The Latest Around Here

I have been terrible about updating this blog and so much has been happening lately.  Just a quick update- Carysn is crawling all over the place.  She pulls up to stand and gets into everything.  Her personality gets more silly everyday.  Both of my girls are the biggest hams...they constantly keep us laughing and on our toes.  Cooper has been having a blast at school and with her friends and being such a great big sister. 

This past weekend was the last for a couple months where we don't have a ton going on...we have birthday parties, swimming lessons, the Disney Live show and we are going on vacation.  And in less than seven weeks, big girl will be one years old!  I have had such a blast planning her party.  We have decided to turn the party into a low country boil (people here don't know what that is, isn't that strange?) and I have gotten the cutest stuff custom made and ordered for her special day.  I am so excited.

I will try to write and post more here soon.  We have taken so many great pictures and so many fun and funny things have been going on lately.  We are really blessed and we are praising the Lord each day!  (Speaking of which, Trenton gave up sweets for Lent and is doing great.  I am so proud of him!!!)

♥ JMB ♥

Three years ago today I lost the best friend I've ever had to leukemia.  It was quick (just a few days from diagnosis to passing) and the shock of all of it still takes my breath away.

I don't want to just honor Jannon on the anniversary of her death, but want to honor her everyday.  Losing her has changed my life...but having her as my best friend for 15 years REALLY changed my life. 

Jannon was the most beautiful, graceful, loving, funny, honest, smart and loyal person I have ever known.  Oh, if only more people were like her!  On a daily basis I try to live my life the way that she lived hers.  I have never known a person more full of life!

I am so angry that she is gone.  There are a million times a week I want to pick up the phone to tell her something...to hear her laugh her crazy laugh...to cry to her because I know she would be the only one to understand.  I can't breath when I think about not seeing her face and talking to her everyday...and that my children can't know how lucky their mommy was.  It hurts to think that she won't be a mommy because she would have been the best one.

I know she is with me and there isn't a thing in the world that doesn't make me think of her.  I hope my children are as blessed as I was to have a best friend who will do anything for you and to support you- that they can laugh with and share their darkest days with.  And I pray they never know the loss so deep of losing your very closest friend. 

I can hear that infectious laugh now and what she would think about me ending up with Trenton.  I know she would be thrilled but I know she would really bust my chops about it.  We really tortured and teased him in high school and those are some of my favorite memories.  I know she would get the biggest kick out of the girls and who they are growing up to be.

I have a million pictures of us...this is one of my favorites.

This picture was taken the weekend I found out I was pregnant with Cooper.

I love this picture from high school.

JMB- I love you and miss you more each day more than the one before. 

Carsyn's Well Check- 9 months

Carsyn had her 9 month well check yesterday (a couple weeks late) and got a great report!  Below are some of the highlights from our visit and current milestones:

• 20 lbs 10 oz (75th percentile)
• 27 3/4 in (50th percentile)
• Carsyn must go in the big girl carseat like yesterday.  We are going to switch them out today. 
• I was worried because she refuses vegetables and doesn't even love the fruit.  He said no worries, my prenatal vitamin was covering the nutrients for her and to just keep exposing.  He also said we can start slowly introducing solids, such as mashed potatoes.
• Carsyn got her two top teeth in!  It is hilarious to see her with all four teeth now.  She is even cuter!  However, I am finding that when she is teething, she bites and I don't love that so much.
• Still no meds for the excema.  The pedi says that overuse of such strong drugs can "atrophy" the skin and it is not reversible.  So I am going to keep doing what I am doing and trust that he knows what he is talking about.  He did tell me that if it gets any worse, he will call something in for her--but for right now I think what we are doing is helping (hydrocortisone, lots of lotion, A & D several times a day.)
• Carsyn can get around anywhere now.  She is not crawling in the conventional sense, but goes backwards, sideways and rolls around anywhere she needs to get.
• She is really pulling up now!  Last night, Trenton was lowering the crib and we put her in there to try it and she immediately pulled up to a stand by herself!  We laughed so hard- can't believe she is getting so big!
• Carsyn is clapping!
• Carsyn took her first nap ever in a crib today!  I finally outlasted her in the crying it out battle!  I hope this is the start of normal naps and not the crazy bouncer routine we have been doing!

We've really been excited to see all the milestones happening lately.  Both girls are growing up so much and so fast. 

Cooper is really getting great at writing- she can write her name so good!  I found a piece of paper the other day that she had written "Cooper" and "Mom" on.  I almost cried- it was the sweetest thing.  School is going great- they have been having homework lately (at age 3!)  The teacher sends home scripture to memorize and the next day they repeat what they learned and get a reward.  Cooper remembers them after the first time and it is so sweet. 

We are enrolling Cooper in a swimming class that starts in March.  It is on Saturdays and the parent gets in with the child.  (Carsyn was too young.)  I am really excited about this because Cooper was afraid of the water last year.  Although towards the end of the summer, my friend Shaundra really was able to get Cooper to open up with her and be a little more comfortable with it.

I am still planning on getting Cooper in a gymnastics class.  Karate was just too expensive.  It is hard to find the time to fit all of our activities in.  Wednesday is our only free day and we typically eat Mexican with friends and have a playdate.

Everything else is fantastic.  Trenton's job is moving along great and it is unbelieveable to have watched it go from nothing but dirt to a state of the art green hospital.  I am constantly amazed by the things my husband can do!

I have become obsessed with Etsy (I am so the last one on the boat.)  Got a cute shirt for my niece's birthday and found some awesome stuff for Carsyn's ladybug/love bug party.

Every day is such a blessing!

This is Carysn's mischevious face!

We are so proud of our smart girl!

Such a ham!

9 months old!

Carsyn Grace is 9 months old!  What a joy she is!  We can't believe in three months she will be one years old- it is crazy how time flies.

Her 9 month well check is next week and I am anxious to see what her height and weight is.  She seems to be thinnning out a little (Trenton thinks I am imagining that), but I know she is definitely a lot taller.  We tried the big girl carseat and she did not love it.  So we have been letting her stay in the infant carseat a little longer.  I am sure the pedi is going to lecture us about that and we are going to move her into the big girl carseat in the next couple weeks.  I think it is a 20 lb limit and she weighs 20, maybe 21 pounds.  But I know she is at the max for the height.

She has been continuing her stubborn and demanding streak.  She wants to be held all the time and her new thing is that she refuses to take naps.  She fights it and fights it and then gets overtired and fussy.  It has made for several very long days!! 

She is also moving around great now and is into everything.  I feel like we can't walk out of the room for a sec.  I went to the kitchen the other day and she was content in one place playing with a toy...I came back one second later and her entire body (except for her head) was underneath the crib. 

She is really funny and is so smart.  She has this new thing where she will pinch you and then very slowly look at you and then start cracking up.  And she thinks "no" is the funniest word ever!!!  She is awesome and everyday with both girls is such a blessing!

This was the first time she ever had a Gerber Puff.  She didn't know what to do with it!

This is why I don't let Carsie cry it out.  I tried to let her self-soothe so she can learn to nap in her crib.  When I gave in after 5 minutes and went to get her, this is what I found.  She actually was laughing when she saw me, but was less than thrilled when I walked out to get the camera.  Her little legs are so chunky and were stuck! 

Carysn's new favorite way to sleep at night.  (This was not the same day as the "I'm stuck!!!" picture.)

Strong like her daddy!

Cooper and I both have on black pants so it looks like I am sitting on her, but I'm not!

!

Cooper has really gotten into playing Mommy lately.  It is so cute.  She has two dolls that she has been toting around everywhere.  She feeds them, puts them to sleep and plays with them.  She repeats stuff she obviously heard me saying to Carsyn and it is so cute to listen and watch her play.  She is very nurturing and she continues to be a great big sister to Carsyn.  Carsyn has done a lot of fussing in the past few days and Cooper has really taken it in stride.

Everything else is great!  We are trying to plan a visit home in the next couple months.  I really want to get some more pictures taken of the girls, Trenton and I.  So Suzy, if you are reading this- I am going to call you to try to coordinate our schedules.  I know you are in demand, girl- but we have to have you!

Live Your Life to the Fullest

I used to watch the news everyday.  Since I have had children I just can't bring myself to watch it very often.  Lord knows I worry enough as it is. 

However the devastation by the earthquake in Haiti breaks my heart. 

My family is very fortunate.  We are not rich and will never be.  But we have food to eat, a roof over our heads, healthy bodies and many luxuries most do not have.  I don't take any of that for granted for a second.

I want to remind my children who will read this one day that everyday is a gift.  Love and obey God.  Be grateful for your many blessings.  Make smart decisions.  Give to others.  Remove negativity from your life.  Don't settle.  Work hard.  Pray often.  Laugh at yourself.  Be silly.  Educate yourselves so that you can educate others.  Don't take things for granted.  Nourish your relationships.  Take care of one another.  Pray for forgiveness.  Try new things.  Live everyday to the fullest!!!

***

Also a big happy birthday to GG!  The Geeg!  We love you and you are the best mom and grandmother in the world!  You have always set the best example for me and now for my daughters.  I am proud to be your daughter and friend.  We appreciate you!  Have a wonderful day! 

(Geeg, I have to tell you- yesterday Cooper didn't want to take a nap.  She was screaming "Mommy."  I guess she finally realized I wasn't going to come get her and she said, "Daddy!  GG?  GG!!!!!"  I went up to tell her to hush and before I could say a word, she said, "Fine, GOOD NIGHT!"  So funny!)

