me on their trip to Illinois when I was 13.

He was at Kalib's baptism and said the opening prayer.

He let Jim and I get married in their backyard.

He always had projects that needed to be done.

He always said "Hey, Heather, how's the weather".

And he always said pc, precious cargo, and meant it.

     He is greatly missed!  I'm thankful for the time I got with him and for the memories that were made.

     His funeral is this Wednesday... I know it'll be tough.  He is having a military burial as he served our country for 22 years.

     RIP, Big Daddy.  I hope your soul is at peace.

Sidney Issac Richard

Death...

     It affects all of us differently... And even though the nurses foretold us that my Grandpa, Big Daddy aka Sidney Issac Richard, Sr, would not be alive this weekend... I still didn't think or want to believe he would pass this quickly...

     In January he was hospitalized with a systemic infection and his body didn't respond to the antibiotics...  He was hospitalized again in February and was sent home with a hospital bed... Still we had hoped he would be strong enough to fight off this infection...

     He passed away earlier this afternoon in the comfort of his room that he shared with my Granny, Jacqueline Richard.  She was very upset, of course, as she and Big Daddy spent 60 + years together.  They met in high school and even went on a few dates together.

     He and Granny were married for 60 years.  They have 5 children together, 21 grandchildren, and 33 great-grandchildren.
   
     Though at times we maybe didn't see eye to eye, his heart was in the right place.  I will miss his compliments, playing card games for hours on end, the trips he and Granny took me on, and visiting The Villages which always lead to him treating us to ice cream at Ollies and dancing at the town square.

     I know he will be greatly missed and I know at times I will cry as I think about all the things he will miss.  However, I am glad that he got to meet baby James as I know that babies have always brought him joy.  I'm also thankful to him for letting Jim and I marry in his backyard.

     Big Daddy, thank you for the memories, the kindness you showed, and everything you taught us.  You will be missed and I love you. RIP

Sidney Issac Richard, Sr. 01/09/1930-03/04/2014

Beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and uncle.

Granny & Big Daddy

Big Daddy & baby Kevin at The Villages

2005

Much to celebrate

     So there's been much to celebrate lately.  James started walking on his nine month birthday (Jan 22, 2014); last night at my parent's' house, James said his third word "hi" to Grandma Terri and cousin Hayley; his first word was "dadda" and shortly after "maw".

     At James' last doctor appointment he measured 31" and weighed 26 pounds! He's in the 97th percentile, which makes him the size of a 14 month old! Also they rechecked his heart and I'm happy to report that he has NO heart murmur!!!! Yay!!!!  He is growing like a weed and is trying to do everything his big brother can do!  He refuses to eat baby food so we have to make him a baby plate of whatever we are eating... And he only has one tooth...  He's also very stubborn, but a sweetheart nonetheless.  Every day is an adventure for him; and Jim, Kevin, and I love him immensely!

     Rob and Anna, Jim's parents, are moving into his grandparents old house and his grandparents are moving into a new house!  Plus there's a lot of babies being born and/or due this year! Also Julius is moving from Georgia to Oklahoma for a better job!  Yep, this is an exciting year!

My cousin Sammy and his son Chase

James about to walk off

Bekah, Emma, and Adam

Oliver's first dance competition and he brought home the gold!

My cousins, Lizz and Ben, are expecting their baby boy this March

And my cousins Katie and Colt are expecting their first baby in July!

     Yep, thus far there's a lot to celebrate and my family and I are ecstatic! So here's to a great start to 2014!  I pray that all our friends, family, and whoever is reading this is as happy as we are.

Happy New Years

     I love my boys so much! I look into our baby's face and I think "what was life like before you"; I don't even remember. Life would be so empty and boring without Kevin and James. They are what makes my world go round!

     And after three years of marriage Jim and I are going strong. *knock on wood* I love him and feel so grateful to be married to my best friend. I look at other couples who argue about alcohol, staying out all night with friends, or going to places without their spouse and I feel so fortunate that Jim and I don't have those arguments. Now we are by no means perfect, but our "problems" seem so little compared to others.

     I pray that Jim and I will have many years together and much to celebrate. I love him so much. I would be lost without him! Never pictured myself as someone who would say these things that seem to come from a sappy chick flick, but honestly that's how I feel. I love my husband. 2013 was definitely challenging but I hope 2014 will hold better surprises.

     Kevin will be 9 this year, James will be 1, and I will be the big 3-0... Ugh. I pray that this year will be better for Emma. I just want her to be happy. She's always been the twin I never had and she has a horrible past as well... She should have nothing but happiness in her future and deserves to be treated like a queen because she's the greatest person in the world! My future tattoo will be a ladybug (because Emma is the Ladybug Queen) behind my ear because she is my conscience.

     I love my family and friends! You are all so great and I appreciate your support! You'll never know how much your friendship means to me! I hope that 2014 is better for all of us. May we all find what we are in search of/need in 2014!

My handsome guys <3

Love this pic of Emma and James

My handsome baby

My Kevo

And my hubby

Glance back at 2012

Kev and I at Disney

(He's 7 and I'm 5 months pregnant)

2013... Expect the Unexpected

So here's a recap on 2013; in one phrase: Expect the unexpected... In June Kevin was diagnosed with Aspergers, my cousin, Emilene, moved in with us, and in July I was diagnosed with postpartum depression.  Definitely not an easy year and things didn't go the way we thought or had planned.

I always knew Kevin was special and sensitive. For instance, loud noises were always a huge deal and I dreaded fireworks and theme parks as they were too noisy for Kevin's ears. Also, when Nate and I would argue around Kevin he would plead for us to lower our voices.  Kevin's anxiety has always made me curious too and worry about him. He has had many counselors because of his high anxiety and only the last one suggested that Kevin could have Aspergers.

