Tummy bug

UGH. That's the adjective best describing the stomach bug. Sadie somehow contracted this superbug last Friday. When I went in to get her out of her crib that morning, she was covered in vomit. I got her cleaned up and prayed it was a fluke but she threw up again on our way to take Reynolds to school. I took her to the doctor that morning where she threw up approximately 6-10 more times. By this point she was dry heaving and had diarrhea. It was PITIFUL! This went on for the rest of the day and then she was fine!
Saturday. My turn. I got sick around 5pm. Reynolds follows suit around 8pm. Josh starts feeling bad around 10pm. Becky gets to our house to help out around midnight (thank the good Lord for grandparents). Payton gets sick at 8am Sunday. EXHAUSTING!
Sadie, Reynolds, & I definitely got the worst of it. Reynolds & I slept in the same bed Saturday night and we were up sick at least 1-2 times/hour. Mine lasted about 18 hours but Reynolds drug on and on. He finally started feeling better Monday morning.
Josh never got sick but got a high fever while his body fought the virus off. Payton got sick once and was hunky dory thank God. And Savannah.....well, it must be nice to have a room on the opposite side of the house because she never got sick!
We are all alive but a few pounds lighter and I hope the tummy bug stays FAR away from our family forever!!!



Little miss sunshine even when she's sick!

7 months old

Sadie is seven months old today. Why does seven months seem so much older than six months?? I'm sad these baby months are passing by so quickly but I also love seeing her personality emerge more everyday. I definitely don't wish for time to pass fast, but I can't wait to see what this little girl will be like at 2 and 3 and 4 years old!
She's starting to crawl. She kind of shimmy and shakes to get where she needs to go. She uses a hand sign when she wants "more" of something. She got her first tiny tooth today (the bottom right one). And I swear she said momma at the doctor last week! The doc was holding her and she started crying and saying "mommamommamomma" as she held her little arms out to me! And this girl LOVES her sister & brothers.
She just gets sweeter & cuter by the day folks!

Still life painting

Reynolds still life painting. Not bad!

Kindermusik

I recently began taking Sadie to kindermusik. This class is so special to me. I took Reynolds to kindermusik from 8 months until he was 2 and I have the sweetest memories of it. I'm so excited to get to make those memories with Sadie too! I can't endorse Kindermusik enough. It is so wonderful for a baby's brain, body, and soul to experience music and rhythm early. It's also such a beautiful bonding experience for baby & parent! Sadie is joined by Harper Wilkerson in this class which is so neat because A) her big brother Hudson was in Reynolds class and, B) her momma is my best friend! I love seeing them form a little friendship!



Peek a boo!






He's got the whole world in His hands!



All the babies love Ms. Pam!



Listening intently

Reynolds in Kindermusik!!! Circa 2010! :)

Getaway

Josh & I planned a little adults only getaway to Dallas this weekend. There was a football clinic he wanted to attend and all the kids except Sadie Rose would be away so we decided to make it a trip! Oma was gracious enough to come stay at our house Thursday night to get all the kids off to school Friday and she kept Sadie all weekend.
We left at 5am Friday morning and got to Dallas in time for Josh to attend some of the clinic classes that morning. Friday night we went all out and ate at Ruth's Chris steak house. We got crab cakes, steak, asparagus, onion rings, and blueberry mojitos.....quite possibly the best meal I've ever had! We planned to go to a movie afterwards but we were so full we ended up renting a movie in our hotel room.




Saturday while Josh attended clinic, I decided to treat myself. I got Starbucks, a pedicure, and went shopping at Grapevine Mills. It was so nice to have a quiet day with no agenda to myself! I even ran into my friend, Michelle Marlette, from high school. Her and her husband Andy were having a couples retreat as well! (Meet Michelle here: http://badjujubeansandotherlifestories.blogspot.com)
Saturday night, we headed to the Forth Worth Stockyards to meet my college roommate, Cyndy Rider, & her husband for dinner. We ate at Risckys Steakhouse. Josh HAD to have the Calf Fries (aka bull testicles).








Cyndy Lou Who!




Afterwards, we went to Pearl's Dance Hall & met up with my friend, Melissa Siver. Her boyfriend is the road manager for a band and we went to listen to the show. We had such a great time, until it was time to go home and we got lost numerous times!! (Josh & I have a tradition of getting lost together)




We are headed home and very anxious to get back to our kids, but we are sad it's over. It's always good to reconnect without the kids around. I'm so happy I got this time with my husband. I really love him and feel closer to him every single day.
Here are a few pics of the fun Sadie Rose had while we were gone!




First 3D movie (well, first movie)




Payton's basketball game. Of course, she slept.








Church with Oma!



Lunch with Big Daddy

Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day from our family to yours!!!

I love you from the bottom of my heart to the tips of my toes!!

Reynolds was assigned a secret pal at school and it's a girl! He made her a special Valentine. When I asked him what he wanted me to write on it, he said "I like when Brynn hugs me and makes me fall in the dirty napkin hamper". He said the picture he drew was "Brynn punching him in the stomach to make him fall down." ....What can I say, love hurts!

Payton came home from school yesterday and asked me to help him make a special Valentine for his GIRLFRIEND!!!! I almost died from the sweetness. As long as he's not giving away sugars we will be ok!

These are the Valentine's cards Reyn made for his classmates.




Valentine's that the kids made for Josh



Savannah after the church's Valentine's Day dinner.

Parent-Teacher Conference

I had a conference with Payton's 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Nalitt today. Of course, she started off telling me what a JOY he has been to have this year! Then we went onto academics. She showed me two reports:



This report is from a Diebels test. They were given this test at the beginning of the school year and again in January. The test showed:
In fluency the benchmark for August was 52 and 72 for January. Payton's scores were 106 (Aug) and 168 (Jan).
In accuracy the benchmark for August was 90 and 96 for January. Payton scored 100 on both.
In Retell (recounting details of a story) the benchmark for August was 16 and 29 for January. Payton scored 29 (Aug) and 101 (Jan)! WOW!!!!!!
His reading level (A-Z) was R in August and is now V. This means he is above a 4th grade reading level.



The next scores also show that he is WELL above benchmark. The benchmark composite benchmark score for 2nd grade is 190 and Payton scored a 490!

I mean, we knew he was smart but I wasn't aware I was living with a GENIUS!
Mrs. Nalitt said if he scored above a 93% on the Iowa State test in March she was going to refer him to the gifted program. She said the second grade gifted program was extremely hard to get into and she suggested we start working on multiplication & division at home to prepare. She had no doubt he would make it in with reading/writing but said he still needed a little work in math because it is 4th grade work. Well, SCORE....he lives with a 4-8 grade math teacher. We've got this in the bag!!!!
We are so, so proud of our Payton. He's not only smart, but he loves God, which is most important. It's so nice to hear people outside your home tell you what a joy your son is. Maybe we are doing ok as parents after all!

Weekend recap

Well, it was a jam packed, full of fun weekend!! And as always, super busy.
Friday night, my friends & I headed to Monroe to celebrate with our friend Sheree who is expecting a baby girl in March. I am super excited for sweet baby Kate to join us because I'm going to be keeping her at our house during the day. I am chomping at the bits to get my hands in another newborn baby girl!!! I just know Kate & Sadie will be great friends.
Savannah had a winter church retreat at The Bridge, Payton had his 4th basketball game, and Reyn & Sadie just had fun tagging along! Saturday night we took the kids to watch the La Tech basketball game and Sunday we had church then let the boys play outside in the mud all day.



Miss Priss finally has enough hair for a little bow!!





The Willeford totem pole at Payton's basketball game.


The picture on the left is my mom in a dress made by my grandma. The right is Sadie wearing the same dress!


Would not be a good weekend without a little orange leaf!

6 month well baby visit

I weigh 17 lbs 14 oz and I am 26 inches long. I got my Dtap, rotovirus, & flu vaccines today. I am almost crawling & I eat 3 real meals a day!! I am a healthy, happy girl!

Weekend recap

We had a pretty great weekend! Friday night my best friend Emery came over with her kids, Hudson & Harper. Harper is almost a year old and we just knew her & Sadie would have a bawl. What actually happened.....well, they just stared at each other.



And then they stared some more! :) love that baby belly on Harper!



Saturday morning we had Payton's 3rd upward basketball game. He's so much fun to watch. Quick and FULL of energy. I love watching him try to jump up to try and block people.



#13


Sadie wasn't as entertained with basketball as I was.



Sunday was Super Bowl. We went over to Jeff & Nicola Smith's house and spent the afternoon cooking and enjoying the beautiful weather. Reynolds and Kaden were so happy to see each other!



Now, I'm just hoping we are geared up for the busy week ahead. We've got lots of school meetings for Savannah as she gets ready to go to high school next year. Josh also has a job interview and we are really praying he will find a good school where he can make a difference.

Comics

The big kids did something rare today....they got along for 4 hours straight! The result is a pretty awesome comic strip!






I actually laughed out loud when I read it. Pretty creative!!