Three Year Well Check

Two months after Cooper's third birthday, we finally went for her well check appointment.  I have already had to cancel this appointment twice because of the snow and I was so upset when it started snowing again.  I called to reschedule and they told me they couldn't fit us back in until the end of March.  So I was determined to get to the appointment.

Cooper was a trip during the appointment- she did great.  They did a vision test and instead of letters like the adults use, they had pictures.  The nurse pointed to a sailboat and Cooper said, "Tent."  When she pointed to a circle, Cooper said, "Circle, like an O- I have two of those in my name."  Her vision tested great.

She weighed 31.6 lbs and is in the 50th percentile for weight.  She was 3 ft. 2 in. and in the 75 percentile for height.  Everything looked great and I am so thankful she is healthy and happy and smart as can be.

She had to get her finger pricked and her h1n1 booster which wasn't fun, but she was fairly brave.  When we got home, I said, "Let's tell God thank you for getting us home safetly in the snow."  And she said, "Should we call him?"  She always keeps me laughing.  (Last night I told her to talk to the hand and she said, "Hello hand!")

I was able to ask him a couple questions about Carysn, even though her next well check is not for two more weeks.  The past couple nights Carsyn has started to roll over on her belly during her sleep or when we let her cry it out for a little bit.  This has worried me to no end, because I looked on the monitor the other morning and she was asleep and totally faceplanted into the mattress.  The pedi put my mind at ease a little about this and that she is big enough to be rolling over and how I shouldn't bug her or move her back to her back.  But I still worry.  He also says we can start giving her a little benedryl here and there when her excema is acting up.  I hate to do that, but sometimes she is so uncomfortable.  The rest of my questions will have to wait for her appointment.  Love love love our pedi, but don't love the office staff, nurses and policies of the practice.

Even though Carsyn's birthday is three months away, we are starting to get ideas about her party.  I am really thinking I want to do a ladybug theme.  Cooper's first birthday party was butterfly theme so I thought it would be cute to do maybe ladybugs.  We can't decide if we are going to do a traditional party or more of an open house.  It might be less chaotic if we can space all of our friends out over a couple hours than try to have a million people in the house at once.  Either way I am so excited!  Lots of fun things going on and in the LeBlanc house!

Time is Flying

I can't believe this weekend has already come and gone.  We were able to get out of the house a little bit and we were all excited.  It is so cold, so we still didn't get to do much outside.  Trenton took Cooper for a ride on the four wheeler in the snow and she had a great time.  We haven't played too much in the snow because last time a "woof woof" tried to jump on Cooper and because the snow was so deep she couldn't get away.  Bless her heart it scared her to pieces.  So now she thinks anytime we go outside, that the "woof woof with no tail" is going to get her. 

We continued our plight to encourage Carsyn to start taking the bottle.  We tried Trenton feeding her and she still wasn't having it.  I was able to get her to drink a couple sips here and there from one of Cooper's sippy cups.  We started noticing that everytime she got a little bit of formula on her face, her chin and around her mouth would get red and puffy looking.  So I have decided to just give up.  Carsyn has been exclusively breastfed for 9 months (except for two days at 6 weeks old when my dad passed away and I didn't have any pumped milk to give her).  I have stuck with it for 9 months and what is 3 more months, provided my milk supply stays strong enough?  I felt awful this weekend trying to force the formula on her when clearly she doesn't want it, need it and it was causing her some sort of rash.  I don't want to spend a ton of money trying to find the "right" formula this late in the game anyway.

I am super proud that I have been disciplined enough to breastfeed for this long, it has not always been the easiest choice.  The La Leche fanatics used to drive me nuts and now I have become one.  I wish that someone had educated me when Cooper was born and I wouldn't have given up sp easily.  I am sure with the help of a lactation consultant- I could have made it work (and saved a ton of money not buying Alimentum.)  I am praying that the breastmilk will benefit Carsyn in many ways in the years to come.  Hopefully I won't get another itch to start encouraging the bottle and can just stick with it for three more months.

Happy Girl

Tomorrow Cooper has her three year old well check and I can't wait to see how much she has grown.  She is so smart and she continues to blow me away everyday.  She has been a really good girl lately.  I find that the whining and tantrums comes and goes every couple months, so I am enjoying the good behavior while it lasts.  She cracked us up this weekend when she told Trenton he was being naughty and that "God is watching you.  And Santa."

This doll's name was Carsie.  Now it is Snoobie Doobie (which is her go to name for everyone).

I am going to start trying to post more here, at least once a week.  I would love to print out every entry and have them bound into a book so the girls can see how they've grown and what they were up to.