Jim and I have always been supportive of my family. Emma was having problems with her husband, Shawn, so we offered her a place to live. My family all offered her gas money so that she could move down. She's on prescriptions for depression, allergies, and her vasculitis. Her husband has no work ethic and Emma was working full-time while on steroids and chemo. I know Emma still loves him but in my opinion, he'll never be good enough for her.

While adjusting to a new baby, a new roommate, and Kevin's therapist appointments every week I had to speak to my doctor as I felt like I was living in a daydream. I had many days and nights where I felt overwhelmed and would cry for what seemed like hours. After talking to my husband, my tween, and mother inlaw we decided it was postpartum depression. I talked to my doctor and was prescribed paxil once a day. After five months I'm finally beginning to feel like myself.

Emma's marriage is no better but no worse. Her husband is taking no responsibility and continues drinking excessivly. Emma is moving up in the Spring to be with her sister and go to college. We will miss her but we want her to be happy.

James is still growing like a weed! He's 29 and a half inches long and 22 pounds! He's taller than Kevin was at this age but the same weight. James has his first tooth coming in. It started coming in on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Kevin's first tooth came in in November, when he was 7 months old. It's funny how siblings can be so similar and yet so different too! I love my little guys more than anything else in the world!

This year was definitely difficult but it also gave me strength and changed my perspective. Like maybe going to school right now isn't the right thing to do. Right now helping Kevin through his diagnosis is more important. He now goes to therapy twice a week. But his Occupational Therapist always raves about what a genius Kevo is :) We couldn't agree more, of course.

Also this year helped me see that I need to make more time for myself. As a surprise Jim got me a deep tissue massage for St. John's Spa. It was really nice! I was nervous at first but I'm so thankful that Jim made me the appointment. I could feel her finding all my knots and stripping them away. So relaxing! :)

Jim and I are enjoying our baby. Even Kevin loves being a big brother. Kalib is jealous, of course, and wants to exchange his sister for him. Lol Jim and I both told him that that's not happening. All I'm saying is that yes, 2013 was a stressful year but we were also blessed with a new life; and my family and friends are a huge help to me. For the first month of my depression I would remind myself "I am married to my best friend and we have two adorable, smart sons; I live in a house with them, my tween, and our two cats. I am so blessed!" In short, I love my life. Even when times are tough. There's nowhere else I'd rather be then with my family. <3

I hope all my family and friends are doing well and have an amazing support system when things get rough, like I have. And as a reminder you'll always have me. So happy holidays to all and a happy new year! May all our wishes and dreams come true in 2014 and in the years to come!

The Fish grandkids

Emma's new haircut

James on Christmas morning

My Beautiful Family

     I know it's been a while since I posted anything but we've been incredibly busy. So here's what's new: Kevin has been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, Kevin is going to start flag football next moth, James has learned to roll over, and his next hurdle is crawling; Right now he does the army crawl. Jim still works crazy hours at his job and I stay home cooking, cleaning, taking Kevin to and from school; and his doctor appointments, as well as to games and practices.  Of course, I also take care of our baby James who is now six months old.

     Kevin was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in June 2013.  I was taking him to a therapist to be treated for anxiety when after the first appointment Dr. Pittington took me aside and said Kevin may have Asperger's.  It was a hard thing to hear at first because we all want to think of our children as being perfect, but I decided to have him evaluated because if he did have it I wanted him to have the help that he needed. The evaluation process took seven appointments between two therapists who evaluated his speech, his gait, his assments, and reading skills. They also tested his IQ which is between 134 and 143; genius level.

     His strengths are memorization and concrete subjects; such as: Science and math.  His weaknesses are social skills with his peers, nonverbal communication, and tactile functions.  That's why Kevin is very touchy with some people and very standoffish toward others.  His senses are also very heightened, which makes him afraid of heights, hates loud noises and crowds, prefers loose clothing, and has a hard time adjusting to changes in his routine.  To help him understand his diagnosis we bought the book "All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome" by Kathy Hoopmann.  We also had our loved ones read it as well so they would understand it too.  It is a great read and only takes 10-15 minutes to read.

     It was hard to hear that my son is autistic but his case of Asperger's is very mild and it doesn't change the fact that he's my son. I would do anything for my boy and he knows it too.  He will forever be special to me and I have no doubt that he's going to grow to be a successful man :)

     James may be 6 months old but he's still not sleeping through the night.  As we introduced baby cereal into his diet recently he started sleeping more through the night! Yay! We all love him and his happy demeanor.  He is a very calm, quiet, content baby.  He only cries when he's hungry and fighting sleep.  He loves being around his family, watching TV or his dad or Kevin playing video games.  He loves toys that light up and make noises.  He likes to mimic sounds and noises as well and is very animated as he does it!  However, to catch up to Kevin's height, baby James is already wearing 12 month clothing!  It won't be long before he too is taller than his mommy and eats us out of food at home :p

     So I've been taking a day at a time. Taking a break from school to be with James and catch up on sleep when I can. Jim still works for the same company. He is one of the favorites and his job also offers many great benefits.  I love being married to my best friend, having two adorable, smart boys, and a big house to come home to. So thankful for the blessings in my life.  I know that there will always be good days and bad days ahead but with what I've been blessed with I will always be grateful and mindful for my miracles.  As well as being married to my soulmate.

     Now we recently had our family portraits taken and I thought I'd share them with you.  So here's my beautiful family: